Gifted: New Acquisitions at the City Art Centre presents a selection of historical and contemporary Scottish artworks recently received as donations and bequests.
The City of Edinburgh’s Fine Art collection charts the history of the visual arts in Scotland from the 17th century to the present day.
Containing more than 5,000 individual artworks, the collection continues to grow every year, with new acquisitions filling historical gaps and introducing contemporary talents. Many of these artworks are generously donated by artists, cultural organisations and members of the public.
Gifted reveals over 50 recent gifts and bequests, ranging from 19th century oil paintings to modern-day artists’ prints. The exhibition explores the stories behind each acquisition, celebrating donors and their important role in developing the Fine Art collection.
Over 40 different artists feature in the new exhibition, including: Victoria Crowe, Agnes Miller Parker, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, John Bellany, Jessie M. King, Robert Blomfield, David Cass, Gareth Fisher, Tess Glen, Bet Low, Will Maclean, Caroline McNairn, Robin Philipson and Willie Rodger.
Among the highlights are Jessie M. King’s exquisite Art Nouveau drawing Fraunchyse (c.1907), Robin Philipson’s colourful still life Poppies on a Gold Ground (1984), and a group of miniature scenes painted on found objects by contemporary artist David Cass.
Cllr Margaret Graham, Culture and Communities Convener, said:Edinburgh’s art collection tells a remarkable story of Scotland’s creative talent, made possible in large part through the generosity of those who have gifted works to the city.
“From drawing and painting to photography and sculpture, the collection reflects the richness and diversity of Scottish art.
“This exhibition gives residents and visitors the chance to experience works by artists such as Victoria Crowe up close, and to enjoy them completely free of charge.”
Curator Dr Helen Scott (pictured top) said:“Over the last few years, we’ve been really fortunate to receive so many wonderful artworks as donations and bequests to the Fine Art collection.
“Some pieces have been gifted by artists themselves, while others have been offered by cultural organisations and members of the public. Such generosity allows us to increase the breadth and depth of the collection, sharing artworks in the public domain that might otherwise never be seen.
“Many of these artworks are being displayed here for the first time since their arrival. I’m really looking forward to visitors discovering them, and perhaps even finding a new personal favourite.“
Welcoming guests from over 100 nations, visitors from the US, Hong Kong and Mauritius all flocked the 17th-century site this season.
One of Edinburgh’s leading heritage attractions, The Real Mary King’s Close, has celebrated a record-breaking summer after welcoming 106,477 guests across June, July and August.
Admissions at the historic attraction, located beneath Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, increased by 12% year on year across June and July, with August admissions 6% ahead of the same period in 2025.
The strong performance comes during another busy summer for Edinburgh, as visitors from around the world travelled to the capital during its tourism peak.
The Real Mary King’s Close recorded visitors from more than 100 countries and territories this summer, underlining both Edinburgh’s continued international appeal and growing interest in the city’s hidden history.
The United States was the attraction’s largest identifiable overseas market, with 6,357 visitors, followed by Canada with 1,304 and Germany with 1,037. Strong numbers were also recorded from France, Spain, Australia, the Netherlands and Italy.
Guests travelled from across Europe, North and South America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania, including visitors from locations as far afield as Afghanistan, French Polynesia, Samoa, Mauritius and the Cayman Islands.
Paul Nixon, General Manager at The Real Mary King’s Close, said:“Welcoming more than 106,000 guests and achieving a record-breaking summer is a fantastic result for The Real Mary King’s Close and our dedicated team.
“This performance comes against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive tourism market, with visitors understandably more conscious of how and where they spend their money. Our team has worked incredibly hard to achieve these results and ensure that every guest enjoys an experience which offers both quality and value.
“It has been another incredibly busy summer for Edinburgh, and it is encouraging to see visitor numbers continuing to grow. Welcoming guests from more than 100 countries and territories demonstrates the enduring international appeal of the Capital and the appetite for authentic heritage experiences that bring its history to life.
“We are proud to play our part in Edinburgh’s world-class tourism offering and look forward to building on this momentum throughout the remainder of the year.”
For more information about The Real Mary King’s Close and bookings, please visit:
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is offering free entry for Edinburgh children throughout September, helping local families enjoy a day out in the capital for less.
The offer is available as part of Forever Edinburgh’s Resident Rewards programme, which gives EH postcode holders access to exclusive offers across the city.
From Sunday to Friday, EH postcode holders can receive one free child ticket with each full-paying adult ticket booked online using the code EHREWARD26.
Edinburgh residents visiting without children can also benefit from its ongoing 20% off off-peak tickets from Sunday to Friday. The discount is available online using the code RESIDENTRATE20.
The offers follow Camera Obscura’s participation in the Government’s Great British Summer Savings Initiative, which saw the attraction pass on the full VAT reduction across advance and walk-up tickets during the peak summer season.
Located at the top of the Royal Mile, Camera Obscura features more than 100 interactive exhibits across five floors, from optical illusions and mind-bending installations to panoramic views of Edinburgh from its rooftop.
The attraction also welcomes families of all needs. Visitors with sensory needs can borrow Sensory Backpacks containing ear defenders, sunglasses, a torch, an activity sheet and sensory toys. A sensory map of the building is also available to help families plan their visit.
Andrew Johnson, General Manager of Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, said:“September is a brilliant time for Edinburgh residents to rediscover what is on their doorstep, once the busiest weeks of the summer have passed.
“We know the cost of a family day out can quickly add up, so we hope our child-goes-free offer will make it easier for local families to visit. We also wanted to ensure residents visiting without children could benefit, with 20% off off-peak tickets available throughout the month.”
Council Leader Jane Meagher said:“Our Resident Rewards programme, delivered by Forever Edinburgh, is all about giving the people who live in Edinburgh more opportunities to discover, enjoy and experience their own city for less.
“Camera Obscura is one of the capital’s most loved attractions, and I hope that residents will be able to make the most of this offer.”
Both offers are available to EH postcode holders from Sunday to Friday throughout September and must be booked online. Only one discount can be used per booking.
A major new global poll unveiled at the 2026 Edinburgh International Festival found that 68% of people worldwide say culture gives them hope.
The International Festival tackled barriers that keep audiences from world-class live performance: over 50,000 tickets were priced at £30 or under; a record 3,000 free tickets were given to Scotland’s young musicians; over 8,000 half-price and free tickets for Deaf, disabled & neurodivergent audiences; and more than double the number of £10 tickets were available across every performance.
A deep connection was forged between audiences and world-leading thinkers, artists and cultural voices: 86% of audiences rated their experience 4 or 5 stars.
The 2026 Edinburgh International Festival has concluded, with the last of 146 performances across music, dance, opera and theatre in a 24-day celebration of the performing arts.
This year’s programme, All Rise, put America in the spotlight, featuring the largest representation of American artists in the Festival’s history. With over 2,000 artists from 46 countries, hand-picked for their cultural resonance, the 2026 Festival was defined by extraordinary artists and thinkers who presented a range of contemporary perspectives, and a vision for the future.
In its inaugural Global Ideas Stage event, the International Festival unveiled a major new poll conducted on culture and hope, the largest of its kind ever undertaken on this subject. Focaldata surveyed 35,000 people across 34 countries and found that 68% say culture gives them hope, with a single cultural moment, whether a live performance, a book, a film or a piece of theatre, helping them feel more hopeful about an uncertain future.
This year’s programme brought together some of the world’s leading thinkers, artists and cultural voices, including: Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, filmmaker Ken Burns, Pulitzer-Award nominee Zora Howard, trumpeter and educator Wynton Marsalis, Oscar-nominee Wagner Moura, lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson and journalist Amy Goodman.
The Festival also presented a landmark exhibition The Legacy of Slavery, which gave a comprehensive history of the legacy of racial injustice, from Scotland to America. This Festival commission drew more than 7,500 people during its three-week run at the Playfair Library, in its first ever international outing outside of The Legacy Museum site in Montgomery, Alabama.
Launch of the 2026 Edinburgh International Festivall
Nicola Benedetti, Festival Director,Edinburgh International Festivalsaid: “These new findings confirm what I have always known, culture gives us hope. This Festival, and the audiences who have been changed by what they saw on our stages, are proof of that.
“This year’s Festival theme, All Rise, was a rallying cry for collaboration and resilience, based on our firm belief that through artistic endeavour we can learn to see one another more truthfully, and more tolerantly.
“The 2,000 artists that joined us in Edinburgh answered our invitation with courage and generosity, grappling with urgent and profound issues – everything from AI and fake news to the opioid crisis and police brutality – holding up a mirror as well as showing us a way forwards.
“We asked audiences to take a leap with us, embracing risks with an exceptional number of bold new commissions by the International Festival. They responded with curiosity and bravery. This is what it looks like when culture gives us hope.”
This year, the International Festival asked for a deeper connection between audiences and artists. Across all artforms, opera, music, theatre and dance, 86% of audiences surveyed rated their performance experience 4 or 5 stars.
The new ‘Lights Down, Phones Off’ initiative encouraged audiences to switch off distractions during all performances: resulting in a significant reduction in phone-related disturbances.
The Festival also rolled out its broad range of industry-leading concessions and initiatives, to ensure that cost isn’t a barrier to cultural discovery. More than 50,000 tickets across the programme were priced at £30 or under, and a record 4,894 £10 tickets were offered across every single performance, a more than 50% increase on last year. Over a third of these were bought by audiences who had never attended the Festival before.
Alongside this, over 8,000 tickets were issued to Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent audience members and their companions, a number of tickets that has grown consistently over the past three years.
A record 3,000 Young Musician Pass tickets were issued this year, giving Scottish young musicians free access to the International Festival and creating pathways into transformative cultural experiences.
Young Musician Pass holders were also given opportunities to meet and ask questions of artists including members of the BerlinerPhilharmoniker, Colin Currie, Nicola Benedetti and some of the Festival’s Rising Stars.
The Festival’s Discover series also brought over 2,000 opportunities for Edinburgh secondary school pupils to encounter opera, dance, music and theatre at performances and in their own schools, many for the first time.
Taking the Festival experience out of the concert halls, weekly NHS Festival Sessions brought artists into healthcare settings for pop-up performances for staff, patients and visitors. Families also enjoyed Art of Listening workshops introducing them to live classical performance, which took place in Space @ The Broomhouse Hub for the first time.
Francesca Hegyi, Chief Executive, Edinburgh International Festivalsaid: “This year we have seen the unique role Festival plays in bringing together significant thinkers, political leaders, and some of the best artists in the world to Edinburgh.
“The International Festival hosted artists from 46 countries, taking to stages alongside over 700 artists from across Scotland. We welcomed 23 international delegations and served as a launchpad for the Creative Trade Forum, a new initiative to promote trade and investment for the UK’s creative sector.
“What sets the International Festival apart is the global role it plays, while rooted resolutely in Scotland – more than half of our tickets go to Edinburgh residents.
“We provide a global stage, a meeting place for cultures and ideas, where audiences gather every year.”
Australian comedian Frankie McNair has won the 2026 Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, for Huge Ass Mindset, a stand-up comedy show about her experiences of complex PTSD resulting from childhood sexual abuse.
Huge Ass Mindset is the first comedy show to win the Mental Health Foundation’s annual Edinburgh award, which has been running since 2017. It is one of six shows to be shortlisted for this year’s award.
The Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award was established in order to highlight and support the most compelling new work about mental health at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The award is currently sponsored by the Cornwell Charitable Trust and offers a cash prize of £3000 plus additional support tailored to each winning artist.
Andrew Eaton-Lewis, arts programme officer at the Mental Health Foundation, said: “Over the past decade the Fringe has increasingly become a place where solo performers draw on extremely personal, sometimes traumatic real life experiences when creating their shows.
“It is a very difficult thing to do well, and safely, and is certainly not for everyone. But Frankie is a performer who has brought an exceptional level of skill and care to the task, having spent many years in therapy preparing herself to tell this story.
“The result is a show that dares to challenge the shame around childhood sexual abuse in a way that is brave, powerful and also funny in a way that few people would imagine is possible when talking about this subject.”
During her show, Frankie McNair takes care to reassure the audience that she has processed her traumatic childhood experiences through years of therapy, encourages them to leave the room if they need to, and provides resources after the show in case anyone is triggered by the material.
Huge Ass Mindset was one of six shows that were shortlisted for this year’s award. The others are:
Bog Witch (Traverse Theatre):
In a fraught summer of heatwaves and flash floods, climate anxiety is everywhere, but remarkably few shows are directly confronting the question of how it’s possible to stay happy and sane when the world seems to be falling apart around you.
One notable exception is Bryony Kimmings’ spectacular and very funny new show, which tells the story of a lonely first year living in a tumbledown cottage in the English countryside, as Bryony attempts to “plug back into nature” while feeling like she’s failing at every turn.
Parasocial Activity (Pleasance):
This new show from Gallus and Silly Mission Productions begins as an extended comic skit about writer-performer Briony Martha’s character, Jenny, meeting her idol, Hollywood actor James McAvoy, in a Glasgow coffee shop, before evolving into something much darker.
It’s an exploration of the recent phenomenon of ‘AI psychosis’, in which people struggling with isolation develop strong emotional attachments to AI chatbots which can become harmful, and, in this case, dangerous.
Giraffe (Pleasance): Abigail Weinstock’s semi-autobiographical show tells the story of Eliana, who grows up believing she is a sociopath, only to discover – with help from a therapist, a court order and an unexpected relationship with a child who seems to be going through something similar – that she should have been diagnosed with something quite different.
Giraffe compellingly illustrates the long-term mental health impact of growing up believing there is something “wrong” with you.
The End Of The World (Gilded Balloon): In Destiny Faith Nelson’s solo show, she plays Desiree, a young, lonely wannabe writer who decides to livestream her own suicide after becoming overwhelmed by the world and her own perceived failures, before realising, too late, that the man she shares a home with but barely knows has been invisibly going through his own mental health crisis.
The End of The World is a deeply affecting story of how social media can isolate vulnerable people from the world around them.
Water Colour (Traverse Theatre): Milly Sweeney’s debut play is the story of two lost souls in Glasgow, a kitchen porter and an art student, who both end up on the brink of suicide for different reasons but ultimately find solace in each other’s survival.
It’s a moving exploration of the complex factors that can push young people to the brink.
The shortlist for the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award is selected in consultation with The Scotsman newspaper’s team of experienced critics as well as arts and mental health professionals.
Each year’s winner is announced at the Scotsman Fringe First Awards, the biggest theatre awards ceremony at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Since 2023 the award has been sponsored by the Cornwell Charitable Trust and dedicated to the memory of arts journalist Tim Cornwell, who died in 2022.
Tim worked for many years as the Scotsman’s arts correspondent and was part of the judging panel for the Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award, a subject close to his heart as someone living with Bipolar disorder. Tim died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism in June 2022.
Thanks to the Cornwell Charitable Trust, our winner will again be offered a £3000 prize plus a flexible package of support tailored to the needs of the show and its future development, which may include mentoring support and mental health training, support with funding applications and/or a contribution to production costs.
The Mental Health Foundation Fringe Award is part of the Foundation’s year-round arts programme, which also includes the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, one of the world’s biggest mental health themed arts festivals, which celebrates its 20th year in 2026.
The Mental Health Foundation also recently launched Performing Anxiety, a resource for people who want to make audience-facing creative work about mental health. The resource includes interviews with numerous artists who have made Edinburgh Fringe shows about mental health, including Bryony Kimmings, Caroline Horton, Selina Thompson and Amy Conway.
Gilded Balloon is delighted to announce Verona Verbakel as the winner of the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award for her outstanding solo performance in Only Fans for Therapy at Zoo Playground.
The Filipa Bragança Award recognises an exceptional lead solo performance by an emerging female, female-identifying or non-binary actor in a theatre production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Established in 2017 in memory of the gifted actor Filipa Bragança, the award celebrates the extraordinary talent of performers working at the Fringe and honours Filipa’s own remarkable contribution to the festival.
Filipa delivered defining performances in critically acclaimed Gilded Balloon productions including Echoes and Angel before her untimely death in 2016, aged just 25.
Uniquely, the award considers eligible solo performances from across the entire Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with judges independently scouting work across venues throughout August.
Following weeks of intensive viewing by the judging panel, this year’s shortlist reflected an exceptionally strong field of solo theatre. Judges highlighted the outstanding standard of writing, characterisation and performance across this year’s Fringe, with Verona Verbakel ultimately standing out for the depth, originality and sheer commitment of her performance in Only Fans for Therapy.
Karen and Katy Koren, Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon, said: “Filipa was an extraordinary young actor whose talent, generosity and presence made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of seeing her work.
“It is incredibly important to us that this award continues to celebrate the kind of bold, brilliant and distinctive solo performance that Filipa herself represented.
“Verona’s performance this year was completely compelling ,she commands the stage with remarkable skill and vulnerability, and we are thrilled to recognise her with the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award.
“Every year, the standard of work considered for the Filipa Bragança Award makes the judging incredibly difficult, and this year was no exception. We saw an extraordinary range of solo performances from artists working across the Fringe, but Verona’s work stayed with us.
“Only Fans for Therapy is fearless, uncomfortable and deeply human, and Verona gives an extraordinary performance at its centre. We are delighted to celebrate her achievement and to continue Filipa’s legacy through an award that champions emerging performers and the power of solo storytelling.”
The winner of the 2026 Filipa Bragança Award was presented on Friday at The Scotsman Awards.
EH, KY, FK and G postcode residents can enjoy more than 200 Edinburgh Fringe performances for just £6
Gilded Balloon is inviting its neighbours to experience this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe for less with an extension of Postcode Pals – a special ticket initiative offering £6 tickets to local audiences.
Running from 00.01 am on Sunday 30th August until 23.59pm on Monday 31 August, the limited-time offer is available exclusively to residents with EH, KY, FK and G postcodes, giving them access to more than 200 performances taking place between 30-31 August, while availability lasts.
ensuring local communities can continue to enjoy the last performances of the Fringe on their doorstep.
Karen and Katy Koren, Artistic Directors of Gilded Balloon, said:“We have decided to extend Postcode Pals for our final two days of our fantastic Fringe programme.
“We want to say thank you to our local audiences and the communities that support us year-round and give them a chance to enjoy our last shows of the 2026 Fringe”
The offer covers an exciting cross-section of Gilded Balloon’s 2026 programme, including Gilded Balloon co-productions and visiting companies with more than 200 comedy, theatre, music, family and spoken word performances taking part in the promotion.
How to claim the offer:
Residents with EH, KY, FK or G postcodes can:
Log in to their Gilded Balloon account.
Ensure the billing address on their account includes a valid eligible postcode.
Hundreds of Asian artists from dozens of Fringe shows gathered at the City Chambers this week for the Asian Art Awards 2026.
With so much international talent on the Fringe programme it was no surprise that 2026 was another vintage year and, with the majority of winners still in town to collect their awards in person, there is still time to see most of them. The awards were presented by Richard Lewis, Chair of the Asian Art Fund Scotland and Chris Snow, Head of Artist Services at the Fringe, in partnership with WU Asia Pacific.
The irresistible “2Shoulderpads: Galaxy Train” from Japan (pictured above) won Outstanding Show for their zany poetic musical based on Japanese classical literature. Their only costume is … two shoulder pads each. “The Palestinian Circus: Step and a Half” (pictured) were one of the runners up, winning over the reviewing team with their talent, upbeat attitude and message of Peace.
It was also a strong year for Scottish representation. The Outstanding Youth Show award was won by Our Town Needs a Nando’s with the all-Scottish and all-female cast bringing tremendous energy and fun to the stage.
Scottish Tamil actress Lovely Selwyn burst into tears on receiving her award, exclaiming “this is our Oscar”! Outstanding Drama award was won by Tether with a cast from Scotland and Korea while the Outstanding Children’s Show award was won by “Shhh! (A Wordless Comedy)” from Vietnam but with one of the three cast members originally from Scotland.
Finally, a Highly Commended award was received in the Youth category by the Edinburgh-based Nikkan Dance Academy for their show “Kahi: The Inner Us – Explore the Soul”, bringing traditional Indian dance to the Fringe.
Japanese Grandma Funeral starring Japanese American Kento Morita won best comedy, while the Outstanding Individual Performance was won by Cheeyang Ng from Singapore with Legendary, a musical seamlessly blending Chinese mythology and queer legacy. Outstanding Dance Show was won by Samurai and Oiran of Japan.
The Asian Arts Special Award was won by The Lady Prince Consort, a classic Chinese opera about a young wife who disguises herself as a man (Mulan-style) to save her husband, with (almost) tragic consequences. Although performed in Mandarin with subtitles, it was both beautiful and hilariously funny, and sadly only played for one night at the Queens Hall.
The Asian Art Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe have been running since 2014 with a vision of bringing Asian artists together to celebrate and promote their talents. At a time of rising tensions between east and west, art plays a vital role in bringing nations and communities together.
The Palestinian Circus: Step and a Half, Underbelly and The Palestinian Circus with Medical Aid for Palestine (Palestine)
YOAH, Underbelly, Cirquework and Cluster Arts (Japan)
Outstanding Musical or Comedy Show
Winner: Japanese Grandma Funeral, Kento Morita. (USA)
Highly Commended:
Hater, Brava Guava, UK
Olivia Xing: Baby of Colour., Olivia Xing. (China)
Outstanding Dance Show
Winner: Samurai and Oiran, Asakusa Kaguwa (Japan)
Highly Commended:
Strange Tales from Liaozhai, Yuerge Dance Theatre / Shanghai International Dance Center Theater. (China)
Outstanding Drama
Winner: Tether, Wonder Fools and Theatre SAN (Scotland/Republic of Korea)
Highly Commended:
LANDSFRAU, Doris Crea Collective (Performed by Mariann Yar) (Germany)
Olympic Hopefuls, in vivo Productions (USA)
Why English?, Vibhinna Ramdev (India)
Outstanding Youth Show
Winner: Our Town Needs a Nando’s, Hot Mess Productions (Scotland)
Highly Commended:
Kahi, The Inner Us – Explore the Soul, Nikkan Dance Academy, (India/Scotland)
Outstanding Children’s Show
Winner: Shhh! (A Wordless Comedy), Lang Spot Vietnam (Vietnam)
Outstanding Individual Performance
Winner: Cheeyang Ng, Legendary(Singapore)
Highly Commended:
Seonju Jang, The Renaissance of Spring: Samsara and Shroop Directed and Choreographed by Yu-mi Kim. Jajack Movement and the Art Support & Incubation Dept., GGCF (Republic of Korea)
Emma Tsoi, He Wants Kids, She Doesn’t, BF Productions. (Hong Kong)
Aarushi Agni, EMOJI: The Hieroglyphs Of Our Time…. (USA)
Asian Arts Special Award
Winner: The Lady Prince Consort Anqing Zaifen Huangmei Opera Theatre (China)
Highly Commended:
R/evolution(s), Dance Base Yokohama/Conan Amok (Japan)
Also shortlisted was The Princess Gives Her Lover a Sword by Guangdong Chao Opera Institute (China)
For further information please contact organiser Asha Trivedy of Asian Art Fund Scotland via contact@asianartfundscotland.org and 07511209053 or trustee Jim Orr on 07718 666452.
Collective Gala is a free family-friendly day of celebration with creative activities for all ages. Explore newly commissioned artworks and performance by Scottish artists, join behind-the-scenes tours, shop with local makers, and enjoy creative play sessions for children.
The day will culminate in a celebratory procession inspired by Gala traditions. Saturday, 5th of September, from 11 am to 4.30 pm. FREE ENTRY!
Princes Street is set to fully reopen on Saturday (29 August), following a major fire at the former Debenham’s building last month.
Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams are working to resume services, with pedestrian access restored between Castle and Frederick Street for the first time since 9 July.
Subject to successful testing overnight on Friday, trams will run to their full route from the Airport to Newhaven and all city centre bus diversions will end.
Passengers are being encouraged to continue planning ahead and checking for the latest travel updates and information on the Council’s website. Operators will publish updated timetabling information ahead of the weekend.
The three eastbound bus stops between Castle Street and Frederick Street will remain closed, with westbound bus stops unaffected.
Remedial work on the site will continue, which requires the pavement on the north side of Princes Street to remain closed. One lane of the eastbound carriageway will be used as a temporary pedestrian walkway.
Significant work has been carried out over the past seven weeks to make the building safe, including:
The front façade of the building has now been fully stabilised with supporting steel beams
The eastern gable of the building has been secured and made safe. This involved reducing it in height by approximately two metres and supporting it with scaffolding
Several tonnes of bricks and unsafe stonework – some weighing as much as 850kg – from the upper levels of the façade have been carefully removed and stored for reuse
Several tonnes of debris and dangerous materials have been removed from the building.
The closure has had a significant effect on the city, particularly on businesses on the northern section of the tram route, including Newhaven, Leith and The Shore. Ongoing work to support these businesses includes:
The development of a promotional campaign More By The Shore to drive footfall to businesses in the area
The campaign will involve special offers, a voucher scheme, events and more – with more details to follow in the coming weeks
Direct Engagement and Communications – officers will continue speaking directly to businesses in the area over the next few weeks, holding online briefings and issuing information and other advice.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said:“The reopening of Princes Street is a significant step in the city’s recovery from, what was, a devastating fire – and I’m sure it will come as a great relief to many.
“This has been an incredibly difficult few weeks for the city, not least given the timing, and I’m pleased that we can now turn our attention to getting Edinburgh back to normal as well as helping those businesses most affected to get back on their feet.
“A great deal of effort has gone on behind the scenes to make this possible – and my thanks go to our council teams and engineers who have carried out painstaking work to make the building secure as quickly and safely as possible.
“I also want to thank Lothian Buses, and their drivers, for keeping the city moving and our residents and visitors for their patience.
“I think it’s fair to say that this period has further underlined the critical importance and popularity of our tram network, not just to the north of the city but to the whole of Edinburgh.
With that in mind, I’m pleased that our business support campaign ‘More by the Shore’ is taking shape – and will soon be encouraging more residents and visitors to explore Leith, the Shore and Newhaven, and visit the fantastic local businesses there. This activity is planned to run well beyond the reopening of Princes Street, over the festive period and into the new year.”
Sarah Boyd, Chief Executive for Lothian and Edinburgh Trams said: “We welcome the news that Princes Street is due to reopen on Saturday 29 August.
“Our teams are now focused on reinstating bus and tram services along one of the city’s most important transport corridors and we encourage customers to check the latest service updates and allow extra time for travel.
“I would like to thank our customers for their patience, understanding and support throughout this period of continued disruption. We are also grateful to our colleagues, whose professionalism, flexibility and commitment continued to keep Edinburgh moving during a particularly challenging time.
“Finally, we would like to acknowledge the close collaboration of our partners, including the emergency services, the City of Edinburgh Council and other agencies involved in responding to this incident.
“Their collective efforts have helped ensure services can begin to return safely and efficiently for the benefit of Edinburgh’s residents, visitors and businesses.”
