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Edinburgh Zoo to unveil spectacular 40ft planet as Giant Lanterns trail prepares for lift-off

Giant Lanterns reaches new heights as Edinburgh Zoo’s popular winter trail returns

The countdown is on for the return of Edinburgh Zoo’s Giant Lanterns trail with just a few months to go until the popular after-dark experience returns for the winter with an out- of-this-world space safari.

Following its hugely successful return in 2025 after a six year hiatus, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) welcomed more than 96,000 visitors to experience the Giant Lanterns trail with guests describing it as “the most beautiful event they have ever seen”.

Running throughout the whole of winter across 60 nights from Friday 13 November until Sunday 21 February 2027, the display will transform the zoo into a glowing universe filled with spectacular illuminated displays, towering cosmic creatures and dazzling interstellar scenes.

Visitors can wander through glowing galaxies and immerse themselves in a luminous adventure brought to life by more than 1000 handcrafted lanterns and 15,000 LED lights.

Each lantern is carefully crafted and painted by hand, with some of the trail’s more spectacular creations taking 220 hours to complete resulting in a dazzling collection of illuminated wildlife, cosmic creatures and larger than life displays, offering countless photo opportunities and interactive moments along the route.

New for this year, visitors will also be able to glide through the galaxy with walk-through planets spanning 12 metres and stand amongst animal giants such as an owl with a 7 metre wingspan, all of which are set to be one of the standout sights of the winter experience.

Lindsay Ross, events and experiences manager at RZSS, said: “We were blown away by the response to Giant Lanterns returning. This year we are taking the experience to a whole new universe.

“This is our biggest lantern trail yet with glowing planets and sparkling constellations to incredible galactic beasts, every turn offers something unexpected. Whether you are visiting with family, friends or simply looking for a magical winter evening out there is something to inspire visitors of every age.

“From the species represented in the lanterns to the conservation work they support, we hope the trail will not only create a magical winter experience but also inspire visitors to learn more about the wildlife around us and the work being done to protect it. Every ticket sold helps support RZSS’s vital wildlife conservation work in Scotland and around the world making every visit even more meaningful.”

Tickets for Edinburgh Zoo’s Giant Lanterns are on sale now at edinburghzoo.org.uk/lanterns.

Ticket prices vary for off-peak and standard nights. Entry is open from 4:45pm with the last entry at 8pm.

Happy Birthday, LifeCare!

STOCKBRIDGE COMMUNITY ORGANISATION TURNS 85!

September officially marks 85 years of LifeCare

Originally founded in 1941 as the ‘Edinburgh Old People’s Welfare Council’ by three local women, LifeCare was a trailblazer, being one of the first such organisations to be created in Scotland. Adopting our current name in 2005, LifeCare has seen lots of growth and innovation; however, tackling loneliness has remained at the heart of everything we do since day one.

Today, LifeCare has 2 day clubs, its Outreach and Help at Home services, Meals on Wheels, a thriving community centre with free carers’ classes, and community events and activities, and last year alone supported 1,140 people to live well and stay independent. LifeCare is needed now more than ever, with 3 in 5 people over 50 experiencing loneliness in Scotland, and isolation increasing the risk of dementia by 60%. People are at the heart of everything we do. Help us be here for the next 85 years and continue to fight against loneliness.

Read more about what we do and how you can get involved on our website https://www.lifecare-edinburgh.org.uk/

Edinburgh Financial Advisors step up to celebrate 25th Anniversary and raise vital funds for House of Hope

A dedicated, all-female team of Edinburgh-based Financial Advisers from PW & Partners, took on a challenging 25k sponsored walk from Prestonpans to Gorgie Road, to raise funds for the House of Hope, Scotland’s first dedicated wellbeing centre for people impacted by breast cancer and their families.

A cause close to their hearts, the 16 strong team went the extra mile to mark PW & Partners 25th Anniversary, by giving back to the local charity that supported staff member Leigh Philp’s Mum, during her breast cancer journey.

The House of Hope offers a sanctuary where those impacted by breast cancer and their families can access support services, holistic treatments, exercise classes and wellbeing sessions.

Leigh Philp, Paraplanner at PW & Partners said: “My mum was unfortunately diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in 2024, five years after her primary diagnosis.

“Other than online forums and groups, she was not sure where else she could turn to for support other than family and friends.

“When The House of Hope opened in 2025, we went along to have a look, and she was so glad that we did. The house is so beautiful, very homely, and welcoming.

“They offer different sessions, support groups, treatments, holistic therapies, exercise classes and 1:1 support, with a weekly timetable, and a fabulous kitchen seating area, where you can just pop in at your leisure for a cuppa and a chat.

“The team are so friendly and make you so welcome.”

Established in 2001, PW & Partners continues to go from strength the strength as it celebrates its Silver Anniversary. Directors Shonagh Livingstone, Fellow and Chartered Financial Planner and Martha Martindale, Financial Adviser, lead the award-winning team of expert financial specialists, who genuinely care about their clients and their families.

Shonagh Livingstone said: “We’re delighted to support the House of Hope during our 25th anniversary year.

“As an all-female business, raising awareness of breast cancer is so important. We know how The House of Hope has helped Leigh’s family and some of our clients too. Giving back to a local charity that we feel close to is a fantastic way to mark our 25th year.”

To build on their 25th Anniversary celebrations, PW & Partners has also been announced as the silver sponsor for the House of Hope’s Strictly for Hope Gala Ball, taking place at Prestonfield House on 4th September.

Martha Martindale said: “After our challenging 25k walk we’re all really looking forward to the Strictly for Hope Gala Ball to help raise funds for the House of Hope.

“It’s an honour to be this year’s silver sponsor and we’re sure it will be a fantastic evening of entertainment, inspiring stories and fundraising.”

The glittering Strictly themed gala ball is the House of Hope’s biggest fundraising event of the year and will include showcase performances from Strictly legends Pasha Kovalev and Kristina Rihanoff, to raise vital funds for the wellbeing services provided by The House of Hope.

Centre Manager at The House of Hope, Hazel McLinden said: “The support and enthusiasm received from the team at PW & Partners has been outstanding and we’re thrilled to be part of the firm’s 25th anniversary celebrations and extremely grateful for the generosity of the donations and support shown during their 25k walk. Well done and thank you to everyone involved.”

Visit houseofhope.org.uk to find out more about The House of Hope and fundraising events.

Adult Education: Outdoor Classes

SKETCHING LANDSCAPES

Develop skills in making quick sketches to capture moments, buildings, scenes and events at beautiful landmarks around the city.

Wednesday mornings or afternoons for a 5 week term

Book your place online or ringing 0131 556 7978

https://adulteducationedinburgh.spydus.co.uk/ Great rates Standard Fee: £84.70 Concession Fee £42.85 Reduced Fee £21.00

SKETCHING QUEENSFERRY

Enrol on this course to unwind and enjoy sketching quick images of the iconic landmarks. One day course.

Thursday 17^th September – 11am-4pm

Book your place online or ringing 0131 556 7978

https://adulteducationedinburgh.spydus.co.uk

Great rates Standard Fee: £26.50 Concession Fee/Reduced Fee £21.00

SUBURBAN STROLLS

There is just time to enrol on a gentle weekly walking tour, filled with fascinating facts about the city of Edinburgh – learn about the local history, interesting people and buildings. 

Excellent all over well being. Starts 8^th September

Tuesday afternoons for 10 weeks

Book your place online or ringing 0131 556 7978

https://adulteducationedinburgh.spydus.co.uk

Great rates Standard Fee: £105.85 Concession Fee: £53.55 Reduced Fee £21.00

Cineworld celebrates National Cinema Weekend with £4 tickets this weekend

Plus, spend £15 at the snacks counter and receive a FREE scratchcard with a guaranteed reward on National Cinema Weekend

Cineworld is celebrating National Cinema Weekend on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September, giving film fans the chance to experience the biggest movies on the biggest screens for just £4. For the first time ever, Cars and Obsession are both playing in 4DX for only £4!

All weekend long, guests can watch any film, at any time, in any format for just £4 at Cineworld cinemas nationwide. That includes premium experiences 4DX, ScreenX and Superscreen, as well as recliner seating. IMAX tickets will be available for just £6 – only £2 more.

And there’s more. This National Cinema Weekend, guests who spend £15 or more at the snacks counter will receive a FREE scratchcard with a guaranteed reward, only at Cineworld. Every card is a winner, giving moviegoers another reason to make a weekend of it. We are also running a Merchandise sale, with merch pieces from favourite films at £1, with the option to buy 3 for £2.50!

The National Cinema Weekend line-up includes some of the year’s biggest releases, including Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey, Insidious: Out of the Further, The Dog Stars, Rise of the Footsoldier: Retribution and The Death of Robin Hood. Families can also enjoy Minions & Monsters, Toy Story 5, PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, Moana (Live Action) and more – all for just £4.

Film fans can experience The Odyssey the way it was meant to be seen – in IMAX at Cineworld. With IMAX available across 25 Cineworld locations nationwide, audiences can see the epic on the biggest possible canvas for just £6, including at Cineworld Leicester Square’s IMAX with Laser – the only IMAX in London’s West End.

And Spider-Man: Brand New Day is swinging back into 4DX for National Cinema Weekend. Following its record-breaking release, which became the biggest film ever in 4DX, fans have another chance to experience every swing, hit and turn with 4DX’s moving seats and environmental effects – this time for just £4.

Also included in the £4 ticket: ScreenX extends the action across three walls for an immersive 270-degree viewing experience, while Superscreen pairs a huge screen with powerful Dolby Atmos sound.

This coming weekend the perfect chance to catch the films you missed the first time around, or experience your favourite releases of the summer all over again – for just £4.

National Cinema Weekend takes place at Cineworld cinemas nationwide on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 September 2026. Tickets are £4 for all films and formats, with IMAX available for £6.

Edinburgh Multicultural Festival returns to Lauriston Castle

SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER from 12.30pm

Do we have news for you!

Edinburgh Multicultural Festival is BACK at Lauriston Castle on 20 September featuring Dance, Music, Storytelling, Circus and Crafts from around the globe and celebrating cultural diversity nestled in our city. And you are invited!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/…/2026-edinburgh…

The City of Edinburgh Council

MADE (Mums and Dads Edinburgh)

The NEN North Edinburgh News

Images released as police investigate serious assault at The Pitt

POLICE have released CCTV images of a woman they wish to speak to as part of an ongoing investigation into a serious assault which occurred within The Pitt, West Shore Road, at around 1am on Saturday, 27 June, 2026.

The female pictured is between 25-35 years old, white, with long blonde hair, tattooed arms and legs. She was wearing a white vest top, dark coloured shorts, white trainers and white socks pulled up.

Detective Constable Lindsay Johnston said: “Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 2259 of 26 June, 2026. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained.”

20 women, 12 hours of football, £2,000 target SMASHED!

A group of 20 women took on a 12-hour continuous football match on Sunday to raise money for St Columba’s Hospice Care.

Two teams played 7-a-side football from 8am until 8pm at South Queensferry Hub in an endurance challenge.

The women hoped to raise at least £2,000 for St Columba’s, who also kindly provided playing strips for the day, but organiser Amie Johnston has been in touch to report that the group has raised £3500, ‘playing all day in the rain!’

https://www.justgiving.com/page/amie-johnston-1

City Council: Clarification on Council Housing allocation following media misinformation

Last week, an article in the media and subsequent posts on social media channels, inaccurately reported details about how we prioritise and allocate council housing.

It is important that we address misinformation and set out the facts.

Status of those applying for council housing

We cannot house asylum seekers. This is a matter managed by the Home Office, not the Council.
People who have been assessed and granted ‘Leave to Remain’ status by the Home Office have legal rights to services including access to housing and other public services. They are afforded the same process, support and respect as every other applicant.
It is entirely false to say people in this position have been prioritised for housing.
We provide advice and assistance to any individual or household who declares themself homeless and this can, but does not always, include the provision of accommodation.

How we prioritise council housing

To address the housing emergency in Edinburgh and to reduce the number of people staying in unsuitable temporary accommodation, we temporarily paused the letting of council homes and accelerated our work to bring empty council housing back into use.
This has allowed us to prioritise temporary housing for people assessed as legally homeless and to reduce the number of people staying in unsuitable accommodation in accordance with Scottish and UK housing legislation. This does not mean that people in this position have a permanent council house.

Community book exchange reopens on 8 September following handcrafted rebuild by Mull boatbuilder

A much-loved community book exchange in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge will reopen on Monday 8 September, after being destroyed in the storms of January 2025 and rebuilt from scratch.

The Little Free Library was created by bookbinder and artist Rachel Hazell, aka The Travelling Bookbinder, who first installed it in Stockbridge in 2016. It quickly became a fixture for local readers, walkers and visitors – and during the Covid-19 lockdowns, a source of connection and comfort for residents cut off from much else.

When the library was blown down and damaged beyond repair last winter, Hazell set out to find someone who could build a replacement able to withstand Scotland’s weather while staying safe, accessible and welcoming to readers of all ages.

The job went to Yann Jameson, a boatbuilder based on Mull, who constructed the new library from locally sourced larch and finished it with three coats of marine-grade oil to protect it against rain, wind and damp.

The reopening lands during the National Year of Reading 2026, and continues a movement with an unlikely point of origin. When the Little Free Library movement began in 2009, its founders drew inspiration from the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who around the turn of the 20th century funded the creation of 2,509 free public libraries across the English-speaking world – and set themselves the goal of surpassing that number, which they did within a few years.

Today there are more than 200,000 Little Free Libraries in 128 countries worldwide, and Little Free Library tourism – seeking them out while travelling – has become its own small pastime among book lovers.

Registered as Little Free Library #36444, the Stockbridge library is part of that worldwide network, used by locals and passers-by alike, and stocked with everything from romance and contemporary fiction to philosophy and Penguin Classics – all shared on the movement’s founding principle: “Take a book, share a Book.”

Rachel Hazell, founder and bookbinder, said: “When I first installed the library in 2016, the idea was simply to share books I’d loved and to support my belief that everyone has a book inside them. Over the years it became something much bigger than that, particularly during lockdown, when people told me it was a source of comfort, connection and escape.

“When it was destroyed in the storms, I was heartbroken. It’s taken longer than I’d hoped to find the right person to build a replacement, but Yann has created something truly special and robust.”

“I take my role as librarian very seriously, although admittedly the collection isn’t organised according to the Dewey Decimal System. I try to keep it well stocked, though sometimes the new titles that appear on the shelves are very tempting.

“I’m absolutely delighted to see it return. It belongs to the community as much as it does to me, and I can’t wait to see people using it again.”

Local resident Barbara said: “It’s been strange walking past the empty spot all year – the library was always a nice excuse to stop for a minute, get my bearings and see what’s new. Glad to have it back, and it looks better built than ever – very smart!”

The Stockbridge Little Free Library officially reopens on Tuesday 8 September and is free for everyone to use.