MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
Today MHF joined 20+ mental health charities to launch the Head On campaign
Together, we can build a modern mental health system with prevention at its heart.
This starts by giving mental health the political focus it deserves.
It’s time to tackle the mental health crisis Head On.
Find out more at headoncampaign.org.
The Council is taking forward improvements to the public realm around Drylaw shopping centre on Ferry Road and Easter Drylaw Place.
The improvements would make the area safer and more accessible for pedestrians.
AtkinsRéalis has prepared designs for improvements to the public realm. These include
The improvements are to the public realm only. They will not involve the shopping centre itself, which is not owned or maintained by the Council.
On 13 May 2025, the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee agreed to allocate £168,102 towards the improvements. Detailed designs have been prepared by AtkinsRéalis and were consulted upon in September to October 2025. A stage 2 road safety audit has been prepared by AtkinsRéalis.
In March 2026, the Council appointed Luddon Construction to carry out the works.
Works are scheduled to begin on Tuesday 5 May 2026 and complete on Wednesday 24 June 2026 (these dates may require to change).
To allow the works to be carried out safely, it will be necessary to temporarily close roads and restrict parking. In summary:
Pedestrian access to the shops will not be obstructed. Signs will be displayed to let people know that the shopping centre is open as usual. Deliveries to the rear of the shopping centre will not be affected.
A glamorous, never-before-exhibited portrait of Queen Mary and a miniature sleigh made of rock crystal will be among highlights on show in Scotland for the first time in a major exhibition opening tomorrow.
The Edwardians: Age of Elegance will explore the glitzy world of two of Britain’s most fashionable royal couples – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary – through their family connections, royal events, global travels and art collecting.
The exhibition will open in Edinburgh following a successful run in London and is the first Royal Collection Trust exhibition to explore the Edwardian era. It will bring together more than 150 items including fashion, paintings and books, as well as personal items such as jewellery, photographs and chinaware, more than half of which are on show in Scotland for the first time.
Visitors will see works from the Royal Collection by many of the period’s most celebrated names, including Fabergé, Tiffany & Co, and Edward Burne-Jones, and depictions of famous faces including composer Sir Edward Elgar.
Curator Kathryn Jones said: ‘The Edwardian era was a golden age of glamour and parties, but it was so much more than that; it was a fast-paced period making great advances in technology.
“Our royal couples wanted to make the most of it all, living lavishly and embracing new trends, before the sobering arrival of war. Throughout, they were collecting art as a way to hold onto tradition and capture the rapidly changing world around them. We hope that visitors to the exhibition will enjoy stepping back in time to this exciting period.’
In 1863, Queen Victoria’s eldest son Albert Edward married Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The marriage of the fashionable young couple – the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra – initiated a glamorous new era for the royal family, with Queen Victoria still in mourning and away from public life.
Edward and Alexandra established a new, vibrant court filled with opulent balls, society events and contemporary art – a lifestyle continued by their son, the future King George V, and his wife Queen Mary.
Full-length portraits of the two Queens will open the exhibition, showcasing the spectacular fashions of the era. The portraits of Queen Alexandra by François Flameng, and Queen Mary by William Samuel Henry Llewellyn (which has never before been on public display) will be shown alongside marble busts of their husbands, Kings Edward and George.
Both couples were fond of Scotland, with Edward having studied at the University of Edinburgh and George and Mary making regular visits and devotedly modernising the Palace of Holyroodhouse to make it once again suitable for royal entertaining.
Displays will evoke the interiors of the royal couples’ private residences, Marlborough House and Sandringham House, where the Edwardian fashion of filling every cabinet and covering every surface small decorative objects or family photographs reigned.
A star object on display for the first time in Scotland is a paperweight shaped like a tiny 10cm-tall sledge with a figure lying on it by Robert Colquhon. Thought to have been Scottish, Colquhon was a goldsmith based in Russia who made small-scale decorative objects from rock crystal and silver of snowy subjects like sleighs and bears on ice floes.
Edward and Alexandra collected several of his works – with one of his sleighs appearing in a photograph of Alexandra’s desk in Marlborough House in the 1890s.
Visitors will also learn of the relationships linking the family to the rest of Europe. Fabergé was introduced to the British royal family through Alexandra’s sister Dagmar, who had married Alexander III, Tsar of Russia.
The royal patronage caused the popularity of Fabergé to soar in the UK, and on show will be 21 items from the firm, including an ornate picture frame holding a photograph of Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife; a cigarette case famously given to Edward by his official mistress Mrs Keppel; and six miniature figures of the royal couple’s favourite animals on the Sandringham estate.
As enthusiastic patrons of the arts, the Edwardians embraced new artistic movements including Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts, and the burgeoning medium of photography. Alexandra was particularly taken with the drawings of the Pre-Raphaelite artist, Edward Burne-Jones, whose study for a larger painting inspired by Sleeping Beauty will be on display. A soft-focus photograph of Alexandra by photographer Alice Hughes was typical of her pioneering yet delicate style, and both are on display in Scotland for the first time.
Garden parties formed an essential part of the Edwardian social calendar, with the first taking place at the Palace of Holyroodhouse during the much-anticipated visit of George and Mary in 1911. Danish painter Laurits Tuxen had been introduced to Queen Victoria through her daughter-in-law Alexandra, and his painting of a garden party at Buckingham Palace captures the spirit of the joyous occasion.
Contributions to society were also celebrated through the founding of the Order of Merit in 1902 to recognise prominent figures in cultural, scientific or military life. George commissioned a portrait of each recipient – a tradition that continues to this day – and drawings of Sir Edward Elgar and the physicist Sir J.J. Thomson by Scottish artist William Strang will be on display for the first time in Scotland.
The turn of the century saw great improvements to methods of travel, and the Edwardian royals travelled further than any previous members of the royal family – collecting and receiving gifts as they went. In February 1901, George and Mary set sail for 10 months on HMS Ophir to open the new federal parliament in Melbourne, Australia. To mark the occasion, the ‘Ladies of Adelaide’ gave Mary a richly embroidered silk hanging featuring a eucalyptus tree and local varieties of irises and orchids.
George and Mary visited the Palace of Holyroodhouse in July 1914, only a few weeks before the outbreak of the First World War. The glamour of the Edwardian era was being eclipsed by a serious atmosphere of duty – a sentiment led by the King, as Herbert Arnould Olivier’s study of King George V and Frank O. Salisbury’s painting The Passing of the Unknown Warrior, King George V as Chief Mourner, Whitehall attest.
Collecting had now become a way to honour the many sacrifices made in the Great War; a more restrained and dutiful monarchy had emerged.
The King’s Gallery will continue to offer £1 tickets for visitors receiving Universal Credit and other named benefits. Other concessionary rates are available, including discounted tickets for Young People, half-price entry for children (with under-fives free), and the option to convert standard tickets bought directly from Royal Collection Trust into a 1-Year Pass for unlimited re-entry for 12 months.
The Edwardians: Age of Elegance is at The King’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse, 24 April – 6 December 2026.
Visitor information and tickets for The King’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse: www.rct.uk, T. +44 (0)303 123 7306.
The King’s Gallery will be open seven days a week from opening until 7 September 2026, when it will be open for five days (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays) until 6 December 2026.
Instagram: @royalcollectiontrust Facebook: @royalcollectiontrust X: @RCT
Two brothers have been jailed as part of a large-scale investigation into serious and organised crime.
Kieran and Aaron Miller, 31 and 34 respectively, plead guilty on Thursday, 12 March, 2026, at the High Court in Glasgow to offences relating to supplying drugs and using encrypted devices between November 2019 and June 2020.
Yesterday, Wednesday, 22 April, 2026, they were each sentenced at the same court to six years in prison.
Their part in sourcing and distributing illicit drugs worth over £1 million was uncovered as part of Operation Enchanting, closely linked to Operation Venetic – a Europe-wide investigation to identify and dismantle organised crime groups utilising encrypted devices.
The brothers are believed to have been supplying dealers rather than end users and, on a weekly basis, were found to be moving large quantities of cocaine, diamorphine, MDMA, cannabis, amphetamine and diazepam in the Fife and Central Scotland areas.
During the investigation, detectives uncovered that the pair sent over 36,000 messages via EncroChat devices, including images of cash and drugs.
Detective Inspector Craig Davies said: “Drugs cause misery in our communities and we are committed to use every tool and tactic at our disposal to bring those responsible for the sourcing and distribution of illicit drugs to justice.
“This result has taken a significant quantity of Class A and Class B drugs off the streets, and the people behind the deal will now face the consequences of their actions.
“This operation and our other recent successes underline our unwavering commitment to working with partners, including the NCA, Border Force and SOC Taskforce, to disrupt this sort of criminality.
We’re down to the final week of #SpringCleanScotland and we want to capture all of your brilliant efforts!
If you register your litter pick before midnight on Friday 24 April you’ll be in with a chance of winning one of four £100 Helping Hand Environmental vouchers!
We have one voucher for uniformed groups, one voucher for sports clubs and/or organisations, and two further vouchers for any group or individual who registers their pick. All previous registrations also count towards the prize draw.
Have you taken part in a litter pick recently?
Enter your event’s details on our website for a chance to win a #SpringCleanScotland prize!
PEP MAY FAIR – 16th MAY WEST PILTON PARK
Do you have anything to donate?
We are looking for donations of raffle prizes for our raffle for the May Fair- 16th May, West Pilton Park.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Open Farm Sunday, the annual initiative which invites families across Britain to visit local farms and learn more about the vital role farming plays in our lives.
With hundreds of farms opening their gates on 7 June 2026, it’s a chance to step beyond the supermarket shelves and meet farming champions in your area.
Organised by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), Open Farm Sunday is a popular date on kitchen calendars across the UK every year, offering a fun day out and bridging the gap between farmers and the public.
Over the past two decades around 3.5 million people have experienced the joy of visiting a farm and meeting the faces behind their food. A huge 92% of visitors last year said their trust in British farming grew thanks to the experience. The age-old saying “seeing is believing” has never been truer.
More than just a chance to pull on your wellies and explore; it’s an opportunity to make lasting connections with farmers in your community, to ask questions, discover how farming works with nature, and leave you feeling more confident about the food choices you make.
Every host farm has something special to offer, whether it’s farm nature-walks, tractor and trailer rides or close-up animal encounters – there is something for everyone.
Take home a real connection to your food and the countryside. Don’t miss out on this unique experience – visit a farm near you, have a great day outdoors, and leave with a deeper understanding of how we can all contribute to a more sustainable food future.
To find participating farms in your area and plan your day, visit:
POLICE are appealing for information following reports of offensive graffiti in South Queensferry.
The vandalism is reoccurring and we are aware of six instances between the end of December 2025 and Tuesday, 21 April, 2026.
The graffiti is being removed by the council each time before appearing again. It is mainly happening in the Morison Gardens underpass, and Society Road areas.
Police Constable Euan Sinclair said: “Since this was reported to us, we have been conducting enquiries to trace the person, or persons, responsible. It is wholly unacceptable for this to continue happening.
“I would urge anyone who may have been in these areas and seen anything suspicious, or who has any information to help us identity and trace those responsible, to contact us.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2772 of 6 April, 2026.
THURSDAY 23 APRIL at 7pm
Tune in to Facebook tomorrow night at 7pm for a Bedtime Story read by one of our librarians Faye.
She will be reading the beautiful, sensitive story of ‘Astrid and the Sky Calf’ written by Rosie Faragher.
If you miss it, don’t worry it will be staying up on Facebook for some time.
Extinction Rebellion Scotland, Christian Climate Action and Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a noisy Earth Day protest outside BlackRock offices in Edinburgh yesterday.
BlackRock is the world’s largest investment asset manager using the immense power of its algorithms and wealth to fund three crimes against life and humanity: AI, fossil fuels, war and genocide. The protest demanded that BlackRock stops using its power to crush humanity, and stops funding death by algorithm.
The protest included drummers from the Rhythms of Resistance network and Discobedience dancers.
Three corpses dressed in shrouds labelled with the words: BlackRock Funds Climate Violence, War and Genocide, AI Terror. Protest in Harmony, a radical activist singing group, sung songs of protest and an original work of art was created for the protest.
Activists held a giant banner saying BlackRock CRUSHING EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE and some held placards drawing attention to the fact that BlackRock’s wealth and algorithms fund climate violence, genocide and Big Tech. Larry Finkenstein, the alter ego of BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, also made an appearance.
Alex Cochrane, website manager, from XR Scotland said: “We are protesting on Earth Day because BlackRock is funding climate breakdown with its investments into fossil fuel companies and major polluters.
“They are a company prepared to lie, greenwash and crush us all under the weight of climate catastrophe just so their shares can get some returns.
“They have captured finance and become too big to fail – we will all suffer from this, including the staff of BlackRock. Climate breakdown will destroy our way of life and their way of business.”
A spokesman from Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign said: “BlackRock uses its financial might directly against the Palestinian people.
“As the UN special report on ‘the economy of genocide’ by Albanese details, BlackRock’s vast investments in Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon and others add up to a ‘joint criminal enterprise’ where there is a direct line between BlackRock’s profits and genocide.”
Levi Clark, support worker, from XR Scotland said: “Young families in Scotland like mine are struggling as BlackRock’s AI investment platform Aladdin, the algorithmic engine of the global financial system, drives historically unprecedented inequality.
“There have never been more billionaires, yet ordinary people everywhere are facing hardship. BlackRock funds Palantir which is using AI technology to devastate human rights. We need to wrestle back control of this technology’s future for the benefit of all humanity.”
PICTURES: Mike Spring and Nathaniel Wyvern
