First Minister’s Omicron update: Reasons to be Cheerful?

  • Large outdoor events resume from 17 January
  • Measures covering indoor events and hospitality to be reviewed in one week

Large outdoor events can resume without physical distancing or capacity limits from 00:01 on Monday 17 January, following a review of all measures in place to limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

To support the lifting of capacity limits on outdoor events, COVID certification will remain for these where more than 4,000 standing or 10,000 seated are in attendance, and all other events and venues previously covered. Organisers of all events with more than 1,000 attendees will be expected to check a minimum of 50% of attendees for certification of vaccination, exemption, or negative test.

From Monday, a person will need to show they have had a booster to be considered ‘fully vaccinated’ if their last vaccine dose was more than four months ago. The NHS Scotland COVID Status app will be updated from this Thursday and will include booster jags on the QR code for domestic settings. Updated paper and PDF certificates are already available on request from the NHS Inform website or helpline.

Cabinet will next review the state of the epidemic on Tuesday 18 January and consider whether it may be possible to lift capacity caps on indoor live events, including theatre performances and concerts, from 24 January, by which time the impact of the return to schools and workplaces following the festive period should start to show. Cabinet will also consider whether COVID certification should be required in a broader range of settings.

Local authorities will receive up to £5 million of additional support to ensure ventilation in schools and early years settings meets the latest COVID-19 safety guidance.

The funding is to improve air flow, such as adjustments to windows and doors, use of fan systems and use of air cleaning devices in line with existing safety guidance. This is in addition to Scottish Government funding of £10 million provided local authorities for ventilation and CO2 monitoring last year.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We remain in a highly challenging phase of the pandemic. Case numbers are high, and the impacts of that are severe, and the future trajectory does remain uncertain at this stage.

“But, because of the efforts we have all made, we are in a better position than I feared would be the case when additional measures were announced in December, and I do hope we are now seeing signs of improvement.

“That is allowing us to start the process from Monday of lifting the additional restrictions – and I hope that next week I will be able to confirm the further steps in that process.

“In the meantime, we can all continue to act in a way that keeps things moving in the right direction. Get fully vaccinated as soon as you can – if you haven’t done so already, please do that and do it this week. Try to limit your contacts for a further period, and prioritise the contacts that matter most to you.

“If you are meeting other people socially, test before you go, every time, as close as possible to the time you will be seeing other people and remember to record the result whether that is positive or negative, and take all the other precautions that make a difference.

“‘Living with the virus’, a phrase that we hear more and more right now, is what we all desperately want to do. Unfortunately it doesn’t mean waking up one morning soon and find that COVID has disappeared or that we no longer need to think at all about mitigating the harm it can do.

“Hopefully, we are on a path from COVID being an epidemic to it becoming endemic – in other words, existing at more manageable and consistent levels.

“These are important issues for not just government, but for all of us – so as we prepare the revised strategic framework in weeks to come, we will consult with Parliament, business organisations and other partners across society.

“Our aim is to publish the revised strategic framework within the next few weeks.”

Scottish Rugby responded:

It’s disappointing news for the arts, however:

IMPORTANT CUSTOMER UPDATE from EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE

Following the Scottish Government announcement on Tuesday 11 January, in which it was confirmed that indoor seated events continue to be limited to 200, we regret to announce that the following performances scheduled to play at the Edinburgh Playhouse have been postponed:

Waitress: 18th January – 22nd January

If you have tickets to these performances, you do not need to do anything at this time. You will be contacted from your point of purchase in the next few days with next steps.

Performances from 25th January onwards are still scheduled to go ahead as planned and any changes to this will be communicated as soon as possible if restrictions should be extended by the Scottish Government.

We thank you for your continued patience and understanding during this difficult time.

Scottish Fans Ask for a 3 Day Shift

“3 days will Make a Huge Difference”

The Scottish Football Supporters Association thank the First Minister and welcome the news that the cabinet have green lighted a return of fans above the short term limit of 500 imposed on 26th December.

Next week’s Scottish Premier League card can now take place in front of full houses starting with Celtic vs Hibs on Monday 17th and it means the early winter breakdown decision by our top 12 clubs has been commercially justified.

But as it stands the clubs below the Premier League and their fans face another weekend with restricted crowds.

The SFSA are aware that there is no strict science stipulating the 17th as the key restart date and ask that the First Minister, the Sports Minister and Cabinet revisit the decision urgently on behalf of all Scotland’s smaller clubs and their fans.

We ask that the date is brought forward to 14th of January instead of the 17th.

This will allow Ayr United, Dunfermline Athletic, Caledonian Thistle, Raith Rovers, Airdrie, Dumbarton and many other smaller clubs to allow their full fan communities back on Saturday. It will also allow for the top of the table clash in the Championship between Partick Thistle and Kilmarnock to have fans in attendance.

This simple change will bring financial benefits to clubs and communities and is we have been advised low risk.

Andy Smith, Chairman of the SFSA said: “A reprieve will make a huge financial difference to many of our smaller clubs and allow all their fans back and a normal Saturday in many communities.

“Too often Scottish Football overlooks the smaller clubs and their supporters when making big decisions. This is a chance to make a statement that football in Scotland is more than just the Premier League”.

Police appeal: Images released following Frederick Street assault

Police Scotland has released images of four men they believe may hold information which might assist in relation to a serious assault that occurred on Frederick Street around 3.20am on Friday, 4 September, 2021.

The first man is described as being Asian, 18-30-years-old, medium build, wearing a light pink coloured shirt, blue jeans and white trainers with an item of clothing tied around his waist.



The second man is described as being Asian, 18-30-years-old, tall and thin build, mid length black hair, wearing a grey t-shirt with dark coloured shirt which is open. Grey jeans and dark coloured trainers.



The third man is described as being Asian, 20-30-years-old, medium build, with long black shoulder length hair and facial hair, wearing a grey shirt carrying a grey jacket, tan coloured trousers and black shoes.



The forth man is described as being white, 18-25-years-old, medium build, wearing a short sleeved patterned shirt, jeans and dark coloured trainers with a white sole.



Detective Constable Mark Walker of Gayfield CID said: “I would urge each of these four men, or anyone who has information relating to any of these four men, depicted in the images to make contact with the Police.

“Members of the public can contact Police Scotland via the 101 non-emergency telephone number quoting incident number 0657 of 4 September, 2021 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

World’s first gold platinum sovereigns minted to celebrate Queens Platinum jubilee

The world’s first gold sovereign coins to be minted using a gold and platinum alloy have been created to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, marking her incredible 70 year reign with portraits of her from across seven decades.

In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first British monarch ever to reach a Platinum Jubilee. To celebrate this unprecedented achievement, leading coin expert Hattons of London has created a stunning series of platinum gold sovereign coins featuring celebratory portraits of the Queen at landmark moments throughout her reign.

The coins will feature portraits of Her Majesty which have never before featured on sovereign coins, including images of the Queen’s 1952 Coronation, her Silver and Diamond Jubilees, as well as a portrait of Her Majesty around the time of her becoming our longest reigning monarch in 2015.

The design on the smallest denomination in the range, the one-eighth sovereign, features the royal cypher of Elizabeth II with a celebratory garland of roses, thistles, leeks and shamrocks to represent the nations of the United Kingdom. This garlanded-cypher features on each of the other coins in the series.

Hattons of London is a leading expert in rare and exclusive coins with a vast collection which includes the Queen Victoria 200th anniversary range, featuring the first 24 carat gold twenty pound sovereign.

Hot on the heels of the company’s We Will Remember Them range, which featured the world’s first gold one-eighth sovereign to commemorate all who fought in the Second World War, the Platinum Jubilee Monarch range will also be a world first. 

Managing Director Simon Mellinger explained: “We are extremely excited about this latest collection as they will be the world’s first sovereign coins ever to be minted with ‘platinum-gold’. 

“The Platinum Jubilee is a momentous occasion and by using an exclusive blend of 22 carat gold enriched with 2 carats of platinum, we have created a fitting tribute to the Queen’s 70 years of service to our country, that like Her Majesty, will stand the test of time.”

While pre-orders have seen avid collectors clamouring to get their hands on the range, Mr Mellinger said there are opportunities for everyone. “Given the unique nature of the Platinum Jubilee, we’re expecting to see very high demand for the collection.

“This isn’t just for coin collectors – there’s a much wider appeal for the general public who will want them as a commemoration of this important, and maybe never-to-be repeated, anniversary,” he said. 

Coins are available now, starting from just £69.

Be alert to Highway Code changes

Police Scotland is reminding road users of changes to the Highway Code that come into effect on January 29:

🔹 Cyclists have priority over cars when cars turning

🔹 Pedestrians have priority over cars at junctions

🔹 Changes to cyclist positioning to ensure better visibility

It is the responsibility of individual road users to be familiar with the Highway Code.

Find it here ➡️http://ow.ly/7Tzj50HpGBc

Charities scoop share of £120,000 festive financial boost

Eight charities based in Scotland have received a £1,000 Christmas gift thanks to Ecclesiastical Insurance. The charities were nominated to win a share of £120,000 by members of the public as part of the specialist insurer’s annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign.

The charities were nominated to win a share of £120,000 by members of the public as part of the specialist insurer’s annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign.

Scottish Autism, which helps those diagnosed with autism to lead full and enriched lives and become valuable members of the community, and Health in Mind, an organisation promoting positive mental health and wellbeing through a wide range of services to support people and enable them to make a positive difference in their lives, are among the local charities set to benefit from the money following overwhelming public support in the area.

21,324 Scotland residents nominated a cause close to their hearts, with 1034 charitable causes in the area receiving votes. The 120 winning charities across the UK were picked at random from those nominated.

Thanking supporters in Scotland, Mark Hews, Group CEO at Ecclesiastical, said: “At Ecclesiastical, charitable giving is at the heart of our business. In fact, we are the fourth largest corporate donor in the UK. 

“We are able to give away so much because uniquely, as a financial services group, we are owned by a charity. In these challenging times, we are delighted to be giving back to good courses once more with our annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign.

“Having supported thousands of charities over the past four years of the campaign, we know that £1,000 can make a real difference to the incredible work that charities do. We’re looking forward to seeing how this festive financial boost will change lives for the better and we hope these donations can bring a positive start to 2022.”

A representative for Health in Mind said: “At Health in Mind, we’ve been promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in Scotland since 1982. The donation will enable us to support people taking part in local groups and activities, provide peer support for people experiencing drug or alcohol problems, pay for counselling for survivors of childhood abuse and much more to help those in need.

Thank you for helping us end the stigma surrounding mental health and telling people about our services. Talking about mental health is invaluable and makes a huge difference!”

The full list of the 120 charity winners is available to view online at:

www.movementforgood.com/12days

Crosslane Developments propose new residential serviced living development for Ocean Terminal

Crosslane Residential Developments (Crosslane), part of the Crosslane Property Group, is pleased to announce proposals to deliver a new form of residential living to Edinburgh.

Plans aim to introduce a new, innovative, renting concept to local residents, referred to as residential serviced living.

Residential serviced living is a new type of fully furnished accommodation, with shared social spaces focused on creating a vibrant sense of community and all-inclusive rents, covering utilities and other living costs.

Proposed plans are for a new residential development located at Ocean Point 2, next to Ocean Terminal in Leith, just two miles from Edinburgh city centre. The scheme will comprise of 293 units providing a mix of studio, 1, 2 and 3-bed apartments with 74 of these offered at affordable intermediate rent levels.

The proposed high-quality, new development will be entirely different to other residential accommodation. The entire building is designed to be the living environment. The principle is that residents sleep in their room but ‘live’ in the building, by taking advantage of the wide range of shared communal space and facilities available, generating a real sense of community within the development.

With many young professionals currently priced out of an expensive and highly competitive apartment- based rental marketplace in Edinburgh, this new concept provides affordable, accessible accommodation for local residents.

In addition to high-quality, fully furnished studios and apartments, residents living in the new development can enjoy the opportunity of making new friends and feeling part of a collaborative community by taking advantage of social spaces throughout the building.

Large, fully fitted shared kitchen and dining rooms on each floor, onsite cinema, relaxing drawing room and well-equipped onsite gym, are just a few examples of the facilities residents can use alongside their own room and ultra-fast WiFi.

Outdoor areas such as a courtyard and terrace area with fantastic views across the Firth of Forth promote an environment for improved wellbeing and mental health. Proposals also include study and working areas with office space for new business start-ups, entrepreneurs, SMEs and home working, providing a more flexible home/work/life hub, something which has become more important as a result of the pandemic.

The location of the development is just two miles from Edinburgh city centre and will provide convenient accommodation for those working in the capital.

A large cycle storage facility will be provided to encourage residents to cycle to work, or take public transport, helping to discourage car ownership. The extension of the tram line between Edinburgh and Ocean Terminal will provide connectivity between the development and Edinburgh city centre within 20 minutes, making it the ideal affordable accommodation choice for young professionals.

The development is also likely to be attractive to those seeking to live and work within Leith itself, taking advantage of local shops, bars, restaurants and cafés.

A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) has been submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council, and a public consultation event will be held on Thursday 10th February 2022 between 3pm and 7pm to present details of the new development and give the public the chance to provide views, ask questions and comment on proposals.

This will be held digitally via www.oceanpoint2.com with a second event planned for March.

Mark Hughes, Managing Director at Crosslane Residential Developments, said: “Crosslane Property Group is an experienced developer and operator having already delivered more than 7,000 units across 30 previous developments.

“With our new and unique ‘residential serviced living’ concept, we aim to be the leading provider of community living in the UK and Europe. We have already secured a future pipeline of 3,000 units across six schemes for our new concept and continue to grow this to work towards our goal of delivering 5,000 units by 2025.

“Our Ocean Point 2 development in Edinburgh is incredibly appealing for both Leith and Edinburgh as a whole. Residential serviced living represents an innovative housing solution at a time when rental accommodation prices in the capital are soaring, and there are serious demands on housing supply.

“This development represents a commitment to provide affordable housing with a full range of shared communal amenities. Our concept of residents sleeping in their rooms and living in the building, will ensure they enjoy a more rewarding, holistic way of life, with improved social, mental and physical health and wellbeing.

“We have received very positive feedback from key stakeholders to date and look forward to presenting full details of proposals to the public to obtain their comments as we continue to incorporate feedback into our final plans.

“We are committed to ensuring the long-term success and integration of this project into the neighbourhood and look forward to the opportunity of working with local businesses to encourage residents to shop and eat out locally within the area.”

Women Supporting Women: Outdoor Cooking Club’s back!

Pilton Community Health Project’s women’s Garden Cooking Club will be back tomorrow in #GrantonCommunityGarden at 12pm where we’ll #harvest #cook then serve up our famous and delicious #soup with crusty bread!

#WomenSupportingWomen

#FoodShare

Rathbones sponsors opening concert at Celtic Connections 2022

Rathbone Investment Management is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the opening concert, “’Neath the Gloamin Star”, at Celtic Connections this year.

With the first concert dating back to 1994, Celtic Connections is the UK’s premier celebration of Celtic music, held every January/February in Glasgow. The music festival is an integral element in showcasing the culture in Glasgow and attracts visitors from all parts of the world.

The title for opening night is an ode to the old Aberdeenshire love song popularised by the late great Tony Cuffe, “Neath the Gloamin’ Star”. The evening will showcase the generation of artists who have succeeded Cuffe and his peers as leaders of the Scots’ folk song revival.

With a line-up including Fiona Hunter, Steve Byrne, Paul McKenna, Ellie Beaton, Cameron Nixon and Jenny Sturgeon, plus joint musical directors Hannah Rarity and Innes White, the featured artists have researched and adapted material from archive recordings and other sources, crafting arrangements that highlight both the tradition’s enduring vitality and the performers’ contemporary creativity.

Rathbones’ sponsorship of Celtic Connections follows its support of the Scottish Ballet, Aye Write and Edinburgh International book festival last year in a continued effort to support creativity and wonder through applied craftmanship.

The past year has been a challenge for everyone working in the arts industry with losses to income, uncertainty of live performances and closed venues. Rathbones’ recent sponsorships aim to create awareness for the arts at a time when the industry is struggling the most, as well promoting Scotland’s pioneering spirit to champion creativity which chimes well with Rathbones’ own aim to Look Forward.

Angus Kerr, Head of Scotland at Rathbone Investment Management comments: “Celtic Connections is a true celebration of Scottish and Celtic culture and we are honoured to be a sponsor.  

“It’s an eclectic yet traditional event that showcases the creativity and passion of the Scottish people, and we are delighted to be supporting it this this year, especially at a time when the arts in Scotland and elsewhere have been hard hit by the pandemic.

 “Supporting the arts is particularly important as art facilitates a fundamental human need for expression, joy, and creativity.  It also promotes an exploration and representation of cultural narratives and memory.

“Having both social and economic value, Rathbones is proud to support the industry and local communities. We are looking forward to attending and supporting more events in the coming year.”

Scotland’s ‘Tree Oscars’ back with renewed climate focus

The premier awards for forests and woods in Scotland are back for 2022 after a highly successful 2021 saw winners ranging from a tiny nursery school to the country’s largest landowner.

Scotland’s ‘Tree Oscars’ are back for 2022 after a highly successful programme in 2021 saw worthy winners ranging from the country’s largest landowner Anders Holch Povlsen to a tiny nursery school.

Mr Povlsen and Wildland Ltd won the prize for New Native Woods in Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards 2021, for Killiehuntly in the Cairngorms – while Perth Outdoor Playgroup won the award for an early years education provider instilling a love of woods in young children.

The 2022 Awards will see a renewed focus on climate change after forestry and wood played a central part in discussions at COP26. The first Climate Change Champion prize was handed out at the 2021 Awards, with Ayrshire estate owner Andrew Sinclair honoured for his work at Balbeg.

“The award was handed out just two months before COP26, where we saw the signing of a Leaders’ Declaration on Forestry and Land Use, and the launch of the Time for Timber global wood use manifesto,” said Angela Douglas, Executive Director of Scotland’s Finest Woods.

“The world is increasingly understanding that trees and wood are vital to tackling climate change and I’m so delighted that our Climate Change Champion Award is back.”

With 80% of the UK’s new woodland currently being planted in Scotland, and continued Scottish Government support for ambitious tree planting targets, organisers hope for another exceptional set of winners in 2022. 

“Anyone with a genuinely high-quality project has a chance to win an award, whether that’s Scotland’s largest landowner or a small nursery school, or a farmer discovering the benefits of trees to an experienced forester creating a model woodland,” said Angela Douglas.

The Scottish Government showed its support for the awards last year, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announcing the Schools and Early Years Awards and Environment Minister Máiri McAllan – whose brief covers forestry – revealing the Community Woodlands winners.

Ms McAllan said: “I was delighted to be involved in Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards for the first time in 2021, and to celebrate an amazing collection of winners.

“The addition of the Climate Change Champion and Early Years Awards in 2021 illustrated the importance of woodland in supporting Scotland’s world-leading climate change ambitions – and engaging young people in trees and woods at a young age.

“All the winners were clearly passionate about high-quality woodlands, and I look forward to another year of exceptional entries to celebrate this new golden era of forestry in Scotland.”

The Climate Change Champion Award, sponsored by Carbon Store, is chosen by judges. Category entrants, including schools or nurseries, can choose to enter this award alone or enter more than one award category.

The Climate Change Champion Award has been developed in partnership with Forest Research, who will again provide expert judges in 2022.

Professor Chris Quine, Chief Scientist at Forest Research, led the team assessing the entries, and said the 2021 winner – Balbeg Estate’s Bennan Hill – “demonstrated an integrated approach to tackling climate change throughout its activities with actions relating to mitigation, adaptation and knowledge exchange” and “a strong commitment and a real consistency of vision”.

All the other popular categories return in the long-running Awards, which were held online in 2021 after a 2020 Covid-cancellation.

“We hope to return to a live event at our traditional venue, the Royal Highland Show, as it celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2022,” said Guy Watt, Chair of Scotland’s Finest Woods, the charity which operates the programme. “However, we need to keep our options open and that means planning for a possible hybrid, or entirely online, event, if circumstances dictate.”

Regular Award categories return, including the ever-popular Crown Estate Scotland Schools Award, won by Pitlochry High School in 2021. The Quality Timber Awards return too, with three different categories: new commercial wood, multi-purpose forest or whole estate, and a single stand/compartment or small wood.

The two Farm Woodland Awards are back – the Scottish Woodlands Ltd Trophy for Young People won in 2021 by Nikki and James Yoxall of Howemill near Huntly, Aberdeenshire, and the SAC Consulting-sponsored award for any farm woodland, won in 2021 by Wendy Seel and Anne Taylor, who run an organic vegetable business at Midmar, Aberdeenshire

Entries must be submitted by 31st March 2022.

For full details, criteria and entry forms. see: www.sfwa.co.uk