A Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year to all NEN readers!
2025 was NEN’s busiest ever year with a record number of visitors.
It’s hard to believe but the North Edinburgh News blog celebrates our 15th birthday this year – I hope 2026 will be a special year for you, too!
Best Wishes,
Dave P (Editor)
While you’re celebrating the festive season, keep your personal safety your top priority.
Plan how you’re getting home before you go out.
Stick with friends.
Charge your mobile.
Don’t do drugs – there is no safe way to do so.
You can still be over the limit the morning after and if you’re caught drink-driving you can get:
– a minimum 12-month driving ban
– a criminal record
– up to 6 months in prison
– a fine of up to £5,000
For more information visit https://orlo.uk/8QAtj
Our new exhibition on the Mezzanine, Books as Art, opens this Saturday 3rd January, our first day of services in 2026.
This exhibition presents a selection of artists’ books from the Art & Design Library, revealing the remarkable range and freedom of a form that continues to challenge how we see, read, and move through the world.
Bringing together works from Britain and abroad, the exhibition traces the many ways artists use the book as a site of exploration—from walking, observing, and documenting the everyday, to testing the boundaries between text and image, material and message, intimacy and public voice.
Social care pressures are spiralling. Integration Joint Boards have faced £497m pressures in 2025/26. A £750m investment in the Scottish Budget could stabilise the system, says COSLA:
COSLA is urging the Scottish Government to provide a £16 billion boost in revenue in the Scottish Budget, to secure fair and sustainable funding for councils.
A demand for a £844 million general capital settlement has also been requested, plus a restoration of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme to £955 million, to maintain, repair, expand and secure the future of Council estates.
COSLA has launched a lobbying campaign urging the Scottish Government to use the upcoming Scottish Budget to provide councils with the fair, sustainable and multi-year funding needed to protect essential local services.
The campaign – ‘Strong Councils, Strong Communities’ – highlights growing pressures facing local government and the very real consequences of continued underfunding for communities across Scotland. The financial pressures in social care and housing are two key areas COSLA are asking the Scottish Government to specifically address in their upcoming budget.
COSLA warns that without urgent action in January’s Budget, councils will be unable to maintain essential services such as social care, education, housing support, roads, and community safety.
COSLA Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Ricky Bell, said: ““Scotland’s councils deliver the services that people rely on every single day — from caring for older and vulnerable people to keeping schools open, streets safe and communities thriving.
“Councils are facing greater demand than ever and are required to do more with significantly less. This is unsustainable.
“The upcoming Scottish Budget is a pivotal moment. The Scottish Government must deliver a settlement that matches the scale of the challenge. Without fair funding, communities will see services reduced and inequalities deepen, and we will struggle to meet national targets in key areas such as child poverty, housing, and net zero”
This year, councils continue to face rising inflation, increasing demand for services, and the continued impact of workforce pressures across social care and education. COSLA’s analysis shows that even maintaining current services requires substantial additional investment.
As a fair and sustainable overall financial settlement COSLA’s key asks from the campaign include:
COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison, added: “Councils work tirelessly to deliver for Scotland’s communities, however, continued pressure on resources makes this increasingly challenging.
“This is about safeguarding what matters most, support for the most vulnerable, opportunities for young people, support for families, and safe, thriving communities.
“We hope the Budget will reflect the vital role Local Government plays in Scotland’s public services.”
More than 93% of young people were in work, training or further study nine months after they left school, according to the latest figures.
The proportion in these positive destinations has grown from 85.9% in 2009-10.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “These figures show the proportion of Scotland’s young people achieving positive destinations is almost back to pre-pandemic levels and at a near record high.
“The increase among those in Higher and Further Education is hugely encouraging and testament to the hard work of those young people and the extraordinary support provided by Scotland’s teachers, lecturers and other support staff.
“The gap in positive destinations between young people from our most and least deprived communities has more than halved since 2009-10, but this latest data shows we still have more to do. We also know this cohort of young people faced significant disruption to their education during the pandemic.
“A range of support, including from careers advisers and the Developing the Young Workforce network, is available for young people considering their options after school.
“I am determined to ensure young people can access the right help they need to enable them into a positive destination and this Government will continue to invest in opportunities for young people across Scotland.”
Summary statistics for follow-up leaver destinations, no. 7: 2025 edition – gov.scot
Around 6.50pm last night – Tuesday, 30 December, 2025 – Police were made aware of disorder in the Albion Road area of Edinburgh ahead of the Hibernian v Aberdeen match.
Officers attended and a 26-year-old man was arrested for behaving in a threatening and abusive manner. He will appear at court at a later date.
An investigation is under way to identify further individuals involved in the disturbance.
Anyone with any information, or concerns, can approach officers or call 101 quoting incident number 1861 of Tuesday, 30 December, 2025.
A 20-year-old man was also arrested during the match in connection with a pitch invasion at the Edinburgh derby on Saturday, 27 December, 2025.
He was charged and will appear in court at a later date.
A man has been jailed for serious sexual offences against children which took place in Edinburgh.
Brian Stobie, 70, was sentenced to 12 years and nine months at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday – Tuesday, 30 December, 2025. He was convicted at the same court on Wednesday, 3 December, and also pleaded guilty to indecent communication offences.
Detective Inspector Steph Garnett said: “Stobie’s actions caused immeasurable harm to his young victims. Over several years he deliberately exploited children, and such behaviour is abhorrent in every sense. He will now face the consequences of his despicable actions.
“We remain committed to ensuring offenders like him are brought to justice.
“We know it is difficult to come forward and report sexual crime, but be assured you will be fully supported by our specially trained officers and partner agencies. There is no time bar to reporting, regardless of when it happened, please contact us so we can fully investigate.”
The not proven verdict will be abolished in all new criminal trials in Scotland from tomorrow – 1 January 2026 – to help create a clearer, fairer and more transparent decision-making process.
On the same date, the jury majority required for a conviction will move from the current simple majority to at least two-thirds of the 15 jurors. In addition, measures to enable more detailed research into jury deliberations will also be commenced.
Abolition of not proven and the associated jury reforms are key measures in the landmark Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act, passed by the Parliament in September.
The Act will also make reforms to the Parole Board for Scotland including that the Board must take into account whether a prisoner has information about the disposal of a victim’s remains but has not disclosed it, and must consider the safety and security of any victim and/or family members as part of their decisions on release. These changes will be implemented through changes to the Parole Board Rules in 2026.
The Scottish Government has already announced plans to commission, as a priority, research into how ‘rape myths’ – false, stereotyped and prejudicial beliefs about sexual assaults – may affect verdicts.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Victims, families and support organisations campaigned long and hard for the abolition of the not proven verdict and I am pleased that this historic change will take effect for all new criminal trials from 1 January.
“Not proven is a widely misunderstood verdict and one with no statutory definition. I have heard compelling evidence about the devastating impact that the not proven verdict can have on complainers because of its lack of clarity or lack of closure for them, and it can leave a lingering stigma for the accused. Such a verdict risks undermining public confidence, while the two opposing verdicts of guilty and not guilty are unambiguous and clear.
“Moving from a simple majority to a two-thirds majority for a criminal conviction alongside the change to a two-verdict system is a proportionate and balanced reform that is mindful of the unique nature of the Scottish system.
“The reforms to parole to be introduced in 2026 will bring a further positive change for victims and their families by strengthening in law further factors that the Parole Board must consider in their decision-making. We want to ensure the parole system works for all those involved, which is also why we recently led a public consultation to inform improvements and ensure the system is transparent, trauma-informed, and delivers for everyone.”
The not proven verdict will be abolished for all new criminal trials in Scotland from 1st January 2026, under regulations laid at Holyrood.
This historic reform is part of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform Act, passed in @ScotParl in September.
Ronaq, one of Edinburgh’s leading Indian restaurants, is serving up a new year treat for customers with 50 per cent off its entire menu for the month of January.
Having introduced the offer last year, bosses have been inundated with enquiries from diners keen to know if there were plans to run something similar to kick off 2026.
The good news is that the big discount will once again be running from New Year’s Day at the Comely Bank eatery, which is also a BYOB.
Whether it’s fragrant biryanis, signature karahi dishes or Ronaq specials, customers can now enjoy it all at a fraction of the price.
“The name Ronaq means brightness and joy and we hope to bring lots of that to our customers in January with this offer,” said owner Mohammed Shoaib, who has been serving the finest Indian and Pakistani cuisine since opening in 2014.
“It was really popular last January and I lost count in recent weeks of the number of people asking if we were going to do the same this time.
“We want to give back to our loyal customers and what better way than by providing them with a memorable Ronaq dining experience at a memorable price?”
Opening times from 1 January are noon-2pm and 5pm-10pm, seven days a week
Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer, Heriot-Watt University’s Deputy Principal for Global Sustainability, has been awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Low Energy Technologies.
The honour was announced today (Dec 30) with the publication of the King’s New Year Honours List 2026, which recognises exceptional contributions made by individuals across the 15 Commonwealth realms.
An internationally recognised leader in energy innovation, Professor Maroto-Valer is Director of the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC), based at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus.
IDRIC plays a central role in supporting the green transformation of the UK’s industrial heartlands. Funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the national funding body for science and research, the centre brings together academia, industry and government to deliver practical solutions for economic growth to the country’s decarbonisation challenges at a scale that matters.
She also leads Heriot-Watt’s Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS ), a world-leading engineering centre, inspiring and delivering innovation for the wider deployment of technologies needed to meet carbon targets.
Professor Maroto-Valer was selected for the honour by King Charles III in recognition of her internationally respected leadership in energy and her remarkable contributions in low-energy technologies that reduce emissions while supporting long-term economic growth.
She said: “I am deeply humbled to receive this Honour. Addressing climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time, with low energy technologies representing not just an environmental necessity, but also an economic opportunity.
“This recognition reflects the collective efforts of the outstanding colleagues, partners and students I have had the privilege to work with in driving innovation, improving competitiveness, and ensuring a prosperous and sustainable transition to net zero.”
Professor Maroto-Valer is a globally recognised engineer whose work has helped shape the international response to climate change and supporting growth in a low-carbon global economy. Since 2022, she has led Heriot-Watt University’s sustainability strategy and goals, working closely with students, staff and alumni to embed sustainability across teaching, research and operations.
She also holds leading positions in a number of professional societies and editorial boards. These include her role on the UN Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET), a high-level, independent advisory council supporting the UN Secretary-General’s ambition to identify practical engineering pathways to net zero through expert scientific analysis and guidance.
Congratulating Professor Maroto-Valer, Heriot-Watt’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard A. Williams, said: “This honour is richly deserved and reflects Professor Maroto-Valer’s exceptional leadership, global influence and unwavering commitment to tackling climate change.
“Her work exemplifies Heriot-Watt University’s mission to deliver research with real-world impact, and we are immensely proud of her contributions to engineering, sustainability and the global energy transition.”
Professor Maroto-Valer will formally receive her OBE at a ceremony in 2026.
