Escape the winter chill and capture the festive magic 
This holiday season, enjoy festive family films in Edinburgh’s Planetarium.
At 10am on selected mornings from 29th November, experience these four Christmas favourites under the stars for just £6 per person!
The Polar Express
Home Alone
Elf
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Book your winter movie morning, and find out what else is on at Dynamic Earth this December, on our website: https://dynamicearth.org.uk/christmas-at-dynamic-earth…/
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan has called for urgent action from the UK Government on energy bills, as new modelling finds that around 660,000 households could see estimated fuel bills cut by an average of £700 under Scottish Government proposals for targeted discounts.
New scenario modelling on a targeted unit rate discount and targeted removal of standing charges – or Social Tariff – published today by the Scottish Government, suggest it could lift 202,000 households in Scotland out of extreme fuel poverty and reduce the number of households in fuel poverty entirely by around 135,000, with a UK Government investment of £475 million per annum.
Today’s modelling builds on the work undertaken by the Social Tariff Working Group – comprising energy suppliers, consumer and fuel poverty groups and disabled people’s organisations.
Màiri McAllan said: “In an energy-rich nation like Scotland, no one should be struggling to pay their energy bills – yet far too many people are struggling with bills still higher than they were this time last year.
“The UK Government promised to cut people’s bills by £300 – instead bills have risen by almost £200. We must see action from the UK Government now.
“Today’s evidence shows that under our proposals for targeted discounts, around 660,000 households in Scotland would see their estimated fuel bills go down by an average of £700 – with more than around 135,000 households lifted out of fuel poverty and more than 200,000 lifted out of extreme fuel poverty.
“We have worked closely with energy providers, consumer groups and others to develop these concrete, deliverable plans which would have a transformational impact on people in Scotland during the cost of living crisis.
“The UK Government is not going to reduce fuel poverty without investment – but set against the impact of fuel poverty, which research suggests costs the NHS across in England alone £1.4 billion per year, this investment is not just the right thing to do, but is a smart, preventative spend.
“High energy bills are causing misery for people throughout Scotland and I am calling for the UK Government to use the powers at their disposal and take action to support people now.
“UK ministers have been quick to tell us what they will not do to cut energy bills and reduce fuel poverty – they must now tell us what they will do.”
Frazer Scott, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Action Scotland said: “It is abundantly clear from the report published by the Scottish Government that the introduction of a social tariff or social discount would have a transformational impact on low-income fuel poor households and people with serious health conditions or disabilities.
“The current approach of a wholly inadequate payment £150 through the Warm Home Discount provided through energy suppliers is simply no longer fit for purpose.
“Energy Action Scotland urges the UK Government to introduce a social tariff or social discount of the type modelled in this report and provide meaningful support for households unable to heat and power their homes.”
David Hilferty, Director of Impact, Citizens Advice Scotland said: “Energy is one of our fastest growing advice areas across the CAB network – up 150% compared to the period before the pandemic and the twin cost of living and energy crises. A social tariff for energy is no longer a nice-to-have – it is now an essential and imperative need.”
Scenario modelling on Social Energy Tariff Proposal
Based on Scottish Household Condition Survey data, eligible households would receive on average a £1,000 reduction on their modelled fuel bill.
As this estimate is based on modelled fuel bills to meet the heating regimes set out in the Fuel Poverty definition in Scotland, we have also provided a calibrated cost based on DESNZ average domestic consumption data.
For the calibrated cost, the average fuel bill reduction per household is £700 and would require a UK Government investment of around £475 million per annum.
This Christmas, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh will host its Festive Family Feast at Greyfriars Hall, offering guests a relaxed, communal dining experience in one of the city’s most atmospheric venues.
The celebration will begin with a starter buffet featuring smoked salmon, scallops, charcuterie, cheeses, and artisan breads, followed by main course options such as roast turkey roulade, Mushroom Wellington, and Scottish salmon, served with traditional festive sides. Guests will finish with a chocolate crémeux dessert with raspberry gel, salted caramel, and pistachio crumb.
With doors open from 13:00 and final seating at 14:30, the event will provide a stress-free Christmas celebration for all the family with joiner tables of ten and drinks available to purchase on the day.
Tickets: Book HERE
Artist in Residence | Jennifer Court
We’re thrilled to announce the extension of our Artist in Residence programme – a celebration of Edinburgh’s vibrant art scene and creative community.
Due to popular demand, local artist Jennifer Court will continue her residency at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh through December.
Guests can meet Jennifer in-house, discover her latest works, and even book a studio tour for an inside look at her creative process. Be amazed by her awe inspiring 360 view of Edinburgh, capturing her view from the top turret of the unicorn room.
To arrange a visit, contact our Concierge team or reach out to Jenny directly on Instagram @jennifercourt_art
Venue: Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
Price: £N/A
More info: here
No Homework Discussion Group!
Waves of Words is an idea for a community group where you don’t need to do any real “homework” but instead come along to share words, phrases, and ideas together, not to analyse them but to explore what they mean to us and what they awaken in us.
Interested? Then read on ….
We’re suggesting a weekly meeting that will be a space for gentle conversation, discovery and fun!
You can bring along something you’ve read – an article, a line in a book, a favourite poem, a social media post and share it if you’d like to – there are no right or wrong answers, only different voices and opinions
We’ll also share tea and treats, simple things to make every conversation a little sweeter!
If you’d like to find out more about this proposed group – or to contribute ideas of your own for a discussion group – please come along to the Heart on Saturday November 15th at 12.30 and share your thoughts.
For more information or to ask any questions please contact Alessandra:
alessandra.gentili@heartofnewhaven.co.uk
Hopefully, the group can meet regularly from January onwards. Together, we can share meanings, stories, and feelings that language brings to life.
We’re putting together a fantastic festive tombola for our Festive Fayre on Friday 28th November and are looking for prize donations – bottles, new gifts, chocolates, or other goodies.
If you can spare an item, please drop it off at the centre by Wednesday 26th November. Every contribution helps make the day a success. Thank you for your support!
~ A coronary angiogram does not detect microvascular angina, which is particularly common in women, so researchers say more tests are needed ~
Half of people investigated for suspected angina and given the all-clear may be missing out on the correct diagnosis, based on a study funded by the British Heart Foundation, published in the journal Nature Medicine, and presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions conference in New Orleans.
The study involved 250 British people referred for a coronary angiogram after experiencing chest pain. Based on their scan results, these people did not have angina – the medical term for pain or tightness within the chest caused by reduced blood flow to the heart.
However, when researchers gave these people an extra MRI scan, they found 51 per cent of people given the all-clear for angina actually had a form of it called microvascular angina. This is triggered by tiny blood vessels which can’t be seen using a standard coronary angiogram – where a thin tube is inserted into the wrist and up to the coronary arteries and an X-ray taken. The angiogram can only detect angina caused by blockages in the large coronary arteries.
Researchers say blood flow scans should be used to follow up angiograms for every patient with unexplained chest pain, but that many regions of the UK do not currently offer this.
Professor Colin Berry, senior author of the study from the University of Glasgow, said: “Further tests like the scan we used could help to reveal thousands more people with microvascular angina in the UK every year. Microvascular angina is currently particularly under-diagnosed in women.
“We need these extra test results because people whose angiogram results suggest their chest pain is not heart-related can be sent home without medication, on the assumption that their symptoms are due to things like indigestion, anxiety or arthritis.
“It is not uncommon for these people to then have to return to their GP multiple times, with continuing symptoms like chest pain and breathlessness.”
Angina is a symptom of chest pain which can be caused by blockages or narrowing in the large coronary arteries which supply most blood to the heart. Microvascular angina used to be known as ‘cardiac syndrome X’ because it greatly confused doctors seeing patients with angina-like chest pains who didn’t have the expected narrowings or blockages in their coronary arteries.
Now the name, coined in the 1970s, is no longer used because experts understand that the pain is caused by tiny arteries within the heart muscle – less than half a millimetre across – which play a crucial role in regulating blood supply to the heart. Women are more likely to have the condition than men, particularly around and after the time of menopause.
Among the 250 people studied, all but six were judged to have chest pain that wasn’t heart-related based on their angiogram results. But the MRI scan found 123 of these people had microvascular angina – a diagnosis which is very clearly heart-related.
The scan detects microvascular angina, which reduces blood flow to the heart, by showing inadequate blood supply after people are given a drug called adenosine, which mimics the demands of physical activity on the body.
In the study, half of the 250 people were offered altered treatment based on their MRI scan result, if needed. Such treatment could include calcium channel blockers, which relieve angina and lower blood pressure, and aspirin and statins, which reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes.
This group were examined to see how receiving a new diagnosis, following further tests after a coronary angiogram, might change people’s lives.
A better quality of life
Researchers found quality of life was better for people whose treatment was changed based on their scan, compared to those whose treatment was not changed following their scan. This group also saw a bigger reduction in the frequency of their chest pain – from weekly to monthly on average. They had a larger reduction in their difficulty doing everyday activities, based on a questionnaire.
A second questionnaire looked at people’s mobility, pain and discomfort, anxiety and depression and difficulties washing, dressing and performing normal daily activities. This also showed a greater improvement for people whose treatment changed based on their MRI scan.
There is some evidence that having microvascular angina may increase the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, although this wasn’t seen in the 12-month period people were followed up in the study.
People whose treatment was changed based on their MRI scan were found to have lower blood pressure, which may have been brought down by medications they were prescribed. They also had a lower weight, which researchers believe may have been a result of reduced chest pain making it easier to be active.
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation and consultant cardiologist, said: “Coronary microvascular dysfunction, which is seen more commonly in women, is real. It can have a serious impact on people’s everyday lives, as they struggle with chest pain and breathlessness, and is often misunderstood.
“Unfortunately, many people go undiagnosed, are misdiagnosed, or are only diagnosed after years of delay, because the diagnosis of inadequate blood supply in tiny coronary blood vessels slips through the net.
“This important study shows that it doesn’t have to be this way – having heart MRI tests improved chest pain diagnosis, which in turn led to changes in treatment and better health.”
There were 127 people diagnosed with microvascular angina, including 123 whose angiogram had wrongly suggested their pain was not heart-related. The angiogram diagnosis that their chest pain was not heart-related appeared correct for 155 people.
The MRI scans used in the study revealed two people judged not to have heart-related chest pain by an angiogram, who in fact had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a genetic condition which can cause a life-threatening abnormal heart rhythm. Another two people had myocarditis – inflammation of the heart muscle which most people recover from following treatment.
There are around 250,000 coronary angiograms performed across the UK every year. The MRI scans in this study were done at the Golden Jubilee University National Hospital in Clydebank, within the west of Scotland.
These scans judged blood flow in the blood vessels of the heart, and included an algorithm assessing the difference in flow between the inner and outer area of the heart, which is not routinely available on the NHS. However researchers say conventional MRI scans would have a largely similar performance.
On how the study results should change NHS practice, Professor Berry added: “An angiogram alone is not enough for most people with suspected angina, but in most regions of the UK this is all that is performed.
“People should be offered an additional test to look at blood flow. That does not need to be an MRI scan like ours, as there are several alternative tests which might be helpful. These tests are needed because debilitating chest pain significantly reduces people’s physical and mental wellbeing, and their ability to go about their everyday lives.”
The study was also supported by the Chief Scientist Office in Scotland.
UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill visited Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company – which produces high-quality road, rail, and commercial signs – in Renfrewshire last week to hear more about its work and meet veterans.
UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill said: “Ahead of Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, it was a privilege to visit Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company to meet veterans working there and hear about their successful military to civilian career transitions at this King’s Award-winning social enterprise.
“It is clear that veterans truly enrich our economy and our communities and our support is vital when they leave service.”
Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company (SBMC) is a division of Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) and operates as a social enterprise based in Bishopton, Renfrewshire. Established in 2018 in response to a 2015 Forces in Mind Trust study highlighting significant deprivation among Scottish veterans, SBMC won the King’s Award for Enterprise in April 2023 for Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility.
SBMC empowers veterans and individuals with disabilities to regain independence through employment and personal development. As Scotland’s only signage social enterprise, it supplies road, rail and commercial signs to the public and private sectors.
The team has grown significantly and is primarily veterans and veteran family members. SBMC is the principal signage supplier to Bear Scotland and several local authorities, holding contracts with public bodies including Forestry and Land Scotland, Scottish Canals, and Scottish Water. It also supplies Tier 1 contractors such as Amey, Balfour Beatty, and RJ MacLeod.
RBLI has supported thousands of veterans over its 106-year history, and more than 70% of its social enterprise workforce are veterans or people with disabilities. SBMC provides nationally recognised training and development opportunities, helping employees regain independence through skills and qualifications.
All profits are reinvested to support mental health and accommodation services for vulnerable veterans and their families.
Robert Lappin, Assistant Director of SBMC and a military veteran himself, said: “We were pleased to welcome Minister McNeill to our Bishopton factory. The visit offered a valuable opportunity to highlight our work and the meaningful social impact we deliver in Scotland.
“As we approach Remembrance, appreciation of our work, led by veterans, is especially poignant.”
Among those the Minister met last Thursday was Anton Docherty, 35, a Royal Artillery Army veteran from Paisley who joined SBMC through its traineeship programme. After overcoming significant challenges with his mental health, Anton has become a valued member of the team as a Manufacturing Operative.
Reflecting on his experience Anton said: “An opportunity came up to work at Scotland’s Bravest with RBLI, and I grabbed it with both hands. It’s been really good here.
“I feel part of the team; it’s given me routine, structure, and the chance to be around people from similar backgrounds with different stories. We work hard in this place, and while it’s a workplace, it feels like a family too. I see the benefits it brings to others as well.
The previous evening (Wednesday) Minister McNeill hosted a Remembrance Reception at the UK Government’s Queen Elizabeth House HQ in Edinburgh, bringing together Scotland’s Armed Forces community, including Scottish MPs with constituency guests, cadets, Scouts, veteran organisations and Armed Forces representatives.
Edinburgh-based Smart Data Foundry (SDF) has released new data showing that people living in the North East of England have the lowest financial resilience in Great Britain, while those in the Highlands and Islands have the highest.
Figures from SDF’s Economic Wellbeing Explorer, a new, map-based research tool launched today in London, reveal that 43%* of account holders in North East England had less than £100 in their bank accounts on two or more occasions in a single month.
This means that many households in places like Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough are struggling to cope with unexpected expenses, such as a broken appliance, a car or home repair, or a sudden loss of income.
South East Wales is close behind at 41%, followed by Yorkshire & The Humber at 40%. By contrast, in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, only 29% of account holders regularly fall below the £100 threshold.
Nationally, more than half of people aged 18 to 39 were found to have low financial resilience (56% in Scotland and England, and 59% in Wales), compared to just 10% of those aged 70 and over in all three nations.
Dougie Robb, CEO of Smart Data Foundry, said: “This is the first time we’ve been able to track, on a monthly basis, where the cost-of-living crisis is hitting hardest across Great Britain.
“Almost half of people in the North East have very little financial resilience, which is deeply concerning and reflects the mounting pressure of long-term price inflation, despite wages rising.
“However, the data also shows there has been a significant decrease in people living beyond their means (spending 120% of income) between September 2024 and September 2025 across GB. In England it has dropped from 20% to 13%, in Wales from 19% to 12% and in Scotland 19% to 12%.
“We believe these two trends show that whilst rising wages have helped to keep people afloat, rising costs are eating into their ability to build a financial buffer.”
The data, which is updated monthly, is the first to be released by the new GB-wide Economic Wellbeing Explorer (EWE), developed by Smart Data Foundry. It was unveiled to parliamentarians, researchers and the public during Evidence Week in Westminster.
It uses near real-time data from 5 million bank accounts and tracks economic resilience and wellbeing at national, regional, and local levels, and between age groups and income ranges.
Robb added: “We launched the Economic Wellbeing Explorer in Scotland earlier this year and the response was so positive from local authorities and researchers that we have extended its reach further to include England and Wales too.
“This map-based platform gives policymakers near real-time insight into the areas and age groups who are struggling most, so that changes of policy and interventions can be made quickly when necessary.
“In the past, many policy and funding decisions were made using lagging statistics from surveys or censuses. Now we can use real-world data to show how economic trends are impacting people’s lives from month to month and from area to area. From that information, researchers and policy makers can build an accurate picture of the impact of financial shocks like the increase in the energy price cap or inflation spikes, and be more responsive in their decision making.”
The platform is now open for registration, offering trusted insights to help public institutions, NGOs, and researchers make evidence-based decisions on poverty and inequality.
Topline insights are available for free at a national and regional level, with deeper insights at a local level (Local Authority and neighbourhood level) available via subscription.
The launch follows a successful pilot with East Renfrewshire Council, where financial data was integrated with Council data such as requests for financial support, and other public sector data such as DWP data on children living in poverty, to better understand the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. The Council was able to target interventions more effectively, uncovering hidden pockets of deprivation that were previously missed. This allowed the Council to target support in these emerging areas, intervening before financial struggles escalated further.
A spokesman for the Council said: “The Economic Wellbeing Explorer has influenced decision-making around how and where we deliver supports, such as the Thrive Under 5 project.
“As the dashboard highlighted widespread need, we took the decision to open this project to families from any part of the authority and not just limit it to the most deprived areas. This has meant families who might not previously have been known to us have been supported by the project.
“We will continue to use the Economic Wellbeing Explorer to monitor changes by area, age, income level or over time. This will allow us to best understand need and make informed decisions based on the needs of our residents.”
The Economic Wellbeing Explorer is powered by data from NatWest Group, alongside contextual open data sources such as housing, education and demographic data. All data supplied to Smart Data Foundry is deidentified at source and is held and managed within a strict information governance framework to ensure security, privacy, and ethical standards.
Despite progressive legislation guaranteeing free access to menstrual products in Scotland, research reveals that reusable period products remain significantly underused, with only 3% of people in Scotland who menstruate relying on them exclusively.
Dominique Haig, a master’s student at Queen Margaret University (QMU), has explored why uptake of reusable menstrual products remains low, despite the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 encouraging their distribution.
The findings point to a complex web of barriers – institutional, educational, and infrastructural – that prevent organisations fully understanding and complying with the Act’s goals around equity, sustainability, and choice.
Dominique, a student in QMU’s Institute of Global Health and Development explained: “We found that while reusable products are technically available across colleges, universities and public organisations, they’re often out of sight – sometimes hidden behind reception desks or restricted to student unions.
“This type of gatekeeping, combined with poor signposting and limited education, means many students, who may be particularly vulnerable to period poverty, don’t even know they have the option of accessing the free sanitary products.”
The research has identified that students most likely to benefit from reusable products – such as low-income, disabled, and trans/non-binary individuals – face disproportionate barriers. These include:
“One teacher told us that students often don’t receive menstrual education until halfway through the school year,” Dominique explained. “By then, their understanding is shaped mostly by what their parents have told them.”
In addition, student input rarely shaped procurement practices which resulted in the purchase of reusable produced that didn’t meet the needs of students in terms of quality and aesthetic preferences – resulting in wasted budgets and a continual reliance on single use sanitary wear.
“We spoke to one university procurement officer who confirmed that students had to go to a specific location to collect reusable products,” Dominique added.
“That alone can be a deterrent, especially if the space isn’t welcoming or inclusive.”
Dominique Haig concluded: “The availability of free sanitary wear across Scotland has been an excellent way of improving equality for women across the country.
“However, without targeted interventions, Scotland risks entrenching its dependence on single-use menstrual products, which ultimately undermines the environmental and social equity goals of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021.
“We are therefore calling for improved menstrual education and teacher training; inclusive procurement processes that reflect student preferences; better infrastructure to support reusable product use; and clearer signposting and more accessible distribution methods.
“This will help protect the dignity of everyone who menstruates and the sustainability of service provision, ensuring every student has real choices.”
Read the full research brief on the QMU website
POLICE are appealing for information following a robbery at a premises on Slateford Road.
The incident happened around 6.15am on Sunday (9 November), when a man entered a store and threatened a staff member and demanded money.
He made off in the direction of Gorgie Park Road with a four-figure sum of cash and cigarettes. No one was injured.
The suspect is described as around 5ft 10ins, of slim build and spoke with an English accent.
He was wearing a royal blue fleece with grey side panels and grey cuffs and a black hoodie underneath, black Nike jogging bottoms with a double white stripe on the legs and dark-coloured trainers with a white sole and red flashes on the heel. His face was covered.
Detective Inspector Alan Sharp said: “Fortunately the staff member was not injured but he was left very upset by what happened.
“Enquiries are ongoing and we are asking anyone who saw what happened, saw the suspect or knows who he is to get in touch.
“Please also check any private CTV or dash-cam you might have and contact us if anything has been captured that could assist with our investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on101, quoting incident number 0929 of Sunday, 9 November, 2025, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
