The annual Edinburgh Taxi Outing will now go ahead. Police have provided the following update on planning for the event:
Superintendent Neil Wilson said: “Our focus throughout has been to support the Edinburgh Taxi Outing as we have done for many years. We have held constructive discussions today with the event organiser and have agreed an outline plan which allows the event to run safely on its original route.
“Further discussions will take place in the coming days to finalise the police operation to support the event and ensure the children enjoy their day.”
50,000 first-time buyers supported in this parliament
The first round of applications for a First Homes Fund will open by the end of June, providing first-time buyers with a £10,000 contribution towards a deposit on their first home.
The shared-equity scheme will be open to all prospective owners looking to make their first step on to the property ladder, with a limit of £300,000 on the value of the property purchased.
It is expected the first phase of the fund will support 2,000 households over the first 100 days of this Government and 50,000 over the course of this Parliament.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing Shirley-Anne Somerville confirmed the scheme’s opening to the Scottish Parliament yesterday.
Ms Somerville said: “For too many people across Scotland, particularly younger people and first-time buyers, home ownership has felt increasingly out of reach. In communities the length and breadth of our nation, we are hearing the same story; people saving what they can but finding that the cost of a deposit is simply too great a barrier.
“That is the context in which this Government will act. This is a direct response to the experience of people across Scotland. We have listened and are taking fast, decisive action.
“The Fund sits within a broader programme of action and supported by a record £4.9 billion investment in affordable housing over the next four years.
“We promised we would support first time buyers and we are delivering.”
A Senior carer at Strachan House care home in Edinburgh has received a prestigious 20 Year Service Award in celebration of working at Barchester Healthcare for 20 years.
Lyra Quintanilla now a senior carer started at Barchester in May 2006 and has worked with residents and their relatives to ensure that their needs have been met over the years.
Adele Keenan, Employee Services Director at Barchester said: “I’m always pleased to hear stories about the long service of Barchester staff and am delighted Lyra has achieved this milestone.
“It is dedication like this that ensures our residents are provided with a happy place to live.”
Fran Fisher General Manager of Strachan House said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating Lyra’s years of loyal service with Strachan House.
“She has demonstrated her dedication and loyalty to this home and its residents year after year. I speak for all of us here at Strachan House when I say that I’m looking forward to many more years of working with Lyra!”
Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 83 residents from respite care to long term stays.
150,000 additional appointments and procedures pledged surpassed
Waiting lists continue to fall in Scotland with new outpatient waits over a year decreasing for 11 consecutive months and inpatient and daycase waits reducing for 15 months in a row.
Latest Public Health Scotland statistics show that at 30 April 2026, new outpatients waits of over a year have fallen by 7.0% compared to March 2026. These waits have reduced every month since July 2025 with total waits over 52 weeks down by 76.5% in that period.
The data also shows long waits for inpatient and daycase procedures have fallen every month since July 2025 with 52 week waits decreasing by 47.4% in that period.
Waits for one of the eight key diagnostic tests are now at their lowest level since May 2021. Latest quarterly figures until 31 March 2026 show waits across endoscopy fell by 6% and radiology by 10% when compared to the previous quarter, with 52% of endoscopy tests and 78% of radiology tests having been ongoing for less than 6 weeks – the highest figure for both test types since March 2020.
Waits of over a year in these specialities also fell sharply, with endoscopy down 67% and radiology down 4% compared to March 2025.
This progress comes as Scottish Government pledges on extra appointments are surpassed. The promise to provide 150,000 additional appointments last year has been exceeded, with latest data showing 168,177 additional appointments and procedures were carried out in the financial year up to March 2026 compared to same period in the previous year.
New figures also show in the first 9 months of 2025-26, 34,089 procedures were carried out in National Treatment Centres, surpassing the commitment to see planned activity increasing to over 30,000.
Protecting and improving the NHS is one of this government's top ambitions. @AConstance23 sets out her priorities as newly appointed Health Secretary. pic.twitter.com/DI1EaEAjpL
Health Secretary Angela Constance said: “These new figures show our plan is delivering for the people of Scotland.
“We are seeing sustained decreases in waits of over a year with 11 consecutive months of progress in new outpatient waits and inpatient and daycase procedures reducing for 15 months in a row.
“We have seen significant decreases in waits over a year in these time periods with more and more people getting the treatment they need.
“On top of this progress, new data shows we surpassed our pledges to provide additional appointments last year – with 168,177 extra appointments and procedures delivered. This is testament to the hard work of our NHS staff across Scotland and I thank them for their continued outstanding efforts.
“We know there is more to do, and I am determined to continue to build on this substantial progress and ensure people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible.”
Developed with partners, including Scottish Water, Edinburgh World Heritage and NatureScot, the two-year plan was agreed last March. It includes 125 actions required to deliver on the overarching Climate Ready Edinburgh Plan, which sets out the strategic approach needed to make sure that Edinburgh can adapt and respond locally to the risks and impact of climate change.
Tuesday’s update shows the positive progress made in the 12 months to March 2026, with 15 of the actions complete and 83 in progress and on track. These include:
Three new parks – Mill Lane Park, North Junction Street Park and Dalmeny Street Park – established in Leith as part of Edinburgh’s Nature Network – as part of a more strategic approach to manage, restore and enhance Edinburgh’s urban landscape. The new parks are vibrant community spaces, where both wildlife and people can thrive.
Delivery of a Climate Ready Craigleith project at Orchard Park to tackle frequent flooding of properties and streets. The project includes new sustainable drainage systems to help reduce flooding issues and increase biodiversity, alongside changes to the wider environment creating a pleasant place for people and wildlife.
A new cross-boundary river partnership for the Gogarburn area and progress of the Restore the Burn project. Addressing the impact that pollution, flooding and erosion have had on local communities, as well as the wildlife that lives along the burn, including an improved Active Travel Network and better-connected habitats with improved wildlife and biodiversity along the river corridor.
Production of new Edinburgh Design Guidance embedding climate adaptation, green-blue infrastructure and the nature crisis into how new development is shaped across the city. The guidance includes a focus on making sure that planning focuses on net zero, nature-positive places designed to limit greenhouse emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “We’re already seeing the impacts of a changing climate in Edinburgh, with more frequent severe storms causing flooding, damage to buildings and disruption to travel.
“We knew when we declared a climate emergency that we had to act quickly, both in terms of tackling the causes but also taking steps to prepare for the inevitable changes to the weather.
“We also knew we couldn’t do it alone and we needed the help of other city organisations – and our residents – to make a meaningful difference.
“I’m pleased, then, that we set the ambitious goals that we did, and that we’re now making good progress on delivering against our plans.
“As set out in this first annual update, we’ve completed a range of projects and initiatives that will make a real difference to communities in Edinburgh, while ensuring we’re better prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.”
Scottish Child Payment key to eradicating child poverty
Across Scotland, 321,885 children are benefiting from Scottish Child Payment as of March 2026, according to newly published statistics.
Launched in February 2021, the Scotland-only benefit is a weekly payment of £28.20, paid every four weeks to every eligible child under 16 within a household.
Scottish Child Payment is expected to keep 50,000 children out of relative poverty in 2026–27. This underlines the critical role that Scottish Child Payment plays in eradicating child poverty in Scotland.
Social Justice Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said: “Eradicating child poverty and supporting families with the cost of living is a key focus for this government.
“It’s clear that the Scottish Child Payment is making a major difference to families which is why we will now go further by increasing the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week for families with children under the age of one.
We remain fully committed to doing everything we can to support families and give every child the best possible start in life. Scottish Child Payment remains central to that mission.”
POLICE are appealing for information following a fire in Edinburgh. Around 7.05pm on Monday, 25 May, 2026, we received a report of a fire at Arthur’s Seat.
Emergency services attended, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service remained at the scene to dampen down hot spots.
No injuries were reported.
Enquiries are ongoing alongside partners to establish the cause of the fire.
Local Area Commander Alison MacDonald said: “We know that the area around Arthur’s seat was busy last night due to the good weather and would ask that anyone with any information surrounding the cause of the fire come forwand ard and speak with officers.
“Anyone with information should call Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2975 of 25 May, 2026.
“As the good weather continues, we will continue to work with our partner agencies and would encourage members of the public to stay safe and behave responsibly.”
Area Commander David Dourley is the Local Senior Officer for City of Edinburgh. He said: “At 6.50pm on Monday, 25 May, we were alerted to reports of a large grass fire on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.
“We know many people will be wanting to enjoy the good weather, but we ask they do so responsibly. Wildfires have the potential to destroy property, landscapes and wildlife, which is why it is so important that members of the public use extreme caution under these conditions.
“Please avoid lighting outdoor fires and be mindful that one spark can spread rapidly, causing a large amount of damage.
“If you spot an outdoor fire, please report it immediately by calling 999, providing your location, and any other relevant information so we can respond quickly.”
Jamie Hamilton, Senior Ranger at Holyrood Park said; “We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to the emergency services for their quick response to this incident and would encourage anyone with any further information to come forward.
“We know that people are keen to enjoy the good weather but would ask them to remain vigilant and not to use any form of naked flame within the parameters of the park, dispose of rubbish properly, and to report anything of concern immediately.
“The High Road within the park has been closed to vehicles, and we would ask visitors to continue to follow guidance from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and avoid the affected areas.”
Plant-Based Edinburgh campaigners organised a protest outside the City Chambers yesterday, speaking to the public and to the councillors as they entered the building.
Demonstrators urged people to support their campaign and called on councillors to help implement a just transition towards a sustainable food system.
After the demonstration, campaigners Lydia Elliott and Luke Ryan gave a deputation inside the chambers to explain why plant-based menus should be adopted.
During the deputation, graphs and statistics were handed to councillors which showed how devastating animal agriculture is to our planet in terms of carbon emissions, deforestation and freshwater consumption.
The council rejected adopting plant-based menus, citing a lack of demand as the key reason. Although, recently they trialled providing an option for a fully plant-based menu at City Chambers events, but they did not trial mandating plant-based menus for events or canteen meals.
Lydia Elliott said: “We feel that 100% plant-based menus have not been given a fair chance. Although the report states that 100% plant-based menus were made available for events, on the menus we’ve seen, the vegan options are at the very bottom, which has a strong psychological effect on emphasising that animal products are the ‘normal’ choice.” Over 450 Edinburgh residents signed the petition urging the council to switch to plant-based menus.
The petition reads:
“Farming animals is one of the largest causes of methane emissions, which are rapidly accelerating climate change. Increasing demand for animal products is the biggest driver for deforestation and habitat loss globally.
‘Waste from animals is a major source of water pollution, causing algal blooms in rivers and creating oceanic dead zones. Switching to plant based eating is one of the simplest and most effective ways we can address these key environmental issues.‘
Council officers created a report into the petition proposal, which was then evaluated by councillors.
The report states: “Animal-based meals can have an environmental impact 14 times higher than that of PB meals. If the Council were to remove meat and dairy products within internal catering, this would reduce goods and services emissions by a calculated estimate of 60,896 kg CO2e.”
At yesterday’s Policy and Sustainability Committee meeting, the councillors voted to endorse the report unamended. The report recommended against a 100% plant-based commitment, and advised further monitoring of food choices, but contained no commitment to increase plant-based options, despite saying that “there is a potential risk to reputation if the Council does not proceed with an approach that fully removes animal-based products”.
Green Party Councillors proposed an amendment to the report, and suggested that at least for council meetings, if not events such as weddings, vegetarian menus should be adopted. Unfortunately the Green amendment was voted down 14-3.
Green Councillors were frustrated by the council staff not looking into the possibility of lowering the price of plant-based options compared to options with animal products. This was proposed at the previous policy and sustainability meeting in October but got dropped.
Councillors cited concerns with accessibility and allergies as one of the reasons to reject fully plant based menus. This is despite the fact that plant based food avoids key allergens such as dairy, fish and shellfish and is compatible with religious food requirements such as halal and kosher. Plant-based meals can easily be prepared which avoid allergens.
Astonishingly, one vegetarian councillor argued against adopting plant based menus on the basis that they were taking choices away from vegetarians, despite the fact that plant based meals are all suitable for vegetarians.
The council’s report states in Section 7.2 [3]: “Sustainable food choices, procurement and production are key to Edinburgh’s ambition to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, as well as supporting nature’s recovery from the current biodiversity crisis.”
During the debate, Green councillor Alys Mumford emphasised that this statement is contradicted by the report’s conclusion that the council should not adopt plant-based menus.
Luke Ryan from Plant-Based Edinburgh said: “The council’s decision to adopt the report unamended is a betrayal of its Net Zero commitment and its Plant Based Treaty endorsement.
“We are disappointed by this decision, but we will not give up on engaging with the council, alongside other institutions in Edinburgh, to campaign for plant-based menus. The science tells us that this change is urgently necessary.”
Projects supporting children and young people in Edinburgh will benefit from over £800k (£809,595) thanks to Young Start funding announced today (Wednesday 27th May) by The National Lottery Community Fund.
13 organisations aimed at children and young people in the city, including, Capella Charity, Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre, LinkLiving Limited, Space @ The Broomhouse Hub, and Theatre of the Oppressed Scotland will receive the funding boost thanks to the programme.
Young Start is funded by the Dormant Assets Scheme, delivered by the National Lottery Community fund, with priorities set by the Scottish Government. The funding programme aims to enrich the lives of children and young people through projects that matter to them.
One group benefiting from today’s announcement, is the Capella Charity who received a grant of £85,456 to support their Teens+ Next Steps project over the next three years.
The Teens+ Next Steps project provides valuable experience to young people with complex learning disabilities from Edinburgh, East Lothian, and Midlothian like Carina, 24 from Dunbar.
The project helped Carina to develop new entrepreneurial skills, work toward Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and supported her to find employment.
When asked what she enjoys most about Teens+ Next Steps, she said: “I like cooking, being active, hanging out with friends, and being able to complete my Duke of Edinburgh, because I feel like it’s a real achievement that I had never dreamed of doing.”
Over the three-year funding period, the Capella Charity will support 20 young people per year, aged 17 to 24.
When asked what impact the funding has had on the charity, Hub Manager, Robbie Stabler said: “The Young Start Funding has allowed us to create an environment that nurtures the independence and growth of the young people accessing the hub whilst also ensuring that we can offer support where needed.
“Whether it is learning independent skills such as cooking, health and wellbeing and or money skills, or moving towards volunteering employment, each trainee is in control of setting goals that feel meaningful to them, and the Young Start Funding has allowed us to support them to take steps toward achieving them.”
Announcing the funding, Kate Still, Scotland Chair, The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “I’m happy to announce the latest round of Young Start funding that will benefit around 70 organisations across Scotland to continue to deliver activities for young people that will help them to develop and thrive in their communities.
“By supporting children and young people through a range of creative and practical projects our Young Start grant holders can help them to shape their present and their future for the better.”
LinkLiving Limited, in Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart received £56,666 to fund their The Right Track project.
The funding will support the delivery of a two-year intensive, early intervention pilot programme for around 60 young people, aged 11 to 13, who are at risk of becoming involved in the criminal justice system.
The Right Track project will focus support on young people presenting violent and aggressive behaviour. They will be supported in small groups to develop effective anger management skills, learn how to use coping strategies to manage everyday challenges and to better understand the impact of their behaviour as part of the programme over the next 2 years.
Young Start provides funding of up to £150,000 for projects lasting up to three years through its Main Grants programme, and up to £20,000 through its Small Grants programme.
