On Friday 20 June, over 1,100 children from 22 City of Edinburgh primary schools joined together for the Edinburgh 900 Big Sing event at the Usher Hall.
Taking to the stage was an orchestra of 70 primary school aged musicians, eight singers from Edinburgh Schools Rock Ensemble and a choir of pupils from Castlebrae Community High School and Tynecastle High Schools.
The event showcased collaborative performances from the City of Edinburgh Instrumental Music Service, Youth Music Initiative Music Instructors, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland students and Love Music.
During the event, pupils were invited to join in and sing six songs, taught and led by presenter and choir leader, Stephen Deazley. The event also featured the world premiere of a song written especially for the event by the award-winning Scottish indie-pop band, Sacred Paws, called ‘Better Side Of Town’.
Musicians Ray Aggs and Eilidh Rodgers worked with pupils from Castlebrae Community High School and Tynecastle High Schools to write lyrics and musical material for the song alongside Love Music’s Artistic Director, Stephen Deazley.
This event formed part of the celebration of Edinburgh 900, marking 900 years of formal ‘local democracy’ when, in 1124 King David I created the royal burgh of Edinburgh, one of the oldest in Scotland.
This year, a series of events, talks, tours and tales will help to tell the fascinating and diverse stories of Edinburgh’s journey and unique story.
PICTURE: Adam Cooke
Councillor James Dalgleish, Convener Education, Children and Families Committee commented: “It was a real pleasure to hear the musical talents of Edinburgh primary school children on display in the setting of the Usher Hall.
“Music has a unique ability to unite and inspire, and it was fantastic to see the way that pupils from across our schools joined together to in a fun and inclusive way.
“I want to thank our Instrumental Music Service teachers and school staff who made this event possible, and congratulate our young musicians on a brilliantperformance.
Stephen Deazley, Love Music Artistic Director said:“Creating space and opportunity for joyful communal singing is so important for our young people and school communities.
“Nothing lifts your spirit like it, which is why we were delighted to be invited to work alongside amazing musicians from Edinburgh’s instrumental Music Service to bring this ambitious project to the Usher Hall.”
First Minister announces formal apology for historical policies
First Minister John Swinney has told Parliament that policies historically applied to Gypsy/Traveller individuals and families were unacceptable and has formally apologised to those communities.
Responding to the publication of research into how Gypsy/Traveller communities were affected by the so-called ‘Tinker Experiments’, Mr Swinney said that while the policies are no longer in effect, and pre-date the Scottish Parliament, they caused significant and lasting trauma to families.
Unjust attitudes and practices resulted in children being removed from Gypsy/Traveller families and families being forced to live in substandard accommodation and degrading conditions.
Extending a formal apology to those affected, Mr Swinney said the Scottish Government is whole-heartedly committed to ensuring mistakes are not repeated in its current and future work.
Today, Scotland's First Minister issued a long-awaited apology to victims of the Tinker Experiments. You can watch the video of his apology below and on our website: https://t.co/J7rPrECMJ3pic.twitter.com/OIL6qKB8fa
The First Minister said: “It seems clear to me that stark prejudice and lack of cultural awareness led to a series of unfair and unjust policies. Policies that resulted in children being removed from families, and families being forced to live in substandard accommodation and degrading conditions.
“The trauma that this has caused to individuals, families and groups, including those who regard themselves as ‘victims of Tinker Experiments’, is significant and lasting.
“So, as First Minister, I want to say this directly to Gypsy/Traveller communities: The ‘Tinker Experiments’ should not have happened. It was wrong. And we recognise how much it is still hurting so many. And more than anything else I want to say this. On behalf of Scotland, we are sorry.”
Clare MacGillivray, Director of Making Rights Realsaid: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s apology to victims of the Tinker Experiments.
“This feels like a pivotal moment in the victims’ courageous quest for justice. Roseanna and Shamus McPhee has campaigned for an apology for many years- they have worked tirelessly to shine a light on the hidden history of how Gypsy Travellers suffered egregious human rights abuses over many generations.
“Last year the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recommended that “the State party, including the government of Scotland, adopt all measures necessary to tackle the causes and legacy of the forced assimilation of Gypsy and Traveller communities”.
“We look forward to the Scottish Government taking further steps to provide redress to the victims.”
THE Scottish Human Rights Commission has also welcomed the apology. They said: “The Scottish Human Rights Commission welcomes the apology from the Scottish Government to members of the Gypsy Traveller Community for the ‘Tinker Experiment’.
“Victims of the experiment, alongside organisations like RAJPOT, have long campaigned for recognition of this issue and an apology is an important first step towards redress for historic injustice.
“We will publish our human framework analysis and steps to full redress in November 2025 and we look forward to continuing to engage with victims of the experiment and human rights defenders on this topic.
“Once completed we will share our findings with both the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government to ensure redress is delivered.”
NHS Lothian’s Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion has, from today (25 June) fully reopened to patients. The hospital was temporarily closed in Autumn 2024 to enable urgent repair work to be carried out.
The return of services, which began in early June, has been carefully managed over a number of weeks to ensure a smooth transition.
Michelle Carr, Chief Officer, Acute Services, NHS Lothian explained, “Moving our range of diagnostic and treatment equipment, microscopes, ophthalmoscopes and devices for measuring eye pressure, along with all the lenses and instruments that our healthcare staff require for the many and varied eye conditions that individual patients may present with is nothing short of a mammoth task.
“Our teams have worked tirelessly, planning for the return of services and the reopening of the building. I would like to thank them for their professionalism and ongoing commitment to patient care.”
Patients will continue to receive tailored communications by letter, text or both with information about their appointments.
Recognising patient feedback, an element of the macular service (including some IVT) will now also be available for patients within the East Lothian Community Hospital, in addition to the service provided at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion.
Jim Crombie, NHS Lothian Deputy Chief Executive explained, “For many patients, the move back to the familiar surroundings of the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, will be most welcome.
“We are incredibly grateful to all of our patients for their understanding while the building was temporarily closed and would like to thank them for the valuable feedback they provided.”
The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion holds an average of 152 outpatient clinics a week, using 40 consultation rooms every day. In all, there are 1,400 outpatient appointments every week and more than 130 inpatient slots.
New qualifications body and independent inspectorate to be established
The creation of a new national qualifications body, along with an independent education inspectorate, has taken a major step forward after legislation to implement the changes was passed in the Scottish Parliament.
The Education (Scotland) Bill was backed by 69 votes to 47 by MSPs last night. This includes provisions to replace the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) with a new organisation, Qualifications Scotland.
The office of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education in Scotland, with enhanced independence, will be created to undertake the education inspection functions that currently sit within Education Scotland.
The final legislation, following Stage 2 and Stage 3 amendments to the Bill initially introduced in June last year, includes measures from all political parties represented on Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People committee.
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “The successful passage of this legislation shows this Government is serious about implementing the changes needed to drive improvement across Scotland’s education and skills system.
“The creation of a new national qualifications body is about building the right conditions for reform to flourish; the new body will ensure that knowledge and experience of pupils and teachers are at the heart of our national qualifications offering.
“The new inspectorate body will also have greater independence and the power to set the frequency and focus of inspections, moving this function away from Ministers, to His Majesty’s Chief Inspector.
“Throughout this process, I have been determined to work with other parties on this vital legislation. I am also grateful to teaching unions and other organisations across civic Scotland who contributed to its development.
“Taken together our major programme of education and skills reform will bring about the changes needed to meet the needs of future generations of young people.”
British Sign Language (BSL) recognised in Scotland’s new education legislation
The National Deaf Children’s Society and fellow deaf campaigners are celebrating after the Scottish Parliament voted through the new Education (Scotland) Bill 2025, which includes crucial recognition of the rights of British Sign Language (BSL) users.
The inclusion of BSL in the Bill is the culmination of a year-long campaign from a coalition of deaf charities, spearheaded by the National Deaf Children’s Society, and supported by more than 500 campaigners, including deaf young people and their families.
The campaign kicked into life after a previous reading of the Bill recognised Gaelic but not BSL, despite both languages having legal recognition in Scotland.
Campaigners urged Scottish MSPs to recognise BSL in the Bill, highlighting that deaf learners in Scotland are currently nearly three times more likely to leave school without qualifications than their hearing peers.
MSPs voted to support the legislation as the Bill completed the final stage of debate on 25 June. It is now set to become law, once it receives Royal Assent.
George McGowan from the National Deaf Children’s Society said: “This is a historic moment for deaf children, young people, and their families, who realised this milestone through their tireless and incredible campaigning.
“This means BSL will receive the recognition and support it rightly deserves within Scotland’s educational system.”
The new education bodies created by the legislation will now have to give equal weight to both BSL and the Gaelic language.
The new qualifications agency in Scotland, Qualification Scotland, must also consider the needs of pupils who use BSL or learn in BSL.
This is significant as it recognises the importance of BSL as a language in the Scottish education system and crucially, means deaf children and young people who use BSL, will receive access to information and support from Qualification Scotland in their preferred language.
The new law also places requirements on the new Chief Inspector of Education to consider the importance of communicating in a way that best meets the needs of children and young people, including those who use BSL.
Mr McGowan, who has severe to profound deafness and uses BSL as his first language, added: “Too many deaf children and young people in Scotland still face barriers to learning and to using sign language, if it’s the right choice for them. This is why it’s so vital that this new law now recognises the importance of BSL.”
It is hoped that the passing of the new law will ensure deaf children and young people have access to an inclusive education that meets their needs.
Deaf teenager Niamdh Braid was one of the young people involved in the campaign for the Bill to recognise the rights of BSL users.
Niamdh, who earlier this month attended a meeting with MSPs at Holyrood to discuss the Bill, said: “The inclusion of BSL is incredible as it’s finally getting the recognition it deserves.
“This will hopefully not only bring more awareness to BSL but also give deaf children the access to sign language that they need.”
Niamdh, who was supported by the National Deaf Children’s Society in her legal battle with Fife Councilto have a BSL interpreter in her class for school lessons, added: “Hopefully this will mean deaf young people no longer have to fight for access to their own language like I had to.”
BSL is recognised in law as one of Scotland’s languages. It is a vibrant language that allows deaf children and young people to access a rich deaf culture, heritage and identity. The importance of BSL was recognised in the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015.
Qualifications Scotland is expected to become operational in Autumn 2025.
This year the MoonWalk Scotland is going to be super special as 2025 will be the final time in Edinburgh! We are SO excited to break the news that the MoonWalk will be going on tour to a new city
With just a few more weeks to go, there is still time to enter and stride through beautiful Edinburgh by night, all whilst fundraising for an amazing cause!
Sign up now and get ready for a weekend of fun, inspiration and smiles:
More than £52 billion in spending last year has funded the delivery of vital public services for the people of Scotland.
The Scottish Government’s 2024-25 Provisional Outturn, which compares actual spending with overall funding, included:
Investing more than £19.5 billion in health and social care, protecting existing critical delivery in the face of unprecedented fiscal pressure and enabling frontline services to continue to evolve to deliver the best care and treatment for our diverse population.
Supporting fair and affordable pay deals for workers who provide our essential public services.
Investing more than £5.9 billion for 2024-25 in social security, directly supporting more than 1.4 million people across Scotland. This includes £456 million allocated to the Child Payment. As of 31 March 2025, 326,225 children aged 15 and under were actively benefiting from Scottish Child Payment.
Supporting economic growth despite global uncertainty. Scotland’s economy grew 1.2% in 2024, compared to 1.1% in the UK as a whole, having strengthened from 0.5% growth in 2023.
The remaining £557 million of available funding – representing 1% of the total Scottish Government budget – has been carried over to support costs in 2025-26, with no loss of spending power to the Scottish Government.
Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said yesterday: “The provisional outturn demonstrates once again this Government is prudently and competently managing Scotland’s finances while protecting our priorities and ensuring we can deliver effective public services.
“Managing the financial position for 2024-25 was a challenge once again. The continued impact of inflation, pressure on public sector pay, and wider geopolitical instability meant careful consideration had to be given to balancing the Scottish Budget.
“What’s more, under the UK Spending Review the Scottish Government’s day-to-day spending is set to grow by 0.8% over the next three years, considerably lower than the 1.2% average growth for UK Government departments.
“The impact of these challenges on our financial planning will be set out in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy tomorrow (i.e. Wednesday (today)) in Parliament, but the growing future year pressures mean we must act prudently and responsibly to remain fiscally sustainable.”
Three people have been charged following a day of action in Edinburgh city centre to address retail crime.
On Wednesday, 18 June, local policing officers joined colleagues from the Retail Crime Taskforce to undertake high-visibility patrols and visit retail premises to deter offences such as shoplifting and identify those involved in criminal activity affecting the area’s shops and businesses.
As a result, 13 stop and searches were conducted and three people are now subject to reports to the Procurator Fiscal.
A 49-year-old man was found in possession of drugs, which have been sent for analysis.
A 40-year-old male was stopped following a shoplifting and was arrested and charged with conditions not to enter the city centre. Stolen property worth £400 was recovered at this time.
A 24-year-old female was also charged with theft following the recovery of £50 worth of stolen goods.
Over 30 premises were visited, and extensive intelligence was also gathered for further inquiry throughout the day of action.
Inspector Gordon Duff said: “Our day of action was supported by key partners at Retailers Against Crime, Essential Edinburgh, BTP, Lothian Busses and the retailers operating within the city centre.
“We want activity like this to send a very clear message that retail crime is being treated as a priority and extensive time and resource is being dedicated to reducing offences and bring those responsible to justice.
“I’m grateful to all of the officers and partners that provided vital assistance, and the public can rest assured further activity will take place as we actively target all of those involved in the various forms of retail crime affecting Edinburgh’s businesses.”
Jenny Eclair will join a 13-night trip on a Baltic cruise
Eclair joins as part of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Moments Crew, commissioned to capture guests’ most memorable onboard moments
She will turn memorable guest experiences into short stories as writer-in-residence
The cruise departs from Rosyth on Friday 27th June
Best-selling author and comedian Jenny Eclair is taking to the seas this week as part of the cruise industry’s first ‘Moments Crew’ – a new service promising to capture guests’ most memorable onboard moments.
Departing from Rosyth on Friday 27th June, Eclair will be joining the ‘Fairytale Castle & Old Towns of The Baltic Scenic’ tour on Balmoral, the smallest of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ship in the three-strong fleet. The 13-night trip runs until Thursday 10th July.
Three lucky ballot winners have won a session with Eclair in which she will turn their memorable moments into short stories. The guests will then be given the stories to take home, as a memento of the special moments, big and small, that happened on a Fred. Olsen cruise.
All guests on board will also be treated to An Audience with Jenny Eclair on Wednesday 2nd July. Open to everyone, Eclair will be interviewed by the ships cruise director, followed by a Q&A with the audience and book signings. Guests will be able to purchase her book, as well as pre-order, in the ships bookstore.
During the Baltic trip, guests will have plenty of opportunity to make new memories at a range of awe-inspiring locations places and experiences. Guests will be embarking cities within fairytale-esque settings from the majestic castles of Schwerin, Malbork and Rosenborg to the enchanting old towns of Vecrīga and Vanalinn.
Jenny Eclair is the second of three Moments Crew joining Fred. Olsen cruises throughout the summer.
Comedian-turned-artist Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves) joined the ‘Scenic Falls & Fjords of Norway’ tour on Borealis for the eight-night trip on Thursday 5th June.
Celebrity photographer Scarlet Page will then embark Bolette for its 13 night ‘Volcanic Vistas of the Azores and Madeira’ cruise, departing from Liverpool on 25th July.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines recruited the famous crew of documentarians following research that revealed 82 per cent of people say their life’s top memories are made while travelling.
Sonia Holman, Marketing Director at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, comments: “We know that some of life’s best memories are made on the high seas, so what better way to ensure they are caught than by assembling the first-ever crew dedicated to recording these unique moments in unique ways.
“We’re delighted to welcome Jim, Jenny and Scarlet onboard and look forward to seeing, reading and viewing the big and small guest moments they observe.”
Jenny Eclair, Fred. Olsen’s writer-on-board, comments: “There is a rich literary history of travel writing, but my intention is to get the everyday holiday maker interested in keeping their own journals, even if it is just a record of what you had for dinner.
“In years to come, photos will take you back to places you loved, but it is often words on a page that will remind you of how those places felt.”
‘Come Dine With Us’ initiative recognised for tackling loneliness and fostering community wellbeing
MUIRHOUSE HOUSING Association is celebrating a magnificent triumph in a prestigious set of national awards.
The Association excelled in the Tenant Participation Service (TPAS) Scotland National Good Practice Awards scoring a win in the keenly-contested category for Community Involvement – tenant/community group.
It was a powerful endorsement of Muirhouse’s commitment to placing its community at the heart of everything it does as a housing provider.
The National Good Practice Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in tenant participation by individual tenants, tenant groups and social landlords.
The category won by Muirhouse “recognises and celebrates the achievements of a tenant or community-led group or project that has supported other individuals or groups within their community and made a positive impact.”
Muirhouse’s triumph centred on its innovative and inclusive “Come Dine With Us” initiative – a recurring event offering a free meal and companionship to local residents aimed at tackling isolation and loneliness
Launched in 2022, it instantly resonated with the community and attracts between 15 and 30 people to the weekly get-together in winter with it running fortnightly in the summer.
It has chalked up some impressive outcomes with evaluation showing an increase in the age groups attending ranging from 26-85 plus an impressive 140% increase in how satisfied those attending are with their lives. An increase of 83% was recorded from those attending who felt the things they do in life are “worthwhile”.
Muirhouse Chief Executive Susan Bell, added: “Ensuring we do our bit to tackle loneliness and isolation in our community – especially among those who are single – remains an important part of our work.
“In the face of the cost-of-living challenges, we as a housing association are ideally placed to make a difference and Come Dine With Us tackles this very issue. We remain very grateful for the funding received which helps to support this important initiative.”
“This project provides the opportunity to inspire and empower individuals to foster better health, connect with others in the community and feel valued.
“We are thrilled to receive this award, which recognises the dedication and teamwork behind our efforts to support the community.”
