PROBLEM DEBT IN SCOTLAND
We’re calling on Scotland’s political parties to prioritise financial security.
Our Scottish election manifesto sets out actions to:
– Ensure room to repay council tax
– Tackle the energy debt crisis
– Rebuild financial resilience
– Address economic abuse
– Deal with problem debt
Read more:
https://stepchange.org/policy-and-research/parliament/scotland-policy-asks.aspx
Construction is now underway at Salamander Yards, a landmark 99-home development set within one of Edinburgh’s most vibrant and popular neighbourhoods, Leith.
Located on Salamander Street, just moments from the buzzing heart of Leith and backing directly onto Leith Links, the development is a joint venture between five star housebuilder Cruden Homes and MNM Developments. The project will transform a former industrial site into a contemporary mixed-use neighbourhood, contributing to the continued regeneration and growing cultural energy of the Leith Waterfront.
Leith has become synonymous with independent retailers, creative workspaces, community-led events and some of the capital’s most celebrated restaurants and bars. From artisan coffee shops and street markets to waterside dining and cultural festivals, the area has evolved into one of Scotland’s most dynamic places to live.
Salamander Yards will provide a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, with 35% of the homes allocated as affordable housing to help meet the growing demand for high-quality, accessible homes in the capital. The development will also feature two commercial units at ground level, further enhancing the area’s thriving business scene and creating a lively street presence.
Designed by 7N Architects, the development has been carefully crafted to complement Leith’s distinctive character, blending contemporary design with the area’s industrial heritage.
Residents will benefit from landscaped outdoor spaces, including a private courtyard, alongside enhanced public realm improvements on Salamander Street and new active travel routes to promote safer, more accessible cycling.
The new development backs directly onto Leith Links, one of Edinburgh’s most historic and well-loved green spaces, giving residents immediate access to expansive parkland, sports pitches and walking routes.
Salamander Yards is situated close to excellent transport connections, including bus routes, established cycle paths and the tram network, offering outstanding connectivity to Edinburgh city centre and beyond.
Fraser Lynes, Chief Executive of Cruden, said: “Salamander Yards is a key contribution to the evolution of Leith Waterfront, helping to shape a vibrant and sustainable place for people to live.
Together with our partners at MNM Developments, we are proud to deliver high-quality homes, including much-needed affordable housing, in one of Edinburgh’s most exciting and culturally rich neighbourhoods.
“Backing onto Leith Links and just moments from the Shore, this development combines green space, connectivity and community in a truly unique setting.”
Marc Teague, Managing Director at MNM Developments, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Cruden to bring Salamander Yards to life.
“Leith continues to grow as a vibrant, creative and highly desirable place to live and work. This development not only delivers much-needed homes, but also supports the wider regeneration of the waterfront and enhances the strong sense of community that defines the area.”
Salamander Yards forms part of the wider regeneration of the Leith Waterfront, helping to create a thriving, mixed-use neighbourhood just minutes from the heart of the capital. First homes are due to complete in Spring 2027.
New cycling group activity for adults on Tuesday mornings and Saturday mornings 10-12. Meet us at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre.
Easy level and led by two experienced cyclists.
National Galleries Scotland: Portrait
Portrait of the Artist, Jack Vettriano
1 March 2026 – 2029
Free
Commemorating one year since the passing of celebrated Scottish painter Jack Vettriano, National Galleries of Scotland has announced it is to showcase two works by the artist.
Celebrating the life and prolific career of Vettriano, the artist’s estate will loan two self-portraits Portrait of the Artist and Homage to Fontana? over a six-year period. Portrait of the Artist will go on display on the one-year anniversary of his passing on 1 March 2026, at National Galleries Scotland: Portrait.
Free to visit, the painting will stay on display until early 2029 when it will then be swapped with Homage to Fontana?.
A self-taught painter, Vettriano was loved at home in Scotland and internationally for his evocative and timeless works that continue to captivate and inspire. His career made a huge contribution to the Scottish arts and culture scene and even broke records in the UK and Scotland.
In 2004 his painting The Singing Butler achieved a record price for a Scottish painting sold at auction and went on to become the best-selling art print in the UK. The work even inspired Banksy, whose reimagining of the painting sold in March 2025 for £4.3million. Vettriano is internationally recognised, with the likes of Jack Nicholson, Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Tim Rice among collectors of his work.
Portrait of the Artist, painted in 1993, is an early self-portrait by Vettriano and was painted a year after The Singing Butler. It depicts the artist taking a break from painting at his Edinburgh flat where he had a studio. A dramatic depiction of light and shade sets the scene for a moment of contemplation. The artist’s paint-splattered clothes emphasise the task at hand.
The cinematic Homage to Fontana? was painted later in 1999. The title and slashes in the painted canvas reference the Argentine-Italian artist Lucio Fontana (1899–1968) whose slashed canvases of the 1950s and 60s blurred the distinction between two and three dimensions to create ‘an infinite dimension’.
Vettriano invites us to follow his act of contemplation in relation to what lies beneath the surface and beyond. The painting returned to Edinburgh in July 2025 after its inclusion in a Vettriano exhibition at the Palazzo Pallavicini in Bologna and is the largest of three versions of this composition.
Born Jack Hoggan, Vettriano grew up in the coastal mining village of Methil in Fife. After leaving school at 15, he followed his father down the mine, working as an apprentice engineer.
He later moved on to white-collar jobs in management services, taking up painting as a hobby in the 1970s when a girlfriend bought him a set of watercolours for his birthday.
From then on, Vettriano spent much of his spare time teaching himself to paint.
He learned by copying Old Masters, Impressionists, Surrealists and a plethora of Scottish artists, taking inspiration from studying the collection at Kirkcaldy Galleries. It was his experience living near Leven Beach which prompted him to make the decision: ‘I’m going to set some paintings on beaches.’
A figurative painter, Vettriano described his work as ‘more or less autobiographical.’ He worked from photographs of scenes he staged with models in his studio.
His paintings evoke the nostalgia of the 1940s and 50s and were often set, in the artist’s own words, in ‘sombre and sordid interiors’. Vettriano’s dramatic use of light and shade is a distinctive element of his work and heightens the stories of love, sex and betrayal in his paintings.
In the late 1980s he moved to Edinburgh and took his mother’s last name, Vettriano. The artist’s breakthrough came in 1988 when he submitted two works to the Royal Scottish Academy’s Annual Exhibition, with both works selling within the first day.
Subsequently he was courted by several galleries, with his first solo exhibition in Edinburgh in 1992. Soon, his works began to gather international acclaim, leading to exhibitions in London, Hong Kong, Johannesburg and New York.
The first major retrospective of his work was at Kelvingrove Art Gallery in 2013 and featured Homage to Fontanna?. The exhibition was record-breaking, attracting more than 136,000 visitors over its five-month run.
Imogen Gibbon, Head of Portraiture & Photography & Chief Curator at the National Galleries Scotland, said: ‘‘We’re thrilled to be welcoming visitors to the Portrait gallery to come and see Portrait of the Artist – by Jack Vettriano. It feels particularly significant that we are able to showcase a self-portrait to celebrate Vettriano’s contribution to Scottish culture on the anniversary of his death.
“This portrait and the subsequent work Homage to Fontana? will take their place on loan in The Modern Portrait display amongst the many other contemporary portraits of Scots who have made an impact at home in Scotland and internationally.
“National Galleries of Scotland extend our thanks to the artists estate, who came to us with this idea and supported us to make it happen’.”
Carolyn Osborne, Director, Jack Vettriano Publishing Limited, said: ‘Jack was known as The People’s Painter and it’s entirely fitting that the public will be able to see one of his paintings in such a beautiful setting within a mile of where it was painted.’
Terminally ill people and families of those who suffered as they died have come together to urge MSPs to vote for Liam McArthur MSP’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill in the Scottish Parliament.
The letter, signed by 54 people with lived experience across Scotland, tells of the fear of facing a painful and protracted death without the option of an assisted death, and the bleak options with which they are left, including ending their own lives behind closed doors.
Those who have witnessed a loved one suffer as they die highlight extreme suffering that is beyond the reach of any palliative care, leaving those behind with harrowing memories.
The lead signatory of the letter, Norma Rivers, 73, from Ayr, has terminal myeloma – a rare form of blood cancer. Having witnessed her father’s traumatic death from cancer, she knows she doesn’t want to suffer as she dies.
Norma said: “Having no choice can force people into things they don’t want to do. I want to live as long as possible, but I am running out of treatment options.
“If the Bill isn’t passed before I die, I will take matters into my own hands. I have just been living in fear, trying to work out which of my drugs I need and how much, and scared I’ll end up worse if it doesn’t work.
“All I ask if for a peaceful ending surrounded by my family.”
FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER
Dear MSPs,
We have come together as terminally ill people and families of those who suffered as they died, to ask you to vote for the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill at Stage 3.
We are the real people at the heart of this Bill. Some of us face a terminal diagnosis ourselves, while others have witnessed a loved one suffer unbearably at the end of life. When you voted for the Bill at Stage 1, we know that you did so with our stories in your minds, and we ask you to please do the same at Stage 3. The Stage 1 vote brought such relief and hope to us, that no one else might have to suffer as we have.
For those of us with a terminal diagnosis, denying us choice will not stop us seeking it out. Without assisted dying, we are coerced into suffering against our wishes. Many of us have already seen a loved one suffer and know what is coming. Like the vast majority of Scots, we are priced out of travelling to Switzerland.
We do not want to die alone in a foreign country, but could not risk our loved ones facing prosecution when they return without us. The only other option is to end our own lives behind closed doors. This means endless sleepless nights calculating the combination and amounts of drugs we need and the intense fear that none of it will work and we will end up in a worse position than before.
Watching a loved one suffer has put us in impossible situations too. The agony we have witnessed, even with the very best palliative and hospice staff doing everything they can, is unimaginable.
We have been left powerless, hands tied by the law, as our closest family begged us to help them; to take them to Switzerland when we know they are too far gone, or o scour the dark web for pills, not knowing what’s in them or where they come from.
The law abandoned us when we needed it most, leaving us to scramble around in the dark with no process, no safeguards, and no compassion. We are only left with harrowing memories, guilt that we were powerless to help, and our own health conditions caused by the stress.
Assisted dying would be a lifeline. It would let us live the rest of our lives in peace, making precious final memories with our loved ones, without the constant dread of how our lives will end. It’s too late for our loved ones who have died, but we have the opportunity to make things ight so no one has to suffer as they did.
This issue is not going away. Voting against this Bill will not stop us from dying, but will deny us a lifeline to a safe, peaceful death surrounded by our loved ones.
You have before you an opportunity to shape what an assisted dying law in Scotland looks like.
A law that is safe, compassionate, and provides choice to those who so desperately need it. Without it, our options are bleak. The most dangerous thing you can do for us is nothing.
Please give us hope by voting for the Assisted Dying Bill.
Thank you.
Two males aged 17 and 18 have been arrested and charged in connection with assault to endangerment of life, breach of the peace and weapons offences following a disturbance in The Jewel area.
Around 4.20pm on Wednesday, 25 February, 2026, officers were called to a report of males with weapons causing a disturbance.
There were no reported injuries.
Chief Inspector Alison Macdonald said: “We are treating this as a targeted attack and extensive enquiries are continuing to trace others involved.
“This type of violence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Officers are committed to tackling crime and antisocial behaviour in the local community. Targeted patrols will continue to deter and detect any criminality.
“Anyone with any concerns should speak to local officers or contact us through 101.”
Read more – https://orlo.uk/BvfQK
A social impact programme will be rolled out to help capture the “once in a generation” benefits of hosting the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ.
National governing body, Scottish Cycling, will work with local authorities and community organisations to deliver a range of projects, funded by £1 million from the Scottish Government.
They will aim to bring long lasting social benefits across communities by helping tackle inactivity, improving mental wellbeing and increasing participation.
Business Minister Richard Lochhead announced the funding during a visit to Rural and Urban Training Scheme in Penicuik, where young people are already experiencing the positive impact of cycling initiatives.
Mr Lochhead said: “Hosting the opening stage of the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ is a once in a generation opportunity. It is the biggest free spectator event in the world and will showcase our country to a global audience.
“But it is about more than just a race. This £1 million investment will ensure communities feel the benefits across Scotland, supporting people to become more active, improving wellbeing and helping local areas to thrive long after the race has left.
“The Tour de France is just one of three upcoming major sporting events – along with this summer’s Commonwealth Games and the UEFA EURO 2028 football championships – that will underline Scotland’s status as a global sporting venue.”
Chief Executive of Scottish Cycling Nick Rennie said: “Today is a huge milestone on the journey towards the 2027 Tour de France Grand Depart and underlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to ensuring this is more than just a bike race, but something that positively impacts the people of Scotland.
“We’re very proud the Scottish Government sees us as a trusted delivery partner and will be doing everything we can to get people from all walks of life on their bikes.”
Champion junior cyclist Daisy Wilkinson, who is on the GB Olympic pathway, said: “It’s amazing to be involved today and to see so many young people enjoying cycling.
“I’ve no doubt the Tour de France will inspire many more people to get on a bike too. I’m already so excited for the Tour de France Grand Depart next summer and will be out on the road cheering on riders.”
The Grand Départ will begin in Edinburgh on 2 July 2027 before travelling through Midlothian, the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway, finishing in Carlisle.
Dear Editor,
The Holyrood elections are fast approaching. Here’s why all candidates must make tackling rising pensioner poverty a priority.
In Lothian, 22% of older people told us they have skipped a meal, and 65% told us they are cutting back on heating and utilities. Across the region, around 13% of people over State Pension age survive on a very low income of under £15,000. None of us deserve to live our later life like this.
Many older people in Lothian also tell us they are feeling unheard, with 64% revealing that they don’t feel represented by the Scottish Government.
Without action, the number of older people in poverty across Scotland could rise by 20,000 by the end of the next Scottish Parliament. At Independent Age, we’re calling on all candidates to commit to a national pensioner poverty strategy in their 2026 Scottish Election Manifesto.
Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s backed by the older public, with 83% of all older people in Lothian supporting the Scottish Government in doing this. We also want to see the next Scottish Government help older people feel listened to and represented, by creating an Older People’s Commissioner.
Together, we can make Scotland the best place in the world to grow old.
Debbie Horne,
Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Independent Age
At least a thousand additional defibrillators and targeted support will be rolled out to improve cardiac arrest survival rates in communities with the poorest outcomes.
First Minister John Swinney announced a £2.5 million investment to improve community capacity to respond to cardiac arrests through the purchase of 1,000 – 1,250 additional defibrillators over three years.
The funding will also support:
Around 3,700 people experience a cardiac arrest outside hospital every year and defibrillators can help restart the heart before emergency services arrive. The additional defibrillators will be placed in areas where data shows they are most needed.
The First Minister met Scottish Ambulance Service staff and cardiac arrest survivor John Sinclair, who received CPR from a responder using the GoodSAM app.
Mr Swinney said: “Surviving a cardiac arrest often depends on what happens in the minutes before an ambulance arrives.
“That is why we are investing £2.5 million to deliver more defibrillators into communities, strengthen local response networks and ensure more people have the skills and confidence to act.
“Survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest have increased since 2015 thanks to the work of Save a Life partners in training more than one million people in CPR skills and improving defibrillation rates. We can and must, however, do more – and this investment will deliver targeted support in the areas that need it most.
“We will work towards ensuring there is a defibrillator within reach of every incident, using evidence to identify the best locations and modes of delivery. We are determined to build a Scotland where everyone, regardless of where they live, has the best possible chance of surviving a cardiac arrest and can live healthier, longer lives.”
Chair of Save a Life for Scotland Dr Gareth Clegg said: “This £2.5 million investment is a transformative step for communities across Scotland.
“By expanding access to defibrillators in the places they are most needed, we are giving many more people the chance to survive cardiac arrest and return home to their families.
“This funding will allow the University of Edinburgh to work in close partnership with the Scottish Ambulance Service, councils, emergency services, schools and third-sector organisations to ensure defibrillators are not only more numerous, but more equitably and strategically deployed in communities that are ready to use them.”
Save a Life for Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government, Police Scotland, St John Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
A number of iconic film adaptations based on the work of children’s author Roald Dahl are returning to the big screen at Vue Edinburgh, offering families the perfect chance to relive their favourite stories the way they were meant to be seen.
Marking its 30th anniversary this year, James & The Giant Peach kickstarts the season from 28 February. From the director behind classics such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline, this stylishly silly story follows an orphan who, tired of living with his two cruel aunts, befriends a group of anthropomorphic bugs who live inside a giant peach and embarks on a marvellous adventure to the city of New York.
Also marking 30 years since it first began entertaining families, Matilda is heading back to the big screen to cause more mischief and mayhem from 28 March. The film follows a gifted young girl forced to put up with her difficult home and school life, including crude parents and her evil principal, Mrs Trunchbull. But when Matilda discovers she has the power of telekinesis, she begins to fight back against the wicked adults around her, freeing her friends from their grown-up grievances.
Another beloved adaptation returning to the big screen is the iconic Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, featuring Gene Wilder as the titular chocolatier, who invites five children into his mysterious, mad factory of sweet delights. The classic will be returning from 7 March.
Other firm favourites joining the Roald Dahl season at Vue include the stop motion creature crime caper Fantastic Mr Fox, Angelica Huston’s unforgettable performance in the 1990 version of The Witches, and director Steven Spielberg’s heartwarming adaptation of The BFG.
General Manager at Vue in Edinburgh, said: “Author Roald Dahl is behind some of the most recognisable and beloved children’s tales, many of which have inspired incredible big screen adaptations.
“To coincide with the 30th anniversary of two of these iconic films, we’re hugely excited to bring the very best of Dahl’s work back to the big screen for families and first-time viewers to enjoy.”
Now film lovers in Edinburgh can enjoy Vue’s biggest and comfiest seats, Ultra Lux. Strategically positioned to give the best possible view of the big screen, Ultra Lux seating also features an extra-wide armrest, personal table for snacks and beverages and a state-of-the-art wine cooler – the most luxurious way to immerse in a great story.
To find out more, visit www.myvue.com
Roald Dahl Back On The Big Screen season screenings take place on:
James & The Giant Peach (30th Anniversary) – From 28 February
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory – From 7 March
The Witches (1990) – From 14 March
Matilda (30th Anniversary) – From 28 March
The BFG – From 3 April
Fantastic Mr Fox – From 10 April
