Tag: Halloween

Police statement: Halloween horror

INQUIRIES CONTINUE INTO HALLOWEEN DISORDER

Police in Edinburgh are continuing with their inquiries to identify those involved in disorder that took place across various parts of the city last night on Halloween evening.

Local officers, supported by specialist colleagues from Operation Moonbeam, responded to the Hay Avenue area of Edinburgh, where groups of youths were involved in a range of offences involving fireworks.

While in attendance, police vehicles were also attacked with fireworks and other projectiles, including bricks.

A police officer was injured after the window of the vehicle she was within was struck by a brick, causing the window to smash.

Further incidents of fireworks related disorder were also responded at Moredunvale Road, Southhouse Road and Captains Road as well as West Pilton Park, where a number of busses were targeted.

A 14-year-old male has been arrested and charged in connection with fireworks offences. Further enquiries are ongoing to identify those involved in the disorder.

Following intelligence relating to planned disorder, a warrant was executed at an address in Magdalene Gardens during the afternoon of Thursday, 31 October. A quantity of fireworks and two cans of petrol were recovered from inside. Enquiries into this recovery are ongoing.

Chief Superintendent David Robertson, commander for Edinburgh Division said: “The disorder witnessed this evening was carried out by a minority of individuals intent on causing fear and alarm within their communities and subjecting emergency service workers to horrific levels of violence and aggression.

“Thankfully, local policing teams were bolstered with specialist colleagues, who helped bring these incidents to a safe conclusion and investigations are underway to identify everyone who was involved.

“I want to make it clear to anyone who thinks they will evade justice because they weren’t apprehended this evening, they are very much mistaken. You will be identified during our inquiries, and you will be held to account for your actions.

“Our local policing teams will continue to be supported by Operation Moonbeam resources over the next week to ensure any further incidents of disorder or fireworks-related criminality are appropriately dealt with.”

Anyone with information is asked to come forward and enquiries are continuing to identify those responsible.

The public are thanked for their assistance and support during our response.

New late-night disco series at ​​​​​​​Lady Libertine including alternative Halloween and November dates

This autumn, experience the after-dark magic where disco meets modern-day elegance at Lady Libertine, as the subterranean venue launches its brand-new GREY GOOSE® Lates.

Taking over the stylish Edinburgh basement, this exclusive series of two intimate late-night parties promises electrifying performances, signature cocktails, and vibrant disco ambiance.

Kicking off the series just in time for All Hallows’ Eve on Thursday, 31st October from 7 PM until late, the alternative Halloween event will feature a live DJ set from the wildly unpredictable Billy Woods, known for his eclectic and bold beats that are sure to captivate the crowd.

Also supporting the evening is Craig Smith, adding his unique flair to what promises to be a chic, no-tricks Halloween filled with stacked disco tunes.

On Thursday, 21st November, the final GREY GOOSE® Lates event will showcase the smooth sounds of CC:Disco!, renowned for her feel-good sets and the self-proclaimed intergalactic vampire Kitty Kat, delivering an energising disco experience while indulging in Lady Libertine’s signature GREY GOOSE® cocktails. 

For music lovers and cocktail connoisseurs alike, GREY GOOSE® Lates at Lady Libertine offers the ultimate evening escape this autumn.

Guests to either event can enjoy a curated selection of cocktails and classic martini serves from Lady Libertine’s bar including: Starry Night – a refreshing signature sip with GREY GOOSE®, Briottet Banana, Aperol, Absinthe, and Raspberry, or Garden of Eden – a long spritz with GREY GOOSE®, Italicus, Limoncello, Absinthe and Cremant.

A must try is the Strawberry Fields Forever mixed with GREY GOOSE®, Verjus, Strawberry & Basil Shrub, Basil Leaves, Soda, and Cremant for a fresh, fizzy finish. This exclusive cocktail menu runs until the end of November. 

To buy a ticket to experience GREY GOOSE® Lates at Lady Libertine— head to https://ladylibertine.co.uk/whats-on/ Admission to each event is £10 and includes live DJ set entertainment and one cocktail.

Both events run from 7PM until 1AM at Lady Libertine on October 31st and November 21st.  

“I work at one of the UK’s top Halloween attractions – here’s how we prepare for spooky season”

  • The Dungeons share insights into Halloween prep at one of the UK’s top October destinations
  • The attraction performs over 1,000 Halloween shows each year
  • Visitors to The Dungeons increases by 98% during Halloween season

The Edinburgh Dungeon, renowned for bringing scare-seeking guests the most terrifying tales from the past, has revealed how the attraction prepares for its busiest time of the year.

Lyndsay Hebert, Performance Manager at The Edinburgh Dungeon, has been perfecting the art of fear for over two decades. With 23 years of experience at the attraction, Halloween is her favourite time of year. 

For her, it’s not just about costumes and decorations—it’s about blending history, creativity, and horror to deliver an unforgettable experience.

Lyndsay reveals that preparations for Halloween begin as early as January. Edinburgh, known as one of Europe’s most haunted cities, provides the perfect backdrop, with its ghost stories and local legends offering endless inspiration. Lyndsay takes pride in the city’s dark history, saying, “There’s always a new chilling tale to tell.

“The concept might evolve, but starting early ensures we deliver the best experience,” she explains. With over 50 performances on peak days and more than 1,000 over the Halloween season, the entire team works tirelessly to create a terrifying experience every time.

The actors are key to The Dungeon’s success, with quick costume and makeup changes happening throughout the day. Each performer begins with a base of scars, cuts, and bruises, adding more layers as they switch roles.

“The messier the hair, the better,” Lyndsay says. Hair and makeup touch-ups are ongoing to maintain authenticity, and it’s the actors’ relentless energy that brings The Dungeon to life.

“There’s nothing a Dungeon actor loves more than hearing the screams of the audience—you know you’ve done your job well!” Lyndsay enthuses.

Behind the scenes, the work is just as intense as what happens onstage. “There’s never a dull day in The Dungeon!” she exclaims. “The actors move quickly, switching costumes, makeup, and characters every hour.”

This year’s Halloween event, Halloween: The Monster of Glamis, runs from 12th October to 3rd November. Guests will explore the eerie passageways of Glamis Castle, where a monstrous presence awaits.

What starts as an innocent birthday celebration for the Laird’s youngest family member quickly turns into a nightmare as guests confront the terrifying Monster of Glamis and the chilling Room of Skulls, filled with ominous whispers from the past.

For those brave enough to enter, The Edinburgh Dungeon promises a Halloween experience like no other. With fresh stories, immersive settings, and a dedicated team ready to create the ultimate fright, visitors are in for a hauntingly good time!

Will you survive the Monster of Glamis and escape the Room of Skulls?

Pre-book now, or for more information, visit the Edinburgh Dungeon’s website: 

https://www.thedungeons.com/edinburgh/whats-inside/events/monster-of-glamis/.

Spooky season brings iconic classics and horror hits to Vue this Halloween

To get into the spirit this Halloween season, some of the latest horror blockbusters – as well as creepy classics and enchanting family favourites – will be heading to the big screen at Vue venues in Edinburgh, providing a treat for people of all ages, tastes and fear factors.

Throughout October, a host of terrifying new releases as part of Vue’s Spooky Season are heading to the big screen with plenty for film fans to be grinning about, including Smile 2 on the 18 October– the follow-up to the horror hit of 2022.

About to embark on a new world tour, this sinister sequel follows a global pop sensation, who begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events revolving around smiling figures.

More frightfully fun blockbusters make their debut in October along with eerie family drama The Front Room (25 October), a new take of Stephen King’s iconic horror tale Salem’s Lot (11 October) and the return of cult favourite Art the Clown, who returns to cause havoc in Terrifier 3 which cackles onto the big screen on 11 October.

The tricks and treats don’t stop, as Vue’s Back on the Big Screen offering, is delivering some Halloween fun which is perfect for all the family including stop-motion animated icon The Nightmare Before Christmas on 25 October and the return of feelgood classic Ghostbusters, which celebrates its 40th anniversary back at Vue on 18 October.

Other classic Halloween films making their way back include cult classic Carrie which is fully remastered in 4K and A Nightmare Of Elm Street, which marks the 40th anniversary since iconic slasher Freddie Krueger first appeared on the big screen.

Naomi Scott stars in Paramount Pictures Presents A Temple Hill Production A Parker Finn FIlm “SMILE 2”

Ian Chester, General Manager at Vue in Edinburgh Ocean, said: “This Halloween, we’re thrilled to be able to put on a raft of new and classic films for our scary and spooky film-lovers.

“From family-friendly comedy horrors to cult favourites, we know how gripping scary films can be and want to provide the very best big screen experience for people to enjoy every laugh and every scare this October.”

Tickets are available at www.myvue.com

Spooky Season at Vue includes:

11-Oct               Salem’s Lot

11-Oct               Terrifier 3

11-Oct               The Evil Dead 2

18- Oct             Smile 2

18-Oct               Carrie (4K Restoration)

18-Oct               Ghostbusters (40th Anniversary)

25-Oct               Nightmare On Elm Street (40th Anniversary)

25-Oct               The Nightmare Before Christmas

25-Oct               Ghostbusters 2 (35th Anniversary)

25-Oct              The Front Room

Craigies announces Edinburgh’s biggest and best Halloween event with exciting new addition

This Halloween season, Craigies Farm is thrilled to announce its biggest and most thrilling event yet, promising to be the ultimate destination for Halloween fun in Edinburgh.

Building on last year’s success, the event is expanding to a whole new level, with an incredible 900 square metre haybale trail added to the already spectacular lineup of spooky activities.

Get ready for a spook-tacular experience as Craigies unveil their two fang-tastic events: the family friendly Craigies Pumpkin Festival by day, and Craigies Pumpkin Festival; After Dark, delivering spine-tingling adventures on the farm by night!  A memory making family day out or a date night for the brave – you decide. These immersive, family-friendly experiences are sure to create unforgettable memories.

There are tricks, treats and a lineup of activities not to be missed including target paintball shooting, a haunted harvest maze, barrel ghost train and lots more.

Craigies Farm are once again partnering with Scotland’s leading event producer NL Productions to deliver Edinburgh’s best family Halloween experience. NL Productions have delivered a number of high-profile events across the UK, including Edinburgh Zoo’s Halloween Spooktacular and will this year be delivering Dundee’s Christmas Village.

New This Year:

A 900 Square Metre Haybale Trail 

The centrepiece of this expanded Halloween offering is a 900 square meter haybale trail, adding even more thrills and excitement to the event. The Monster Bale Trail will provide a maze-like experience perfect for all ages. Get ready to navigate your way through twists and turns while encountering unexpected scary surprises around every corner and a spectacular sensory light experience.

Craigies Pumpkin Festival 

Building on the success of last year’s Spooky Days and the hugely popular PYO Pumpkins, Craigies Pumpkin Festival will offer delight and frights to families during the day. Tickets include entry to the pumpkin patch so you can get your hands on the best ones for carving (Pumpkins are purchased at an additional cost). As one of the closest pumpkin patches to Edinburgh, and with countless home-grown pumpkins of every shape and size Craigies is the perfect place to pick your own pumpkin.

Visitors can also access the Monster Bale Trail, lots of Halloween themed photo opportunities and the chance to enjoy tasty farm fresh food and drinks. It’s the perfect Halloween fun for the whole family.

Craigies Pumpkin Festival: After Dark 

Building on 2023’s inaugural Haunted Tunnels, as darkness falls, the farm transforms. This scarier, nighttime experience is designed for older children and adults.  As the sun sets, the fear factor heightens.

Visitors can navigate the brand-new haunted maze experience – Haunted Harvest – with spooky characters and immersive effects lurking around each corner. Visitors can also enjoy the pumpkin patch brilliantly illuminated and step foot in the Monster Bale Trail.

Book Now to Avoid Disappointment. 

With the incredible new addition of the Haybale Trail and popular returning events, Craigies is set to host the biggest and best Halloween event in Edinburgh.

John Sinclair, Managing Director of Craigies commented, “At Craigies Farm, we have always prided ourselves on delivering quality events and we wanted to expand on the success of last years hugely successful Halloween event with more on offer this year.

“This is Edinburgh’s top Halloween event, and we have taken on board all feedback from 2023 to create something bigger and better that delivers high-quality immersive fun for families.”

Tickets are expected to sell out quickly, so don’t delay—book your spot today for a frightfully fun day out!

For more information and to book your tickets, visit – Buy Craigies Pumpkin Festival Tickets online – Craigies Farm (digitickets.co.uk)

Amazon Dunfermline hosts community Halloween celebration

UNP – Amazon EDI4 – Halloween Fun. From left, Kayleigh and Diezel Lewis with Sandra Ringland.

The team from Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dunfermline hosted a fancy dress party and haunted house experience on site to celebrate Halloween with the local community.

The occasion, planned as a thank you the Dunfermline team for the work they do fulfilling orders for customers all across the UK, involved a dress up day, doughnuts and treats, and a ‘haunted’ house for staff to bring their families along to. Families from the areas around the Dunfermline fulfilment centre were also invited to get involved with the festivities. 

UNP – Amazon EDI4 – Halloween Fun. The McShane Family, from left, Stephen, Murray, Martha and Conall.

Alasdair Head, an employee from Amazon in Dunfermline, said: “The Halloween party on site was so enjoyable.

“From the decorations to the costumes, and best of all, the ‘haunted’ house, which was my daughter’s personal favourite activity, the whole event was brilliant. Thank you to our colleagues for organising such a wonderful event.”

UNP – Amazon EDI4 – Halloween Fun. From left, Autunm Morton, Calum Scouller with Zara and Leo.

Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, added: “Coming together as a team to celebrate our successes is very important to us and being able to enjoy it with our loved ones and the local community always makes it even more enjoyable.

“The Halloween party at Dunfermline was a well-deserved treat for our team and a way to say thank you for all their hard work this year. It was also a way for us to join with our neighbours and have a bit of fun during Halloween. It was a wonderful event.”

UNP – Amazon EDI4 – Halloween Fun. Christine Watson.

Fa-boo-lous! Shoppers’ ‘spirits’ lifted on Halloween

The ‘fa-boo-lous’ team at one of Scotland’s largest shopping malls, The Centre, Livingston lifted shoppers ‘spirits’ on Halloween, leaving them ‘under their spell’ with ‘pumpkin’ to talk about! 

Donned in different scary outfits they embarked on a walkabout during their lunch hour handing out sweets to shoppers en route.

They also popped into to their retailers, with many of them joining in the dressing up fun.

The team re-fueled halfway around the mall at the recently opened Dnisi café for a well-earned witches brew. 

Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “We had such great fun with our shoppers on our Halloween tour of the mall.  

“It really brought a smile to people of all generations and our retailers too!

Good luck, bad luck, a witch’s pet – black cat myths debunked this Halloween

We’re a nation of cat lovers with an estimated 11 million living as pets in the UK*. However, sometimes certain characteristics mean pets can be a little overlooked and sadly, black cats are one of them.

Not only do rehoming charities often have black cats waiting longer to find homes than other cats, but in a world dominated by social media, black cats are also often said to be ‘less photogenic’ than other more ‘colourful’ cats.  

PDSA vets together with PDSA Pet Insurance have debunked some of the most common myths about black cats.

“Good luck, bad luck, a witch’s pet… there’s a lot of myths around our mysterious feline friends and we’ll admit that not all of them are great,” explains PDSA Vet Lynne James.

“We, however, think black cats are wonderful and there’s loads of reasons they can make brilliant pets.”

Lynne has debunked some of the biggest myths surrounding black cats:

  1. We don’t live in the middle ages.

“It’s thought that the black cats and witches myth started sometime in the middle ages. We’re talking a thousand years ago here. They’ve gotten a whole negative reputation based on myth, when really they’re no different to any other cat.

  1. Black cats are actually good luck!

“Sailors used to take black cats aboard ships not only to catch mice but also because they believed they brought them good luck. In Scotland, a black cat turning up at your door is a sign of prosperity!

  1. They *might* live longer.

“According to researchers at the National Institute of Health, the gene that causes their fur to be black could also protect them against certain diseases. So your black cat may be scientifically less likely to fall ill with certain diseases.

  1. Black cats can help your love life.

“Believe it or not, in some parts of the world black cats are considered ‘matchmakers’ and are thought to help their owners find true love! They’re even believed to be the perfect wedding gift in some areas of the UK as they are thought to bring luck and happiness to the bride.

  1. They were worshipped.

“In Ancient Egypt, all cats were worshipped – including black cats. All cats were seen as sacred. In fact, the Egyptian goddess Bastet (who protected the home from evil spirits and disease) is often portrayed as having the body of a woman and the head of a black cat. Bastet is still worshipped today and her protection is believed by some to be cast over modern cats.”

PDSA is the UK’s largest vet charity providing a vital service for pets across the UK whose owners struggle to afford treatment costs for their sick and injured pets. For many vulnerable pets, PDSA is there to help when there is nowhere else for their owners to turn.

The charity’s insurance arm, PDSA Pet Insurance, offers a range of policies to cover cats and dogs for accidents and illness, as well as providing access to a 24/7 veterinary helpline. Every policy sold raises funds for the charity’s life-saving veterinary work.

To find out more visit pdsa.org.uk/pdsa-petinsurance

*According to the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report 2023.

FOUR SPOOKY SHOWINGS AT FORT KINNAIRD ODEON THIS HALLOWEEN

The Exorcist: Believer

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When two girls disappear into the woods and return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, the father of one girl seeks out Chris MacNeil, who’s been forever altered by what happened to her daughter fifty years ago.

Saw X

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Set between the events of SAW I and II, a sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer – only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable.

A Haunting in Venice

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In post-World War II Venice, Poirot, now retired and living in his own exile, reluctantly attends a seance. But when one of the guests is murdered, it is up to the former detective to once again uncover the killer.

Five Nights At Freddy’s

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The film follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realises the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be so easy to make it through.

For more information, please visit https://www.fortkinnaird.com/cinema