The Edinburgh Reporter September 2026

Fowl play

Never say never

Click & bricked

Page 3

Page 5

Another knitted pigeon stolen from historic house

Council says Dr. No to Sean Connery statue

Design by Edinburgh man becomes official LEGO set

Holy spirit

Rosslyn Chapel launch three-year-old Scottish rum

Stamp of success

Page 8

Page 11

Page 23

Gents title win for Postal Bowling Club

EDINBURGH’S FREE LOCAL NEWSPAPER...A CAPITAL READ FROM START TO FINISH Neil Cunningham has opened The Big Cheese on Broughton Street

Supporting independent PHOTO The Big Cheese

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NEW BUSINESSES are always good news, and a visible barometer of how the city’s economy is performing.

The Big Cheese has just opened on Broughton Street with more than 50 varieties of Scottish cheese on sale - some which are not available anywhere else, as well as Gorgonzola which it is suggested will pair with ice cream.

Big Cheese owner, Neil Cunningham, said: “We’re super excited to have opened the doors to The Big Cheese, but we could never have imagined how many people have come out to support us so far. Seeing such an amazing turnout has been incredibly encouraging and made us realise we’ve done the right thing by bringing The Big Cheese to Broughton Street.

“We want The Big Cheese to be far more than just an artisan cheese store. We want to create a relaxed and personal customer experience and a venue that will be part of local community life in the neighbourhood I call home.”

Invest in Edinburgh highight Sephora which opened in St James Quarter (SJQ) with cosmetic specialist, PURESEOUL, in the same location. A new gelateria, Amorino has opened on North Bridge (now blissfully free of roadworks) and Nomination - an Italian jewellery brand - is opening at Gyle Shopping Centre. Danish company, Søstrene Grene is opening a second store – also at the Gyle.

Another independent business - a new Cairngorm Coffee outlet in Bruntsfield - has also just opened its doors on the corner of Barclay Place. Read all about it on Page 11. A new city cocktail bar will shake things up in the West End when Understory opens on 15 September. The innovative “five-star dive bar” will be headed up by former manager of Queen Street cocktail bar, Bramble, Sam Baxendale, in association with Rutland Hotel’s head of bars, James Grant. It is expected that the new business will create 15 local jobs. The subterranean space will be carved into historic vaults – and there will be an on-site lab where the drinks will be crafted from scratch.

2

EDITORIAL AND NEWS

Planning News GRANTON WATERFRONT

Edinburgh Council recently considered a report on the proposal to develop plots B1 and B2 at West Shore Road in Granton. This will be a site for 275 new homes of mixed tenure – both council homes and private homes which will be sold. A separate report considered the outline plans to build a new two stream primary school, nursery and Enhanced Support Base at Granton Waterfront with proposals to allow expansion in the future to three streams.

GOLDENACRE

Editorial PHEW. AUGUST IS over and the madness of having many festivals in the city at one time is past. Of course I didn’t see nearly as many plays and shows as I would have liked. News is relentless and local news in our view is always more important than visiting artists and shows. But I did love the Opening Gala at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on the theme of Changing Your Mind, and also the closing night film of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Bel, which deserves some commercial success.

All festival bosses without exception called for a larger share of the Visitor Levy than the 5% uplift which the council initially put on the table. The argument is that the festivals contribute hugely to the city economy. The council said it was important to take time for more discussion.

A 5% increase in funding from the council would have been an uplift of about £75,000 for the Fringe and £50,000 for the Book Festival – described as “woefully inadequate” by Fringe Society CEO, Tony Lankester.

Since the tax was first discussed there have been many calls on how the additional income of £50 million a year would be spent (and it has probably been “spent” several times over. We are about to see the first cash flowing into the city coffers from October onwards which will no doubt influence future decisions on how to spend it. Accommodation providers who collect the tax, get to keep 2% of the total ingathered for admin costs.

We remained hopeful all the way through last month that the council would reopen Princes Street to all pedestrians and vehicles. It reopened after seven weeks. The closure followed the fire in early July which rendered the façade of the former Debenhams unsafe. Trams were tucked up in the depot at one end of the line and did not run further than the West End until the last weekend of last month. I was told that even to demolish the unsafe parts would take just as long as shoring it up – but after the Union Street in Glasgow the council forced demolition of the building within days. Food for thought.

Phyllis Stephen Editor

About us...

The existing George Heriot’s playing fields at Goldenacre are to be reconfigured with a new full-sized astroturf pitch, a smaller practice area, boundary fencing and lighting. The existing scoreboard will be demolished.

HEARTS SOCIAL CLUB

An application has been made by FK 100 Ltd to demolish the Hearts Social Club at 22b Mcleod Street and replace it with a 97 bed “temporary emergency accommodation facility” for The City of Edinburgh Council.

LEITH SCULPTURE

An application has been made to erect a “temporary sculpture with fencing” on land

Alfie Bradley’s Knife Angel made from 100,000 knives and blades

outside The Kirkgate Shopping Centre at the foot of Leith Walk. This is the “Knife Angel” proposal.

The explanation behind the proposal is that Leith is a deprived area experiencing social change. In response the Edinburgh NE Improvement Plan identifies that there is a need to improve outcomes for children and young people as well as fostering a sense of

Brass band tunes up

place and community cohesion.

This site has been chosen as there have been knife incidents including the recent murder of John McNab on nearby Bonnington Road in September last year, and many people pass by the proposed location. The knife angel sculpture was in situ in Perth and the residency ended with a closing ceremony which might be repeated in Edinburgh.

Bringing the news to you...

This month the photo we received from Edinburgh Collected is one showing Dr Bell’s School Brass Band in the 1930s.

This was shared by the Living Memory Association on the website which is a repository of photos and documents which creates a community history for the city.

The photograph was taken by JR Coltart, 8 Dalmeny Street, Leith and 18 London Road. The firm had two studios, showing how much has changed in the decades since then. Now everyone takes photos each day and the need for professional photography studios has diminished. www.edinburghcollected.org WE PRINT 6,000 copies of The Edinburgh Reporter which are then distributed through a wide network of businesses and public buildings including some of the Edinburgh libraries. If you would like your library to stock copies then please tell the council staff.

The digital version of the paper is also widely read and our readership is estimated at around 25,000. There are copies stocked in St James Quarter Guest Services desk which is on Level 1, and you will find copies at all branches of Farmer Autocare, charity LifeCare on Cheyne Street, Coffee Angels, Caffè Nero on Queensferry Road, Cloudberry on Whitehouse Road and both major hospitals. If you know of a suitable location where our papers could be placed then please do let us know. And if you would like to have your own copy delivered to you each month then you may subscribe below using the QR code.

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GET IN TOUCH TODAY! Editor: Phyllis Stephen Designer: Tammy Kerr Photos: Martin P McAdam

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theedinburghreporter.co.uk 07791 406 498 editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk

3

Thieves get knitters in a twist at historic Scottish home

By RYAN NIXON

Dixie Sutton Events Manager at Newhailes with some of the remaining birds

A TENTH pigeon has been stolen from Newhailes House and Gardens, owned and run by the National Trust for Scotland.

An as yet unidentified thief struck at the country house in Musselburgh, making off with one of the knitted pigeons that line “the Doocot” on the estate.

The handmade birds are donated by visitors and have become a target for sticky-fingered thieves, with the Trust even taking to tying the knitted pigeons down in an effort to stop people stealing them.

Sadly, this has not worked in the case of Jupiter, who has now been plucked from his perch.

In a post online, a spokesperson for the Trust explained: “We are truly saddened today, people have taken some of our pigeons.

Yesterday, our tenth pigeon was stolen from the Doocot.

“We recently had to tie the pigeons down to try and prevent them from being taken. Sadly, this hasn’t deterred someone from removing the ties and even what they were attached to and taking Jupiter.

“These beautiful pigeons have been lovingly handmade and donated to us by our visitors. People have given their time, creativity and money to make these wonderful pieces for everyone to enjoy.

“It is incredibly disappointing that someone feels they can simply take them. Please don’t be that person.

Please don’t take them. They are not yours.

“Let’s respect the time, generosity and kindness of the people who created and donated them, and allow everyone to enjoy them at the Doocot.

“If you have got one of our flock, we would very much like them returned.”

Some fans of Newhailes have suggested that the estate put up CCTV cameras - or at the very least a sign attempting to warn off would-be thieves.

Anna Hughes, visitor services manager at Newhailes House, said: “We launched the project in Easter, we were inspired by a similar project at Preston Tower

Images: Alan Simpson

[in Prestonpans].

“We record everyone who has contributed and the name of their pigeons, and do a head count every now and again. They’ve been going missing sporadically, I think people may just take a fancy to them and feel the need to take them.

“The community have been extremely generous with their time and commitment to the project.

“It’s not only sad for us to see, but for those who have contributed coming to see their creations in their new home to then find them missing is really disheartening.”

The thefts are the latest in a spate of problems at Newhailes, with the estate previously having had graffiti sprayed over its popular mural, severe damage inflicted to a life-saving public defibrillator and its housing and over 25 panes of 17th-century glass in the mansion smashed by vandals.

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4

NEWS

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE A VIOLENT soldier who repeatedly attacked his former partner over an eight year period was warned last month he is facing a jail sentence.

Darryn Bezuidenhout carried out a shocking course of violent and abusive behaviour against the victim including strangling her and spitting in her face.

Bezuidenhout - a lance corporal with 2 Scots The Royal Regiment of Scotland – was found to have on one occasion thrown the woman to the ground and seized her by the neck while sitting on top of her.

The 41-year-old serviceman also made repeated threats to kill the woman, shouted, swore and pushed her against a wall during several assaults while they were in a relationship.

He was also found to have seized the victim by the neck and applied pressure and on another occasion he caused her to fall from a chair and dragged her across a floor of a property they had shared.

In a separate incident Bezuidenhout seized the terrified woman on her body, threw her onto a bed and repeatedly spat in her face.

Further charges included the South African national making violent gestures towards her while holding a glass vase, repeatedly contacting her by phone and watching her movements on a Ring doorbell.

Bezuidenhout of Glencorse Barracks, Penicuik, Midlothian, denied all allegations but was found guilty of three charges on indictment by a jury following a six day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

All the violent and abusive incidents took place at an address in Penicuik between January 1, 2017 and June 3, 2025.

Defence solicitor Paul Smith said his client had initially been arrested on a summary complaint of assault in July 2024 and all the allegations were rolled up into one indictment in December 2025.

Sheriff Dickson said: “You have been convicted of very serious offences. I will adjourn for preparation of the criminal justice social work report and restriction of liberty order assessment.

“Your bail will be continued for the moment but be under no illusion that these are serious matters.” Sentence was deferred to this month.

A DRUG mule who attempted to smuggle £170,000 of cannabis stuffed into a suitcase through

Edinburgh Airport has been jailed.

Mercedes Brobbey was caught with the large case containing around 17 kilos of the Class B drug when she was stopped by custom officers at the capital airport in March 2024.

Brobbey, 33, denied knowing what the luggage contained, claiming she had been asked by a friend to travel from Thailand to the UK with the case filled with fake clothing brands.

But a jury failed to believe her and she was found guilty of charges of importing and supplying quantities of cannabis following a three day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court earlier this year.

Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss told the mother-of-one he accepted she was “not the of the organiser of this enterprise by any means” but he had no option but to impose custody.

Brobbey was sent to prison for 14 months.

A VIOLENT man who left his former partner scarred for life following a horror crowbar attack has been jailed and banned from contacting her for life.

Connor Rowley, 29, lured victim, Tiffany Thomas, to a secluded area before launching the savage assault by throwing the makeshift weapon over a fence and striking her on the head.

The cowardly attacker then fled the scene leaving the mum-of-two lying unconscious and in a pool of her own blood an industrial estate in Mayfield, Midlothian, last year.

She was subsequently rushed to hospital and underwent an operation to drain blood from her brain and close a wound on her forehead.

The 21-year-old student midwife had 16 stitches inserted to the head injury and now suffers from PTSD, memory loss and also painful thunderclap migraines.

Rowley pleaded guilty to a charge of assault to permanent impairment, permanent disfigurement and danger to the woman’s life when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in July.

He returned to the dock for sentencing when Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss said the attack has left Tiffany with a series of impairments including possible problems with her eyesight in the future.

The sheriff said: “What you pled guilty to was an assault using a weapon, in this case a crowbar, and the result was that the complainer was rendered unconscious.

“She was left permanently impaired, permanently disfigured and her life was put in danger.

“She has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and has issues with her memory.

“In the overall circumstances there is no appropriate alternative other than a custodial sentence.”

Rowley, of Mayfield, was caged for 13 months and handed a nonharassment order banning him from approaching or contacting Tiffany for an indefinite period.

Solicitor Calum Turner, defending, said Rowley is “a vulnerable and socially isolated individual” and has “expressed remorse for his actions” and shown “insight on the impact on the complainer”.

Mr Turner said his unemployed client had acted with “reckless impulse” that evening due to believing Tiffany and her new partner had “attended to confront him” at the industrial estate.

Tiffany has now bravely spoken out about her ordeal and praised the medics who treated her after the shocking assault that took place at around 10.30pm on April 11 last year.

Tiffany, from Midlothian, said: “I had been in a relationship with him but we had been apart for about three years when he asked to meet me to discuss child care.

“He asked me to go up to a local industrial estate where he was working on a car and as I was walking up to where I thought he would be he jumped me from behind a fence.

“I was hit by something really hard and heard it clang on the ground.

“It wasn’t until later I realised I’d been attacked with a crowbar.

“The pain was so excruciating and I was so disoriented that I must have blacked out for a bit.

“The coward then ran away and left me there but fortunately my partner was in the car behind me and rushed over to help.

“I was lying on the ground and there was so much blood it was like an oil spillage.

“My partner got me into the car as I was drifting in and out of consciousness and drove me to hospital.

“I was using my daughter’s jumper to try and stem the flow of blood but it was spraying all over the inside of the car.”

Tiffany said she now suffers from PTSD where she is scared to leave the house on her own, has memory loss and takes severe migraine attacks.

She said: “I really can’t thank the doctors and nurses enough for what they have done for me - they were all so kind and their care was second to none.”

Scott Arthur MP

“Much more to be done”: Edinburgh MP responds after swimmer Goodburn’s brain cancer plea to PM

By RYAN NIXON EDINBURGH MP DR SCOTT ARTHUR has said “there is much more to be done” in Scotland after Commonwealth Games swimmer Archie Goodburn made an emotional appeal to Prime Minister Andy Burnham on BBC Breakfast over brain cancer funding.

Goodburn, diagnosed with inoperable brain tumours two years ago, said he was “on his knees begging” for more government investment in research.

Dr Arthur, Labour MP for Edinburgh South West, has since discussed the case while highlighting his Rare Cancers Bill, which became law on 5 April. The Act aims to speed up research and clinical trials, review “orphan drug” regulation, and create dedicated roles to coordinate rare cancer research – brain tumours included.

Dr Arthur noted that survival rates for glioblastoma – the tumour type that killed his own father-in-law – haven’t improved in 30 years, unlike leukaemia or breast cancer.

He also warned of a growing postcode lottery in treatment, claiming the Scottish Government is lagging behind England on cancer strategy and genomic testing.

Dr Arthur confirmed he is coordinating with Goodburn and Health Secretary Yvette Cooper after the Prime Minister said his team would arrange a direct

meeting with the swimmer.

However, he expressed concern that the turnover of four Cancer Ministers since July 2024 could delay delivery of the 10-year cancer plan.

He also confirmed the appointment of a national brain tumour research lead, though he is campaigning for the role to exceed its planned half-day-a-week commitment.

The Labour MP said he is also pressing for quicker reform of incentives to bring international drug trials to Britain – something he says could be helped by pharmaceutical tax breaks in the upcoming budget.

Dr Arthur said: “We’re working within a finite budget, but I think there’s more the government could probably do to bring international work to the UK through tax incentives.”

Turning to devolved health policy, Dr Arthur criticised the lack of a renewed Scottish cancer strategy and the absence of a trial-matching app for patients.

He also warned that genomic testing needed for modern trials is largely unavailable in Scotland, forcing work to be sent south.

He added: “Depending on the cancer type, sometimes you’re better off living in Scotland, or sometimes you’re better off living in England because of the availability of drugs in the NHS. “If you’re on the wrong side of a border when it comes to accessing a drug, it’s the worst thing in the world.”

Image: Martin P McAdam

SHERIFF COURT NEWS

5

Dr. No – Connery memorial could be delayed or scrapped by statue ban

By ROSS CHALMERS A PLANNED memorial for Sean Connery in Edinburgh could be delayed or scrapped as the council says Dr. No to new art installations.

Last month, The City of Edinburgh Council approved a temporary ban on public art projects in Princes Street Gardens in a drive to move new statues away from the city centre.

This will function as a “temporary moratorium” until a “statue and memorialisation plan” and wider Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategy are signed off.

This will not affect ongoing projects such as the memorial for Muriel Spark and a sculpture to commemorate those impacted by the Infected Blood Scandal, but could force a rethink of plans for a memorial for legendary Edinburgh actor and original James Bond, Sir Sean Connery.

Council documents confirmed that the authority’s Public Art Panel received a presentation from The Sean Connery Foundation exploring the possibility of an installation prior to the institution of the moratorium.

There is nothing, however, stopping the foundation from developing a memorial in Fountainbridge, where Connery grew up.

The Sean Connery Foundation (SCF), established through Sir Sean Connery’s estate, aims to honour the actor’s legacy through grantmaking to institutions and organisations in the two countries he called home: Scotland and The Bahamas.

The foundation invests primarily in film and golf, with a focus on supporting emerging Scottish talent and expanding opportunities for individuals to access and succeed within

Image: Rob Mieremet, Anefo, CC0

Sean Connery

these industries.

An Edinburgh statue would not be the first attempt to memorialise the “Sexiest man of the Century” In 2011, a large bronze bust of Connery was

unveiled in the Estonian capital of Talinn by the Talinn Scottish Club and the British ambassador to Estonia, Peter Carter.

Princes Street Gardens is one of the capital’s installation hotspots, with 21 statues and

monuments standing in the gardens, and another two on the way.

The concentration of memorials and statues in the city centre has led many to conclude that public art installations should be spread more evenly around the city.

In a report for the Culture and Communities Committee, officers said: “There is a heavy concentration of monuments and memorials in the [Princes Street] gardens, and more proposals being received on an ongoing basis.

“Stakeholders, including Edinburgh World Heritage, City Councillors and event organisers have recently expressed concerns about the siting of new permanent statues, monuments and artworks in the gardens, and provided suggestions for consideration for any future proposals.”

They added: “It is recommended that Committee agrees a temporary moratorium on any future requests for locating new public art works in Princes Street Gardens, and that a statue and memorialisation plan with firm locational criteria to guide any new proposals is developed.”

Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Margaret Graham, moved to approve the report, and summed up her views: “I’m quite supportive of having a moratorium to see how much space there is left and how practical it is to continue to put statues just in Princes Street Gardens when we’re trying to develop town centres and Edinburgh is expanding; there are so many wonderful parks around the city.”

A spokesperson for The Sean Connery Foundation: “We are at the earliest stages of an exploration with the council and other key stakeholders across the city, gathering input and ideas. No decisions have been taken.”

Four arrested in Home Office illegal gig work and e-bike crackdown

By ROSS CHALMERS

THE HOME Office collaborated with Police Scotland on a crackdown on unauthorised e-bike usage and illegal gig work in Edinburgh city centre last year.

Immigration officers joined the Police Scotland-led Fountainbridge operation over two days, and arrested four males – two Pakistani nationals, one Indian national and one Afghan national – for working in breach of their conditions.

In a report for a City of Edinburgh Council meeting last month, the force confirmed the operation – which seized a “significant number” of unregistered motor vehicles – and the involvement of the Home Office.

The raid followed increased reports of dangerous cycling and

illegal working by migrants – who are often drawn to jobs in the delivery sector and gig economy for companies like Deliveroo and Uber Eats. These jobs often involve working with zero-hours contracts and no fixed hours.

There were initially question marks over the involvement of immigration officers, but the Home Office has now confirmed the raid was part of an operation to tackle illegal work in the gig economy.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Illegal working undermines honest business, exploits vulnerable individuals and fuels organised immigration crime.

“More than 17,000 illegal working arrests have been made since July 2024, a 122% increase on the two years previous, with almost

25,000 visits carried out across the country, a 111% increase.”

From October, companies hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers, including in the delivery sector, will be legally required to prevent illegal working by checking that anyone working in their name is eligible to work in the UK. Those who fail to do so could face hefty penalties, including fines of up to £60,000 per worker, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years.

The city’s Green Group, however, described the operation as a “disturbing” attempt to target “vulnerable” migrant workers.

Cllr Dan Heap, who quizzed Chief Superintendent David Robertson at the meeting, said: “If there are genuine safety

concerns, the Police can make the appropriate enquiries, for the safety of both the riders and other street users.

“But, given there is no link between road safety and the migration status of road users, to do this alongside immigration enforcement officials appears to be a disturbing attempt to target migrant workers.”

Chief Superintendent David Robertson said police are committed to “bringing all relevant partners around the table” to tackle the issue of illegal e-bike usage and alluded to the link with illegal gig work.

His colleague Superintendent Wilson added: “I’m quite sure that all members around this table will have, at times, seen ill-advised manoeuvres, shall we say, by individuals on vehicles which are

not permitted to be used on roads.

“It is an area which we receive a great deal of concern highlighted through communications with our communities.”

E-bikes modified to be able to travel faster than the average bicycle are required to be reclassified as electric motorcycles.

If unregistered, police are permitted to seize these vehicles.

As of October 2025, there had been nine road traffic incidents recorded involving e-bikes or electric motorcycles in Edinburgh since 2020.

In June this year, a hit-and-run involving three Surron-style electric motorbikes left a woman in hospital, sparking calls for a crackdown on “reckless” e-scooter and e-bike riders in Edinburgh.

Our Palm Houses have been protecting plants for over 150 years. Now, after careful restoration, they’re back.

Open from 2 October. Tickets on sale now.

Book online rbge.org.uk/palmhouses

7

Locals dial up support for objection to Vodafone mobile mast at Balgreen Road EDINBURGH locals are mustering support to object to an application for Prior Approval lodged with The City of Edinburgh Council by telecoms company Vodafone agents to erect a 20 metre high mast on Balgreen Road at the junction with Glendevon Park.

Tall grey ground-based telephone masts have become a more usual sight in Edinburgh with the advent of 4G and now 5G services. The Scottish Government issued its 5G Strategy for Scotland aiming to ensure that everyone can benefit from connectivity which will be good for the economy and benefit people socially. It was always expected that there would be an increase in the development of this street furniture in Scotland, but it is not always welcomed by people living right beside the masts beside their homes.

In Balgreen, the triangular area at the junction has been dug up twice this year - the first time the firm of contractors excavated and removed the memorial rose garden on the street and replaced it with a tarmac covered path, grass and trees.

The second time involved the excavation of a T-shaped area of the newly laid footpath. It took place without any permission from the Scottish Roadworks Commissioner, according to their records, but telecoms company Cornerstone have confirmed that this was a “trial hole dig to assess the location for suitability for a mobile phone base station”. The

Image: Martin P McAdam

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

Locals gather support to object to new telecoms mast in Balgreen

company has also confirmed that they submitted a notice to the council before the works commenced.

A Cornerstone spokesperson said that following publication of the Voluntary Site Notice in July, seven people have contacted them. The spokesperson said: “Cornerstone always aims to work closely with local communities and planning authorities.

“Our aim is to minimise local impact while addressing practical technical constraints to

enable quality digital connectivity to the communities we serve. As part of our assessment of possible mobile phone base station locations, seventeen alternative options were considered before progressing with the current option in Balgreen Road.

“An application for Prior Approval for a mobile phone base station at Balgreen Road was submitted to Edinburgh City Council on 18 of August 2026 and is currently awaiting validation.”

Health and wellbeing with With summer drawing to a close, now’s a good time to consider our nearest and dearest. Social connections and meaningful relationships form the basis of our support network and provide the grounded stability that we all crave and need to maintain our overall wellbeing. Whether at home or work – relationships matter.

Sometimes it can be a challenge to prioritise and nurture these.

Mindfully remembering their importance is a great starting point.

As we move into autumn, how do we beat the natural urge to ‘hibernate’ throughout the long, dark months? We need an element of intentionality to ensure we are making plans to stay connected with those around us.

Let’s consider the options!

• Diarise – make a winter diary – fill it up! Knowing that dark times are ahead gives us permission to get nifty with our plans

• Within that diary, make a note on specific dates to contact friends and relatives – this will work to both make those you contact feel cared for and will also boost your own happiness through reaching out • Embrace the season – think woodland walks, bonfires and hot chocolate on the beach if the weather allows. If Britain is acting all British and raining – think cosy indoor activities – fireside chats, coffee and cake, taking up a new craft with someone else. Shared activity multiplies the happiness factor!

• Use technology to stay connected. COVID brought many lessons, including how to connect remotely. Schedule a time to see a friend or relative – bring a cuppa and enjoy a catch-up Remember, meaningful connection doesn’t just have to be human! Time spent out in nature, or with our much-loved pets can

promote release of the hormone oxytocin. This hormone bathes the brain in feel good chemicals promoting overall wellbeing.

Our GPs are skilled in talking through difficult emotions and finding solutions to problems.

They can signpost you to useful resources for strengthening connections to promote your overall health. Perhaps you’re feeling stuck with your social or work life? Perhaps you’re feeling burnt-out and you’re not sure how to break the cycle or find a better path? Dr Cathrow is a certified Transformational Coach and can help you examine, identify and solve problems that are pulling you down. Relationships can often sit at the centre of these problems.

If you’d like to discuss any aspects of your health, book with one of our GP: www.your-gp.com Available 7 days. Here for you.

YourGP.

8

NEWS

Documenting Edinburgh

RITCHIE ELDER found his feet as a photographer during Covid when he first picked up a camera.

Since then he has completed a course at Edinburgh College, specialising in documentary photography and portraiture. It is his study of Dumbiedykes and the people who live there which has brought him an amount of recent local attention, and he also has an ongoing project featuring Ukrainian people who have come to live in Edinburgh since the Russian invasion.

In his photography, Ritchie portrays his real interest in people – the communities where they live and how they live. He looks behind the image to find the story and relate their experiences.

He worked in finance after leaving school for more than a decade. Then, during the pandemic, he acquired his first DSLR camera and began “playing about with it”. He said that personally the timing was fortunate as his wife was just completing her PhD, and when she began working full time it allowed him to make the move to college to study photography.

He became drawn to documentary photography and portraiture during his time at college. He said: “I love going on location and meeting people and their communities. So that is what I specialised in during my time at college and from there I was hooked - and now I’m a full-time photographer.”

From his airy, light, bright studio on Constitution Street he works on some of his photography and also the editing of the many images he takes, and he is pleased to have a proper base to work from.

His foray into Dumbiedykes followed his childhood memories as his mum and dad both grew up there and he used to visit his grandparents who still lived there. When considering what his college project would be he decided on this area which he considers a unique location.

He said: “It is probably one of the last

All photos: Ritchie Elder

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

housing estates in central Edinburgh on such a scale. I spent a lot of time just wandering around. I did this project in winter so it did get quite bleak at times, and approaching people on the street you get mixed reactions.

“Some of it involved reaching out to people

in the community and arranging to meet them on the estate or in their flat. I would go after college and spend even half an hour there walking about seeing anything that caught my eye, and speaking to people. I got some really nice images.”

Ritchie is a master of the understatement as you will see from the images here.

He also shows his work on his website ritchieelderphotography.com

By RYAN NIXON

AN EDINBURGH man has achieved a lifelong ambition after Lego transformed his design into an official set.

Stewart Lamb Cromar spent over a decade pitching ideas to the toy company before his Highland Hike model was selected following a public vote.

The success comes after Stewart suffered a detached retina in 2020 due to Type 1 diabetes, leaving him with permanent sight loss in one eye which forced him to adapt his building techniques, utilising text-based instructions that can be read

by screen readers.

He said: “I have always loved Lego, and I was so worried that I would no longer be able to do it with my visual impairment. But in reality, it has driven me on.

“Lego is much more than a hobby for me – it keeps me moving forward. I’m always trying new things and pushing myself, and it is actually a really practical, tactile, activity for someone with sight loss.

“I build sensory models that people can touch and feel, and it has text-based instructions that can be read by screen readers. Through Lego, I’ve also met and helped other families

affected by sight loss.

“At a recent exhibition, a young boy with a visual impairment kept returning to my display and, after speaking to his dad, I gave him some Braille Lego bricks.

“The boy could see that I was still creating all these models despite having a visual impairment myself, and it showed him that he could do it too.”

Stewart has now achieved something he had been working towards since first submitting designs to Lego more than 10 years earlier. His winning model features a Highland cow called Flora and

was inspired by Stewart’s childhood family holidays in the Scottish Highlands.

The design was selected as a finalist in a Lego Ideas challenge before securing the public vote to become an official retail set.

“I never thought this would be possible, I had been trying for so long. It shows what can happen if you keep going,” he said.

“The goal of having one of my models released as an official Lego set has been a genuine dream for over a decade. After all the setbacks, surgeries and difficult times, to see Flora become a real Lego set is incredible.”

Stewart Lamb Cromar

Image: Sight Scotland

Edinburgh man’s decade-long dream comes true as Lego design becomes official set

9

By ROSS CHALMERS

TRANSPORT SCOTLAND has announced that they will work with Network Rail to complete a high-level feasibility study on the proposal to reintroduce passenger services on the Edinburgh South Suburban railway using tram-trains.

The study will look at the technical feasibility of the proposal, with a business case expected to follow later. Network Rail said the feasibility study will help inform a wider assessment of public transport needs across South East Scotland.

The announcement marks a major milestone in the campaign to have Edinburgh South Suburban line converted into a light railway line – a campaign which has backing from figures within the city council and local politicians.

If realised the project would connect Gorgie with areas in the south of the city like Morningside, Cameron Toll and Fort Kinnaird – eventually terminating in Portobello.

It is envisaged that a connection with the existing tramline at Murrayfield and a new connection into the existing tram line at Newhaven via Leith Walk would complete the loop around the city.

Transport Scotland confirmed the news today, saying: “We are working with Network Rail to carry out a high-level feasibility study for the potential use of tram-trains on the South Suburban line in Edinburgh.

“The study will identify practical challenges and opportunities and inform and supplement the wider regional mass transit appraisal. We expect the study report to be completed within this financial year.”

Tram Trains for Edinburgh – the group which has spearheaded the revival of the disused

southern Edinburgh railway line – celebrated the news as their campaign marked its one-year anniversary.

Rob Falcon, Chair of Tram Trains for Edinburgh, said: “This month TTfE passes its first anniversary campaigning to return public transport to the South Sub – although of course many other groups have argued for this over the decades.

“The ‘game changer’ is the use of tram-trains that can run onto the existing tram line and into the city centre – avoiding the Waverley bottleneck; and with much of the infrastructure already in place, we believe this is a hugely practical project.

“We welcome this great news for TTfE, as will all our members, supporters and thousands of people across Edinburgh - and indeed many of our political representatives - who have called for the project. Thanks to Transport Scotland.”

The campaign’s backers include Dr Scott Arthur, Labour MP for Edinburgh South West, who taught some members of the group in his time as a professor at Heriot-Watt University, and Labour’s Daniel Johnson MSP, who represents Edinburgh Southern in Holyrood.

The Scottish Government previously agreed to fund the feasibility study at the urging of the City of Edinburgh Council.

Tram-trains are designed to operate at higher speeds on mainline railway tracks as well as lower speeds on urban, higher-density streetlevel networks.

With the railway infrastructure already in place in the south of the city, it is thought that the South Sub could present a relatively straightforward means of dealing with congestion by adding transport options which avoid the busy city centre.

However, there are a number of issues any

The South Suburban line near Morningside

feasibility study may run into.

Namely, a 2022 regional transport review recommended that “heavy rail services” not be reintroduced on the line – which was closed to passenger services in 1962 - due to capacity issues at Waverley and Haymarket.

Significant and difficult engineering work would also be required to connect the tramline at Murrayfield to a future South Sub line. In addition, bridging the East Coast Main Line to reach Portobello is thought to present serious headaches.

Catherine Hall, head of strategic planning at

Network Rail Scotland, said: “We know the value rail brings to communities, helping people get where they need to be and offering a more sustainable way to travel.

“After providing strategic advice to City of Edinburgh Council, we’re now carrying out a technical feasibility study into the potential use of tram-trains on the Edinburgh Suburban line.

“This will give partners a clearer understanding of the practical considerations and infrastructure requirements associated with introducing tram-trains, helping to inform future transport planning decisions.”

As a young person, I don’t think the social media ban will work

By MARCUS FLUCKER, MSYP The internet and social media can expose children and young people to harmful content, misinformation and bullying. Adults are right to be

concerned, and nobody should pretend these problems don’t exist.

But agreeing on the problem doesn’t mean we’ve found the right solution.

The UK Government’s decision to move ahead with a social media ban for under-16s is one of the biggest changes to young people’s lives in a generation. Yet many young people feel they are being left out of the conversation.

That is why the Scottish Youth Parliament recently joined with four partner organisations and more than 150 young people to send a letter to the Prime Minister. We are urging Andy Burnham to rethink this ban -

or better involve young people in the development and implementation of these measures.

This is not about pretending there are no risks online. Quite the opposite. Young people recognise the harms that exist and want action to address them.

In a recent consultation run by the Scottish Youth Parliament, more than 200 young people told us they want technology companies to be held more accountable and called for stronger digital education and better support for parents.

What young people do not want is a policy developed about young people without young people.

Image: Martin P McAdam

Edinburgh tram-train project takes major step forward as feasibility study begins

If the UK Government believes this ban is the right approach, it should have the confidence to involve young people at every stage of designing and implementing it.

That starts with accepting that whilst social media can pose risks, it also offers huge benefits.

Through social media I have discovered new interests, engaged with politics, accessed news from around the world and connected with opportunities I otherwise would never have found. My own life has been shaped by developing digital literacy and learning how to navigate online spaces safely and critically.

But above all else, the key question is simple: will a blanket ban keep young people safe?

Our evidence suggests many young people are sceptical. Four out of five young people in our consultation agreed a ban would push young people towards riskier ways of accessing social media.

Fewer than one in five thought a ban was the most effective way to make social media safe.

I hope the Government recognises that young people are not a problem to be managed. We are part of the solution. It will get better outcomes by working with young people, rather than making decisions on our behalf.

Y A D I L HO CAMPS 6 2 0 2 R E B O OCT OPEN TO ALL Art • Music • Drama • Cookery Book Binding • Multisports

Register now An Edinburgh Merchant Company School. Registered Charity SC009747

11

Italian chapel

Raise a glass to Rosabelle at Rosslyn

By RYAN NIXON

A TALE of two chapels has been bottled as Rosslyn Chapel has launched a rum crafted on the uninhabited Orkney island of Lamb Holm, which is also home to the Italian Chapel.

Rosslyn has released Rosabelle, a three-yearold pure single Scottish rum as the latest product to mark its connection with Orkney, which stretches back nearly 600 years.

Sir William St Clair, founder of Rosslyn Chapel, was the third and last St Clair Prince of Orkney, a title that came to the family through the marriage of his great-grandfather to Isabella, the daughter and heir of Malise V of Strathearn, who was also Earl of Orkney and Caithness.

The Rosabelle rum is named after the ill-fated heroine of Sir Walter Scott’s 1805 poem The Lay of the Last Minstrel, which tells the tragic story of a young noblewoman from

the St Clair family.

Ignoring warnings of an approaching storm, she sets sail across the Firth of Forth to attend a ball at Rosslyn Castle. When Rosabelle is lost at sea, legend tells of a mysterious crimson glow appearing over Rosslyn Chapel and Castle - a feature which is noted in the bottle’s label.

The island of Lamb Holm measures barely half a kilometre wide, but has packed significant history into its tiny square mileage.

Like Rosslyn, it is home to a unique chapel, known as the Italian Chapel, which was constructed by Italian prisoners of war during World War II. Under the leadership of prisoner Domenico Chiocchetti, the workers transformed a simple iron structure into an elaborate concrete and plasterwork chapel, decorated with ornate artworks.

The building remained after the prisoners’

Image: Martin McAdam

Rosabelle

New neighbourhood haunt

City staple Cairngorm Coffee opens new café in Bruntsfield

departure and has been preserved ever since, still being used as a chapel to this day.

Ian Gardner, director of Rosslyn Chapel Trust, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating these historic links and, at the same time, supporting businesses in Orkney.

“Our shop now stocks gin from Orkney Distilling, which is distilled in Kirkwall, as well as savoury biscuits from Argo’s Bakery and beautiful jewellery by Sheila Fleet, which was inspired by the Chapel.

“Our new rum, produced by J Gow Rum, is already proving popular and, as Rosslyn Chapel Trust is a charity, every purchase in our shop or through our website supports our conservation work.”

Rosslyn Chapel is renowned for its countless unique medieval stone carvings and found worldwide fame when it featured in Dan Brown’s 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code and the subsequent film.

By RYAN NIXON

By RYAN NIXON A MAJOR exhibition celebrating 200 years of Scottish photography is running at Dalkeith Palace throughout this month.

PhotoDalkeith RSA200 forms part of the Royal Scottish Academy’s bicentenary programme and is on now until 27 September.

The showcase brings together historic works, contemporary practice and new commissions to explore Scotland’s pioneering role in the art form.

Visitors can also attend special events throughout the run celebrating the connections between photography, art, music and literature.

Presented by the Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust alongside the Royal Scottish Academy and Studies in Photography, the event

serves as the principal photography showcase for the nationwide RSA200 celebrations.

Highlights of the accompanying events programme include Ian Hamilton Finlay: Concrete as an ART FORM on 6 September and Ruskin Live on 13 September.

The Orkney Sequence takes place on 20 September, followed

by Hill and Adamson: Pioneers of Photography on 26 September.

The exhibition is open Friday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm, with admission priced at £3.

The exhibition is sponsored by BTO Solicitors LLP. Charlotte Rostek of Dalkeith Palace & Country Park said: “PhotoDalkeith continues to grow each year, and this year we’re delighted to have partnered with the Royal Scottish Academy for their bicentenary celebrations.

Love Letters From Aberdeenshire Ricky Babes by Daniel Cooke, RSA Collections

Montagu Bridge

“BTO’s support will help us bring alive this year’s celebrations through the events in greater style — adding real value to our events delivery for speakers, performers and guests.”

Tickets can be booked via the Dalkeith Country Park website: https://www. dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk/ event/photodalkeith/

Image: © The Artist

Scotland through the lens over 200 years at Dalkeith Palace

Image: Dalkeith Country Park

Image: Rob McDougall

Robi Lambie

CAIRNGORM Coffee Roasters has opened a new venue in the heart of Bruntsfield as a complementary outlet to its busy Melville Street café.

Owner Robi Lambie has announced the opening of a corner shop unit at 49 Barclay Place.

The new café will serve pastries and bread from Company Bakery in Musselburgh, use Mossgiel Milk from the dairy farm in Kilmarnock and ice cream from Nowita in Glasgow.

Robi said: “I’ve lived in this part of town for the past ten years, and as my kids have started primary school here, you really connect with the community and realise how much a part of a city can mean to you.

“It’s always been part of our plan to have multiple sites, but when we closed our first store on Frederick Street, we were cautious not to open elsewhere for the sake of opening. We’ve been patient in Edinburgh, waiting for spots that feel right.

“I’ve always been a fan of hospitality spots that reflect the owner because to me it’s what gives a shop personality.

“Every site we’ve opened carries personal touches of mine, and I think that gives a place a heartbeat.”

Robi is candid that the opening is not without risk, with Cairngorm once operating three sites across Edinburgh, before that number fell to one over the last couple of years.

“I’m very aware that one busy café doesn’t mean the next one will flourish,” he said. “But I feel at home in this part of town, and that’s what makes this one feel right.

“It’s a café I used to come to during Covid and beyond. We want to carry on the life the previous owners gave it, especially for the regulars who I’m sure are missing their local spot.”

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FEATURE

Scottish Food & Drink month

Explore some of Edinburgh’s coolest neighbourhood restaurants and bars this ‘Scottish Food & Drink September’.

AS THE CURTAIN CLOSES on the Edinburgh Festival for another year, there’s no better time to rediscover some of the best independent eating and drinking hotspots on your doorstep at venues around the city, as well as the capital’s new ‘Big Cheese’….Read more about Edinburgh’s new cheese shop on Page 1.

Scottish Food & Drink September is a month-long celebration honouring the people, products, and produce that make this sector so special. https://foodanddrink.scot

THE BLACKBIRD, 37-39 Leven Street, Tollcross, Edinburgh, EH3 9LH

One of Edinburgh’s most popular neighbourhood cocktail bars has unveiled a £100,000 summer glow-up to coincide with the grand re-opening of King’s Theatre on Leven Street in Tollcross.

Located just opposite King’s Theatre, The Blackbird is home to a unique garden terrace, which offers a green urban oasis throughout the year. An all-day food menu and cocktail list is available.

LUCKY YU, 53-55 Broughton Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3RJ

Since its launch in 2018, Lucky Yu on Broughton Street has been bringing its own brand of irreverent Asian fusion small plates to Edinburgh’s culinary scene.

What started out as a tiny hole-in-the-wall canteen has blossomed into an institution with a cult following.

The restaurant now joins a prestigious list of restaurants in the Scottish capital to be recognised by Michelin for culinary excellence.

Expect speciality gyoza, bao buns and a wide range of Asian inspired small plates. An Asian-inspired cocktail menu is also available.

https://theblackbirdedinburgh.co.uk

www.luckyyu.co.uk

THE CAPTAIN DARLING, 16-18 Hamilton Place, Stockbridge, Edinburgh, EH3 5AU

Launched in 2025, the brasserie-style bar and restaurant is now a social hub for the whole community on the local high street.

A dedicated bar space has been created for people to drop in for a leisurely drink and snacks seven days a week from lunchtime until late.

The focus of the restaurant menu is on classic, well-made, seasonal dishes that are created to be full of flavour. The Captain Darling Sunday roast with all the trimmings is another star of the show. www.thecaptaindarling.com

COLD TOWN HOUSE, 4 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2JU

Edinburgh’s most iconic rooftop bar experiences high up above the city streets with a stunning backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. Cold Town House is the ultimate

destination for Neapolitan pizza, cocktails and locally brewed Cold Town Beer in the heart of the Grassmarket, come rain or shine. https://coldtownhouse.co.uk

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BADGER & CO, 32 Castle Street, Edinburgh, EH2 3HT

Badger & Co takes its name from one of the main characters in the classic children’s book, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, who was born at 32 Castle Street in 1859.

This creative dining experience that celebrates the best local and seasonal produce, including ingredients

foraged from local hedgerows.

Open seven days a week, the classic Georgian townhouse venue now provides indoor and outdoor seating for around 45 diners, as well as space for fourlegged friends in the lounge. Private dining experiences for up to 12 guests and special events are also available. www.badgerandco.com

MCLARENS ON THE CORNER, 8 Morningside Rd, Edinburgh, EH10 4DD THE VOYAGE OF BUCK, 29-31 William St, Edinburgh, EH3 7NG

A concept cocktail bar and restaurant centred around fictional character William ‘Buck’ Clarence and his many voyages to far away cities. Showcases

cocktail styles from the golden age of bartending (1900-1935). Located on a beautiful 19th century cobbled street.

A stylish neighbourhood bar and restaurant with a large outdoor terrace for social gatherings during the day or night. Situated on the corner of Bruntsfield and Morningside, this family and dog friendly venue has a corner for everyone.

www.thevoyageofbuckedinburgh.co.uk

https://mclarensonthecorner.co.uk

14

PROPERTY NEWS WITH NEILSONS

Busting the myths about Edinburgh property Buying or selling a home can be lifechanging, affecting lifestyle, wellbeing and finances.

Advice from social media, friends, family and past experience may no longer reflect today’s market which has changed a lot in recent years.

The team at Neilsons Solicitors and Estate Agents debunk some of the most common myths about buying and selling locally.

percentage buyers can simply add to predict the selling price. So far in 2026, ESPC data shows the average premium paid over Home Report is 1.7% with 73.5% of properties selling for at least Home Report value, meaning some do sell for below it. The sale price depends on presentation, marketing, location, demand, competition and the seller’s circumstances.

1.There’s a Closing Date on every sale Waiting for a closing date isn’t always the

3. You don’t need a solicitor You cannot

best strategy. ESPC statistics show that only one in four properties currently goes to a closing date, with buyers increasingly making offers earlier. Sellers may have good reasons to consider an early offer, particularly if they have already found their next home. Price matters, but certainty, timing and a buyer’s position can be valuable too.

2. Every sale price is 10-20% above Home Report valuation Some highly

desirable homes do sell well above their Home Report value, but there is no standard

complete the purchase or sale of a property in Scotland without a solicitor. While you could theoretically sell without a professional estate agent, the legal transfer still requires solicitors acting for both buyer and seller so getting a Solicitor Estate Agent who can handle the whole transaction is a good place to start.

4. ESPC is old-fashioned The ESPC may be a long-established Edinburgh institution, but its role today is different from the days of printed property schedules. ESPC.com generates four times more leads than other similar sites & it is the only property portal

PROPERTY OF THE MONTH

242 (1F1) Canongate, Old Town, EH8 8AB Offers Over: £400,000

Viewing: By appointment, contact Neilsons 0131 625 2222 EPC Rating: C Council Tax Band: E A Royal Mile gem over two floors

Rarely available, this generously proportioned three-bedroom duplex enjoys an enviable position on Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile.

Offering spacious, flexible accommodation, it combines character with move-in condition and leafy views over Chessels Court. With the Old Town’s attractions, restaurants and bars on the doorstep, it’s an exceptional home, pied-à-terre or investment.

where buyers can immediately download Home Reports.

5. Estate agent choice does not matter Finding a buyer is not the same as

securing the optimum combination of price, speed and certainty. Demand alone is not enough. Selling successfully involves pricing, presentation, marketing, buyer management and negotiation. ESPC Solicitor Estate Agents like Neilsons, sell for around 2% more over Home Report than non-ESPC agents.

6. One point of contact recommended Selling a home involves a

wide range of specialist skills, from valuation and marketing to negotiation and legal work.

Great service means having the right specialist handling each stage, with one joined-up team taking responsibility for the overall transaction.

7. Buyers see past poor presentation

Presentation matters more than ever. With over 70% of buyers beginning their search on a mobile phone, first impressions are often formed in seconds. Quality photography, floorplans, video and 360° tours can help a property stand out, attract viewings and create competition. Your home doesn’t need to be state-of-the-art, but it should be clean, appealing and easy for buyers to imagine themselves living in. Neilsons’ free pre-sale appraisals include practical advice on preparing your home for market.

Top Tips: selling in the autumn

Autumn can be an excellent time to sell a home. Neilsons advise making buyers think warm, bright and wellmaintained rather than dark, damp and heading into winter.

• Maximise natural light Clean windows, open curtains and blinds fully, trim back anything blocking windows, and schedule photography and viewings during the brightest part of the day.

Use warm lamps to make darker rooms feel inviting rather than gloomy.

• Enhance kerb appeal Fallen leaves, wet paths and tired summer planting can quickly make a property look neglected.

Sweep paths, clear gutters, cut the lawn, tidy borders and consider a few colourful seasonal plants around the entrance.

• Make warmth a selling point A comfortably heated home creates an immediate positive impression on a cold or damp day. Light fireplaces or log burners for viewings.

• Seasonal autumn styling Warm textures, throws, cushions and restrained seasonal touches can photograph beautifully.

Avoid excessive Halloween or Christmas decorations, which date photographs.

• Early photography Autumn light and foliage can be attractive, but the window is relatively short. If you're planning to list later in the season, have exterior photographs taken while gardens and trees still have some colour.

• Prepare for wet weather Keep the entrance

spotless and provide somewhere sensible for wet coats and shoes.

Clean up condensation, damp smells or muddy routes through the garden.

Buyers notice these more in Autumn.

• Show a winter-ready home Buyers may pay greater attention to heating, insulation, glazing, the boiler, roof and gutters as temperatures fall. Have relevant servicing information, warranties and energy-efficiency improvements available.

• Timing If you want to complete before Christmas or have an onward purchase, communicate that early.

Generous timescales become surprisingly tight with conveyancing and mortgage applications.

Read the latest news from Neilsons on theedinburghreporter.co.uk

15

It is time for Doors Open Days

Riding of the Marches

By RYAN NIXON

By ROSS CHALMERS

Image: Martin P McAdam

EDINBURGH'S Doors Open Days return this month, giving free access to historic sites and hidden spaces normally closed to the public.

Run by the Scottish Civic Trust and coordinated locally by conservation charity The Cockburn Association, the event takes place on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September.

First held in 1991, it has grown into Scotland's largest free heritage festival, with more than 950 venues taking part last year.

This year's theme, Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine, invites visitors to explore some of Edinburgh's historic and cultural gems for free.

Several venues are set to appeal to history and literature fans, architecture enthusiasts, and families alike.

Adam Smith's Panmure House will open both days. Built in 1690, it was home to the economist from 1778 until his death in 1790, and is where he completed the final editions of The Wealth of Nations — a first edition of which will be on display. The house is normally closed to the public.

The Advocates Library in Parliament House, next to the Court of Session, opens on the Saturday. Used by Scotland's advocates for legal research, it will offer guided 30-minute

Robert Burns Monument

tours covering two floors, giving a rare look at its historic spaces and collections.

Architecture fans should head to Barclay Viewforth Church, open Saturday, with its 1864 painted ceiling and unusual heartshaped interior.

The University of Edinburgh's McEwan Hall opens Sunday, showcasing its murals, vast dome, and interior detailing, which took three years to complete.

Families are well catered for too. Bridgend Farmhouse on Old Dalkeith Road opens 10am–3pm on Saturday, with live music,

children's games, and guided tours.

The Burns Monument on Calton Hill will be open all weekend, 10am–3pm, with songs, music and poetry celebrating Scotland's national bard.

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions at the top of the Royal Mile is also taking part across the weekend, though tickets have already sold out given its popularity.

Residents with an EH postcode can still visit throughout September at a discount, using code RESIDENTRATE20 for 20% off admission, Sunday to Friday.

ON 13 SEPTEMBER, the Riding of the Marches – one of Edinburgh’s largest public events - will return to Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

Taking its roots from the historical Common Ridings of Scotland, 280 horses traverse the ancient Royal Mile. This spectacular cavalcade is a re-enactment of the return of the Captain of the Trained Band (responsible for keeping order within the City) to Edinburgh with the tragic news of defeat at the Battle of Flodden, 1513.

After tracing the boundaries of the city, the Captain and Lass will lead the horses up Edinburgh’s Royal Mile towards the Mercat Cross.

Crowds in excess of 20,000 line the Royal Mile from midday onwards, awaiting the arrival of the Cavalcade. The procession will be led by the Lord Provost, City Officer, The High Constables, The Deacon Convener of the Incorporated Trades of Edinburgh, Trades Officer, The Old Master and Lord Dean of Guild of the Merchants Company of Edinburgh.

A PERSONAL GUIDE TO WHAT’S ON AND FILMS AT FILMHOUSE THIS MONTH

By ROD WHITE YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, but there are way more older films showing in the nation’s cinemas these days than used to be the case. There’s a whole bunch of reasons for that too numerous to go into, but it’s something roundly celebrated by us at Filmhouse – after all, it’s something we’ve doing for decades! Prior to 2007, the only way you could see older films in cinemas was either from a likely shonky old 35mm print or if some film distributor had made the considerable outlay to have a new print made. These days, with digital cinema, it’s a very different landscape.

And as if to prove the point, Filmhouse’s September programme is littered with wonderful cinema in various states of anniversary (25th, 35th, 40th, 45th – Sexy Beast, Terminator 2, Manhunter, Raiders of the Lost Ark respectively), restoration (Claude Chabrol’s Une femme infidèle showing alongside a wonderful selection of his late 60s/early 70s

thrillers) and retrospective (the entire feature output of that doyen of world cinema - and one-time visitor to Filmhouse - Andrei Tarkovsky). Quite the line-up and as if it wasn’t already enough, it’s 70 years almost to the day since John Ford’s classic western The Searchers was released into UK cinemas, which seemed like the very best time bring a 70mm print to Filmhouse for a few very special and very rare screenings.

And new films? Well, Cycle of Love documents the romantic journey of one PK Mahanandia, a Delhi street artist who, in 1977, trekked 6,000 miles by bicycle (can you trek by bicycle?) across continents to Sweden to reunite with the woman he loved, driven by a prophecy made to him as a baby by an astrologer that said, “You will marry a girl who is not from the village, not even from this country, she will be musical, own a jungle and be born under the sign of the ox.” An incredible, lifeaffirming story, very well told.

And it has been, unbelievably, over 30 years since Emma Thompson had a go at Jane Austen (and won an Oscar for it!) with her Sense and Sensibility. So, high time for a new one for a new generation, this time with Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean) on director duties and Daisy EdgarJones and Esmé Creed-Miles in the Thompson/Winslet roles.

See you in September! Rod White is Film Programmer at Filmhouse.

A new version of Sense and Sensibility is due out in 2026

It is 70 years since John Ford’s The Searchers was released

Go on a romantic journey with Cycle of Love

16

FOOD AND DRINK

PLATE EXPECTATIONS

By Ailidh Forlan

ILeithLOVE LEITH is open for business Chef Barry Bryson, Barry Fish

Nami Small Plates

Moonwake

Lost Shore Surf Resort

Civerinos at Browns of Leith

The Shore, Leith

Cafe Domenico

Lioness Of Leith

THERE ARE FEW NEIGHBOURHOODS in Edinburgh - or Scotland, frankly - that can match Leith for its sheer density of brilliant, independent food and drink. The Shore alone reads like a greatest hits of the city’s dining scene: The Kitchin, Heron, The Little Chartroom, and now a wave of exciting newcomers cementing Leith’s reputation as the capital’s most compelling place to eat. The problem? Since the fire that tore through the former Debenhams building on Princes Street in July the trams have only just started running to Leith again. Half the line was down and with The Shore stop closed, businesses felt it hard. The numbers tell a stark story. Barry Fish, the Michelin Guide-listed restaurant which has arguably generated more excitement on The Shore since opening in February 2025 than anything in years, warned that walk-in dependent venues were the hardest hit. He said: “No one’s going to come to The Shore for a pint if it’s going to take them 50 minutes.” Three Marys reported an 18% drop year on year, with international payments down 23%. No trams meant no tourists finding their way down the hill. The Lioness of Leith noted July and August sales running 5-10% below June - a month that should have been their busiest. People have called Leith “up and coming” for decades. Well, it up and came… and these are the independent businesses that got it there. The Scottish Government announced a £5m recovery fund though, for context, Glasgow’s Union Corner fire was given £10m in under a week. So let’s rally! The single best thing Edinburgh residents can do is make the journey now that the trams are open again. The businesses are worth it, and they need the locals to show up – on a bus, tram, in a cab or on a Voi bike if you’re able.

BARRY FISH,

62 The Shore Top of the to do list, and the source of considerable personal anguish; everyone who has been to Barry Fish waxes lyrical, and the jealousy is real. Chef Barry Bryson spent 14 years as one of Scotland’s most sought-after private and events chefs before opening his first permanent restaurant on The Shore in 2025. Within eight months it had earned a place in the Michelin Guide and The Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants. The menu is unapologetically fish-forward. Big snack highlights include Berwick crab flan pâtissier with crème fraîche and pickled celery, smoked sea bass rillettes, and the signature Barry Fish pastrami with aioli, capers and dried grapes. Whole lemon sole Véronique and hake à la meunière anchor the main courses.

Booking is essential and if you get a table, pull up an extra chair for me please!

NAMI,

63 The Shore My go-to for pan-Asian in Edinburgh; a warm, bold, western love letter to the east. What makes the story even better is that Nami opened in December 2025 in the same premises that Mimi’s Bakehouse called home for 15 years - and it’s actually the Mimi’s family behind it, three sisters who decided to transform the space into something entirely new rather than see it pass to strangers. With former Fhior owner Scott Smith’s consultancy shaping the menu, the result is confident and creative: sesame prawn toast with calamansi coconut mayo, miso aubergine, shiitake dan dan noodles and crispy shredded chilli beef.

The latest addition is an Irn Bru Korean fried chicken that could only exist in Scotland’s

17

CROSSWORD

capital - and the cocktail menu has been designed in collaboration with their neighbours next door. Which brings us neatly to Three Marys.

7 ACROSS is an Edinburgh feature.

THREE MARYS,

63-65 Henderson Street Dark walls, floral wallpaper, gilt-framed portraits and a chandelier that makes even a Wednesday feel like an occasion. Three Marys is the kind of bar that draws you in and keeps you there. A seasonal cocktail list, a back room for private events, and the warm, unhurried atmosphere of a place that genuinely cares about its regulars. Dogs are also welcome! And for anyone working in hospitality: Hospo Sundays offer £5 cocktails made with Leith Spirits, 25% off everything else, free darts and board games. Just show a payslip at the door.

21-25 Duke Street Opened in 2013 in the shell of a derelict pub and voted Leith’s Best Bar in its first year, The Lioness has been a neighbourhood institution ever since. The Burger Mama menu - 100% Scotch beef from Findlay’s of Portobello, baked into brioche buns from just down the road - is the reason to stay for dinner. The Future (two 6oz patties, crispy bacon, cheddar) is my order. It’s a proper, no-nonsense burger in relaxed surroundings. Every month they’re partnering with a local brewery to offer a £5 pint alongside any burger. That’s reason enough!

MOONWAKE BEER CO,

Tower Street Leith’s brewery scene is one of the city’s quiet boasts - Newbarns and Campervan among them, all making genuinely excellent beer within a mile of each other. Moonwake is a particular favourite of mine - a colourful microbrewery taproom where you can sit outside when the Scottish weather allows, or up on the mezzanine surrounded by gleaming brewing tanks, eighteen lines of independent craft beer on tap and Pizza Geeks delivered to your table - proper Neapolitan-inspired pizza, as it happens. Brewery tours run every weekend, and their Oktoberfest party on 26 September is the reason to make the trip this month specifically.

BROWN’S OF LEITH,

4-6 The Shore I just can’t seem to stay away from Brown’s of Leith. A former engineering works that

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Culinary capers in the capital with Kerry Teakle 44

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operated for over 130 years on The Shore, now transformed into somewhere you’ll want to keep coming back to. Push through the heavy metal doors into soaring industrial ceilings and you’ll find Civerinos slinging longfermented New Haven-style pizza, Shuck Bar from the Shrimpwreck team celebrating Scottish oysters and seafood, and Haze - the latest from the Timberyard and Montrose family - doing all-day small plates, natty wines and tins of fancy canned fish alongside speciality coffee. The newest arrival, Asu from Glasgow’s Five March, brings bold Asian flavours to the mix. The whole place has a pleasantly hipster energy that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled into somewhere in Copenhagen rather than Leith.

THE KING’S WARK,

36 The Shore Built in 1434 as a royal residence, armory and storehouse for James I - and subsequently a smugglers’ haunt, plague hospital and wine merchant - The King’s Wark has seen rather more drama than most gastropubs on its patch. These days it’s the prime destination for a slow Sunday on The Shore. Enjoy stone floors, an open fire and a roast menu served from noon until 7.30pm with flat iron steak, venison haunch fillet, corn-fed chicken or vegetarian haggis Wellington, all at under £20 and served with all the trimmings.

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3 Pier Place, Newhaven I couldn’t write a piece on the depths of Leith without mentioning my new favourite brunch spot. If you venture just that bit further round the coast, this harbourside newbie is worth every step. Chef Claire Hanrahan - formerly of The Palmerston, Ardfern and 27 Elliott’s -

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ACROSS

DOWN

7 HOOK PRAY LORD (anagram) (8, 4)

1 DNA element (10)

9 Formal agreement (8)

2 Very popular (3, 3, 4)

10 Uncertain (6)

3 Bunked off school (8)

11 Powerful, strong (6)

4 Touch (7)

12 Mull over (8)

5 Improvement (6)

15 In the direction of (7)

6 Part of the eye (4)

16 Incomplete (7)

8 Javelin (5)

19 Largest of the Canary Islands (8)

13 Mediated, stepped in (10)

21 Elf (6)

14 Stretchy quality (10)

22 Outdoor meal (6)

17 Various (8)

24 Monetary unit (8)

18 Sport with swords (7)

25 Start, beginning (12)

19 Yellow gemstone (5)

CAFÉ DOMENICO,

30 Sandport Street & Alby’s, 8 Portland Terrace If you’re in Leith at lunchtime, make sure to visit these two legendary spots. Café Domenico is old-school Leith at its finest - a tiny place with chequered tablecloths and the most hefty, doorstop loaded wraps in the city.

Leithers in the know have been coming here for years and they’re not telling many people about it. Alby’s, a little more of a detour, does focaccia sandwiches that consistently rank among the best things to eat in Edinburgh, full stop. No frills, no fuss, just very good food.

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Norah Kippers on Toast

NORAH,

Browns of Leith

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20 Wages, salary (6) 23 Midday (4)

SOLUTION ACROSS: 7 Holyrood Park, 9 Contract, 10 Unsure, 11 Potent, 12 Consider, 15 Towards, 16 Partial, 19 Tenerife, 21 Sprite, 22 Picnic, 24 Currency, 25 Commencement. DOWN: 1 Chromosome, 2 All the rage, 3 Truanted, 4 Contact, 5 Upturn, 6 Iris, 8 Spear, 13 Intervened, 14 Elasticity, 17 Assorted, 18 Fencing, 19 Topaz, 20 Income, 23 Noon.

THE LIONESS OF LEITH,

By Aldhelm

named it after her late Irish grandmother and cooks with the same unpretentious warmth the name implies. The kippers on buttered toast with lemon and dill alone justify the journey.

Later on you might opt for their sausage, egg and chips; a classic done well.

Of course, it goes without saying The Nauticus, Dogstar and Keelson trio deserve a column of their own.

THE NAUTICUS, DOGSTAR AND KEELSON

Kyle Jamieson, Michael Lynch and chef James Murray have built three exceptional venues - a celebrated cocktail bar, a Michelin Guide-listed seasonal restaurant and a brand new Shoreside boozer with rotisserie chicken - hospitality that represents the very best of what Leith does right now. Anything this team touches is worth your time.

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THEATRE

Edinburgh’s Mr Entertainment picks his Hot Tickets to see in the Capital and beyond

Image: Pamela Raith Photography

Have a swell time at High Society at The Playhouse

A peaceful Private, clique of mean girls, hip-hop William Wallace, 12 queens, an insatiable cannibal and an invitation to join the High Society provide the highlights on Edinburgh’s stages in September I’VE SAID IT BEFORE, one of my pet hates is shows that go up late. The Fringe was full of them, even the Traverse managed to start the first show of the day 10 minutes late one morning, the Pleasance went further with a 17 minute hold up on the second show of the day. Likely, they’ll blame audiences, but having worked the other side of the game, often it’s simply down to the venue producers not allowing adequate time between shows for a proper turn around. Cramming in shows might make money but it doesn’t do anything to enhance the Fringe experience for audiences.

Thankfully, with the silly season now over for another year, there is a guarantee of a more comfortable theatre going experiences at theatres around Edinburgh in September, with some great titles waiting in the wings to entertain.

With James Brining at the helm, the Lyceum is already expanding its programme, attracting more and more touring productions to supplement the venue’s inhouse shows.

Private Peaceful (17-19 September) is one such title. Based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo and performed by Benjamin Cain, Private Peaceful is the unforgettable story of Tommo Peaceful. On the eve of battle, Tommo looks back over the events that shaped his life: the warmth of family, the innocence of first love, and the deep bond with his brother that carries him through the horrors of war. In this one-person piece, adapted and directed

by Simon Reade, Cain conjures an entire world of characters, landscapes, and emotions. At once heartwarming and heartbreaking, Private Peaceful is both a moving family drama and a powerful reminder of the human cost of war.

Running time 80 minutes, no interval, tickets here: https://lyceum.org.uk/events/ private-peaceful At the capital’s largest venue, the Edinburgh Playhouse may now be owned by global live events and experiences company MARI, but

Private Peaceful comes to the Lyceum

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Running time 2 hours, 30 minutes including interval, tickets here: https://www.atgtickets. com/shows/high-society/edinburghplayhouse/ Later this month, Mean Girls (27 September-3 October), the hilarious smash-hit comedy stars Steps’ favourite Faye Tozer in not one, but three roles – Cady’s mother Mrs Heron, Regina’s ‘cool mom’ Mrs George, and maths teacher Ms Norbury, alongside Emily Lane as Cady and Vivian Panka as Regina.

Meet The Plastics, Regina, Gretchen and Karen. They rule North Shore High and will burn anyone who gets in their way. Homeschooled Cady may think she knows a thing or two about survival of the fittest thanks to her zoologist parents, but high school is a whole new level of savage. When Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.

cast aside the Braveheart clichés to bring you the story of one of Scotland’s most famous legends. Furiously funny and politically explosive, Wallace (30 September- 3 October) asks whether William Wallace was a hero, a rebel, or simply a myth in a series of electrifying head-to-head rap battles that blend history, humour and hip-hop. With a score incorporating rap, folk, pop, rock and razor-sharp lyrics in a distinctly Scottish voice, Wallace aims to reinvent the story of a national icon for a new generation.

Running time 1 hour 45 minutes, tickets here: https://www.capitaltheatres.com/shows/ wallace/ Across town, at the Festival Theatre it’s time to come face to face with the terrifying cannibal, Hannibal Lecter, in The Silence of the Lambs (8-12 September), in this world premiere of a new play based on Thomas Harris’s gripping psychological thriller. It’s a show that comes with a pretty hefty trigger warning: ‘Please note this production contains scenes of threat, violence and murder, strong language, sexual references and harassment, mutilation and body horror, psychological intensity, childhood trauma and onstage prosthetic human remains’.

If that’s not put you off, here’s the story: When FBI trainee Clarice Starling is sent to interview the psychiatrist and infamous

Mean Girls The Musical

murderer Hannibal Lecter, it’s hoped his brilliant mind will help catch a sadistic new serial killer, Buffalo Bill. Another girl is missing, and time is running out. But Dr Lecter has questions of his own, and now Clarice must decide: keep a safe distance, or let Hannibal The Cannibal into her head…?

Joining John Partridge in the roleinare Davidtitle Benson My Life Corrie’s Mollie Gallagher asWith Clarice Starling, Kenneth Williams Emmerdale’s Oliver Farnworth as Agent Jack Crawford and Sam Jackson of Skins fame as Buffalo Bill. Make sure your interval order is a nice Chianti.

Running time 2 hours 20 minutes, including interval, tickets here: https://www. capitaltheatres.com/shows/the-silence-ofthe-lambs/ Staying on Nicolson Street, it’s a case of when six becomes twelve. If ever you needed a reason to see Six The Musical (15-26 September) twice in the one month, this is it.

The piece, which began life as a show on the Edinburgh Fringe returns with not one but two casts - yes there’s a cast change in the

middle of its two week run at the Festival Theatre.

Divorced. Beheaded. Died, Divorced.

Beheaded. Survived... From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. These Queens may have green sleeves but their lipstick is rebellious red.

Winner of 35 major international awards including the 2022 Tony Award for Best Original Score and Best Costume Design on Broadway, Six is a Must See – if you haven’t already.

Running time 80 minutes, no interval, tickets here: https://www.capitaltheatres.com/ shows/six/#details As always, you’ll find all the latest theatre news, views and reviews you can trust over at MustSeeTheatre.com, do give it a visit, and I’ll be back with you next month with more hot tickets not to be missed.

Happy theatre-going, Liam

Running time 2 hours 30 minutes including interval, tickets here https://www.atgtickets. com/shows/legally-blonde/edinburghplayhouse/ At the King’s Theatre there’s a suitably Scottish feel to the first musical to grace the stage of the newly redeveloped venue’s reopening season.

Forget Hamilton, a thrilling new hip-hop musical from award-winning playwright Rob Drummond and acclaimed rapper Dave Hook

Six UK Tour

Image: Pamela Raith Photography

the programme remains tempting. Based on the play The Philadelphia Story by Philip Barry, and direct from London’s West End, High Society (8-12 September) has been hailed as “pure theatrical escapism...” studded with diamond performances from a top-notch cast.

Call The Midwife’s Helen George leads an exciting 28-strong cast as glamorous socialite Tracy Lord and is joined by stage and screen favourites Freddie Fox of Slow Horses fame, Nigel Lindsay, Julian Ovenden and Malcolm Sinclair. As plans for the society wedding of the year descend into chaos, old and new flames vie for attention while a sharp-eyed tabloid reporter hunts for a scandal at a waterfront estate.

Featuring a score overflowing with Cole Porter numbers, including Just One Of Those Things, Let’s Misbehave, I Love Paris, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Well, Did You Evah!, True Love, and many more, your well advised to heed the publicity blurb, which urges, “Clear your diary, because you’re invited to the most swell party of the year.”

Image: Paul Coltas

John Partridge as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs

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OBADIAH COFFEE

By Charlie Ellis

Beneath the Arches: Obadiah brings a new tasting room to Abbeyhill Underneath the arches in Abbeyhill, with trains rattling by overhead, sits one of the most highly regarded coffee roasteries in the city: Obadiah. Founded in 2017 by Sam and Alice Young, Obadiah Coffee has built a reputation for its minimalist aesthetic and its focus on single origin clarity. I’ve walked past the roastery many times, and drunk (and enjoyed) their coffee in places across the city, so I was keen to go in and see it for myself.

In July, Obadiah held a soft launch for its new tasting room, serving seasonal coffees to drink in or take away. It opens on a regular basis from the end of August on Fridays and and Saturdays. The team see it less as a café than as a place where people can come and sample the coffees roasted on site, or in their words, “designed to be a space to slow down and experience our approach to coffee more directly.” This initial foray was highly promising.

SOMETHING SECRETIVE GOING ON

There are perhaps some parallels with Santu, who have successfully opened up their Union Street roastery to the public, creating one of the most visually striking places to drink coffee in the city. Obadiah’s tasting room is rather different, and more diminutive. It has a clean, fresh feel, but the metallic walls give it something of the atmosphere of an underground bunker, or a wartime Nissen hut.

Through a collaboration with Silvan Studio, the bar and furniture have been carefully crafted using locally sourced Scottish materials. There’s a sense of something secretive going on down here beneath the rail line. In a sense there is, given the quality of the coffee produced on site: some of the best in Scotland.

A CONSTANT FLOW

On a damp Saturday morning, the tasting room was busy: customers keen to get out of the rain, but also to sample the goods within.

One young specialty coffee enthusiast arrived early, declaring breathlessly, “It’s super cool, and the whole vibe is amazing!” If Obadiah needed a test of how the space would cope with high volumes, this was it. Despite the crowd, there was a calm feel about the place, with gentle music and conversation filling the room. As co-founder Sam Young put it, they had seen a constant flow of people throughout the morning, and it gave the team confidence that this public-facing side of the business had real potential. That fits with the sense that demand for specialty coffee, despite the price, keeps growing steadily.

There was an easygoing feel to the event, with the Obadiah team happy to chat with visitors and field various coffee enquiries.

The crowd notably included a number of people from the specialty coffee world. I spotted the former manager of Lowdown, who has since moved into roasting with Module Coffee, along with several of the team from cafēn (on Dundas Street), who were seemingly there for a day out! In other words, the coffee needed to be of a high calibre to satisfy such a discerning audience. It was: the cortado I had, made with Haru beans from Ethiopia, was creamy and satisfying, very much in keeping with Obadiah’s aim to serve “flavour-led coffees with clarity, depth, and a layered complexity.”

That complexity was plain to taste.

room to be a real experience, not a quick energising shot of coffee to fuel a workday.

Not everyone nearby was as familiar with specialty coffee. One couple liked the idea of trying “some different types of coffee,” keen to give something new a go, a small sign of how specialty coffee is no longer the preserve of coffee geeks alone, but has gone properly mainstream.

THE THEATRE OF COFFEE MAKING

A SPECIALTY COFFEE HUB

Sitting with my coffee, having managed to get one of the few seats available, it was enjoyable to watch the Obadiah team at work. There is a theatre to coffee making, and the gently throbbing music provided a soundtrack to their methodical, careful process, moving through each stage without anything rushed. It was clear there was a great deal of expertise in the room, quite unlike the slapdash work you often see in busy branches of the big chains. Obadiah are plainly aiming for a visit to their tasting

Obadiah has been based in Abbeyhill for six years, and has spent around 18 months fitting out the new tasting room. It will be open on a regular basis on Fridays and Saturdays from the end of August, and the team believe there is considerable demand for it in the area. There are certainly other good coffee spots nearby, including Fortitude, a couple of minutes away on Abbey Mount, and the consistently excellent Little Fitzroy, at the top end of Easter Road.

Obadiah’s new venture adds to a growing

cluster of specialty coffee in this part of the city.

The roastery may also pick up passing trade from tourists, given its proximity to Holyrood and to those heading into Holyrood Park, which is easily reached via Croft-an-Righ. In fine weather, it would be a pleasant walk from Obadiah to the park, coffee in hand.

Obadiah’s beans are roasted in three other units the company owns nearby, and with unused units beside them, there may be scope for expansion in future (though they were tight-lipped as to whether there were concrete plans to do this). With a good deal of new housing nearby, this is a part of the city that is getting busier, and is now more established on the visitor map as somewhere to seek out, rather than just pass through. Obadiah’s tasting room has added another reason to visit Abbeyhill.

Obadiah: Units 4-5, The Arches, Abbeyhill, EH8 8EE.

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Nice to be back

Number 21 James Wilson training with Hearts at Riccarton

Image: Ian Jacobs

When Hibs beat the Glasgow clubs several times in months

By JOHN HISLOP

Last month an injury time goal from Callum Wright secured a 2-1 victory for Hibs at Ibrox.

The result created history as this was the first time a Hibs team have won at Ibrox in three consecutive seasons in the top-flight.

On 5 April 2025 goals from Dylan Levitt and Martin Boyle gave Hibs a 2-0 victory and on 13 May 2026, goals from Boyle and Dane Scarlett was enough to secure a 2-1 victory and end any chances of Rangers winning the title.

These results brought back memories from older fans who recalled a hat-trick of Hibee victories over Rangers in the space of just seven months. And remarkably all three games were semi-finals.

The first victory came at Hampden Park in a Scottish Cup semi -final replay on 24 April 1972.

After an initial 0-0 draw, goals from Pat Stanton and Alex Edwards secured a dominant victory for Eddie Turnbull’s side to reach the final.

That night was arguably Hibs finest ever performance at the national stadium, such was their superiority over the Ibrox side.

Hibs form did not continue into the final, where they lost 6-1 to Jock Stein’s Celtic in front of 106,000 fans just over two weeks later.

Famously a defiant Turnbull told the media that Hibs would be back, and true to his word - the pair met again two months later.

Hibs first had to overcome Rangers again, however.

On 2 August 1972 the semi-final at Easter Road was against a Rangers side who fielded nine members of the team that won the European cup Winners Cup a few months previously.

The 3-0 scoreline flattered the visitors although the game is probably best remembered for disgraceful scenes off the pitch.

The match was held up on several occasions as the furious Rangers fans invaded the pitch and hurled bottles into the home supporters massed in the old ‘Cowshed’.

A double from Alan Gordon and goal from club captain Pat Stanton secured the victory but the behaviour of the visiting ‘fans’ that night resulted in the closure of the shed and the subsequent installation of bench seats.

The final was a thrilling affair, and two goals from Alan Gordon gave Hibernian a comfortable half-time lead.

An own goal by Billy McNeil appeared to secure victory, but this time it was the Celtic ‘fans’ who invaded the pitch, upsetting the Hibs’ rhythm.

Incredibly Celtic levelled the score but extra time goals from Jimmy O’Rourke, a 40-yard wonder strike and a superb solo effort from Arthur Duncan meant the trophy would be heading to Leith.

Then on 22 November Hibs beat Rangers 1-0 in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden Park thanks to a wonderful solo goal from right back John Brownlie.

Two weeks later on 9 December 1972 Hibs lifted the trophy after a 2-1 victory over Celtic. Pat Stanton opened the scoring and Jimmy O’Rourke made it 2-0 before Kenny Dalglish pulled one back near the end.

That was the first time Hibs had lifted a major trophy at Hampden Park for 70-years.

And of course, three weeks after that the same eleven players visited Tynecastle Park for the 1973 New Year’s Day game, but that’s another story.

The ball spun into the air in the six yard box from the legs of Inverness Caley Thistle (ICT) goalkeeper, Ross Munro, and James Wilson pounced.

He headed home, from close range, for Hearts’ fourth goal with six regulation time minutes remaining.

Wilson has sparked the move when he picked up the ball in midfield, fed Sabah Kerjota on his right. The Albanian darted towards the penalty box and squared to Claudio Braga who shot but it rebounded. In stepped Wilson.

The strike was one of a four-goal blitz in 18 sensational second-half minutes to secure a slot in the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup and a tie with Stenhousemuir in Central Scotland, a side now guided by former Hibs player, Marvyn Bartley who had a short spell as head coach at Livingston.

Wilson admitted that it was the icing on the cake after coming on as a substitute at half-time against the

Image: Nigel Duncan

By NIGEL DUNCAN

Highland side and he added: “It was nice to be back.”

The 19-year-old Scotland international has been on the sidelines, patiently awaiting a chance to show his talent. Last season, he was on loan at Londonbased, English Premiership side, Spurs, and there is no doubt that his introduction helped spark Hearts to their 6-2 win over ICT. Now, Wilson hopes to have impressed new head coach, Wouter Vrancken, and his backroom staff, sufficiently for a run in the side.

Reflecting on his return, Wilson said: “I loved it. I thought I played well and I was desperate to get a goal.”

He quipped: “I was quite looking forward to trying to be the hero.”

Vrancken has said he wants his

men to play entertaining, attacking football and that is a style that Wilson wants to play. He said: “I just need to make sure I am doing all I can on the pitch and it is up to the manager, the coaches, if they believe I am doing the right job. If they can trust me to play, then it is on them.

“I just need to make sure I am in the best condition I can be. I have been working really hard in the gym and on the pitch and hoping for the chance.”

Wilson conceded that the new coaching team have not really had time to assess him after their arrival.

Looking at the job of a striker overall, the teenager added that a striker has to be smart, understand where people are moving. It is not, he added, just about where you want to go.

Tracy Gilbert MP Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith tracy.gilbert.mp@parliament.uk

Address: 78 The Shore, Leith, EH6 6RA Email: tracy.gilbert.mp@parliament.uk

Email:

Mobile: 07983 191316

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Dr Scott Arthur MP Serving the Communities of Edinburgh South West

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Contact Scott: 0131 322 3225 scott.arthur.mp@ parliament.uk 139 Dundee Street, EH11 1BP

Chris Murray MP Edinburgh East and Musselburgh I hold advice surgeries across the constituency on the first Friday of every month. Get in touch to make an appointment. chris.murray.mp@parliament.uk 0131 574 9800 @chrismurraymp 190 Portobello High Street Edinburgh EH15 1EX

THE VOICE OF SPORT

South ready for Division One EDINBURGH SOUTH cricket club’s 2nd XI have extended a remarkable sequence of promotions through the East of Scotland Leagues - six in as many seasons - as they prepare for life in Division One. The team, captained by George O’Neill, secured the Division Two title with a match to spare, moving from Division Seven through to Division One, where they will play in 2027.

South 2nds confirmed top-spot with a four-run win over the University of Edinburgh Staff at Peffermill under the ESCA Rain Calculator.

The bonus points collected during the match had already put the title beyond reach, but the afternoon ended with a flourish by securing the win, albeit in unusual circumstances.

University of Edinburgh Staff made 186-7 from their 40 overs, with Sriram Govindan taking two wickets and Frank Omozejele, Amiya Mishra, Praveen Kumar Mohan and Kamran Uddin taking one apiece.

South’s reply was led by Praful Pant with 48 and Vipin Gupta with 31.

As the match approached the Peffermill ground’s evening cut-off Siva Kavati hit a six from what proved to be the final ball of the game. The shot took South to 166-7, four runs ahead under the ESCA Calculator with 35.5 overs being bowled, and secured the win.

With one match to play Vipin Gupta led the 2nd XI’s league run-scoring with 479 runs, including an unbeaten 149, the team’s highest individual league score of the season.

Praf Pant had scored 379 runs, while Amiya Mishra contributed 265. Nabkishore Pani also made a significant contribution in just five appearances, scoring 254 runs at an average of 63.50 and finishing with a high score of 99 not out.

Captain George O’Neill completed the top five with 184 runs.

Sriram Govindan at the same stage was leading wicket-taker with 22 league wickets with Kiran Sankaran on 19 and Amiya Mishra on 17.

Amiya Mishra has also had a strong all-round season, combining his 265 runs with 17 wickets at an average of 15.29.

billlothian1008@gmail.com

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South 2nd XI champions

Women T20 final

CARLTON WOMEN AND HERIOT’S MEN took the honours when Cricket Scotland held the annual T20 finals at Stirling.

Superbly led by skipper Sam Evans the Carlton women saw off the challenge of Grampian Thistles in the final having defeated Watsonians in the semis.

Recovering from 19-2 early on Evans smacked an unbeaten 65 in a Carlton total of 132-5.

In the reply Thistles could only muster 92-8.

Another Carlton highlight was an unbeaten semi-final 102 for Charis Scott against ‘Sonians.

Hero for Heriot’s men in their final win over Clydesdale was Lloyd Brown with 108 off 66 balls.

That helped post a target of 175-3 and Clydesdale were always struggling to respond finishing on 111 all out.

In the semi final Heriot’s dismissed Forfarshire for 58 while Clydesdale were similarly destructive in ousting RH Corstorphine for 86.

Men T20 final

Image: Ian Jacobs

Image: Ian Jacobs

Cricket Scotland hold T20 Finals

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Currie re-appoint co-captains CURRIE CHIEFTAINS are sticking with the same co-captaincy arrangement which carried them to second place in the Scottish rugby premiership behind Ayr last season.

That means responsibility continues to be invested in scrum half Gregor Christie, a Scottish clubs’ internationalist who played some of his earlier career in Pukekohe, New Zealand, along with forward Rhys Davies who came up through the Malleny Park ranks and played his 150th game for

the club last season.

Among the new faces at Malleny this season are Mason Cullen, a product of the Scottish youth system but latterly displaying his outside back talents with English Championship side Ampthill.

Also Jack Fisher has joined from Selkirk.

The powerfully built second row was noted during the now defunct FOSROC Super Six series leading the competition with 11 league turnovers from eight games for Boroughmuir Bears.

Gregor Christie

Water Polo final Portobello water polo youngsters excelled by reaching the final of the annual BMC Cup under-15 mixed tournament in Dunfermline where they lost to Radcliffe, from Manchester, scoring first in a 2-6 defeat.

On the way through to the final Porty topped their group winning all three games and conceding a mere four goals.

The tournament commemorates Brian MacDonald Campbell, former coach and pillar of Scottish water polo. He died of cancer in 2019 and the event is organised by his sons, Ali, Chris and Darren to help bring through the next generation of talent.

Many of the youngsters did Brian’s memory proud with notable

displays. Organisers were particularly pleased to see a fledgling Aberdeen club dip their toe into competitive waters.

Logan Currie (Dunfermline) was top goal scorer overall with 19 goals followed by Warrender’s Jaai Naryan with 17 and Portobello’s Matthew Sinclair with 16.

The Most Valuable Player prize went south with Radcliffe’s Amber Tucker while her team-mate, Joey Neil, was named top goalkeeper The 3rd/4th play off match saw hosts Dunfermline beat Menzieshill 8-2.

The BMC competition continues from 4-6 September with an under-19 girls competition with Radcliffe travelling back to Fife to defend the trophy they won last year.

Jim Moffat

Medallist Jim pride of Dean BC DEAN BOWLING CLUB’S PRESIDENT, Jim Moffat is now their most decorated member after taking a bronze medal at the Scottish Championships at Ayr. After beating over-55 singles opponents from Mintlaw, Glenluce and Cockenzie & Port Seton Jim lost out to an opponent from Aberdeen but nevertheless qualified for bronze.

Jim also appeared in the over-55 triples and in the past has competed in pairs and fours.

Dominic Harrison

Bowling honours

Top Goal Scorer Logan Currie Dunfermline

Boost for rugby club EDINBURGH NORTHERN RUGBY CLUB will go into their East Division Two opener at Leith on 5 September boosted by significant recruitment.

Over the summer 20 new players pitched up at Inverleith Park and for the pre-season friendly against Queensferry, which resulted in a 46-7 win, Northern fielded 11 debutants.

Continuity on the field is provided by the re-appointment of Crebhan Hughes as captain. Vice captain is Lee Tennant.

Fresh from hanging up his boots Dominic Harrison takes up the role of president with Jason Thompson his deputy.

On the coaching front Jamie McCann provides a lead with ex-players Tommy Horton and Michie McCall assisting.

Elliot Young receiving the trophy

ELLIOT YOUNG has won the gents singles title at Postal Bowling Club for the first time since 2009.

Pictured right: Elliot defeated Jamie Gracie 20-16 in the final and received his trophy from club president, Colin Forfar.

Bowling – Medallist Jim pride of Dean BC Dean bowling club’s president, Jim Moffat is now their most decorated member after taking a bronze medal at the Scottish Championships at Ayr. Other club champions decided include: Craigentinny: Jessica Young retained the ladies title by defeating past champion Moira Young.

Willowbrae: Richard Dimelow won the men’s championship with victory over Gino di Ponio.

Liberton: Charlie Duncan dethroned defending champion Norman Ingles 21=17 to take the men’s title for the second time.

Bainfield: Steven Pilley retained the gents title by beating new member Keith Smith in the final.