The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition: 26 - 28 September 2025
Councillors vote to boycott Israel, Sick Kids social care service saved + busy weekend guide including Gravity Beer Festival, Big Bike Film Night & Doors Open Days
👋 Good morning Edinburgh. It’s one of the busiest weekends in the calendar since the festivals. You’ll find the weekend guide for paying subscribers after the news and Community Noticeboard. Thanks to everyone who sent something in. Edinburgh really is buzzing. Nowhere else on the internet has the range of local events that this newsletter has, and that’s thanks to you, 26,000+ local readers. It’s a joy to curate this and get to know some of you. I love learning about the brilliant things that you’re doing to make Edinburgh a better place to be. Enjoy.
☀️ Weekend weather: Mostly sunny again on Friday. A dry Saturday morning followed by a threat of rain from around 3pm until night. Dry and sunny again on Sunday. High of 18C on Friday and low of 8C on Sunday night into Monday morning. Next week’s weather is looking decent too! - The full Met Office forecast is here.
🇮🇱 Edinburgh councillors voted yesterday to boycott Israel in opposition to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. - Lucy Jackson, The National.
⮑ The details of the official boycott process are listed in yesterday’s council meeting agenda here, at item 8.3.
🏥 Councillors also voted for an investigation to be carried out into the original decision to withdraw 11 social workers from the new Sick Kids. - Joseph Sullivan, Local Democracy Reporter, in The Edinburgh Reporter.
🦏 A one-horned rhino who was transported from Edinburgh Zoo to the Netherlands for a breeding programme is at the centre of a row over red tape due to Brexit. - BBC Scotland News.
🎄 Broomhall Park in Corstorphine has been turned into a Christmas scene as the set of supermarket TV advert. - Jacob Farr, Edinburgh Live.
🏠 A carefully restored building in Portobello is The Times’ property of the week. Seven years ago its roof had completely collapsed and ‘this coach house in a Regency mews off one of Portobello’s loveliest streets was near derelict’, writes Malcolm Jack. But retired theatre professional Gavin Harding stepped in to rescue it and now it’s on the market (via Savills). - Harding discusses the restoration in The Times.
🏴 Fans of the Outlander TV series are traveling from around the world for the official Outlander Convention : Land Con this weekend at the EICC. Members of the cast will be there. - More details and tickets are here.
🎨 The former paper factory at Maybury that was used for this year’s Hidden Door festival is open again this weekend for a new exhibition. The showcase, titled ‘Edge of Matter’, is a collaboration between Hidden Door and Visual Arts Scotland, who promise ‘big ideas, experimental forms and unforgettable experiences’. - More details here.
If the newsletter gets cut-off in your email inbox, read it online at this link.
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard - news you can use:
📌 “This is the last week to see Soo Burnell’s exhibition ‘I am home’ at the Hoxton! The exhibition takes viewers on a journey through Edinburgh’s more intimate and often overlooked locations. Open each day until the 5th of October.” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Parents and Carers of the North East of Edinburgh, please pop in and see us at The Citadel from 9:30am to 11am every Tuesday for our Family Drop-In. Get support and advice from family workers on multiple topics.” - Thanks to Aisling Lynch from The Citadel Youth Centre for sharing this.
📌 “Friday 26 September: A charity football match by the students who attend The Spartans Alternative School to raise money for North Edinburgh Dementia Care. 2pm Kick off with gates opening at 1:30pm for a family fun day. you got a raffle, bakesale, ice cream and much more for £6, under 16s free!“ - Thanks to Sarah-Jane Henderson Art Facilitator at Spartans Alternative School for sharing this. (It’s students vs adults!)
📌 “Saturday: Free Hackathon for 15-18 year olds at Codebase, Castle Terrace. Team up, make something cool (apps, websites, or games), then show it off. All welcome - food, drinks, snacks, and swag are provided.” - Thanks to Professor Melissa Terras, University of Edinburgh for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday: Caution, runners! Participants of The 26th Water of Leith Half will be running down the path from Balerno to Leith this Saturday morning, 9.30am and 12noon so please be aware that your usual quiet Saturday walk may be busier than usual. Fundraising for WOL Conservation Trust.” - Thanks to Catriona Bruce, Blast Running Ltd. for sharing this.
📌 “The Advocates Library will welcome members of the public during Doors Open Day on Saturday 27 September. Enjoy a guided tour of the library, a scavenger hunt involving the Faculty of Advocates’ Art Collection, and exhibitions on the Library’s history and architectural heritage.” - Thanks to Faculty of Advocates for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday: Providing Ongoing Ostomate Support Scotland- Peer Support Group Meeting, for any one with a stoma, their friends, family and carers. ASDA Jewel community room, meet at the customer service desk for 1pm.” - Thanks to POOSScotland for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday 27th September - Morningside Hope are hosting a dementia friendly concert at 2pm, in Morningside Parish Church, everyone is welcome, the concert lasts approx 45mins followed by tea / coffee. Entry by donation. The concert is a string quartet.” - Thanks to Morningside Hope for sharing this.
📌 “Exciting new term of Porty Art Classes for Teenagers beginning on Saturday 27th September, 11-12.30, at Bellfield Community Hub. For more info and to enrol, please email portyartclasses@gmail.com“ - Thanks to Kate Leiper, Porty Art Class Teacher for sharing this.
📌 “Edinburgh Road Club is once again hosting our cyclocross extravaganza in Inch Park on 27/09. Races are for Under 8s and up, plus a women’s race and for the first time a Time Trial for men. If you don’t fancy competing (entry via the British Cycling link) then come down to support the riders!“ - Thanks to Euan Munro, ERC President for sharing this.
📌 “The Edinburgh Urban Sketchers are having an exhibition in the Morningside United Church as part of the Church’s Open Doors day on Sunday. The church will be open from 1:30pm to 4:30pm. There will be some artists drawing/painting portraits for £5 a pop.” - Thanks to Edinburgh Urban Sketchers for sharing this.
📌 “Sunday 28th September, 10am - 4pm - Leith School of Art is opening its doors to the public as part of Doors Open Day. Pop by for a guided tour of the building and learn about its varied history (every hour, on the hour), or try your hand at some simple table-top printmaking.” - Thanks to Leith School of Art for sharing this.
📌 “Sunday: Edinburgh Library of Things has officially opened for business! We will have a stall at the Barnton Bunker Community Garden opening event, where you can come donate items, sign up for membership, and browse our Book and Clothes Swap tables. Hope to see you there!” - Thanks to Alix, Co-Founder of Edinburgh Library of Things for sharing this.
📌 “Tuesday 30th September 7pm - Drink Wine and Speak Spanish at Mellis Cheese Lounge, Morningside. Hosted by Eugenia, come along to meet people and make conversation. All levels welcome: from beginners to native speakers.” - Thanks to Eugenia for sharing this.
📌 “Home Energy Scotland will be at NHS winter vaccine clinics across Edinburgh providing free impartial advice on how to save energy, lower your bills and check if you are eligible for financial support. If you don’t catch them at a clinic, call 0808 808 2282 for advice on how to stay warm this winter.” - Thanks to Eva Shippey for sharing this.
🛝 There are lots of family-friendly things to do this weekend, including a mini Children’s Book Festival, Irish Culture and Heritage Day, Harvest Festival at the Botanics and more... It’s all in the new edition of Gayle’s Guide. There’s also a round-up of Doors Open Day events for people with kids too. Well worth a look!
📆 It’s a busy weekend in town! The next bit is for paying subscribers only and it’s a DOORS OPEN special this weekend…
🔑 A favourite weekend for the snoopers and architecture lovers among us: Edinburgh’s Doors Open Day weekend is on Saturday and Sunday. All events are free.
⮑ Find the full Edinburgh programme here and a map here. Some highlights: