The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition 14 - 16 March 2025
New Princes Street design, a Trump in town, pay rises for uni & council chiefs + more festival announcements
☀️ Good morning Edinburgh. Here’s Friday’s Edinburgh Minute, followed by the local weekend guide.
🇺🇸 First Minister John Swinney met US President Donald Trump's son Eric at Bute House in Charlotte Square yesterday. Eric said: “We did not discuss Scottish or US politics but concentrated on golf. It was a very positive and constructive meeting about business and investment." - BBC Scotland News.
⮑ Earlier this week some local councillors have called on the council to oppose any visit by US president Donald Trump.
💰 Council leader Jane Meagher will get a pay increase of £7,500 (from £64,063 to £71,519), while non-senior councillors will see their pay rise from £21,345 to £25,982, thanks to a new Scottish Government policy. - Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan, Midlothian View.
🎓 Another pay rise in the news: The University of Edinburgh’s vice-chancellor, Sir Peter Mathieson, received a £9,247 pay rise in January, reports Jack Davies in The Student.
⮑ Also: It’s reported this morning that Sir Peter Mathieson has taken on a second job. - Paul Dobson in The Ferret.
👀 An alternative vision for the future of Princes Street has been unveiled by local award-winning architect Richard Murphy. - Exclusive by Donald Turvill in The Herald.
⮑ Posting more images on his website, Murphy described it as a ‘speculative vision’, which would close the Frederick Street/Princes Street junction in the same way that the Castle Street/Princes Street junction was closed some years ago. - Read more from Murphy here:
“The City Council are asking for ideas for the future of Princes Street and the adjacent gardens. Their paper has been criticised for lack of vision so we have decided to draw up our ideas to assist the debate. Our proposals are for West Princes Street Gardens. We also have ideas for East Princess Street Gardens but these currently confidential.”
🟨 The Edinburgh International Festival revealed its 2025 programme yesterday. Its includes Brian Cox in a play about Scotland’s role in the 2008 financial crash, a new version of Orpheus and Eurydice blending opera and circus, and The Big Singalong at Princes Street Gardens' Ross Bandstand. - Jamie Dunn, The Skinny.
⮑ The opening show will be an eight-hour choral performance by 250 singers of a universal prayer. - BBC Scotland News.
⮑ The programme is online now and tickets can be booked later this month.
⛳️ Mini-golf and a 10-lane bowling alley are coming to Waverley Market. - Kevin Quinn, Evening News.
🚎 Edinburgh Bus Station will stay in operation until at least 2042 after councillors agreed to pay a new £350,000 rent hike. - Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan, in Midlothian View.
🛍️ Craigmillar’s member-run Greenhouse Pantry is closing next month due to funding problems,. - They posted this notice on their door.
🚴♀️ Heriot-Watt University students are calling for a publicly-owned bike hire scheme to be created in Edinburgh, matching many other European cities. - The uni published details here.
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard
📌 “For the first time, guided touch tours will be held at the Palace of Holyroodhouse on Monday, 17 March. This will be a special opportunity for visually impaired and blind visitors to engage with selected features of the Palace of Holyroodhouse and handle replica objects to bring the incredible history of the Palace of Holyroodhouse to life. The tour will include audio descriptions of the rooms with relevant stories by a specialist audio describer.” - Thanks to the Royal Collection Trust for sharing this.
📌 “‘In the shadow of tomorrow’: Free tickets to a one of a kind dance performance questioning the role of technology through dance and robotics at EFI.” - Thanks to Camila Jimenez Pol for sharing this. 14 March, 6pm, Edinburgh Futures Institute.
📌 “Pop in to the Undercraft Cafe at the Edinburgh New Town Church for lunch or a coffee and be entranced by the current cafe exhibition. Icons on Ammunition Boxes by Ukrainian artists Sonya Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko is on view during cafe opening hours,10:30am – 2pm Monday to Friday. The new Undercroft exhibition has been lent to us by Sunflower Scotland, a Ukrainian charity that provides help to those still living in Ukraine’s frontline villages.” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Balerno Fairtrade Village Group hosts its 20th anniversary Spring Fairtrade Morning event this Saturday, between 10am and noon, in Balerno Parish Church Halls. Stalls include Fairtrade info, fairly-traded goods, and the Pentlands Eco Group Seed Swap, plus an exhibition of Balerno Schools' prizewinning art on a fairtrade theme. Also, great home-baking, teas/coffee, and children's activities.” - Thanks to C&B News for sharing this.
📌 “Family-Friendly Fundraising Ceilidh - Join us for an afternoon of live music and ceilidh dancing on Saturday, 15th March 3.30-7.30pm at St Ninian‘s Hall, 138-140 Pleasance. We‘re fundraising for Project Trust and our volunteering project in Ghana.”- Thanks to volunteer Clara McCabe for sharing this.
📌 “Some friends and I are organising a charity walk on Sunday to commemorate the 200th birthday of Scotland’s worst poet, William Topaz McGonagall. Tickets available here.” - Thanks to Eleanor Walker for sharing this.
📌 “Storm the Palace is sadly closing the curtains, but they have one last gig, this Sunday March 16th at Leith Depot in Edinburgh; we'll be playing all our greatest hits, and we're even importing some very special guests (i.e. our old bassist, Sam 💕). Support comes from our loyal compatriot Louis Rive.” - Thanks to ‘Strom the Palace Groupie, Sarah’ for sharing this.
📌 “Join Pour & Paint: Tote Bags Edition, the ultimate sip-and-paint experience in Edinburgh! Join this tote-ally fun afternoon, get creative, meet new people, and design your very own hand-painted tote bag. No experience needed. We will see you on 22 March at 5pm at Leith Makers.” - Thanks to Martina Birotti of MABIprojects workshops for sharing this. - Sign up on Eventbrite.