The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition: 19 - 21 September 2025
Anti-Trump demo, council’s £188m buildings plan, Ocean Terminal update, Will Young's doggy donation, new nightclub opens + Colony of Artists weekend
⛅️ Good morning Edinburgh. Here’s Friday’s Edinburgh Minute, including the Community Noticeboard + the weekend guide for paying subscribers, who ensure this newsletter exists. Join them:
☀️ Weekend weather: Dry with sunny outbreaks on Friday. A yellow weather warning for heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday. High of 18C on Friday and low of 5C on Sunday night into Monday morning. - The full Met Office forecast is here.
🇺🇸 Around 200 demonstrators gathered on the Meadows last night to voice their opposition to the state visit of US president Donald Trump. - There’s a gallery of some of the creative placards and signs in this report by Julie Dunnett in the Daily Record.
✈️ Workers at the Leonardo UK aerospace facility at Crewe Toll could go on strike after rejecting a pay rise. The firm’s 2024 revenue was nearly €18billion and profit was more than €1.5billion. The factory is regularly targeted by protesters against Israel's attacks on Gaza. - Gabriel McKay, The Herald.
⮑ A Leonardo spokesperson said: "The two year pay deal made to Union members is fair and competitive, representing a package of fixed and variable pay that has the potential to pay employees 9.2%.“
⮑ The Unite union’s Rhys McCarthy responded: "Leonardo is incredibly wealthy and makes billions from UK government contracts. It is entirely unacceptable that it sees fit to make a poor pay offer to a highly skilled and valuable workforce. Unite is making it clear that unless Leonardo quickly returns to the negotiating table with an improved offer, they will see the anger of their workforce on the picket line."
💰 The council says more than £188 million is being invested towards improving public buildings in Edinburgh, with £20 million set aside for the next 12 months. - The council published more details here.
🚴♂️ A senior officer has admitted failings in the council’s handling of the hosting the start of the Tour de France in 2027. - Joseph Sullivan, Local Democracy Reporter, Edinburgh Live.
🏙️ New images showing plans for the redevelopment of Ocean Terminal have been published. - The site owners’ sale brochure is here.
⮑ The images include a new black cladding for the shopping centre - spotted by Harry Williams of Edinburgh Planning Updates.
🔐 A bid to delay the launch of the city’s tourist tax by three months has been rejected. - Rachel Amery, The Scotsman.
🚦 Residents have been ‘left confused’ by the latest plans for Morningside's Braids neighbourhood, reports Ian Swanson in the Evening News.
🕰️ Councillors have approved £150,000 to restore the clock at Portobello Baptist Church. - BBC Scotland News.
🏠 The A-listed Lamb’s House property in Leith is for sale at £3,750,000. - Beth Franklin, STV News.
🪩 The team behind the Gilded Balloon have opened a new dance club and multi-arts space, called People’s Leisure Club, at 45 Lothian Street. - They’re on Instagram here.
⮑ Nightwave, Leon Vynehall, and Athens of the North appear in the first two months of programming, reports DJ Mag.
🐾 Singer Will Young visited Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home to deliver thousands of meals to dogs in need. - Beth Franklin & Vanessa Kennedy, STV News.
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📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard - news you can use:
📌 "What Might Have Been: 17th - 28th September: An exhibition at Leith Makers exploring the dream like nature of sisterhood by Sharon Woods and Susan Mitchell." - Thanks to Susan Mitchell at Leith Makers for sharing this.
📌 "Friday 19th September - Cooks & Books: 'Do Ferment' book launch with Topping & Co - Tasters, Demos and talk about fermenting, Q&A and book signing by the authors." - Thanks to Do Ferment authors Matthew Pennington & Nicola Cradock for sharing this.
📌 "Runs 19 to 28 Sep: POLSKI is a new group exhibition celebrating 10 years of Polish art in Scotland and includes new and existing work by 17 artists of Polish heritage, based in Edinburgh and Scotland. Scot-ART Gallery, open daily." - Thanks to the POLSKI organisers for sharing this.
📌 "19-21 Sept: Edinburgh Art Fair is back this weekend at the Corn Exchange for its 20th Anniversary edition, with a huge range of art available from all over the world! Live demos, talks by artists and short film screenings occurring as well. Kids can also create their own art during the show!" - Thanks to Edinburgh Art Fair for sharing this.
📌 "20/9/25 – Join Edinburgh based publishers boom saloon at Custom Lane this weekend for a whole host of free workshops, talks, demonstrations and events to celebrate the finale of their work to rewrite the story of dementia, 4,4,4&2." - Thanks to boom saloon for sharing this. - Get free tickets here.
📌 "Saturday 20 September: - Orienteering at Bonaly Country Park with ESOC. 6 difficulty levels to choose from, from easy to hard. All welcome." - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 "Saturday 20 September at 7pm – Ali Plumb (that film guy from Radio 1) is bringing his Film Quiz Project back to The Cameo this Saturday! Tickets are just £10 a pop and there will be silliness and prizes galore. Get your team together and test your mettle against Edinburgh's best movie buffs!" - Thanks to The Cameo for sharing this.
📌 "Sat 20 & Sun 21st Sep, 2pm-7.30pm: Pop up for Palestine #2 Weekend Art sale and exhibition and house concert. Raising funds for Palestinians - tickets via EventBrite." - Thanks to Elisabeth Tainsh founder of Solidarity with Displaced Humans for sharing this.
📌 "You are welcome to join a free community walk on Monday 22 September, meeting at The Pitt, Granton at 5.30pm. Celebrating the Auumn Equinox, we will walk together in the direction of Silverknowes, and return to where we began for the sunset at 7.12pm." - Thanks to Tamsin Grainger, Walking Artist 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.
📌 "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.
📌 "Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 October - Silver Fox Rugby Camp for boys & girls P6 to S4 at St George's School, Edinburgh. Build confidence & skills while making friends and having great fun!" - Thanks to The Silver Fox Coach for sharing this.
📌 "New season, new hobby? Join our friendly community choir at Songworks on Thursday evenings 7-8.30, from 25 September. We're at the Columcille Centre, 2 Newbattle Terrace, EH10 4RT" - Thanks to Songworks 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.
🛝 There are lots of family-friendly things to do this weekend, including Talk Like a Pirate Day workshop, free therapy for new mums, a bargain zoo deal for new parents and more. - It’s all in the new edition of Gayle’s Guide.
📆 It’s a busy weekend in town! The next bit is for paying subscribers only. Find even more to do in your weekend guide…
🌮 This weekend’s outdoor market traders in the Grassmarket, Leith and Stockbridge are listed here.
🏠 It’s the annual Colony of Artists weekend. More than 115 artists invite you into their homes and gardens in the Abbeyhill Colonies this weekend for the 20th annual event. - The full programme is here.
⮑ Among the events is a fundraiser for charities sending aid to those in need in Gaza. - Saturday from 11am.
⮑ I went along to meet some of the artists FIFTEEN YEARS AGO and produced this shaky Guardian video: