The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition: 25 - 27 July 2025
Man shot, Fringe 'sausage factory' claim, final weekend of food & folk fest + New Town pre-festival family funday
🌞 Good morning Edinburgh. Here’s Friday’s Edinburgh Minute, including the Community Noticeboard + the weekend guide for subscribers.
☀️ Weekend weather: Staying warm with a chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. High of 21C and low of 13C. Next week’s weather is looking similar. - The full Met Office forecast is here.
🚔 A 23-year-old man is in hospital after being shot in Wester Hailes yesterday afternoon. Police arrested a 36-year-old man. Specialist firearms officers searched the area around Hailesland Gardens and said no one else was injured. - Police Scotland.
⮑ The 23-year-old man was treated in hospital for injuries to his arm but they are not thought to be life-threatening, reports BBC Scotland News.
⮑ A burnt-out car was found nearby, reports Kris Gourlay in the Daily Record.
🎪 “The Fringe is like a festival of beer gardens these days”, says long-time festival producer and Famous Spiegeltent owner David Bates. - Interview by Brian Ferguson, The Herald.
- The Fringe (technically) kicks off today, with a host of shows opening at Traverse Theatre as part of TravFest. - Here’s Anahit Behrooz’s events preview in The Skinny.
🗳️ ‘First year report cards on your city MPs’ - Sarah McArthur, Edinburgh Inquirer.
🚲 ‘This is a world heritage site. Get this bike tae f*ck’, reads a sign on a bike locked to a fence in Stockbridge. - Spurtle.
🤹♂️ The Edinburgh International Children's Festival has appointed a new Festival Director. Described as ‘an internationally respected and passionate Thai theatre director, curator, and producer’, Adjjima Na Patalung is currently director of the Bangkok International Children's Theatre Festival. She will start in the new job in November. - More details from Imaginate here.
🛝 This weekend’s family-friendly things to do are in Gayle’s Guide. Including: the free Family Festival at Craigmillar Castle Park, tours around the Red Moss of Balerno boardwalks + a kid-friendly live gig at the Jazz Bar. - Have a read here.
If this post gets cut-off in your email inbox, read it online at this link.
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard - news you can use:
📌 "Edinburgh Food Social at the Edinburgh Folk & Food Festival: we will be joined by Nourish Scotland for a panel discussion on the public diners and their potential to uplift, connect, and transform our communities. We'll be sharing stories from our community meals and hands-on food education workshops, as well as looking ahead to our hopes for the future. The event will be hosted by the wonderful Sarah Rankin, 4pm Friday 25th July. Ticketed but free." - Thanks to Edinburgh Food Social for sharing this.
📌 SUNDAY: "All your family fun before the tourists arrive (and some stuff for the grown ups too!) ECVS, Golden Hare Books and The Edinburgh Minute bring you the Pre-Festival Family funday Sunday 27th July - activities from 11 til 4... for the kids, a bouncy castle storytime, a drawing contest and an animation workshop. For the grown-ups, coffee, cakes and films, new Edinburgh shorts and old Edinburgh from the ECVS archive of film-making going back to 1936. And the children's parade, of course, come dressed as a character from a film or book at 3pm." - Thanks to Gordon Guthrie, Chair of Edinburgh Cine and Video Society, for sharing this. - More details in this Instagram post.
📌 "The new Textile Guide to Edinburgh has just been published. It is for everyone who loves textiles and wants to discover the best museums, shops and studios to visit in the city and beyond. It's downloadable and written by Jo Andrews, who runs the popular textile podcast Haptic & Hue from Edinburgh, and Rebecca Devaney of Textile Tours of Paris." - Thanks to organisers for sharing this.
📌 "This is a crowdfunding appeal to raise legal fees to test the claims by an entity called Celtic Music to the rights to a tranche of recorded works by Scottish folk legend Dick Gaughan (from Leith) – music recorded between 53 and 30 years ago. It's to help Dick Gaughan towards establishing his rights to some or all of his works, allowing them to be widely heard in the 21st Century, and it's possible that the process will reveal information and set precedents that may allow other now elderly artists from the 70s or their heirs to pursue claims of their own." - Thanks to organisers for sharing this.
📌 Sunday: "Join us for Deer Bambinos – a guided family walk through the beautiful Hopetoun Grounds, filled with fun games and deer-themed activities. Discover the wild Roe Deer and meet our majestic Red and Fallow Deer herds, with a special close-up visit to the Red Deer to end your adventure." - Thanks to Hopetoun House & Grounds for sharing this.
📌 "Edinburgh's Oldest Apothecary is 165 years old! Napiers marked 165 years with a special celebration at Greyfriars alongside the founder's great-granddaughter at the end of May. We'd love to share a look back at our history to mark this milestone!" - Thanks to Napiers the Herbalists for sharing this.
📌 "We have an open plan resident bay available at Edinburgh Open Workshop. Ideal for independent creatives, creative businesses, or freelancers looking for a stimulating environment - this is a rare and exciting opportunity to join our vibrant and creative community. Please contact us or check out our website for more details on the space." - Thanks to Edinburgh Open Workshop for sharing this.
📌 "Fun dog show at Vogrie country park in the events field on Saturday 26th July 2025. For all breeds of dogs and raising funds for German Shepherd Rescue Scotland. A great day out for dog lovers." - Thanks to German Shepherd Rescue Scotland for sharing this.
📌 "Any day now, the UK government will face a major climate test: Equinor is expected to reapply to develop Rosebank, the biggest undeveloped oil field in the UK. Rosebank is a climate disaster that we can still stop. That's why we're taking to the streets for a coordinated national Day of Action. Let's make Edinburgh's opposition to Rosebank loud and clear - Join us for the Stop Rosebank Day of Action on September 6th. Sign up for details and updates here!" - Thanks to Juliet of Stop Rosebank Edinburgh for sharing this.
📌 "Coven Studios Open Day | Free Entry Join us for a peek behind the scenes at Coven Studios. Come hang out, meet members of our collective and enjoy food by Bongou Cafe." - Thanks to Coven Studios for sharing this.
📌 "Saturday 26th July to Saturday 2nd August Corstorphine Art group's exhibition is on in St Ninians church hall. Enjoy a wide selection of original works by local artists. Most items exhibited are for sale at very reasonable prices." - Thanks to Corstorphine Art Group for sharing this.
📌 "It's coming up to the last Friday of the month which once again means that Tidal Yoga, 115 Leith Walk is hosting their FREE LEITH COMMUNITY CLASS - A gentle yoga class taking place for the people of Leith, especially those who find the cost of Yoga prohibiting. Join Alex for a 45 minute gentle yoga flow at 5.30pm. Book in via the website please and if you book, please come!" - Thanks to Alex for sharing this.
📌 "September 27th, 2025 - DAYS have released their headliners for the September addition. A fine mix of artists including, Erol Alkan, Leon Vynehall, Or:la, Ross from Friends, an un-announced special guest as well as a whole heap of local talent. A full day of music down at the Pitt in Granton." - Thanks to Owen Davies, Festival Director at DAYS, for sharing this.
📌 "We have handed over our first donation (a cheque for £450) to Cash for Kids Holiday Hunger initiative. Both The Crab & Lobster Fish Shack in South Queensferry, and Jack 'O'Bryan's in Dunfermline, will be fundraising for this charity for the next year, with our next cheque hopefully handed over in November when KFK launches Its Mission Christmas. Customers will be asked to make a £1 donation which will be put onto their bill. It's completely voluntary but we hope that lots of customers will get behind it." - Thanks to Jack Coghill, Head Chef for sharing this.
📌 "Irish, queer singer-songwriter Gráinne Hunt takes her authentic songs and story-telling to Leith Depot on 30th July. Special guest Stara Zagora. Supported by Culture Ireland." - Thanks to Gráinne Hunt - Artist, for sharing this.
📌 "Wild Rose Forest Therapy (Rosie) will be guiding a Forest Bathing Taster Session in St. Mark's Park, Leith on Sunday 3rd of August 10:00-11am, to escape the hectic fringe. This carefully crafted experience gives you a chance to soothe, restore and connect deeply to nature. Learn creative nature connection invitations and share with others... "It was a great experience, both relaxing and energising, I wish I'd gone sooner!"" - Thanks to Rosie for sharing this.
📌 "Friday 25th 2025, there will be a clothes sale at Throat Punch Coffee Co, 30 Dalry Road from 3pm onwards. Grab a coffee and get some cheap items - clothes, homeware and accessories all starting from £1. Bring your own bag! All proceeds going to a friends fundraiser." - Thanks to organisers for sharing this.
📌 "A thought-provoking conversation around telling stories of dementia will follow the first UK performance of the hit Irish play Lost Lear at Traverse Theatre on 27 July. The show's award-winning creator Dan Colley will be joined by Alex Howard and Gus Harrower from Capital Theatres Edinburgh's dementia-friendly programme and Edinburgh-based artist Magdalena Schamberger, who specialises in creating theatre for those with dementia. The conversation will also invite audience members to chat about how the show resonated with their own experiences of living with and caring for those with dementia." - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 "Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre turns 30 this September! We are fundraising for our big Birthday Party on September 13th for the North Edinburgh community and we need help to reach our target (we're a while away!) which will help us to make the day accessible, fun and enjoyable for all. If you can, please consider donating to our Justgiving page and help support a small community centre which works to meet the social, cultural, economic and environmental needs of the most vulnerable living in our community." - Thanks to the Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre Team for sharing this.
📌 "Friday 25th to Sunday 27th, 12-8PM. -196, a Japanese ready-to-drink alcohol brand, will be running a free pop-up event outside the entrance to the St James Quarter, with free drinks and DJ sessions throughout the day. Will be a free event to dance and try a new drink with friends!" - Thanks to Suntory for sharing this.
📌 "Thursday 31st July- join us for SAVVY's second event 'Matcha Morning' for a fun, friendly morning of networking, where you can enjoy some delicious matcha and get to know new faces in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere!! Located at Singh Street Cha, Stockbridge." - Thanks to Tilly Stewart, founder of SAVVY, for sharing this.
📌 "Edinburgh Community Bookshop has started extended hours on Thursdays! A second-hand bookshop that donates our profits to a different Edinburgh based charity every month. Open every day from 10-4, Thursdays now open until 7 pm - 179-181 Great Junction Street, Edinburgh EH6 5LQ" - Thanks to Edinburgh Community Bookshop for sharing this.
📌 "OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS! Leith Makers Gallery is looking for exhibitors for upcoming show 'Leith Connections', celebrating our neighbourhoods, history, diversity and creativity. The exhibition is open for all artists at any stage in their creative journey, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro. Deadline for submissions is 5pm, 27th July 2025. Apply on our site!" - Thanks to Leith Makers Gallery for sharing this.