The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition: 13 - 15 June 2025
Tributes to Sir Geoff, Astley Ainslie demolition, Soho House plan, MoonWalk quitting Edinburgh, Leith Festival + Filmhouse box office opens
☀️ Good morning Edinburgh. Here’s Friday’s Edinburgh Minute, including the Community Noticeboard + the weekend guide for paying subscribers. Thank you to the paying subscribers who make this newsletter possible, and everyone who shares it too. I appreciate you!
☀️ Weekend weather: A sunny end to the week today, wet on Saturday and dry but cloudy on Sunday. Highs of 21C and lows of 12C. - The full Met Office forecast is here.
🎓 Trailblazing scientist and human rights activist Sir Geoff Palmer has died aged 85. He was Scotland's first ever black professor.
⮑ Heriot-Watt University published a tribute here.
⮑ He is described as ‘a courageous voice for justice & equality’ in Dale Millar’s report for The Scotsman.
⮑ In the 1960s, a young Sir Geoff invented the barley abrasion process before setting up the renowned International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University. He even had a whisky named after him.
🗳️ Former council leader Cammy Day is back in the local Scottish Labour party after he was cleared by police of inappropriate behaviour. Police Scotland added: ‘Time is no barrier to our enquiries’. - Paul Hutcheon, Daily Record.
🌳 The Julia Rausing Trust is donating £2.85m towards the development of the east garden on the Calton Hill site of the planned new National Centre for Music. - Brian Ferguson, The Herald.
🎬 Booking is now open on the Filmhouse website ahead of its first screenings following a £2m refurb. The Lothian Road cinema is due to reopen on 27 June with a hand-picked programme of films it could not show during the venue’s two-and-a-half-year closure. The first will be Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso. The cinema says it will announce new membership offers and multiple-tier ticket pricing over the next few weeks. - You can see and book the cinema’s new listings here + read the press release here.
“It’s been tough – whilst Filmhouse was closed – to watch some brilliant films come and go from cinemas without being able to offer a venue to watch them in... The good news is, Filmhouse has never been a better place to watch a film (and talk about it afterward!) than it is today and we simply cannot wait to welcome everyone back, or, for the first time!” - Rod White, Programming Director of Filmhouse.
🍕 A new pizzeria named Pala is due to open in Jane Street, Leith, today from 4pm. - Find out more about Pala on Instagram.
🏃♀️ With Leith Links as the starting point and W&J Coffee the destination, there’s an open invite to Saturday’s We Run Edinburgh women’s community run group. - More details here.
🏨 Plans to turn a Fountainbridge office block into a new 256-bed four-star hotel, bar and restaurant have been approved. - Kevin Quinn, Evening News.
🏨 The Soho House founder has applied to build a new motel to South Gyle. - Fiona McDonald, Deadline.
📚 Tomorrow’s Scotsman newspaper is due to include a 12-page deep-dive into this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival programme, including interviews with A L Kennedy, Ash Sarkar, Hamish Hawk, Caroline O'Donoghue and, Sami Tamimi, ‘who give the first exciting details about their events’…
🛜 Earlier this week it was announced the University of Edinburgh will become home to ‘the UK’s most powerful supercomputer’ (Minute edition 661).
⮑ In the posts’s comments, reader GA asked: “I wonder how they plan on powering and cooling this new supercomputer in Edinburgh - and whether funding will include planning around renewability goals and the computers impact on our environment here.” - So I asked the Uni and it responded:
“Hello, It is important to note that this is a resource that will support research and innovation across the UK, and is not limited to our University. There is no doubt that supercomputing facilities do place huge demands on energy consumption, however the processors that will be used are the most energy efficient ever developed. They will be powered by renewable electricity and the system will be Net Zero in operation. At Edinburgh, a feasibility study is also exploring how heat from the system, stored in old mine workings near the computing facility, could be harnessed to heat people’s homes. Read more about the study 👉 https://edin.ac/4fRm1uG”
🛝 For more family-friendly things to do, this week’s edition of Gayle’s Guide includes: Free outdoor cinema, Father's Day fun, a work/family balance workshop and more…
If this post gets cut-off in your email inbox, read it online at this link.
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard - news you can use:
📌 "NHS Lothian has submitted a planning application for the demolition of the Millbank Pavilion on the Astley Ainslie Hospital site. The Astley Ainslie Community Trust would like as many local people and former patients as possible to be aware of this proposal and to comment if they wish, using the link here. Concerns might include the loss of one of the three historic 'butterfly' pavilions on the site, plus damage to trees and wildlife - and the proposal appears premature because Council have not yet prepared a Place Brief for the site." - Thanks to the Astley Ainslie Community Trust for sharing this.
📌 "Have you ever been tempted to walk through the streets of Edinburgh in decorated bra (or brightly coloured bra t-shirt), but never taken the plunge? Now is your final chance – breast cancer charity Walk the Walk has announced that after 19 years, its iconic nighttime fundraising event The MoonWalk Scotland will be taking place in Edinburgh for the last time this September, before going on tour to a new city. A number of historic local landmarks – the Balmoral Hotel, Camera Obscura and RSE - have just said they will light up pink on the night of The MoonWalk too, with more buildings to be confirmed." - Thanks to Walk the Walk for sharing this.
📌 "Care4Calais Scotland invite you to a community drop-in at Stockbridge Public Library 1.30 - 4.00 pm on Saturday 14 June. Come and play board games, do craft, share a drink and snacks, meet people, and learn about seeking asylum in the UK. This free event is part of Refugee Festival Scotland." - Thanks to Sheilagh Guthrie, Care4Calais, for sharing this.
📌 "CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS! University of Edinburgh student Andrea Day is calling for participants to take part in their research and zine focused on "bookish" fandom and it's influence on queer identity. The call asks for people of queer identity who have been involved in literary or "bookish" fandom to answer a short questionnaire and/or submit works to their zine exploring the queer experience through bookish fandom." - Thanks to Andrea Day, University of Edinburgh Student, for sharing this.
📌 "Tinderbox and Granton Youth are taking over the Pitt Market for the NxNW All-Dayer; a whole day of live music featuring some of the best new bands around! Featuring: Low Tide, Lewis McLaughlin, Ace & All the Other Animals, The Citrines, Silenced Blue, Logans Close, Parma Violence, Leon Highway, and Kieran Crosbie. Tickets are £5 for those under 25 (£10 for 25+) This is a 14+ event, and all under 16s must be accompanied by an adult." - Thanks to Tinderbox Collective for sharing this.
📌 "Come along 6-8pm this Tuesday to Frame Life Drawing - downstairs at Home Bar in Tollcross, aka right near Edinburgh Art Shop & the ECA. Only £9.90 for good music, 2-20 min poses, low pressure creativity, and new friends. Must book ticket in advance (6:15 cutoff for entry), bring your own supplies, first-timers welcome! *10% discount code for Edinburgh Minute readers: MINUTEFRAME." - Thanks to Amy Penrose, Founder of Frame Life Drawing Weekly, for sharing this.
📌 "St Mary's Music School's Vocal Department presents their first public, fully staged production. A tale of loyalty, friendship, love and despair, join us at Stockbridge Parish Church at 6pm on 18 June. You can expect works from Mozart, Handel, Sondheim and Humperdinck." - Thanks to St Mary's Music School for sharing this.
📌 "Morningside Gallery has announced details of a new exhibition of work from Scott Naismith, a Scottish contemporary artist known for his innovative use of colour and with a significant online following thanks to the popularity of his YouTube channel, which now has over 35.5k subscribers and over 4M views. 'Hope' run in Morningside Gallery from 14th June - 29th June, and includes 35 new paintings from the Glasgow-based artist, marking his twelfth solo exhibition with the Edinburgh gallery and a personal one for the artist. In February this year his mother passed away and through the grieving process he began to reflect on her influence, her positive spirit and energy, and the gift of hope that she gave him through her life - his approach to painting draws upon a tremendous energy and positivity, which is reflected in the themes of hope and optimism that infuse his work." - Thanks to Carrie for sharing this.
📌 Saturday: "¡QUÉ CALOR! - A Night of Peruvian Cumbia, Food, Films & Celebration is the Latin Connections Film Festival closing event. It will celebrate one of the region's most vibrant and influential genres with a screening of the documentary "La Danza de los Mirlos" as the heart of the event. ¡QUÉ CALOR! takes place at St Peter's Church Hall and will also include food, a live musical performance, and Q&A." - Thanks to CinemaAttic for sharing this.
📌 "We're thrilled to announce that Umbrella Vinyl will be hosting Edinburgh music legend Joseph Malik for an exclusive in-store DJ set at 4pm on Saturday 14th June! Support comes from La Beat Soul's Brian (3pm) who will be spinning deep cuts from his incredible collection and Umbrella Vinyl DJs (2pm). The event is free entry!" - Thanks to Laura, co-owner of Umbrella Vinyl, for sharing this.
📌 "My very talented husband is taking part in this year's Scottish Furniture Makers Exhibition at Dalkeith Palace, running from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th June. With more than 30 of Scotland's leading furniture makers - from established names to emerging talent - it's a fantastic chance to see the breadth of design coming out of Scotland today." - Thanks to Leah Tronel, wife of one of the exhibitors (Wedge Design), for sharing this.
📌 "Open Day & Yard Sale at Kadampa Meditation Centre in Leith ; Saturday 14 June 11am - 4pm. FREE Taster Meditation Sessions and guided tours; FREE family meditation session at 2.30pm. Pick-Up a Voucher for a FREE class and enjoy our café and Meditation / book shop - Everyone is Welcome." - Thanks to Kadampa Meditation Centre for sharing this.
📌 "On Sunday, 15 June (Father's Day),12.30-3.30pm the Friends of Victoria Park are inviting everyone to a community picnic in Victoria Park. Bring your own picnic and meet your neighbours! There will be plenty to see and do including a fun dog parade, live music, face painting, children's races and games, a beekeeping demonstration and a drama session/workshop (free but donations welcome)." - Thanks to the Friends of Victoria Park for sharing this.
⮑ "There will be a dog show starting at 12.45pm and a drama session for little kids (5-10) - big kids welcome from 1.45pm. Also live music, children's games, races and a book swap; face painting and rewilding info stall." - Thanks to Jessica Sneddon for sharing this.
📌 "Charity Upmo have partnered with the renowned Fisher & Donaldson bakery to exclusively bring their famous fudge doughnuts to the Upmo Eat Café at Drumbrae Edinburgh Leisure Centre. Outside of their bakeries in Fife, Upmo will be the only seller of these doughnuts. This collaboration supports Upmo's mission of providing hospitality training for adults with learning disabilities and autism, all while supporting local producers. Profits from Upmo cafés directly support Upmo's work with adults with learning disabilities and autism." - Thanks to the Upmo project for sharing this.
📌 "Calton Consort: Midsummer concert 📆 Saturday 14th at 7:30pm in the glorious acoustics of the 💒 Canongate Kirk. A lazy, hazy programme of summer choral music closes off Calton Consort's 24-25 season with 🔔the astonishing Jonathan Dove's Passing of the Year, 🌹 the rich Eric Whitacre's Flower songs and ❤️ the sacredly profane Joanna Marsh's Batter my Heart . Also a surprising number of bees. 🐝 Tickets in advance (see link) or on the door." - Thanks to Calton Consort for sharing this.
📌 "Breakthrough T1D (Formerly JDRF) are hosting a quiz on Saturday 14th June, 7PM at Church of the Sacred Heart to raise money for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research!" - Thanks to Gus for sharing this.
📌 "Music and Words from the Trans Imaginary: An Evening with CN Lester! Join us for an evening of love and inspiration with CN Lester — a multi-genre musician, trans/queer/feminist educator, writer, and activist — initiated and hosted by QUEER.ED, sponsored by UCU Edinburgh, the Staff Pride Network, Lighthouse Bookshop, and several academic Schools across the University of Edinburgh. 7-9pm, Wednesday 25 June, Reid Concert Hall, EH8 9AL." - Thanks to Kate Davison, Lecturer in the History of Sexuality, University of Edinburgh, for sharing this.
📌 "Hi Edinburgh, love the Meadows and want to know more about it? Then come along to our Meadows Tour! It was very popular during Easter so we've decided to bring it back as a weekly Saturday 10am session over Summer, on a Pay What You Think it's worth basis." - Thanks to Fraser Horn, Founder of the Edinburgh Street Historians, for sharing this.
📌 "Free beginner and intermediate sewing classes for kids and adults at Wester Hailes Library over the next 3 weeks! Email us to reserve your spot: Westerhailes.library@edinburgh.gov.uk" - Thanks to Wester Hailes Library for sharing this.
📌 "Just launched, Village Green Gatherings is a warm and welcoming new members community in East Lothian, offering gentle adventures, creative workshops, and nature-connected events. Join us for woodland wanders, seasonal gatherings, creative activities all designed to nourish curiosity and connection. Launched last week, we're just a short hop from Edinburgh, it would be great to see you 🌿" - Thanks to Natalie, Founder of Village Green Gatherings, for sharing this.
📌 "Participants wanted for psychology study! The study is online and won't take more than 10 minutes of your time. Participation will be greatly appreciated! Follow the link to participate:" - Thanks to Abbie Freya Sutherland, MSc Applied Psychology student at Edinburgh Napier University, for sharing this.
📌 "Last chance to see the immersive experience, Mayflies: Swarm. 10,000 hand cut paper mayflies swarm on the walls of a decommissioned nuclear bunker in Corstorphine, Edinburgh. This is an opportunity to see a unique artwork and an extraordinary space. Booking is required, visit the website to book your free tour. This exhibition ends after this weekend, so don't miss your chance to see it." - Thanks to Katarina Prior for sharing this.