The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Monday 2 March 2026

🌤️ Good morning Edinburgh. Mondays are usually very busy for news, but not this one. Here’s everything I could find for Monday's Edinburgh Minute. If I've missed anything, please get in touch.

🌦️ This week's weather: A wet and breezy start will clear for a sunnier afternoon today. The sunshine continues on Tuesday and Wednesday. Rain returns on Thursday before what looks like a dry weekend. Temperatures will peak at 12C on Wednesday, with a low of 1C on Tuesday night. - See the full Met Office forecast here.

🚑 A child was hospitalised after a car being driven on Glasgow Road in Corstorphine hit them on Sunday morning. - Ian Swanson, Evening News.

🛝 A nursery in Wester Hailes has been shut down with no notice after the council said it had found 'an issue' during an inspection. Parents of children at Calderglen Early Learning and Childcare spoke to Isla Storie in Edinburgh Live.

🔥 A gorse fire burning in the Pentlands on Thursday night into Friday morning was deemed too 'unsafe' for firefighters to put out. - Ross Chalmers, Deadline News.

🗳️ Lothian MSP Foysol Choudhury, who was suspended by the Labour party in September, claims he could be the victim of conspiracy. - Ian Swanson, Evening News.

🏗️ Questions are being asked after developers of the Powderhall housing development off Broughton Road admitted a construction site 'oversight' had impacted locals. - The Spurtle.

🚧 Forrest Road will be closed to motor traffic from today for two weeks of 'urgent sewer repair work', reports Rose Moncur in The Herald.

• What should happen at George Street, now that redevelopment plans have been paused? - This week's edi.bike newsletter takes a look.

💻 There have been some leadership changes at city centre-based tech hub CodeBase. - Details are in BDaily.

• ⮑ Meanwhile local architect Malcolm Fraser has laid out his plans for the retention of Argyle House, currently the CodeBase HQ. The building's owners want to demolish the building and replace it with a hotel, flats and offices. But Fraser/Livingstone Architects said it will 'continue to campaign for the retention of Argyle House, around the issues of Waste: of carbon, of the outstanding Edinburgh architectural history it represents, and of the 900 tech jobs it nurtures.'

Argyle House: Simple Repair and Upgrade Proposals

News from the Fraser/Livingstone Architects studio, Edinburgh.

Fraser/Livingstone Architects Edinburgh, Scotland

🌯 The Chorrito Mexican restaurant on Leith Walk is due to close on 15 March, after three years in business. The space will be taken over by the Mirin Asian-influenced Scottish restaurant. - Rose Moncur, The Herald.

🏗️ The new owners of the former George Brown & Sons Engineers building in Leith, now operating as Brown's of Leith, have applied for planning permission to 'secure the long-term future of [the] listed building and contribute meaningfully to the continued transformation of Edinburgh’s waterfront'. It appears to be a retrospective planning application, but the fact this place has been open for three months isn't mentioned in this Evening News report.

✌️ Better news

This section aims to include better news from all over Edinburgh. It’s a wide range of things, and as always you’re welcome to submit yours here. My hope is that it inspires more civic pride and community spirit, new plans in your calendar and a few smiles or laughs along the way.

📆 A round-up of March's local family-friendly events from the Edinburgh Family Guide.

🎨 Last year Leith-based artist Paul Meikle was granted access to use the old 1980s Montgomery Street Park helter skelter and turn it into individual piece of art. - He's just released this video documenting the process.

👨‍🍳 After last month's news that local Planet G foodtruck owner Gemma Costa is appearing in this year's BBC Masterchef TV show, another local chef is going to be on TV: Jun Au, the owner of Chinese focussed Asian fusion restaurant Pomelo on Sciennes Road will be on BBC's Great British Menu at 7pm on Tuesday. - You can tune-in here.

🔥 Hotly anticipated tickets for this year's Beltane Fire Festival (on Thursday 30 April) go on sale tomorrow (Tuesday 3 March) at 7pm. The performance of stories and rituals usually sells out. - The only place to get tickets is on Citizen Ticket. Organisers say:

"Beltane 2026 is an invitation to remember who we are, what we value, and who we might yet become. Bring your fire. Bring your voice. Together, let us tell a story of alignment, connection, and a kinder, fairer world."

Beltane Fire Festival 2026 - Buy tickets

When World and Spirit Align Are you ready to turn the wheel and welcome the summer of 2026? Join the Beltane Fire Festival on Calton Hill on Thursday 30th April, as fire, story, and ritual bring us together once more! ON SALE 3rd March

Citizen Ticket

🚪 The doors of Patrick Geddes’ Apartment at Ramsay Garden, with rare views from the top of Castlehill, will open to the public in April, June and September, courtesy of National Trust for Scotland.

🌱 Need some hope? Lighthouse Books hosts its first ever Philosophy Bookclub next Monday (9 March) looking at writers focused on 'new forms of social hope'. - More details on the shop's Instagram page.

🎨 Argonaut Books on Leith Walk is looking to pay a local artist to help them redesign their window display. - More details in this Instagram post and in the application form here.

📙 More local bookshop news - Thanks to Minute subscriber Dany Ayala for sending in this:

"Hello Edinburgh Minute! I’m very excited about a new bookshop that just opened round the corner of my home in Bonnington. They’re called Choose Books, in the corner of Ferry Road and Newhaven Road, next to Hilda’s. I’m so excited because usually I need to make my way to Leith Walk about half an hour away by foot to get to the closest local bookstore. Now I can go pick up a book and have a coffee with my husband in my lunch break. It makes me feel like we have more of a community and not just blocks of flats. It’s lovely and cosy and they have great deals including a signed Terry Pratchett and rare collectibles. They also make super tasty coffee. The owner is very friendly and helpful. I want to share with others who may be interested in supporting local businesses but not sure how to go about it. Thank you from a grateful subscriber." - Check out Choose Books here.

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🎹 Build your own Piano Cafe at Pianodrome Bruntsfield has been a 'glorious success': Pianodrome has run a series of up-cycling workshops teaching furniture building entirely out of piano wood. Together with 89 participants, ranging in age from 8 to 76, we created 19 items of beautiful bespoke furniture for our new community cafe. - Thanks to the Pianodrome team for sharing this, with a video here + you can sign up to next Sunday's free workshop here.

Build your own Piano Cafe - Buy tickets

The team at Pianodrome invite you to join us in furnishing our very own Piano Cafe. And you’ve guessed it - we are building everything entirely out of pianos!

Citizen Ticket

🧒 Family-friendly Coworking Pop-Up [Daily]
Today, Mon 02 March - We're so excited to invite you to our very first Child-friendly Coworking Pop-Up event! We're all about giving parents and carers time and space to focus, while your children enjoy supervised play nearby. Come for the support, stay for the vibes!
9.30am to 5pm | Inch House Community Centre, EH16 5UF | £4 - £12 - More details here, shared by Work+Play Hub.

🧩 Community meal drop in
Today, Mon 02 March - Free drop in community meal at the polisbox Mon 2nd March. Come and meet your neighbours. Have some hot food or a cuppa. All welcome no questions asked
5pm to 7pm | Leith Walk Police Box pop ups, EH7 4LT | FREE - More details here, shared by Monty, Leith Walk policebox popups.

☕ Pilot + Machina: Beer and Coffee Pairing
Tomorrow, Tue 03 March - Coffee and beer come together for a free tasting at Vessel on Hanover Street. You'll taste a handful of coffees, each one with a matching Pilot beer taster. Come taste things you didn't know needed pairing!
4pm to 5.30pm | Vessel, EH2 1EE | FREE - More details here, shared by Machina Coffee Roasters.

💻 High Signal Edinburgh
Wed 04 March - A casual meetup for entrepreneurs, devs and marketers. Whether you're just getting into vibe coding or you have an established business, you're welcome to come along for a chat, share your projects are going and maybe get some help if you're stuck.
8pm to 10pm | Joseph Pearce, EH7 4AA | FREE - More details here, shared by Pete, High Signal.

📖 Scottish Historical Fiction with Shona MacLean
Wed 04 March - The bestselling author of The Bookseller of Inverness is coming to Porty to celebrate the Edinburgh launch of The Cromarty Library Circle. MacLean will be in conversation with Elaine Thomson, author of Hawthorn: A Scottish Ghost Story.
7pm to 8pm | The Portobello Bookshop, EH15 1DA - More details here, shared by The Portobello Bookshop.

Shona MacLean - The Cromarty Library Circle at The Portobello Bookshop

Please come and join us for Shona MacLean - The Cromarty Library Circle on 4th March, at The Portobello Bookshop

The Cromarty Library Circle at The Portobello Bookshop

🗣️ Talk on St Andrew's Square by Dr Patricia Andrew
Wed 04 March - Talk tracing the history of St Andrew Square, built as residential and the home of a number of Edinburgh luminaries. It later developed into a centre for banking and business, and today it sees the opening of new hotels and restaurants.
2.30pm to 3.30pm | The Crannie Community Hub, EH8 8BE | £7.00 - More details here, shared by Edinburgh Old Town Association.

😊 Online Zoom Forum: Therapeutic Storytelling: Towards Transformation, Healing, and Renewal
Wed 04 March - There will be five talks, each of 12 minutes, followed by discussion among the speakers and the chair, followed by Q & A.
7pm to 9pm | Online Zoom Forum. - More details here, shared by Neill Walker, Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality and Peace.

🎥 DOCo_018 Mar 2026 GREAT SHORT SCOT DOCS
Wed 04 March - Spring is coming! On March 4th, we will be showing a spine-tingling lineup of five award-winning short documentary films, all made by Scottish-based filmmakers. Each filmmaker will introduce their film on the night, followed by a short group Q&A.
7pm to 10pm | The Outhouse, EH1 3LY | FREE - More details here, shared by a Minute reader.

🎥 Duncan Place Community Cinema: Aliens (40th Anniversary screening)
Fri 06 March - On Friday 6th March, 7pm Duncan Place Community Hub will be screening legendary classic Aliens (1986) to celebrate it's 40th Anniversary (and our love of Lt. Ellen Ripley!), on the evening before International Women's Day. Refreshments provided.
7pm to 9.30pm | Duncan Place Community Hub, EH6 8HW | £4 (+booking fee) - More details here, shared by Ot, Duncan Place Community Hub.

Community Cinema: Aliens

. The character of Lt. Ellen Ripley (portrayed by Sigourney Weaver) from the Alien sci-fi film franchise, is frequently celebrated for being a groundbreaking female protagonist in a male-dominated action genre. Ellen Ripley’s resilience, resourcefulness, and strength in survival, made her an icon, challenging traditional gender roles in cinema and paving the way for more strong female leads. As Aliens celebrates its 40th anniversary, and in the evening before International Women’s Day, join us for a screening of this legendary classic. Synopsis:Aliens is the sequel to the 1979 science fiction horror film Alien, and the second film in the Alien franchise. Set in the far future, it stars Sigourney Weaver as Lt. Ellen Ripley, the sole survivor of an alien attack on her ship. When communications are lost with a human colony on the moon where her crew first encountered the alien creatures, Ripley agrees to return to the site with a unit of marines to investigate. Aliens (1986)Directed by: James Cameron. Film running time: 2h 11m. This screening is strictly for ages 18+. Genre: Horror, Science Fiction. Langauge: English. Subtitles: English SDH. Main cast: Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen.BBFC Rating: 18. Film trailer available on Youtube here. BBFC Content Advice (SPOILERS)Violence:There are scenes in which strong violence is combined with horror as characters are attacked by the creatures and defend themselves with futuristic weapons. One scene features a creature bursting from a woman’s abdomen in a bloody manner, and another in which a creature attack results in blood splashing onto the windows of a spacecraft. As the creatures are blasted with gunfire they explode apart, but the injury detail is unrealistic and shown as showers of white liquid. Similarly fantastical injury is contained in a scene when an android is torn in half by a creature’s claw. Language:The film contains strong language (‘f**k’, ‘motherf**ker’). RefreshmentsTea, coffee and squash will be available, along with sweet and salty popcorn. Small cash donations towards these are welcome but not required.You can also bring your own soft drinks or snacks, however no alcohol is permitted. Please also refrain from bringing any hot or strong smelling food items. Thank you. Duncan Place Access Information Please let us know if you have any access needs e.g. if you require a seat with armrests, if you need space for a wheelchair, or if there is anything else that you think we should know. English SDH descriptive subtitles will be onscreen during the film. There is ramped access into the building. The event will be held on the ground floor of Duncan Place Community Hub and is wheelchair accessible. There are two individual toilets on the ground floor with one being wheelchair accessible. We have a mix of padded seats and hard plastic seats. Seats with arm rests are also available if needed. We have a limited supply of chair cushions available on request. There is foyer space and outdoor space for those that might need to break away to a quieter area during the film. We also have a page on the Euan’s Guide website here, including a video showing entry to the building. If there is anything we can do to help your visit, or if you’d like a chat about the space beforehand, please get in touch by emailing events@duncanplace.org or phoning 0131 364 4351. Getting HereWe can be found on Google Maps here &gt; https://goo.gl/maps/qNZeEKWL1uhdQRBd7 Duncan Place is a few minutes’ walk from Leith Walk, Duke Street, Great Junction Street and Easter Road. This area is very well served with buses, including 1, 7, 14, 16, 21, 25, 34, 35 &amp; 49. www.lothianbuses.com has a journey planner. The closest tram stop is Foot Of The Walk. Bike racks are available in our outdoor space. Please bring a secure lock. We do not have any to loan out &amp; bikes and scooters are not allowed in the building. Bikes and scooters are left at your own risk and Duncan Place will not accept any responsibility for any damage or theft. CCTV does cover the bike racks. Duncan Place has 1 disabled parking space and 1 further space alongside the exterior fencing, both available on a first come basis. Parking bays have been painted on the road outside the building and on-street (card only) pay and display meters have been installed by City of Edinburgh Council, at a rate of £3.80 per hour, Monday to Friday 8:30am until 5:30pm. Onstreet parking outside our building is currently free at weekends. There are also yellow zig zags on the street. Again, please check signage but at the time of writing it is free to park on the zigs zags after 4pm Mon to Fri and all day on the weekends. Duncan Place is part of the Local Cinema network.Local Cinema is a network of community cinemas across Edinburgh, led by WHALE Arts. They support film screenings co-curated with and for local communities across a range of community spaces in the city, including WHALE Arts; North Edinburgh Arts, Duncan Place Community Hub, Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Space @ Broomhouse Hub, Craigmillar Now and The Crannie Community Hub. The latest Local Cinema shared community cinema programme runs from August 2025 – March 2026. Tickets available directly at venues or via this link: https://linktr.ee/localcinemaedin Local Cinema is supported by the City of Edinburgh Council.

Ticketlab

🧩 Sensory Sunday
Sun 08 March - Visit Camera Obscura & World of Illusions for Sensory Sunday on Sunday 8 March 9.30am, a sensory adapted hour open to any visitors who prefer a calmer environment to explore.
9.30am to 11am | Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, EH1 2ND | From £24.95 - More details here, shared by Camera Obscura & World of Illusions.

🍻 First Class Football Shirts x The Blackbird Pop Up Shop
Sun 08 March - First Class Football Shirts will be taking over the Blackbird for an exclusive pop up shop on Sunday the 8th March! Join us between 12-5pm at the Blackbird (37-39 Leven Street) for an afternoon of vintage football shirts and stunning food & drinks!
12pm to 5pm | The Blackbird, EH3 9LH | FREE - More details here, shared by Zavian Khalil, First Class Football Shirts.

🕯️ The Wild Edge of Sorrow: A Women's Grief Circle
Sun 08 March - This women's circle (non-binary folk welcome) is a gently facilitated, trauma-aware space to gather ceremonially. Together we will honour the grief that can live in the body when innocence, safety, or trust have been taken. Pre-registration required.
5pm to 7pm | The Salisbury Centre, EH16 5AB | Donations welcome - More details here, shared by Gabi Machado.

🎶 Love Music Community & Junior Choirs Concert
Mon 16 March - An exciting collaboration of inclusive community music making! Over 500 local performers of all ages present music from Eric Whitacre to John Williams, Burns to Bach, and 21st century pop bangers in one joy filled evening.
7.30pm to 9.30pm | The Usher Hall, EH1 2EA | £10/£7/FREE - More details here, shared by Love Music.

🏛️ Scotland's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Thu 19 March - There has been fierce debate over the role of prominent Scottish historical figures in the Transatlantic slave trade. What if a more nuanced historical dialogue allowed us to understand the complexity of the issues and the personalities involved?
6pm to 7.30pm | Faculty of Advocates, EH1 1RF | £6.13 - More details here, shared by Tumbling Lassie.

Scotland’s role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Explore Scotland’s hidden history and impact in the Transatlantic Slave Trade—join us in person!

Eventbrite

📮 Anything missing? Or an event to share? Nothing's too local! Please share your local news and events here.

👀 The most-visited links from the last newsletter:

1. 💰 Council tax going up 4%: compare yours with nearby areas.
2. 🏫 Asbestos found in 90 schools and nurseries in Edinburgh.
3. 🔪 Armed police responded to Asda carpark knife fight.
4. 📚 Minute readers help boost Edinburgh Community Bookshop fundraiser.
5. 🎵 Costs force Terminal V techno festival to leave Edinburgh.

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