The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Monday 17 August 2026
New depot bid to end silence of the trams, Art Festival starts 'Tram Replacement Shuttle Bus', four more Tattoo flyovers over next fortnight + overflowing bin dubbed 'the Market Street Midden'
👋 Good morning Edinburgh. There's a lot to catch up on! Here’s Monday's Edinburgh Minute.
🌦️ This week's weather forecast: A cloudy start with rain from mid-afternoon into tomorrow. Light showers on Wednesday. Drier from Thursday into the weekend. A high of 19C on Tuesday and a low of 10C on Friday overnight into Saturday. - See the full Met Office forecast for Edinburgh here.
🔥 Councillors are planning to start the process of having a second tram depot built, in a bid to prevent repeats of the ongoing silence of the trams affecting the east and north of the city following last month's Princes Street fire. - Fire safety, diversion routes and bus capacity are 'all likely to be looked at in the review' reports Ian Swanson in the Evening News.
- Some shops in neighbouring streets are 'enjoying a surge in footfall', reports Steph Brawn, The National.
🚉 Organisers of the Edinburgh Art Festival will start running what they're calling a 'Tram Replacement Shuttle Bus' this morning, 'to help people get to Leith during festival season'. The free service is scheduled to start outside Dishoom on St Andrew Square (10am, 11am, 12noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm) to the bus stop outside 47 Queen Charlotte Street. It's scheduled to leave Leith every half hour from 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm and 4.30pm until 30 August. EAF organisers say: "The bus is free to be used by all (but we’d love it if you’d pay us a visit at EAF @ 92 at the end of your trip)." A note from the Edinburgh Art Festival organisers is in the Community Noticeboard below and the EAF programme is here.
🎵 Extra trams are being planned for the upcoming Summer Sessions concert series at the Royal Highland Showgrounds at Ingliston. Performers include Biffy Clyro (21/8), The Cure (23/8), Florence + The Machine (24/8), Lorde (25/8), Deftones (27/8) and The Prodigy (29/8). - More details from Edinburgh Trams here.
🔑 The city council wants government permission to increase maximum penalties for unlicensed short-term let operators from £2,500 to £50,000, reports Callum McCormack in the Evening News.
🚔 Six people are due to appear in court today in connection with the abduction of a 22-year-old man from the Canonmills area at 10.30pm on Thursday. - Police Scotland press release.
⮑ The 22-year-old man was traced in Longniddry on Friday and taken to hospital as a precaution, reports Calum Loudon, STV News.
⮑ Separately, detectives are trying to find out why a 55-year-old man was found dead on a street in Oxgangs on Friday. - Calum Loudon, STV News.
🏫 The new Liberton High School building has opened. It can take 1,200 pupils and has space for a community cafe, library, GP surgery and workspaces. It's also got bookable Edinburgh Leisure sports facilities including a gym and sports pitches. - More details via the council.
The City of Edinburgh Council
🎭 Posters for the Palestinian show that won a Fringe First award on Friday have been graffitied with racist slogans, reports Jane Bradley, The Scotsman.
🏰 If you missed Saturday's Edinburgh Tattoo flyover (a C-17 Globemaster with two Typhoon jets (video here)), four more flyovers are planned over the next fortnight: tomorrow, Friday, Tuesday 25 August and Friday 28 August. All are part of the 9.30pm performances. - More details via Jessica Martin in the Evening News.
📚 Bestselling Rubus author Ian Rankin has discussed possibly writing less and 'living in the moment' more, as his work can be so consuming that it affects family life. But he told a Fringe event, 'It's not really a day job, is it? That's the thing I like about it.' - Brian Ferguson, The Herald.
🎬 Meanwhile actor Ewan McGregor told an Edinburgh International Film Festival audience: "I would like to direct a movie here". - Brian Ferguson, The Herald.
🦜 'Adventurous cockateil Coco found 15 miles away in East Lothian after escaping from Leith flat' - Alexander Lawrie, Evening News.
🗑️ Local lensman Steve Kydd is among many people completely fed up with the bin outside Waverley Station's Market Street exit, which overflows year after year. He's branded it 'the Market Street Midden', adding: 'The frustrating thing is that this should be a relatively simple problem to solve.'
stevekydd.co.uk
⮑ Meanwhile somebody has made a a 'litter droppers and fly-tippers' wall of shame' on Calton Road. - See it on Reddit.
Wall of Shame on Calton Road
by u/Few-Candidate-8714 in Edinburgh
⮑ Novelty politician Count Binface announced a one-off show at the Fringe on 26 August. Tickets for the show at the Pleasance sold out within minutes on Friday afternoon. A second one on the same date has also sold out.
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard
⮑ Please get in touch using this form. < It’s the only way to get something featured in the newsletter.
📌 “I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to Three Birds restaurant for showing such kindness to my young daughter and I in a recent emergency. They were hospitable and kind in a way that restored my faith in community. The three women were working a busy shift and still made time to make my daughter and I feel safe and not an inconvenience to them. They are also an absolutely wonderful place to eat and spend time, as I experienced earlier this year when I visited! Thank you thank you a million thank yous, Three Birds.” - Thanks to Minute reader Rachael for sharing this.
🚌 Tram Replacement Shuttle Bus run by Edinburgh Art Festival - 'To help people get to Leith during festival season, Edinburgh Art Festival are running a free hourly shuttle bus from 17—30 August. Buses travel from St Andrews Square to Queen Charlotte Street, every hour and half hour. Free for all to use!' - Shared by Edinburgh Art Festival.
💬 Reduced Rate Counselling Available with The Edinburgh Counselling Service - 'ECS is delighted to now be able to offer reduced rate counselling sessions (£30+). Access high quality, compassionate and confidential support without the need for a GP referral. Simply complete our short self-referral form to get started.' - More details here, shared by The Edinburgh Counselling Service.
🩺 MAP stall and sign-up - 'Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) volunteers will have T-shirts and other MAP merchandise for sale each day until the 29th outside the Circus tent on the Meadows between 3pm and 3.30pm. Buy a T-shirt, become a volunteer!!' - Shared by Douglas Robertson, MAP.
📖 The Village and the Woods: cancel culture, transformative justice and story-telling
Tomorrow, Tue 18 August - 'A workshop based on the essay, a map and metaphor by Kai Cheng Thom about conflict, community and social exile. We'll read passages from the essay & discuss conflict, punishment/cancel culture & opportunities for building safer, stronger communities.'
6pm to 7.30pm | Greenhouse Records · Bruntsfield | FREE - More details here, shared by Mark Quinn.
🌿 Making Nettle String with the Queer Gardening Group
Wed 19 August - 'Learn how to make nettle thread, string or even rope to take home, from plant to cord, in a queer-friendly group (gloves and snacks provided).'
11am to 3pm | Gracemount Community Garden · Gracemount | FREE - More details here, shared by Jim, Transition Edinburgh South.
🍾 Organ Recital: A Summer in Paris
Fri 21 August - 'Festival Organ Recital of popular French music. The ticket price includes a glass of sparkling wine.'
7.30pm to 9pm | St Mary's Catholic Cathedral · New Town | £15.87, £10.46 conc. - More details here, shared by Tom Wilkinson.
🍫 BrownieFest
Sat 22 August - 'Come join us at Tasty Buns for the return of BrownieFest! 6 weird, wonderful and brand new flavours of Brownies available on this day only! It's an absolute must for those of you with a sweet tooth! It's usually a sell out so get in early.'
9am to 5pm | Tasty Buns · Tollcross | FREE - More details here, shared by Tasty Buns Bakery.
🌞 Summer Garden Party
Sat 22 August - '🌿 FREE Summer Garden Party! Sat 22nd Aug, 11am-2pm, Gracemount Mansion Gardens. Food, music, boxing, circus, parkour, storytelling & more. All ages, all welcome, no booking needed! ☀️'
11am to 2pm | Gracemount Mansion Development Trust · Gracemount | FREE - More details here, shared by Jane Hartley, Gracemount Mansion Development Trust.
📚 Shelf Medication: Read and Relax in the Park
Sat 22 August - 'Take a break from the buzz of the city this August and enjoy a lazy afternoon in the park! Whether you're looking to get lost in a novel or hoping to make a new friend, this event is for any and all book lovers (introverts and extroverts welcome!).'
2pm to 4pm | Inverleith Park · Inverleith | FREE - More details here, shared by Shelf Portraits (who are on Instagram here).
🍄 Building a Resilient Food System with Mushrooms: A Cultivation Workshop
Sun 23 August - 'Come for a day of mushroom cultivation training. This full day workshop will take you through the basics of both indoor and outdoor mushroom cultivation, combining discussion, demonstration, and plenty of practical elements to cement learning.'
10am to 5pm | Rhyze Mushrooms · Barnton & Cramond | £65, £45 concessions - More details here, shared by Lauren Waterman, Rhyze Mushrooms Co-op CIC.
📽️ Book Fringe: The Swimmer (1968)
Mon 24 August - 'Frank Perry's The Swimmer adapts John Cheever's short story of the same name and tells the story of Ned Merrill, a member of the upper-middle class in suburban Connecticut who sets forth to swim his way through his neighbours pools to get home.'
7pm to 9pm | Argonaut Books · Leith | £6 - More details here, shared by Leith Kino.
🍕 Runners of Leith x Joseph Pearce: Pizza Run
Tue 25 August - 'A social 5km followed by free Pizza at Joseph Pearce. Bag Drop 6:30pm Run 6:45pm'
6.30pm to 9.30pm | Joseph Pearce · Canonmills & Broughton | FREE - More details here, shared by Runners of Leith.
👟 Edinburgh's Radical Walking Tour: Struggle and Sedition in Scotland's Capital
Wed 26 August - 'As part of the 2026 Alt Book Fringe we'll be leading a walking tour exploring Edinburgh's radical history.'
11am to 12pm | Greenhouse Records · Bruntsfield | By Donation - More details here, shared by Mark Quinn.
🌱 A Weekend Introduction to Growing Your Own Food
Sat 29 August - 'Would you like to learn to grow your own food? It's never too late to start! Come along to the two-day version of our popular beginners' course on Sat 29 - Sun 30 Aug. You'll come away knowing how to grow amazing fresh food with no pesticides.'
10am to 3.30pm | Lauriston Agroecology Farm · Silverknowes & Blackhall | £80 (£120 or £40) - More details here, shared by Edinburgh Agroecology Co-op.
🏃♂️ Portobello Beach Race
Sun 30 August - 'Sunday 30 August at 10am. Four miles along the beach at low tide all along the hard sand and no groynes to climb over! A key ring memento for all runners, loads of prizes, a raffle, a bake sale, a kid's fun run and all proceeds to local good causes.'
10am to 12pm | Portobello Beach · Currie & Balerno | £10 - More details here, shared by Rob Stewardson, Portobello Running Club.
📌 Remember you can always see all 200+ upcoming local events on TownSpot calendars and maps, and you can share your local news or events here.
👀 The most-visited links from the last newsletter:
- 🛍️ New openings: The Lea Rig Café & Bakery (Easter Road), Alasea chippy (Morningside) & Heliocentric Records (Causewayside).
- 🔥 Council update on Princes Street fire building progress.
- 🍜 Local couple launch Scran app to make cooking easier for neurodivergent people.
- 🚊 30+ tram collisions in two years.
- 🎭 'Festivals left in funding limbo over tourist tax turmoil'.
⏰ Thanks for reading edition number 976.
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