The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Monday 19 January 2026

🌤️ Good morning Edinburgh. Lots brewing this week... Here’s Monday's Edinburgh Minute.

🌤️ This week's weather: Cloudy with sunny intervals most days this week. A bright start today with mist later on. A chance of rain on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. High of 8C on Tuesday, low of 3C on Friday. Colder again next week. - The full Met Office forecast is here.

🕌 Edinburgh Central Mosque 'was targeted with hate graffiti' on Friday night, reports Calum Loudon of STV News. Police are investigating.

"We are deeply saddened and concerned by this act. This act does not reflect the Edinburgh we know and love. Our city is defined by diversity, compassion, and strong community bonds, and we remain confident that these shared values will prevail over division and hostility." - Edinburgh Central Mosque.

🚨 Two teenagers were charged after reports of people brandishing bladed weapons on Rose Street on Friday. - A photo by Alan Simpson is featured in reports by William Gaddi, Daily Record + Calum Loudon, STV News + this BBC Scotland News report.

🚧 Gorgie Road will close to traffic for around six months from 25 January for sewage upgrades between Balgreen Road and Robb’s Loan. - Neil Johnstone has the details, including bus diversions, in this Evening News report.

🚒 Plans to shut Marionville fire station face 'massive opposition' according to local politicians, who are trying to find out whether the building will be replaced locally or if staff will be moved elsewhere. - Ian Swanson has an update in the Evening News.

💰 Nine local community organisations are facing £3m of funding cuts announced in last week's Scottish Government budget. - Joe Sullivan, Local Democracy Reporter, Evening News.

📆 This week's council meetings:

• Monday: Licensing Board. - Agenda and webcast link here.
• Tuesday: Education, Children and Families Committee. - Agenda and webcast link here.
• Wednesday: Planning meeting, aka Development Management Sub-Committee. Includes: A large redevelopment plan for Cameron Toll Shopping Centre, a new hotel and student accommodation planned for Fountainbridge, an office demolition for student flats at Causewayside, an update to plans for the office building at 10 Orchard Brae, plus 13 retrospective applications for short-term lets which council officers are recommending for refusal. - Agenda and webcast link here.
• Thursday: Governance, Risk and Best Value Committee. - Agenda and webcast link here.

🎓 University of Edinburgh executives spent more than £110,000 on travel and accommodation last year. It was their 'highest travel bill in years', reports Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco in The Herald. The uni responded: 'Senior leaders’ involvement in these events is vital'.

• ⮑ Meanwhile the Uni principal Peter Mathieson was paid £881,789 in wages and expenses across two years, reports Jennifer Hyland in the Sunday Mail.

🎮 On Wednesday this week, the Scottish Games Network, led by Edinburgh-based Brian Baglow, will present a 'national action plan' to the Scottish Government. It lays out plans to generate £1 billion annually and create 5,000 jobs by 2030. - Neil Mackay, The Herald.

• ⮑ Read more about the 'Level Up Scotland' action plan here.

🇵🇸 Once again thousands of people marched through the city centre on Saturday calling for peace in Palestine. - Lucy Garcia, The National.

🚲 There are three weeks left to have your say in the consultation on plans for protected cycleways on Silverknowes Road. - More details in this week's edi.bike newsletter.

👨‍🍳 After nearly five years in business, The Bald Baker on Slateford Road is closing. Owner Scott Parker cited 'rising costs', but will continue the online ordering and catering sides of his business. - More details in this post.

⛰️ A new project has begun searching for 'hidden archaeological history' on Calton Hill. - Liam Eunson, Midlothian View.

🎨 Granton Lighthouse will be run by the Out of the Blue charity, which currently runs the Drill Hall arts centre in Leith, along with Abbeymount Studios and the Bongo Club. - More details here from Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network.
⮑ Last month it was announced the Lighthouse building would be brought 'back to life' through a restoration thanks to a £2.9 million grant from Historic Environment Scotland and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

🍽️ There's local restaurant and bar news in the latest edition of The Popped Cork, formerly known as The Edinburgh Edit. You'll find updates from Nauticus, Pomelo, Ruma, Kul Coffee, Ardfern and more...

The Round-Up: Issue #6

Keeping you up-to-date with what’s going on in Edinburgh’s bar and restaurants.

POPPED CORKPOPPED CORK

🛍️ The total has been counted: The Shelter charity shop in Stockbridge took in a record £34,886 during its January sale week. Community shop manager Peter Jew said: “Breaking all records. A huge shout out to thank our generous donors in the local community.” - More details from Shelter here.

📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard

⮑ Please get in touch using this form. < It’s the only way to get something featured in the newsletter.

📌 “🔥 Supercharge your Mondays with high‑energy table tennis at Broughton High School — the perfect place to unleash your inner Marty Supreme! 🏓 Kids P4–S4 train 6:00–7:15pm, then adults take over 7:15–8:30pm for fast, fun, skill‑boosting action. 📍 Book now.” - Thanks to Lindsay Muir from Murrayfield Table Tennis Club for sharing this.

📌 “6pm this evening at the Victoria Bar on Leith Walk: Non-alcoholic beer tasting with Fredrik from Newbarns Brewery. Free event and a chance to meet a great founder of one of many great breweries in Leith.” - Thanks to Victoria Bar for sharing this.

📌 “Every Monday at 7pm - Newhaven Running Group meets for a social 5km run. Meet outside the Old Chain Pier. All runners welcome!” - Thanks to Paddy Watson for sharing this.

📌 “Vote for your favourite images of Edinburgh in the annual Student Photo Competition at the University of Edinburgh, on the theme 'Connections'. One of the winners will be chosen by your votes. (Current UoE students can still enter before 16 Feb).” - Thanks to Lorna Bruce, Edinburgh Global, The University of Edinburgh, for sharing this.

📌 “Tuesday 20 January at 7pm at Leith Community Centre. Leith Local History Society presents a talk by Ruth Boreham about Mary Somerville; a Scottish scientist, writer, and polymath. £2 entry for non members.” - Thanks to a member of Leith Local History Society for sharing this.

📌 “Tuesday 20 Jan, fro 19:30. OpenStreetMap social event at Jeremiah's Taproom on Elm Row. Come along a talk all things OSM, mapping, Geo or wherever the conversation strays. We'll try and have an orange hi-viz vest so you can spot us.” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.

📌 “Thursday 22 Jan - Join Ailsa Dixon at The Scottish Gallery as she brings the spirit of Orkney alive in this immersive evening of music and folklore. £15 | Please RSVP.” - Thanks to The Scottish Gallery for sharing this.

Orcadian Folk Music & Folklore with Ailsa Dixon at The Scottish Gallery

Thursday 22 January | 6–7:30pm

Scottish Gallery

📌 “Recently launched, Happedin is a directory of the many clubs, societies, venues, activities and interesting things to do in town. Its one goal: help anyone make the best of being in Edinburgh. Hope it inspires you to try something new with other people this year!” - Thanks to Filip for sharing this.

📌 “Thursday 22 January — Local composer Lindsay Taylor brings Scotland’s first "lying down" piano concert to the Pianodrome. We’re swapping seats for yoga mats and blankets, inviting the audience to rest or journal during the set. Tickets are £10 (pay-what-you-can from £5) to stay accessible.” - Thanks to Liz Gration, Gration Digital for sharing this.

Floor Sessions with Lindsay Taylor - Buy tickets

A relaxed monthly evening where people may show up and feel safe as they are. Lay down, journal, draw, nap; simply be. Hosted by Neoclassical/ improv pianist Lindsay Taylor.

Citizen Ticket

📌 “Fri 23rd Jan: TFEH screams in the face of the January melancholy with a triple bill of experimental music & oddball sound by EILIYAS, PRICK OF CONSCIENCE & OFF BRAND, primed to scare yr Seasonal Affective Disorder away. Tickets are available for this event at Fruitmarket, 45 Market St., EH1 1DF now!” - Thanks to Ali Robertson, organiser at TFEH, for sharing this.

📌 “23 Jan, 7pm - Join us for a Burns Supper celebrating Scotland’s Bard with a twist! Hearty food, traditional verse, & inspiring stories of endurance and resilience. Part of the Common Ground Weekender, a fundraiser supporting Leith Community Crofts.” - Thanks to Jaimie MacDonald, Earth in Common, for sharing this.

📌 “Saturday 24 January: Join Edinburgh choir Rudsambee for an evening of Scottish song in Rosslyn Chapel featuring works by Robert Burns including A Man’s a Man, Ae Fond Kiss and a lovely rendition of Auld Lang Syne, as well as a few notable more modern Scottish works.” - Thanks to the Rosslyn Chapel Trust for sharing this.

📌 “Saturday 24th January - 3pm: St Vincent's Chapel Stockbridge, a one hour charity concert of enchanting music with Laurentum Singers and Lumina String Quartet, with poetry by Auden and Burns read by Donald Smith. Coffee and cake included. Tickets £15/10 - for Medecins Sans Frontieres.” - Thanks to Lindsay Martindale for sharing this.

📌 “I love this newsletter. I’m new to Edinburgh and it has been really convenient & lovely to find interesting, often relevant news in such a clean format. My daily ritual is to sit with a cup of coffee in a cozy chair and read the whole thing as soon as my kids leave for school. Thank you for it!” - Thanks to a kind subscriber for sharing this.

📌 “Join this fun five day Furniture Design Development Course. Bring your design idea and some previous workshop experience along to develop a working prototype for you to take home and evaluate before constructing. Learn the steps and techniques to enable you to realise your vision.” - Thanks to Isabelle Moore from Isabelle Moore Design for sharing this.

📌 “25th January - A Night o’ Candlelight Pilates - The Bonnie Burn - This Burns Night, join me for a truly special candlelit Pilates experience — slow, strengthening movement in a warm, glowing space.” - Thanks to Pilates Project owner Lisa Ogilvie for sharing this.

📌 “Sunday 25 January - A LEGO Workshop with Alcohol. Join us for a Burns Night special at The Gilded Saloon and build a Haggis. No instructions provided... just building, sipping, and destruction!” - Thanks to Brick and Sip for sharing this.

📌 “Sunday 25 Jan, 10am - Join expert herbalist Wendy Kelly for a fun, hands-on herbal remedies workshop to boost your natural healing skills! Part of the Common Ground Weekender, to raise money for Leith Community Crofts. All proceeds will go to Earth in Common.” - Thanks to Jaimie MacDonald at Earth in Common for sharing this.

📌 “Monday 26 January (12-1pm) - Join Peer Works for 'Future-Proof with Flexible Working', a free webinar with local founder and flexible working advocate Lynn Houmdi. This session will give employers clear and confidence-building actions to strengthen their flexible working approach.” - Thanks to Peer Works for sharing this.

📌 “Last chance to complete our travel survey. We are a local charity that wants to know how you get around Portobello, Craigmillar and Edinburgh and your ideas about how to make it easier to walk, cycle and use public transport. Complete the survey and enter our prize draw to win £50.” - Thanks to Porty Community Energy for sharing this.

📌 “This happens every morning outside my window. A Royal Mail van leaves sacks of mail unattended on the pavement. Later, our postie comes along and sorts it. They closed our sorting office, for this!” - Thanks to Colin Salter for sharing this.

📌 “Great journalism piece by People Make Games on the latest developments in the fired Edinburgh Rockstar workers' case. It's on YouTube and I found it very informative about what's happened so far.” - Thanks to Ellie, a Minute subscriber, for sharing this.
⮑ For balance, Rockstar’s parent company, Take-Two Interactive, previously denied the allegations.

📌 “The Open Door is looking for passionate Trustees and Volunteers to help us support older people and adults. Whether you can offer time, skills, or experience, you’ll be making a real difference in people’s lives. Join a warm, friendly team and be part of something that truly matters.” - Thanks to Simon Warr from The Open Door (in Morningside) for sharing this.

📮 Anything missing? Please share your local news and events here.

👀 The most-visited links from the last newsletter:

1. 📮 Digital 'post boxes of the future' roll out begins.
2. 🚴‍♂️ Tour de France Scotland route revealed.
3. 🏥 Wester Hailes gets Scotland's first walk-in GP clinic.
4. 🍽️ Chef Stuart Ralston's new Broughton St bar in Michelin Guide.
5. 🎓 Uni staff speak out over cuts.
   

Don’t want to subscribe but still keen to show your support? Please like this post or put a coin/note into the tip jar below. It all helps keep the Minute ticking over. Thanks!

⏰ Thanks for reading edition number 817.
📬 Free subscribers: 27,800+.
📲 Visits generated for local news sources: 2,000,000+.