The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Monday 22 December 2025

Man arrested over six sexual assaults in Stockbridge, council ex-leader says 'sorry' for fake name scandal, top local chefs' Christmas dinner tips + bonus farmers' market & Wester Hailes carol concert tomorrow

Michael MacLeod

22 Dec 2025 — 7 min read

Photo by Tom Duffin.

🌤️ Good morning Edinburgh. The newsletter will continue as normal this week until a pause on Thursday for some family time. Then back in your inboxes on Monday and, as usual, no plans to stop for New Year. There's also a special Hogmanay events edition brewing, along with a couple of other... crackers. Here’s Monday's Edinburgh Minute.

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🗑️ First of all, the council has published changes to bin collections over the next fortnight. - Details are here. Now on with the news!

🌦️ This week’s weather: Yesterday was the winter solstice, meaning there’s slightly more daylight as the days get longer again. It's due to get colder in the week ahead. Cloudy most days with occasional breaks of sun. A high of 10C on Monday and a low of 1C on Thursday, but it's not forecast to be cold enough for snow nor a white Christmas. - Find the full Met Office forecast here.

🚨 A 22-year-old man is due to appear in court today charged in connection with six sexual assaults in Stockbridge on the evening of Friday 12 December. Originally three attacks had been reported, but police released this update at the weekend.

🚑 A bus being driven on Princes Street hit a pedestrian outside the Balmoral Hotel on Friday evening. - Jacob Farr & Ryan Carroll, Daily Record.

💰 The City of Edinburgh Council spent £10.6million on taxis in 2024-25, including £8.3m on school runs, reports Dan Vevers in the Sunday Mail. The council responded, saying it was 'focused on reducing high costing transport packages'.

💨 A proposed change in the law would allow drug users to smoke crack cocaine at legal drugs consumption rooms including one proposed in Edinburgh. - Severin Carrell, The Guardian.

🗳️ Former council leader Cammy Day has issued an 'unreserved apology' after it was revealed he used a fake name to complain about fellow councillor Ross McKenzie, report Dan Vevers & John Ferguson in the Sunday Mail.

🗳️ "Young people are not voting and we need them to be voting" - Councillors have instructed officers to provide 'universal political education' to local school children. - Ross Chalmers, Deadline News.

🛍️ There's a bonus midweek Edinburgh Farmers Market on Tuesday from 9am to 2pm at Castle Terrace. - Trader details are here. (The poster says 'Saturday' but it's definitely happening tomorrow).

🎄 More people are speaking up about Leith's Christmas tree being put up on Taylor Gardens rather than at the Foot of the Walk. - Donald Turvill, The Herald.

⮑ A Liberton couple have donated £100 to charity, inspired by an unexpected Christmas card from local school pupils who were admiring their garden decorations. - Neil Johnstone has this wholesome report in the Evening News.

🎪 The first wave of next summer's Fringe by the Sea headliners were announced over the weekend: Kool and The Gang, Belle and Sebastian and Louis Theroux are among them. More details and tickets are here.

⮑ A new direct bus service has also been announced for the festival. - Erin Brown, East Lothian Courier.
The festival has been scheduled to start a week early to avoid a clash with the Edinburgh festivals, reports Jane Bradley in The Scotsman. It will open on 31 July and end on 9 August.

💡 A popular light show touring the world is due to stop in Edinburgh at the McEwan Hall in January. Named 'Eonarium: Enlightenment', the 30-minute installation is described as follows: "Set to a captivating soundscape inspired by the music of Vivaldi’s 'The Four Seasons', mesmerising visual projections will take audiences on a sensory journey through spring, summer, autumn and winter." - More details and tickets are here.

🍻 The Beehive Inn in the Grassmarket is due to get a 'top-to-bottom refresh', meaning it will close from 12 January. It's due to reopen in February, with 42 staff kept on at other Belhaven pubs meantime. - More details from Craig Williams in The Herald.

🏉 Also in the Grassmarket, The Black Bull pub has been named as the official new away hub for Edinburgh Rugby club fans. - Scottish Licensed Trade News.

🍽️ Chefs from Cardinal, The Gilded Saloon, Lyla on Royal Terrace, Nàdair in Marchmont, The Palmerston, Sotto in Stockbridge, Twelve Triangles and the Balmoral share their expert advice for a successful Christmas Day meal. - Sarah Campbell, The Herald.

☕️ The owner of Meadowbank's Bliss House Café has pledged an entire day’s takings on 24 December to NHS Lothian Charity’s Secret Santa Appeal. - Phyllis Stephen, The Edinburgh Reporter.

⚽️ You won't be able to buy a gift for the Jambo in your life as good as their team being top of the league. But you could make them smile by sending them this glorious Slow Match Report by Daniel Gray of Nutmeg. He's one of the country's best observational football writers: "Tynecastle was volcanic, berserk. Somewhere in Lapland, Santa opened another can... 18,000 Christmases had come early".

📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard

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📌 “Wednesday 24 December - Join us on Christmas Eve for CAROLLING at Wester Hailes Library at 13:00! We’re singing all your favourite winter songs together and will have hot cocoa and other festive treats!” - Thanks to Jessi at Wester Hailes Library for sharing this.

📌 “The Open Door Edinburgh is delighted to have bought an electric minibus via the Plugged in Communities Grant to transport people to and from our Day Services. This is making such a difference to our work and has zero emissions. We need volunteer drivers - please email hello@theopendoor.org.uk” - Thanks to Simon Warr, Operational Manager of The Open Door Edinburgh, for sharing this.

**The Open Door Edinburgh** is based at 420 Morningside Road.

📌 “Sight Scotland’s Royal Blind School recently put on its annual Christmas show which was out of this world! The teachers and pupils took audiences on an inter-galactic adventure which ended with a very Christmasy and sparkly reveal.” - Thanks to the charity for sharing this link.

📌 “Sunday 28 December ~ join us for our tenth F*ck the Small Talk this year! An evening of meaningful, fun, + deep conversation - a cool way to meet new people. 3 hours of facilitated + curated activities designed to get you out of your comfort zone + skip the small talk!” - Thanks to Corinne Orton, Epic Llama Coordinator, for sharing this.

📌 “Edinburgh Gin Distillery - Do you have an EH postcode? You can enjoy 15% off all our distillery experiences every Sunday and 15% off your drinks in our Distillery Bar every Sunday. Use code: EG4EH at checkout.” - Thanks to the venue for sharing this.

📌 “Sat 27 Dec at the Scottish Storytelling Centre: Come along to a rare, one off, performance of the world’s most boring card trick. Do you have what it takes to sit through it and get your certificate of completion? Feel free to leave at any point and success is an empty auditorium.” - Thanks to Richard Wiseman for sharing this.

📌 “Saturday 27th December, Out of the Blue in Leith: Our last flea market of 2025! Join us on Saturday where we'll have over 40 stallholders selling all kinds of pre-loved items. From clothes and jewellery to books and collectibles. Plus teas, coffees and snacks from the Drill Hall Cafe.” - Thanks to Out of the Blue for sharing this.

📌 “Join Edinburgh Young Walkers in 2026 for hiking trips, weekends away to the Highlands & Islands, day walks, and loads of social events. Something for everyone (20s-40s) beginner hikers to experienced mountaineers. Also: running, climbing, culture, books, games, nature, ceilidhs, camping, swimming.” - Thanks to The EYW Committee for sharing this and the photo below.

📌 “1st January 2-4pm New Year's Day Yoga Workshop. Join experienced teacher Emma McCready at Hillside Yoga Studio near the top of Leith Walk for myofascial release, restorative yoga, and journaling. The perfect way to settle into the new year.” - Thanks to Emma for sharing this.

📌 “Jan 1st - Goal Setting: Kickstart Your Year with Drive. Inspiring and practical goal-setting session designed to help you create powerful intentions and achievable targets that actually stick.” - Thanks to Marpole Retreats, 378 Leith Walk, for sharing this.

📌 “Edinburgh City of Literature is recruiting an Operations and Development Officer! We're looking for someone proactive and organised to support our work as the world's first UNESCO City of Literature. The role is part-time and fixed term - visit our website to download the job pack!” - Thanks to Harriet MacMillan, Director of Edinburgh City of Literature, for sharing this.

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