The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Monday 6 July 2026
Council to employ welcome committee for tourists, anger over 24% rent hike, police still failing to catch Telford Path teens + Shanty Night sing-alongs head to the Spylaw
🌤️ Good morning Edinburgh. A relatively quiet weekend of news. If there's anything missing or you have news to share this week, please get in touch here. Here’s Monday's Edinburgh Minute.
☀️ This week’s weather forecast: A cloudy start today but the sun should break through tomorrow. Wednesday is looking sunny. This week's top temperature is expected to be 25C on Thursday. - The full week’s Met Office forecast for Edinburgh is here.
🏴 The council will use tourist tax income to recruit ten Festival City Ambassadors during the festivals. - Exclusive by Brian Ferguson in The Herald.
- Adverts for the jobs are here: 'Festival City Ambassador Team Leader', + 'Festival City Ambassador'.
🚔 Dramatic scenes last night at Cables Wynd House, aka the banana flats' in Leith, where armed police responded to an incident around 10pm. Buses were diverted. - Callum McCormack, Evening News.
🪧 Residents have spoken out about a 24% rent increase on their flats in Bonnington. - Tom H. Wilson, Deadline.
- The local branch of the Living Rent tenants union shared a video from a protest at the flats here.
🚔 A 17-year-old man has been arrested and charged after two women aged 93 and 78 were robbed of jewellery in the west of the city last month. - Holly Lennon, STV News.
🚔 Police have promised 'high-visibility and plain clothes patrols' to try to catch the teenagers behind long-running antisocial behaviour problems on the Telford Path around Easter Drylaw Park. However, locals know that won't be enough and want more action. - Callum McCormack, Evening News.
🚲 As reported last week, new bike lanes for St Andrew Square. The details are buried in documentation, but this morning's edi.bike newsletter has mapped out all the features onto a graphic here.
📕 The former Book World shop on Princes Street could become a Scottish heritage shop, reports Rachel Fergusson in the Evening News.
📺 Broadcasters Gary Lineker and Amelia Dimoldenberg have been announced as next month's Edinburgh TV Festival headliners. - The event published details here.
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🚆 Edinburgh-built rail travel discovery website now features over 300 places across eastern Scotland - 'Developed with input from Edinburgh Minute readers, trainable helps you discover castles, distilleries, walks, beaches, sports venues and more, all within a walk of a station. New suggestions, photos and local knowledge are always welcome.' - More details here, shared by trainable.
🧠 Calling all child scientists for a language study! - 'Researchers at University of Edinburgh are looking for children aged 10-12 to play a language game. Help us learn more about how children use language! Sign up using this link, or contact maisy.hallam@ed.ac.uk for more information. (Deadline: 31 Jul)' - More details here, shared by Maisy Hallam, University of Edinburgh.
👨🍼 Dads Survey 2026 - Speak Up for Dads - 'Every day, fathers across Scotland support their children and partners. But too often, their experiences and perspectives go unheard. Take 5-10 minutes to complete Dads' Survey 2026 and help ensure dads' voices are represented.' - More details here, shared by Fathers Network Scotland.
🎹 'Make it Yourself' Pianodrome Artist Residency Open Call - 'Pianodrome invites Edinburgh-based artists, makers, and hands-on tinkerers to apply for our funded up-cycling residency. Create site specific work for our 'Make it Yourself' festival in Pianodrome Bruntsfield, October 14th-18th. (Deadline: 20 Jul)' - More details here, shared by Pianodrome.
🎷 Juniper Green Note Secures National Lottery Funding Through Creative Scotland - 'Juniper Green Note, the Edinburgh jazz club at Baberton Golf Club, Juniper Green, has received National Lottery funding via Creative Scotland, supporting its live programme and helping bring touring and Scottish jazz musicians to local audiences.' - More details here, shared by John Elliott.
🐕🦺 Edinburgh fundraiser honours veterans by visiting 30 war memorials - 'I'm walking 100 miles in 30 days, visiting 30 war memorials across Edinburgh and East Lothian with my Labrador, Zeus, to raise funds for Legion Scotland. Every memorial has a story. Every mile has a purpose.' - More details here, shared by Claudea Rizzo, Legion Scotland.
🗳️ Bikes For Refugees need your vote - 'We would welcome your vote in this year's Greenlight funding round. Your support would help us to provide 100 refugees/asylum seekers with essential mobility and freedom of movement via the refurbishment & distribution of bicycles. Thank you. (Deadline: 10 Jul)' - More details here, shared by Bikes for Refugees (Scotland).
🧑🤝🧑 Operations and Day Service Manager — Adult Day Services - 'We are seeking an experienced, compassionate and highly organised Operations and Day Service Manager. (Deadline: 16 Jul)' - Shared by The Open Door.
Events:
🎨 Florenzer: Celebrating Phil Melanson's Queer Renaissance Novel
Wed 08 July - 'Set in Renaissance-era Florence, Florenzer reimagines the intersecting lives of three ambitious young men―a banker, a priest, and a gay painter named Leonardo. Phil Melanson will be in conversation with Andrés Ordorica to discuss this beautiful book.'
7pm to 8pm | Lighthouse - Edinburgh's Radical Bookshop · Old Town | £4/free - More details here, shared by a Minute reader.
🚢 Edinburgh Shanty Night at the Spylaw!
Thu 09 July - 'Colinton & surroundings, we're coming for you with siren songs and tunes in tow! Join us for sea shanties at the Spylaw once a month. Next up, Thursday 9th July from 8.30pm - no bookings or experience needed. Just come along and go for it!'
8.30pm to 10.30pm | The Spylaw · Colinton | FREE - More details here, shared by Edinburgh Shanty Night.
🧘♀️ Meditations for a Happy Summer ☀️ [Every Sunday]
Sun 12 July - 'Join our summer series of three Sunday half-day meditation courses. Explore practical Buddhist methods to develop inner peace, let go of worry, and cultivate lasting happiness. Suitable for beginners and experienced meditators alike.'
2pm to 5pm | Kadampa Meditation Centre Edinburgh · Leith | £20/Free for members - More details here, shared by a Minute reader.
🎬 Iranian film season at the Filmhouse [Until Sun]
Fri 17 July - 'Iran Weekend comes to Filmhouse cinema in Edinburgh from 17-19 July. Presented by Woman Life Freedom Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh, the festival features acclaimed Iranian films, plus Q&As with directors Mahnaz Mohammadi and Hassan Nazer.'
10am to 5pm | Filmhouse · Tollcross - More details here, shared by Woman Life Freedom Edinburgh.
🌱 Make Your Own Foraged Herbal First Aid Kit 🌿
Sat 18 July - 'A playful 4-hour outdoor masterclass where you'll forage medicinal plants and turn them into a practical herbal first aid kit to take home. Learn field uses, teas, oils, powders & sprays. Open to all levels of experience! 5% of sales fund community!'
1pm to 5pm | Leith Community Croft · Leith | 64-68 GBP - More details here, shared by Natasha Lowery-Lewis, Nature School for Grownups.
🏃♂️ Yoga for Runners
Sun 19 July - 'Good Time Yoga presents Yoga for Runners. Come and join us for yoga and a test run round the West End - finishing up with great coffee and tasty treats with good folk. Absolute beginners absolutely welcome!'
8.30am to 11.15am | Up and Running · West End | 16 - Thanks to Sim from Up & Running/Good Time Running Club for sharing this.
🌸 The Joy of Painting Flowers
Sat 25 July - 'Rediscover the joy of painting, no experience needed. Join us at Stòr for a relaxed flower-inspired morning, while enjoying a coffee and pastry. You get to take a flower posy and your finished artwork(s) home. Gorgeous flowers provided by Aspen.'
9.30am to 12pm | Stòr Coffee · Canonmills & Broughton | £75 - More details here, shared by Lezanne Scott.
🛍️ Pamoja Fashion Clothes Sale [Monthly]
Sat 01 August - 'Quality pre-loved clothing on sale for women, men and children in aid of Twende Pamoja a registered charity working with schools in Tanzania. Tea and coffee. Ist Saturday of each month in church hall, St John's RC church Portobello. All welcome'
10am to 1pm | St. John The Evangelist · Portobello | FREE - More details here, shared by Maria McCann, Twende Pamoja - Let us walk together.
📮 What's missing from the Minute? Got an event to share? Nothing's too local! Please share your local news and events here.
👀 The most-visited links from the last newsletter:
- 🚔 Masked bikers continue to tear0up grass in the Meadows.
- 🍸 New openings: The Keelson, Capetto, Cabbage + Tacos Lah.
- 🎓 Students walk out of university graduation ceremony. (video)
- 🚲 New bike lanes for St Andrew Square.
- Consultation on future of Community Payback Orders, aka 'community service'.
⏰ Thanks for reading edition number 945.
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