The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Tuesday 27 January 2026
Weather warning for rain and snow, thousands raised for fire-hit charity, memorial planned for American hero + Edinburgh Leisure invites you to join Victorian Pool Crawl
🌤️ Good morning Edinburgh. A shorter edition today. If I've missed something or you have news or an event to share, please get in touch. Here’s Tuesday's Edinburgh Minute.
☔️ A weather warning for rain and snow has been issued by the Met Office. The yellow weather warning is in place until 5pm. - More details here.
- ⮑ Learn more about Storm Chandra in the North Edinburgh News with Dave Pickering.
🔥 Vandalism at buildings owned by Pentlands charity Youth Vision caused an estimated £5,000 of damage, according to the group's founder Sara Beauregard, who spoke to Rose Monur of The Herald.
- ⮑ In less than 48 hours more than 120 people have helped to raise £3,260 for the charity's fundraiser.
🏨 A developer is planning to build 46 serviced apartments at a former Sick Kids hospital building in Marchmont opposite the Meadows, as an ‘alternative to city centre hotels’. - Neil Johnstone, Evening News.
🚧 Up to three months of roadworks have begun on Summerhall Road at the southeast corner of The Meadows. Expect daytime closures at Melville Terrace and Sciennes until April. - More details from Rose Moncur in The Herald.
🚲 'Edinburgh cycle hire scheme criticised by Greens over 'teething problems'' - Ian Swanson in The Scotsman / Evening News.
🗣️ The owner of the Howie’s restaurants has proposed a bronze plaque commemorating anti-slavery campaigner Frederick Douglass outside its Waterloo Place restaurant. - More details, including a prototype of the plan, in the Spurtle.
☕️ Scran Academy has shared more details of its third cafe, which was recently announced as part of a community garden development in West Pilton. The project aims to create new living-wage jobs and training opportunities for young people. - Ross Chalmers, Deadline News.
🏊♀️ Edinburgh Leisure is looking for 75 swimmers to join this year's 'Victorian Pool Crawl' event across five venues on Monday 6 April. - More details and applications are open here.
“Completing the final lane last year was tough, but extremely rewarding. We all knew our efforts would help fund local community programmes, and that was a true highlight. It’s an unforgettable challenge.” - Returning participant Marek Bernat.
🤝 Once again the Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network has published 21 local jobs available this week, including two orgs looking for CEOs, some marketing, events and community roles, as well as voluntary positions. More details here.
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📌 “Gringo Supperclub has put a new batch of our Taco Cooking Class dates on sale including a new veggie/vegan cooking class. Come learn to cook tacos in a fun, relaxed and BYOB class at our home in the West End.” - Thanks to Gringo Supperclub host Kevin for sharing this.
📌 “Underground Magic: Edinburgh's Live Magic Night is returning (to The Gilded Saloon) tomorrow after a successful launch show! This week sees local magic legends Tom Crosbie (The Performing Nerd), Luke Osey, and Cameron Gibson joined by local up-and-coming magician Tillie Gorgon and headliner from London; Pete Heat!” - Thanks to Cameron Gibson of the Edinburgh Magic Company for sharing this.
📌 “Social enterprise Scran Academy is hiring a Front of House Lead for their café at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. This hands-on role suits an experienced hospitality professional passionate about great service and supporting young people at work.” - Thanks to Jane Strutt of Scran Academy for sharing this.
📌 “Please support the Mooncroft Crowdfund to remove & recycle 16,000 plastic tree guards! We're a family from Edinburgh who have spent ten years rewilding 47 acres of land near Penicuik. Help support us as we work with volunteers to remove & recycle the tree guards from the young forest we've created.” - Thanks to Tom Moon, ReforestNation, for sharing this.
📌 “We're looking for older or disabled people who would like to share their garden and meet somebody new. Edinburgh Garden Partners is a charity that matches Garden Owners and Volunteers 1-1 and supports them to set up a veg plot. Gardens can be in any condition - for more information call 0131 3470529.” - Thanks to Jo, Assistant Community Coordinator at Edinburgh Garden Partners, for sharing this. There are more details in this Instagram post.
📌 “University of Stirling researchers are gathering memories of the 2014 independence referendum— in an effort to understand how our memories are grounded in spaces and places. If there’s something you remember, big or small, we’d really value you sharing it so we can build a memory map.” - Thanks to Dr Coree Brown Swan, University of Stirling for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday 31st - Habitat returns to Jamaica Yard to host a one of a kind party featuring Portavibe HiFi's newest sound system. It'll be an immersive night of uplifting music in a space that's unlike any other Edinburgh venue. Their last event sold out in advance so grab a ticket early!” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Saturday 31st January, 3pm-7pm - Stand Up to Racism Unity Carnival Celebrating Edinburgh's Diversity, All Welcome, Facepainting, Performance, Poetry, Food and Tombola. Short distance from centre, register on Eventbrite for free ticket and venue details.” - Thanks to Stand Up To Racism Edinburgh & Lothians for sharing this.
📌 “Would you like to learn dances from the time of Jane Austen? Edinburgh Quadrille Society starts a new term of fortnightly Regency Dance Classes where we will be teaching the original First Set of Quadrilles that came to Edinburgh from Paris after the Battle of Waterloo. Beginners are very welcome.” - Thanks to Edinburgh Quadrille Society for sharing this.
📌 “Kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Classes. Method Jiu Jitsu at George Watsons School Edinburgh has been a huge success bringing joy and self defence skills to the surrounding area! This is an open invitation for children to learn the sport in a fun and friendly environment with a free trial class!” - Thanks to Method Jiu Jitsu for sharing this.
📌 “Friday 30 January from 7:00pm - Broughton St. Mary's Church invites everyone to our winter ceilidh! There will be dancing, drinks, nibbles, and live Scottish music with the Scott Leslie Ceilidh Band. This event is free, but a £10 donation at the door would be gratefully accepted.” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
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📌 “Relax, unwind, and reconnect on Sunday 1st at 10am with Marcela’s earth-inspired sound bath. Experience soothing sounds, guided meditation, and a gentle creative practice that supports rest, reflection, and emotional release.” - Thanks to the organisers for sharing this.
📌 “Sunday 1 Feb, 7-9pm - Drink, Draw & Paint at Rising Tide Cafe, Portobello. Draw and paint a still life with expert guidance from workshop tutors, and enjoy some drinks in relaxed surroundings. Ticket £30 includes all materials, tuition and a welcome drink.” - Thanks to Rising Tide Cafe for sharing this.
📌 “The 100-strong Soundhouse Choir starts new term WED Feb 4th. Exciting plans for its TENTH birthday year! All-welcome - No auditions - First night FREE taster.” - Thanks to Soundhouse Choir Director Heather Macleod for sharing this.
📌 “Friday 6th February, 6-8pm. Join Silverbean Jewellery for a silver Stacking Ring Making workshop at The Gift Tree in Corstorphine on Station Road. You’ll learn traditional jewellery-making techniques in a friendly, hands-on session where you’ll leave with 2 beautiful rings.” - Thanks to Clare Steen, owner, for sharing this.
📌 “Charity Children First, based in Bruntsfield, are calling all adrenaline lovers! Take on an unforgettable charity abseil down the Port of Leith Distillery (Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 May) and help make a difference. Spaces are limited, so don’t miss out!” - Thanks to Cristina Monrabal of Children First for sharing this.
📌 “SUN 8 FEB - Leith Kino is BACK with another eclectic line-up of films for your delectation! Kicking off on 8th Feb and running weekly every Sunday at Leith Depot till the 29th March, our Feb programme includes The Bride Wore Black (1968), Freaks (1932) and Miami Connection (1987). Viva Leith Kino!” - Thanks to Morvern of the Leith Kino team for sharing this.
Leith Kino
📮 Anything missing? Please share your local news and events here.
👀 The most-visited links from the last newsletter:
- 🚧 Round-up of city's upcoming road closures.
- 💉 Edinburgh Live reporters buy heroin for investigation.
- 🔥 Pentlands kids' charity blames vandals for fire attack.
- 🏡 £60m underspend on housing branded ‘scandalous’.
- 📘 Edinburgh literary hotspots in 'myth-busting' new book.
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⏰ Thanks for reading edition number 823.
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