The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition: 13 - 15 March 2026
Hospital hit by norovirus, school phone ban consultation results, huge support for 'Legends' rock venue's final dance + Davy Zyw rides again at the Winter Paralympics
👋 Good morning good people of Edinburgh. How about that photo by Tom Duffin this morning? Beautiful. Thanks as always to Tom for sharing his work. Thanks too to everyone who has sent in items for the newsletter this week. It's truly a community effort and I appreciate everyone who helps, reads and shares. Here's your weekend guide and today's Edinburgh Minute.
🌦️ Weekend weather: There was a flurry of sleet earlier this morning. Light rain is possible for much of today. Saturday starts clear with sunny spells and showers in the afternoon. Wetter on Sunday. Expect a temperature high of 8C on Saturday and a low of 1C on Sunday night into Monday morning. - The full Met Office forecast is here.
🏥 NHS Lothian says 'a small number' of ward patients at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh are displaying symptoms of norovirus. - Isla Storie, Edinburgh Live.
📵 Parents and staff have 'overwhelmingly backed' a ban on mobile phones in schools, according to a report by Joanne MacAuley & James Delaney of BBC Scotland News.
✈️ Questions are being asked after councillors signed off more than £12,000 of travel expenses for councillors and officers which including business-class flights to New York for the Lord Provost and two others. - Joe Sullivan, Local Democracy Reporter, Edinburgh Live.
💰 The Edinburgh International Festival has called for a rethink of the city’s tourist tax spending plans. Bosses say the festival will be 'out of pocket' after it is introduced in the summer, reports Brian Ferguson in The Herald.
🏢 Plans have emerged to turn an empty Gyle office block into a church. - Kevin Quinn, Evening News.
🚒 It's emerged that a Scottish Fire & Rescue Service specialist appliance from Edinburgh had to be sent across the country to be used to fight the Union Street fire in Glasgow on Sunday as as both of Glasgow's high-reach fire engines were unavailable. - Andrew Learmonth, Glasgow Times + Libby Brooks & Severin Carrell in The Guardian.
🤖 A team of eight students from James Gillespie’s High School will compete in the world’s largest robotics competition in the USA. - Rose Moncur, The Herald.
🤝 This month's Love Your Business networking event speaker in Bruntsfield has been announced: Laura Thomas, founder of the luxury lifestyle brand, Laura Thomas Co. - More details from Michelle Brown, of Love Your Business, here and tickets are here.
🏂 Edinburgh-born Davy Zyw is due to ride again at the Winter Paralympics in Italy today. After breaking two ribs at the weekend's snowboard-cross event, he is set to add another chapter to his story today in the banked slalom event.
- ⮑ The event is live on Channel 4 from 8am, with Davy's schedule listings here showing that he will be the 18th rider out of the gates.
- He gave this emotional interview to ParalympicsGB.
🎸 As reported first in the Minute earlier this week, this could be the last weekend of rock and metal at Legends in the Cowgate after more than 35 years. The club listings, described as a 'final week rundown' are here.
- The Music Venue Trust charity, which acts to protect, secure and improve grassroots music venues, has given its backing to Legends, saying:
"What we are hearing most clearly from the public is that these spaces are now increasingly rare in the city for the community that Legends served. That absence will be deeply felt by the artists, fans and local scene who relied on it as their meeting point, creative outlet and cultural home. The loss of Legends is not just the closure of a venue. It is the loss of a space that helped shape Edinburgh’s musical identity for more than thirty years."
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard - news you can use:
🏗️ Multi-Use Games Area refurbishment begins at Gracemount Mansion! - 'Progress at Gracemount Mansion! Refurbishment of the MUGA is moving ahead thanks to Place Based Investment funding. Contractor Sportex has begun site setup. A refreshed community sports space is planned by late 2026. ⚽' - Thanks to Jane Hartley, Gracemount Mansion Development Trust for sharing this.
🏉 6 Nations Friday Warm-Up
Today, Fri 13 March - Whisky Tasting to Kick off your Six Nations weekend at Jeffrey Street Whisky & Cigars. Drop in for a guest tasting of the Patron Saint Whisky "1888". It's the perfect "Fun Friday" warmup-come chat rugby with a dram before the Super Saturday madness.
1pm to 5pm | Jeffrey St. Whisky & Tobacco, EH1 1DT | FREE - More details here, shared by Patron Saint Whisky Ltd.
🎷 Lorna Reid Quintet at the Edinburgh Jazz 'n Jive.
Today, Fri 13 March - This Friday, 13th March, the fantastic Lorna Reid Quintet returns to the Edinburgh Jazz 'n Jive Club! The acclaimed singer Lorna Reid will perform with a stellar line-up featuring some of Scotland's finest Jazz musicians.
8pm to 11pm | Heriots Rugby Club Inverleith Row EH3 5QN, EH3 5QN | £12.00 & £15.00 - More details here, shared by Edinburgh Jazz 'n Jive Club.
🌳 Leith Links Litter Pick
Sat 14 March - During Spring Clean Scotland, we're organising another community litter pick of the Leith Links area. 10am til 11:30am for litter pick. Free cuppa & biscuits after. Meet in our car park for 10. We have litter pickers but feel free to bring your own.
10am to 11.30am | Duncan Place Community Hub, EH6 8HW | FREE - More details here, shared by Drew, Duncan Place Community Hub.
🥔 Balerno Farmers Market - 'It’s “Tattie Day” at Balerno Farmers Market on Saturday. Pick up all you need to grow your own, including growing sacks, a variety of seed potatoes and onion sets—with lots of useful advice on offer too! Plus all the usual fabulous stalls.' - Thanks to C&B News, for sharing this.
🛍️ Makers Market - George Watson's College
Sat 14 March - Our vibrant Makers Market - celebrating local creativity. Explore a curated collection of gorgeous handmade & artisan pieces, from accessories & jewellery to textiles, homewares, ceramics, stationery, art & prints - perfect for Mother's Day gifts!
11am to 4pm | George Watson's College, EH10 5EG | FREE - More details here, shared by Carmen Chalmers, Support The Makers.
🎻 Alexander Technique for Musicians
Sat 14 March - For all instrumentalists and vocalists, amateurs or professionals, looking to find more ease, freedom, and agency over their practice & performance. (All proceeds will go towards The Pianodrome's fundraising).
10.30am to 12pm | Pianodrome Bruntsfield Community Hub, EH10 4NB | £5-10 - More details here, shared by Eleni, Alexander Technique Music School.
🧘♀️ Yoga for Sleep Recovery workshop™
Sat 14 March - Struggling with sleep? Curious about the science of sleep? Want some yogic tools to help? You will come away with a toolkit to improve your rest; from meditation techniques to journalling and finding out your own sleep type based on the three Doshas.
2pm to 4.30pm | East Side Yoga, EH1 3RZ | £25 - More details here, shared by Emily, East Side Yoga.
🎶 Music Fae Scotland // Vinyl Listening Session // Brunstfield Pianodrome
Sat 14 March - Mark Quinn returns to the Pianodrome to host a special listening session celebrating the Scottish music scene.
4pm to 5pm | Pianodrome Bruntsfield Community Hub, EH10 4NB | Donation based - More details here, shared by a Minute reader.
🎵 "Caedmon's Hymn", a new anthem
Sun 15 March - Possibly the first recorded poem in English, set to music by award-winning young composer, Giles Longstaff, will be the anthem at Evensong this Sunday. The illiterate Caedmon's miraculous transformation into a poet was described by Bede.
6pm to 7pm | St John's Episcopal Church, EH2 4BJ | FREE - More details here, shared by George Harris.
🚶♀️➡️ 'Breaking the silence on endometriosis, one hill at a time' - 'As March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, my friend Esmé and I (Maëlle, French Osteopath) have decided to take on a challenge: climbing 10 hills across Edinburgh and the Pentland Hills to raise funds for the charity Endometriosis UK'. - Thanks to Maëlle Guennec, Maëlle Osteopath for sharing this.
🗳️ Survey on young people's plans to vote in the upcoming Scottish election - 'Hello! I am doing a research report for college on voting turnout for the upcoming Scottish election and whether young people plan on voting. If you’re 16-25 I would appreciate if you could fill out this short survey, only 3 questions! Thank you!' - Thanks to a Minute reader for sharing this.
📚 ️Edinburgh-based publisher Polygon seeks romance fiction submissions! - 'Polygon, an imprint of Birlinn, is seeking new submissions of romance fiction with a strong Scottish connection. To be considered, please send us an excerpt from your project, a brief biographical note, and short synopsis of the book'. - Thanks to Jennifer Andreacchi, Polygon, for sharing this.
📖 Edinburgh author releases paperback edition of LGBTQ+ horror novella - 'Edinburgh-based author Emma Wilson-Kanamori has recently released the paperback edition for her LGBTQ+ horror novella, Sommarstuga, a bone-chilling tale of survival, love, and remorse told through the lens of three unique perspectives'. - Thanks to Emma Wilson-Kanamori for sharing this.
🎶 Flute players wanted - 'Bristo Community Concert Band are looking for a couple of enthusiastic musicians to join our friendly relaxed band. No audition but level 5 recommended'. - Thanks to Jane Adams, Bristo Community Concert Band, for sharing this.
🛝 Find all this weekend's family-friendly things to do in Gayle's Guide, including: Free circus skills, Horrible Histories in concert, the return of the Polwarth Baby and Toddler Group and more.
Gayle’s Guide
🪡 There are free sewing workshops for young people aged 14–21 at Out Of The Blue in Leith on Saturday. - More details here.
📚 Sunday is the last day to spend your World Book Day book token, so The Portobello Bookshop is hosting a free morning of colouring in and reading. - More details here.
