The Edinburgh Minute ⏰ Weekend edition: 4 - 6 September 2026
New Green councillor for Porty & Labour win Southside byelection, Fringe faces funding 'challenge', Edinburgh Live's new paywall + your weekend guide
👋 Good morning Edinburgh. We're ten editions away from the 1,000th Edinburgh Minute newsletter. How should I mark the occasion? A paywall, perhaps, to keep this thing going? Or a paywall that doesn't remove adverts? Don't worry, I would never do either of those things to you. Huge thanks to the folks who do chip in to keep the Minute ticking over, though. It would not have made it to 1,000 editions without you. I'm so proud that this is a reader-supported publication. Thank you. Please share any ideas you have in the comments. I'd love to hear them! Here's your weekend Edinburgh Minute...
🌦️ Weekend weather forecast: Sunny intervals between the showers today. Drier tomorrow but still a 50% chance of rain between 11am and 4pm. Light showers on Sunday morning before a sunny afternoon with the temperature peaking at 22C on Sunday. - The full Met Office forecast for Edinburgh is here.
🗳️ The results from yesterday's Southside/Newington and Portobello/Craigmillar by-elections were announced around 1am last night.
- The Scottish Greens took Portobello/Craigmillar from the SNP, as Lorenzo Martinico received 1,781 votes to become the 11th Green on the council. The SNP's Silas McGilvray was 250 votes behind in second on 1,531 votes. Turnout was 22.9%. - The full results for Portobello/Craigmillar are here.
- The Scottish Labour Party won seat in the Southside/Newington ward, with Ruth Elliot winning with 2,153 votes, while Isabella Gastel Alejandre of the Greens was 175 votes behind in second with 1,978 votes. Turnout was 27.3%. - The full results for Southside/Newington are here.
⮑ Coverage:
- 'Labour and Greens victorious over SNP in Edinburgh by-elections' - Reporting from the council’s Waverley Court HQ, Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco in The Herald.
- Portobello/Craigmillar result reaction, by Phyllis Stephen in The Edinburgh Reporter.
- Southside/Newington result reaction, by Phyllis Stephen in The Edinburgh Reporter.
The City of Edinburgh Council
💰 Local news website Edinburgh Live has started charging readers to access its news. For £4.99 per month the company promises 'unmissable journalism' and 'fewer ads', but not 'no ads'. The new paywall kicks in after an unspecified number of free stories every month. - The Reach PLC-owned website's editor Andy Shipley wrote about it here, and the subscription offering is here.
- There's a discussion on all of this on Reddit at r/edinburgh.
- There was controversy in Manchester earlier this year, when owner Reach put publicly-funded Local Democracy Reporter work behind the paywall on the Manchester Evening News. So in 'the pettiest stunt in UK media', independent title the Manchester Mill republished that work for free. Which got me thinking: will Edinburgh Live put LDR content behind the paywall? I asked yesterday, and they didn't rule it out.
- Having heard from a few readers, I asked Edinburgh Live these questions:
Will all (tax-funded) Local Democracy Reporter content remain free to access on Edinburgh Live, regardless of whether a reader has a Premium subscription?
How many stories can readers read for free each month before being asked to subscribe?
Regarding the number of stories readers will be able to access every month for free before being asked to subscribe, does this include LDR content?
To be clear, what is Edinburgh Live's stance on public access to LDR content?
An EdinburghLive spokesperson responded: "The meter is something we experiment with for each title and often varies between app and website. Our goal is to keep serving up a good mix of free to air and paid content, while funding the journalism that has only become more important. Our active contribution to the LDR scheme is something we really value and we'll continue to meet all our obligations to the scheme as laid out by the BBC, in both our paid print and online products. The decision on whether an online story is behind the paywall or not depends on a range of factors including its origin, its subject and input from the wider team."
- So we currently don't know how many stories you'll get to read for free before the paywall starts. As your resident news curator, I’ve paid to get 'Premium' access to Edinburgh Live's output. I happily pay to subscribe to dozens of publications so I can keep on top of everything happening across the city. Rest assured, if there's a vital piece of local public reporting behind any paywall, I'll read it, share the key facts with you in your inbox every weekday at 7am, along with crediting the original reporter and a link to the source as always.
- A note on paywalls: People often ask why the Minute does not state where some links go to paywalled sites. It's because there's not always a paywall. Some people see paywalls and some don't. It's called dynamic paywalling (read about it here) and can depend on a lot of factors, including your browsing history or publisher strategies. So all I can do is remind that the purpose of this newsletter has always been twofold: to make it easier for locals to find out what's going on, and to support local publishers by urging readers to pay for original journalism if you can. Thanks to everyone who does.
- Remember, you can access thousands of newspapers and magazines, including over 100 UK titles, for free via the PressReader resource via Edinburgh Libraries.
🪧 Anti-AI data centre protestors from all over Scotland gathered outside the Scottish Parliament yesterday. - Reporting from the gathering, Phyllis Stephen, Deadline News + there's more coverage of the campaign on 'Stop AI Data Centres Scotland.'
- Campaign leader Kat Jones of Action to Protect Rural Scotland, 'may be the closest thing Scotland has to Erin Brockovich in 2026', write Patrick Greenfield and Aisha Down in The Guardian.
Aisha Down and Patrick Greenfield
📚 Archive records showing plans to demolish Calton Hill are among material examined by Professor David Olusoga in the BBC's 'A House Through Time' documentary series. - Jody Harrison, The Herald.
Jody Harrison
🎭 City heritage group The Cockburn Association has entered the festival funding debate, backing calls for them to get more tourist tax support. Councillors will vote later this month on a proposed 25% boost for arts organisations. - Brian Ferguson reports in The Herald.
💰 Newly filed financial accounts show funding 'remains a challenge' for the Fringe Society charity. The body could increase its registration fees next year, reports Jane Bradley in The Scotsman.
🇺🇸 The festivals are a fading memory, but they're still making global headlines here and there. The New Yorker critic Emily Nussbaum has published an annual round-up, which features a paywall but also includes a glorious illustration of Edinburgh by Javi Aznarez: Seeing It All Hang Out at the Fringe.
- See that and more of the illustrator's work on Instagram. He is perhaps best known for his work for Wes Anderson's film The French Dispatch.
Emily Nussbaum
🚉 Tram services in the east of the city were halted again yesterday when an overhead pantograph was broken on Leith Walk. - British Trams Online News.
🚔 There were dramatic scenes on Queensferry Road yesterday when a car ended up on its roof in a crash that resulted in three people being taken to hospital and one reported to police. - Calum Loudon, STV News.
⚽️ Last night's derby winners Hearts (BBC Scotland match report here) are also celebrating some charitable work for local school pupils. A new floodlit sports pitch has opened at South Morningside Primary school, thanks to the Big Hearts Community Trust, City of Edinburgh Council and Robertson Construction. - More details here.
🍻 Bruntsfield's Black Ivy bar was named 'Dog Friendly Pub of the Year' at the Scottish Bar and Pub Awards. - Callum McCormack, Evening News.
📌 Edinburgh Minute Community Noticeboard - news you can use:
💼 Space @ The Broomhouse Hub Hiring TWO Positions - 'DIGITAL INCLUSION WORKER • 9 hours/week (Wednesdays) • £28,130 pro rata • Closes: 16 Sept. @ 5 p.m. YOUTH WORKER • 4.5 hours/week (Fridays) • £15.91/hour • Closes: 20 Sept.' - More details here, shared by Space @ The Broomhouse Hub.
🔬 Infants can do science! Participate in a fun experiment at Edinburgh Uni and get £10. - 'Calling all parents with children aged 17-19 months! Join us for a 30 min study in our lab on Bristo Square and help us understand how children learn new words. Please fill out this form and our team at Edinburgh Uni will contact you with more info.' - More details here, shared by Annie Holtz, Edinburgh University.
🎷 The Joys of Swing at Edinburgh Jazz and Jive Club
Today, Fri 04 September - 'This Friday, 4th September, we have the well-loved Joys of Swing playing a hot set of popular Swing and Jazz. Great for listening and dancing, especially Lindy Hop, Jive, Shag - in fact, all the swing dances. See you on the dance floor!'
8pm to 11pm | Heriot's Rugby Club · Inverleith | £13.00 & £16.00 - More details here, shared by Edinburgh Jazz 'n Jive Club.
🌻 Grow and Show Together - Edinburghs biggest fruit, veg and flower show [Until Sun]
Tomorrow, Sat 05 September - 'Join us at the Saughton Park for a weekend celebrating growing, gardening and community. This joint show by the Caley and FEDAGA will have the best fruit, veg and flower displays, book and plant sales, gardening advice and fun activities for children'
1pm to 4pm | Saughton Park · Saughton | FREE - More details here, shared by Caroline, Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society.
🐾 Community Day 2026
Sun 06 September - 'You're invited to Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home's FREE Community Day Event- your dog's dream day out! Come pick up helpful tips and treats for your furry friends and join us for a pup-filled day of games, competitions and waggly-tailed fun.'
11am to 3pm | Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home · Portobello | FREE - More details here, shared by a Minute reader.
📸 Sunday Assembly Edinburgh: Truth To Nature
Sun 06 September - 'Sunday Assembly Edinburgh, the city's 'secular congregation' meets first Sunday of every month to celebrate life and Live Better, Help Often and Wonder More. This month photographer Alex Hamilton will share cyanotype images: Truth To Nature.'
11.30am to 12.30pm | LifeCare Edinburgh · Stockbridge | FREE - More details here, shared by Mark McKergow, Sunday Assembly Edinburgh.
🏆 Try bowls for families
Sun 06 September - 'You might have seen bowls at the Commonwealth Games and fancy giving it a go. Come along on Sunday and try it! We're friendly and it's fun. Please wear flat soled shoes.'
2pm to 4pm | Craigmillar Park Bowling Club · Cameron Toll | FREE - More details here, shared by Anna Fowlie, Craigmillar Park Bowling Club.
🌳 Granton Nature Map walk
Sun 06 September - 'Granton Nature Map first walk to gather material for stitching the wildlife of the Granton area and participants' past locations. This is a multi-cultural, inclusive, community project for creativity and skill-sharing. All welcome. Easy route.'
2pm to 3pm | Granton Community Gardeners · Granton & Pilton | FREE - More details here, shared by Tamsin Grainger.
tamsing
🗣️ Free talk and valuation event
Tue 08 September - 'Bonhams welcomes you to hear guest speaker, Félix Zorzo, give special lecture, "Rocaille to Revolution: 18th-Century Sèvres Porcelain at the Forefront of Fashion" on Tuesday 8 Sep, 3pm. Refreshments and free expert valuations also available.'
3pm to 5pm | Bonhams · West End | FREE - More details here, shared by May Matthews.
📖 How to share your memoirs
Tue 08 September - 'Do you have boxes of family photos and mementos stored away? Would you love to find a way of capturing these memories as a story to share with family or others? If so this workshop run by local author and writing coach Emma Dhesi is for you.'
6pm to 9pm | The Arienas Collective - Creative Workshop Hub · New Town | £50 - More details here, shared by Lynn Powell, The Arienas Collective.
💃 Historical Dance Classes [Every Tuesday]
Tue 08 September - 'Step into Regency and Baroque Edinburgh. Learn dances such as quadrille and contredanse. Fun and gentle exercise- beginners welcome. Pay on the door, book a place through info@sonasmultimedia.co.uk'
7pm to 9pm | French Institute of Scotland · Old Town | £60 for 5, £15 for 1 - More details here, shared by Edinburgh Quadrille Society.
🎶 Open Rehearsals - Edinburgh Bach Choir
Tue 08 September - 'Would you like to join one of Edinburgh's leading amateur choirs? Fancy making music alongside professional soloists and orchestras? Come along to our upcoming Open Rehearsals on 8 and 15 September, join in the singing and see what you think!'
7.15pm to 9.30pm | St Cuthbert's Parish Church · Tollcross | FREE - More details here, shared by a Minute reader.
📸 Mastering the Frame: Photography Course
Wed 09 September - 'This 4-session course is the perfect introduction to photography for anyone looking to improve their picture-taking skills. Tutor Sam will cover concepts such as how to master manual control on digital cameras and smartphones.'
6.30pm to 9pm | Birchwood Art Studio · Slateford - More details here, shared by Raphie.
🏡 First-time Buyers Event
Thu 10 September - 'Come along to our first-time buyer event for friendly, practical advice on every step of buying your first home from mortgages to the legal must-knows. You'll hear practical advice from solicitors, property experts and ESPC Mortgage Advisers.'
6pm to 8pm | ESPC · New Town | FREE - More details here, shared by ESPC.
🎨 National Galleries of Scotland Tour
Wed 16 September - 'This private tour of the Scottish Galleries is a combination of Art History and drawing from works in the collection. Explore what stories the paintings hold and how can they inspire us whilst sketching it all!'
10am to 12.30pm | National Galleries of Scotland: National · New Town | £30 - More details here, shared by Raphie.
Remember you can always see all 270+ upcoming local events on TownSpot calendars and maps. Thanks to everyone who shares their things!
🛝 Plenty of family-friendly things to do this weekend and beyond in Gayle's Guide, including: The Collective Gala, Art Walk Porty, bat-themed family fun and more...
Gayle’s Guide