The result of a petition for judicial review was made known yesterday when Lord Braid decided that the Edinburgh version of the short term let policy was in some respects unlawful.
His Lordship said that the policy is “unlawful” in respect of the rebuttable presumption against granting licences for secondary letting in tenements, the lack of any system for temporary licences to be granted and a requirement for all secondary lets to have carpets fitted in bedrooms, living rooms and hallways.
The petition was raised at the Court of Session by Peter Averbuch, Dickins Edinburgh Limited, Reserve Travel Limited and Edinburgh SC (Self Catering) Limited who had crowdfunded £300,000 to fund the case. This is said to be the largest ever legal crowdfunder.
The written decision can be read in full here.
Walt Disney and Greyfriars Bobby
In April 1960 Walt Disney visited Edinburgh to scout locations and carry out research for the film.
An advertisement was placed in national newspapers inviting owners of Skye Terriers to put their dogs forward for audition for the part of Bobby.
Bobby’s original name was Tam, a stray dog from a village in the North of Scotland. A 19 year-old girl had recently acquired him from an animal rescue centre and her father spotted the advert. They contacted Disney offering Tam’s services and Walt Disney decided he was perfect for the role.
During the 1960s and early 70s, Bobby made regular appearances in schools and at charity events helping to raise money for good causes. He made his final public appearance at Greyfriars Kirk in 1972.
Bobby died in June 1974 and there was a grand funeral. He was buried on Merrilees’ property, a former railway station at Dolphinton in the Scottish Borders where a gravestone and a replica Greyfriars Bobby Statue were placed. In 2008, both the monument and gravestone were removed from the property.
In 2020, it was announced that planning permission had been granted to build houses on the land. David Hunter (Chief Inspector John Turner’s nephew) received permission from the landowner to try to find and recover Bobby’s remains before the building work started.
Hunter and some local volunteers formed a search team and began scanning the area and digging in June 2021.
After 18 months, the team decided on a date that would be their final dig and in January 2023, the team finally discovered the lost grave. The remains were cremated, placed inside a specially commissioned casket and brought ‘home’ to Greyfriars Kirk.
In a film review at the time Variety said “Greyfriars Bobby sets out to melt the heart and does it skillfully. Central character is a little Skye terrier, and this engaging little animal is quite irresistible…..Patiently and brilliantly trained, Bobby wraps up the stellar honours for himself and the humans, knowing they don’t stand a chance, wisely are content to play chorus.”
