During this festive period, Foysol Choudhury, Scottish Labour MSP for Lothian raises awareness around the prevalence of spiking.

Spiking can take various forms, including but not limited to someone adding drugs or alcohol to your drink or by way of injection. Drink
spiking is the most prevalent form of spiking, which can take place in private or social environments like bars and nightclubs.

Safer Scotland reminds us that: “Being spiked is never the fault of the victim.”

Ensuring that the public remains safe from spiking is a communal responsibility, and I would reminds you to look out for each other during this festive period, when spiking is often more prevalent. Safer Scotland’s information campaign on spiking reminds us there are
things we can do to make sure we socialise safely.

If you have been spiked, signs appear suddenly and can include, but are not limited to, rapid changes in intoxication levels, confusion, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, and disorientation. Safer Scotland reminds us that if we see someone experiencing these
symptoms, it is important we know what to do: “If you, or someone you know, has been spiked and is feeling unwell, please phone NHS 24 on 111 for advice. If you suspect someone requires urgent medical assistance after being spiked, please phone 999.”

“In all cases where you think you have been spiked, or have witnessed someone being spiked,
contact the police on 101 to report the incident.”

I intend to monitor the situation in the city and look to ask questions in Parliament.
But I will also continue to raise public awareness around spiking – remember it’s never the victim’s fault, and we need to support those who have been wronged. I encourage everyone to safely enjoy the festive period.

Widely regarded as Scotland’s greatest basketball player, Bill McInnes, who died in 2017 aged 71, is again to be remembered by his former Boroughmuir Blaze Club and others with a festival of the sport in his name at the end of this month (December).

The “Bill McInnes Festival of Basketball” was launched last year but such was the success organisers have added an extra day at the Craigs Leisure Centre in Edinburgh’s Pleasance.

On 27 December there will be a clinic for coaches and the following day a seniors tournament will be held featuring the host club, old friends Gloucester and Paisley.

The Festival concludes with an under-18 3×3 tournament.

Bill McInnes, former chairman of Basketball Scotland, was awarded an OBE for services to basketball in 2000.

He gained 172 international caps for either Great Britain and Scotland mostly as captain but is credited with always remembering his sporting roots at Boroughmuir, serving as player, chairman and coach.

Ally Reid, who has held a variety of roles at Blaze including team manager for both the men’s and youth outfits but currently chairs the club’s charitable wing called “We Play Together” says:
 “It’s extremely important we continue to remember Bill who is still sorely missed and was ‘Mr Boroughmuir’ without a doubt.

“Besides his outstanding playing credentials he certainly wasn’t above coaching all age group teams.”

It is partly Bill’s legacy the Boroughmuir Blaze are now only 20 short of a capacity membership of 500 with players ranging in age from 10 years upwards.

Bill McInnes was also well known to those attending both Meadowbank and Wester Hailes sports centres where he worked in management capacities.

The veterans’ charity, Erskine, has received a major donation from Scotmid which will make a difference to the lives of their residents in Edinburgh.

The charity, which cares for veterans in Scotland at its residential homes, activity centres and a Veterans’ Village, has been boosted with a £50,000 donation, which will be divided between Erskine’s East, North and West locations.

A share of the funding will go towards providing 28 new beds in Erskine’s Gilmerton home in Edinburgh. The purpose built home provides 24-hour care for 40 members of the ex-Service community with nursing needs as well as those living with dementia. 

A spokesperson for Erskine explained the difference this will make: “The new beds will replace the current ones that have been in use since 2000. They’ll have a much less clinical feel, with special features such as full-length side rails to provide additional comfort and safety.  Quality furnishings are integral in allowing Erskine to cultivate an environment where veterans can relax and really feel at home, whilst accessing the services they require. The Erskine care homes focus on maximising the wellbeing of residents and Scotmid is honoured to be able to play a part in ensuring that this is achieved.”

Ian Cumming, Chief Executive at Erskine said: “The support received previously from Scotmid has been invaluable to the health and wellbeing of the incredible ex-Service men and women we have the privilege of caring for and supporting. We are honoured to be receiving this additional funding, which will help us hugely in improving the quality of our facilities and the rest and respite of our residents.’

Lynne Ogg, Head of Membership & Community Engagement at Scotmid, said:  “We have always deeply valued the work that Erskine does for members of our communities who have played a vital role in safeguarding the safety and democracy of our country. We are delighted to give back in this way and make a meaningful difference in their lives today.”

Established in 1916, Erskine’s mission is “To offer Veterans their best possible future – through the best possible care & community support”.

Plans for 11 luxury holiday golf lodges have been given the go ahead despite failing to secure support from the course next door.

Haddington-based developer David McMillan appealed after planners initially rejected his proposal for the holiday homes on green belt land at South Melville.

Described as ‘golf lodges’ the case for the holiday housing was made on the assumption that a relationship would be built up with the local course.

However a report to councillors said Melville Castle Golf Club had supported planners decision to refuse permission and one local member who regularly plays the course added it was not likely to attract an international market.

Councillor Douglas Bowen told fellow elected members he was a long time patron of the course.

He said: “I am quite cynical about the approach that this is going to attract golfers particularly to golf at Melville, because much as I like golfing at Melville it is not really going to attract American or Japanese tourists to play it, unless they are complete beginners I suppose.”

A report to Midlothian Local Review Body this week revealed planners had initially refused permission for the holiday lodges because it was on green belt land.

However an appeal to the review body described the site as green belt ‘in name only’ and questioned what other use the area could have.

Councillor Derek Milligan raised concerns that allowing the building on the green belt was against the local authority’s policy and said he could find no reason to support the appeal.

He was backed by Councillor Dianne Alexander who voiced concern allowing the holiday homes could lead to more permanent housing on the site in the future.

However Councillor Bowen and Councillor Colin Cassidy, argued the field in question offered very few alternative uses describing it more as a place where ‘things have been burned and dumped.”

Councillor Cassidy said: “The land does not look as if it could be used for much else.”

The review body supported the appeal allowing the lodges to be built by a majority of four to two.

By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter

Hibs Women’s final home match of 2024 ended with a four-goal win against Motherwell at Meadowbank. 

Eilidh Adams flicked effort saw the Hibs take a fine first-half lead, before Rosie Livingstone registered a second goal seconds after the restart.  

Kathleen McGovern and Siobhan Hunter netted late on amidst some difficult, windy playing conditions in Edinburgh.  

Grant Scott was full of praise for “excellent” Motherwell, who gave his Hibernian Women side a tough battle. 

“We huffed and puffed. Motherwell were excellent, particularly in the first half,” Scott told HibsTV following the match. 

“They put us under a lot of stress. At times we did not help ourselves. I’m not convinced it was a 4-0 game. 

“But we have got to be happy with the girls executing some chances. As we got our noses in front, the confidence grew and we looked more like ourselves. 

“We did not look our usual composed selves on the ball. We went backwards quite a lot. Credit to Motherwell and energy they came at us with. 

“We reset at half-time and encouraged the girls to play. We let ourselves get frantic and we went too long too soon in the game. We should have done better managing that.” 

After describing Rachael Boyle as a “class player” following her late introduction off the bench, Scott also singled out players at both ends of the pitch for their solid performances throughout the tricky fixture. 

“I was delighted for Noa [Schumacher] coming in. Another clean sheet for her in her first game after a wee period out injured.  

“The girls in the front area, particularly Kathleen [McGovern] and Eilidh [Adams] had a tough job in the first half when they were not getting any service. 

“Doing the dirty bits is what we need the girls to do sometimes, which is what they done today. 

“I’m delighted Kathleen got there in the end and got her goal – which was thoroughly deserved.” 

Kathleen McGovern was “delighted” to have won the match after a tricky start to the match. 

“We knew it wasn’t good enough in the first half,” McGovern admitted to Hibs TV. 

“We just had to keep prodding away. I thought in the second half, as soon as we kicked off, we were flying. 

“Rosie scored very early on which just gave us that boost. 

“I felt after that we really kicked on. We changed a bit of shape. 

“We got [Hunter] and [Papadopoulos] on and, after that, we looked comfortable in the 4-4-3. I’m delighted to win 4-0.” 

Housebuilders Cala have lodged plans for a huge mixed use site on farmland next to Straiton just weeks after plans for a £22m development on neighbouring land was rejected.

Cala have revealed plans for private and affordable housing as well as retail units on land stretching from Old Pentland to the west of Straiton down to Pentland Main Farm.

Their Pre Application Notice comes just weeks after Pentland Marine Park Ltd saw their bid for housing, including a care home and mixed units, rejected by Scottish Ministers on appeal.

The site proposed by Pentland Park bosses was between the new proposed Cala land and the A701.

Cala Homes (East) said it spublitted the application along with Allanvale to propose a plan that would consist of private residential homes, affordable homes allocation and well as commercial space, on land at Pentland Road, Loanhead.

The number of houses proposed in the new plan have not been set with Cala saying it is too early in the process to say how many units would be needed on the site. If approved the PAN will lead to a 12-week public consultation on the proposals.

Gordon Johnson, Area Land Director, Cala Homes (East), said: “Following on from engagements with the neighbouring community councils we have submitted a Proposal of Application Notice to Midlothian Council for the proposed site.

“This commences our public consultation phase which will include two public events early next year. We are still at very early stages – and want to hear from the community and stakeholders to help shape and inform our proposals.”

The PAN is available to view on Midlothian Council’s planning portal.

By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter

Police are appealing for assistance in tracing 22-year-old Santra Saju who has been reported missing from the South Gyle area.

Santra was last seen about 8.30pm on Friday, 6 December, 2024 in the Burnvale area of Livingston.

Her current whereabouts are unknown and her friends and family are becoming increasingly concerned.

She is described as being 5ft 6 inches tall, Indian ethnicity, slim build, short black hair and last seen wearing a black jacket with a fur hood.

Inspector George Nisbet from Corstorphine Police Station says “Santra has not been seen for a number of days now and this is completely out of character for her.

“Her current whereabouts are unknown and her family and friends are becoming increasingly concerned about her.

“If you believe you have seen Santra or have any information please contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 3390 of Sunday, 15 December 2024.”

A map which shows where Scottish Water is monitoring waste water overflows and recent overflow activity is now online.

Members of the public can now access near real time data to show how the waste water network is performing in their neighbourhood. The new monitors will also help the utility company avoid flooding and plan any future investment.

The utility company now has a 15 strong national team using the information to prevent both flooding and pollution incidents. This is a response to a call from Environmental Standards Scotland for greater transparency on overflows in the system to protect homes and businesses.

Last week Scottish Water announced it has installed 1,000 new sewer monitors in the waste water system which is part of a £500 million programme of investment.

Professor Simon Parsons, Scottish Water’s Director of Environment, Planning and Assurance, who has led the delivery of the Improving Urban Waters routemap, said: “The new online service will allow people in Scotland to be better informed with an easy-to-use map to fully understand where and when sewer system overflows are occurring. 

“It’s been important to Scottish Water to ensure that the development of this service has taken our customers’ view into account. We’ve worked with several external groups on the design and the supporting information, so I’m pleased this has been a really collaborative process.”

The new interactive map can be accessed on the Scottish Water website.

Users can search using a postcode or local authority area.

It is all go on the political front even in the last week before Christmas – and notice of a public meeting being held on Monday evening.

This week at the council there are several things on the agenda as set out below.

This simple list contains a lot of important decisions to be made in the last full week of council business this year.

Tuesday, 17 December, 2024

• 9.30 am Licensing Sub-Committee17/12 – Virtual Meeting – via Microsoft Teams
• 10.00 am Edinburgh Integration Joint Board17/12 – Hybrid Meeting – Dean of Guild Court Room, City Chambers / Microsoft Teams – City Chambers

On Tuesday there is a meeting of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board – the joint NHS and council body which runs the health and social care in the city.

At the last EIJB meeting there were several deputations from Third Sector organisations which would be affected by proposed cuts of around £4.5 million. That threat has been averted for now – at least until the spring, although the EIJB still has a deficit of around £50 million to address.

There is just one deputation noted in the papers for this week’s meeting from FENIKS who say:

“On behalf of Feniks. Counselling, Personal Development and Support Services Ltd.
(Feniks), Sikh Sanjog, and Multicultural Family Base (MCFB) —anchor organisations within
their communities—we submit this deputation to express our concerns about the significant
impact the proposed changes to the EIJB’s grants programme and broader financial strategy
will have on ethnic minority communities across Edinburgh. These changes risk profound
implications for our communities, the workforce, and the EIJB’s statutory obligations. As
organisations working directly with Polish, Ukrainian, Sikh, South Asian, refugee and other
ethnic minority groups, we aim to highlight the potential risks, challenges, and the EIJB’s
obligations to ensure equality, reduce inequalities, and protect the most vulnerable.”

Wednesday, 18 December, 2024

• 10.00 am Development Management Sub-Committee18/12 – Dean of Guild Court Room – City Chambers

At this planning sub-committee the most important application is for a new car-lite 20 minute neighbourhood on the former north south runway at the airport. Elements Edinburgh is recommended for approval.

Thursday, 19 December, 2024

• 10.00 am – 5.00 pm City of Edinburgh Council19/12 – Main Council Chamber – City Chambers

There will be a debate on choosing a new Council Leader on Thursday at a meeting of full council – which at the moment is 61 councillors. Read more here.

Holyrood Park Public Meeting

This evening Lorna Slater MSP is convening a public meeting from 6.30pm to 8pm at the Greyfriars Charteris Centre.

Tickets which are free can be booked on Eventbrite.

A spokesperson for Lorna Slater MSP said: “This is the first meeting of its kind following the General Election and release of Historic Environment’s Scotland Strategic Plan or the park. Our office are hoping to facilitate and support the beginning of a ‘Friends of Holyrood Park’ type group that can help push on HES’ objectives and local issues in and around the park.”

Leith Chooses

This is a participative budgeting process which allows local people to decide how a pot of money is spent in their area.

Deliberation
You can find the list of 24 projects here, and you have about 6 weeks to browse through all these projects and think about which you would like to vote for when the time comes. Remember to tell your friends, family and colleagues to have a look too.

Voting
Voting will open on Saturday 18 January 2025. You can come along to the Leith Community Centre on that day, and meet all the project applicants in person, and place your votes in the ballott box there and then.

Then there will be a further 2 weeks of online voting. If you didn’t manage to get to the in-person day at the Community Centre, you can vote online. If you DID vote at the Comunity Centre, you can ALSO vote once online.

Please remind your friends, family and colleagues to vote, too. Everyone who lives, works, volunteers or studies in Leith is eligible to vote.

Voting closes on Monday 3rd February 2025.

At St Cuthbert’s this week

On 19 December The Parish Church of St Cuthbert’s on King’s Stables Road will hold a Community Carol Service – and everyone is invited. It takes place at 12.30pm.

Wester Hailes Library

This community building remains closed for maintenance – and there will be a further update in January 2025.

The Scottish Secretary has chosen his official Christmas card, designed by 12 year-old Amelia Marchenko from Ukraine who now lives in Edinburgh with her family.

Amelia is from the Donetsk region and her family had to flee the conflict both in 2014 and in 2022.

The Edinburgh branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) ran a competition amongst the children and young people who attend activities in the Ukrainian Community Centre. Mr Murray met many of the young people who use the centre when he visited earlier this year.  

Amelia was among dozens of young Ukrainian artists who submitted entries to the competition. Her winning design features a cherub with golden hair set against a backdrop of traditional Ukrainian and Scottish symbols, bringing together both cultures in a festive celebration.

Mr Murray said: “As we gather to celebrate this festive season, I am absolutely delighted that we are sharing this special Christmas card featuring artwork by the very talented Amelia Marchenko. All the designs submitted by the Ukrainian children were fantastic, but hers definitely edged it.

“Having visited Edinburgh’s Ukrainian Community Centre’s teens club in August, I was inspired by their creativity, resilience and spirit. Amelia’s beautiful design represents not only the joy of the season, but also the warmth of Scotland’s welcome to those Ukrainians who have made our country their home.

“I wish everyone a peaceful Christmas and a bright New Year.”

The Christmas card competition is the first run by the Scotland Office and children were invited to submit their artwork in any medium capturing the essence of Christmas and the spirit of peace and goodwill.

The competition was open to children aged 5-16 who attend the UkrainianCommunity Centre. Participants were encouraged to incorporate elements of both their Ukrainian heritage and their new Scottish home in their festive designs. The judging panel, which included Mr Murray and representatives from AUGB Edinburgh, were particularly impressed by the creative ways the young artists blended both cultures in their artwork.

Electronic versions of the card with the winning design will be sent by Mr Murray to organisations and stakeholders across Scotland. Amelia received a congratulatory letter and certificate from the Secretary of State, and her original artwork will be framed and displayed in the Scotland Office. 

The Edinburgh branch of AUGB was founded in 1947 and has provided a social and cultural place to meet for the Ukrainian diaspora. Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, AUGB has worked closely in partnership with community and voluntary sector partners which have welcomed and supported displaced people from Ukraine that have called Scotland their home since the Russian invasion. 

The Ukrainian community centre in Edinburgh provides a vital community hub, offering many services from language classes to cultural activities and support services.

The Ukraine Club in Edinburgh supports more than 500 people each week. The Ukrainian youth work partnership and the cultural programme at the Ukrainian community centre is funded by the UK Government and the National Lottery Community Fund. The National Lottery Community Fund is supporting the project with a £116,930 Improving Lives grant.

Amelia painted a separate image of a Santa hat and sleigh which Scotland Office Minister, Kirsty McNeill will use on her official card.

Head coach Neil Critchley said he was “stunned and shocked” by the performance of his players as ten-man Kilmarnock edged Hearts 1-0 at Rugby Park to leave them marooned at the bottom of the 12-strong William Hill Premiership.

The English-born coach (pictured by Nigel Duncan) told BBC Sport Scotland: “I’ve not seen that from this group in my time here. That was miles away in every department.”

The Jambos have 13 points from 17 games with St Johnstone above them on 14 points. Ross County are tenth with 15 points, the same as ninth-placed Hibs but jubilant Killie move up to eighth with 17 points from the same number of games.

Above them are Dundee on 19 points but that six-point gap going into a heavy Festive programme could weigh heave on Hearts who made poor decisions during a game in which the Rugby Park side played a man down for around 90 minutes.

It was a brave effort from Derek McInnes’ men but a disappointingly poor showing from Hearts who entertain Petrocub from Moldova on Thursday before fellow-strugglers, St Johnstone, visit on Sunday (15.00) in another crucial league clash.

Earlier, Kilmarnock made two changes as did Hearts with crocked Frankie Kent and the suspended Lawrence Shankland on the sidelines.

Critchley indicated pre-match that Kent will be absent for some time and would be a big miss in the dressing-room and on the pitch. He was a big miss at Rugby Park as the Jambos toiled and Kent will now see a specialist and surgery has not been ruled out.

His counterpart, Derek McInnes, was looking for a quick tempo to capitalise on Hearts being in action at Copenhagen on Thursday in the UEFA Europa Conference League and he wanted his men to ask questions.

Or course, Killie won 2-1 at Tynecastle in late October, another disappointing result for the Jambos, and McInnes was looking for a double but his plans were turned on their head in the early minutes when a Blair Spittal corner and found Musa Drammeh who hit post from close in and then Kenneth Vargas was floored by defender Robbie Deas.

Referee Don Robertson was sent to the pitch side screen and the yellow became red after 5min 38sec leaving Killie with ten men.

McInnes was forced into a switch, Bobby Wales going off after 11 minutes on his first league start, with another midfield player, David Watson, introduced, but Hearts surged forward with Vargas feeding Spittal. As he was preparing to shoot when he was robbed by Killie midfielder Brad Lyons.

Kilmarnock hit back and a ball was sent into the box and James Penrice lifted his foot on Joe Wright who ended up on the deck at the by line. Robertson pointed to the spot. VAR was consulted and the penalty kick given with Bruce Anderson netting down the middle after 17 minutes for his fifth goal of the campaign.

Hearts surged upfield and were awarded a free-kick just outside the box on the right hand side when Musa Drammeh was brought down, but it was wasted. Forrest then fed Craig Halkett who had crept into the box and his shot was blocked.

The match went from end to end at this stage and Hearts’ goalkeeper Craig Gordon has to be in top form minutes later when Kye Rowles misdirected a clearance to Marley Watkins. The ball was scrambled away for a corner and Wright sent a header just wide.

Surprisingly, Kilmarnock appeared the better side, despite being a man short, but Daniel Oyegoke tried to put Forrest through, but the former Livingston failed to make contact and, at the other end, Corrie Ndaba was found at the back post, but he shot tamely at Gordon.

Watkins had a fleeting chance which was smothered and the Jambos broke to earn a corner and Spittal’s ball was headed wide by Halkett. The teams withdrew with the scoreline against the Jambos and with Critchley having work to do in the dressing-room.

Hearts brought on Jorge Grant and Yan Dhanda for Malachi Boateng and Forrest in a bid to open up Killie, but it was the visitors who were on the defensive following a swift raid from Watson and Gordon had to save low down before Rowles cleared the danger.

Vargas departed for James Wilson and Blair Spittal was replaced by Liam Boyce eight minutes into the second period, but Killie broke and Liam Donnelly had a great chance only to see the ball deflected for a corner by Rowles.

Hearts were struggling, but Wilson had a chance from close in after Devlin fought for a ball on the byline and sent it towards goal, but the goalkeeper was equal to the task.

Critchley’s changes, however, failed to spark Hearts who were kept at long range by the determined Rugby Park side and there was little evidence that the visitors could claw their way back into the game.

Dhanda chipped the ball into the box but it was inches high for Wilson at the back post and McInnes then replaced Watkins with Innes Cameron.

The Men in Maroon were feeding on scraps up-front but Dhanda fed Penrice who shot quickly and the Killie goalkeeper dived to his left to parry. This was better from Hearts and they continued to press. Boyce had a chance at the back post as Hearts tried to inject more much-needed urgency into their play.

McInnes replaced Liam Donnelly with Rory McKenzie but it was Hearts who were next to threaten as Grant sent a header wide.

Desperate Critchley then rolled the dice for a final time with Adam Forrester injected into the play and Dhanda curled in a free kick from the right. Halkett got his head to the ball but it was grabbed comfortably by the goalkeeper.

Then Dhanda threatened with a high ball which cannoned off the crossbar but that was it for Hearts as Kilmarnock took the points leaving Critchley’s men at the bottom of the table.

The Edinburgh Labour group has chosen Cllr Jane Meagher to be their new leader.

Cllr Meagher was elected first in May 2022 as a councillor for Portobello and Craigmillar, but has had experience in the council as she used to work for former Council Leader Andrew Burns in his office at the City Chambers.

She was appointed Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work in the minority administration set up two and a half years ago under the leadership of Cllr Cammy Day. Cllr Day resigned as Council Leader last week.

Cllr Meagher will not necessarily be the Labour administration’s nominee to stand for appointment as council leader when the council convenes on Thursday morning at a meeting of the full council.

Any changes will now have to be ratified on Monday night at the normal Labour Group meeting, and also any proposals for political change by the Edinburgh Labour Local Government Committee and the Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) who have to approve any political deals.

She is currently visiting family in Tanzania meaning that today’s vote was held virtually. It is understood she will also join the council meeting virtually. The papers are here. All candidates for council leader must make their stance clear by Wednesday lunchtime, and further papers will be published later that day.

Whether the Labour group can command authority to run the council with only 10 current councillors will remain to be seen.

Political response

There are no two political groups on the council which can make up a majority administration.

The political make up is finely balanced, with no two parties able to combine sufficient votes to have a majority.

A spokesperson for the Edinburgh Green group said after Cllr Meagher was elected group leader: “This means it’s difficult to see how we could possibly support Labour continuing in office regardless of their choice of leader.

“Having chosen a councillor to lead them who just this week has been publicly criticised by one of Scotland’s leading housing charities saying they have no faith in her ability to steer the Council through the homelessness crisis, it seems that Labour agree with us that they are not fit to lead.”

Before the result of the vote was announced, SNP Group leader, Simita Kumar said that her group were trying to engage with everyone in a bid to find “stability, strong leadership and direction”. But she thought that Cllr Day’s resignation did not lend itself to the Labour group being stable enough to run the council, and she also mentioned the “serious questions” raised by Shelter only this week about the temporary accommodation issues in Edinburgh.

Cllr Kumar said: “Could we possibly afford to have a Labour administration when they are not a united front, and they are not a group of councillors who absolutely agree with each other, or are even unifying at this stage? We know it is going to sow further discord and further instability in the council and that’s what we are trying to avoid.

“The Depute Leader of the council, Mandy Watt has told me that she has a mandate from Scottish Labour, but I have asked over and over what is in the best interests of the city of Edinburgh and the people of Edinburgh.

“We and the Liberal Democrats are the two biggest political groups on the council. Ideally you would have the two biggest parties working together but the Liberal Democrats have told us that is a no go. They are still trying to support Labour by dictating who their leader should be which is unfair for the city. Labour have 10 councillors but they have more roles to cover than people, so I think in all of this there is a strong responsibility which falls on the SNP – but equally on the LibDems who could very easily form a minority administration but choose not to.”

SHELTER MAKE UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND

Scotland’s housing and homelessness charity, Shelter demanded this week that Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Housing Regulator intervene against The City of Edinburgh Council after the local authority voted “in favour of stripping homeless households of their basic rights”.

The charity said that at a meeting of the city’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee on Tuesday, councillors “voted six to five in favour of proposals to strip people experiencing homelessness of their right to adequate housing through the provision of suitable temporary and permanent housing”.

What happened at the meeting was that councillors voted 6-5 against an emergency motion lodged by Green councillor, Ben Parker. This asked that the Housing Convener would write again to the government seeking additional funding and confirming the council did not wish to “downgrade the rights of homeless people”. However councillors agreed if there were to be any policy changes these would be agreed at a committee meeting.

The council had already confirmed last month they had been placing homeless households in unlicensed HMO (Houses in Multiple Occupancy) properties as temporary accommodation.

Alison Watson, director of Shelter Scotland said: “It should outrage everyone in Scotland that officers and elected members within a local authority have unilaterally decided to strip people in the capital of a fundamental human right.

“Edinburgh’s homelessness crisis is partly of the Council’s own making, but instead of showing compassion and seeking to help some of the most disenfranchised people in our society, they have chosen instead to punish them in this inhumane way by taking away hard-won rights.

“Shelter Scotland has lost confidence in the leadership of the City of Edinburgh Council to do the right thing and uphold the rule of law. The leadership has systematically failed homeless people for years and is now stripping them of their rights to cover up their own failures.

“I have written to the First Minister John Swinney MSP, urging him to use his powers to call in the council’s homelessness strategy for scrutiny. It is our belief that this will highlight that the current strategy is not only unfit for purpose and cannot guarantee the rights of people at risk of homelessness but is in fact in breach of the law.

“The Scottish Government must do more to fully fund local services through the upcoming budget. However, more money won’t work if the wrong decisions are being taken locally on how to spend it.

“I have also written to the Scottish Housing Regulator as recent assurances provided by the council leadership in their annual statement clearly do not hold up to scrutiny. Elected and unelected members have shown themselves to be incapable of following the rule of law. They must reverse the committee’s decision or else immediately step aside.”

The council argued that this was factually incorrect, and the decision was not a “roll back of rights but that they had written to the government asking for a dispensation to use unlicensed HMOs as long as there was a “focus on the property as being safe to occupy”.

Unlawful HMOs

Before the Housing Committee on 3 December the Housing Convener, Cllr Meagher explained that the use of B&Bs which did not have HMO licences had begun during lockdown and the public health emergency.

The council’s legal team had since advised that the use of any premises without such a licence was unlawful and had to stop by 30 November. There was a flurry of activity by landlords to get licences for their premises.

All of these licensing applications were heard at an emergency meeting of the licensing board on 29 November – and were granted – but some for a restricted period, and others subject to making repairs noted by council inspection officers.

Some of the missing items in these properties relate to basic fire safety – and in several cases the term “intumescent strip” was referred to. This is the strip inside a door jamb which allows inhabitants around 30 minutes to escape from a fire. These were not the worst omissions, and a pattern of lack of maintenance emerged during the meeting when landlords were quizzed by councillors.

Cllr Meagher, said ahead of the meeting: “We’ve always known the use of unlicensed HMOs had to stop and we had actions in place to reduce our dependence on them, however at the same time we’ve also got homeless presentations which continue every day. We never really get on top of the situation.”

The council also brought back around 500 empty homes owned by the council into use for temporary accommodation – 200 of those in the fortnight before the deadline. There was a threat of having to move around 700 people living in unlawful temporary accommodation out into any properties which could be found. The Edinburgh Reporter understands that this was largely averted by the deadline.

Cllr Meagher said it was not for the council to take steps to grant licences but up to landlords to apply for them. It was only when the council said they would stop paying for the bed and breakfast accommodation that some of the landlords acted.

Some landlords offer accommodation to homeless people at a cost to the council of £80 a night. In the case of one property at Marine Drive in the north of the city we compute that the landlord is being paid in the region of £84,000 per week.

The number of people who live in temporary accommodation in Edinburgh now exceeds 5,000 which is an increase of around 1,500 people since the first lockdown almost five years ago. A housing emergency was declared in the city in November 2023.

Troy Sides – sommelier and wine manager at Divino Enoteca – recently crowned Best Italian Restaurant at the prestigious Scottish Italian Awards, offers his top 10 wines to enjoy this Christmas.

Whether you’re hosting an intimate dinner or a grand gathering, these wines promise to impress your guests and elevate the Christmas dining experience.

Divino Enoteca is a cosy, rustic wine cellar setting ideal for festive celebrations with friends, family, and colleagues. The restaurant’s festive set menus showcase delectable Italian-inspired dishes with a Scottish twist. Diners can indulge in mouthwatering options like merlot-braised beef cheek, fragrant roast stuffed turkey, and creamy sage and walnut gnocchi.

Or, for Edinburgh locals and visitors, head along to the cosy wine cellar venue to try these prestigious wines under Troy’s guidance from their unique self-serve Enomatic machine. This innovative feature allows guests to embark on personalised wine tastings throughout the evening, adding an element of fun and discovery to any gathering.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Valdipiatta, 2019 – Red
Extraordinary aromatics from an extraordinary, 5-Star vintage for the Montalcino area, full-bodied and complex as hell.

Barolo Rocche di Castiglione, Sordo, 2004 – Red
Rocche di Castiglione is a single vineyard within the Barolo zone held in such high esteem it is commonly ranked in the top 5 vineyards of the whole region; from a top year by a top producer and a satisfying 20-year maturity right now.

Chianti Rufina Riserva Vigneto Bucerchiale, Selvapiana, 2020 – Red
There are some wines that transport you, whether to a good memory or to the place where it was made; this wine does both.

Brunello di Montalcino, Il Poggione, 2019 – Red
Power, finesse, structure, and layers upon layers of flavour are descriptors that do not begin to do this wine justice; a 5-star vintage and one of our best values in the whole building.

Adarmando Umbria Bianco, Tabarrini, 2016 – White
Troy’s favourite white wine of 2024; 100% Trebbiano Spoletino, 100% mind-blowing in its complexity, nuance, balance, and depth.

Cervaro della Sala, Castello Della Sala, 2022 – White
One of the best white wines in Italy year after year and probably the most famous single wine from Umbria, this is Chardonnay expanded by adding a bit of Grechetto, an indigenous Umbrian varietal.

Etna Bianco, Planeta, 2022 – White
It was very cheeky and ambitious of Planeta to pair Mount Etna’s famous, volcanic and mineral freshness with a bit of oak aging, but they nailed it: beautifully integrated and complex stuff.

Barolo Riserva, Giacomo Borgogno, 1967 – Red
In the category of age-worthy wines, few names are as famous as Giacomo Borgogno, a traditional estate famous for the large amounts of bottles it sets aside to mature for decades and decades; this 1967, a 5-Star year, is worthy of any special occasion.

Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido, 2018 – Red
Revolutionary and regal, Sassicaia’s Cabernet Sauvignon blend is a true Italian legend, embodying history and elegance in every sip.

Ornellaia, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, 2006 – Red
The top wine that Antinori, a blockbuster name in the Italian winemaking world, ever produced, from a blockbuster vintage. A captivating Bordeaux-style blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon that demands a special occasion, beautiful company, and your utmost attention.

For more information, or to book a table, please visit www.divinoedinburgh.com

Passengers are delayed at Edinburgh Airport this afternoon as a result of an IT failure.

The airport advised on X at 3.54pm that “due to an IT issue with Air Traffic Control no flights are currently taking off or landing. Engineers are working to resolve the issue. Passengers should check their flight status with their airline before travelling to the airport”.

An update was then posted at 4.30pm to say that “Engineers are continuing to work on the IT issue currently affecting Air Traffic Control. Passengers should continue to check their flight status with their airline before travelling to the airport.”

According to an eye witness at the airport every available car parking space is taken, passengers are everywhere in the terminal trying to find a place to wait for more information. But some are also hailing Ubers to Glasgow Airport which remains open. In particular some Easyjet customers said they had no information from the airline and were prepared to pay £80 for a taxi to Glasgow rather than wait until tomorrow morning for a flight.

Police in Dundee have issued a new image of 39-year-old Craig Taylor, reported missing in the city.

He was last seen around 8.45pm on Friday, 22 November, 2024, in the Menzieshill area of the city.

He is described as white, 5ft 7ins, slim, very short black hair and facial hair. When last seen he was wearing a black jacket, black gilet, blue jeans and black Nike trainers.

Craig is also believed to visit Perth, Fife and Edinburgh on occasion.

Extensive enquiries are ongoing to trace Craig, including door to door and CCTV reviews.

Inspector Robb said: “It is unusual for Craig not to be in contact with his family for this length of time and we are growing increasingly concerned for his welfare.

“We are asking people to look out for him and let us know if you see him or know where he might be.

“Craig, if you see this appeal, please let someone know you are safe and well.”

Anyone who can help is asked to call Police Scotland on 101, quoting reference number 3574 of Monday, 9 December, 2024.

Police Scotland update: Owner traced and do reunited

Officers in Edinburgh are appealing for information to trace the owner of a dog found on South Gyle Broadway, Edinburgh, around 10.25am on Sunday, 15 December, 2024.

Anyone with any information should contact Drylaw Police Station, or call 101 and quite incident ref 1212 of Sunday, 15 December.

Last week I visited the Custom Lane Gallery Space in Leith for the launch of WXC, a one-of-a-kind spirit drink that blends Scotch whisky with Colombian single-origin coffee.

From the award-winning contemporary Leith whisky studio Woven, known for its fresh approach to whisky, they’ve partnered with Assembly Coffee in Brixton to launch WXC, exploring the intersection of whisky and coffee cultures, and bringing two worlds of ritual, flavour, and craftsmanship into this very moreish drink.

The collaboration brings together the expertise of Woven’s Whisky Maker and Co-founder, Pete Allison and Assembly’s Head of Quality, Claire Wallace, who placed third in the World Barista Championship 2023. It marries the artistry of Woven’s whisky blending techniques with Assembly’s meticulous coffee roasting and sourcing philosophy.

The result is a flavour profile in which both components interact harmoniously for a serve that is bold yet balanced, fresh yet familiar – with neither whisky or coffee presenting as an afterthought.

The final product combines a proprietary blend of whiskies, leaning on fruit forward Speyside malts, and a particularly silky grain whisky that pairs beautifully with Assembly’s single-origin El Vergel Guava Banana, which boasts bright notes of pineapple and strawberry. Cold-brewed and expertly balanced, the coffee infuses the whisky with a juicy, tropical depth, resulting in a liquid which is equally at home in a cocktail or served neat, or adds a special touch to an old fashioned or espresso martini.

The spirit is designed to reflect an evolving whisky culture, where traditional consumption habits are being increasingly influenced by other categories and occasions. The rise of speciality coffee culture has created a roadmap for whisky to navigate new serves and drinking occasions that appeal to a curious, educated audience who value quality products as well as interesting flavour experiences.

Pete Allison was on hand to explain more about their latest creation. “WXC celebrates the shared complexity and processes associated with both whisky and coffee, offering a spirit that invites both whisky enthusiasts and specialty coffee aficionados to discover an entirely new taste experience. In the same way that the traditional boundaries about where, and when, and by who these drinks are consumed are dissolving, the two brands hope to blend their communities through WXC.

“We’re seeing a shift in the way people enjoy drinks, moving between categories like coffee, whisky, natural wine and craft beer. WXC is our response to this evolving landscape, perfect for “in between places” that seamlessly transition from morning coffee to evening cocktails. It’s about finding common ground between different drink cultures and creating something new and exciting around which people can converge.”

With just 1,500 bottles of the spirit available, WXC is as rare as it is unique. Non chill filtered and bottled at 44.5 ABV, with less than 1% sugar, WXC features 69.83% whisky and 29.47% coffee.

WXC is available to purchase at wovenwhisky.com and in-store at Assembly Coffee in Brixton, as well as from specially selected retailers, including Margiotta Food and Wine stores in Edinburgh, at an RRP of £40.

Hibs striker Dwight Gayle admitted that the result was the most important thing as Hibs got back to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Ross County yesterday. 

Despite a poor start – which saw Hibs concede within the opening three minutes the team came from behind to win thanks to goals from Gayle, Elie Youan and Josh Campbell. 

The result lifted Hibs off the foot of the table and up to eighth in the William Hill Premiership table.  

Speaking to Hibs TV after the game, Gayle said: “It wasn’t our best performance, we know we can play a lot better than that.  

“We were very frustrated to concede from a set-piece early doors, which made the start of the game very difficult for us. 

“But we dug in, showed good character and came back from 1-0 down. The result was the most important thing today and we were very happy to get that.” 

Gayle’s goal in the final minute of the first half proved to be a key turning point in the match – giving the team and the crowd a much-needed lift before half-time. 

“I am happy to help the team whichever way I can, luckily today I was on the scoresheet but for us, it is all about three points. 

“Football is about momentum and mentality at times. The fact that we came in at half-time at 1-1 gave us a lift and gave us the confidence to go into the second half and create more chances.  

“We did exactly that, as scored two more goals which was great for the team. 

“We have always been a confident group. We haven’t quite got the results this season, but hopefully, this result gives us the belief to go into the festive period get a few more wins and pay back the fans for their support.” 

Edinburgh Trams will run free all-night services to help tens of thousands of partygoers enjoy themselves at Hogmanay in the city centre.

The move has been successful in previous years and the tram operator will again run between Edinburgh Airport and the West End stop and between Picardy Place and Newhaven – there will be no trams to Princes Street or St Andrew Square stops while arrangements for the street party are in place.

To keep the city moving, the service frequency will be up to every 10 minutes from midnight until 2 am, then up to every 20 minutes until approximately 9am on New Year’s Day. 

The timetable for 30 and 31 December and throughout the night will be as below. Customers can also check Edinburgh Trams social media for any live updates.

Jon McCulley, Operations Manager, said: “We are delighted to be able to play our part by making sure crowds can gather across town to welcome 2025 in high spirits.”

As part of this year’s Hogmanay, rock legend Texas will headline the concert in Princes Street Gardens in the run-up to the Bells. Further information about this and other events can be found here.

Jon added: “With trams running around and beyond the city centre, those planning to visit their families or friends for a more intimate celebration can also rely on us to go back home wherever they decide to call it a night!”

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The Labour group of 10 councillors meets online today to choose a new group leader to replace Cllr Cammy Day who was “administratively suspended” by Scottish Labour last weekend. The person chosen might also become Council Leader when that is considered later this week.

The group which runs the local authority administration already met earlier in the week, but failed to reach a consensus. One of the candidates, Cllr Jane Meagher, the Housing and Homelessness Convener, is visiting family in Tanzania. Apparently she is the “favourite” of the Liberal Democrat group who have been criticised for getting involved in the selection of the Labour group leader from the sidelines.

It is understood that the candidates for leader include Katrina Faccenda, Jane Meagher, and possibly Lezley Marion Cameron. The current Depute Leader, Cllr Mandy Watt, is not believed to be standing.

Cllr Faccenda confirmed her position on Bluesky on Saturday night. She said: “Tomorrow (Sunday) the Edinburgh Council Labour Group will meet to elect a new leader. Any member of the group can nominate themself and I will be standing up to give the group the fresh start the Labour Group desperately needs.

“Local government in Edinburgh has a unique political landscape with 3 political groupings needed for a majority. This is the time for courageous and innovative thinking on how power is distributed across the council and its committees.

“And it can only be done with a Labour leader who is ready for the challenge, committed to doing the best for the people of Edinburgh and who will hold fast on core Labour values.”

Another member of the Labour Group, Cllr Margaret Graham, has been critical of Liberal Democrat councillors.

She said on X: “A couple of off the wall options. Greens step up and form a rainbow coalition. Liberals change leader to one who has time to be Council Leader.” Liberal Democrat Group leader, Cllr Kevin Lang, has a full time job as a member of the senior leadership team at The Law Society of Scotland, and there has been no suggestion of the Liberal Democrat Group taking over the administration.

Cllr Lang has been asked for comment.

Cllr Graham has also said on X that “Working cross party is the inevitability of the current party structure in the city. All parties have been working this way since 2022, It is not unique to Labour”.

Cllr Iain Whyte, Leader of the Conservative Group, said: “The situation remains confused while we are all made to wait for Labour to sort out their very public ‘internal squabbles’ and the Lib Dem Leader clings to his well-paid job rather than step up and take responsibility.  In the meantime, the Conservative Group will continue to consider all the options to break the impasse.”

Cllr Ross McKenzie who is an Independent councillor told The Edinburgh Reporter he thinks the Labour group should not form the administration going forward. He said: “My position since the story about Cammy came out in the Sunday Mail, is that by Thursday 19th, Labour would be considered too toxic to put into administration. I have always ruled out the status quo from the outset. There are competence issues and numbers issues, but I also think that this small group are now tainted.”

The political make up of The City of Edinburgh Council is finely balanced, with no two parties able to combine sufficient votes to have a majority.

The Edinburgh Reporter understands that Cllr Lezley Marion Cameron may also be a candidate and Cllr Cameron has been contacted for comment.

Cllr Day resigned as Council Leader on Monday following allegations of inappropriate behaviour, some reported through the council’s Safecall whistleblowing system.

Hibs head coach David Gray praised his side’s character when responding to adversity as they came from behind to beat Ross County at Easter Road yesterday. 

The Staggies took the lead in the opening 10 minutes of the game, however goals from Dwight Gayle, Elie Youan and Josh Campbell saw Hibs take all three points. 

When speaking to Hibs TV after the game, Gray said: “I’m delighted with the three points; that was the most important thing today.  

“The performance wasn’t where it’s been in recent weeks, and credit to Ross County because they made it difficult for us and started better. 

“My challenge to the players was to win the game today because of the opportunity of leapfrogging them in the table, and we found a way to win the game. 

“We probably could’ve taken chances earlier to make it comfortable, but we came through it, showed character and ability to defend the box and that was very pleasing. To score at the end and put the game to bed was pleasing for everyone.” 

It was a disappointing first half display, however an excellent moment of quality between Junior Hoilett and Dwight Gayle saw us equalise right on the half-time whistle. 

Gray explained how that changed his message to the players are the break. 

“That goal was very important. How we started the game was poor and we came into the game at the end of the first half, but it was decision making or the final ball that wasn’t quite right. We were well below where we needed to be in terms of competing at times. We lost too many second balls, and struggled to deal with them coming forward. Their centre-forward caused a lot of problems. 

“To go in 1-1 knowing we could improve the level of performance was pleasing. It definitely helped the team talk because you know how you can adjust and tweak things knowing we will get better. The players reacted well from that. 

“We started the second half on the front-foot, had good chances, then we had the penalties. Ideally, I’d have liked to have killed the game off, but on another hand, it shows that we can hold out and go on and win a game.” 

 Hibs move off the bottom of the table and into eighth place with a 3-1 victory over Ross County at Easter Road. 

Hibs head coach David Gray makes three changes to the side that lost 3-0 to Celtic last weekend. 

Chris Cadden replaced Lewis Miller at right-back, while Junior Hoilett and Dwight Gayle also come into the starting XI, with Jordan Obita dropping to the bench and Mykola Kuharevich missing out entirely through injury. 

Photos by Ian Jacobs

A minute’s silence was observed in memory of Hibs legend Alex Edwards who sadly passed away earlier this week. 

The visitors started on the front foot and in the opening minute Jordan Smith made a tremendous save to deny Ross County forward Noah Chilvers. 

Then from the resultant corner Scott Allardice’s header bounced off the post, and Eli Campbell was on hand to nod home the rebound from a tight angle. 

A lengthy VAR check for offside ended with the referee pointing to the centre spot. 

Ross County continued to press forward and were unlucky not to extend their lead before Junior Hoilett almost grabbed an equaliser coming in at the back post but his effort went wide. 

At the other end Smith turned Josh Nisbet’s powerful left-footed strike round the post, before a short corner from the visitors was unconvincingly cleared. 

With the Hibs fans getting ready to boo the side off at the break, Gray men found an equaliser when Hoilett floated a ball to the near post and Dwight Gayle headed into an empty net. With Jack Hamilton caught in no-man’s land. 

Hibs had the chance to take the lead when George Harmon dragged Gayle to the ground and conceded penalty. 

After another lengthy VAR check Nicky Cadden took responsibility, but Hamilton saved his powerful effort. 

Moments later Hibs were awarded a second penalty when Ryan Leak pulled substitute Josh Campbell’s shirt right in front of the referee. 

Elie Youan took the resultant penalty and sent the ball into the corner of the net to the relief of the home supporters. 

The game was almost wrapped up when a back pass took a bobble and Hamilton sliced the ball which spun behind him and trickled inches wide of the post. 

Ross County pressed for an equaliser but late into stoppage time Youan won possession high up the field and set up Campbell to score the third. 

The win sees hibs move from bottom of the table to 8^th place. 

After the final whistle Gray told BBC Scotland: “I’m delighted with the win. That’s the most important thing. Would I have liked us to play better? 100%. We’ve played better this year and not picked up points. 

“Credit to Ross County. They started the game far better than we did. Once we settled down a bit, I thought we came into the game. 

“The goal just before half-time was huge for us. It makes the team talk slightly different and the players reacted really well to that. 

“We started the second half on the front foot, we created numerous chances – still lacked a bit of quality – but managed to get ourselves in front. 

“That’s three penalties we’ve missed this season. Elie steps up and says he wants to take [the second one], which shows courage. From that moment, we had to defend a lot, but did it well. To then score on the break came at an important time. 

“The character’s definitely been questioned, and the result was the most important thing today. It definitely looks much better with three points on the board. 

“If we don’t kick on from here, it can go in the other direction. The next four games will be difficult, but it’s teams round about us. Hopefully this is a turning point in the season.” 

Hibs: Smith, C Cadden, O’Hora, Bushiri, Iredale, N Cadden, Triantis, Newell, Youan, Hoilett, Gayle. 

Substitutes: Bursik, Levitt, Doyle-Hayes, Boyle, McKirdy, Kwon, Obita, Moriah-Welsh, Campbell. 

Ross County: Hamilton, Brown, Wright, Lopata, Campbell, Harmon, Allardice, Randall, Nisbet, Chilvers, Samuel. 

Substitutes: Amissah, Telfer, Leak, Efete, Loturi, White, Hale, Reid, Denholm. 

Police Scotland update: Levi Robertson, 27, reported missing from Leith, Edinburgh, has been traced safe and well. Thank you to everyone who shared and responded to our appeal.

Police are seeking the assistance of the public to trace 27-year-old Levi Robertson who has been reported missing from Leith. 

He is described as a white male, 5’10, stocky, brown hair with a moustache.  

When last seen he was wearing a light-coloured jumper and jeans, also possibly wearing a headband/bandana.  

Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts should call 101 quoting incident reference: 3957 of 13/12/24. 

The City of Edinburgh Council will be asked to approve the appointments recommended by the Recruitment Committee to two important roles in the council.

The first is that Jackie Reid will become Director of Education, to take the place of Lorna French who has retired. Ms Reid will work under the Executive Director of Children, Education and Justice Services, Amanda Hatton.

The second is that Christine Laverty will become Chief Officer of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, succeeding Pat Togher who has moved back to Glasgow after just a year in the capital.

These are executive positions and are still subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks.

The EIJB is a partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian, managed by the Integration Joint Board. We work together to provide health and social care services like Adults social services, older persons care and primary care services. The EIJB next meets on Tuesday 17 December to assess how to balance its budget which has a deficit of around £50 million – but it looks unlikely that the new Chief Officer will be in place until after the New Year.

The EIJB Chief Officer position attracts a salary of around £180,000 per annum.

The Town Hall Rich List published in April 2024 disclosed that Ms Hatton earned £171,237 with pension benefits taking her total salary to £210,220.

West Maitland Street was closed for several hours following a crash this afternoon, Saturday, 14 December, 2024.

The crash took place at 1.45pm and involved a bus and a male pedestrian.

The 34-year-old man was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Hospital for treatment.

Officers say that their enquiries are ongoing.

Eight Scottish care homes are celebrating after winning a prestigious national award.

Care UK’s Scottish homes, including Edinburgh-based Cairdean House, Lauder Lodge and Murrayside, as well as Caledonian Court (Larbert), Cathkin House (East Kilbride), Mowat Court (Stonehaven), Tippethill (Bathgate), and Tor-Na-Dee (Aberdeen), are jointly rejoicing, after their patch picked up the Region of the Year award at the Residential Care Services (RCS) Stars Awards.

The awards recognise individual and team excellence at more than 150 care homes nationwide, across Care UK’s RCS division. The ‘Region of the Year’ award recognises both the leadership of the Regional Director Michael Doolin and the nine award winning homes across Scotland.

The win comes just months after Murrayside, in Edinburgh, was rated ‘very good’ by the Care Inspectorate and crowned ‘Best for Nursing Care’ in the Care Home Awards 2024. Murrayside was also recently shortlisted in the ‘Management Team of the Year’ and ‘Scotland Care Home of the Year’ categories at the Caring UK Awards 2024.

Care UK’s Lauder Lodge, in Edinburgh, was also recently rated “excellent” and “very good” in two key areas—residents’ wellbeing and the team—during an unannounced inspection by the Care Inspectorate.

The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) Quality Hallmark Award accreditation has also been recently awarded to Care UK’s Murrayside, Lauder Lodge, and Tor-Na-Dee, highlighting exceptional nursing care for residents in their later years of life, and support for their families.

Regional Director Michael Doolin commented on winning the award, saying: “This feels amazing – it’s all about the team. I’m so proud of the home managers – they’ve done an amazing job over the last couple of years – as well as the support teams who have played a massive part in Scotland’s journey to where we are now.”

Scotland’s Care UK homes have been specially designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. 

careuk.com/scotland

An Edinburgh clinic will become the largest private practice of its kind in Scotland with new additions to its team.

A specialist mental health clinic operating from Edinburgh’s New Town has grown its team to 13 clinicians to form the largest private practice of its kind in Scotland.

The Anchor Practice, which specialises in psychotherapy and clinical psychology, has secured the services of four highly experienced clinicians to add to its roll-call of experts.

All new appointments have trained in core CAMHS mental health professions and have spent considerable time working within NHS and public health before joining The Anchor Practice.

Co-founder Paul Bell, believes that the practice can play a key role in providing crucial mental health services, specifically psychodynamic psychotherapy (typically under-represented/hard to access in current NHS services where brief treatments are offered in a climate of cost-saving), amid major pressures on public sector services and a mental health crisis.

He said: “Currently, young people and families face a myriad of complex pressures, and mental health support is too often focused on quick fixes and box-ticking.

“This is ultimately failing patients, which is in turn seeing pressure on the health service continue to grow which only exacerbates the ongoing mental health crisis.

“Word of mouth referrals built very quickly as people who had benefitted from more in-depth psychotherapy recommended us to their own networks. We were keen not to rush to expand the clinic or change what we offer but have rather prioritised recruiting highly trained clinicians who share our vision for depth-oriented psychotherapy.

“We are now in the fortunate position to be able to welcome Dr Renata Bakker, Dr Juraj Kralik, Ms Molly Verheyden, and Mrs Pei-I Yang who all are going to bring incredible experience and expertise to our practice.

“The team share a commitment to offering robust, accessible mental health support that considers the complexities of each individual as well as the latest advances in psychotherapy research. Many of the team hold academic posts alongside their clinical work and teach on a variety of clinical training programmes.

Specialist Psychoanalytic Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists, Dr Renata Bakker and Dr Juraj Kralik, both hold doctorates from the renowned research and training organisation, The Anna Freud Centre (linked with both University College London and Yale University), and worked for many years in various NHS CAMHS services in London.

Molly Verheyden, an Art Psychotherapist and Mentalisation Based Treatment Practitioner has joined the team one day a week bringing her unique skills and experience. She also Leads the Arts Psychotherapies team in CAMHS and children’s services in a Scottish NHS Health Board.

Mrs Pei-I Yang, a specialist working with families of adolescents and holder of four master’s degrees from Scottish universities has also joined the practice. Pei-I is an accredited Family and Systemic Psychotherapist, and prior to joining the team at The Anchor Practice, she led a Multi-Systemic Therapy team providing therapeutic interventions to high complexity families and young people.

The expansion of the team follows the clinic’s move into a dedicated townhouse building in Edinburgh’s Forth Street in 2023.

This decision was taken by Paul and co-founder Dr Jo Guiney after careful consideration was given to the physical space to aid patient’s comfort and tranquility.

Paul added: “Our new colleagues bolster our expertise and allow us to expand our service offering and take on new patients. We are also able to offer support in a wide variety of languages including English, Italian, Polish, French, Czech, Slovak and Portuguese.

The Anchor Practice also aims to make high-quality mental health care accessible to all, regardless of financial circumstances.

Currently, all its clinicians ring-fence time for low-fee and pro bono sessions, with further plans in place to explore other methods to reduce barriers.

It has worked in partnership with several of Edinburgh’s fee and state schools, including Cargilfield Prep School, where it provides in-house child mental health services and consultancy, and is open to working alongside other educational establishments to seek the very best outcomes for children referred to the practice.

The Anchor Practice is a multi-disciplinary clinic, offering a range of evidence-based treatments, but also specialises in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy – a well-researched treatment for a variety of common mental disorders in children and adults. Contemporary psychodynamic psychotherapy is far from the often-caricatured navel-gazing of psychoanalysis of the past – it is firmly rooted in high quality research and informed by contemporary understandings of neuroscience and developmental psychology.

Delivered by highly trained and regulated clinicians, psychodynamic therapy can provide sustained results, promoting deep, lasting change beyond symptom management.

The Scottish Government has announced that all Scottish councils will share a “record funding settlement of more than £15 billion subject to passing of the 2025-26 Budget”.

The government says that the 2025-26 Local Government Settlement includes a £289 million increase in funding to be used by councils to meet local needs and £120.5 million additional funding for pay deals. This represents a 4.7% increase to the local government budget.

The Budget has a provision for a one-off payment of £40 million to help councils respond to the climate emergency, and additional funding to support free personal care, teacher numbers and island communities.

Finance Secretary Shona Robison said: “Our Budget is laying the foundations for Scotland’s future success, with investment to help improve the public services that people rely on.

“Local authorities provide some of the most important services to our communities – from schools to social care – which is why we’ve increased their funding by more than £1 billion compared with last year’s Budget.

“The settlement is the result of meaningful budget engagement with COSLA and Councils. While council tax decisions are a matter for individual local authorities, with record funding of over £15 billion there is no reason for big increases in Council Tax next year.

“This is a Budget that will deliver increased funding for schools, social care and other vital council services. But this funding will only reach communities if the Budget passes, so I am asking Parliament to unite behind it.”

The Scottish Parliament will debate the terms of the Scottish Budget announced by the Finance Secretary after the New Year. The government is an SNP minority administration so will need support from one or other of the other parties to get the budget terms passed. Those are likely to be the LibDems with their four MSPs, the Greens or Alba. There may have to be some changes to allow that to happen, but the three parties are not all pro-independence so it may take a bit of horse trading.

The details of the Scottish Budget are here.

The charity Bike Station is crowdfunding to help it move to new premises after what it described as a “dramatic increase” in rent at its Causewayside location.

The Bike Station is known for its work in tackling inequality and empowering grassroots communities through programmes like the Wee Bike Library and Hero Bikes, but it now needs public support as they are faced with a 158% rent increase.

The organisation is appealing for donations as they look for a new place to work from with more than £3,000 of their £10,000 target raised so far.

Sasha Taylor, Chief Executive of The Bike Station, said: “Whilst we understand the need for commercial businesses to make a profit for their shareholders, the continued rise in rental costs at our Causewayside branch have made staying in our decade-long home unsustainable.

“Grassroots charities need security of premises to be able to enrich our communities.

“We have been embedded within the community for over 20 years and whilst it will be change for our customers and supporters we are excited at the prospect of a new venture and working with landlords who value our work beyond their own gain”.

Alastair Lees, Chair of the Board of Trustees at The Bike Station, said: “Over the 20 year history of The Bike station Edinburgh we’ve had several setback but each time we’ve come back stronger and renewed in our determination to keep Edinburgh cycling and health.”

Causewayside has been home to The Bike Station’s bike refurbishing workshop as well as grassroots community programmes for many years. A user of the Wee Bike Library, just one of The Bike Station’s trailblazing initiatives, said it had a profound impact on their lives. The user said: “We have triplets and so new bikes at Christmas would have been a huge financial burden on us had it not been for Wee Bike Library. This is a fantastic service and it should continue and grow!”

Another beneficiary of The Bike Station’s work, a participant of ‘Shifting Gears’ described the impact the charity has had on their mental wellbeing. They said: “I cycle everywhere now, this bike has given me a new lease of life. Whenever I feel low I go out on my bike, which always makes me feel better.”

The Bike Station is known for its work in promoting active travel, sustainability, generational change and making Scotland’s communities more connected. The charity is asking local supporters, cyclists, and anyone who believes in grassroots change to help them find a new home and keep that mission alive.

The crowdfunding campaign is available here, where donations can be made directly to support the cause.

Hibs striker Mykola Kuharevich will miss today’s clash with Ross County.

The Ukrainian was forced off with a suspected groin injury during the first half of Hibs defeat to Celtic last weekend.

Unfortunately, further scans have revealed that the 23-year-old will be out for a number of weeks.

Head coach David Gray provided the latest update on the player at the pre match press conference on Friday.

He said: “Myko picked up a little bit of a groin issue, which we saw at the weekend which forced him off the pitch.

“Unfortunately, he will be out for a couple of weeks – it is nothing too serious, which is positive – but he will miss this game for sure.

“We have got strength and depth and players that can play in that position, so it gives someone else the opportunity to step in and play in that area.

“Apart from that, it will be a similar squad to last weekend.”