Tag Archives: Edinburgh

News

Short-term lets in Scotland’s capital city are being blamed on the popularity of short-term holiday lets

By Katrina Goldsmith

Edinburgh has a total of 7,818 listed homes on Airbnb as of 13th September 2022. This is a decrease since 2019 most likely due to Covid and new regulations. With so many tourists coming to Edinburgh, the demand for short-term rentals has increased. Airbnb is a service which allows property owners to rent out their homes and spaces to tourists looking for an affordable place to stay whilst travelling. Airbnb is the second most demanded accommodation brand and location in the UK. In 2019 11,048 homes were listed on Airbnb. This was at its peak demographic before COVID-19 heavily decreased the demand for the service. Since then, this number has dropped to just under 8000 homes listed as Airbnb in Scotland.

It is known that Edinburgh is fully populated during peak tourist season (June – August) as Edinburgh plays host to numerous successful festivals and events. Edinburgh is popular amongst visiting tourists, with attractions such as the world-famous Fringe or Hogmanay shows, with 3,012,490 people attending the fringe and 184,566 in attendance at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay event in 2021. This can make it challenging to find short-term accommodation within the city centre. Out of all Scottish cities, Edinburgh has the highest population of Airbnb listings.

Data from September shows that currently there are over 7000 homes listed for Airbnb. The pinpoints on the map indicate the regions with the highest number of homes listed on Airbnb. All of which are close to the city centre. With the likes of Old Town, Princes Street and Leith Street having 683 homes to let. Meanwhile, regions such as Fairmilehead currently have 2 properties listed. Having vast numbers of homes only available for short-term lets has many impacts on the locals who live in that area. Although Airbnb increases tourism and the economy of Edinburgh, it can reduce the availability of houses for those who need it, and the service also has a heavy impact on the affordability of homes.

However, since the peak of demand in 2019, calls for the government to place regulations on Airbnb in Edinburgh skyrocketed after locals struggled to find accommodation within the city centre. On the 5th of September, a short-term let controlled area was introduced by Edinburgh City Council which covers the entirety of the local authority area. This regulation meant that individuals who owned a second property and is not a primary residence accommodation in the Edinburgh council area must gain planning permission in order to list their property on Airbnb or as a short-term let. This exempts properties which have been operating without any planning permission for at least a minimum of 10 years prior. This would cost second home property owners between £600 – £24,300 depending on the size of the space they wish to let.

Owners who do not comply can be prevented from operating by Edinburgh Council. An enforcement notice will be passed onto the hosts and 28 days will be given for them to comply with the regulations. Failure to do so will result in a fine of up to £2000. In serious issues and repeated offences, this can increase to up to £20,000.

News

Edinburgh Filmhouse: Crowdfunder campaign launched to save independent cinema

A crowdfunding campaign was launched to raise £2 million to save the Edinburgh Filmhouse and its long-running international film festival.

The 88 Lothian Road building, the former home of Edinburgh Filmhouse, was put up for sale after the charity running the cinema went into administration in October.

A group of former senior staff launched the crowdfunding campaign on 16 November, aiming to raise £2 million by the end of this week and buy the building from the administrators.

“The loss of the building is catastrophic, not only for Filmhouse but also the provision of cultural cinema in Scotland’s capital city,” states the group’s crowdfunding page.

“Edinburgh will become the only UK city of its size and international cultural ambition to lack a cinema devoted to the full breadth and depth of cultural film”.

The group hopes to attract support from the screen industries and Scotland’s cultural scene.

Actor Jack Lowden supported the campaign and told the Scotsman that “the idea of our capital losing such an important cultural centre is deeply saddening.”

“With the Scottish film industry growing faster and faster, it’s more important than ever to have a truly independent platform in our city. And just as importantly, a welcoming place to have a great night out,” says Lowden.

Paul Sng, an independent filmmaker based in Edinburgh, started an online petition to save the Edinburgh Filmhouse and the Edinburgh International Festival. The petition now has over 24 000 signatures.

“It was mainly to show that there is a level of love and support, that there is the belief in the festival and in Filmhouse as an organization to be something that is in Edinburgh for the community, for the people that love cinema”, says Sng.

“As a filmmaker, being supported by these two organizations, the cultural linchpins, has been massively important to me.

“On that professional level, to lose either of them would impact the industry and also impact me personally. Being a filmmaker that is making documentaries on sometimes tricky subjects, you don’t have that many options,” explains Sng.

The Edinburgh Filmhouse was not only an important cultural institution, but for many people it was primarily a safe space.

Vivian Chang, an Edinburgh University student said: “The Filmhouse was a very important place to me and to my friends, it was a beautiful place where we can get tickets just for 2 pounds every Tuesday and enjoy art.”

So far, the crowdfunding campaign raised £138,644, which is 6% off the amount needed to save the building.

To get to the final number would mean every person who has signed Paul Sng’s petition needs to add at least £83.

Edinburgh International Film Festival and the Filmhouse are not the only cultural institutions forced to (completely) limit their activities, due to lack of finances.

Last week it was reported The Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) is resizing its team and pausing its streaming activity.

Amanda Berry, Head of Marketing and PR of the EIBF, said: “it’s a difficult time and we are busy with a consultation and planning process to address the economic challenges that lie ahead.”

Due to time difficulties, the EIBF’s team refused to give any further comment.

News

Winter Wonderland Fiasco

by Katrina Goldsmith

Edinburgh’s winter wonderland has been a must-see attraction for the city that will get anyone, even Christmas humbugs in the festive spirit.

It looked like this popular Christmas market may be taking a break this year with its lead investor, Angels Event Experience Ltd pulling out from the contract after it was due Edinburgh council £5.5 million to host Edinburgh’s Christmas festivities for the next 5 years.

Luckily for the wonderland admirers, the Edinburgh Christmas market will be going on this year with the group, Unique Assembly – formally known as Underbelly – producing this year’s festival. Unique Assembly is the company behind the production of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations in 2021.

This is a contract lasting for one year, a one-year extension has been offered to provide that pre-agreed performance terms and measures have been achieved.

This news will come as a relief to the local businesses and 70 stallholders who have already secured their spots for the Christmas market this year, allowing them to continue planning their stock and trade for the busy Christmas period.

This market this year will feature the return of favourite festive attractions such as the funfair, the big wheel, and the Christmas market in East and West Princes Street Gardens as well as on the Mound. There will be a return of the Christmas Ice Rink which was introduced for the first time on George Square last year.

The Christmas Wonderland will see attractions for families to enjoy with the return of “Santa Land” where children can visit Santa’s Grotto, explore the Christmas tree maze, and enjoy munching on festive foods and drinks.

Council leader, Cammy Day, stated in The Herald: “There’s no questioning the popularity of our Winter Festivals or the benefits they bring to the Capital – the enjoyment and wellbeing of our residents, but also the economic impact for our businesses and the city as a whole”.

“Crucially, the new plans will deliver on the key elements of our public consultation, including reduced use of green spaces, more accessible and family-friendly attractions, greater use of local traders and a more even spread around the city centre”.

“I have no doubt Unique Assembly will help us make it yet another great festive period for our Capital city.”

News

Wastewater samples tested for COVID-19

by Katrina Goldsmith

Scottish Water has been helping fight the pandemic in its own way by monitoring wastewater around Scotland.

Testing the wastewater is fundamental in locating and identifying COVID spikes and outbreaks within the regions of Scotland. Scottish Water sample officers drive out around Scotland weekly to deliver the water samples to a testing facility run by SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Labs examine the water looking for fragments of COVID-19 in ribonucleic acid (RNA), a method which has been developed by the Roslin Institute scientists in Edinburgh.

RNA is produced by the body; it is an important biological macromolecule that functions to convert the genetic information of DNA into proteins.

Wastewater fragments are not infectious and that there is zero evidence to suggest that individuals can contract Covid through wastewater. This testing provides useful data to track covid through Scottish regions and maintain control over the virus to prevent any more future lockdowns. Monitoring the water has allowed scientists to use the data to not only maintain control of where the virus is but also put the data towards COVID vaccines.

Luke Thomson, a Scottish Water sampling officer said: “Samples are collected all over Scotland from multiple teams. Every major then or village gets sampled, such as the central belt of Scotland, Langholm, and up in the Isles of Orkney”.

“Samples from influent wastewater is a reliable way of tracking where coronavirus is due to people not knowing whether they have covid as they aren’t showing symptoms or are not taking tests.”

“It can’t always be clear where COVID-19 is most abundant. Since covid leaves trace in human waste, it is an effective method of COVID pinpointing potential local spikes, which has majorly assisted the Scottish Governments in providing data on COVID cases in Scotland”.

As of the 11th of October 2022, there have been a total of 200,564 total cases registered in the City of Edinburgh alone since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. 356 cases of positive PCR tests have been recorded in the last week for Edinburgh, that’s an average of 50.86% of Daily positive cases over the last 7 days.

The Scottish Government has extended the contract to investigate COVID-19 in the water system until April 2023.

News

Harvey Ni-Claus is Coming to Town

By Cameron Noble

Premier UK luxury fashion retailer, Harvey Nichols, has revealed their mesmerising Christmas windows for their Edinburgh branch, and this year, they’ve gone full out.

For 2022, Harvey Nichols’ Display Team have devised an opulent display full of glitz and glamour, inspired by one of the key catwalk trends of the season, ‘Studio 54.’ Consisting of reflective angular mirrors, disco balls and an uncountable amount of sequins, the display reflects and throws lights onto the street to enchant passing customers.

Janet Wardley, Head of Visual Display at Harvey Nichols, said: “This year, we went all out with sparkles, mirrors and metallics, to create something truly mesmerising and eye-catching, that excites our customers as they shop this Christmas. We filled our windows with angular mirrored screens and oversized sparkling stars, and the most wonderful gifting ideas to help our customers get into the gifting spirit.”

Treating their window displays as a promotional stunt to showcase the variety of fashion, beauty, accessories and food products they hold within the store, Edinburgh’s Harvey Nichols store presents mannequins which are elegantly adorned with autumn/winter 2022 attire from international luxury brands such as Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent and Gucci, as well as displaying their own-branded luxury hampers and small gifts to cater to the mass market and inspire Christmas wish lists.

Behind the scenes of Harvey Nichols’ bedazzling windows, every store also has its own Visual Display Team who liaises with the Head Office’s visual management to ensure brand consistency. There is also an extensive creative process to materialise ideas into physical displays.

Mood boards are created to spark ideas by scanning magazines, watching fashion shows and sifting through old photographs. These ideas are sketched, followed by 3D drawings of the drafted window displays before they are sent off to Alperton, London, where parts are manufactured and sent to stores for on-site construction. The entire process can start as early as April, taking several months before the final idea is approved and realised, all in good time for the festive period.

Management within the Edinburgh branch has shared their praise and admiration for their Visual Display Team.

“Our Display Team are absolutely incredible at bringing our displays to life,” A Menswear Supervisor for the Edinburgh store said, “This year, they’ve done such an excellent job with the glitz and glam that Harvey Nichols was aiming to achieve.”

Especially in the dark, the windows’ beauty is amplified, helping the store to stand out from its competing neighbours such as Louis Vuitton and Burberry in Edinburgh’s luxurious high street – Multrees Walk. It also brings a pop of colour to St. Andrews Square, serving as a beautiful backdrop while also attempting to evoke curiosity within passing shoppers to take a closer look.

Harvey Nichols doesn’t shy away from dramatic displays that play with colour and creative concepts to captivate its customers. For 2021, Harvey Nichols decided to characterise each window with its own colour to symbolise positive emotions such as joy, happiness, excitement and calmness, all of which embrace the Christmas spirit. Their reputation for their ostentatious window displays over the years places them in a position where customers can expect a next-level display that reinforces the Christmas perspective in a fun and daring way for 2023.

News

Community Gardens in the Works over Midlothian

By Katrina Goldsmith

Planning is underway for a series of community garden projects around Midlothian.

The garden will provide a space where families, groups and individuals can get together to get away from the digital technologies which are so prominent in our daily lives. It is hoped that the garden will provide the community with a space to socialise and enjoy a range of activities in the great outdoors, thus improving the bond of the community and boosting health and wellbeing.

A Crowdfunder page was set up in early January and awareness for the Crowdfunder page was communicated by reaching out to communities on Facebook and getting involved in small village markets to spread the news through word of mouth. Wellbeing Essentials successfully raised over £30,000 in under 70 to fund their inspirational woodland garden. The money raised will go towards the construction and decorating of the garden. When the project is fully completed it will include gym equipment, outdoor table tennis, flower beds, Community spaces, food growing beds, model railway and e-bike hire and much more.

Roslin community garden plans have currently been put on hold as Wellbeing Essentials awaits planning permission from the council.

In the meantime, the social enterprise has been working on another community garden project in Glencorse. Land gifted to Wellbeing Essential by the Glencorse Association charity.

The land where construction of the garden will begin in November

Wellbeing essential’s officer, Jim Hiddleston stated: “We are optimistic about getting planning for the garden, but whilst we are waiting, we are preparing to start the hard work on our next project in Glencorse. We have started working on creating a Nature Activity Park around the Centre and are working with them to add many new features to the large grounds around the centre that are currently grass areas.”

The plot has plenty of space to create a thriving and natural environment for the community and wildlife to enjoy. The space is intended to serve the community, a Wellbeing Essential cabin is included in the plans and it is hoped the space will be used for the activity groups run by the centre, social events, and weddings.

The Glencorse community garden is set to begin construction on the 18th of November. With the aid of landscape gardeners and the local community, construction is to begin with building a landscaped deer relaxation station. Additionally, Volunteers from Glencorse Centre and Wellbeing Essentials have volunteered to help plant 600 trees will be planted around the woodland garden. Alongside this, a pétanque piste is set to begin construction on the 7th of November.