Edinburgh's shoplifting epidemic
Plus: Thousands 'reclaim the streets'; Scott Hastings tributes; and bid to cut costs for pavement cafes
Shoplifting almost trebles in the capital in a decade
Soaring levels of theft have seen Edinburgh overtake Glasgow as Scotland’s shoplifting capital, with offences almost trebling in the last decade.
The problem has grown significantly across Scotland since falling sharply during the pandemic, but is growing faster in Edinburgh than almost anywhere else. Only Inverclyde has seen a bigger increase than the 182% rise in Edinburgh.
Organised shoplifting gangs and societal issues such as those stealing to feed an addiction are said to be among the factors fuelling the problem. The rise also coincides with the opening of the St James Quarter which has seen Edinburgh attract growing numbers of shoppers.
The numbers: Latest Police Scotland figures show 10,595 incidents were reported in Edinburgh in 2025/26. That’s the equivalent of more than one an hour around the clock throughout the year. It represents a 182% increase over the last decade, compared to a total of 9,722 incidents in Glasgow and a 70% increase in 10 years there.
Falling detection rates: Across Scotland, shoplifting has hit its highest level since 1971, according to the latest official figures. The rise has coincided with a fall in detection rates from 71% in 2016/17 to just 51% over the last year.
Hotspots: Areas with high levels of shoplifting include all the main retail areas, from Princes Street, the St James Quarter, the Royal Mile, Leith Walk and Fort Kinnaird. Shop security was one of the main issues raised by Old Town retailers during a recent survey on the idea of creating a Business Improvement District.
‘No consequences’: Pete Cheema, of the Scottish Grocers Federation, told The Times: “It is not only a few items going missing each day. Organised groups are also carrying out violent raids behind the counter and repeat offenders are clearing whole shelves in the belief there’ll be no consequences for their actions.”
The response: Police Scotland launched its Retail Crime Taskforce last year with a team dedicated to tackling the issue working in Edinburgh and other hotspot areas. That has included Essential Edinburgh’s Shopwatch initiative - which links 56 stores around Princes Street and the St James Quarter with the city council’s CCTV scheme using radios - and has resulted in a number of arrests for both shoplifting and assault.
YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING
RECLAIMING THE STREETS: An estimated 5,000 people joined an anti-racism rally in Leith in the wake of a series of anti-Muslim attacks in the capital. Demonstrators sat in the road at the spot in Leith Walk where some of the attacks took place, beforing attending a rally in Pilrig Park. The Reclaim Our Streets rally drew support from politicians, trade unions, local people and community groups.
GREAT SCOTT: Scottish rugby great Gavin Hastings described his brother Scott as “one of the great human beings” at a celebration of his life at his former school, George Watson’s College. The sentiment was echoed by several others in attendance. Among hundreds of guests were many of the brothers’ former Scotland and British and Irish Lions teammates. Scott died at the age of 61 in May following complications arising from his cancer treatment.
GREATER POWERS? Andy Burnham’s anticipated ascendancy is raising hopes more powers may be handed to cities in Scotland. Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken says the former Manchester Mayor becoming Prime Minister could be “a gamechanger” for the city’s push for “a devolution deal matching those already provided to our peers in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands". Here, council leader Jane Meagher is pushing for a similar deal for the Edinburgh City Region.
SUPER COMPUTER NEWS: Construction work has started on the home of the UK’s new £750 million supercomputer on the outskirts of Roslin in Midlothian. Hosted by the University of Edinburgh, the exascale computer will be the size of a small supermarket with thousands of processors capable of making a billion calculations a second. The building, near the institute where Dolly the sheep was cloned, is expected to be ready by next autumn.
LIGHTNING STRIKE: A man escaped unhurt after his house in Dalkeith was set alight by a suspected lightning strike. Stuart Drummond ran into the street in his pyjamas when it caught fire shortly before 3.30am, as dramatic thunderstorms hit the country.
BALACLAVA THUGS: A man has been taken to hospital after being seriously assaulted by three men wearing balaclavas on the Innocent Railway cycle route and footpath. The attack took place at around 10.20pm on Saturday, June 20, between the Bingham tunnel and Duddingston Road West, with the attackers leaving on a white motorbike.
CABLE TIE TEACHER CLEARED: A teacher at Merchiston Castle School has been cleared of assault charges after binding a 7-year-old boy’s wrists and ankles with cable ties. Richard Robin Greenwood, 46, who had been looking after the boy at a property in the city, told Edinburgh Sheriff Court the incident took place during a game of “cops and robbers”. The chemistry teacher was cleared following a three-day trial.
WHAT? ONLY SECOND! Edinburgh has been named the second most beautiful city in the world by the travel website Time Out. The magazine interviewed 24,000 city residents around the world how they rated where they live. In Edinburgh, 82% said they would describe their home city as beautiful, beaten only by Cape Town, in South Africa, with 86%. Eat your heart out Paris and Sydney!
GLOBAL TOPS: Well, well. Guess which Scottish city has come out tops in a global hunt to find which cities have the best customer service and friendly staff. If you’ve had your tea in Edinburgh, chances are it’s been served with a smile and a friendly word. The Capital came top of the heap in an analysis of more than 100,000 reviews around the world including restaurants, bars and visitor attractions. Hanoi, in Vietnam, came second, with Liverpool in third.
Pic of the week
THE BUSINESS
Food for thought as Capital food hall scores a world first
Edinburgh’s St James Quarter food hall Bonnie & Wild has clinched a world first – becoming the first food hall to become a certified B Corp, an international award for ethical businesses that demonstrate a commitment to their local community, environment, customers and staff.
The food hall has its aim to “proudly serve the best of Scotland” with a policy of championing Scottish produce and products. All of the 14 kitchens and speciality retailers within the Edinburgh marketplace are operated by owner-led small Scottish businesses, providing more than 100 jobs across the full unit. It opened in 2021 and has seating for almost 400 .
Ryan Barrie, Managing Director of Bonnie & Wild said: “B Corp certification means our guests can be assured that the money they spend within Bonnie & Wild is with a purpose-led business committed to championing Scottish entrepreneurs and start-ups, supporting our teams and the local community, and working to safeguard the wider environment.”
Bonnie & Wild’s B Corp certification was undertaken as part of the Edinburgh B Corp 500 – an initiative led by Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and Everyone’s Edinburgh to support 500 businesses in the capital achieve B Corp certification by 2030.
TURBULENT TIMES: International law firm CMS Scotland hosts its On Point Business Conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. This year’s theme is Leadership in Turbulent Times. Keynote speaker will be former UK Government Cabinet Minister and Yale Professor Rory Stewart. Further details on the 1 October event can be found here.
GRATING COST OF OUTDOORS: A group of around 50 Leith businesses – the Shore Business Collective – has petitioned the city council to re-evaluate its charges to license outdoor dining and drinking. The group says costs can top £200 per square metre for those in the city’s World Heritage area. Equivalent charges in Glasgow are significantly lower at £110 in the city centre, and as little as £20 in further outlying areas they say. The petition has already gained enough signatures to be debated by councillors and is likely to be scheduled for discussion on August 14.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
DIVINE COMEDY: Enjoy the talents of one of our finest story-telling songwriters when Neil Hannon returns to Edinburgh with his band The Divine Comedy. Touring the album Rainy Sunday Afternoon, you can catch him at the Usher Hall on Friday.
GARDEN TONIC: The Alloyed Collective brings jewellers Andrea McCarthy, Sasanqua Link and Lyndsay Fairley to Dr Neil’s Garden at Duddingston for a free exhibition exploring the healing art of craft. ‘Tonic’ takes place in the garden’s glass shelter from Thursday until Sunday, 11am-5pm.
SEVEN HILLS: One of the most scenic sporting events in Scotland returns to the city on Sunday in the shape of The Seven Hills of Edinburgh. A combination of road-running, trail-running, hill-running, and urban orienteering, the challenge follows a course of at least 14.3 miles in length and with 2200 feet of ascent/descent.
QUICK BITES
SHORT BACK AND CAPPUCINO: The owners of well-known barber shops Half-Cut in the Capital have transformed one of them into one of the city’s newest cafes. Half-Cut Coffee, 23 Candlemaker Row, is handily placed just yards from the tourist draw that is the statue of Greyfriars Bobby. The venue’s barbers, meantime, have relocated to one of the firm’s other shops in Broughton Street.
CURRY FAVOUR: Multi-award winning Midlothian restaurant The Radhuni has helped sponsor one of the county’s oldest community events – Loanhead Children’s Gala Day. The restaurant, which received its most recent accolade at the UK Restaurant awards where it came top of 13,000 curry houses across the UK, provided £500 to support the Promenade Concert.