Jenners ‘being restored for next 200 years’

Plus: Summerhall secure for three years; Hogmanay headliners confirmed; and city’s green innovators raise £1m

‘Money no object’ as Jenners rebuild gets underway

Work has begun on the restoration of Jenners in one of the most ambitious heritage projects ever seen in the Capital.

The Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen is bankrolling the work which will see the famous building reopen as a department store with a connected hotel, rooftop bar and restaurant.

The renovation is one of the key projects set to transform the look and fortunes of Princes Street in the coming years.

What is happening? Workers have been gutting the old building for months, but construction specialists Graham are now onsite to start building its new core.

Will we recognise the old Jenners in its new guise? Yes, in part. The first three floors will return to their historic use as a department store, including its distinctive and much-loved atrium. The big difference will be in the upper floors, where disused rooms and former storage space will become a 96-bed luxury hotel. The famous sign will get spruced up too.

When will it reopen? Construction is scheduled to take three years, meaning it is likely to reopen in later 2027 or the first half of 2028.

‘Money no object’: One industry source familiar with Povlsen’s team and the project told the Inquirer: “The attention to detail is staggering. If the history of the building demands oak floorboards and they aren’t there, then the carpets and underlay will be ripped up, the floorboards changed and everything put back, even though no one can see it. It really is a case of money is no object, but not in an ostentatious way. It is all about historic authenticity and building something that will last for another 200 years.”

So, Mr Povlsen has deep pockets? Some of the deepest. He has been named Scotland’s richest man, owning extensive estates in the Highlands, with a fortune estimated at around £13bn from his family’s retail empire.

YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING

SUMMERHALL SECURE FOR NOW: The immediate future of the Summerhall arts complex is set to be secured with the signing of a three-year lease. The site on the edge of the Meadows remains for sale, meaning questions remain over its longer term future.

TREBLE TEXAS: Scottish pop-rock stars Texas will headline this year’s Hogamanay concert in Princes St Gardens. Singer Sharleen Spiteri confirmed the news live on stage at their sell-out gig last night at Glasgow’s Hydro. This year’s show means Texas will become the first act to headline Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations three times.

ADHD HELP NEEDED: A cross-party group of Lothian MSPs have written to health chiefs at NHS Lothian urging them to take action over waiting lists of up to five years for diagnosis and treatment affecting people with ADHD, particularly in the face of ongoing medication shortages. The letter has been initiated by Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton and amongst the co-signatories is Labour’s Daniel Johnston, who himself has ADHD.

KILT WALK: More than 9,000 people took part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk yesterday, raising £1.3m to support the work of more than 800 Scottish charities. Walkers covered between five and 20 miles to raise the funds.

HERE COMES THE SUN: Try not to be dazzled when you check the met office forecast for Edinburgh for the coming week. Wall to wall sun icons, with temperatures tomorrow set to reach a heady 20C. It may be our last glimpse of summer – actually we’re trying to remember many glimpses of summer this year – so enjoy. It’s due to end Friday. Ah well…

RAPE CRISIS: The chief executive of a sexual assault support service has stood down after a review found it failed to protect women-only spaces. Mridul Wadhwa – a trans woman – resigned after a Rape Crisis Scotland report found she failed to behave professionally while head of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre.

BOOK SHOPS CAST THEIR SPELL: Hollywood movie director Guillermo del Toro has picked up on the growing popularity and return of Edinburgh’s independent bookstores. Taking time out from shooting his version of the Mary Shelly classic novel Frankenstein for Netflix, he popped into Golden Hare Books on St Stephen Street in Stockbridge – praising it as “magical” on X - and Tills book store in Newington - which also received the del Toro seal of approval.

ROAD WORKS ALERT: News to dampen the spirits. Scottish Water will be carrying out emergency repairs this week to a sunken manhole cover on Princes Street in the heart of the Capital. The work is expected to take up to five days and will see diversions for all but tram traffic.

NEW TOWN FLATS: Centrum House, on Dundas Street, has been brought to the market by property consultancy JLL as a mixed-use development opportunity, planning consent for the demolition of the existing office building and the construction of a new 58,000-square-foot development made up of 49 apartments as well as ground floor commercial space.

BACK ON TRACK: Finally, after months of frustration and false dawns, the Bus Tracker is working again at bus stops across the Capital. The on-street bus tracking system has gone live at hundreds of stops, with all of the city’s 322 new digital trackers now displaying real-time travel information, as well as 42 signs in Midlothian and six in West Lothian. A further 100 signs are yet to be installed. Passengers are being warned glitches are still possible as the updated system beds in.

BIN THE RULES: South Meadows Action Group, based at Marchmont and Sciennes, is calling for the council to relax rules that say no-one should have to walk more than 100 metres or cross the road to reach a communal bin hub – after carrying out a survey of all 96 local bin hubs that shows that many were in “unsuitable” locations, with a third of them placed directly in front of residential doorways.

SPARTANS MAKE A STAND: Edinburgh football club Spartans have announced all those under the age of 16 must in future attend matches with an adult, unless they are existing season ticket holders. This follows a recent incident at the Ainslie Park home of the League Two Club which saw the stand and toilets damaged by a large group of youngsters.

THE BUSINESS

Capital innovators could create step-change for businesses de-carbonising

Edinburgh University spin-out Exergy3 has secured a £1m pre-seed funding round for innovative technology which could prove a decarbonising game-changer for many businesses – particularly in the food and drinks sector.

The business, which was spun out last year, has developed an ultra-high temperature thermal energy storage system, that converts green electricity into heat, which is then stored at temperatures of up to 1,300°C.

Around half of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide come from high temperature processes, used in many industries, so the ability to store energy at high temperatures in an efficient, cost-effective way could be significant step in the journey to net zero emissions.

Dr Markus Rondé, chief executive of Exergy3, said: “This funding will enable us to accelerate the commercialisation of our technology, expand our market research, and continue to drive innovation in the clean heat sector.

“Our mission is to provide a practical and affordable pathway towards decarbonising heat, and this investment is a significant step forward in achieving that goal.”

Alex Gawley, founder and general partner of Zero Carbon Capital, said: “Decarbonisation of industrial heat is a huge outstanding challenge in our fight against climate change. Exergy3's innovative thermal storage system has the characteristics needed to drive down the costs of heat-electrification across a large number of global industries.”

INTEREST CAUTION: No-one is holding their breath for a further interest rate cut from the Bank of England when it meets later this week. Economists believe the bank is likely to remain cautious, and hold rates at 5% this time around, with an autumn cut of 0.25% more likely.

SLAINTE: Midlothian non-alcoholic brewery Jump Ship has garnered more awards. In the Scottish Beer Awards, the company collected two gongs – with Best No Alcohol Beer going to their Stoker’s Stout along with the award for Small Brewery of the Year. The company, which was set up by Sonja Mitchell in 2019, has put together a team which has already gained a world title – “best no and low alcohol lager” in the World Beer Awards 2021 for its Yardarm, beating global brands in the process.

NEW BOSS: abrdn has appointed Jason Windsor, previously group chief financial officer and currently interim group chief executive, as its new group chief executive subject to regulatory approval. He took on the interim role after Stephen Bird stepped down in May.

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

INKED UP: From Eduardo Paolozzi and Anne Redpath to Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and Victoria Crowe, many of Scotland's leading artists have used printmaking at some stage of their career. Inked Up: Printmaking in Scotland celebrates their diverse work at the City Arts Centre until 1 June, 2025. Entry free, donations welcome.

PLAY, PIE & PINT: Full of music and laughter, The Last Cabaret on Earth by Brian James O'Sullivan imagines the end of the world unfolding in a dingy entertainment venue. Part of the A Play, A Pie and A Pint season, catch it from tomorrow until Saturday, at 1pm.

KA-POW: Comic Con Scotland, one of Europe’s big popular culture celebrations. will be taking over Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Centre from 5-6 October. Ticket details and purchases can be found here. For further fees you can get an autograph from  or picture with, your favourite star, who this year include Simon Pegg, Mark Williams, Catherine Tate, Melissa Joan Hart, Craig James and Peggy, better known as comic canine Dogpool.

QUICK BITES

NEW ARRIVAL: A new arrival from two of the Capital’s up and coming restaurant stars is set to open next month. Sotto, an etoteca and trattoria, will offer Italian-inspired dishes and a massive selection of curated Italian wines in Stockbridge. The venue was once the site of the long-running Ping On Chinese restaurant, and will offer a wine bar upstairs and a restaurant below. Owner and sommelier James Clark has worked at some renowned restaurants, including The Palmerston and Divino Enoteca, where he met Calabrian head chef Francesco Ascrizzi who has also worked at Tipo and Mono.

GRILL TO PERFECTION: Musselburgh steak-lovers’ restaurant Parrilla Argentinian Grill, situated in the town’s high street, has won the “Best World Cuisine” categoryin the 10^th Food Awards Scotland, for 2024.

HIGH PRAISE: Star chef Stuart Ralston – who runs several if the city’s top restaurants – has picked up another accolades. His latest venture, Lyla, has been picked out for high praise by foodie bible The Good Food Guide, which described the restaurant at the Royal Terrace site of the late Paul Kitching’s lauded 21212 as “spectacular.”