The Fringe is back. This time with added traffic chaos
Plus: Arrest over 'body in suitcase' killing; capital in regional powers plea; and shower block in Porty Prom upgrade
Deputy First Minister to meet council leader as city faces Festivals travel pain
If you thought the traffic in Edinburgh was always a nightmare in August, then fasten your seatbelt… it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
The Fringe which kicks off on Friday is once again set to be among the biggest in its history. With 53,884 performances of 3,649 shows in 258 venues, it is just slightly smaller than last year’s record-breaker.
Yet, Princes Street will remain closed for at least the first two weeks, with no tram services east of the city centre and buses diverted into a traffic-clogged George Street.
Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth will meet council leader Jane Meagher this week to discuss what help the Scottish Government can provide, amid criticism it has been too slow to offer meaningful support.
The cafes, restaurants and bars along the tram route to Leith, which have seen their takings tumble over the last three weeks, will be eagerly watching to see the extent of the support on offer.
Award-winning chef Dean Banks has warned takings at his Dulse restaurant on The Shore are likely to be down by as much as £100,000 during August alone as a result of the transport disruption.
In the slow lane: Gilruth has declared she is “firmly committed to working urgently to ensure there is the fullest possible recovery” despite the Scottish Government being accused of dragging its feet.
The Glasgow comparison: The government response to the Princes Street fire has been compared unfavourably to its quick promise of £10m in business support, plus £1m towards demolition costs, following Glasgow’s Union Street fire. While there were complicating factors in Glasgow - 71 businesses directly impacted by the fire (compared to 6) and multiple owners of the fire-hit properties (rather than a single one) - both caused widespread transport disruption, closing Glasgow Central Station and Princes Street respectively, with many local business suffering significant losses. The speed of the public response in Edinburgh has certainly been far slower.
Three weeks later: Swinney publicly promised financial support less than 24 hours after the Union Street fire and the £11m support package was confirmed within six days of the blaze. It took 22 days for Gilruth to suggest there would be financial support following the Princes Street fire and the extent of that support is yet to be agreed after three-and-a-half weeks.
Can anything be done quicker? With a fair wind, quite literally, work on the fire-hit former Debenhams could be complete in time to reopen Princes Street for the last week and a half of the Festivals. However, nothing is guaranteed. Any high winds will hold up the ongoing work shoring up the building. In the meantime, Edinburgh Trams have said practical issues - including there being no terminal east of Princes Street to store trams overnight - mean it is impractical to restart services to Leith and Granton until Princes Street reopens.
What about the businesses affected? Their best hope appears to be generous support from the Scottish Government, most likely in the form of rates relief. The city council has discretion to waive or cut business rates - which rose significantly for many earlier this year - to help compensate for losses as a result of the transport disruption. However, that relies on the government agreeing to effectively underwrite the loss.
Anything else? The impact of the closure of Princes Street has sparked a debate about the resilience of the city’s transport network which is likely to continue in the coming months.
YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING
GOLD! Josh Kerr stormed to Commonwealth Games gold in the mile on Saturday night - 76 years after the legendary Roger Bannister won the same event. The 28-year-old was relaxed enough to egg on the crowd as he came down the final straight to the sound of The Proclaimers. At the halfway stage, he had looked boxed in, but broke out to win comfortably. Fellow Edinburgh Athletics Club member Jake Wightman was second for a spell, but eventually came home in sixth.
‘BODY IN SUITCASE’ ARREST: Greek police have arrested a 26-year-old man in connection with the death of Edinburgh woman Elizabeth-Jane Ross. The body of the 38-year-old, who was known to her family as Lisa, was found in a suitcase in an abandoned building in Athens. The suspect, described by Greek police as a foreign national, has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, robbery and violation of weapons laws. A replica pistol and a knife were reportedly found at his home.
SEASIDE SHOWERS: A seafront toilet block with changing rooms and showers and improved play areas are part of a £2.5m plan to improve Portobello Promenade. The work will be funded by the city’s new Visitor Levy and includes developing a masterplan for the longer-term development of the seafront.
POWER TO THE REGIONS: East Lothian Council leader Labour’s Norman Hampshire has joined Glasgow City Council leader the SNP’s Susan Aitken in formally asking Andy Burnham to help deliver “second stage devolution” in the Central Belt. The pair have written to the Prime Minister as he promised to give England’s metro mayors a share of income tax collected in their areas. Hampshire wrote in his capacity as chair of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region, which oversees £1.6bn in City Deal investment, and Aitken as his Glasgow City Region counterpart.
ART WORKS BEGINS: Construction work is set to start on the £100m Art Works collections store in Granton after the project received £8.5m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The centres will be Edinburgh’s answer to London’s celebrated V&A Storehouse, housing 130,000 works of art which the National Galleries of Scotland keeps in storage and making the accessible to the public. It is due to open in 2030.
HOTEL FIRST: The first NYX Hotel in Scotland has opened its doors in the heart of the Old Town. The chain is known for its design-led venues in popular European destinations including Ibiza. Its Jeffrey Street hotel has 125 rooms, a destination bar and restaurant, and represents a £60m investment which has created 60 new jobs.
POLICE PROBED: Police Scotland’s actions in the lead-up to the murder of Vikki Soloman at her home in Edinburgh are being investigated. The 44-year-old’s ex-partner, Lee Greenan, 46, was accused of her murder before being found dead on remand at HM Prison Edinburgh. The force is being investigated by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) after confirming it had been contacted in the run-up to her death.
BOWLED OVER: A state-of-the-art 22-lane ten-pin bowling alley, with a games arcade and pool tables, is opening at The Centre at Livingston this winter. It is the first venture into leisure activities for The Centre, one of Scotland’s largest shopping centres which marks its 50th anniversary this year.
AI CAMERAS: AI-assisted traffic cameras are being deployed on two city roads to detect drivers using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts. The cameras, part of a national roll-out of the news technology, will operate on Calder Road and Silverknowes Parkway for the next four weeks.
Pic of the week
THE BUSINESS
City research on impact of AI on business management
An Edinburgh researcher is to look at how artificial intelligence is transforming the work of managers – with a view to producing practical guidance on how best to implement AI in the workplace.
Current research has largely focused on how AI will impact on the work of frontline workers, with limited knowledge on the impact of managers. The Royal Society of Edinburgh research collaboration grant to Dr Pedro Mendonca at Heriot-Watt University’s business school aims to help fill that gap.
Dr Mendonça, Associate Professor of Work and Employment , said: “AI is increasingly involved in allocating work, monitoring performance, supporting decision-making and implementing organisational policies, fundamentally changing how managers carry out their roles.
“During this collaborative research with colleagues at Karolinska Institute in Sweden we will work with managers and organisations in both countries to co-produce practical guidance on the responsible implementation of AI in workplaces.
“The project aims to develop evidence-based resources through co-designed workshops to produce a Responsible AI Management Toolkit, as well as policy recommendations. This will then help organisations harness the benefits of AI through the promotion of fair and equitable managerial work.”
FRUITS OF LABOUR: Edinburgh-based specialist brewer Vault City has increased production of its fruit beers. The sour beer producer said it was on track for its biggest year yet in terms of fruit beer production since it started eight years ago, with volumes projected to rise by 38% compared to 2023. Volumes were already up by 21% between 2023 and 2025 – increasing from 11,900 to 14,424 hectolitres.
BUDGET DATE: New Chancellor John Healey has confirmed the date for his first Budget – on Wednesday 28 October – and promised it will “move money and power out of Westminster, and into every postcode around Britain” in line with Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s devolution agenda.
PROFITS UP: Edinburgh-based commercial property consultants Ryden has reported a 7% increase in annual profits following the first year of a major strategic partnership with Lambert Smith Hampton, and is targeting further growth in its operations.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
BURRY GOOD: One of Scotland’s most weird and wonderful tradition returns on Friday when the Burryman makes his annual tour of pubs and homes around South Queensferry. The centuries-old tradition sees the Burryman paraded through the streets covered in more than 10,000 sticky burdock burrs to bring good luck to the town. His visit is the highlight of the Ferry Fair week.
AT THE RACES: If you don’t have your tickets already then you’ll be disappointed as Musselburgh Racecourse’s Ladies Day is an 8,000-plus sell-out on Friday.
COWS AT THE CAMEO: Catch the award-winning documentary A Dairy Story on its release day at the Cameo tomorrow at 7:30pm. Filmed at a Scottish farm that keeps its dairy calves with their mothers, the film is followed by a Q&A with farmer David Finlay, Compassion in World Farming’s Peter Stevenson, and Edinburgh chef Fred Berkmiller of L’escargot Bleu.
QUICK BITES
CHEERS: Edinburgh-based drinks brand Whitebox has partnered with Edinburgh International Festival to offer audience members at The Hub, The Festival’s home on the Royal Mile, a welcome cocktail. Ticket holders for the 19 performances at the venue will be greeted with a classic cocktail.
AL FRESCO: We love a bit of optimism. Patatino at The Hoxton has launched Terrazza Patatino to bring a slice of al fresco nightlife to Grosvenor Street, offering a range of snacks and cocktails created in partnership with Hendrick’s and Villa Sandi Prosecco.