Will the 'mansion tax' simply take more money out of Edinburgh?
Plus: Your cultural highlights for the week ahead
Welcome to your midweek edition of The Inquirer.
The so-called mansion tax has been both lauded and decried in almost equal measure. Supporters say it will ensure those with broader shoulders carry more of the burden of supporting our struggling public services.
Critics, however, are questioning just how equitable it will prove to be in practice, especially when it comes to tackling some of the deep-seated social problems in the Capital.
The tax is due to come into effect in April 2028, creating two new higher bands of council tax for homes valued at more than £1 million. In England, a similar tax will be imposed on properties worth more than £2 million. The vast majority of homes which will be affected in Scotland will be in Edinburgh.
For today’s long read, David Forsyth looks at what the plans could mean for Edinburgh and its ambitions to tackle its affordable housing emergency.
More on that below, but first an update on one of our most talked about stories of the week, your regular midweek news roundup and cultural highlights for the week ahead.
We have an update of sorts on Monday’s newsletter, BlackRock, a capsule hotel and “a cynical bid to undermine local democracy”.
We asked BlackRock and Atholl Crescent Propco (ACP), which appears to be a vehicle for BlackRock’s investment strategy, to respond to the widespread criticism of the “cynical” handling of the planning application. We also asked for confirmation of the relationship between BlackRock, the world’s biggest investment fund manager, and ACP. BlackRock has so far declined to comment.
We received the following statement from CBRE, who are agents on the development, in the name of ACP. It defends the overall development proposal, but fails to address the criticism of its appeal which circumvents the usual planning route through the city council.
“The proposals have been developed through detailed engagement with the City of Edinburgh Council and heritage bodies, including Historic Environment Scotland and Edinburgh World Heritage, to ensure that the historic character of the buildings is carefully protected. The scheme focuses on sensitive, largely reversible interventions that allow the buildings to be reused while preserving their important architectural features. More broadly, the project seeks to restore long-vacant historic buildings and contribute to the vitality of Edinburgh’s city centre by supporting tourism, local businesses and the wider visitor economy.”
For now at least, you will have to draw your own conclusions.
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Your Edinburgh Briefing
SIMPLY (NEARLY) THE BEST: Edinburgh has been named the world’s third greatest city to live by Time Out magazine, based on a survey of 24,000 people living in 150 cities. Their verdict? “Edinburgh takes everything that makes life worth living and turns the dial up several notches: outstanding food, beautiful green spaces, and a vibrant arts and culture scene.” There are shout-outs for three festivals - Hidden Door, Edinburgh Art and the International Festival (more on that in a sec) - and Jupiter Artland. Who beat us? Melbourne and Shanghai. Personally, we think sunny beaches and futuristic skyscrapers are over-rated.
AMERICA, AND ALL THAT JAZZ: The “creativity and cruelty” of the United States will be showcased in this year’s Edinburgh International Festival. It will also feature the festival’s biggest ever programming of jazz in a line-up that marks the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence. Highlights include the San Francisco Ballet and Los Angeles Philharmonic.
PARK LIFE: One hundred holiday chalets would be built at Dalkeith Country Park under the latest development plans for the Duke of Buccleuch’s estate. Concerns about the proximity of the chalets to a proposed battery storage site have been raised by Midlothian councillors.
IAN ARNOT: Tributes have been paid to LGBTQ+ activist, charity leader and public relations specialist Ian Arnot, who has died of cancer aged 45. Ian, who worked for BT Group for 24 years, was a long-serving chair of the board of Waverley Care, the charity supporting people living with HIV and hepatitis C. His friend and colleague Anna Steven has written a lovely tribute in The Guardian.
ROCK BAR SHUTS: Legends rock bar, formerly Opium, in the Cowgate, is to close after 35 years in a blow to the city’s live music scene.
Your Pick of the (Cultural) Pops
Greetings, Pop Pickers!
Welcome back to the chart! The days are stretching out, the Edinburgh wind has briefly decided to stop blowing us sideways, and the birds in the garden outside my window are raiding the feeders with the vigour of expectant parents. Spring is definitely in the air, and the city’s stages are absolutely humming to match.
This week’s chart is a veritable smorgasbord. We have epic cross-border choral smackdowns, Broadway behemoths, and a brand new musical that might just conquer the world.
Let’s count them down…
Sharing the Number 5 spot are... Witches Corner (March 22nd) & Saint Joan (March 18th – 21st). Sharing the Number 5 spot this week are two pieces of ambitious new writing made right here in Scotland, both tackling history from decidedly modern perspectives.
First up is Witches Corner at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Made by a thriving local group, this new production finds a powerhouse pairing in writer Rona Johnston (of the Fringe and beyond smash Mary: A Gig Theatre Show) and Wonder Fools Youth Board Member Eilidh Smith. They are setting their sights on the dark history of the Pittenweem Witches, promising memorable tunes and provocative socio-political ideas. If we want a thriving ecosystem, we have to support young, grassroots theatre like this.
Also sharing the spot is Saint Joan at the Traverse Theatre. This is a mammoth co-production between Raw Material, Perth Theatre, Aberdeen Performing Arts, and the Citizens Theatre. It’s a very stylish, ambitious reimagining of George Bernard Shaw’s classic, helmed by avant-garde visionary Stewart Laing (formerly of Untitled Projects). It has actually been reviewed twice over at theQR - once by me (“bold but flawed”), and once by my colleague Sass (Sandra MacDonald) (“brilliant” and “visually stunning”). It is fair to say we had a slight difference of opinion. I highly recommend you go see this attention-demanding piece of theatre for yourself, and then write in to tell us whose opinion you agreed with (hint: it’s mine).
New in at Number 4 is... Matilda The Musical (Edinburgh Playhouse, until March 22nd). I just saw and reviewed the RSC’s touring juggernaut, and whilst I have my reservations about whether it’s a fantastic adaptation of the book, it is undeniably a tremendous slice of musical theatre excellence. An outstanding cast and Tim Minchin’s memorable songbook more than justify the ticket price. And even if I’d personally prefer a genuinely menacing Miss Trunchbull to rule the school, Richard Hurst is so impressive in drag that the producers of the Rocky Horror Show should be begging him to try on Frank N Furter’s heels for their next outing.
New in at Number 3 is... Poulenc’s Gloria and Bruckner Mass in D Minor (Usher Hall, March 15th). This is probably the biggest show in Edinburgh this month. You only get one chance to see this cross-border collaboration between the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union and the Brussels Choral Society. With a 200-strong chorus putting the tiger in the tank, it promises to be an overwhelming acoustic experience. I recently interviewed Chorus Director Michael Bawtree about wrangling such a massive pan-European beast, and he gleefully described the sheer sonic wallop of the Bruckner as a moment where “the whole brass section and 200 singers were fighting it out in a very positive fashion.” Unmissable.
New in at Number 2 is... Desiree Burch: The Golden Wrath (Monkey Barrel Comedy, March 14th). My wife, Annie, reviewed this show from the magnificent Desiree Burch at the 2025 Fringe, and quite frankly, she has yet to stop raving about it. Burch brings her quick wit to bear on the treacherous realities of perimenopause and growing older. To quote Annie’s glowing five-star review: “She takes the whole room with her — from twenty-somethings in their rainy season to those firmly in the sweat, sweat, sweat stage of life.” If you want a fast, fiercely intelligent, and deeply inspirational hour of comedy, you need to see this.
And still holding the Number 1 spot is... One Day (Royal Lyceum Theatre, until April 5th).
Press night was just last night, which means as you read this, I am likely chained to my desk, fueled by coffee, frantically writing up my review. But until those embargoes break and the verdicts land, it remains the hottest ticket in town. This is the clearest attempt to create a huge, commercially viable piece of original musical theatre in Scotland in years, co-produced by the Lyceum and Simon Friend’s Melting Pot. The pedigree is staggering: former Lyceum Artistic Director David Greig has adapted David Nicholls’ massive IP for the stage, Olivier-nominated Max Webster is directing, and US pop duo Johnnyswim have penned the score. With West End heavyweights Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose leading the cast, this has “UK-wide significance” written all over it. Whether it reaches the parts that no Scottish-made production has reached in years (i.e., beyond our shores) remains to be seen. There are no sure things in theatreland, but wouldn’t it be neat to be able to say you were sitting in the Lyceum’s newly in-the-round auditorium when the lights first went up on the next big thing?
And that’s your Top 5! Get out there, book some tickets, and tell them who sent you. As always, I’d love to hear whether we put you onto a good thing, or if you think we sent you out for a night to forget!
Will new mansion tax bring any benefits at all for our city?
Concerns that Capital will again see its funding flow elsewhere in Scotland
by David Forsyth
