David Wilson Homes East Scotland, part of Barratt Redrow, has launched a nationwide search to find the most imaginative young designer in Scotland. The housebuilder’s ‘Built by Imagination’ initiative is open to primary-school-aged children, inviting them to put their creativity to the test this summer by redesigning a room inside one of the housebuilder's four-bedroom family homes. Children aged five to 12 are being asked to pick up their pencils and draw how they would tran

The Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data has revealed that fixed mortgage rates have recorded their biggest monthly reductions since October 2024. The average two-and five-year fixed rates fell by 0.16 and 0.11 per cent respectively, with both reaching 5.52 per cent, their lowest points since the start of March 2026. The data also showed that borrowers with a limited deposit or equity of just five per cent will find rates lower month-on-month. The average five-y

Chef Tomás Gormley of Edinburgh’s Cardinal restaurant, has announced the creation of the Cardinal kitchen garden, a regenerative smallholding on the outskirts of the city, in collaboration with Bramblewood Farm. Bramblewood Farm is a family farm in Pathhead, Midlothian, dedicated to regenerative agriculture and supporting the local community. At the Cardinal kitchen garden, Tomás and his team will work closely with the farm’s owner, Nick Holmes, deepening the connection betwe

A young Ayrshire bartender has been named one of the UK's brightest emerging talents after winning one of the country's most prestigious competitions for hospitality students. Declan Sloan, from Kilmarnock, was named Front of House Champion at Nestlé Professional's Toque d'Or competition after impressing judges with his customer service, mixology, leadership and sustainability knowledge. The achievement marks another milestone for the Diageo Learning for Life graduate, whose

A representative from the Edinburgh developer and manufacturer of Air-Pot® containers recently attended a royal reception at St James’s Palace in London to celebrate the firm’s 2026 King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade. Marketing & sales representative, Georgie Single, joined fellow award recipients from across the UK at the special event hosted in recognition of businesses honoured with awards this year. Georgie, who met Princess Anne at the event, said: “It w

Two Blues Solar has completed more than 1.8 MWp of fully funded commercial solar-power provision for three Scottish industrial sites, representing a combined investment of approximately £1.64m, the company has announced. The projects, delivered at heating-technology firm Kanthal, in Perth, as well as at two Arbroath sites – Lossie Seafoods and engineered components specialists, Ennovi – are expected to generate around 1.39 GWh of electricity a year and save approximately 246

MacKinnon Watches, a business which celebrates Scottish culture and heritage, through its range of watches and jewellery, has been shortlisted in the Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards. The business, founded in 2020 by husband-and-wife team, Belinda and Matt Murphy, in a cottage in the Highlands, is up for the Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Over the last few years, the business has taken on two full-time team members and one part-time employee, in

Sponsored Amanda Oswald, owner of the Pain Care Clinic, launched her business nearly two years ago, when she moved back to Edinburgh, after living and working in Leeds for close to a decade. The clinic, based in Leith, specialises in myofascial release, which Amanda describes as “a gentle, hands-on therapy, that works to release restrictions in the fascia, the main connective tissue in the body, which is often the source of chronic pain.” As well as offering one-to-one a

Octopus Capital, a specialist real-estate investor, has officially opened its first Scottish affordable-housing development at The Pines in Wallyford, East Lothian. This marks two significant milestones for the company: its first development in Scotland, and its 1,000th affordable home delivered through the Octopus Affordable Housing Fund (OAHF). The OAHF deploys long-term capital to accelerate the delivery of affordable homes across the UK. Octopus Capital says it is among

New figures suggest East Lothian has pulled ahead of Fife as Scotland’s leading golf property market, as the Genesis Scottish Open returns to The Renaissance Club this week (9–13 July). More homes were sold in East Lothian’s prime golf locations than in the golf meccas of Fife in 2025, according to research analysing property sales over £500,000 in Gullane, Archerfield and North Berwick, compared with St Andrews and Elie and Earlsferry over the past two and a half years. The

One of Edinburgh’s most popular neighbourhood cocktail bars is shaking things up with a £100,000 interior makeover in time for this year’s Fringe. The Blackbird, close to the King’s Theatre, features a garden terrace, providing a green urban ‘oasis’ on warm summer evenings during the Festival and throughout the year. An interior transformation is now underway to give the venue a contemporary new look. The décor will feature plaster pink, terracotta and blue-green shades, al

New research from wealth-management and employee benefits firm Mattioli Woods reveals that that most over-55s continue to favour passing on wealth after death, despite widespread experience of family conflict caused by inheritance. The findings suggest that witnessing inheritance disputes is not prompting a significant shift towards gifting wealth during people's lifetimes. Passing assets on through an estate remains the preferred approach for most over-55s, while combining l

The University of Edinburgh’s new Engineering Forum is now complete, creating a major new destination for learning, research and collaboration at the heart of the King’s Buildings campus. Designed by BDP, the School of Engineering building brings together teaching, research, innovation and social spaces within a flexible environment designed to support the next generation of engineers. The project forms part of the university’s long-term vision for the campus and has now open

SuperPark Glasgow, based in Frasers Plus Braehead, the recently rebranded Braehead Shopping Centre, has announced that it will soon be opening its doors to the public. Part of a global, indoor leisure and recreation concept, founded in Finland in 2012, SuperPark Glasgow, the first in the UK, is located by the restaurant complex within the centre. SuperPark operates 28 parks across the world, including in Finland, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Pitched as an ‘activity w

Structural and civil-engineering consultancy, Narro, has announced a change of leadership, with Robbie Templeton succeeding Ben Adam as managing director. Following the transition, Robbie will assume responsibility for leading the business, while Ben will remain actively involved as a board director, supporting the strategic direction of the company and ensuring continuity of leadership. Narro has grown from a small Edinburgh-based engineering practice founded by David Narro

As the Scottish Parliament enters recess following the recent elections, Holmes Mackillop Solicitors says that many landlords will be wondering about the SNP’s pre-election pledge to allow tenants to have first refusal on the landlord’s property if it is placed on the market. The plan had been that tenants would be given a period of time to buy the property at ‘fair market rate’. The intention is that this may help those struggling to get on the property ladder, with many ten

A historic estate in East Lothian, once described by Robert Burns as “the most romantic sweet place I ever saw” is investing in a striking new glass atrium as demand for Scottish destination weddings continues to rise. Dunglass Estate, home to the 15th-century Dunglass Collegiate Church and owned by the Usher family for generations, has secured a six-figure funding package from Bank of Scotland to help finance a bespoke, glass atrium roof above its courtyard. Due for completi

Farmer Autocare, part of Kerr’s Tyre Group, has acquired Hunters of Linlithgow, marking the first milestone in its plan to expand across Scotland. Earlier this year Farmer Autocare, which was founded in 2003 by Sir Tom Farmer, joined Belfast-based Kerr’s Tyres Group. Hunters of Linlithgow will join 21 Farmer Autocare centres across Scotland. Hunters was founded in 1943 and eight decades later it has 20 professionals offering a range of bespoke diagnostic services. The team wi

Edinburgh coffee business, The Healthy Coffee Company, has been shortlisted in the Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur awards, which were founded in 2012 and attract thousands of entrants annually. Asanka De Silva, shortlisted in the award’s Innovation Entrepreneur of the Year- Scotland category, founded the business in 2016, after his mother was diagnosed with a liver condition. He started researching liver health and kept finding references to coffee. This led him to de

A boutique legal studio has launched in Dundee, founded by Campbell Clark and Kirk Dailly, who have an extensive track record of supporting innovative and ambitious businesses through mergers and acquisitions (M&A), investment transactions and commercial contracts. The practice will support ambitious growth companies operating in sectors including technology and innovation; video games and interactive media; life sciences; and investment. The company aims to support clients r