A new youth-led broadcast project is set to tackle misinformation and disinformation during the upcoming Scottish election. The project, Future Proof, is an initiative led by the Scottish Youth Film Foundation (SYFF). Six young journalists from across Scotland have been recruited, to report on election campaigns through the lens of misinformation, disinformation and AI-generated content. One of the journalists, Rory Kirkpatrick from Edinburgh, said: “As misinformation seems t

The horticulture team at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has credited Air-Pot® as providing a significant breakthrough in protecting some of Scotland’s most important botanical specimens, during the garden’s recent restoration project. Built in 1834 and 1858, the garden’s Grade A-listed Palm Houses were closed in 2021 for a major restoration programme to take place, with all plants removed for safekeeping. Sadie Barber, deputy curator, glasshouses, indoor living collection at

AXA UK & Ireland has announced the creation of a new general-insurance business, AXA Insurance UK, bringing together its UK commercial and retail business units under a single leadership structure. The new unified commercial and personal-lines business will be led by AXA commercial chief executive, Jon Walker, who assumes the role of chief executive, AXA Insurance UK. Jon has overseen AXA’s retail business on an interim basis since the end of last year.   Tara Foley, chief ex

The shortlist for the British Business Awards 2026 has now been revealed, with 150 companies, including household names and global giants of business, as well as innovative smes and family businesses, from across the UK, competing for an accolade.   The award ceremony, which takes place on 30 April at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, features special guest, George Clooney. A record number of more than 400 companies entered the awards this year, with those select

A young filmmaker from East Lothian is gaining recognition after his short film Battered  was selected for the Oxford Shorts Film Festival 2026. He has also been nominated for the festival’s Early Career Filmmaker Award. Michael Inglis, who grew up in Tranent and studied film at Edinburgh Napier University, directed the short which will have its UK premiere at St John’s College, University of Oxford, on Sunday 12 April. The short centres on Jack, an up-and-coming MMA (mixed m

Award-winning independent Scotch whisky bottler, Saltire Rare Malt, named Best Newcomer at the 2025 Scottish Whisky Awards, is strengthening its US presence with a new tasting series across New Orleans and Texas.  Building on the brand’s growing presence in the American market, the programme will showcase Saltire Rare Malt’s single-cask Scotch whiskies through a series of guided tastings. Guests attending the events will explore whiskies drawn from distilleries including Dail

Partner news Independent market research has confirmed that ESPC is the preferred property portal of choice for local buyers and sellers, reinforcing its position as the most trusted and effective platform for those looking to buy or sell a home in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife, the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway. A survey of over 550 local buyers and sellers revealed that espc.com is where most buyers would go first to find a property to buy, with 29 per cent of re

Entrepreneur, Mark Glasgow, has launched an AI platform which he believes will transform the way construction companies are run. As founder of the Edinburgh Boiler Company (EBC) and the Energy Training Academy, Mark has built the former into an award-winning, £10m-turnover business and has seen the latter gain recognition for helping reduce the renewable-energy skills gap. He believes that TradeBoss Ai, will be a ‘gamechanger’ for owners wanting to scale their own successful

Law firm, Pinsent Masons, reports that the number of companies graduating from AIM to the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market is at its highest level for nearly a decade. Six companies transferred from AIM in the last 12 months, compared with two the year before, the firm noted. Nicholas Holmes, partner and head of the firm’s equity capital markets practice commented: “The increase in transfers is an early vindication of the FCA’s recent listing reforms and shows that compani

Planning and development consultancy Lichfields has relocated its Edinburgh team to larger premises as the business continues to grow its presence in Scotland. The team is now based at Caledonian Exchange, in an office 56 per cent bigger than the previous location. As well as additional workspace, it provides improved collaborative areas to support the team’s continued expansion. The move follows a decade of growth for the Edinburgh office, which marked its 10th anniversary l

Fauchon L’Hôtel Kyoto, the French brand’s first gourmet hotel in Japan, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month. To mark this milestone, it is offering special anniversary ‘experiences’, including an exclusive accommodation package, a commemorative ‘hommage   à Kyoto’ menu and themed cocktails. The exclusive accommodation package, available until 31 August, for a limited number of people, includes a suite with access to the Fauchon Lounge, as well as a rickshaw tour

Sponsored On Thursday 16 April, buyer-behaviour and sales-process-design consultant, Gerry Forristal, is running his ‘trust triad’ workshop at Clockwise in Leith, from 10am-12.30.  The session, for founders of established businesses, focuses on why buyers hesitate and how businesses can redesign their sales processes to reduce buyer risk rather than increase sales pressure. Gerry says: "Most founders struggle with sales because they're using techniques that trigger resistance

Starling Bank has made its ‘Making Tax Digital’ income-tax tool available to business customers for free, ahead of new HMRC rules coming into force on 6 April. Sole traders and landlords turning over more than £50,000, who will be the first cohort required to start making quarterly tax reports online, can now start getting used to the tool as part of their regular accounting practice. It is also available for sole traders with lower turnovers. The new tool is integrated into

Equity investment levels in Scotland’s smaller businesses surged in the first three quarters of 2025, significantly outpacing the UK average, according to new research from the British Business Bank. The Bank’s  Small Business Finance Markets 2025/26  report found that during the first three quarters of 2025, the investment value of announced equity deals involving smaller businesses in Scotland rose by 70 per cent, compared with the same period in 2024, reaching £757m. The i

On Saturday 21 March, Lannan Pantry will host a book signing with Edinburgh food writer, Jess Elliott Dennison, to celebrate her book, Midweek Recipes . Bakes from the book, including cherry and almond pudding; flourless chocolate cake with Armagnac prunes; treacle tea loaf; and brown-butter-and-rosemary apple cake will be available on the counter, from 9am until sell out. Recipes from Midweek Recipes , which was published in 2024, reflect how Jess cooks from Monday to Friday

Edinburgh chocolate manufacturer COCO Chocolatier has secured a funding package from Virgin Money, backed by UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK government’s export-credit agency, to refinance recent acquisitions and support international expansion. The chocolate business, based in South Queensferry, is part of the Made Uncommon group, a portfolio of premium confectionery brands. It was established in 2004 and has been led by founder, Calum Haggerty since 2013. The company sourc

The programme theme for this year’s Edinburgh International Festival, running from 7-30 August, is ‘All Rise’, described as “a rallying cry, encompassing collaboration, resilience and ascendance.”    Marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, the 2026 programme examines the ideas and impact of the US with the Festival's largest-ever representation of American artists.    Programme highlights include the Festival’s first-ever jazz ensemble residency, from Jazz at

An Edinburgh-based tour operator has turned a personal storytelling project into a sustainable tourism activity, following tailored guidance from Business Gateway. Un Italiano ad Edimburgo (An Italian in Edinburgh), founded by Andrea Moretti, offers private walking tours of Edinburgh, bespoke car tours across Scotland and personalised itineraries, all delivered entirely in Italian. Andrea combines the knowledge of a local guide with the flexibility of a personal tour leader,

An Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) graduate says he hopes his invention of an emergency medical device will empower people with no medical training to prevent a serious blood loss injury from becoming fatal. Scott Rutherford first came up with the idea for ‘Scotseal’ during his final year on ENU’s product-design course. The prototype he created won the Best in Show award at the university’s 2025 Degree Show and also saw him named runner-up at the UK-wide New Designers award

Two specialists in the accessible-housing sector have set up their own travel agency in Edinburgh. Michael Connolly and Sarah Baum established Accessible Housing Scotland (AHS) in the summer of 2024 and have now branched into travel, to continue to help improve the lives of people with health challenges. From cruises and city breaks to family holidays and group trips, AllWays Travel caters for everyone but has a particular focus on helping remove the stress from holiday plann