Property-development and investment company, MRP has reached a major development milestone at 60 Morrison Street in Edinburgh city centre, confirming a pre-let agreement with Dalata Hotel Group for a new 256-bedroom, four-star Clayton Hotel, securing development funding from AIB and commencing construction of the £95m scheme. The development will deliver Dalata's second Clayton Hotel in Edinburgh, further strengthening the group's presence in one of the UK's strongest hotel m

Duddingston Golf Club, which was established in 1895, has announced an initiative aimed at expanding its ladies’ section and identifying the region’s next elite female golfer. The club, which has a scenic, parkland course, located at the foot of Arthur’s Seat, said it is perfectly positioned to offer experienced golfers and those new to the sport the opportunity to take their game to the next level. Club captain Pauline Davie, Duddingston’s assistant professional, Katie Gra

Edinburgh-headquartered Hampden Bank has reported a strong performance for the six months ending 30 June. The bank said it had delivered continued growth in profitability, deposits and lending while maintaining high levels of client satisfaction and investing in its people. Profit before tax for the six months to 30 June 2026 was £4.7m, up by 91 per cent from the year before. Total deposits grew to £1.327bn, up 36 per cent year-on-year, while loan balances increased to £661m,

Award-winning AI and digital-transformation specialist, Scrumconnect, has announced its expansion into Scotland with the opening of a new delivery centre in Edinburgh. This is Scrumconnect’s third major UK hub, representing a strategic investment in the local economy and a direct response to increasing demand for user-centred data and AI-first digital services in Scotland, the firm said. A specialist in public and regulated sectors, Scumconnect provides its services to govern

Scotland's whisky scene will take centre stage from 20 August as Whisky Week returns. Running until 13 September, the festival invites whisky lovers to discover Scotland's thriving whisky culture through specially curated menus, exclusive drams and unique experiences, while celebrating the country's world-renowned whisky bars, distilleries and producers. Whisky Week Edinburgh is from 3-13 September, Whisky Week Glasgow is from 27 August till 6 September and Whisky Week Aberde

New artisan cheese store, The Big Cheese, on Edinburgh’s Broughton Street, opened its doors on 1 August, reporting an enthusiastic welcome. The Big Cheese stocks over 50 carefully selected varieties of fine cheese from around Scotland, the rest of the UK and continental Europe. Commenting on interest in the shop and its cheese, owner Neil Cunningham, said there had been much support for his new venture, adding: “Seeing such an amazing turnout has been incredibly encouraging

Admiral’s House in North Queensferry is set to go under the hammer at Shepherd Commercial Property Auctions on Thursday 20 August at 2.30pm, with a guide price of £300,000. Admirals House comprises a dilapidated B-listed part-single and part two-storey structure. The property was originally built in 1829 and remodelled around 1916. The property remained the residence of the Rosyth Naval Commander until 1996, when it was handed over to the Scottish Executive. Situated in a

North Berwick accounts for around two in every five higher-value sales across key East Lothian markets, according to new research. The figures show North Berwick is the centre of East Lothian’s thriving prime-property market with four in 10 sales in the town achieving more than £500,000 and 7.5 per cent selling for £1m and above. The research, produced for property consultancy Fyndd by data firm HomeBench, analysed 733 sales recorded between June 2025 and May 2026 across East

Sponsored The property market across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders reveals continuing signs of regional divergence, according to ESPC’s house-price report covering May-July. The report found that average selling prices increased by 2.7 per cent annually across the regions, to £296,298. In East Fife, the average sale price rose 5.4 per cent, while East and West Lothian experienced increases of 8.2 per cent and 9.5 per cent respectively, indicating rising intere

Law firm Anderson Strathern has appointed trusts and private-wealth disputes specialist Sarah-Jane Macdonald as a partner within its dispute-resolution team. Sarah-Jane joins the firm as it expands its contentious trusts and estates practice in response to increasing demand for advice in Scotland, driven by financial pressures, changing family attitudes and greater awareness of the options available when concerns arise over a will or estate. Sarah-Jane, who is based in the Ed

Sponsored Jessie Deopp, of Jessie Deopp Virtual Administrative Services launched her business in September 2023, offering a range of services including in-box and calendar management; PR and promotional support; and setting up systems and tools. Here, Jessie shares with us some of the lessons she’s learned about running a business and doing business in Edinburgh, as a member of the capital’s thriving entrepreneurial community. What is the biggest lesson you've learned from r

Walking in Edinburgh’s Hermitage of Braid nature reserve during spring, I couldn’t help but notice a strong aroma, something that smelled familiar and perhaps, edible? It was allium ursinum, more commonly known as wild garlic. Fit for human consumption, foragers collect this woodland plant to replace its supermarket-bought relative in their cooking. Mini expeditions to local parks, woodlands and green spaces can yield wild garlic, along with other edible finds such as mushro

Kirkwall-based advisory and accountancy firm, CRC, has extended its reach to the mainland, through its acquisition of Aberdeenshire firm, BBKS & Co. The purchase of the Banchory-based accountancy firm is a first for CRC and is the latest in a number of major milestones for the business and its founder and managing director Calvin Cooper. BBKS & Co had been owned by its founder, Louise Birse, for nearly four decades, who wished to retire and pass the business on to a new p

Edinburgh homeowners are invited to discover how to plan a successful renovation with expert advice from local specialists. The event, on Thursday 10 September at 6pm, takes place at the Caledonian Hotel, hosted by home designer, Sarah Maguire. The evening will bring together a panel of experienced property professionals for an informative discussion designed to help homeowners approach renovations with greater confidence, clarity and inspiration. As well as Sarah, the othe

As part of its goal to support businesses of all sizes to understand and recharge their finances, Edinburgh-based financial services and accounting business Accountability is running a free, three-part webinar series this August. Taking place on 5, 12 and 19 August, the webinars will run for 45 minutes over lunch time and deep dive into topics such as how to supercharge Xero; how to access the insights every business needs; and how to customise financial support to enable bus

Sponsored Emily Allan, head of family law, at award-winning law firm, Allan McDougall Solicitors, has over 20 years’ experience of dealing with family-related matters. As part of her work, she runs a free family-law clinic, by phone, on Wednesdays from 10am-noon, covering issues such as separation and divorce; civil-partnership dissolution; cohabitation; pre-and-post nuptial agreements; parental rights and responsibilities; adoption; and guardianship. The clinic was originall

Edinburgh is not short of good restaurants. You can find them in Leith, Stockbridge, the West End and other neighbourhoods in the capital. But what about the city centre? Less well served, some might say (with some notable exceptions), so I was intrigued to hear about the opening of Lennox Edinburgh, on the corner of Queensferry Street and Charlotte Lane. The latest venture from chef/restaurateur, Nico Simeone, Lennox seeks to bring “unapologetic and indulgent cooking” to t

An Edinburgh artist who transforms local landscapes and architecture into stunning prints has been selected to showcase his work at the Portrait Gallery, on Queen Street. Callum Russell, who completed a Master’s degree in contemporary art at the Edinburgh College of Art, after studying Illustration at Falmouth School of Art, specialises in paper cutting and lino printing, creating prints inspired by the distinctive landscapes, industrial buildings and green spaces in and arou

Analysis by MoneySuperMarket has revealed that Edinburgh tops the global ranking for the friendliest customer service, with 59 per cent of reviews of businesses here mentioning friendly staff and service. The platform analysed more than 100,000 customer reviews of customer-facing businesses, across 107 cities around the world. It found that three other UK cities also made the top 10: Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol. Beyond the UK, Dublin, Paris, Hanoi, Montreal, Vienna

The Balmoral has unveiled a new collection of private-event spaces inspired by three of Scotland's most celebrated literary icons. Three of the hotel's private-event spaces have been reimagined, as The Rebus Room, The Rabbie Burns Room and The Muriel Spark Room. Created in response to growing demand for immersive, experience-led hospitality, each space offers an elegant setting complemented by a customised menu and signature cocktail, each inspired by the writer's world. The