A landmark pub on Prestonpans High Street is closing for a £191,000 refurbishment, set to transform it into a top-quality local hostelry. The overhaul of The Railway Tavern on the High Street is being undertaken by Heineken-owned Star Pubs – which is headquartered in Edinburgh – and new licensee, Prestonpans born-and-bred Irene McQuade, whose father was a regular of the pub. The former Pencaitland Primary School dinner lady will be helped out by her partner Gerry Nicholas, a

Car-servicing and maintenance business, Farmer Autocare, has been acquired by Belfast-based Kerr’s Tyres Group, bringing together two family-run organisations.  Founded by Sir Tom Farmer in 2003, Farmer Autocare has grown rapidly over recent years. It now operates at 21 sites across Scotland, including six in Edinburgh, and employs almost 200 people, many of whom have been with the company since its beginning. It will continue to operate in Scotland under its existing managem

Edinburgh-based maritime-technology company, Zelim, has opened an office in Canada, the firm announced. It said this marks its commitment to strategic expansion in the North American maritime market. The site is at the COVE marine-technology innovation hub in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, a major technology hub for maritime innovation. From this month, the office premises will serve as a base for Zelim to advance ongoing partnerships and future opportunities in the region for its A

Morningside-based INSUREPAIR®, which specialises in insurance repair and property reinstatement, has announced its expansion into Spain. The business is now offering its services to support homeowners and property owners across Costa Cálida, Murcia and the Mar Menor. INSUREPAIR®, which was founded in 2024, delivers its services through a team of 36 in Edinburgh and 12 in Spain.  The firm said that the launch reflects growing demand from UK property owners requiring reliable a

Scotch malt-whisky, cream-liqueur brand, Magnum, is taking off into the world of global travel retail. The liqueur, which is sold in a stainless-steel flask container, is now available at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports. Free samples will be handed out to international travellers passing through the airports.  Lee Schofield, Magnum director said: “Our vision is uncompromising and our ambition is straightforward. “Provenance, premium ingredients and sustainability rem

Private-label, Scotch-whisky business Tailored Spirits Co. has been named a winner at the Stelios Foundation UK Young Entrepreneur Awards 2026. Co-founders Adam Harding and Carl Johnstone jointly secured a £50,000 prize in recognition of their shared leadership in building the growing whisky businesses. Founded in 2024 and based in Leith, Tailored Spirits Co. was awarded third prize by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of easyJet, as part of the annual awards recognising the

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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,

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

SWURF, the Edinburgh-based, remote-working platform, has announced that it has secured £200,000 of investment, to accelerate expansion. Investors will join existing backers and industry leaders including Gareth Williams, co-founder of Skyscanner, and hospitality entrepreneur, Anna Lagerqvist Christopherson. The investment will primarily drive the roll-out of SWURF pods, which are on-demand private meeting spaces, designed for professionals who require immediate privacy for se

Creative agency, Story, has announced a change of leadership, as Sue Mullen steps back from her role as chair, after almost 24 years. Charlie Cutler takes over as managing director. Charlie has been Story’s digital director since 2015, when Story acquired digital company The Weather. Sue co-founded Story in 2002, since when it has gone on to deliver award-winning campaigns for UK and global clients across many sectors, including drinks, public sector and financial services. 

Leith-based communications agency, Feel Good Comms, which launched in January, has announced its first hire. The firm has recruited account executive, Euan Hunter, who joins from whisky distillery, Ardbeg, where he worked in the global brand team, on new product launches, social-media campaigns, events and brand storytelling. Feel Good Comms has notched up a number of new-business wins over the last few months, across the hospitality, retail and tech sectors, including client

Business confidence in Scotland rose four points during February to 41 per cent, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland.  The Business Barometer, which has been running since 2002, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.   Looking ahead to the next six months, Scottish businesses identified their top target areas for growth as introducing new technology, such as AI, automation or digitalisation (51 per cent), i

Women in Advertising and Communications Leadership (WACL) has announced the expansion of its mission to accelerate gender equality in the advertising and communications industry, with a new nations and regions initiative, covering Scotland and the north of England. The initiative will be co-chaired by WACL member, Juliet Simpson, chief executive of Stripe Communications, which has offices in London and Manchester, as well as in Edinburgh.  WACL, a network of over 350 senior w