Remembrance events this weekend
The main ceremony at the City Chambers on the Royal Mile will take place at 11.00 am, followed by a parade. Wreaths will be laid by the Rt Hon Lord Provost and representatives from The Scottish Government, the UK Government, and the armed forces.
The University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt, Napier, and Queen Margaret University will host a joint service at the Playfair Library, Old College, at 10.15 am. This event is open to the public. Those attending should be seated in the Playfair Library Hall no later than 10.10 am.
The Service is not ticketed and seats are offered on a first-come-first-served basis. A collection in aid of Poppy Scotland will be taken upon arrival.
Units on parade will be the City of Edinburgh Universities Officers Training Corps, the Royal Naval Reserve and the East of Scotland Universities’ Air Squadron. The Pipes and Drums of the Universities Officers Training Corps will also be in attendance.
At the end of the service, the Services contingent will form in the Old College quadrangle for the laying of wreaths and to observe the two-minute silence.
There will be live coverage of the Edinburgh event on the British Legion Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/LegionScotland
Heart of Midlothian’s annual Remembrance Sunday Service will be held at the Heart of Midlothian War Memorial at Haymarket on 9 November.
Conducted by club chaplain Andy Prime, the service will be attended by members of the first team coaching staff, Women’s first team coaching staff, B Team, youth teams, coaching staff and members of the Board. Head Coach Derek McInnes will perform a reading that honours the bravest team and the sacrifices that they made. Information here.
And a procession from Cramond Kirk to the Davidson’s Mains Service of Remembrance takes place on Sunday.
The annual Service of Remembrance at Davidson’s Mains War Memorial will take place at 1 pm on Sunday, 9 November and the service will be led by Reverend Julia Cato. The procession along the Main Street will set off from East Barnton Avenue to the War Memorial at 12.50 pm.
Poppy Appeal: There will be a retiring collection in aid of Poppy Scotland at the close of Sunday’s service.
Service of Dedication to open the Edinburgh Garden of Remembrance was held last month in Princes Street Gardens. Copyright © 2025 Martin McAdam
Scottish Ensemble
The Scottish Ensemble will play Concert by Candelight at Greyfriars Kirk in early December. Their performances are designed to transport the audience for a while and they use village halls and concert halls as a way of getting close to their audiences.
Jonathan Morton, Artistic Director of Scottish Ensemble, said:“It’s a delight to once again have the chance to bring our players and our performances to these stunning spaces around Scotland. Year-by-year Concerts by Candlelight is always one of the highlights of our musical calendar, and we’re already looking forward to enveloping our audiences in the warmth of this beautiful music.”
One of Scottish Ensemble’s 2025 Young Artists, viola player Lauren Jack, will also make her debut with the Ensemble during the Concerts by Candlelight tour. Our Young Artists Programme, delivered in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) helps train the next generation of string musicians by offering a year-long programme of paid opportunities and development experiences.
Lauren Jack, 2025 Young Artist, said: “The side-by-side project with Scottish Ensemble was a highlight of my year at RCS. I loved the project – I found that the way all the musicians talked about and embodied the music was so inspiring. They really encouraged us to think about all the dimensions of the music we were playing and approach it from lots of different angles. The week was different from anything I’d done like that before. I love chamber music, but I hadn’t done much playing in a string ensemble of that size before – I absolutely loved it and I’m really excited to be joining the musicians on tour for Concerts by Candlelight.”
Tickets range from £13 – £25 and are free for under 16s. Tickets are available from scottishensemble.co.uk/programme/2025-26/concerts-by-candlelight-2025/
Scottish Ensemble playing in Aberdeen at an earlier concert
Vintage Vibes Christmas card campaign
The Edinburgh charity Vintage Vibes has launched its Christmas card campaign. The idea is to encourage everyone to spread some festive cheer among people who are at risk of loneliness and social isolation this year. The charity asks anyone to add one more name to their Christmas Card list.
Taking part costs £3 and all funds raised go to the charity.
Georgia Artus, Director of Vintage Vibes, said: “We are proud that this campaign has become a fun and meaningful part of many local people’s Christmas traditions. We hear every year from vulnerable, isolated older people within our community about the impact the cards have during a very difficult time of year – from VIPs (older people) who have carefully kept every card they have received, to those who keep them up until Easter! The cards bring warmth, care and connection at the time when our VIPs can feel most alone and we are grateful to every single person who takes part.”
Among those to benefit from the campaign last year is Robin, 94, who has kept every card he has received. He recently took part in the Vintage Vibes “Ten Years Bold campaign”. The campaign, launched to celebrate the charity’s tenth anniversary, aims to challenge stigma around ageing through celebrating incredible older people while raising vital funds.
Marlene, who loves her dog and anything sparkly said: “I love Vintage Vibes because I get to meet people. At Christmas, looking at the children’s drawings and the things they have written in the cards, I feel honoured, that’s the word, honoured. The cheerier the cards, the better I feel.”
Paddy, who was a champion go-carter, said: “Vintage Vibes is almost like having another family. Getting the Christmas cards helps people feel remembered.”
Emma, Vintage Vibes Friendships Coordinator said: “Loneliness isn’t just at Christmas, day to day the team see and hear stories where people are experiencing chronic isolation and loneliness. Being part of Vintage Vibes makes a huge difference.”
To take part in the Christmas Card campaign, CLICK HERE and pop your card in the post to Vintage Vibes by 4 December.
Paddy PHOTO Robin Mair Photography
Planning matters
Our weekly round up of the applications made to the council can be found here. There is an application for a car-free 7 storey 182 bed purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) development at Russell Road with 182 cycle spaces where the application also includes a request to demolish existing buildings. The application includes provision for bat boxes and bird boxes in the new buildings. A proposal of application notice was lodged with the council on 7 April 2025 and two public consultation events followed with a view to starting building on the site by 2027. The adverts for the public events were published only in the Edinburgh Evening News. Some 313 people visited the project website. Five visitors attended the first event – and the five included Cllr Ross McKenzie and Scott Arthur MP. Three people visited the second consultation which included someone from the Community Garden next to the site. One of the key responses to the question about need for more student flats is contained in the report which has been submitted following the consultation events. There it states that: “Current student accommodation provision in Edinburgh meets only 41.5% of demand, leaving 58.5% of full-time students without dedicated housing – a significant gap that affects student wellbeing, city infrastructure, and broader housing availability.” The application is here
There is also in earlier papers an application for permission to put up an illuminated sign at 28 St Andrew Square while development works are progressing. The council already granted permission for a temporary advertising shroud on the building which runs until next year – but the difference is that this is an illuminated sign.
Edinburgh veterans off to London
Two visually impaired veterans are set to march in the Remembrance Day Parade at the Cenotaph in London this Sunday – fulfilling a lifelong dream they thought had passed them by when they lost their sight. The two men are supported by Sight Scotland Veterans and they regularly visit the Linburn Centre in West Lothian.
Ian Baker, who served in the Royal Air Force, and James Alfred Sibbet who served in Royal Navy, both describe this as an incredibly proud moment, saying it means more to them than they can put into words. They added that it feels even more special to be marching alongside comrades from Sight Scotland Veterans, who not only share their deep pride and honour in paying tribute to those who gave their lives for our freedom, but who also share and truly understand the challenges and experiences of living with visual impairment.
Read more here.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
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