The Edinburgh Reporter July 2024

By STAFF REPORTER

DURING the summer holidays the

Palace of Holyroodhouse - which is

open seven days a week, will run

tours for families so that they can

discover 900 years of Scottish royal

history for themselves.

Physic Garden Family Tours

Friday, 19 July and Friday, 2 August,

10am, 11am and noon.

For the first time, families will be

able to join free short tours of the

Physic Garden at the height of

summer. On these guided, drop-in

tours, which are open to visitors to

the Palace and the wider public,

families can discover more about

the history of the Garden and listen

to stories of its past plants and the

people who used it. 

The garden just outside the gates

of the Palace, was opened in 2020 to

recreate the earliest known gardens

on the site and can be freely enjoyed

all year long by anyone in Edinburgh.

Founded in the palace grounds in

1670, the original physic garden

provided pharmacists with vital,

fresh ingredients and allowed

students to learn the medicinal

properties of plants. It was the first of

its kind in Scotland - and was the

forerunner to the Royal Botanic

Garden Edinburgh.

WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITIES

Hands on History, every Monday

(Monday, 8 July – Monday, 26

August) and Midweek Makes, every

Wednesday (Wednesday, 10 July

• Wednesday, 28 August). Both
  11.00am - 3.00pm.

Family activities take place every

week this summer.

On Mondays - children can see a

historical and replica items

including gauntlets, ink wells and

quills and investigate historical

items, and on Wednesdays there

are arts and crafts activities in the

family room when children can

decorate their own crowns.

By PHYLLIS STEPHEN

EDINBURGH’S TRAM OPERATOR and the

council won several accolades at the Scottish

Transport Awards held in Glasgow

Edinburgh Trams won the Transport Team/

Partnership of the Year title - a major Scottish

Transport Award for the Trams to Newhaven

project for the company’s “commitment and

attention to detail”.

The tram company worked alongside the

project team commissioned by The City of

Edinburgh Council during the construction

phase of the £207 million project. The close

relationship ensured that the testing and

commissioning phase of the new line was

conducted on time and “the first services then

ran without a hitch”.

Lea Harrison, Managing Director of

Edinburgh Trams, said: “We’re thrilled to see

that the team’s hard work and commitment are

being recognised by colleagues from across the

transport sector.

“Their efforts are certainly paying off, with

customer numbers doubling since the completion

of the Trams to Newhaven project, which has

brought a wealth of benefits to key areas in the

city, including Leith and Ocean Terminal.

“As new proposals for future tram extensions

are put forward, we’re confident our broad

experience and management skills honed over

the years will help us step up to the challenges

ahead.”

At the same ceremony the council won three

awards - for Excellence in Transport Design for

their City Centre West to East Link and street

improvements project, Excellence in Transport

Planning for their City Mobility Plan, and

Hannah Ross, Head of Major Projects and

Commissioning, received an individual award

for her outstanding contribution to the Scottish

transport sector. In addition, Daisy Naryanan,

MBE, who was in charge of the George Street

and First New Town project also won the same

individual award.

6

Tours and crafting at the palace

NEWS

Scottish

Transport

Awards for

city

Capital tram operator and

council among winners

Peter Smith Jane Massey

Number of Scottish

households increase

Meander buys out Tens

IN 2023, there were an estimated 2.

million households, 14% more  than 20

years ago, according to figures

published today by National Records

of Scotland (NRS).

The 0.8% increase in the number of

households between 2022 and 2023

represented the highest annual

growth rate since 2008.

Over the last twenty years the

number of households increased in

every council area. The largest

percentage increases were in East

Lothian (28%), Midlothian (27%) and

Orkney Islands (26%).

Census data for 2022 shows more

than a third (37%) of households

comprised one person living alone.

 Sandy Taylor, Head of Household

Statistics said:

“These statistics show a

continuation of the trends of rising

numbers of households and more

single person households.

A total of 930,000 or one sixth of

the population live alone. Scotland

has the highest percentage of single

person households in the UK. The

ageing population is driving this

growth as older people are more

likely to live alone.”

By STAFF REPORTER

EDINBURGH BASED outdoor

clothing company, Meander

Apparel, has acquired the Scottish

sunglasses brand, Tens.

The lifestyle brand has already

sold Tens products as a partnership

in store, and the two companies

share many core values.

Friends Kris Reid, Tom Welsh and

Marty Bell who came up with the

idea for Tens while on a road trip

through the Scottish Highlands,

had the idea that lenses in

sunglasses don’t have to be grey

and dull. All of Tens sunglasses

feature filtered lenses that drench

the world in warm, cinematic

tones, helping to lift the mood of

the wearer by brightening their

view.  

Husband and wife team Jill and

Steve Henry founded Meander

Apparel in 2018 with a shop on

George Street. They are now based

in Stockbridge and have a second

outlet in London. Their ethos is to

create sustainable clothing for the

outdoors made from performance

fabrics which are recycled, organic

and low impact. Meander will now

take over the Tens company as the

founder move on to new passions.

Meander co-founder, Jill Henry,

said, “We are thrilled to acquire the

Tens brand. We have been part of

the Tens community since their

initial crowdfunding campaign

and over the years we have

worked together on collaborations

as well as selling Tens in our stores.”

Steve Henry said:“There are

huge growth opportunities for the

Tens brand which has until now

primarily focused on direct to

consumer.  Meander plans to build

on Tens brand, defining itself as a

lens experience company and

embracing the brand’s loyal

community of photographers,

travellers and adventurers.”

Physic garden

Family Activities

Edinburgh Trams team at

awards ceremony