The Edinburgh Reporter January 2024

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2 NEWS


Editorial


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Our news relates to Edinburgh and the immediate area.
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Editor: Phyllis Stephen
Designer: Felipe Perez
Photos: Martin P McAdam

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our readers. It is
promising to be a significant year. This is the
900th anniversary of the declaration of
Edinburgh as one of the first royal burghs.
A council working party was set up in 2019
under the leadership of The Rt Hon Lord
Provost “To discuss whether there is
appetite for a celebration to mark the
900th anniversary of Edinburgh becoming
a burgh.”
A report confirmed: “The royal burgh
status was confirmed in 1329 in a charter by
King Robert I specifically to the burgesses of
Edinburgh, confirming their rights and
privileges. The charter survives and is also in
the possession of the council, being its
oldest surviving burgh record. The 600th
anniversary of this ‘Bruce charter’ was
celebrated in 1929.” There is no surviving
royal charter specific to Edinburgh but the
date can be pinpointed between 1124 and


  1. So Edinburgh 900 is being devised -
    though few details are yet available.
    There will be a General Election this year
    and bets are currently being taken as to
    when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will go to
    the polls. Edinburgh South MP, Ian Murray
    who is Shadow Secretary of State for
    Scotland, has some thoughts on this topic.
    Read more on page 4.
    The proliferation of student flats in the
    capital is the talk of the steamie - I have
    produced some facts about recent
    applications - and the historic numbers.
    Read more on page 6.
    I invite you to make a resolution to join
    the steadily growing elite band of Edinburgh
    Reporter subscribers. Although we turned a
    significant corner last year, it continues to
    take an amount of funding to produce news
    which is free at source online and in print.
    But our food columnist Kerry is throwing
    caution to the wind and making no New
    Year’s resolutions at all as you will find when
    you read her column on Page 17.
    The Edinburgh Reporter will continue to
    publish factual news about the capital this
    year and I hope you will come with us on
    the journey.
    Phyllis Stephen, Editor


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WE PRINT 6,000 copies of The Edinburgh Reporter which are
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buildings including more local libraries from this month.
The digital version of this paper is also widely distributed and
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Planning News


Brewdog has submitted plans for Brewdog
Waverley in the unit at the station currently
occupied by The Beer House.

EMA Architecture has submitted
applications for two sites within the
Edmonstone Estate masterplan. The developer
plans to refurbish the South Lodge as a single
dwelling and build two further homes next to
the East Lodge which is also to be refurbished.
This development is on Old Dalkeith Road.
Both lodges are B-listed.

The former Osborne House offices at
Haymarket will be converted into a 157-room
hotel in a “transformational project” by German
hotel/hostel budget brand Meininger which
has 35 hotels in 25 European cities, and
although it used to operate a site in London, it
currently has no UK presence.

The contract has been awarded to Anderson
Bell + Christie as architectural designers for a
residential development site in the space
where the old Castlebrae High School was.

The public planning consultation events
in connection with the Caledonian Brewery
site will take place on 7 February and

27 March at St Michael’s Parish Church,
1 Slateford Road, EH11 1NX.

Brazilian steakhouse Rio will open its first site
in the former Jamie’s Italian behind the
Assembly Rooms on George Street. Rodrigo
Grassi, Co-owner of RIO Brazilian Steakhouse,
said: “We are thrilled to announce that RIO

Brazilian Steakhouse will be opening in
Scotland for the first time early next year.
A milestone moment for us, we can’t wait to
bring the delicious South American flavours
to Edinburgh and look forward to introducing
our unique offerings to the Scottish market.”
Jobs will be on offer in a range of roles.
[email protected]

A robin in the Garden


Alan Simpson photographed this lovely wee robin near the Chinese
Pavilion at The Botanics on one of his regular bird spotting walks.
Males and females are identical as both have red coloured breasts,
and the bird is known to be territorial, scaring away any intruders.

Alan Simpson
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