A new community group aiming to protect Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens and give residents a say in its future held its first public meeting at the City Chambers on Tuesday, attracting support from local residents, councillors and council officers.

Borders MP John Lamont is urging government support for abattoirs amid challenges facing the industry which have led to many closing.

Pupils and staff at Wester Hailes High School have returned from half term to a new Passivhaus-standard building, featuring modern learning spaces and facilities designed to serve the wider community.

Edinburgh Zoo is celebrating the arrival of two Asiatic lion cubs, the first to be born at the zoo in seven years.

Almost nine out of ten visitors who took part in a public consultation on plans to tax tourists in East Lothian disagreed with the proposals.

A string of short-term let applications were thrown out by Edinburgh councillors against the recommendation of officers amid concerns of reaching a holiday let “tipping point”.

Edinburgh councillors have rejected plans to expand an Abbeyhill HMO from 17 to 23 bedrooms, overruling planning officers after dozens of objections from locals concerned about antisocial behaviour.

Villagers in the Scottish Borders can get geared up for a pump track revamp after funding was secured.

This personal view has been written by Midlothian Council Leader Kelly Parry.

Bonnyrigg writer Kari Hall has been nominated for Best New Play at the 2027 Scottish Theatre Awards for Hame. Teeth. CLUB, a dark comedy exploring sexual assault and community life in Midlothian.

Scottish Green MSP Laura Moodie has backed a new community campaign against plans for a massive data centre near Leitholm, following a meeting with local residents.

Edinburgh swimmer Archie Goodburn will deliver the match ball at Scotland’s clash with Australia at Murrayfield, raising awareness and funds for brain cancer research following his own diagnosis in 2024.

A Roman gold coin, Eduardo Paolozzi prints and a 1950s doll’s pram feature in a free new exhibition at the Museum of Edinburgh showcasing historic objects recently added to the city’s collection.

A councillor has issued a plea that “mindless idiots” behind hoax bomb threats to schools should not be allowed to disrupt education in the Borders.

A brass band who saved a village hall from ruin is now offering its community the chance to have free music lessons in it with its first Pitch Up and Play event.

Two historic Griffin sculptures that once guarded the entrance to Muirhouse Mansion in Granton Waterfront have been conserved and restored after spending more than 50 years in storage.

Sam Fender will bring his 2027 stadium tour to Edinburgh’s Scottish Gas Murrayfield on July 8, with tickets going on general sale on October 30.

West Lothian has maintained its robust stance against an outright ban on mobile phones in schools.

The number of people who smoke in the Scottish Borders has almost halved in the last decade, according to new figures.

Police Scotland is deploying specially trained officers across the country for Halloween and Bonfire Night as part of Operation Moonbeam, targeting fireworks-related violence and disorder.

East Lothian Council is set to consider the next steps for a proposed visitor levy, following a public consultation that received 530 responses.

Edinburgh rugby coach Freddie Main has published his first children’s book, Finn Faces His Fear, to help youngsters build confidence, with 25% of profits going to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

John Muir Country Park has celebrated its 50th anniversary with five trees planted near Dunbar, as a free exhibition at John Muir’s Birthplace museum looks back on the park’s history and wildlife.

New plans for a £115million secondary school in Midlothian are set to be lodged after a redesign saw parts of the project dropped.

The remains of a Scottish Borders guest house and cafe almost washed away during an infamous storm more than six years ago have now gone on the market at an asking price of £40,000.

Standardised policies for public lets of schools in West Lothian are likely to come in by the middle of next year.

Edinburgh Council will invest £1.7 million from the Visitor Levy to improve roads ahead of the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ, as council leader Jane Meagher highlights the expected economic benefits of the race during a trophy visit to Portobello.

Midlothian Council has teamed up with Heriot-Watt University to launch a new engineering qualification, following a pilot involving four local schools aimed at opening up career opportunities for young people.

A former Midlothian hotel which was being used as a House of Multiple Occupancy is to be demolished.

Edinburgh College’s Midlothian campus has welcomed trainers from Mauritius as part of a British Council-funded project to develop electric bus maintenance skills and support the transition to greener public transport.

A £3.8 million fund has opened to help upgrade Edinburgh’s cultural and heritage buildings, with grants of up to £500,000 available for accessibility improvements and energy-efficient upgrades.

The leader of Scottish Borders Council has urged people to have their say on budget spending.

Residents in Hawick are invited to cash in now that a new permanent banking hub has opened in the town.

Luxury floating hotel Fingal has been named Europe’s Leading Boutique Hotel and Scotland’s Leading Boutique Hotel at the World Travel Awards 2026.

Scientists have reconstructed the face of a man who lived at Inveresk near Musselburgh almost 2,000 years ago, uncovering clues about his life ahead of a new National Museums Scotland exhibition.

Edinburgh’s Christmas has announced free festive events featuring the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, alongside the return of a community ticket scheme offering free attraction tickets to charities and community groups across Edinburgh and the Lothians.