Hibs Women Head Coach Joelle Murray described the team’s performance as a 'disappointing' one following the 3-2 defeat to Hearts at Easter Road. Aoife Colvill grabbed a brace, but that wasn't enough for Hibs, as Mariana Speckmaier's hat-trick sealed the victory for the visitors. Speaking after the final whistle Murray said the goals conceded were far too simple. "It was a tough one, a disappointing one," she said. "The players, the staff, they're deflated in the changing room just now and I think for us the disappointing thing was the goals we conceded, of course.

Marink Reedijk has taken the time to learn all he could about each individual player at Hibs 'very intense' training camp in La Manga. Reedijk also got to work on the pitch, with a series of rigorous double sessions to lay the groundwork for the proactive and aggressive system he will seek to instil in the group. Reedijk, speaking to club media at the end of the camp, sought to push the first-team squad 'to the edge' during the timely trip and now has one eye on Hibs William Hill Premiership clash with Dundee United next weekend.

Annual fees for garden waste collections brought in just under £1million for the East Lothian Council last year. The council introduced charges to collect garden waste three years ago across the county for the first time. A new report has revealed that the uptake from residents was double what was originally expected and has remained high with nearly half of all households paying to have the brown bins emptied every two weeks. The report says when the annual fee, currently at £40, was first introduced in July 2024 officers expected around 12,000 households to take it up but nearly 24,000 signed up.

The council’s decision to stop broadcasting meetings has been questioned by West Lothian’s opposition SNP group.  The group questioned the plug being pulled twice during this month’s meeting of the full council. But the ruling Labour administration rejected criticism saying the move saved money and low viewing numbers meant the broadcasts were not supported. Councillor Moira McKee-Shemilt put a question to council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick and Councillor Pauline Orr raised an issue about the remoteness of the Development Management Committee and difficulty in accessing the council’s planning portal. Both councillors made the point that West Lothian was the only council in Scotland which did not record or broadcast its meetings.

Despite nobody having complained in three years about the business, a  snack bar operator has been ordered to shut up shop for breaking planning rules.  Now Nettie Anderson faces losing her livelihood if she has to close the snack bar in the grounds of Bathgate’s Kaim Park Hotel. Most of her customers are homeless living in the hotel which is now used as a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO), or residents of neighbouring flats. Planners said there were no objections to the planning application, but local councillor Willie Boyle told a meeting of the Local Review Body: “I’ve had complaints.” …

Plans to build a house in the garden of a home in an East Lothian cul de sac were rejected as ‘harmful and at odds’ with the area. The decision was taken after officials said it would be ‘crammed’ into the space. East Lothian planners refused permission for the house, which was proposed to be built in place of outbuildings used as part of a dog boarding business by the applicant Brian Watt, saying the space was not big enough. However Mr Watt has now appealed to the council’s local review body saying neighbouring homes in the cul de sac have already been built as infill housing.

East Lothian has six times less contamination than Edinburgh and has been named as having the cleanest recycling waste in the UK. The local authority recorded 3.9 per cent of recycling material as contaminated compared to City of Edinburgh Council’s 23.7 per cent. A survey by recycling not-for-profit organisation Every Can Counts, which commissioned the research, says the scale of the variation shows the challenge still facing councils, Two thirds of the UK’s councils responded to a Freedom of Information request for the contamination figures and East Lothian reported the lowest amount.

The plans to build a house in the garden of an East Lothian cul de sac were rejected as "harmful and at odds" with the area after officials said it would be "crammed" into the space. East Lothian planners refused permission for the house, which was proposed to be built in place of outbuildings used as part of a dog boarding business by the applicant Brian Watt, saying the space was not big enough. However Mr Watt has now appealed to the council’s local review body saying neighbouring homes in the cul de sac have already been built as infill housing.

Calls to reintroduce phone booths on the streets of two West Lothian towns have been rejected.  The updated designs also carry defibrillators, councillors criticised what they branded as primarily advertising billboards. The Local Review Body backed planners’ earlier rejection of the black kiosks in Broxburn and Bathgate when appeals went before the committee. The phone kiosks resemble the later 1970’s style of kiosks rather than the traditional red phone box with a door. New World Payphones had appealed against a refusal of planning consent for two kiosks in busy streets in both towns – giving councillors more than 100 pages of argument as to why the kiosks complied with existing planning regulations.

Students from two Edinburgh universities have launched a Scotland-wide investment competition. The initiative brings together societies from seven universities to manage virtual portfolios. Running throughout the academic year, the programme begins today. An end-of-year event will connect participants with financial industry professionals. Green Turtle Trades, a student-led team originating from Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, has organised the university investment and trading competition. Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash The organisers have coordinated with investment societies across seven higher education institutions in Scotland to facilitate the academic year-long event.

A care home in Edinburgh is supporting a local rugby club in its mission to bring people together through sport. Care UK’s Murrayside in Corstorphine has donated £1,000 to Murrayfield Wanderers FC. Based at Roseburn Park in Edinburgh, Murrayfield Wanderers FC provides competitive and social rugby opportunities for men, women and children of all ages. The club shares a close connection with Murrayside, with players and team members regularly visiting the home to spend time with residents and take part in activities.

The Whaler’s Wife, starring Joyce Falconer, is a brooding story of women left behind while their husbands go to sea. The men are never seen, but their presence hangs over the play through the women's conversations and the darker realities of the whaling trade. Falconer has a strong presence as a bawdy fisherwoman, a character at odds with some of the moral restrictions imposed by the local church. The church itself also has a foreboding presence, bringing with it an older Scottish contradiction between outward morality and the realities of everyday life.

THE NEW musical CEILIDH will premiere at Pitlochry Town Hall in October, and will come to Edinburgh's Corn Exchange from 4 to 9 January in the new year. The reason this production is staged in a large dance hall becomes obvious. Audiences are invited to take their partners and step into one of the country's oldest and best loved traditions. It is a gathering of songs, stories and dances. Led by a lively caller, the audience will be swept up in a whirlwind of music and memories. As the music builds a story of family unfolds.

A public consultation has opened on proposals to secure the future of Edinburgh arts venue Summerhall. Developer AMA is setting out emerging plans for an Arts Quarter to address the site's financial and physical challenges. Residents, artists and businesses have until Friday 23 October to review the proposals and provide feedback. A public drop-in event will take place on Wednesday 7 October to allow visitors to view the plans in person. Since the Royal Dick Veterinary College vacated the premises in 2011, Summerhall has operated as a base for artists, performers, creative organisations and small businesses.

The administrators and Joint Managers, Alistair McAlinden and James Dewar of Interpath, have completed the sale of Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative to Alistair McAlinden and James Dewar in a deal that "secures the future of the brand, including four stores".  The Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative was established in 1977, and is a "retailer of premium cycling brands to recreational and commuter cyclists". The business formerly traded from six retail stores and had a distribution centre in Newbridge.  Sales have declined and this has been attributed to inflation which has affected consumer spending. The leadership team established a turnaround plan to strengthen the company's financial position, but sustained trading losses gave rise to cash flow difficulties.

The slip road onto the westbound A720 Edinburgh City Bypass at Lothianburn Junction will closed between 8:30pm and 6:00am on the night of 9 October, to allow Transport Scotland’s operating company BEAR Scotland to repair the road surface. Drivers who wish to travel west on the A720 will be diverted east to turn and then join the westbound carriageway at Straiton Junction. BEAR say this will add approximately 6 minutes and 3.7 miles to affected journeys, but that access for emergency vehicles will be maintained at all times. And the company has confirmed that stakeholders have been consulted in advance to make them aware of the plans.

While Josh Kerr was setting a new world mile record and taking gold in the Ultimate Meet in Budapest across the world, another Edinburgh athlete has also been covering himself in glory. There are differences, of course. While Josh runs middle distance, Hamish Mackenzie is a sprinter. Oh, and Hamish is 62 years older although he and Josh share the same George Watson's alma mater. Yes, 62 years. For it was in the global Veterans World Games in Daegu, South Korea, that Hamish has been making his mark just as he did in the previous ones in Gothenburg two years ago - and exclusively highlighted then by the Edinburgh Reporter.

The Canonmills branch of The Edinburgh Bicycle Cooperative closed last month. Alan Nestor, the Managing Director, has now issued a statement to update customers on the current position at the bike sales and repair company. In the 2024 accounts which are available, the business employed 74 people and had a turnover of £6.7 million to 30 November 2024. Assets are shown as £3.2 million but an operating loss of £760,727 is reported (up from more than £751,000 the year before. He wrote: "The last few months have been hugely difficult for Edinburgh bicycle.

As the seasons change and autumn comes into full swing, Hollywood greets us with another Colleen Hoover adaptation - our second film this year. While her past book-to-screen adaptations have included It Ends With Us, Regretting You and March’s Reminders of Him, this new picture from The Idea of You director Michael Showalter adapts Hoover’s 2018 novel, Verity, which marked a notable departure from her usual niche in the romance genre. Swapping out crushes and courtship for a claustrophobic, saucy thriller, a big screen adaptation of this creeping mystery feels well placed at this time of year, even with its decidedly snowy Vermont backdrop. 

Abercorn Sports Club, Willowbrae, have extended their portfolio of competitive activities by adding table tennis to the regular diet of tennis and squash. And the three players nominated to carry the flag into Division Five of the Edinburgh and Lothians League - Toryn Whitehead, John Sinclair and Zuzanna Chamielec - responded with the best win of the opening week in beating Penicuik V 9-1 to sit top of the table. The decision to embrace a competitive structure for the first time lay mainly with John Sinclair, who said: "Table tennis at the Abercorn has been very popular for some time and we decided to put a team in the league's bottom section along with the lower order from well known names such as Murrayfield, Edinburgh International, West Lothian and Haddington.

I have to admit, I feel as though Digger and I really started off on the wrong foot. Like a lot of people, I’m sure, my first proper introduction to the premise came with its original teaser trailer some months ago. That trailer was a few minutes long and probably featured, by my estimation, around twenty seconds of the film itself - thirty at an absolute push. The rest of the teaser was quite overtly occupied by an incredibly long sizzle reel of its star, Tom Cruise’s, past work, everything from 

The volunteer crew at North Berwick RNLI launched the charity’s D class inshore lifeboat at 8.56am on Sunday. They had received a report of a person in the water from a sinking vessel off Craigielaw point, Aberlady and Kinghorn RNLI’s B class inshore lifeboat was also launched to the incident. The boat headed into a short, sharp 1.5m wind driven swell. North Berwick lifeboat was on scene half an hour after launch finding the casualty vessel partially submerged, but pushed hard aground on rocks by the westerly conditions. Whilst there was a marker buoy nearby, which the crew say could have been mistaken for a person in the water, both lifeboats started a search of the immediate area whilst Coastguard Rescue Teams carried out inquiries ashore.

An exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland will show Mary Queen of Scots in a new light with some items on display which have not been seen in public before. Dr Anna Groundwater, Principal Curator of Renaissance and Early Modern History at National Museums Scotland, said: "Mary's story is so often told through the words of the men who sought to defeat her in the 1560s, and her autonomy downplayed or dismissed entirely, but she was far from passive. She was famed for her beauty, vivacity and ability to charm.

A teenager who was part of a masked mob who attacked police and members of the public on Bonfire Night in Edinburgh has been jailed.  Jamie Hogg was first caught launching fireworks, bricks and poles at officers, public service busses and into the entrance of a block of flats narrowly missing civilians on October 31, 2024. Hogg, 19, also aimed pyrotechnics at constables who were positioned behind a police cordon as they battled to contain the 20 strong gang who were causing havoc in the Moredun area of the capital.

An art exhibition which opens on Monday features the work of Edinburgh-based artist, Michael McGovern. Dreamscapes Cityscapes includes more than 20 paintings which combine two strands of his work - Edinburgh and other dreamlike works "exploring nature, pattern and imagination". The artist confesses to a fascination with Edinburgh where the old meets the new, and the light is constantly changing. He has lived in the capital for more than 20 years and his paintings show the places he has come to know - The Balmoral, the Grassmarket, the Shore, the Mound and Bruntsfield Place.

The council is being asked to improve road safety in Kirkliston as a matter of urgency. People living in the village have lodged a petition with the council about the dangers on Station Road, the High Street and the surrounding areas. The petition is in the name of Mrs R Guiller and has 247 signatories at present. The petition remains open until Sunday 4 October for public support. In the document there are allegations that there have been "countless near misses" but no meaningful action has resulted. The petition reads: "What is particularly difficult for residents to understand is the inconsistency in road safety provision throughout the village.

Berwick star Nick Morris won the Tai Woffinden’s Testimonial in front of a huge crowd who turned out in support of the treble world champion who brought a glittering career to a close earlier this season. Morris (pictured) was one of the form riders in league racing in the closing stages of the campaign and he topped the scorechart on 12 points before storming from the outside gate to win the final. Joining him on the rostrum were ex-Edinburgh Monarchs skipper, Sam Masters, and the evergreen Scott Nicholls, with Tom Brennan finishing fourth.

Disappointed David Martindale, Livingston's interim head coach, admitted his men had a lot of control of their home clash against ten-man Ayr United on Saturday. The Lions lost 2-1 in front of a crowd of nearly 2,000 but he felt Ayr were fortunate at times. He added: "Losing two goals at home, I do not think that is acceptable." Martindale (pictured) described the two goals lost as being "slack" but he said that the game becomes harder when the opposition are down to ten men. The second goal "killed" Livingston, he said, as it gave the opposition something to hang on to.

Sylvia Napier won the ladies championship at Willowbrae Bowling Club for the fifth time when she defeated Mary Harvey in the final. There was a neat double for Brian Muir who won the men's seniors title by beating Colin Moffat a year after he had taken the club championship. This year's gents title winner is Richard Dimelow who overcame Gino di Ponio.

Hearts have sold out their allocation of tickets for the Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden against arch rivals Hibs on Sunday, November 1 (15.00). Club bosses have stressed that they do not expect to receive any further tickets. They add that the club’s disability access officer, Keith Ferguson, is still processing accessible ticket applications and will be in touch in due course. The match is digital tickets only and no paper tickets will be issued. A spokesman said: “Purchasers must download the Barclays Hampden App in order to receive their tickets.”

Andrew Leitch was a serial winner at the annual Waverley club tennis championships winning both the men's open and men's senior singles as well as the open and senior mixed (with, respectively, Kim Atkinson and Claire Leitch). For good measure Andrew also claimed the men's doubles crown with Scott Tulloch whom he had defeated 6-4. 3-6. 6-4 in the open singles final. The ladies open singles was won by Jules Mair who overcame relatively new member Daria Pershina 6-1, 6-2 before teaming up with Kim Atkinson to win the ladies open doubles.

Ten-man Ayr United dug deep to snatch a 2-1 victory at Livingston with Owen Stirton one of the heroes with the opening goal and an assist on the game-winner. He put the visitors ahead after nine minutes after being fed by Ross Taylor and he turned from scorer to provider to set-up Luke McBeth for the winner after 36 minutes, a goal which stunned home fans in the crowd of 1,864 at the Home of the Set Fare Arena. Robbie Muirhead claimed Livingston’s consolation goal with 19 minutes on the clock, netting from a penalty.

The latest issue of our monthly print newspaper is out now. Please consider subscribing to have your own copy delivered to your front door. Our front page is devoted to The Scottish Storytelling Festival - just the thing for autumn. Read more about the festival here. And you can read all 24 colourful pages here. Ruth Kirkpatrick, Festival Director, Daniel Abercrombie, and storyteller David Hughes Pic Neil Hanna

The council's travel team has published a list of the latest roadworks and street closures in Edinburgh during the next week. Every area of the city is included in the list below in alphabetical order of council wards. A crew from BT will be working at the junction of Queen Street and Hanover Street from Saturday into Sunday 3-4 October, to repair a manhole. There will be 4-way temporary traffic lights. There is a march in Edinburgh on the Royal Mile on 3 October and rolling road closures will be in place from Johnston Terrace to Canongate at Horse Wynd from 2.30pm onwards.

A legal practice operating in the heart of Edinburgh has expanded its local operations with key solicitor appointments. Shakespeare Martineau has moved to bolster its presence within the Scottish capital by expanding its team, a move that the firm states is designed to support its continued growth across the country. The firm’s Edinburgh office will see Sinead Pow formally qualify into the litigation team, following the successful completion of her training contract with the firm. Pow has been a part of the Shakespeare Martineau team since 2024, having previously graduated from the University of Strathclyde.

A mother who campaigned for tighter restrictions on the sale of knives following the death of her son has been named a community champion. Lisa Petrie was recognised for her work at Harbour Homes’ annual north Edinburgh Community Awards on Wednesday September 30. She began campaigning after her 22-year-old son, John McNab, was stabbed to death in Leith in September 2025. Her campaign aims to have all knives placed in locked cabinets to prevent shoplifting and ensure sales are closely monitored.

While their women's team were making history by winning a league title four Grange men's cricket teams excelled in 2026. Pride of place went to the men's 1st X1 who won the Eastern Premiership title with top performers being Charlie Peet with 409 runs at an average of 52.43 while James Pullar claimed 44 wickets at 8.86 runs apiece. Grange men;'s 4th X1 Grange men's 3rd X1 Grange men's 2nd X1 Grange men's 2nd X1 As for the 2nd X1 they retained their place in the East of Scotland Championship with Max Watson contributing 483 runs at 38.27 while Charlston Davidson had 16 wickets at 18.69.

East Lothian has been named as having the cleanest recycling waste in the UK with six times less contamination than Edinburgh. The local authority recorded 3.9% of recycling material as contaminated compared to City of Edinburgh Council’s 23.7%. A survey by recycling not-for-profit organisation Every Can Counts, which commissioned the research, says the scale of the variation shows the challenge still facing councils, Two thirds of the UK’s councils responded to a Freedom of Information request for the contamination figures and East Lothian reported the lowest amount.

Artist Anne Hardy’s solo exhibition, Feelings, leaves behind a quiet, lingering resonant energy. Staged in the grand surroundings of the University of Edinburgh’s Georgian gallery space. This is a hall whose neoclassical architecture once echoed with the exhibits of a natural history museum. Hardy transformed the Talbot Rice Gallery into a sentient, living environment that blurred the boundaries between the organic, the mechanical and the supernatural. Crossing the threshold into the paved central space, visitors were met by Being (Warrior) and Being (Guardian). Part totem, part post-human relic, these ambiguous sculptural figures felt less like inanimate objects and more like sentinels guarding the entrance to a newly uncoiled world.

Following the success of the annual cross country race for 8-13 years old held around Easter, Belhaven Hill Primary School has added an event for 4-8 year-olds. The project proved an instant success with 140 runners pitching up to tackle the 1k course representing schools from as far afield as Northumberland. Nearer home the following schools joined the hosts in participating: West Barns PS, East Linton PS, Pencaitland PS, Athelstaneford PS and Cockburnspath PS. Neil Tomlin, Belhaven headmaster, said: "Cross-country is a key feature of sport at our school as it promotes not only fitness but also the important aspects pf determination and resilience.

Abercorn president Chloe Madeley not only helped promote the tennis club's annual tournament but defended her ladies singles title with a 6-2. 6-4 victory over Alice Eaves. Winner of the men's singles was Mirko Canevaro who overcame Robin Burns 6-4, 6-1. Busiest player on finals day was undoubtedly Jamie Irving who not only won the men's and mixed doubles but also reached the final of the squash event which ran concurrently on the day. Partnering George Callaghan in the men's doubles, Jamie defeated Mark Bishop and Tam Waugh in a tight three setter while in the mixed he teamed up with Agata Nawrocka to beat Heather Callaghan and Don Williamson.

A KINROSS-SHIRE farm shop and café is set to transform its grounds into an Alpine village complete with an inflatable curling rink for the festive season. Loch Leven’s Larder will open the winter-themed attraction from Friday 13 November until Christmas Eve, operating day and night activities. Visitors to the destination will be able to experience a mix of mountain-inspired food and drink, alongside entertainment such as a silent disco and a German beer festival. The addition of the inflatable curling rink aims to bring a traditional Scottish winter pastime to the venue, inspired by the owners' strong historical links to the sport.

Screen Porty have opened up a public voting process to decide which scary movie they are going to watch on 24 October. The Screen Porty Community Cinema is at 3 Adelphi Grove in Portobello. Vote here now until 9 October. Here are the choices: A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) Director Ana Lily Amirpour / 2014 / 101min / Iran / B+W / Subtitled / 15 Strange things are afoot in Bad City. Lost Boys (1987) Director Joel Schumacher/ 1987 / 97min / US / 15 Teenage brothers Michael and Sam move with their mother to a small town in northern California.

After the Princes Street fire in July, The Scottish Government agreed to make £5 million available to help Edinburgh recover from the economic interruption which resulted. This was particularly relevant to the local businesses in Leith and Newhaven which were cut off for several weeks as the tram from Edinburgh Airport was unable to get further than the West End stop. The government monies are to be applied to three separate strands: More By The Shore Specials from 1 to 8 November, More By the Shore Sparkles from 14 November to 3 January, and More By The Shore Savings from 4 January to 28 February.

Costco at Straiton has been closed since just after 1pm due to a power cut. The gates at the entrance to their car park are shut and no-one is allowed to enter the car park or the shop. This appears to be an isolated incident as an employee told The Edinburgh Reporter that neighbouring stores IKEA and Sainsbury's have power. Scottish Power Energy Networks have no news of any power cuts in the EH20 area. We have approached Costco for comment.

A 36-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a number of high-value housebreakings in various parts of the country. The incidents happened at several addresses in the Edinburgh, Glasgow, Midlothian, West Lothian and East Renfrewshire areas. The man was arrested in the Newcastle area and is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, 5 October, 2026. A team of detectives are continuing to work with partners, including police services across the UK, investigating acquisitive crime as part of Operation Virion. Detective Superintendent David MacGregor said: “Whenever a home is broken into, the impact on the householder, their families and the local community is significant.

Tenants will be moving into new affordable homes at Murrayburn Gate in the next couple of weeks. The homes, which Robertson Partnership Homes have constructed for the council, are part of the Wester Hailes regeneration project. There is a mix of 41 social rent and 32 mid-market rent homes built to modern energy efficiency standards with landscaped communal spaces. A dozen new tenants already moved in in late August 2026 when the initial phase of the development was completed. In the next decade the council plans to create place-based 20 minute neighbourhoods with new net zero carbon homes. The local authority plans to improve transport connections, landscaping and opportunities for employment and learning.

Calls to reintroduce phone booths on the streets of Broxburn and Bathgate have been cut off. Whilst the updated designs also carry defibrillators, councillors criticised what they branded as primarily advertising billboards. The Local Review Body backed planners’ earlier rejection of the black kiosks in the two West Lothian towns when appeals went before the committee. The phone kiosks resemble the later 1970’s style of kiosks rather than the traditional red phone box with a door. New World Payphones had appealed against a refusal of planning consent for two kiosks in busy streets in both towns – giving councillors more than 100 pages of argument as to why the kiosks complied with existing planning regulations.

Both city public transport companies, Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams, won top honours at the National Transport Awards in London on Thursday evening, And Chief Executive of both companies, Sarah Boyd, has been recognised with the Woman of the Year award, reflecting her leadership and role in the integration of both organisations in the Scottish capital. Buses Lothian Buses was named ‘Bus Operator of the Year’ after delivering strong passenger growth, with patronage increasing by 3% and more than one million additional journeys recorded during the busy summer period. Alongside operational excellence, judges recognised the company's commitment to making a positive impact in the communities it serves through its charity partnerships with Age Scotland and Shelter Scotland.

There will be overnight roadworks on the M8 between junctions 2 and 3 in October to carry out resurfacing works on the westbound carriageway. Works are programmed to take place on the following times and dates: Between 20:30 and 06:00 each night from Monday 5 to Friday 9 October Between 21:00 and 06:00 each night from Monday 12 to Wednesday 14 October Between 20:30 and 06:00 on the nights of Thursday 15 and Friday 16 October. No work will take place on Saturday or Sunday nights. BEAR Scotland say that to ensure the safety of the workforce and road users, it will be necessary to close the M8 westbound carriageway between Junctions 2 and 3 during the works.