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Melissa

@iammelissa.bsky.social
279 followers 858 following 473 posts

Mother, wife, community builder. Covid aware cargo biker. Current: Edinburgh, Scotland 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇪🇺

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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
#edtravcyc the constant merry go round that’s the Davidsons Mains roundabout continues - watch out to see if this non-bike-accessible version is still running Monday morning! This may be your only sign as there are literally no signs to forewarn
A blocked roundabout with one moved traffic cone A blocked street with no way to mount the kerb. The photographer is standing between the two points.
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WWF Scotland @wwfscotland.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Isle of May puffins dropped by around 30% since 2024. 🚨 Nature is feeling the impacts of climate change and increasingly extreme weather. By restoring nature and tackling climate change, we can help safeguard species like puffins. #Wildlife #ClimateChange
bbc.co.uk
Isle of May puffin numbers plummet after extreme weather
Researchers said numbers in one of the UK's most significant colonies of the seabirds may have fallen by 30%.
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Had a fun milestone on the Edinburgh cycle paths last week. We’ve had this bike for 4.5 years - with kids and no car …. Here’s to another 5k! #bikesky @ternbicycles.com
Our tern GSD’s odometer shows 5000 miles on the display screen on the handle bar. Nothing is in the front black basket or in the black phone holder. There’s a path behind with green grass and trees on either side of it
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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 26/08/2026
Our whole digital world has been wrapped in chains by rent-extracting monopolists who gloried in their power to use hook IP to deprive you of the right to use your property in ways you see fit, writing private laws that made it a crime to displease them. 87/
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Larry the Cat @number10cat.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Farewell, Dolly x
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
“Best seat on the bus!” A study of Edinburgh in August. The alt text describes each photo.
An inadequate bus stop where there’s a crush of people. The pavement is too small and the bus service far too infrequent allowing for the dangerous build up in the left. There’s a yellow stagecoach bus is ahead. Having waited there, it’s so uncomfortable and tricky with little kids. I imagine doubly for any sort of mobility issue. Or if you want to go inside the shop. This is taken from “the best seat in the bus” where eventually a large man would trap me and force me to climb over the actual seat to get off the bus. Fun!The congestion by Charlotte Square. There’s 5 buses lined up down the road. Only one will make the turn during the light signal change. The sky is blue there’s a green tree on the right, and the light is golden on the buildings on the left. This is taken from the front of the bus, aka “the best seat in the bus.”A crush of people by Waverly Steps. There’s people getting on, people passing, and more people watching a street performer. It’s entirely inadequate and I’d argue dangerous because it’s not actually Disney World, it’s a bus stop for a European capitol, and given the crowd I’d wonder if there’s ever been a health and safety analysis of this space. Why aren’t people closer to the street performer? Probably because they want to sit on the limited seating available in this wasted city landscape in the heart of Edinburgh. This photo is taken from the front of the bus, aka “the best seat in the bus.”The bus, probably aggravated by August in Edinburgh (but who am I to project?), entirely pulled up, after the light turned red and parked through the entire advance stop line. I mean I never personally cycle through princes st because I value my life and here’s a great example why. There’s nothing in this photo beyond paint (not infrastructure), some sign post with plastic bollards, and some people’s feet crossing the side road. The bottom right diagonally is the edge of the bus. This photo is taken from the front of the bus, aka “the best seat in the bus.”
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
With the one billion choices that is Edinburgh in August, do check out the free exhibition The Legacy of Slavery - visiting from Alabama. The Scotland connection is so important, but the whole work is just extraordinarily powerful www.eif.co.uk/events/the-l...
A printed white ticket for The Legacy of Slavery at the Playfair Library being held up on North Bridge, with the Balmoral Hotel lit in sunlight behind
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 18/08/2026
Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds
theguardian.com
Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds
Researchers find capacity stunted by pollution was restored after introduction of ultra-low emission zone Children’s lungs grew bigger and stronger after the most polluting vehicles were restricted from entering London, a study has found. Examinations of London schoolchildren before and after the introduction of the city’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) found a restoration of lung capacity that had been stunted by exposure to pollution. Continue reading...
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Oh haha paint isn’t infrastructure and there isn’t even a bike painted anywhere. Seems just as hard to cycle through as it was before the works started in April. Hopefully the school students have a better time crossing at least 🤷🏻‍♀️
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
#EdTravCyc the quality st, main st roundabout is open. Have only pedestrian’ed it not yet cycled. Thoughts, Edinburgh?
A roundabout at dusk that’s mostly empty except for the rear of a red car on the left and a taxi exiting on the right
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Eclipse in Edinburgh just passed! Along with an extra rainbow!
Eclipse at its peak which is about 90%A rainbow over the eclipsing sun because it’s still Scotland
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Equal Justice Initiative @eji.org · 12/08/2026
We are excited to present "The Legacy of Slavery in America" as part of the Edinburgh International Festival this year. The exhibition displays an abridged version of our Legacy Museum in Montgomery, and is the first international exhibition for EJI.
eji.org
EJI Presents “The Legacy of Slavery in America” at the Edinburgh International Festival
This is the first international exhibition for EJI.
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Cycling the CCEW! The sun is shining, bikes everywhere, fringe acts to take in… Nothing quite like George St when Princes St is closed. Edinburgh Council really just putting active travel in its place!
Going east on George St, there’s outdoor dining, construction walls in the bike lane on the left, and a bus and taxi in the road. A cyclist is squeezed and can’t use the bike lane. But it’s the morning so things aren’t backed up yet. The sun is shining. Going west on George St, there’s a coach bus parked on the left and a line of buses on the right. There is just enough room for a confident cyclist to use the bike lane. At least things are stopped so it’s slow passing because it’s the afternoon and things are now backed up. The sun is shining. Looking back on George St from the Advance Stop Line from the intersection at Charlotte Square. A tour bus is in the box and is revving his diesel engine in frustration (I guess? He gave me a wave when I looked back in fear?). The queue of buses is long and it took manoeuvring to get to this spot to take the bike light. The sun is shining but there’s shadows in the road.
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
It’s looking more promising at the Quality Street, Main Street roundabout. The temp lights were temporarily out yesterday which looked stressful for all involved 😬
Entrance to E Barnton Gardens is no longer blocked by construction equipment. This photo shows a badly paved road opened to a roundabout behind with random construction detritus on either side of the pavement. The sky is heavy with clouds. The view down Main Street, showing that there are still temporary lights and many traffic cones. The sky is heavy with clouds.
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Fun fringe sights on my cycle last night, including these new lights installed at Davidsons Mains Park in Edinburgh. I assume this is aimed at wildlife? I’ll be sure to stay on the road, I’m already amped up cycling home on an empty Blackhall path I don’t need more shocks by then 😂
a mostly in focus photograph of red lighting lighting up a park with a paved road lit regularly on the far right side the photo. A green bin is on the kerb. There are no cars and it’s evening.
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Kanchan @kayehm.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
A UK study found that telling potential SUV buyers that those vehicles directly result in higher fatalities for pedestrians, cyclists and children had zero effect on their decision to buy them. What does work? Financial penalties: Increased fees, taxes, parking. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
theguardian.com
SUV buyers undeterred by warnings of risk to pedestrians, UK study finds
Exclusive: Research suggests financial penalties necessary if number of large vehicles on roads is to be reduced
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
What in the…. 😫😫😫😫 There’s just so little awareness in Edinburgh that not all people on bikes are hyper aware adults - so not only does the extreme level of tourism limit our accessibility, so does our council… to the children’s library 🙃
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🚲 edi.bike | weekly news digest @edi.bike · 27/07/2026
🚲 edi.bike | issue 155 | 27th July '26 Disruption for Trams to Newhaven sees Voi bike fleet increased; Work on the Causey finally begins; Summerhall upgrades land with a bump; plus events, infrastructure, route closures & more: buttondown.com/edi.bike/archive/iss…
A pair of robotic legs - made with flat pieces of metal articulated at the leg joints - is set up to pedal a green bicycle, with motors and wires hanging from it. This being a museum exhibit, it is under bright illumination and the wheels are up on rollers so the bike remains in place. Visitors can press a series of buttons, out of view, to mimic the muscles used in sequence to pedal. Behind the bike are unpainted wooden silhouettes of people huddled over other bikes in a racing stance; beyond, the exposed metalwork of the center’s ceiling, glass wall and other exhibits form a backdrop.
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Air Library Scotland @airlibraryscotland.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
With three wildfires in Edinburgh over the last year alone, big inner city fires in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and more across Scotland & the UK, it's becoming more and more important to clean air indoors - get in touch with us if you want to borrow a purifier or help buying or building your own!
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🚲 edi.bike | weekly news digest @edi.bike · 06/07/2026
🚲 edi.bike | issue 152 | 6th July '26 Protected Cycleways for St Andrews Square out to tender; Tarvit Street stays closed to motor traffic; last chance for ‘Craigmillar Niddrie Connections’ responses; plus events, infrastructure, route closures & more: buttondown.com/edi.bike/arc... #bikeSky
A large red ‘no entry’ sign - a red roundel with a white bar across the middle - defaced with stickers, including an outline of a pigeon defecating on the bar. Smaller signs underneath read ‘CCTV in Operation’ and ‘Except Cycles’. Behind the lamppost bearing the sign loom glass and metal high-rise buildings with neat green hedges beneath.
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LLL Collective @lllcollective.org.uk · 30/06/2026
Hello from the APPG on Infant Feeding & Equalities, w @jessbrownfullermp.bsky.social. We'll be hearing from Amy Brown of Swansea U about the result of the 2024 English Infant Feeding Survey, @bfn-uk.bsky.social about IYCFe, & @1stepsnutrition.bsky.social about infant formula recall #APPGIFI
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
One of these days I’ll learn how to fix a flat 😬 happens a lot to me in Edinburgh but a pleasure a bike fits in a black cab! Although would have been so fresh on the paths this evening … share with me your bike joy today?? #edtravcyc
A black bike with a front basket with pink flowers inside a black taxi
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Some #EdTravCyc news for those using the Blackhall path in Edinburgh. It’s a bit obstructed near the Ferry Road bridge. It’s been reported - it’s starting to leak smells this afternoon.
A burnt out motorbike on its side on a off-road travel path
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Love seeing how quickly they’re expanding this service. Some decisions can be quick AND good it turns out. Now for some more safe cycle infra to match??
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Barnton is ready for the feeder ride!! @pedalonparliament.org
A white woman holding a liv gravel bike wearing a mustard pedal on parliament shirt under a road bridge Three bike wheels on a pavement
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Getting so ready for @pedalonparliament.org!
Mustard coloured T-shirt with the phrase Pedal on Parliament 30th May 2026 on it. The shirt also has an illustration of a fox cycling a cargo bike with a fox cub with the phrase this picture machine fights climate change on the side of the box bike
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Bank holiday cycle to the beach. Edinburgh delivers #bikesky
A photo of the front half of a tern gsd cargo bike on a sandy beach with a blue sky and clouds
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Hey Barnton and NW Edinburgh! Join me to @pedalonparliament.org for a cycle-safe Scotland next Saturday 🚲💐🚲
THIS MACHINE FIGHTS CLIMATE CHANGE
PEDAL ON PARLIAMENT
SATURDAY 30TH MAY, 11:30AM
FOR A CYCLE-SAFE SCOTLAND
MIDDLE MEADOW WALK TO HOLYROOD ON CLOSED ROADS - POP26.0RG
BARNTON
FEEDER RIDE
Blackhall path under
Silverknowes Rd bridge, EH4 5NX
Gathering from 10:00, leaving ~10:10
(Joins S Queensferry feeder)
More details at POP26. ORG
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Beautiful day for a bike ride to South Queensferry. I know friends are melting to the south so absolutely absorbing the weather here today in Edinburgh #bikesky
Sheep wool caught on a fence with sheep and lamb in the background against a blue sky and green fields in Delmany EststarA sandy beach through a woods path with Fife on the opposite shorePath through the woods on the right and beach through the woods on the left. Dappled sunlight in Scotland Firth of Forth red iron bridge with blue sky and slight haze
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Oh hey I’m helping with the feeder ride from the NW! It’s going to be a great day 🚲💐💕
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Iconic.
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Just a beautiful moment on the Blackhall path last night cycling home. Just saw someone post about “bike slow, take photos” and yes exactly that.
Edinburgh’s Blackhall bike path, slightly damp, stretches diagonally back between the green verge and more hilly grass. Two trees still in blossom are in the mid ground, with trees in shoots behind and on the left. The sky is blue and pink in sunset colours. A tree branch is in the top foreground
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Cool Bike Art @coolbikeart1.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Happy Mother's Day
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
I’ll never not find it weird to be voting in a church … but hey ho took the family on a trip for democracy today #scottishelections
City Gates Baptist Church storefront, door open, with a hot pink polling place card affixed to the brick wall and multiple A-frames with voting posters. A sign for the pharmacy is on the left and a closed restaurant on the right
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Hey Edinburgh - here’s some maths 🤩
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
“Is this Edinburgh’s ‘delivery’ phase we were promised - delivering nothing but disappointment and danger?” 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Get it together, Edinburgh!! Thanks, Ben, for saying it how it is
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Pedal on Parliament #pop26 @pedalonparliament.org · 01/05/2026
On 30th May at 11:30am, we Pedal on Parliament for a cycle-safe Scotland. Today, we've released our renewed manifesto - will you join us? ➡️ pedalonparliament.org/our-manifesto/ #ThisMachineFightsClimateChange #PoP26
A poster for Pedal on Parliament 2026, on 30th May 2026 at 11:30am, featuring an bright illustration of three foxes cycling through a purple city backdrop. A parent fox rides a cargo bike with a young fox in the front, who is waving a small flag that reads #pop26 - a slightly bigger fox cub leads the way pointing ahead.
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Tfw you haven’t been keeping up with @edi.bike and you come up upon surprise cycle route disruptions
Cycle path closed on Russell Road, with poor signage. A swanky Aston Martin building is in the background. My multicoloured backpack is in the lower left corner
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Is it just me or has Lothian buses become entirely unreliable and unpredictable? So many ghost buses, entirely impossible to plan any kind of travel. I miss my bike - and wish there was a cargo bike that fit 3 not tiny kids
A backlit photo of the QE bus stop sign on Queensferry street in Edinburgh with a perfectly blue sky and some buildings in the background
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🚲 edi.bike | weekly news digest @edi.bike · 20/04/2026
Capitalising on — & capitulating to — UK Conservative-stoked culture wars. Motorists frustrated with road condition, rising traffic and congestion. Frustration & jealously, along with motonormativity, are a powerful combination. So while cycling (& demand) are growing, easy target for fiscal cuts.
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Scottish Wildlife Trust @scotwildlife.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
We’re looking for two new Reserve Managers to join our conservation team. Our West area stretches from important urban greenspaces in Glasgow to the rugged Argyll coast, while in the North you’ll oversee the Trust’s stunning Orkney reserves, Ben Mor Coigach and others. More info 👇 buff.ly/XXsXzqU
A close up of a Scottish primrose. It has purple petals and a yellow centre.Shadowy mountains rising over a pond-filled peatland. The sky is blue and an orange light is cast over the landscape.Various grasses growing from a lowland bog which is surrounded by broadleaved trees. Several electrical pylons are visible in the distance.An adder coiled up amidst grass and wildflowers on a clifftop. The sea is visible meeting a rocky coast in the background.
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Oh was it snowing on Sunday and beach weather now on Tuesday? “Beach weather” is doing some heavy lifting for this former Floridian but when in Scotland…
Cramond Beach in Edinburgh with the tide out and the skies blue!
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🚲 edi.bike | weekly news digest @edi.bike · 23/03/2026
⚠️ Urgent call from @bikes4refugees.bsky.social : "PROPERTY WANTED URGENTLY- EDINBURGH! Our charity finds itself having to identify a new community hub/workshop in Edinburgh (& funds) ASAP due to an unexpected eviction notice along with other charities... www.bikesforrefugees.scot
bikesforrefugees.scot
Bikes for Refugees Scotland | READ OUR NEWS
Welcome to Bikes for Refugees Scotland. Bikes provide freedom of movement and a free means of travel by empowering New Scots to connect with communities and with essential services and activities.
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Cycle infrastructure in Edinburgh. Maybe some cool bike tunnels to level out the hills 🥰
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
Today I did a Voi bike day in Edinburgh #edtravcyc My thoughts: Very convenient when it turns out at 11 pm we don’t have a spare tube and I need to go NW to S to E on a Sunday The smaller frame is easier to brake! But makes me v nauseous! The intense speed limiter…
Voi bike handles in front of the Kings Buildings sign at the University of Edinburgh campus, with my black gloved hand
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portyenergy.bsky.social @portyenergy.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
We've still some spots left for this fun ride next week: we are heading to the Botanics @thebotanics.bsky.social on a family led ride during the February break. Join us & we'll set an easy pace - hire a cargo or electric bike if you want - all free. #Portobello www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-pic...
eventbrite.co.uk
Winter Picnic Rides: To Edinburgh Botanic Gardens
Join us for a safe, led ride from our bike library to these family-friendly gardens this winter.
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Matthew Lewis -- living in the era of cults and consequences @mateosfo.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
"The most important lesson about local speed mitigation tactics is that they save lives; researchers don’t doubt effectiveness. Even better, many residents are eager to see them implemented. The missing link: policymakers courageous enough to do the right thing." www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
The Best Tactics for Tackling Speeders
Drivers who exceed speed limits are the cause of about one-third of all crash deaths in the US. To slow them down and save lives, cities have several effective tools.
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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Reminder that "jaywalking" was literally made up by american car manufacturers to shift the blame for accidents from drivers to pedestrians. "Jay" was a slang term meaning "idiot" or "rube".
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Matthew Perren @matthewperren.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Edinburgh is great for this stuff
Massive purple lit letters outside Edinburgh Airport. It should read “EDINBURGH” but I have “hilariously” cropped out the first  five letters so it says “URGH”

Ha ha ha ha
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Melissa @iammelissa.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
Can never have too many warm hats in Scotland #knitsky🧶
A hot pink and maroon knit hat that says Eat the Rich on top and below is a red knit hat shaped as a Norwegian Nisse hat in a pattern named melt the ice.
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