Five things you need to know today
Full council meeting this morning at the City Chambers, an OBE for Kiki MacDonald and go and see the horses (and all the other animals) at the Royal Highland Show from today.
The Royal Highland Show opens today
Scotland’s largest outdoor event, The Royal Highland Show, opens its doors to more than 200,000 people over the next four days at the Royal Highland Centre at Ingliston, showcasing the very best in food, farming, rural life and entertainment, with children 15 and under going free.
With a jam-packed schedule of activity planned, from traditional agricultural, sheepshearing, farrier and pole-climbing competitions, to axe throwing, mini (Land) rovers, a dedicated education hub run by RHET (Royal Highland Education Trust) with pizza building, cheese tasting and sushi rolling, a Tractor Ted stand in amongst all the giant machinery, a countryside area with circus performers and over 4,000 livestock animals, along with alpacas, donkeys and horses to see, the Show is a rural playground for children and adults alike.
In a major boost to the Show’s evening entertainment, high energy folk favourites Elephant Sessions have been announced as the final act for the Royal Highland Hoolie, joining The Whistlin’ Donkeys, Manran, Trail West, Nati Dreddd and the Dangleberries, on Friday 20th June. Elephant Sessions will bring their unique blend of folk and indie to what promises to be an unforgettable weekend of live music celebrating the best in Scottish and Irish country sounds.
Adding to the Show’s line-up, popular Scottish brewer, Innis & Gunn, and principal beer partner of the Show, will be hosting a Sunday entertainment showcase from 11am at the Member’s Village, which will open to all on the Sunday of the Show, and will include acts from The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, live music from several bands and mesmerising magic from Edinburgh’s favourite magician, Elliot Bibby.
The Royal Highland Show, taking place from Thursday 19th June – Sunday 22nd June, is the lead fundraising event for organisers, RHASS (the Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland).
Tickets for the Royal Highland Show and the Show’s folk and country music event, the Royal Highland Hoolie, are still available, with options for combined admission to both events. Children aged 15 and under can attend the daytime show for free when accompanied by a paying adult. www.royalhighlandshow.org.
At the City Chambers
Councillors are gearing up for today's full council meeting when the Dunion Report on the way that the organisation dealt with complaints about the former Council Leader were handled will be discussed.
As well as that councillors also use the monthly meeting as an opportunity to ask the various Conveners their urgent questions.
There are 22 questions posed this month, and the questions and answers have now been published on the council website here. Around half of the questions are posed to the Transport and Environment Convener.
One however is posed to the Education Convener who is asked about the council's financial involvement with Canongate Youth which has according to Cllr McFarlane who is asking the question, made six members of staff redundant. It turns out that the council spend on the organisation is considerable.
Edinburgh Climate Festival
This year, the Edinburgh Climate Festival run by the Edinburgh and Lothian Regional Equality Council (ELREC) returns to The Meadows on Saturday, 28 June from noon to 7pm.
The festival is free for everyone to attend and offers a wide range of activities including live performances, stalls, and activities for both kids and adults.
The aim is to raise awareness about climate change and to increase public knowledge about the importance of adopting a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle, while also inspiring and empowering individuals to take action on the current climate crisis.
A spokesperson for ECF explained this year's theme: "To create meaningful change, we must first root ourselves—grounding in who we are, reconnecting with nature, and prioritising our well-being. Just as strong roots support a thriving tree, a deep connection to ourselves and the earth allows us to rise with strength and purpose. By remembering that we are nature, we recognise the importance of caring for ourselves first.
"When we nurture our well-being, we grow the resilience needed to care for our communities, protect the land, and cultivate a more sustainable world. When we truly root in nature, we find the power to rise—to embrace new sustainable habits, take meaningful action, and stand together in the fight for climate justice and systemic change."
OBE for Kiki MacDonald
In the King's Birthday Honours List Kiki MacDonald was given the OBE. She co-founded Euan's Guide along with her brother Euan who sadly died last year. Euan's Guide are delighted and said: "This incredible achievement highlights Kiki’s long-standing dedication to accessibility and inclusion through her work with Euan’s Guide, alongside her late brother Euan Macdonald MBE.
"Kiki has been one of the driving forces behind Euan’s Guide and our award-winning disabled access review website. Co-founding the platform alongside Euan, who lived with Motor Neuron Disease for over twenty years, Kiki has played a pivotal role in building a trusted community resource that empowers disabled people to discover and share accessible places.
"Kiki and Euan founded the charity after encountering repeated challenges in finding reliable, up-to-date information on disabled access. Like many others in similar situations, they found planning trips or holidays frustrating, time-consuming, and limiting because disabled access information was inaccurate or unavailable.
"They realised that if such a resource didn’t exist, they needed to create one, driven by the belief that disabled people should be able to explore and enjoy the world with confidence. In 2013, from their kitchen table, EuansGuide.com was born and, over a decade later, now helps tens of thousands of disabled people.
"Kiki said: "I’m thrilled to receive this award which is a recognition of everyone behind Euan’s Guide: our incredible team, passionate "reviewers, community of supporters and of course my family especially my dear brother, and co- founder Euan.
"Even though Euan very sadly passed last year his legacy lives on through Euan’s Guide, Speak Unique and the Euan MacDonald Research Centre for MND. I know Euan would be proud of this award today which I dedicate to him.
Euan’s insight, tenacity and lust for life continues to inspire us to make the world more accessible for disabled people."
Join Lismore RFC and get fit
Lismore RFC have put out an invitation for any adults to join them in their "inclusive, social and supportive environment" at training sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7pm to 8.30pm. More details below or email rugby@lismorerfc.co.uk
