As the year draws to a close, we conclude our review of the year’s news highlights by looking at what was making the headlines in the final three months of 2023.
There was the farewell to the giant pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang as they left Edinburgh Zoo for China; the disturbing scenes of mayhem on he streets on Bonfire Night; the tragic explosion in Baberton; and the sad death of Alistair Darling. Other stories we featured included a preview of the world’s first inland surf resort a call for an underground waste system in Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site; an accolade for The Shore in Leith; and a new station opening in East Lothian.
Scroll through these 27 pictures to recall some of the highlights.
1. South Bridge 'worst' street for pedestrians
Edinburgh residents called for improved pedestrian conditions on the notoriously busy South Bridge, as one labelled the notoriously busy street "the worst in Scotland". They said the narrow pavements and high footfall added up to a risk to public safety. Their comments followed an incident when a 40-year-old man was rushed to hospital after being hit by a bus during peak hour traffic. Photo: Neil Johnstone
2. Eco-terrorist jailed over Princes Street device
An eco-terrorist who was radicalised on online forums was jailed for planting a potentially explosive device in Princes Street Gardens. Nikolaos Karvounakis was sentenced to eight years and four months over the incident on January 11, 2018. The device was found by members of the public inside a cardboard box which had been left in a shelter. Photo: Jon Savage
3. Cycle hire scheme could be revived
Council chiefs said a cycle hire scheme could be revived in Edinburgh after two companies approached them about bringing back bike rental to the Capital. Rival electric bike hire firms Lime and Dott, who both run schemes in other UK cities and abroad, had both expressed interest in operating a bike hire scheme as a concession, without the need for a council subsidy. Edinburgh's previous cycle hire scheme, sponsored by Just Eat and run by Serco, was meant to be self-financing, but problems with thefts and vandalism undermined the operation and it came to an end in September 2021. Photo: supplied
4. Celebrity drop-off
A bid to allow taxis and coaches access to a busy Edinburgh city-centre pedestrian area so a new five-star hotel could "show off " celebrity guests was turned down because of "serious safety concerns". The W Hotel wanted the vehicles to be given permission to drive up to its main entrance at the St James Quarter, saying it was necessary to facilitate "red carpet events" and to improve access for guests with mobility issues. But the council said no. Photo: contributed