Roddy Smith

Over 100 bars across the city offering £5 cocktails for the duration of the 10-day festival

The Edinburgh Cocktail Week programme for 2025 has been announced, reaffirming i...

Exclusive Businesses and residents urged to lobby politicians to avert Fringe bin strike

Assembly is one of the biggest venue operators at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Picture: William Burdett-Coutts

Edinburgh Festival Fringe to return with second-biggest programme ever

Plans for the redesigned George Street.

Safety concerns over plans to pedestrianise Edinburgh city centre street

A weekend of free film screenings will be staged in St Andrew Square in Edinburgh later this month.

Edinburgh to revive free outdoor cinema screenings ahead

Roddy Smith, CEO, Essential Edinburgh

Chancellor must reverse decision to end tax-free shopping for visitors to UK - R...

Edinburgh's St Andrew Square looking festive

Christmas and New Year festivals are crucial for Edinburgh city centre - Roddy S...

Organisers say Edinburgh's revived Christmas festival attracted 2.4 million visitors. Picture: Robin Mair

Edinburgh’s Christmas festival attracts 2.4m visitors after eleventh-hour rescue

Roddy Smith, CEO, Essential Edinburgh

Stance on business rates taken by UK Chancellor must be matched or bettered

Work on a proposed £36 million overhaul of George Street is expected to get underway in 2024.

Edinburgh’s major events set to be ousted from new-look George Street

clean team in action on Rose Street.

More support for business is needed on top of energy aid - Roddy Smith

Edinburgh Festival Fringe entertainers perform on the Royal Mile in 2019. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Festivals crucial to city’s progress - Roddy Smith

Shopping for visitors to UK destinations such as Edinburgh’s Royal Mile is now 20 per cent more expensive than in every other EU country

Why tourists are taking their money elsewhere - Roddy Smith

Edinburgh's new St James Quarter will become the official home of the Fringe this August. Picture: Nick Caville

St James Quarter to become official home of the Fringe for 75th birthday season

A major rethink of Edinburgh city centre has been ordered in the wake of the Covid pandemic and the decline of the rethink centre. Picture: Craig Williamson/SNS Group

Edinburgh orders radical rethink for city centre

Images of Edinburgh's Hogmanay fireworks have been beamed around the world since the first official celebrations in 1993-4. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA

Hogmanay fireworks and street party may be dropped under winter festivals revamp

Ooutdoor seating areas are an important part of generating the atmosphere in the city centre

Edinburgh’s lining up a summer to savour - Roddy Smith

The Thai Express Kitchen recently opened at the St James Quarter in Edinburgh. Picture: Ian Georgeson Photography

Edinburgh launches new campaign to revive city centre work gatherings

The Grassmarket is one of the most popular areas in Edinburgh city centre for outdoor eating and drinking. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Edinburgh set to take ‘relaxed approach’ to outdoor eating and drink areas

St Andrew Square at Christmas

Edinburgh can look forward with huge optimism to what the future brings - Roddy ...

This year's Hogmanay street party could be the last large-scale new year celebration staged in Edinburgh city centre. Picture: Wullie Marr

Business leaders urge Edinburgh to save Hogmanay street party and make winter fe...

Artist Hannah Ayre has created a new art installation for The Mound for Edinburgh's Christmas festival.

More than 92,000 flock to Edinburgh's Christmas festival

Roddy Smith, CEO Essential Edinburgh

Crucial festive period for businesses - Roddy Smith

The new attraction is seen as 'a terrific, positive signal that Edinburgh is very much open for business'. Picture: Diageo.

How will Edinburgh's new Johnnie Walker attraction reshape the city's West End?

Roddy Smith, CEO Essential Edinburgh

Office workers are the missing link in city centre recovery - Roddy Smith

The first phase of the new St James Quarter.

Fast forward to a fantastic future - Roddy Smith

Edinburgh Festival Fringe entertainers perform on the Royal Mile on August 5, 2019. Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

This year's festivals could be smaller, but no less vibrant - Roddy Smith

Roddy Smith, CEO Essential Edinburgh

Outdoor space essential if hospitality to re-open in Edinburgh - Roddy Smith

Edinburgh's torism industry has supported around 34,000 jobs in recent years. Picture: Kenny Lam/VisitScotland

Edinburgh tourism chief warns £2bn industry is 'in serious jeopardy'

St James Quarter development. Picture: LISA FERGUSON

‘Adaptive retail’ space innovation business Sook is coming to Edinburgh

Roddy Smith, CEO Essential Edinburgh

Roddy Smith: Capital economy needs real help after Covid crisis

Historic features of the B-listed building would be preserved

Plans submitted to redevelop Debenhams store

The rides and market stalls that lit up the city centre last Christmas will be absent this year but businesses still hope to create a festive environment

There are still good reasons to visit Princes Street this Christmas time - Roddy...

Edinburgh's Christmas festival is said to have been worth more than £110 million to the city's economy in recent years. Picture: Ian Georgeson

Edinburgh to stage 'digital Christmas market' a year on from Princes Street Gard...

The Piper Bar in Glasgow is among the hundreds of pubs in Glasgow which have been forced to close during the ongoing coronavirus restrictions. Picture: John Devlin

Scottish hospitality businesses and workers to mount 'save our jobs' campaign

The traditional markets along Princes Street Gardens. Picture: Ian Georgeson

New lights for Edinburgh to 'save Christmas' after festival cancellation

Roddy Smith, CEO Essential Edinburgh

Promoting our historic city centre is vital for Edinburgh’s recovery – Roddy Smi...

Roddy Smith, CEO Essential Edinburgh

Ending tax-free shopping will harm tourism sector – Roddy Smith

The Royal Mile has been eerily quiet over the last few weeks. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Festival-free Edinburgh city centre sees two million slump in visitors in August

Roddy Smith, CEO Essential Edinburgh.

If Edinburgh city centre suffers, all of Scotland will suffer – Roddy Smith

The High Street, which is normally thronged with visitors at this time of year, was virtually deserted on Friday lunchtime. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Insight: Is Edinburgh going to miss its festivals?

Australia captain Tim Paine, left, and coach Justin Langer. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty

Roddy Smith: TV series shows Australia’s inspiring road to redemption
“Banter not abuse, sportsmanship not arrogance… a responsibility wider than just cricket”

Tourism and business leaders believe cultural events could still help Edinburgh's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic this summer. Picture: David Monteith-Hodge

Tourism leaders want Edinburgh festivals reboot if lockdown is lifted

Reinstatement work in Charlotte Square Garden is said to have been 'impossible' since October.

Edinburgh book festival admits 'negative' environmental impact on historic garde...

Roddy Smith says Edinburgh's Christmas festivites must not be diluted. Picture: Jon Savage

Why we need to embrace Edinburgh’s Christmas, not fight it – Roddy Smith

Around 88,000 people were said to have flocked to the opening day of Edinburgh's Christmas market on Saturday.

City centre chief accuses Edinburgh's Christmas market critics of 'jumping on a ...

Edinburghs popularity with tourists is important for the whole of Scotland (Picture: Ian Georgeson)

Over-tourism debate is a £1.4 billion question – Roddy Smith

Jofra Archer bowled consistently above 90mph during his impressive Test debut at Lord's. Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Roddy Smith: Jofra Archer delivers timely bounce for Test cricket

Skaters on the ice rink in St Andrew Square.

Pic: Neil Hanna Photography

Edinburgh’s festive skating axed as property owners ban it from St Andrew Square

Kings XI Punjab captain Ravi Ashwin ran out Jos Buttler in highly controversial circumstances. Picture: Bikas Das/AP

Roddy Smith: Fans will not easily forget players’ acts of madness

placeholder image

Roddy Smith: Count the cranes – business is doing the heavy lifting to make Capi...

Shoppers on Princes Street, but how many retail units may be about to leave?

Princes Street is facing an ‘exodus of shops’

Business chiefs foresee homes returning to the thoroughfare along with high-tech offices and tourist attractions as an answer to the retail crisis. Picture: Greg Macvean

Calls for radical new look to ‘save’ Edinburgh’s Princes Street

Cuts in Marketing Edinburghs budget puts the citys £1.5bn tourism industry at risk says its chief

Cuts to Edinburgh’s marketing budget puts ‘tourism industry at risk’

Picture: Ian Georgeson

The Essential Edinburgh Christmas treasure hunt where you could win gift card wo...

A new campaign from Essential Edinburgh will launch on Monday (8 th October), encouraging
Edinburgh locals to re-discover all that is on offer in the capital's vibrant and varied city centre.

New Â£1m ad campaigns aims to boost Edinburgh's city centre

The Scotsman Top Stories

Scotland has failed to meet its latest target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the latest official figures show. Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

Fail: Scotland misses climate target

Pro-independence protesters with Scottish Saltire flags (top) march for Scottish independence. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

Yousaf: Growing popular support for Yes the only way to Scottish independence

Nadine Dorries. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

SNP MP cleared of bullying Nadine Dorries