It's not the kind of wildlife you would expect to see in St Andrew Square.
But a new exhibition will see the square taken over by some of the planet's most awe-inspiring animals as part of this year's Edinburgh International Science Festival.
A series of 60 giant photographs will be placed around the site from tomorrow, ahead of the festival's official start next month.
The Spirit of the Wild exhibition is the result of more than 12 years' work by renowned photographer Steve Bloom.
It features some of his most iconic images, including stunning underwater scenes of a swimming elephant, images of leaping dolphins, polar bears and a jaw-dropping shot of a great white shark in mid-air as it attacks a seal pup.
posted 10 Mar 2010 04:46 by David Rintoul
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updated 10 Mar 2010 05:05
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The massive revamp of the Royal Commonwealth Pool is set to fall behind schedule and go over budget, it emerged today.
A new city council report has confirmed that contractors are still working on removing asbestos from the site of the pool. It said that the work is set to have an impact on both the refurbishment programme and the budget.
Council officials also confirmed that the overall cost of the Usher Hall revamp is set to exceed the current estimate of £38.7 million after a number of hitches.
Initial estimates indicated the Commonwealth Pool revamp – which will bring it up to standards required for it to host the diving competition at the 2014 Commonwealth Games – would be finished by the end of June 2011 and cost £37m.
posted 9 Mar 2010 02:59 by David Rintoul
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updated 9 Mar 2010 03:09
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A police officer was injured and taken to hospital after a police van collided with a taxi in Tollcross.
The officer was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment to "minor" injuries, and was later released.
The collision took place at around 3am on Sunday in Brougham Street.
An investigation has now been set up by the force in a bid to determine the cause of the accident.
The police van was being driven by an officer on duty, but the vehicle was not responding to a 999 call at the time of the crash.
A witness said the accident took place on the corner of Lauriston Place and Brougham Street when the police van, travelling from Earl Grey Street, collided with the taxi.
posted 8 Mar 2010 03:32 by David Rintoul
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updated 8 Mar 2010 16:08
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Runners dressed as characters from hit movie Avatar joined sumo wrestlers, a chicken and an egg and a basket of fruit, who all helped raise a record £50,000 for charity.
Around 1,000 participants completed the largest ever Meadows Marathon yesterday.
Patryk Gierjatowicz finished first, finishing the 13-mile course in one hour, 16 minutes and 6 seconds. Nicola Duncan won the women's race in one hour, 23 minutes and 26 seconds.
Joe Robertson won the five km race, while Catherine Ferry was the fastest woman.
posted 8 Mar 2010 02:58 by David Rintoul
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updated 8 Mar 2010 03:35
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After being on display at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland’s earliest human face, the Orkney Venus is to go on temporary display at venues across Scotland.
The 5,000 year old figurine, also known as the Westray Wife, was discovered last summer by archaeologists working on the Historic Scotland excavation at the Links of Noltland, on the Orkney island of Westray. The figurine is the only known Neolithic carving of a human form to have been found in Scotland.
Measuring 41mm by 31mm – the Venus is made from sandstone and depicts a human face and body. The name comes from its resemblance to prehistoric carvings from elsewhere in Europe – often referred to as Venus figurines.
The exhibition will open this Saturday (13th March) at the Chapel Royal at Stirling Castle and will remain in Stirling until 26th March before progressing to Kilmartin House in Argyll and Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness. It will then return to Orkney for the summer and will be on display at the Westray Heritage Centre before moving to the Orkney Museum in Kirkwall.
For opening times and further information please visit Orkney Venus or to see a sneak preview of the Venus please go to Historic Scotland
posted 6 Mar 2010 04:15 by David Rintoul
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updated 6 Mar 2010 04:29
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Ghost-walk operators West Port Tours are offering intrepid visitors the opportunity to come face-to-face with the skeleton of serial killer William Burke.
West Port Tours are running a tour of Edinburgh University's Anatomy Department on 18th-19th March to coincide with Mary King's Ghost Fest.
Following the tour, the groups will then head to the private medical museum, where William Burke's remains are on display.
posted 6 Mar 2010 04:02 by David Rintoul
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updated 6 Mar 2010 04:07
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A sex attacker who grabbed a young woman as she walked beside the Union Canal and demanded she strip off was today being hunted by police.
The 20-year-old victim had been walking home near St Peter's Place at Fountainbridge at 8:15pm on Thursday when she was attacked.
The suspect, a man aged between 20 and 24, made inappropriate comments towards her before grabbing her jacket and demanding she remove her clothes. The woman refused and fled.
The suspect is white, around 5ft 9in, slim to medium build, short fair hair and slight acne. He was wearing a scarf, a dark tracksuit top and light-coloured tracksuit trousers, possibly grey.
Police are appealing for anyone who saw anything suspicious to come forward. A spokesman said: "This was a very frightening ordeal."
posted 5 Mar 2010 17:39 by David Rintoul
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updated 5 Mar 2010 17:58
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A multi-million-pound attempt to transform a historic brewery site in Edinburgh has been revived two years after banking giant HBOS beat off stiff competition to snap it up.
New plans to create a huge office complex, shops, cafés and hundreds of homes at the home of the former Fountain Brewery are to be brought forward within months.
Allan Murray, one of the capital's leading architects and the lead designer on the landmark Hotel Missoni building on the Royal Mile, will be working on the new vision for the site in Fountainbridge.
The site was snapped up by HBOS at the height of the property market in the city after a fierce bidding war, only for the bank to be brought to the brink of collapse a few months later.
posted 5 Mar 2010 04:23 by David Rintoul
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updated 5 Mar 2010 04:53
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A great‑grandfather told today how he felt "lucky to be alive" after being knocked to the ground when a large chunk of masonry fell from a city rooftop.
David Hay, 69, was sent sprawling when the concrete block hit him on the shoulder after falling 45ft from a tenement chimney stack.
The dazed pensioner managed to crawl to the side of the building, to avoid being hit by any more falling stonework, before concerned shop staff called an ambulance.
He was left badly bruised after the incident in Home Street near his sheltered housing complex in Tollcross.
The retired baker believes he was inches away from death as the masonry would have killed him if it hit him on the head.
Actress Barbara Rafferty was joined at the Traverse Theatre by workmen Michael Wilson and Ryan Stevenson to launch the return of the lunchtime theatre season, A Play, a Pie and a Pint.
The 2010 programme features five new plays from Simon Stephens, Graham Eatough and Maggie Rose, Ella Hickson, Gregory Burke and Zinnie Harris.
Rafferty, of River City fame, stars in this week's play, Heaven, by Olivier Award-winning writer Stephens, about an airport encounter.
