• VisitScotland Connect 2027 to be held in Glasgow next April
• Applications for trade-ready businesses open today
• Previous sold-out event is forecast to directly generate £10 million in tourism business across Scotland

Scottish tourism and events businesses are being invited to apply for Scotland’s flagship travel trade event, VisitScotland Connect 2027.

VisitScotland Connect 2027 will be held at the SEC Glasgow on 14 and 15 April. The annual event is organised by tourism and events organisation, VisitScotland, and will once again be supported by Visit Glasgow.

It will give trade-ready Scottish tourism and events businesses with bookable products and experiences the opportunity to meet face-to-face in a ‘speed-dating’ style format with travel trade buyers, such as tour operators, who create and sell itineraries in Scotland to visitors in the UK and around the world.

With around half of overseas visitors planning and booking through the travel trade, these relationships play a vital role in helping Scottish businesses reach new markets and generate bookings year-round.

VisitScotland Connect provides a platform to foster new partnerships, share expertise and celebrate the unique experiences that inspire travel and support Scotland’s visitor economy.

Responsible tourism is at the heart of the event, with all buyers and suppliers expected to demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and supporting more responsible visitor experiences.

Jill Walker, Director of Marketing & Business Development at VisitScotland, said: “At a time when destinations around the world are competing harder than ever for visitors, it is important that Scottish tourism businesses have opportunities to build resilience and grow sustainably.

“VisitScotland Connect helps generate and influence future demand for Scotland’s visitor economy by connecting businesses directly with travel buyers from across the world, supporting them to reach new markets and grow international sales.

“For many businesses, it provides access to audiences they may not be able to reach on their own, while creating relationships and partnerships that continue long after the event has ended.

“Together with our partners and industry, we shine a spotlight on Scotland as a must-visit, must-return, year-round destination.”

Aileen Crawford, Head of Tourism & Conventions, Destination Glasgow said:

“Destination Glasgow is delighted to be partnering, once again with VisitScotland Connect 2027. The event is a fantastic opportunity to showcase everything Glasgow has to offer to international buyers and travel trade partners. Bringing key decision-makers to the city allows them to experience our world-class attractions, vibrant cultural scene and renowned hospitality first-hand, helping to generate future group travel business, attract more visitors and support sustainable growth across Glasgow’s tourism economy.”

VisitScotland Connect 2026 results

Earlier this year, VisitScotland Connect 2026, supported by Visit Glasgow, welcomed 330 tour operators and travel advisors from more than 20 countries to the SEC Glasgow.

Across the two-day event, more than 10,000 one-to-one appointments took place between buyers and 289 Scottish tourism businesses, with many participants using the event as their primary opportunity to engage directly with the global travel trade.

Almost all Scottish tourism businesses said they expected to generate sales because they attended. These sales are forecast to total a record breaking £10 million in bookings directly attributed to the event.

The event included 68 businesses attending for the first time and 58 new travel buyers.

Participants ranged from family-run farm experiences and independent hotels to distilleries, guided tours, heritage attractions and global hospitality brands.

VisitScotland also delivered a programme of carefully curated familiarisation trips, giving travel buyers the opportunity to experience first-hand the visitor experiences available across Scotland’s regions.

Key findings from VisitScotland Connect 2026 Evaluation:

• 98% of Scottish tourism businesses expected to generate sales as a result of attending
• More than 90% of travel trade buyers said their objectives for attending VisitScotland Connect were either fully met or exceeded. This included making new contacts, gaining new ideas and insights, and meeting existing contacts. Suppliers reported similarly positive experiences.
• 67% of travel trade buyers anticipate featuring Scottish regions they had not previously offered to customers.
• Almost 60% of suppliers said they were likely or highly likely to develop bookable products for the off-peak season (October to March) for sale through travel intermediaries.
• 59% of suppliers anticipate introducing more local food and drink experiences.
• 55% of suppliers anticipate developing more community-based experiences.

Edinburgh College is continuing to expand its PDVL (The Prince’s Foundation) programme across Asia after securing a number of new international partnerships with schools in Indonesia and Taiwan.

Representatives from the College recently travelled to Asia to further develop its PDVL programme, formalising partnerships and signing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with three schools in Indonesia. They then travelled to Taiwan, where they signed MoUs with a further ten partner schools, further strengthening collaboration and creating new opportunities for students to study at the College.

The College became a delivery partner for the PDVL programme in 2025, with the aim of providing a focused pre-university pathway for international students that combines academic study with English language development and study skills, preparing them for progression to higher education. Students also benefit from established progression routes through PDVL’s articulation agreements with universities, supporting their onward academic journeys.

The College welcomed its first cohort in 2026, with students from China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan enrolling on the Business pathway programme. Students from this inaugural PDVL cohort have received offers from a number of UK universities, including Russell Group institutions such as the University of Southampton, the University of Glasgow, Newcastle University, the University of Sheffield, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Leeds.

From next year onwards, the PDVL programme will be expanded further to offer a new Science pathway – further enhancing the opportunities available to international students looking to move on to further study in Scotland’s capital city. Applications for both the Science and Business pathways are now open and prospective students can apply on the PVDL website. 

Neale Gardiner, Director of Income and Partnerships at Edinburgh College, said:

“It was great to visit Indonesia and Taiwan this summer to witness our 2026 Prince Foundation students graduate from their programme and connect with new partner schools across the region with a view to welcoming more students to Edinburgh in the coming years ahead.

“Building on the success of this year’s Business pathway, we’re delighted to be launching a new Science pathway next year, broadening opportunities for students who aspire to study internationally.

“These partnerships are making a real difference, and we look forward to growing our involvement in the PDVL Prince Foundation programme as we continue to expand Edinburgh College’s global reach.”

David Low, Managing Director of PDVL Overseas Advisory Sdn Bhd, said:

“It is fantastic to see our partnership with Edinburgh College going from strength to strength. Witnessing our students graduate this year and signing new MoUs across Indonesia and Taiwan is a testament to the hard work of all involved.

“We are incredibly excited to launch the new Science pathway for 2027, as it significantly broadens the academic opportunities for our students and continues our shared commitment to global education.”

Established in 2013 and led by PDVL Global, The Prince Programme is a world-class foundation course designed for students aged 16 and above. This forms part of PDVL’s One Foundation Global Pathway, with Edinburgh College recognised as one of its flagship campuses.

Find out more about the PDVL partnership on the College website.

A brand-new community group, ‘Dads, Babies, & Beers’, has launched in Edinburgh to help new fathers bond with their babies, meet like-minded Dads, and help give mums a much-needed break through a new weekly meetup.

The group’s inaugural event will take place on 16th September from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Campervan Brewery Taproom, widely regarded as Edinburgh’s most family-friendly pub. Following this launch, the group will continue to meet on a weekly basis.

The initiative was launched by Chris Batchelor, founder of communications agency Feel Good Comms and Joe Pratt, Field Sales & Customer Service Administrator at Campervan Brewery. The idea was born out of personal experience after Chris took his newborn son, Ellis, to the pub to give his wife a chance to have some time to herself. While enjoying a pint and some quality time with his son, Chris realised there were likely many other new dads in the exact same position, looking for ways to step up as partners while navigating the early days of fatherhood.

Chris, Founder of Dads, Babies, and Beers, commented: “I originally just wanted to give my wife a break and get out of the house with Ellis. Whilst sitting with Ellis, I realised that there aren’t many spaces or clubs specifically for dads to take their new children to, and just generally chat about what it is like to be a dad. This group is for guys who enjoy going out for a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic!), want to be great fathers and supportive partners, and want to get some quality one-on-one time with their kids.”

The group offers a relaxed, pressure-free environment for fathers to share the highs and lows of parenting over a local craft beer or soft drink. By hosting the event at the Campervan Brewery Taproom, attendees are guaranteed a welcoming, safe, and highly accommodating space for prams and babies.

Event Details:

• What: Dads, Babies, & Beers – Inaugural Meetup (Meeting weekly thereafter)
• When: 16th September 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Where: Campervan Brewery Taproom, Edinburgh
• Cost: Free to attend
• RSVP: Dads can turn up on the night for free, or confirm their attendance in advance by emailing dadsbabiesbeers@feelgoodcomms.co.uk

All fathers are welcome to come along with their babies and toddlers to grab a drink and join the community at this new weekly gathering. For more information, visit: https://www.feelgoodcomms.com/dadsbabiesandbeers

People across Edinburgh are improving their health, building confidence and finding connection, according to Edinburgh Leisure’s new 2025–26 Impact Report.

The findings support the charity’s 2030 mission to transform the city’s health and wellbeing by reducing barriers, developing new ways to deliver activity, and working with people and communities to help more residents be active.

The report highlights why access to sport and physical activity matters at every stage of life, from children learning to swim, to older adults rebuilding strength, and people facing barriers finding safe and welcoming ways to move.

It shows how Edinburgh Leisure combines scale with targeted support; welcoming millions of visits while focusing additional help on people who face the greatest barriers to being active.

In 2025–26, Edinburgh Leisure welcomed 5.976 million customer visits, reached an all-time high of 38,383 active members and supported 15,764 people to overcome barriers to physical activity. Together, these figures show the charity’s reach across the city and the targeted support it provides to help more people be active.

Key highlights include:

• 9,846 people on low incomes accessed subsidised or free activity, helping reduce financial barriers to participation
• 9,415 health and exercise referrals came from health, social care and charity partners
• 979 people supported to improve their mental health through Healthy Active Minds
• 644 care-experienced children and young people were supported
• 7,673 children learned to swim
• 13.7% reduction in carbon emissions, supporting the charity’s work to reduce its environmental impact
• 556 local sports clubs were welcomed across the estate

Jen Holland, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Leisure, said:

“Behind every number is a person: someone learning a new skill, feeling stronger, meeting familiar faces, or taking a step towards better health.”

“The challenge now is to build on this progress, so more people across Edinburgh can access the support, spaces and opportunities they need to be active. As a charity, our role is to reduce barriers and work with communities and partners to make physical activity part of everyday life for more people.”

The report also shows that Edinburgh Leisure has strengthened its financial position, moving close to an underlying break-even position and reducing its reliance on additional Council support. This creates a more sustainable foundation for the charity’s long-term work.

Jen Holland added: 

“Being financially stronger helps us keep doing what matters most: opening up more opportunities for people across Edinburgh to be active. As a charity, every step towards sustainability means we can better support our communities now and plan with confidence for the future.”

The full Edinburgh Leisure Impact Report 2025–26 is available to read at: Our Impact | Edinburgh Leisure

About Edinburgh Leisure

Edinburgh Leisure is a charity dedicated to helping people lead more active, healthy lives. With 75 sport, leisure and school venues across the city, it creates opportunities for everyone to get active and stay active.

This last year has seen the world catapult into a phase of rapid, exponential AI growth, both in frontier model capability and enterprise adoption. With tech accelerating at a dizzying pace, how can business leaders and policy makers make sense of the scale of change that is either in the post, or already arriving on the doorstep?

Setting aside, if we can, the potentially epoch-defining debate on AI regulation, two key policy challenges face Scotland and the wider UK simultaneously.

First, in order to ensure global competitiveness and retain geopolitical influence, the country must rapidly enable AI infrastructure – most notably data centres. This must be done in a manner which acknowledges and addresses challenges around environmental and local community impact.

Second, we must work – immediately – to prepare for the enormous changes the AI revolution is bringing to our economy, specifically to the jobs we do, and how we do them. Reports of graduate vacancies having dropped by 50% in a single year may of course be explained in part by an increased cost of hiring, but not in whole. Few would confidently deny this trend represents a canary in the AI coalmine.

Rising to these challenges will require vision, determination, and co-ordination across all levels of government and – crucially – partnership with the business community. Whether this will be achieved though, remains to be seen.

The era of perma- and polycrisis which has defined the past two decades is instructive when assessing how our governments rise, or don’t rise, to different challenges.

When a clear, existential cliff edge is presented or a wall is hit, action is taken. See banks recapitalisation when the Global Financial Crisis threatened our core economic stability, or lockdown / furlough when Covid spread with a speed and ferocity risking millions of lives.

When challenges or crises approach more gradually though, governments (of all political hues) are invariably more prone to delaying or diluting their policy response.

This is not unique to Scotland or the UK. Frogs boil around the world when problems arrive without an unpinned grenade of political peril attached.

In time, AI will unquestionably unlock enormous benefits, but that does not detract from the fact that policymakers must navigate its current challenges with urgency.

Tuesday saw the leaders of Scotland’s two national governments set out notably contrasting policy agendas to their respective parliaments.

Burnham’s decentralisation focus and Swinney’s consolidation of fragmented and inefficient national structures are each important platforms.  But both administrations must also find the bandwidth and political willing to work together on the shared challenges of ensuring competitiveness by enabling AI responsibly, while also navigating the country through the major economic upheaval it is already triggering. Perhaps a topic for discussion at the National Economic Council scheduled by the Prime Minister for next month?

Intergovernmental collaboration and consistency of approach is something which the business community has been calling for throughout the devolution era, but not always seeing.

Now, more than ever, this cannot be viewed as discretionary – it is urgent and vital.

Scientists in Scotland are set to benefit from a new AI-powered imaging platform capable of identifying rare cellular events among millions of cells and examining biological processes in unprecedented detail. Using artificial intelligence to automatically identify areas of interest and capture high volumes of data, the platform will generate the large, high-quality datasets needed to better understand health, ageing and disease.

Heriot-Watt University has secured £449,000 from the Wolfson Foundation to bring the new system to the Edinburgh Super-Resolution Imaging Consortium (ESRIC), a national imaging facility used by researchers across Scotland.

ESRIC specialises in super-resolution microscopy, an advanced imaging technique that allows researchers to visualise structures and processes far smaller than can be seen with conventional light microscopes.

Unlike conventional super-resolution microscopes, which require hours of hands-on operator time, the new AI-enabled imaging platform will identify regions of interest, adjust its own settings and capture high volumes of data with minimal human input, making it possible to collect much larger, more statistically robust datasets than before.

The ability to identify and study rare cellular events is increasingly important in modern biomedical research. Many of the processes that control normal cell function occur only briefly, yet these same mechanisms can become disrupted in diseases such as cancer. Capturing these events requires researchers to analyse very large numbers of cells, making high-throughput, automated imaging a critical capability.

Researchers at ESRIC are already lining up projects that rely on this ability, from tracking how immune cells invade ageing muscle tissue to mapping how faulty genetic switches contribute to disease.

By combining automation with high-volume data acquisition, the new imaging capability will enable researchers to study many more cells than is currently practical. This will improve the statistical power of experiments, increase confidence in research findings and help scientists identify rare biological events that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to detect.

Dr Jessica Valli, ESRIC’s Imaging Technology Manager, will be delivering the project day to day. She said:

“This imaging platform will change how we work. At the moment, finding one important event among millions of cells can take hours of painstaking manual searching. This system does that in a fraction of the time, and it does it automatically, which means researchers can spend less time hunting for answers and more time understanding what they have found. The combination of volume, speed and precision provided by this imaging platform will give scientists new opportunities to understand how cells function in health and how those processes become disrupted in diseases such as cancer.”

Professor Chris Turney, Deputy Principal for Research and Innovation at Heriot-Watt University, said:

“This investment will give researchers access to one of the most advanced imaging systems available, combining artificial intelligence with world-leading microscopy to reveal biological processes in unprecedented detail. It will strengthen Scotland’s research infrastructure, accelerate discoveries in health and life sciences, and ensure ESRIC remains at the forefront of imaging innovation for researchers across the UK and beyond.

We are deeply grateful to the Wolfson Foundation for continuing to support innovative research in such a practical and future-shaping way, helping equip scientists with the tools they need to tackle some of society’s most pressing health challenges.”

ESRIC is an open-access facility that has already trained more than 250 researchers from over 30 countries through its annual Super-Resolution Specialist School. The new equipment is expected to benefit research groups across Scotland working on topics ranging from neuroscience and healthy ageing to infection biology and cancer. It will enhance opportunities for early career researchers while building on ESRIC’s existing programme of free training and remote access to advanced imaging technology for the wider research community.

The system’s automation also brings environmental benefits by enabling much of the imaging process to be conducted remotely. Researchers from across Scotland, including those based far from Edinburgh, will be able to collect high-quality data without the need to travel, reducing both cost and carbon footprint.

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said:

“The Edinburgh Super-Resolution Imaging Consortium has built up an impressive community of biomedical researchers – from Heriot-Watt and further afield – using super-resolution microscopy to observe cellular changes which are often vital clues in the early detection of disease. There are clear benefits of this new platform, which combines automated handling with analytical capabilities. It speeds up complex imaging processes and enables remote users right across Scotland to advance important discovery science.”

Heriot-Watt has already committed £150,000 towards the total project cost of just under £600,000, reflecting the strategic importance of the investment to the university’s strengths in photonics, AI and health technologies. The project also aligns with Heriot-Watt’s Shaping Futures campaign, which is supporting transformative research and innovation that delivers real-world impact.

The new AI-enabled imaging platform is expected to be fully operational by March 2027 and will be incorporated into ESRIC’s annual Super-Resolution Specialist School from 2027 onward.

Young surfers who have caught the surfing bug at Lost Shore’s Kids Surf Camps can now keep developing their skills throughout the year through the resort’s After School Club.

Designed as the next step for children who have completed a summer surf camp, the programme gives young surfers the chance to return to the water regularly, build confidence and progress alongside other children at a similar stage.

With sessions running every Friday afternoon, surfers work through four levels as they develop their skills. Younger or less experienced surfers can start by mastering the basics, from board control and catching waves through to popping up and making their first turns.

As surfers improve, they can move into deeper water and start catching their own unbroken waves. More experienced members can work on riding the wave face, improving their positioning and taking on bigger waves, while the most advanced young surfers can begin developing turns, generating speed and exploring different wave settings.

The programme also gives young surfers the opportunity to experiment with different equipment, with Level 4 surfers able to start using Lost Shore’s hybrid and hard boards.

Lee Wood, Managing Director at Lost Shore Surf Resort, said: “Our Kids Surf Camps are a brilliant introduction to surfing, but we know that many young surfers want to keep developing their skills once their camp has finished. 

“The After School Club gives them a regular opportunity to get back in the water, practise what they’ve learned and continue progressing through the different levels. It’s great to be able to offer young surfers a clear pathway that keeps them surfing, having fun and building their confidence throughout the year.”

The 90-minute sessions include wetsuits and surfboards, with After School Club members receiving exclusive pricing on Friday afternoon sessions.

The programme is open to children who have previously completed a Lost Shore summer surf camp, with parents able to find the level best suited to their child’s experience before booking.

Sessions take place every Friday from 2.30pm. To find out more about the After School Club and book a session, visit Lost Shore’s website.

https://www.lostshore.com/surf/after-school-club/

Independent Scottish law firm Anderson Strathern has appointed leading immigration lawyer Jamie Kerr as partner, alongside 20 new trainee and newly qualified solicitor appointments across the firm this autumn.

Jamie, who will work across the firm’s five offices, has extensive experience advising businesses, investors and entrepreneurs on corporate immigration and international workforce strategy. Dual-qualified in Scotland and England & Wales, he has been top-ranked by Chambers for more than a decade and is currently Band 1 for Immigration, as well as being named a Leading Partner in The Legal 500.

Having established and grown immigration teams at law firms across Scotland, Jamie will work alongside Director Mark Templeton, who has led the development of Anderson Strathern’s immigration practice over the past four years, as the firm looks to build on that growth.

Jamie Kerr said: “Scottish businesses are competing internationally for people, skills and investment, and immigration policy has a direct impact on their ability to do that. If businesses in Scotland are to grow and compete, access to international talent must be part of that conversation.

“Anderson Strathern has clear ambitions for its immigration practice. I’m looking forward to working with Mark and the wider team, combining our decades of experience and developing the support we can offer to clients.”

Carole Tomlinson, Chair at Anderson Strathern, said: “Jamie is exactly the kind of person we want to bring into the firm. He is highly regarded in his field, has a strong track record and shares our ambition for the practice.

“His appointment strengthens our capability in this area and gives us the opportunity to build further on the strong work already being led by Mark as demand for this specialist advice continues to grow.”

Jamie’s appointment comes alongside wider investment in people across the firm.

The firm will welcome 10 new trainees this September, while also retaining all 10 of its current trainees as newly qualified solicitors, based across its Edinburgh and Glasgow offices. 

Carole Tomlinson added: “Growth for us is not solely connected to senior appointments. We have some brilliant people coming through the firm and seeing them develop and build their careers with us matters just as much as bringing in experienced lawyers.

“We want Anderson Strathern to be somewhere people can learn, progress and see a long-term future for themselves.”

This latest round of appointments follows a number of senior hires across the firm this year, including Sarah-Jane Macdonald in Dispute Resolution and Dawn MacPherson in Commercial Real Estate.

The property market across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders held steady during June-August 2026, according to leading Scottish property portal ESPC.

During a period of wider economic uncertainty, and throughout the typically quieter months of June-August, the property market remained stable overall, although some comparisons to the exceptionally active market of June-August 2025 have created some larger-than-expected gaps in the statistics.

The overall average selling price of properties throughout Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders rose by 2.1%, to £299,586. East Lothian and Midlothian both saw healthy price growth of 3.8% and 3.4% respectively, with the only area seeing a dip in average selling prices being West Fife & Kinross, although this appears to be due to higher volumes of buyers purchasing smaller, and therefore cheaper, properties, rather than an overall decline in property prices. This continues the pattern we saw in this region earlier in the summer and may hint at trends to come as we head into autumn.

Sales volumes were down, with a 6% decrease on June-August 2025; however, this was an untypically busy period for the market and thus this year’s figures may be skewed somewhat by that, although external market conditions are also likely a contributing factor.

Two-bedroom flats in Leith remained the top-selling property type, although sales volumes were almost 11% down on the same time last year.

Contrasting with this, the volume of properties coming onto the market stayed largely the same as last year, with a very modest 0.2 percentage points decrease. This suggests continuing seller confidence, which also aligns with a jump of over 11% in the number of properties marketed using the ‘offers over’ pricing method, indicating that sellers feel very confident in the market for their property.

Edinburgh performed strongly overall, with robust price growth throughout the city, and especially in the city centre and Edinburgh West, where average selling prices rose 6.6% and 6.9% respectively. Buyers typically paid one of the highest premiums for homes in Edinburgh, averaging 102.6% of the Home Report valuation, and drilling into the districts, 103.3% for homes in Edinburgh East (105% in Leith), and 103.2% for properties in Edinburgh South West.

Across the market, buyers largely continued to act swiftly and decisively, with modest changes to median selling times. Overall, properties went under offer in 21 days, which is the same as during June-August 2025, but in some areas there were big shifts: homes in Edinburgh city centre sold five days quicker year-on-year, and properties in West Lothian went under offer seven days faster than June-August last year.

Paul Hilton, CEO of ESPC, said: “The overall picture of the property market during the summer months is one of stability. There are dips that we would expect to see in these traditionally quieter months, and ones that may be more due to such an active summer in 2025 that this year naturally looks lower by comparison. There is also the wider context of the current financial market, which may be another reason why sales have cooled slightly. However, sellers are clearly confident and ready to proceed with their property journeys, and the buyers that are in the market are acting with assurance and clarity, paying healthy premiums and making successful offers promptly. Property prices largely continue to rise across the regions, and it continues to be the case that high-quality, attractively priced homes will drive strong levels of interest despite a slightly uncertain financial backdrop.”

For more information, visit espc.com.

Blackadders LLP has recruited four new trainees to the firm’s training programme.

The new trainees will work across all units in the firm’s offices in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow as part of a two-year schedule.

Joining the firm are Daniel Anderson in the Rural team in Edinburgh, Iona Howarth in Private Client in Aberdeen, Matthew Macleod in Employment in Dundee and Caitlin Fitzpatrick in Private Client in Edinburgh.

Blackadders’ respected training programme gives each recruit a wide range of experience to build a solid foundation for a successful legal career. They each go through four seat rotations over two years and experience first-hand what it is like to work for a full-service national law firm.

Emma Gray, Joint Managing Partner, said: “Welcoming our new trainees is one of the best times of the year for us. We enjoy seeking out the best talent who are always so keen to enter our profession. Our new cohort has already impressed us and we look forward to seeing them progress over the next two years.”

The six-month placements in different areas of the firm are designed to give the trainees an opportunity to experience different sectors of the law and help them to decide which areas they would ultimately like to specialise in on completion of their traineeship.

The trainees also get weekly CPD training through Blackadders’ in-house Training Academy and networking events and seminars to develop their interpersonal skills.

Emma added: “One of our stated aims is to be an employer of choice and attracting the brightest and best talent is part of that process. It is our duty to give them the best training experience possible which we know they will get.”

Blackadders has also promoted newly qualified solicitors to the firm from previous years’ trainee schemes. The private client team welcomed David Kaye in Dundee and Kirsty Martin in Edinburgh. Both David and Kirsty are former teachers who have retrained for careers in law. Ben Harvey has joined the Corporate and Commercial team in Dundee.