Scottish home builder Cruden Homes has announced that only three homes remain available to buy in the current sales release at its award-winning Longniddry Village development in East Lothian. This sought-after location offers a perfect blend of village charm and country living, just twenty minutes from Edinburgh by train.

Buyers have snapped up homes in the first release at Longniddry Village in record time. Located on the scenic East Lothian coast, the development has charmed homebuyers with its unique blend of contemporary lifestyle and historical charm. The development includes a mix of two to five-bedroom homes, featuring detached, semi-detached, and terraced houses, bungalows, and apartments, all designed with traditional period features.

 

The final homes available include the Barnes 3-bed home, starting at £350,000, and the impressive 5-bedroom Kingston starting at £585,000.

 

The spacious 3-bedroom Barnes home showcases elegant traditional architecture, the ground floor boasts a generous living room that seamlessly flows into the kitchen and dining area, complete with a utility space and direct access to the rear garden. Upstairs features two large double bedrooms, and a versatile single bedroom that can serve as a study.

 

The striking Kingston spans three floors and includes a spacious living room and a generously sized open-plan kitchen and dining room. The first floor has a large master bedroom with an en-suite, two additional bedrooms, and a family bathroom. The top floor contains two more bedrooms, perfect for guests or as a quiet home workspace.

 

Longniddry Village was named ‘Large Development of the Year’ at the Homes for Scotland Awards 2023, and takes inspiration from the aesthetic and appeal of quaint East Lothian villages and towns. With its traditional architectural style and welcoming atmosphere, it seamlessly extends the existing local community.

 

The traditionally inspired architecture includes period-style features such as sash windows, chimneys and high ceilings. The interior accommodation is spacious and airy, complete with high-quality fixtures and fittings that include designer German kitchens with integrated Siemens appliances, built-in wardrobes, stylish bathrooms and fibre broadband.

 

The homes are surrounded by generous, landscaped outdoor space with a village green, wildflower meadow and mill pond creating a green setting that encourages biodiversity and provides nature-filled spaces for neighbours to come together. For families, the village primary school and local amenities lie within easy walking distance.

Hazel Davies, Sales and Marketing Director at Cruden Homes said: “We’ve witnessed unprecedented interest in Longniddry Village and this remarkable response highlights the significance of thoughtfully designed, high-quality housing that respects the local community and natural environment.”

“With just three stunning homes remaining in the current sales release, I’d encourage buyers to act quickly to avoid missing out on the opportunity to join our exceptional, thriving community at Longniddry Village.”

A further phase of stunning new homes and apartments will be released later this summer and buyers are urged to register their interest now. For more information on the remaining homes at Longniddry Village, please visit: Cruden Group – Longniddry Village

As Scotland’s official Team GB Fanzone, St James Quarter is hosting a Festival of Sport to celebrate the 2024 Olympics. From screenings to interactive fitness and competitive classes, the spirit of sport will be all around the Quarter.

Inspired by the Paris 2024 Olympics, St James Quarter will invite guests to ‘get active’ from 26 July—11 August, with a whole host of sporting festivities and special guests, as it launches its ‘Festival of Sport’ right in the heart of the city.

As the official Team GB Fanzone in Scotland, the Quarter will show all the live action from the Olympics in Paris on a giant screen, delivered in partnership with Ocean Outdoor. Spectators can visit the Fanzone on Level 5 to cheer on their favourite athletes from the comfort of the Quarter’s rooftop bar, with captivating views of Edinburgh’s historic Calton Hill.

The official Team GB mascot, Pride the Lion will join in the fun, heading to the Quarter to celebrate with sporting fans on 30th July. Guests will also have the chance to meet and greet Olympic athletes, with Badminton player Kirsty Gilmour, who is competing in this year’s games, visiting the Fanzone on 7th August, and Joel Fearon, who competes in Athletics (Sprint) and Bobsleigh on 8th August.

As part of the two-week-long Festival of Sport, St James Quarter, in partnership with Edinburgh Leisure, is hosting a range of free fitness activities for all guests inspired by the UK’s success at the Olympics. From Pilates to Body Combat, Hatton Boxing to Musical Theatre Fitness, there’s something for everyone to get into the spirit of the Games, including family friendly classes.

In addition, with breakdancing making its Olympic debut, B-Boys will ‘pop and lock’ around the Quarter, rocking live battles on Register Square and offering guests the opportunity to give it a spin.  There will also be football freestyling exhibitions to wow sporting fans.

During the two-week Festival of Sport, the St James Quarter team, along with invited guests will be gearing up and ‘cycling’ to Paris in the heart of the Galleria, to raise money for the Quarter’s charity partners Health in Mind and Edinburgh Women’s Aid.

Home to over 80 brands from luxury boutiques to high-street stores, plus an enticing mix of restaurants and bars, St James Quarter is the perfect place to shop, dine, play and stay this summer. To keep up to date with events happening throughout the Quarter, visit the St James Quarter website or download the St James Quarter App.

Responding to the launch of Skills England, Jane Gratton, Deputy Director of Public Policy at the BCC, said:

“The UK economy has a pervasive skills and productivity problem that stretches back long before the pandemic and Brexit.

“Skills shortages ramp up pressure on firms, damaging their ability to operate profitably and leading to unsustainable wage inflation.

“Alarmingly, our research shows that recruitment difficulties have increased in recent months across all sectors.

“Better planning for skills is crucial. We need a stable and coherent national skills strategy that ensures institutions are delivering the training the economy needs and that gives businesses the confidence to invest for the long term.

“The new government must work at pace to establish Skills England, reviewing and joining up skills initiatives across the departments, aligning with immigration policy, and working closely with the devolved administrations to drive impact for local communities.

“Employers and the economy’s skills needs must remain at the heart of the system. Building on Local Skills Improvement Plans will help develop strong partnerships between employers, training providers and others – to ensure people get the skills and support they need.

“But this will not happen overnight. As we transition to a better planned, high-skilled and high wage economy, we need to ensure firms can access global talent to fill urgent job vacancies.

“This requires a more efficient and effective visa system that can support sectors of the economy when they’ve tried everything they can to recruit and train locally.”

The team behind stunning projections at the London 2012 opening ceremony are once again bringing their expertise to Edinburgh Castle Esplanade this summer for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Speaking on the Tattoo’s ‘Piping Up’ podcast, Projection Artist, Kate Dawkins from Kate Dawkins Studio, talks about her experiences working at the London Stadium, and other projects, and how they have translated to the intricacies of the Tattoo’s projection design since 2022.

From dealing with unusual building shapes, to the expectations around working on internationally recognisable and revered events, the synergies and experiences of the Tattoo’s creative teams mean this year’s Show, Journeys, will be more than worthy of gold in this Olympic year.

In the conversation, alongside Creative Director Michael Braithwaite, she also points to experience working with Elton John on his ‘Are You Ready for Love’ as well as support for the star’s Las Vegas residency.

Kate said: “I created a music video for Elton John, which did go to number one! The company I worked for at the time were then approached for his Las Vegas Red Piano show. They loved what we did with the video, so we were asked to create the graphics for the show.

Successfully delivering the project, which the included the largest HD screen in North America at the time. Kate then went on to set direct the content for a giant ‘audience’ screen for both the Opening and Closing ceremonies at the London 2012 Olympics.

“I worked on the opening and closing ceremony and I think that sort of fascination of working within a tight-knit team to realise everything makes it so magical and it’s what I fell in love with.”

Kate, who’s won two BAFTAs for her visionary work, believes it’s this passion that helps create and deliver the strongest experiences for crowds.

“It’s these experiences that we’ve very much been building on. I love creating visuals for live performance and I’m excited for audiences to see what we’ve come up with at the Tattoo this year.

“It’s a wonderful theme to work with, and, thanks to our Naval lead, we are definitely travelling towards a watery world in parts of the design. Much like Stories we are investigating familiar cues that the audience will recognise but also artistic ways to interpret the music and convey the sense of travel, movement, adventure, and discovery.

“The Castle’s architecture is large and impressive, so our role is to bring our experience of balancing this iconic canvas with the performance to create perfect memorable moments throughout the show. Collaborating with the team over the years has produced incredible harmony between lighting and pyrotechnics and given the Show a dynamic experience”

To hear the full conversation and more about the creative plans behind this year’s Tattoo Show, listen to the ‘Piping Up’ podcast https://www.edintattoo.co.uk/our-story/piping-up-podcast, where Kate is joined by Creative Director, Michael Braithwaite.

Tickets for this summer’s Journeys Show are on sale now and can be purchased at edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or on the phone, 0131 225 1188. The Show will run from 2-24 August 2024, with Presenting Partner, Innis & Gunn, offering a bar service at the event.

Tickets for 2025’s Show celebrating the 75th Anniversary of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will go on sale in August during Journeys.

• Report Says Robust Local Skills And Infrastructure Bolster Its Attractiveness To Investors

• Glasgow Moves Up Four Positions To 11^th Place Overall

 

Edinburgh has overtaken Greater Manchester as the most attractive location in the UK outside of London for foreign direct investment (FDI), according to a new study published today.

Produced by law firms Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie (WJM) and Irwin Mitchell, the Investment Attractiveness Index has been compiled by a team of experts at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), who have analysed the UK’s 50 largest cities according to eight indicators related to Growth Potential, Local Infrastructure, and Local Skills.*

According to the report, Edinburgh has climbed two places to secure the sixth position. However, its overall attractiveness score is 5.7 points lower than the previous year. This decline aligns with the trend observed in most of the other 50 cities analysed. The reduction in the overall score is primarily attributed to a decrease in Growth Potential, driven by lower predicted GVA growth in 2024 compared to 2023.

Despite this, the report reveals Edinburgh performed impressively in the Local Skills pillar having the highest score out of all 50 locations for qualification levels.

Investment Attractiveness Index 2024 – Top 10

City	Growth Potential	Local Skills	Local Infrastructure		Overall Score	YoY ranking change
Inner London	35	114.7	66.3		72	0
London	33.3	110.7	61.5		68.5	0
Outer London	17.3	107.6	58.9		61.3	0
Brighton	47.7	34	44		41.9	0
Oxford	6.7	39.6	72.4		39.6	0
City of Edinburgh	9.9	43.5	62.5		38.6	2
Birmingham	28	38.6	46.8		37.8	0
Greater Manchester	-1.1	68	42.2		36.4	-2
Manchester	18.1	38.6	47		34.5	2
Cambridge	1.5	33.3	66.9		33.9	0

 

Glasgow also performs well in the study. Although like Edinburgh its attractiveness score fell, it moved up the rankings into 11^th place, rising by four places. Aberdeen is some distance behind in 39^th place but has increased its relative position by three places boosted improvements in the Local Skills pillar, where it rose two places to now rank 12th.

Commenting on the finding, Fraser Gillies, managing partner at WJM, said: “We spelled out some concerns last year about investment levels in Scotland from overseas, so it is encouraging to see Edinburgh is back on the rise. From my perspective, I can only hope that other city hubs such as Glasgow and Aberdeen soon follow suit.

“Often working in the city, it is clear to see Edinburgh’s strength lies in its infrastructure, skilled workforce, and competitive marketplace across the financial services industry, with over 30,000 people working in the sector.

“With a sophisticated supply chain and a growing specialism in financial technology (fintech), it’s no surprise to me that it has again become such an attractive proposition for investors.

“Edinburgh offers interested parties a strong regional presence and allows diversification north of the border, something we have been keen to press with our new partnership with Irwin Mitchell. Indeed, Scotland, overall, lies second only to London for the ninth consecutive year in terms of FDI projects**.

“This news, which shows a record number of 142 FDI projects in 2023, only emboldens the sector, and we would expect Edinburgh to grow in confidence and stature in the coming years and continue leading the way for the nation.”

Bryan Bletso partner and Head of International at Irwin Mitchell, said:

“The results in our report point to challenging conditions and mirror the sentiment amongst both businesses and overseas investors that we are speaking to.

“Edinburgh excels in the pillars of Local Skills and Local Infrastructure, ranking 5^th in each. On an indicator level, the Scottish capital ties with Oxford for 1^st place in the qualification levels indicator and boasts a large economically active population, ranking in the top 10.

“It has also seen significant improvement in online connectivity over the year, which, combined with high public transport usage, makes it an attractive investment destination based on the education levels of locals and the presence of reliable digital and physical infrastructure.”

FDI refers to investments made by foreign investors in a company located in a different country. It can take the form of greenfield investments or Mergers & Acquisitions. In 2021, the UK’s inward FDI position was £2,002 billion, slightly higher than the previous year’s £1,919 billion.

According to EY’s 2024 UK Attractiveness Survey, The US has remained the single biggest originator of FDI projects, accounting for 27 projects or 19% of Scotland’s total during the year — the lowest proportion in the past decade. Projects from Germany doubled to 20, a decade high, making it the second-biggest source of projects into Scotland, followed by France with 10.

Three Scottish cities ranked in the UK’s top 10 urban locations for FDI outside of London, as Edinburgh is placed second with 32 projects, Glasgow fourth with 25 projects, and Aberdeen eighth with 13 projects.

The firm ranks in the top 5% of all organisations engaging with Investors in People

Independent UK law firm Burges Salmon, which has a large presence in Edinburgh, has retained its Platinum ‘We invest in people’ accreditation, following its initial (Platinum) accreditation in 2021, placing the firm at the top of the legal benchmark and ranking it in the top 5% of all organisations engaging with Investors in People.

Investors in People is the international standard for people management, defining what it takes to lead, support and manage people effectively to achieve sustainable results and enabling organisations to benchmark against the best in the business on an international scale. Platinum is the highest level of accreditation available.

The accreditation follows a comprehensive assessment process carried out by Investors in People, through a survey, one-to-one interviews, focus groups, and observations of key meetings.

The Investors in People report commended Burges Salmon’s ‘people first’ culture and open and transparent communication style. Its survey reveals that 97% of respondents agree that Burges Salmon is a good place to work. Areas highlighted in the report include the firm’s innovative AI strategy, its investment in systems, the approachable senior leadership team, clarity around career paths, and learning and development opportunities for all.

This complements the results from Burges Salmon’s own recent firm-wide People Survey, which found that:

• 96% of respondents would recommend Burges Salmon as a great place to work; and
• 93% are proud to work at Burges Salmon.

 

Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People, comments: “We’d like to congratulate Burges Salmon. Platinum accreditation on We invest in People is a remarkable achievement for any organisation, and places Burges Salmon in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.”

Burges Salmon’s Managing Partner, Roger Bull, says: “We are delighted that the firm has retained its Platinum accreditation from Investors in People. To initially be recognised with this accolade in 2021 was fantastic but to have been reaccredited with Platinum status is great and underscores our collaborative, purpose driven culture.”

The firm’s Chief People Officer, Alice Bretherton, adds: “Retaining the Platinum accreditation from Investors in People is a testament to our unwavering commitment to our people. This recognition highlights our dedication to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can thrive. We’re proud of our team’s achievements and will continue to invest in their growth and wellbeing.

“Our AI strategy, ongoing investment in systems and premises, and values-based leadership team are just a few examples of how we prioritise our people. We believe that by supporting our people’s career paths and providing ample learning and development opportunities, we can achieve sustainable success together.

“This award is not just an accolade; it is a reflection of our core values and our promise to keep putting our people first.”

Burges Salmon celebrates its five-year anniversary in Scotland this year since the opening of its Edinburgh office in Atria One, on Morrison Street, in May 2019. Since then, the firm has continued to record strong organic growth and has established itself as a law firm of choice in the market, with the Edinburgh office playing an important part in how the firm is delivering on its purpose to ensure its clients, people and communities flourish.

• PwC UK’s latest UK Economic Outlook predicts growth of 0.9% for Scotland in 2024, compared with 2023.
• Scotland’s growth is expected to remain subdued compared with the fastest-growing regions – London and Northern Ireland.
• The UK’s real GDP is predicted to grow by 1.0% in 2024, up from the 0.5% prediction made in the November 2023 Outlook.
• Inflation has returned to 2% target, and our projections suggest it will bounce around this level for the remainder of 2024.
The Scottish economy is predicted to grow more in this year compared with last year, with real GVA expected to be 0.9% higher across 2024 – according to the latest PwC UK Economic Outlook.
While considered subdued, the rate of growth north of the border is greater than that predicted for the West Midlands (0.7%), North East and South East (both 0.8%); and in line with rates for Yorkshire and Humber, South West and East Midlands. However, it lags behind other UK nations and regions, particularly London and Northern Ireland at 1.2%, the North West and Wales at 1.1%, and the East of England at 1.0%.
Scotland’s growth rate is also marginally lower than the projections for the UK’s real GDP, which is expected to grow by 1.0% in 2024.
The continuing regional disparities highlight strong growth in business activity and the public sector impacting London and Northern Ireland, respectively.
Similar to other regions in the UK, Scotland is impacted by the ongoing slowdown in the manufacturing sector. The financial services sector – a key contributor to Scotland’s economy – has also seen activity level out following its ‘pandemic boom’.
Table 1: UK 2024 real GVA main scenario projections, by region, 2024
Region GVA projections 2024 (%)
London 1.2
Northern Ireland 1.2
North West 1.1
Wales 1.1
East of England 1.0
South West 0.9
Yorkshire and the Humber 0.9
Scotland 0.9
East Midland 0.9
South East 0.8
North East 0.8
West Midlands 0.7
Jason Morris, Regional Market Leader at PwC Scotland, said:
“Whilst the predicted rate of economic growth in Scotland for this year could be described as subdued, the figures are more positive than those predicted for the end of 2023 (0.3%). The regional disparities that were highlighted in last November’s UK Economic Outlook are still prevalent, signalling that productivity and skills gaps remain.
“Our recent Framework for Growth highlighted the key focus areas business leaders would like to see the new government focus on in order to help drive growth – including skills and talent, infrastructure and digital transformation. All of these areas represent opportunities for our economy in Scotland.”
Skills could unlock economic growth in Scotland
Another report co-produced by PwC and Connectr – the Youth Employment Index – found that Scotland’s economy could be boosted by around £3bn per year by unlocking employment, training and educational opportunities for young people.
The figure is based on reducing the proportion of 16 to 24 year olds in Scotland who are considered as NEET (not in education, employment or training), which could yield annual GDP benefits of £65,000 per individual.
At 16.2%, Scotland has the second highest NEET rate of the UK’s nations and regions – behind only the North East – while the South West recorded the lowest (7.8%). The research shows that, by bringing the Scottish NEET rate down to South West levels, the nation could unlock GDP benefits of around £3.2bn per annum, and reduce its NEET population by around 46,000 .
It goes on to identify the growing proportion of green jobs across the country as a route to reducing economic inactivity among young people.
Jason Morris, Regional Market Leader at PwC Scotland, said:
“There isn’t a single solution to the problem of stimulating economic growth and reducing regional disparities, but a focus on skills, training and employment for our young people could create tangible economic benefits.
“This will not be an overnight remedy, as the reasons behind the high proportion of economically inactive young Scots must be identified before it can be rectified in order to allow us to fully leverage opportunities across Scotland – whether that be through green jobs, financial services or emerging tech and AI. Not only will this go some way to benefiting the Scottish economy, but it also ensures we nurture and retain a skilled and talented future workforce – something businesses across the country tell us is a top priority.”

Ann Frances Cooney, employment partner at DWF, has commented on the latest labour market figures in Scotland. I have placed the commentary below and attached an image of Ann Frances for your use.

“The Scottish Labour Market figures for the period March to May 2024 indicate that over the quarter the unemployment rate increased, while the employment rate decreased and the inactivity rate increased.  The headline figures for this period show the employment rate in Scotland was 72.9%, down 1.3% over the quarter.  By way of comparison Scotland’s employment rate was below the UK rate of 74.4%.  The unemployment rate in Scotland was 4.9%, up 0.8% over the quarter.  Scotland’s unemployment rate was above the UK rate of 4.4%.  Considering the ongoing economic challenges it is perhaps unsurprising that we have seen some cooling of the labour market.  The figures also reflect a period when there was some degree of political uncertainty with a General Election looming.

Early seasonally adjusted estimates for June 2024 from HMRC Pay As You Earn Real Time information indicate that median monthly pay for payrolled employees in Scotland was £2,413, an increase of 5.2% compared to June 2023.  This is higher than the growth in median monthly pay for the UK over the same period.  Employers are doing their best to meet demands for higher pay, only too aware that employees are prepared to change jobs for increased salaries.

Change is on the horizon for the employment market with a new government now in place and employment law reform high up on the agenda.  In Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay we saw a raft of employment law commitments, including introducing unfair dismissal as a day one right.  We may well see employers take a cautious approach to recruitment over the coming months as they adapt to the changes.  As we no doubt are about to enter a period of extensive consultation on the proposed reform, employers will be taking the opportunity to assess the impact of change on the workforce.”

A leading data protection expert at full-service legal firm Thorntons Law has reflected on the UK Government’s plans to introduce digital verification to help the public share details about themselves.

The proposals form part of a new Digital Information and Smart Data Bill, introduced as part of the King’s Speech (Wednesday 17 July, 2024). The Government said the Bill, which will apply across the UK, will harness the power of data for economic growth.

The UK data economy now represents an estimated 6.9 per cent of UK GDP (as of 2022). Furthermore, data is critical for UK businesses. 77 percent of UK businesses handle some form of digital data, increasing to 99 percent for businesses employing more than 10 people.

Among the key initiatives outlined by the Bill is the creation and adoption of secure digital identity products and services from certified providers to support people who need to prove who they are. The verification could be used for purposes including securing mortgages, pre-employment checks, and buying age restricted goods and services.

Loretta Maxfield, a partner at Thorntons Law, who is dual qualified in Scottish and English law, and a Certified Specialist in Data Protection by the Law Society of Scotland said:

“For me, digital verification is one of the most interesting aspects of the new Digital Information and Smart Data Bill.

“The Government has said that people can choose to participate in the new uses of data that it is proposing, but are people going to be excluded from accessing certain services if they don’t sign up to this?

“I can see how digital verification could be useful, allowing organisations to verify identity more efficiently and securely, but as always, the devil will be in the detail.

“We need to know more about the information that will be processed and how far certified providers will be required to go to demonstrate that they can keep that information safe, because it is likely to be quite sensitive, potentially including things like birth certificates, driver’s licenses and passports. These certified providers will need to have very robust technical and organisational measures in place to ensure such data is secure.

“We also need to see how digital verification interacts with current data protection legislation. It will be important to ensure that individuals’ rights are not unduly impacted and certified providers are tightly managed to prevent this data from being used for any other purpose or in a way that could be harmful.”

The Bill also proposed Smart Data schemes, which would allow secure sharing of a customer’s data upon their request, with authorised third-party providers, and increased regulatory powers for the Information Commissioner’s Office. It additionally aims to help scientists make better use of data by expanding on the ways they can use data to support innovation.