Gather, Give Thanks, and Celebrate!

Bring your friends & family together for our Thanksgiving celebration at Duck & Waffle Edinburgh.

Enjoy festive menu specials in our Main Dining Room or join us for a Thanksgiving Feast served as a culinary experience in our private dining spaces The Whisky Room and the Nest.

Find out more about their menu.

The firm has advised abrdn on a funding package to support Clearbell’s £34 million acquisition of industrial assets

Independent UK law firm Burges Salmon has advised abrdn, one of the world’s largest independent, full-service asset managers with a commercial real estate lending platform, on a funding package arranged by Brotherton Real Estate to Clearbell Property Partners IV LP, a fund managed by Clearbell Capital LLP, to support a £34 million acquisition of industrial assets from UK property investment firm Palace Capital plc.

The portfolio comprises six industrial and logistics assets located throughout the UK, covering a surface of more than 310,000 sq. ft.

The Burges Salmon team advising abrdn was led by Edinburgh-based director Amy McVey and partner Stuart McMillan with support from associate Stephanie Lynch and trainee solicitor Sam Efiong. Partner Sally Jupp and director Paul Clark provided real estate expertise.

Amy McVey comments: “We’re pleased to have advised abrdn on this significant funding package which supports the development of regional industrial hubs across the UK and maintains abrdn’s reputation as a funder of choice for sponsor-led portfolio deals.”

Neil Odom-Haslett, Head of Private Credit and Commercial Real Estate Lending at abrdn, added: “Delighted to support Clearbell and look forward to expanding the relationship with them. We’d also like to thank Burges Salmon for their support and advice on this project.”

PwC UK has named its new Regional Leader for Financial Services as Glasgow-based Fraser Wilson.

Fraser, who already leads on Financial Services for PwC Scotland, takes on the new leadership role, overseeing activity with financial services clients across the UK regions outside of London – including Wales, the Midlands and North of England.

He will retain the position of Financial Services Lead for Scotland as part of his new role, continuing to work closely with key clients in the Scottish financial services market – the second largest outside of London – and partners including Scottish Financial Enterprise and Fintech Scotland.

In his 23 year career with PwC, Fraser has specialised in risk, governance and controls across the financial services industry – becoming Partner in 2014 and playing a crucial role in the development of Scotland’s Financial Services Strategy.

Fraser Wilson, Financial Services Leader for PwC Scotland and Regional Leader for Financial Services at PwC UK, said:

“I’m proud to be taking on the role of Regional Leader for Financial Services – as well as retaining my role in the Scottish financial services market. The presence of the financial services sector across the UK regions is growing – you only need to look at Scotland, which is the second largest financial services centre outside of London, as a prime example.

“Key banking and financial institutions are choosing to make the most of the skills and capabilities sitting outside of London as the industry evolves in response to the changing needs of businesses – for example green finance and the move towards netzero – and the importance of financial inclusion for the consumers we serve, as well as its own workforce.

“It’s an exciting time to be taking on a role spanning the regions for PwC UK and I’m looking forward to seeing exactly what it brings.”

Isabelle Jenkins, Leader of Financial Services at PwC UK, said:

“Financial services is a key focus for the firm and, with sector presence increasing outside of London, it’s vital for us to have our own active and vibrant financial services communities in the regions, driven by experienced leaders.

“Fraser has had a fantastic impact in his role as Financial Services Leader in Scotland, both within the firm and in the market, and I am confident that he will continue to do so as a key member of our financial services leadership team. His experience and leadership will be invaluable as he works alongside our team of regional financial services leads to help support, guide and champion our clients with strong regional presence.”

Join us for our annual St. Andrews Charity Ceilidh on Friday 24th November  🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⁠
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Enjoy a sumptuous 3-course meal in our extraordinary ballroom, dance to the rhythm of a traditional Scottish ceilidh performed by the MacDonald Brothers and contribute to a noble cause through an inspiring auction benefiting Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, Whiteleys Retreat and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!

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£69.00 per person
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To book please email reservations@trumpturnberry.com
Special room rates start from £215 per night.

It is a great pleasure to announce that there is a new IH affiliate, IH Edinburgh! This progressive school and its dedicated team have a lot to offer, and they will be a fantastic addition to the IH network.

“Roland and the team at IH Edinburgh show the commitment to quality that lies at the heart of International House,” said Emma Hoyle, Managing Director of International House World Organisation. “We are thrilled to have such a school as an IH affiliate and equally happy to now have an IH in the fantastic city of Edinburgh.”

The team at IH Edinburgh understands the importance and value of being part of a global network. They are predominantly a study abroad school, offering courses such as General English, Business English and Exam preparation. However, they also run a wide range of modern language courses, covering fifteen languages in total.

As well as language courses, the school provides a bespoke translation service, with fully certified professional translators working in most of the world’s languages.

The director, Roland Becker, has had a long career in the language education industry, prior to opening IH Edinburgh he was the centre director of Berlitz Edinburgh for five years. He opened inlingua Edinburgh in 2005 and built a strong reputation quickly, becoming accredited by the British Council just five years later. After successfully implementing EU-funded Leonardo da Vinci courses (which later became Erasmus+) teacher courses, they moved to bigger premises in 2011 to accommodate the increased number of students.

• I am delighted to join the prestigious IHWO and meet my new network of colleagues around the world and in the UK..
• When asked what my business/ school is there are two words that best describe us: an ‘international house’…
• The world comes through our door and our daytime business is predominantly teaching English to students from all over the world and in the afternoons and evenings we teach the international local community all fifteen languages and each classroom will have a different language being taught in.

The school is located on the bright third floor of a building in Edinburgh’s West End, just off Princes Street, the city’s main shopping street. Princes Street lies on one side of the valley that divides the New Town and the Old Town, making it the perfect point to explore both areas. The West End is a vibrant district, home to theatres, restaurants and concert venues. The centre is easily accessible by foot from anywhere in Edinburgh and is served by multiple bus routes from in and around the city.

The school prides itself on a family-style atmosphere and the high number of repeat clients shows that students feel equally at home. The social programme for Study Abroad students aims to showcase the rich culture of the country and immerse students in the language outside the classroom. In the city, students can enjoy Ceilidh Scottish dancing, whisky tasting, conversational pub nights and walking tours of the many picturesque neighbourhoods and landmarks. They can venture further afield with weekend excursions to the must-visit Scottish Highlands and other iconic destinations such as St Andrews, Loch Ness and Glasgow.

For the International House network, a school in the iconic and much-visited city of Edinburgh is a great venture and we know lots of students and teachers will be excited to hear the news of a new IH affiliate in the top TEFL destination. The city is seeing an EFL revival, so we expect exciting times ahead for IH Edinburgh. As well as English, the increased popularity of learning foreign languages bodes well for the school that teaches a wide variety to such a high standard.

The BCC is urging businesses who want to boost their exports and reduce costs to quickly embrace a new era of digital trade. 

 

It made the call as the Government’s flagship Electronic Trade Documents Act finally came into force today (September 20). 

  

William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: 

 

“Campaigners, including the BCC, have worked for years to have the Electronic Trade Documents Act passed, and its introduction is a huge milestone. 

     

“This new era is starting in the UK, but we can also act as a beacon, leading towards further digitalisation of trade across the world. We now need to see other governments accelerating their work to digitalise border processes.   

   

“In our Trade Manifesto, we called on the UK Government to work with business to ensure 60% of the UK’s exports are carried out digitally by the end of the decade. 

 

“The whole Chamber Network has already risen to this challenge and has switched to using Digital Certificates of Origin for the UK.  

 

“As more countries make the transition, we will be able to increasingly digitize our trade – making it much less bureaucratic, and leading to big savings in both costs and time.” 

  

About The Act  

  

The Electronic Trade Documents Act gives legal status to electronic Bills of Exchange and Bills of Lading and other commercial documents.  

   

The new legislation gained Royal Assent on July 20 this year and came into force on September 20.  It provides opportunities to digitalise international trade documents and reap efficiency benefits. It also covers trade documents such as promissory notes, warehouse receipts, marine insurance policies, and cargo insurance certificates.   

Workplace design and management consultancy, Space Solutions, has refreshed Edinburgh Zoo’s Penguins Café to enhance the customer experience.

Overlooking Penguins Rock, Europe’s largest outdoor penguin pool, the Penguins Café is a busy eatery at Edinburgh Zoo. Challenged with a tired and inefficient space, SPACE upgraded the café to accommodate its large, diverse clientele while meeting the ambitious timescales of completing the project ahead of the opening weekend of school summer holidays.

The SPACE Design & Build team undertook the design services and fit-out, collaborating with graphic designer Heather Cumming who handled the updated branding, from the new logo to menu boards and wall murals. Transforming the black and white space with bright, vibrant colours, the refreshed Penguins Café mirrors the excitement of visiting the adjoining penguin enclosure, with penguin facts featuring around the space.

Following a review of the space and customer needs, SPACE retained many of the existing features and furniture to reduce waste, including reupholstering the existing banquette seating for reuse. To seamlessly manage the high foot traffic, SPACE designed a two-colour flooring system, with blue areas designated for highlighted key customer touch points, such as servery counter and seating areas, while neutral beige trails encourage movement. Cleanable, soft seating and coverings as well as acoustic rafts suspended from the ceiling were incorporated to better the acoustics in the active space.

Isobel Jones, Senior Interior Designer at SPACE, said: “We are thrilled to have worked with Edinburgh Zoo to refresh the popular Penguins Café. Our design has enabled the space to feel bigger and work more efficiently for both customers and staff. At the heart of the café remains an appreciation of the penguins, enabling visitors to retain the excitement of visiting Penguins Rock while improving their dining experience.”

Beccy Angus, Head of Discovery Learning at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, commented: “Overlooking Penguins Rock, Penguins Café is situated in the heart of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo. The café is an essential part of the customer experience and the refreshed design will ensure all of our visitors continue to have a memorable time at the zoo which helps inspire them to protect, value and love nature.”

Space Solutions has been creating award-winning interiors since 1997. The business continues to develop the concept of workplace consultancy and has worked with major public & private organisations across the UK. The business has locations in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee Livingston and London and employs 198 members of staff.

As the nation gets ready to celebrate National Fitness Day on Wednesday 20 September 2023, Edinburgh Leisure, the city’s largest provider of sports and leisure facilities is asking the citizens of Edinburgh, “What are you doing to celebrate National Fitness Day?”

Ally Strachan, Fitness Development Manager at Edinburgh Leisure said: “While bringing people together through physical activity on National Fitness Day has a hugely positive impact, it’s important to view this day as just one step in a much bigger journey.  Because after all, your health is for life. So, no matter where you’re at in life or on the map, Edinburgh Leisure has the facilities, activities and expert support needed to help you get active and reach your fitness goals, this National Fitness Day.

“If you follow Edinburgh Leisure on social media, we’ve created a fun Slam ball Workout of the Day for you to follow. Keep an eye on our social media channels on Wednesday, 20^th. This Workout of The Day is a four-round ladder-styled workout consisting of six exercises to choose from that can work full body, core, or power exercises.  But don’t worry, if this is too strenuous, any activity that gets you moving will benefit your physical and mental health.  So, put on your walking shoes, and see if you can challenge yourself to reach 10,000 steps today, or perhaps go the extra mile and keep it up for the rest of the week.”

For those not already a member, Edinburgh Leisure currently has a no-joining fee campaign running until the end of September. Being a member gives you additional member benefits including priority bookings, free gym introductions and 1:1 instructor sessions. There is no contract, and you are free to freeze or cancel your membership whenever.

And to help you maintain motivation by offering prizes and rewards for being more active, the first-ever National Fitness Day app (search for ‘Fitness Day Rewards’), is available to download from either the Apple or Android stores.

The free app allows you to connect any wearable fitness device to track your levels, accumulating one point for every minute of physical activity, and then using these to enter competitions for prizes for the world’s leading fitness and lifestyle brands, such as Les Mills, Headspace, Brooks Running and more. Fitness Day Rewards app will be available until the end of the year, supporting National Fitness Day to inspire millions of people to begin, and continue their health journey.

To find out ways to get active with Edinburgh Leisure , search https://www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/activities

David Berman will lead the Ethics and Compliance function and help to further drive a culture of integrity and accountability throughout the business

Balfour Beatty Communities, a national residential real estate investment and management company, has today announced the appointment of David Berman as Chief Compliance Officer. This is a newly created position within Balfour Beatty Communities that aligns with the Company’s steadfast commitment to a culture of high ethical standards and integrity.

In his role, David will drive operational and regulatory compliance programmes across the business, as well as lead new and enhanced initiatives designed to further embed ethics and compliance within the organisation.

He will also help Balfour Beatty Communities advance a culture of ethics and compliance across the Company and its workforce of over 1,400 employees. He will be a member of the Senior Leadership Team and will report to Chris Williams, President of Balfour Beatty Communities.

Chris Williams, President of Balfour Beatty Communities said: “Trust in our business stems from a culture of ethical behavior and compliance that is embraced by every one of our employees.

“I’m delighted to work with David and welcome the practical approach to ethics, compliance and risk management he brings as we continue to growand nehance this importance function across the business”

David Berman, Chief Compliance Officer said: “Balfour Beatty Communities has made significant strides toward building a strong Ethics and Compliance function over the last few years. I’m very excited to drive those efforts forward and support the Company’s mission to deliver the communities people are proud to call home.”

David has close to 20 years of experience as a compliance and investigations professional and comes to Balfour Beatty most recently from Lyft, Inc. where he developed and managed their ethics and compliance programme.

Earlier in his career, David represented corporations and individuals in internal and government investigations and was a Senior Counsel in the Enforcement Division of the Securities & Exchange Commission. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College and holds a Juris Doctorate degree from New York University Law School.