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Dear Members
As Edinburgh sees its first snowdrops and crocuses accompanied with welcome bursts of sunshine, it feels like spring is well on the way. The first months of 2026 have certainly seen the Cockburn springing into action, with several reviews progressing at speed. This includes a review of the membership model and offer; and our risks, assets and liabilities. Of closest relevance to the Cockburn’s civic role, is a review of the objectives and purpose of the Edinburgh Civic Forum. The work is supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and it is intended that the refreshed Forum will provide for a more diverse range of citizen voices in the city, providing opportunities to increase our membership and income.
The principles of the Forum’s operations tie in perfectly with the provisions of the recently-passed Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill, which includes the aim of empowering communities. We will be discussing over the coming months, the elements of the legislation as they affect the Cockburn, particularly city spending priorities, inclusive ownership, and the intent to retain wealth in the city.
This last priority is particularly relevant to the announcement on 12 February of the first spending round for the Transient Visitor Levy. (See our blog for details). The eyes of other Scottish and UK cities are upon Edinburgh, and with the forthcoming Scottish Government Election, it will be an interesting experiment for the city. We will be watching developments closely.
We have been focussed on developing new partnerships that we judge will do most to enhance our civic inclusion roles and create the opportunity for new sources of income. Most importantly, we have been laying the groundwork for Doors Open Day 2026, working with the Scottish Civic Trust and previous coordinator Ian Sudlow-Mackay. We have also been collaborating with the organisers of the Festival of Europe and are pleased to advise that we will be taking part for the first time. The Cockburn will lead an event on sustainable tourism on the evening of 12 May with the support of the Lord Provost’s Office. The Festival of Europe programme will be launched on 27 February.
In further activity on the tourism front, we have been involved in a collaboration with the social enterprise Invisible Cities and Forever Edinburgh (the City of Edinburgh Council’s Destination Marketing brand), to introduce residents and visitors to some of Edinburgh’s lesser-known stories and sites. The new ‘Hidden Gems Tour’ to be launched later this spring, will feature a walk from Holyrood to Waterloo Place, and include details of Lord Cockburn’s life and achievements and the work of the Cockburn Association today. Appropriately, it will encompass a stop on Cockburn Street! Another useful collaboration has involved WHIPS (Women Hidden in Plain Sight) in celebration of Women’s History Month, highlighting stories of the many impressive women who have been instrumental in the success of the Cockburn Association.
An important objective underpinning all of these initiatives is the need to enhance the reach and influence of the Association, to help achieve greater financial stability. The more that we can increase our visibility, the better able we will be to grow our membership, and increase the scope for donations and grant aid. We will shortly finalise the details of the 2026 AGM when we look forward to discussing this further with you. Please hold in your diaries the evening of 28 April 2026, from 18:00-20:00, to include presentations of interest as well as AGM business. We are counting on your continuing loyal and generous support to help put the Cockburn Association on a firm financial footing, and ensure that it remains at the forefront of Edinburgh’s civic life.
We wish you all the best for the coming month.
Lesley Martin, Chair & Rowan Brown, Director
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Save the Date!
The Cockburn Association's 151st Annual General Meeting will take place on the 28 April from 6 to 8pm at the Grassmarket Community Centre. A link to RSVP for the event will be circulated in March.
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What Edinburgh’s New Tourist Tax Means for the City
James Garry
What does it mean when millions of visitors come to your city each year? For Edinburgh residents, the answer is complicated. Tourism brings energy, jobs, and global recognition. It also brings crowded streets, litter, housing pressure, and wear on buildings that were never designed for modern visitor numbers.
Edinburgh’s built environment tells the city’s story. From the narrow closes of the Old Town to the sweeping terraces of the New Town, through to the sparkling waters of Leith; from the Castle perched on its volcanic rock to the parks that give the city room to breathe. This isn’t just scenery. It’s what makes Edinburgh, Edinburgh.
That’s why the council’s decision in February to approve the first spending plans for the new Visitor Levy, formally the Transient Visitor Levy, matters so much. The levy introduces a 5% charge on the accommodation-only cost of overnight stays, before VAT, capped at the first five nights. It comes into effect for stays from 24 July 2026, provided they are booked or paid, in part or full, on or after 1 October 2025.
The scheme, enabled under the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024, is the first city-wide statutory visitor levy in the UK. Over the next three years, it is expected to generate more than £90 million for Edinburgh.
The question isn’t really about the money itself. It is about what happens with it, how much control the city has over how it is spent, and whether it creates genuine additionality or simply fills gaps left by years of austerity. Read more here. |
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Green Claims Meet Planning Reality: Lessons from Edinburgh’s South Gyle Data Centre Rejection
James Garry
Unexpectedly, Edinburgh councillors voted unanimously in early February 2026 to refuse a proposed hyperscale data centre at the former Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters in South Gyle. The decision matters not just because one development was turned down, but because it shows planning authorities starting to test environmental claims with real rigour. Projects billed as “green” are now being asked to prove it in measurable terms, not just assert it through branding.
The scheme, brought forward by landowner Shelborn Asset Management, proposed a large data centre with public realm improvements including new open (green?) space. Planning officers recommended approval in principle. After a lengthy committee discussion, though, councillors from across the parties concluded that the proposal left too many questions unanswered about environmental impact, land use compatibility, and the longevity of existing infrastructure. Community concerns?
This wasn’t a blanket rejection of data centres. Committee members acknowledged the real and growing demand for digital infrastructure driven by AI, cloud computing, financial services, and public use. The debate focused instead on whether this particular proposal met verifiable sustainability standards, aligned with planning policy, and justified its substantial environmental footprint. Press coverage highlighted councillors’ unease about the scale of projected energy use and the thin evidence offered to back up the mitigating green credentials. Read more here.
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Frederick Douglass plaque: Approve plaque commemorating Frederick Douglass’s historic abolitionist speech in Edinburgh
The Cockburn Association supports this modest and appropriate proposal to install a bronze commemorative plaque to Frederick Douglass at 29A Waterloo Place. The application represents a valuable addition to Edinburgh’s historic environment and offers an important opportunity to recognise the city’s connections to global movements for justice and human rights. Read more here. |
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Argyle House – PAN Consultation: Proceed cautiously; respect listing process before irreversible decisions.
The Cockburn Association welcomes the opportunity to comment on the emerging redevelopment proposals for Argyle House, Castle Terrace. The building occupies a highly prominent and sensitive position at the western edge of the Old Town, close to the setting of Edinburgh Castle and within the wider landscape of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Any significant change on this site must therefore be approached with exceptional care, given the importance of the area to Edinburgh’s historic character and international identity.
The Association notes that an application has now been accepted by Historic Environment Scotland for the listing of Argyle House, and that HES will carry out a priority assessment. This development is significant. Whatever views are held about the building’s architectural qualities, the submission of a listing application confirms that Argyle House is now being considered within Scotland’s formal framework of heritage evaluation. In such circumstances, it is essential that no irreversible decisions are taken until the national designation process has been allowed to run its course.
Argyle House has become one of Edinburgh’s most contested post-war structures. For some it represents an unwelcome and austere interruption in the Castle Terrace townscape, and recent coverage has highlighted the strength of public opinion on both sides of the debate. Local residents remain divided, with the building described variously as an eyesore and as a landmark of its time. At the same moment, there is increasing recognition across Scotland that buildings of the Brutalist era form part of our architectural story, and that their future cannot be determined solely through popularity or aesthetic discomfort. The current listing bid itself reflects this wider cultural shift, reported as a serious attempt to protect an important example of Scottish Modernist heritage from premature loss. Read more here. |
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The Cockburn Association is a registered Scottish Charity, No: SC 011544. Trunk's Close, 55 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR Tel: 0131 557 8686
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