Latest news with #AberdeenInspired
The National
22-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Tall Ships celebration attracts 400,000 visitors to Aberdeen
Described as one of Scotland's biggest tourism events, this year the Tall Ship Races began on Saturday and saw thousands of people cheer on almost 50 vessels from around the world. The four-day event concluded on Tuesday with organisers hailing it as an outstanding success, along with boosting the economy and re-energising the Granite City with a 'renewed sense of pride and confidence' in the future. It was estimated that 400,000 visitors made the trip to Port of Aberdeen with tens of thousands more at the beach and around the bay during the Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025. READ MORE: Edinburgh gift shop accused of tax evasion following UK-wide probe In partnership with Aberdeen City Council, Port of Aberdeen, and Aberdeen Inspired, the event boasted a packed programme ranging from Quayside Concerts featuring performances from Deacon Blue and Kaiser Chiefs along with a display from the Red Arrows. First Minister John Swinney praised the success of the Tall Ships when he toured the Port of [[Aberdeen]]'s Marine Operation Centre on Tuesday and watched the Parade of Sail, which marked the end of the four-day extravaganza. He also met Tall Ships sail trainees who had been sailing from Dunkirk to Aberdeen along with volunteers who made sure the event was smooth sailing for all to enjoy. (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) Swinney said: 'It has made me extremely proud to witness first-hand the success of The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 and meet some of the people involved. 'The young crew members who have sailed from Dunkirk to Aberdeen are a true inspiration. And the four-day programme, pulled together so expertly by organisers and volunteers, has been an incredible spectacle that will be remembered for years to come. 'Aberdeen has built a strong reputation as a globally recognised event hub that boosts local economy, community pride, and international connections. 'The Scottish Government is committed to supporting world-class events like The Tall Ships Races that raise Scotland's profile, attract tourism and investment, and grow our economy.' The Tall Ships Races was the biggest event staged in the Granite City in a generation, and organisers of the event said the full impact it has had on the economy now and into the future will be closely assessed. (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) Highlights of the event included the chance to explore the ships themselves, while budding sailors were also able to enjoy the bustling market of Curated On The Quayside along with pop-up bars and food stalls as well as free music and entertainment all day long. Councillor Martin Greig, chair of the Aberdeen Tall Ships organising committee, said the whole experience was 'rewarding' for young people. He said: 'I'm pleased that the event turned out to be so popular. The huge number of more than 400,000 visits is a massive boost for our area. The crowds of people show this has been a truly inclusive event for all ages and abilities. 'The Tall Ships visit has been a marvellous, uplifting experience for everyone involved. It's been great to welcome so many visitors from far and wide to our harbour and to our city. The festival has given enormous pleasure to so many thousands of people. 'It has been a really splendid time for sharing fun, learning and friendship. Aberdeen opened itself up to the world and has confirmed our identity as a good-natured, kind community. 'Young people are at the heart of the Tall Ships and it has been especially rewarding to see them benefit from the opportunities of taking part in so many different ways. Hopefully our city can build on the amazing experiences of Tall Ships 2025 so that we can continue to grow together as a cosmopolitan, outward-looking place.' Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: 'Wow, what a party that was! It created such a fantastic sense of vibrancy and excitement in the city that everyone who enjoyed it will never forget it. And 400,000 visits is an astonishing achievement. 'As well as the fun, the Tall Ships brought with them a major economic lift for the city with a huge jump in footfall for all the city centre businesses, who made the most of this opportunity, dressing their shops in bunting and posters, welcoming visitors through the door. It also underlines just how much there is to see and enjoy in our city centre.'
The National
27-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Historic Aberdeen building reopens as high-end restaurant
Glenhouse Aberdeen has opened in Canada House, previously occupied by the Bank of Scotland, on the city's Union Street. The restaurant describes itself as a 'modern bistro', offering dishes like steak and pasta as well as small tapas plates, alongside local offerings like whisky from Glenlevit and fresh bread from Aberdeen bakery The Bread Maker. READ MORE: Lewis Capaldi releases new music amid speculation of Glastonbury set Owner of the restaurant Parveen Sood, who has previously managed eateries in the city centre and worked with luxury hotelier brands like Hilton, said: 'Having worked in several Aberdeen restaurants, I wanted to create a special venue where guests will want to come to celebrate birthday, anniversaries and other special occasions, as well as a casual and affordable midweek catch-up with friends or family. 'We aim to offer refined dining and crafted cocktails in a setting rich with history. 'Canada House is an iconic building in a prime location opposite Aberdeen's Music Hall and we have worked hard to preserve the granite exterior and many original features inside, creating a fantastic backdrop for a memorable dining experience.' Private dining rooms have been constructed inside the old bank vaults, and the space will also be used to showcase art from local artists. The restaurant can fit up to 120 diners and uses round tables to "encourage conversation" (Image: Aberdeen Inspired) Glenhouse employed local contractors during construction and has created around 30 permanent jobs, with the restaurant's opening being welcomed by both Our Union Street and Aberdeen Inspired. Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: 'The opening of Glenhouse is a very welcome vote of confidence in Union Street and can only help the regeneration of the Granite Mile. 'This is a significant investment in the city centre at an iconic building and Parveen Sood and his team deserve applause for their vision and ambition, especially their focus on working with local suppliers. READ MORE: New flight from major Scottish airport to Bordeaux launched by easyJet 'I am sure discerning diners will want to come into the heart of Aberdeen to enjoy and support this latest addition to the city's excellent food and drink sector.' Bob Keiller, chair of Our Union Street, added: 'Our Union Street is delighted to provide support and advice to any business looking to move onto the Granite Mile. We are thrilled to see Glenhouse move into an iconic building in our city centre.' Originally constructed in 1893 by architects Ellis & Wilson, the building was first home to the North of Scotland Canadian Mortgage Company, garnering the name Canada House. It served as a Bank of Scotland branch before closing permanently in 2022.
Press and Journal
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Press and Journal
Nuart OFF this year - with Aberdeen arts spectacular to return next April
Aberdeen's renowned art festival Nuart has been postponed until next April. The event has been a staple in the city's summer calendar for years, attracting thousands of visitors from across the globe. It is usually held in June, with artists from all over the world descending upon the Granite City to transform its grey walls into colourful works of art. However, the next instalment of the popular festival has been pushed to next spring as organisers focus on preparations for the Tall Ships. Aberdeen Inspired have been running Nuart for nearly a decade. Normally, they would begin planning the mural extravaganza months in advance. But unlike previous times, this year they decided to pause putting everything together until they received the needed funding from Aberdeen City Council. This essentially cut their time for preparations shorter. And with the huge spectacle planned for the arrival of the Tall Ships in July, they decided it was best to leave Nuart for next spring. Aberdeen Inspired chief executive, Adrian Watson, said they have already started working on some fresh ideas on how to make the festival even better. He added: 'Given that Nuart is all about transformation and bringing life and colour to the city, we felt there could be no better time for its return than in spring. 'Nuart isn't just for one weekend – it leaves a lasting legacy imprinted on the fabric of Aberdeen itself.' The four-day festival will take place from April 23 to April 26 next year. Aberdeen Inspired hopes the next edition of Nuart will be as successful as previous years, drawing thousands of visitors into the city centre. The council's culture spokesman, Martin Greig, said events such as Nuart, Spectra and the upcoming Tall Ships help make Aberdeen a 'high-quality destination'. He added: 'Once again we can look forward to the city being transformed into a canvas for imaginative street art.'
Press and Journal
14-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Exclusive: Meet the shopping specialist hired for £40k to 'bring big brands to Aberdeen's empty units'
'We wouldn't even think of taking this on if we didn't think we could be successful,' Jonathan De Mello tells me – with the confidence of a man who doesn't really mind sticking his neck out. The retail expert has been hired by Aberdeen Inspired to use his skills in their quest to revitalise the city centre. The improvement group has received £40,000 from the council to bring in the heavy hitter with a reputation for bagging big brands. Jonathan has more than 25 years experience transforming city centres at the helm of JDM Retail, and his track record speaks for itself. But just how can he turn around the mood of doom and gloom in Aberdeen city centre? The retail expert is exactly the type of man that Aberdeen Inspired were looking for when they became aware of the cash available. The 49-year-old's firm, JDM Retail, specialise in using data to figure out what sort of shops cities are missing. Then they work with some of the country's biggest brands to bring them in. The high street saviour has worked with the likes of the Westfield group, which owns the UK's biggest shopping centre in London, and helped turn around major cities such as Nottingham, Sheffield and Swansea. He's even appeared in national media as the go-to retail expert – including a recent Channel 5 documentary about the success of Lidl. And thanks to a £39,000 cash injection from the council, Aberdeen Inspired can now enlist Jonathan's services as they continue their city centre crusade… It's safe to say that Jonathan doesn't have the simplest of tasks when it comes to turning around Aberdeen city centre. More than one in five units on Union Street currently lay empty – with big brands deserting the high street in the past decade. But whilst most may look at the Granite Mile and surrounding area with a hint of despair – the retail guru sees instead sees endless possibilities. Explaining his process, Jonathan said: 'What we're doing is diagnosing the issues and then coming up with solutions to essentially say 'we should look at the independent quarter or global fashion brands', for example. 'What we want to do is take Aberdeen up the hierarchy locally, but also nationally as well. 'So really it's just addressing the structural issues we've seen in the sector, the decline of the High Street, what we can do to change that and also looking at future-proofing the city through the new things that are coming in.' Following his initial research into the Granite City, Jonathan was pleasantly surprised by what Aberdeen had to offer. 'Aberdeen is a great city from this perspective, it's self-contained,' the Sunderland-born shopping specialist beamed. He added: 'The nightlife in Aberdeen is great for that. It's not that people are going to go out to other cities because they're so far away to enjoy themselves in the evening. 'More restaurants, more evening entertainment opportunities, I think that is key. 'There is an affluence here that is not in some of the cities that I've looked at. 'The likes of Sheffield and Swansea, they don't have that level of affluent consumer that Aberdeen does. 'I'm working on Inverness and Stirling at the moment, they haven't got a hope of getting the kind of brands that Aberdeen will be getting.' Swansea in South Wales is quite similar in many ways to Aberdeen. Both have a population of around 250,000, and both are quite well known as university cities. Two years ago, Jonathan went into the Welsh city with the same goals as he has now in Aberdeen – turn the high street around. Recounting his crusade down in the Gower Peninsula, he explains: 'It was very similar to every other city around the UK. 'It had the same charity shops and discounters, but it didn't have anything that screamed 'this is Swansea, and this is what makes us different', and that's what we want to do.' His plan was to capitalise on a thriving market which had been overlooked for too long in the Welsh city – students. Groups of youngsters had previously taken the train through to Cardiff for shopping and nights out, with Swansea missing out on money from those with student loans to burn. So just how was this lucrative demographic enticed to keep their money in Swansea? 'We repurposed areas that were just no longer needed,' Jonathan recalls. 'There is an area called Kingsway, which historically was a high street, but the vacancy rate there was around 40-50%. 'So we said that retail needed to go, because occupiers were voting with their feet, they didn't want to be there.' And following his report, the city has undergone a huge overhaul, with The Kingsway being given a major facelift – along with the empty Debenhams unit planned to be filled in a few months. Looking forward to the work ahead, the JDM chief executive is as confident as ever when it comes to his Aberdeen project. 'I think you've got strong potential to succeed here,' he grins. He continued: 'That's why we want to take it on, because what we want to do from the strategy piece is diagnose the issues. 'Because we have the property agents and other services as well, we want to engage long term with the local authority and Aberdeen Inspired to actually deliver some of these occupiers to you. 'I'd say we have a high success rate in doing it elsewhere, so we can definitely do it here. 'I reckon we can make fairly material change in the space of six months to a year, in terms of at least signing some people up and coming up with a strategy.'
Press and Journal
13-05-2025
- Press and Journal
Scott Begbie: Time to ditch phones and put teachers back in charge
Every so often someone rolls out a pilot project that has you thinking why have a test run, just get on and do it? The perfect case in point is the two high schools in Edinburgh that have banned pupils from using mobile phones during the school day. The schools don't confiscate phones – which would have the diddums spitting the dummy about their rights, of which some teenagers know so much while not bothering about the responsibility side of the justice coin. Instead, they put them in a special wallet with a magnetic seal that can only be opened when the go home bell has rung. Genius idea that lets youngsters keep their precious mobiles in their possession. They just can't spend the day on TikTok when they should be learning stuff, not checking out the latest trend to smear yourself in duck fat and snorkel in the bath. But there was one line from Edinburgh Council that had me shaking my head in disbelief. The move is apparently necessary to end 'competition' between phones and teachers for pupils' attention. Say what, now? Is that actually a thing? If so, school has obviously changed a fair whack since I was a grubby pupil at Boroughmuir in Edinburgh. And a whack was precisely what you got if the teacher thought for a nanosecond you were not giving your complete and undivided attention to the lesson being taught. Look out the window for a moment to muse 'that cloud looks like a Dalek' and a piece of chalk bounced off your bonce. Do it a second time and it was the blackboard duster. Not that I condone for a second the use of physical force against kids. The only thing that teaches them is that hitting folk is fine to get what you want. But how have we got to the stage where a youngster even contemplates looking at their phone in a classroom without consequence? More chillingly, have we as a society reached the point where all life, even school life, is only real when viewed through a screen? Seems so. I'm actually typing these words beside a pool in sunny Gran Canaria and everyone around me is glued to their phone, not savouring the blue skies and swaying palms. What a waste. Perma-doomscrolling is a learned habit and one that we need to unlearn before all we know of the world is fed to us by algorithms and pixels. And the place to break that habit, to show life is better seen through your own eyes and gloriously elevated by your own understanding, is in school. So, let's not be faffing around with projects in two high schools in Edinburgh. Let's ban mobiles for every school and every pupil in Scotland so they can grow up savouring the wonders around them and not seeing life in tunnel vision. Scott Begbie is a journalist and editor, as well as PR and comms manager for Aberdeen Inspired.
