Work to reduce journey times and increase frequency of the railway service between Glasgow and Edinburgh is ahead of schedule and key design contracts will be signed next month, Glasgow's Eleventh State of the City Economy Conference was told yesterday.

One of the Moray Firth bottlenose dolphins has been positively identified, using photographs of her fin, for the first time off the North Berwick coast.

Figures released earlier this month by the ESPC reveal that the average house price in Edinburgh now stands at £192,225 following a 11.4% year-on-year fall in October.

It is the third consecutive month which has seen a fall in the year-on-year prices, with the rate of decrease up from 7.1% in September.

The council announced yesterday that Edinburgh's status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is safe. Two advisers to UNESCO's World Heritage Committee were in Edinburgh from Wednesday to Saturday to review Edinburgh's status in light of controversial plans for development of the historic Old Town and New Town.

The redevelopment of Meadowbank stadium is likely to be suspended temporarily until land values in Edinburgh recover. The project had been due to start in early 2011 with a two year target for completion but the recent onset of a global financial crisis has contributed to a decrease in the value of the Council's land assets.

Advisors to UNESCO's World Heritage Committee arrived in Edinburgh yesterday to review Edinburgh's status in light of controversial plans for development of the historic Old Town and New Town.

Edinburgh is the 6th most spectacular film location city in the world, according to a poll conducted by Sky Movies HD of around 1,000 film fans. At the top of the list came New York City followed by London and Rio De Janeiro in joint 2nd place, then Paris, Florence and Barcelona.

John Landis, the veteran director who made blockbuster movies Animal House, Trading Places and the Blues Brothers, is lined up to make a black comedy for Ealing Studios about Edinburgh's most famous serial killers Burke and Hare.

Edinburgh's Hogmanay has revealed its four-day New Year festival, with chart-topping electronic dance act Groove Armada headlining Hogmanay night at the Concert in the Gardens. The official celebrations for the Hogmanay Street Party on Princes Street, which sees around 100,000 revellers, will start an hour earlier this year at 9pm on the 31 December and will include an additional DJ Stage.

Dance club favourites Groove Armada will be bringing their big beats to Edinburgh for the Hogmanay celebrations on the last night of the

The 11th century Dunfermline Abbey in nearby Fife is to be transformed with spectacular lights and sounds as the Historic Scotland property is lit up with around 10,000 artificial candles.

Historic Scotland is celebrating St Andrews Day with free entry to Edinburgh Castle and other attractions across the country on the last weekend of November.

Edinburgh's City Art Centre is to present an exclusive free exhibition of the artwork of Bob Dylan in early 2009.

The economic downturn will hit Edinburgh City Council coffers hard next year. An autumn budget statement, the first to be published by the Council, highlights increased costs and lower income.

Edinburgh has been praised for its green credentials in a round-up of the world's most sustainable cities.

An e-newsletter that will provide parents with the latest information about children's facilities and services in Edinburgh will launch tomorrow at Edinburgh City Chambers.

In spite of a particularly rainy Summer and the credit crunch, pedestrians were out in force in Edinburgh's city centre over the summer with footfall figures increasing by 17 percent on the previous quarter according to a new report from Edinburgh City Council.

Moody, indie rockers and recent winners of the NME Radar award Glasvegas will headline the Waverley Stage at Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party on 31st December. Glasvegas join Paolo Nutini as the latest acts to be confirmed for Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations.

A short film about the Garvald Centre bakery has won a $75,000 (£46,400) award at the Middle East International Film Festival in Abu Dhabi.

The credit crunch may be a global financial crisis, but Edinburgh City Council believes it can take steps to alleviate some of the pressure locally. Edinburgh, as one of Europe's main financial centres, has already seen how rapidly the damage can be done