Welcome to Capital blew away worries

And also as I am of mixed race, I was more worried, although I was born in England.

I heard tales about the Scottish people not being friendly and they don't talk to people, but I would now like to say what I was told was wrong.

I never felt lonely when I went out shopping down Princes Street, most of the people smiled at me, and if you spoke to anyone you were not ignored.

I also went on a trip around Edinburgh on the tour bus and the guide was very cheerful and happy.

I also went on a day trip to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, and the driver of the tour bus made everyone very welcome.

As I was only there for four days I will be going back in the summer for a longer stay.

I would just like to say thank you to the Scottish people or the persons who live in Edinburgh for making my stay great and a Happy New Year to everyone. Thank you.

Mrs Janna McKenzie, Wallingford, Bradville, Milton Keynes

City Hogmanay's a winter Glastonbury

YOU have listened to your parents, grandparents and anyone else going on about the Scottish Hogmanay parties.

You save for 12 months, travel 12,000 miles because you wish to see, perhaps participate in those Scottish country dances, songs, etc. So the best place to go must be the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Wrong. It is Hogmanay in name only, what you get is a winter's Glastonbury, a glorified pop concert. I am sure there must have been Scottish parties throughout which I would have enjoyed. Goodbye, I won't be back.

George McGuigan, Kirk Brae, Edinburgh

Delays stopping us from reaching top

THE calls for a shakeup of the planning system (Call for planning shake-up as Capital tops the protest table, Evening News, January 7), are becoming too numerous for our politicians to ignore.

It makes little difference if you are the proposer or the objector. With planners overburdened and undervalued, planning departments face a staffing crisis across Scotland.

The statistics revealed by the News are remarkable. That there is only one planning official per 210 applications, each of which generates an average of 1.7 objections, should be a cause for concern. With workloads like these it is little surprise developers become frustrated at delays and communities left feeling ignored.

It is important that planning departments in Edinburgh and elsewhere are fit for purpose. As the voice of Edinburgh's 1.6 billion construction industry we want to see a pro-development planning regime in the city. To us it is incomprehensible why proposals which reflect the ambitions of the local plan face months and years of delay.

This is a Scottish problem which affects the whole of the Scottish economy and with councils competing against each other for the few available graduates each year, it requires a Scottish solution.

Everything should be on the table, including higher charges for developers. However, the quid pro quo would have to an end to the delays that are stopping Scotland reaching its full potential.

Michael Levack, chief executive, Scottish Building Federation, Carrongrange Avenue, Stenhousemuir

No funds planned for new schools

HENRY PHILIP (Inter@ctive, January 7) repeats claims that after 23 years in office Labour had "new schools planned for Boroughmuir, James Gillespie's and Portobello" despite a horrendous "black hole" of several millions in their Children and Families budget.

However, the facts are that the previous Labour administration had not secured any funding for these proposed new schools from the Labour Executive so it is unrealistic to expect funds to be in place after only six months of a new Scottish Government which will produce a funding method which is much better value for taxpayers than the discredited PFI/PPP funding, which is currently a severe drain on our health board and education authority finances throughout the land.

Calum Stewart, Montague Street, Edinburgh

Don't go swiping special bus passes

YOU mentioned that Lothian buses are to install swipe machines for passengers using free concessionary travel cards (Evening News, January 4).

I keep my pass in a holder attached to my bag, so it does not get lost or damaged. Most elderly passengers also keep theirs in special wallets. These cards do not have any information that could be swiped through a machine – only a photo and identification.

My card is extremely valuable to me and I am very concerned that I would be expected to remove it from its protective folder. I have used my pass around Scotland and have not been expected, or asked, to do this by other authorities.

Is this just another excuse for Lothian Buses to spend money on another senseless scheme?

A Russell, Greendykes Road, Edinburgh

Travellers being taken for a ride

AS a reader for over 60 years, and bus traveller to and from Granton Road, I would like to complain about the poor service.

On returning home say from Canonmills you get two of the 23 service, the 27 service twice but only one of the 8 service and one of the 17 service; very poor going. When the 23 gets to Goldenacre you are lucky if there are two or three passengers on board.

Why oh why does it only go to Trinity? Let it continue back to Granton Road and then as a further distant terminus.

Mrs I Parker, Grierson Avenue, Edinburgh

Threat hovers over Old Town

IT is simply not true to suggest the MacRae flats in the Canongate have been saved (News, January 8).

The latest submissions by the developers Mountgrange do propose that most of the facade of the building would be retained. But the flats behind the facade would disappear to be replaced by "de luxe" hotel bedrooms.

Ordinary people would still be evicted from their homes and the Old Town would lose even more of its socially mixed character and go a step further towards being a Disneyland-style stage-set.

Our councillors can refuse the planning application. More fundamentally they can refuse to sell the land on the Canongate which the council owns and send Mountgrange homeward to think again.

Robert Cairns, Ratcliffe Terrace, Edinburgh