Posts by Kenny Smith
Scotland’s top dogs were pointing the way ahead
So many popular activities held in Scotland are currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. We turn the clock back to March 2016, when the 19th Scottish Gundog Association’s Spring Pointer and Setter Trials were held on the grouse moors of the Lochindorb Estate. More than 40 Irish setters, English setters, Gordon setters, Irish…
Read MoreSeton Castle on the market for offers over £8million
Seton Castle, a late architectural masterpiece designed by Robert Adam in 1789 and built using stone from Seton Palace (said to be Mary Queen of Scots’ favourite residence), has been launched onto the market. Presented by Savills and Rettie, and situated within 10 miles of Edinburgh in the lush East Lothian countryside close to the…
Read MoreA carefully restored manse from the 19th century
An exceptional listed detached period house from the early 19th century is on the property market. Presented by Savills, Avaig was formerly a manse, and is situated on the outskirts of Crimond, just over eight miles from the seaside fishing town of Fraserburgh. It has been superbly restored and decorated in a sensitive style that…
Read MoreA murder mystery on the isle of Jura
We didn’t have to wait long for the next instalment of Inspector Angus Blue’s whodunnits, and it doesn’t disappoint. Called to Jura after an attempted assassination on a cabinet minister, the inspector finds himself in a series of fantastically eerie landscapes and is forced to overcome several unexpected hurdles. As with The Peat Dead, the…
Read MoreMore than Chariots of Fire to Eric Liddell
Running The Race is a wonderful ode to an athlete whose steadfast dedication to both sport and faith inspired a nation. While most have seen Eric Liddell’s life played out on the silver screen in Chariots of Fire, Keddie delves deep into the history books, further unravelling the Scot’s progression from young Christian to sporting…
Read MoreA country house for sale in the Highlands
A 12 bedroom Scottish country house hotel has been brought to the property market. Presented by Knight Frank, Ord House is an elegant B-listed building set within mature private grounds and yet only 15 miles from Inverness. Accessed via a tree lined driveway, the house includes four principal reception rooms and 12 bedroom suites and…
Read MoreTickets are now available for StAnza poetry event
Would-be attendees for Scotland’s international poetry festival are being urged to pay what they can, for its digital edition in 2021. Tickets are now available for StAnza’s first hybrid, digital event. The festival, which was forced to move online in response to Covid restrictions, has created an innovative programme combining traditional StAnza favourites with new…
Read MoreScotland’s lost railway to the north-west
Academic books needn’t be reserved for PhD students with a knack for deciphering dense text. Drummond’s style is highly accessible, yet informative. Delving into archives, he unveils the story of north west Scotland in the 1890s, explaining why a railway to Ullapool never came to fruition. It is a niche topic, but even a transport…
Read MoreInnovation key to lockdown success for family farm
A family farm in Aberdeenshire ended the year on a high, celebrating a rise in sales boosted by local shoppers over the festive period and into the new year. Thorneybank Farm Shop near Inverurie, which made headlines in 2019 after being the first shop in the UK to install digital vending machines selling fresh produce,…
Read MoreString of successes for Strathallan student
A Scottish schoolgirl can add two accolades to her violin bow this month as she has been invited to join the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland (NYOS) and the Royal Conservatoire (RCS). Strathallan student Madeleine Sayce has been offered a place on the highly regarded Bachelor of Music Performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland…
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