Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Hamilton & Inches launches first hand-crafted engagement rings
EDINBURGH’S landmarks and Scotland’s countryside and coastline have inspired jeweller and silversmith Hamilton & Inches to create its first range of hand-crafted engagement rings. The engagement and wedding rings are being made by a team of jewellers in the workshops above the company’s showroom in the heart of the Scottish capital. The setting for the…
Read MoreFirst golden eagle chick on Highland estate for 40 years
GOLDEN eagles have bred for the first time in 40 years on charity Trees for Life’s flagship Dundreggan rewilding estate at Glenmoriston between Loch Ness and Skye. Renowned conservationist Roy Dennis set up an eagle nest – or “eyrie” – on the estate five years ago. Estate manager Doug Gilbert said: “This is a rewilding…
Read MoreRural businesses hail start of grouse shooting season
TODAY’S opening of the grouse shooting season has been described as a “lifeline” for rural businesses amid the coronavirus lockdown. Shooting supports the equivalent of 11,000 full-time jobs in Scotland, including 2,640 in the grouse sector. Hunting, shooting and fishing contribute ÂŁ350 million each year to Scotland’s economy. Dee Ward, owner of Rottal Estate at…
Read MoreFour sets of twins start school
BISHOPTON primary school in Renfrewshire welcomed four sets of twins into primary one today. Ayla and Elliot Clark, Evie and Owen McGuinness, Emily and Freya McNamara and Archie and Charlie Paterson are among the 20 twins going to school for the first time today across the area. In total, almost 2,000 children are joining Renfrewshire’s…
Read MoreChildren’s wildlife drawing contest launched
GARDEN BirdWatch is marking its 25th anniversary with a drawing competition for children aged five to 11. The British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO’s) summer project includes watching, counting, drawing and writing. The results from each year’s Garden BirdWatch are used by the BTO’s scientists to understand how British birds are faring and how gardens can…
Read MoreNational Trust for Scotland launches walking campaign
THE National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has launched a walking campaign to raise money for its sites. Its “Stride out for Scotland” initiative aims to encourage people to take more exercise while fundraising for the charity. The latest move is part of its wider “Save our Scotland” campaign, which has so far raised ÂŁ2 million…
Read MoreFestivals and venues adapt to new-look Fringe
WITH the Edinburgh Festival Fringe moving online this year, many of the city’s venues and festivals are adapting to a very different kind of August. The Edinburgh International Culture Summit, which would normally take place at the Scottish Parliament, has moved online. This year’s speakers include Assal Habibi, an assistant research professor of psychology at the Brain…
Read MoreCastles, museums and distilleries continue to reopen
MORE of Scotland’s historic landmarks have announced dates for reopening as the coronavirus lockdown continues to ease. Blackness Castle will reopen on Monday, followed by Inchcolm Abbey, Huntly Castle and Melrose Abbey on Wednesday, and Elgin Cathedral and Caerlaverock Castle on Friday. Doune Castle, Dunstaffnage Castle and Linlithgow Palace will then reopen on 26 August,…
Read MoreRiver Tweed fishing museum set to open
A MUSEUM telling the story of rod and line salmon fishing on the River Tweed will open in Kelso on 4 September. Rod and line techniques were developed on the Tweed during the middle of the 18th century and influenced the economic and cultural development of the Eastern Borders. The River Tweed Salmon Fishing Museum…
Read MoreHow Banfi’s vineyards are adapting to climate change
A pre-lockdown visit to Tuscany revealed how a mind-boggling attention to detail in the vineyard could help one of Italy’s best-known wine producers to cope with global warming, writes Peter Ranscombe. FOR Gianni Savelli, climate change isn’t a hypothetical subject that’s confined to the evening news bulletin or a discussion about the far-flung future that’s…
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