Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Free New Year tours of The Kelpies
THE Helix park between Falkirk and Grangemouth is running free tours of its famous horse sculptures, The Kelpies. The guided tours begin on 4 January and run until 31 January. Standing 30 metres tall and weighing more than 300 tonnes each, The Kelpies were unveiled in 2014 by sculpturer Andy Scott. Lesley O’Hare, cultural services…
Read MoreEdinburgh’s Hogmanay is ‘sold out’
EDINBURGH’S Hogmanay is sold out, the festivities’ organisers have announced. All tickets have been sold for Saturday’s concert in Princes Street gardens, the world-famous street party, the candlelit concert in St Giles’ Cathedral, and the “Festival of Ceilidhs’ Countdown to Hogmanay”. Organisers said there are still limited gardens tickets for tomorrow’s “The Night Afore Party”…
Read MoreLord Thurso chairs Institute of Hospitality
THE Institute of Hospitality (IoH) has named Lord Thurso as its incoming chair. Lord Thurso, who has served as chairman of VisitScotland since 2016, will take over from Surinder Arora, founder and chairman of the Arora Hotel Group. The institute plans to apply for royal chartered status in the spring. Lord Thurso said: “As a…
Read MoreWedding venues prepare for New Year
SCOTLAND’S wedding venues are gearing up for a busy 2023. Joyce and Simon Usher, owners of Dunglass Estate, are celebrating after being named as “wedding venue of the year” at the Scotland Prestige Awards. The 5,000-acre estate in East Lothian was dubbed “the most romantic sweet place I ever saw” by poet Robert Burns. Usher…
Read MoreHighland women celebrated in podcast
THE stories of Highland women are being celebrated in a new series of podcasts. The programmes were commissioned by Museums & Heritage Highlands and XpoNorth Digital, which supports creative businesses. The series, which is hosted by Pauline Moore, uses archive material to tell the stories of women from the Highlands. Jewel thief Mary Marjory MacDonald,…
Read MoreThe Farmer’s Son lands Selfridges deal
THE Farmer’s Son, the Fife-based haggis and black pudding maker, has secured a deal to supply Selfridges department store in London. The company, which uses 100-year-old family recipes for its products, was founded by Pete Mitchell and his family. “I am delighted that Selfridges London has chosen to stock our award-winning products,” said Mitchell. “This…
Read MoreEqui’s opens bigger ice cream factory
ICE cream maker Equi’s marked its centenary by flitting from Hamilton to its new factory in Rutherglen. The £1.7 million facility was opened in time for Christmas. Managing director David Equi said: “When my grandfather, Pietro, immigrated to Scotland from Tuscany in Italy he started the small independent café that we know today as Equi’s…
Read MoreNational museums unveil festive events
SCOTLAND’S four national museums are running a series of festive events. The National Museum of Rural Life at East Kilbride has hidden miniature festive scenes in displays throughout the museum. Visitors can follow Clyde’s winter trail until 8 January. In Edinburgh, the National Museum of Scotland is running “Drawn Together at the Museum”. Artists can…
Read MoreBlackcaps pick UK over Mediterranean for winter
SOME Scots might be heading to the Mediterranean for its winter sunshine, but more and more blackcaps are doing the opposite. Historically, blackcaps have bred in the UK and then returned to the Mediterranean during the winter. Now, scientists have discovered that a growing number of the robin-sized birds are not only staying in the…
Read MoreFamous farming faces sing ‘Silent Night’
A HOST of famous farming faces have recorded a version of Christmas favourite “Silent Night” to raise spirits this winter. Organisers from the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI) wanted to raise awareness of the potential for loneliness within the Scottish agricultural community. Recording the carol is part of the RSABI’s #KeepTalking campaign to encourage…
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