Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Charity news round-up: RSABI, Maggie’s, and more
Peter Ranscombe rounds-up news about charity fundraising in Scotland. MORE than 200 works of art and limited-edition prints will go on sale tomorrow to support Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. McTear’s is selling the works at an auction organised by charity supporter Steve McGill. “The vitally important work carried out by the charity has touched the…
Read MoreGrouse shoot licences ‘must not threaten jobs and conservation’
A GROUP of rural organisation has called on the Scottish Government not to jeopardise jobs and conservation work with its licensing scheme for grouse shooting. The Scottish Government yesterday launched a public consultation on its Wildlife Management (Grouse) Bill. In response, a joint statement was issued by the British Association for Shooting & Conservation, Scotland’s…
Read MoreDundee Rep unveils Cinderella cast
THE cast for Dundee Rep’s new musical production of Cinderella has been unveiled. Cinderella is swapping her glass slippers for wellies for the show, which opens on 26 November, with writer Lynda Radley turning Ella into a farmer. Hannah Visocchi will play the title role, while Dundee Rep Ensemble member Annie Louise Ross will portray…
Read MoreTwo Scottish sites on world geology list
TWO sites in Scotland have been included in a list of the world’s most-impressive geology. Siccar Point near Dunbar and the Moine thrust belt in the North-West Highlands each played important roles in furthering scientists’ understanding of how the Earth formed. Both have been recognised by the International Union of Geological Sciences in a list…
Read More‘Punk rocker’ waxwings land in Scotland
EXPERTS are predicting a bumper winter for waxwings as the “punk rocker” birds return to Scotland. The pinkish birds are about the size of a starling and have “swooping crests, orange, grey, and lemon-yellow tails, and wing feathers with waxy red tips”. They breed in coniferous forests in Scandinavia and Eastern Russia, and usually spend…
Read MoreGreat Borders River Clean makes a splash this weekend
THE Great Borders River Clean returns this weekend for its biannual litter-pick along the region’s waterways. The event has grown to become the largest simultaneous river clean in the UK, with more than 20 towns and villages throughout the Borders taking part. Tom Rawson, the founder of GreenTweed Eco, which aims to link environmental groups…
Read More‘Dàna: Scotland’s Wild Side’ returns to BBC Alba
ADVENTURER Coinneach Rankin returns to BBC Alba tonight for a second series of “Dàna: Scotland’s Wild Side”. The rock climber and runner will climb some of Scotland’s most dramatic mountains during the four-part series. Beginning on the uninhabited island of Mingulay in the Outer Hebrides, Rankin will be joined by fellow climber Nicky Brierley. In…
Read MoreBuglife Scotland launches ‘Guardians of our Rivers’
INSECT charity Buglife Scotland has unveiled its “Guardians of our Rivers” project to monitor life in Scotland’s burns. Members of the public will be trained to spot the creatures living in Scottish streams. Their surveys will help to monitor the health of our nation’s waterways. Community groups, schools, and individuals are being recruited to take…
Read MoreSchools news round-up: Glenalmond, Belhaven Hill, and more
Peter Ranscombe rounds-up the latest news from Scotland’s schools. GLENALMOND College in Perthshire has unveiled a countryside management course accredited by the Business & Technology Education Council (BTEC). The school is the first in Scotland to offer the BTEC qualification, which could lead to jobs in farming, land management, or surveying. As well as gaining…
Read MoreWhisky round-up: Halloween special
Peter Ranscombe takes a light-hearted look at how Scotland’s whisky industry is preparing for Halloween and beyond. THE Scotch Malt Whisky Society is holding its first Halloween party on Thursday at its bar on Edinburgh’s Queen Street. A clairvoyant and a tarot card reader will take up residence in the first floor library, while black…
Read More