Culture
Edinburgh hotel unveils private art collection
A boutique Edinburgh hotel is opening its permanent installation of artworks from the collection of Richard H Driehaus. The Bonham Hotel will feature 35 exquisite pieces of art in its public areas, including the lobby, No.35 at The Bonham restaurant, the Library, and the Dean suite. Pieces include historic lighting and furnishings by Louis Comfort…
Read MoreA fascinating insight into the lives of Scottish Asians
A TV programme is to focus on three young Scots of Indian and Pakistani descent. Through the eyes of Junaid Ashraf, Sunnah Ahmed and Sinita Potiwal, Young, Asian and Scots probes into how their identity has been shaped by the influences of their heritage. They find out about the struggles that the first immigrants had,…
Read MoreCelebrating 25 years of radio success Off the Ball
A Scottish radio show marks its 25th birthday this year – and it’s being marked with a special TV show. From its football fanzine comedy roots, to a cornerstone of Scottish cultural life, Petty and Ill-Informed is a documentary telling the inside story of Radio Scotland’s Off the Ball. Featuring rare archive and interviews with…
Read MoreExhibition celebrates the Little Black Dress
Little Black Dress is a major new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland which will examine the history of this iconic garment in high fashion. It will consider the role it has played in society and look at how technology is enabling designers to challenge entrenched notions of classical dress and upgrade the little…
Read MoreSwimming pool exhibition will be a splash hit
A stunning collection of images taken in historic swimming pools are featuring in a new exhibition by a Scots photographer. In the show, Poolside, by Soo Burnell, she shares her passion for water, architecture and keeping things simple. She captured the images of the swimming baths at pools across the UK and Europe, in cities…
Read MoreThe life and times of Taggart star John Michie
Taggart’s outspoken maverick John Michie talks about national identity, family, religion, superstitions – and why his mum wants him to play a doctor. A regular in the series from 1998 as DI Robbie Ross until it ended in November 2010, Michie has since gone on to appear in other long-running shows, including Coronation Street and…
Read MoreAn encounter with Scotland’s original ghost hunter
Scottish ghosthunter Tom Robertson discusses the ghouls and spooks that still haunt him. What is a ghost? A ghost is the earthbound spirit of someone whose death was so traumatic that something became jammed and they are unable to pass into the next life. Instead, they are stuck in purgatory until someone frees them. In…
Read MoreThe Scottish master of the spy game
Before being brutally hacked to death aged 36, Alexander Burnes – one of the greatest spies Scotland has ever produced – lived an extraordinary life. ‘The Great Game’ – even now, nearly two centuries after Britain and Russia jostled for influence at the roof of the world, these three words are perfumed with an almost…
Read MoreOur top 10 of some of Scotland’s strangest clubs
After the Act of Union of 1707, gentlemen’s clubs were rife. Some insisted on members wearing dirty clothes, writing their names upside down, eating only fish or even soaping their beards. Here are 10 of the more eclectic Scottish clubs. 1. The Kate Kennedy Club In 1432, St Andrews University principal Bishop Kennedy’s pretty niece…
Read MoreDocumentary charts rise of the musical organ
A new three-part documentary featuring Dundee’s Caird Hall reveals the vibrant culture and history of The English Organ. A new feature length documentary by Fugue State Films traces the history and development of the organ and its music from c1550 to the present, showcasing its vibrant culture, music and social impact. The English Organ, directed…
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