Culture
TV’s Sean Batty gets into the festive spirit
STV weatherman Sean Batty is to celebrates his favourite season of the year, by embarking on a scenic journey across Scotland as preparations for the holidays get underway. In Sean’s Festive Scotland, airing at 7.30pm on Tuesday 17 December on STV, viewers will the presenter as he travels across the country meeting the people and…
Read MoreFollow their train of thought in new documentary
The lives of Scots rail passengers feature in a new TV documentary. Part of BBC Scotland’s Modern Lives series, Brief Encounters captures a range of remarkably frank and entertaining conversations as rail passengers share their experiences of life and the views of the world they see out of the window. The conversations in Brief Encounters…
Read MorePeter Howson’s latest work – from start to finish
Internationally-acclaimed Scottish artist Peter Howson’s creative process is placed centre stage in a fascinating insight into how a painter creates a major artwork from scratch. Howson, a former official British war artist, has famously battled his own demons in the past but in Prophecy, a new film being shown on BBC Scotland on Sunday, December…
Read More‘Dreich’ voted as the most iconic Scots word
‘Dreich’ has been revealed as the winner of the Scottish Book Trust’s search for the most iconic Scots word. The national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, recently held a vote to find the nation’s best word. The online Dictionary of the Scots Language records usage of dreich from as early as 1420, revealing…
Read MoreStAnza brings poetry to Fife for another festival
StAnza, Scotland’s International Poetry Festival, has revealed a host of prize-winning poets among next year’s line-up as it launches its core festival programme for 2020. Festival director Eleanor Livingstone said: “‘It’s always a pleasure to reveal the core programme for each StAnza festival and we’re delighted that next year’s line-up will be showcasing some of…
Read MoreSkerryvore to headline gig at Portsoy Boat Festival
Organisers of the annual Scottish Traditional Boat Festival in Portsoy have announced award winning Scottish celtic rock group Skerryvore will headline next year’s event. Twice winners of Scotland’s Traditional Music ‘Live Act of the Year’ Award, in 2011 and 2016, the band will headline the Friday Night Gig at the Wally Green on 19 June…
Read More70 years of the military tattoo – tickets on sale now
Tickets for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2020 show are on sale now. Tickets for The Platinum Edition went on sale from 10am today, Monday, 2 December, as celebrations for the momentous 70-year anniversary year begin. Following military contributions to the Edinburgh International Festival of Music and Drama in 1948 and 1949, the Tattoo has…
Read MoreA cracking yarn with the woolly revolution
When the craze of yarn bombing – where guerilla knitting hits the streets – came to Selkirk, no-one was prepared for the remarkable results… Yarn bombing is a craze taking the world by storm, with covert knitters taking their guerilla art onto the streets as they stitch cozies for everything from post boxes and street…
Read MoreHighland balls are becoming a global phenomenon
Bagpipes and trumpets; flag throwers and drummers; tartan kilts and silk pantaloons. That is what the people of Florence had to look forward to before 500 Scots arrived in February 2016 for traditional Scottish Balls with a twist. A special fusion of all things Scots and Florentine, the event will see highland reels danced in…
Read MoreOur top 10 inventions that hail from Scotland
We all know that Scotland is the land of invention, but alongside the country’s biggest achievements are many lesser known gifts that Scotland has given to the world. We present 10 of the best. 1. Gin and Tonic Edinburgh-born physician George Cleghorn gave the world the delectable delights of the Gin & Tonic. This classic…
Read More