News
Barefoot soldier’s 700-mile march ends in Edinburgh
A FATHER who’s marching barefoot across Britain is due to finish his incredible 700-mile journey in Edinburgh this month. Christopher Brannigan, known as the “barefoot soldier”, aims to raise £250,000 to fund a ground-breaking gene therapy treatment for his daughter, Hasti. She has Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), a rare genetic disorder for which their…
Read MoreFamilies tune in for online farm tours
MORE than 10,000 families have tuned in to watch live online tours of Scotland’s farms during lockdown. Almost 100 farmers have guided virtual visitors around their sites via the Go Rural Facebook page. Their “Welcome to my Farm” videos followed on from 14 farmers streaming two weeks of “lambathon” during the spring from their lambing…
Read More‘Drive through’ afternoon teas are here to stay
A HOTEL that launched “drive through” afternoon teas during the coronavirus lockdown has decided to keep running them because they proved so popular. The Stair Arms Hotel at Pathhead in Midlothian transformed an old shipping container into a hatch from which to serve its teas. Customers can order their afternoon tea over the phone and…
Read MoreCampaigners call for reopening of Glasgow Boy’s historic home
CAMPAIGNERS have called on the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) to reopen its historic Broughton House and Garden in Kirkcudbright and save the jobs of its five staff. Scottish colourist E A Hornel, one of the Glasgow’s Boys, lived at the house with his sister, Elizabeth, and planned its Japanese garden. The Friends of Broughton…
Read MoreTamfest moves online with Grado and Isa
TAMFEST, the Ayr festival that celebrates Robert Burns’ Tam O’Shanter poem, has unveiled plans to shift its activities online in the run-up to Halloween. Its virtual programme of events will include appearances by professional wrestler and media personality Grado and actress Jane McCarry, who plays Isa in the BBC Scotland television series Still Game. Festival…
Read More‘Save Our Scotland’ tartans launched
DESIGNER Clare Campbell has created two tartans for the National Trust for Scotland’s “Save Our Scotland” emergency fundraising campaign. Campbell, founder of design firm Prickly Thistle, has made a “Hands of the Past” tartan with blue, green, brown and grey tones to represent “the land and buildings that the NTS protects”. Her “Hands of the…
Read MoreSplash of colour as The Balmoral reopens
THE Balmoral in Edinburgh marked its reopening on Saturday with flowers lining the steps to the hotel’s front door. General manager Richard Cooke and his team welcomed guests back from just before 9am. Members of staff waved saltires from the windows to mark the return of the landmark venue. A veritable rainbow of colours adorned…
Read MoreCoasts and waters calendar seeks photographs
BUDDING photographers are being asked to submit their coasts and waters pictures to a competition being run by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The agency is making a calendar to mark “Scotland’s Year of Coasts & Waters”, a marketing campaign run by VisitScotland and other public bodies. SNH said that the calendar will help to continue…
Read MoreTullibardine launches first tasting pack
A DISTILLERY has launched its first tasting pack, featuring whiskies flavoured using different types of cask. Tullibardine has assembled 50 millilitre samples of the four whiskies in its signature range. Its “Sovereign” single malt is matured in former bourbon whiskey casks, while the other three whiskies in the pack spent time at the end of…
Read MoreOnline concert for ‘Folk In Crisis’
ACCORDIONIST and shinty star Gary Innes will perform in an online concert tomorrow night to raise money for Folk In Crisis, a fund that supports traditional musicians affected by the coronavirus lockdown. Innes will be joined by Lochaber violinist Ewen Henderson, and will answer the audience’s questions at the end of the performance. The gig…
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