Joe Wicks hits Scone Palace and Thirlestane Castle

TELEVISION star Joe Wicks will visit Thirlestane Castle in Lauder and Scone Palace near Perth next month as part of his exercise show tour. The fitness expert, dubbed “the nation’s PE teacher” after running online exercise classes during the pandemic lockdowns, will run lessons in Lauder on 5 August and at Scone the following day.…

Read More

Balmoral Estate among wildlife award winners

THE Queen’s Balmoral Estate is among seven recipients of Wildlife Estates Scotland (WES) accreditation. The international award recognises the estates’ and farms’ ongoing work in wildlife management and conservation. Together, the seven estates cover nearly 170,000 acres. WES accreditation needs to be renewed every five years. Glenlyon Estate in Perthshire received its maiden accredition during…

Read More

Enjoy these photos from the Scottish Game Fair

MORE than 32,000 people attended the Scottish Game Fair at Scone Palace near over the weekend, according to figures released by the three-day event’s organiser. A partnership between Stable Events – the operator behind the Scottish Game Fair – and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has generated £150,000 for the charity to help…

Read More

Land reform proposals spark ‘recognition’ call

SCOTTISH Land & Estates has called on the Scottish Government to recognise the contribution that private landowners make to rural areas after ministers published their latest land reform proposals. The membership body – which represents landowners, rural businesses, and rural professionals – highlighted the part that estates, farms, and other rural businesses play in areas…

Read More

Jousting sells out at Linlithgow Peel

LINLITHGOW Peel hosted its first jousting tournament over the weekend since the start of the pandemic. Organiser Historic Environment Scotland (HES) all of its tickets for the show, which is part of the public body’s summer events programme. Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfries, which is also managed by HES, will host a jousting tournament on 30…

Read More

Why do authors use pen names?

THE reasons why writers use pen names is the theme for a new exhibition at the National Library of Scotland. “Pen Names” opens at the library on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh on Friday. The exhibition draws on material from the library’s archive to cover a range of writers using pseudonyms from the 1800s to…

Read More

Malachy Tallack launches fishing book

AUTHOR Malachy Tallack will launch his fishing book, Illuminated by Water, at Portobello bookshop on Thursday. Tallack – who is also a novelist, travel writer, and singer-songwriter – will be interviewed at the event by artist and writer Christina Riley. Growing up in Shetland, with its myriad lochs, Tallack and his brother roamed the island…

Read More

Guided wellness walks launched in the Cairngorms

GUIDED wellness tours have been launched in the Cairngorms by the entrepreneur behind an Aboyne lodges and bothies business. Gordon Drummond, who runs Cairngorm Lodges and Cairngorm Bothies, has begun guided walks around Loch Kinord and Loch Muick. Drummond said: “I hope that those who take part in the walks will indeed get a great…

Read More

Restaurant round-up: Tom Kitchin, Dovecot, and more

MICHELIN starred chef Tom Kitchin will offically open his new restaurant in Edinburgh tomorrow. Kora occupies the site in Bruntsfield of his previous Southside Scran restaurant. The new premises join the Kitchin and his wife Michaela’s other eateries at The Kitchin in Leith, The Scran & Scallie in Stockbridge, and The Bonnie Badge at Gullane…

Read More

SRUC milkshakes bring all the farmers to the show

STUDENTS from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) handed out nearly 3,500 free milkshakes and conducted more than 1,200 steak taste tests during last week’s Royal Highland Show. Thousands of guests visited the SRUC’s pavilion during the show’s four days. Eileen Wall, professor of integrative livestock genetics and head of research at SRUC, supervised 1,209 steak taste…

Read More