Online Features
Exam results day 2020: when a school’s wellbeing focus will be truly tested
Alan Johnston, senior deputy head at Merchiston Castle School, reflects on the importance of well-being during this year’s exam results period. WE HAVE all found ourselves thrown into a closer relationship with digital technology than we would have envisaged just a few short – although it seems long – months ago. The benefits have been…
Read MoreCyclists hit North Coast 500 for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation
EVERY so often, you have a conversation with someone who makes you rethink your whole attitude to life. Or, at the very least, reminds you to be grateful. I had one of those conversations last week with Davy Zyw – an author and wine specialist from Edinburgh— who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND)…
Read MoreFairways from heaven
Editor Richard Bath visits the outstanding Dumbarnie Links in Fife, that rarest of things – a new golf course that lives up to the hype. I TRAVELLED to Fife determined not to be swayed by the hype surrounding Dumbarnie, but came away as an ardent evangelist for this astonishingly good new course on the banks…
Read MoreLove Dougalston opposes Milngavie golf course plans
A COMMUNITY group has been formed to oppose British Land’s redevelopment proposals for the Dougalston golf course at Milngavie. Love Dougalston has rallied against the idea of turning the local 18-hole golf course into nine holes in order to introduce housing, and recreation and commercial facilities. But the group said it has been outmatched by…
Read MoreIslay pub owner sparks community initiative
DURING lockdown, our beloved pubs and restaurants have been cruelly snatched away from us but, while some pub owners closed their shutters and awaited the easing of restrictions, David Graham of Ballygrant Inn on Islay saw this difficult time as a shining opportunity to help those in need. “At the start of the lockdown we…
Read MoreKeeping children engaged with the great outdoors
During lockdown, many families have found the time to reconnect with the outdoors. Now that restrictions are starting to ease, conservation expert Jeff Waddell explains why it’s important that families continue to explore nature together and gives advice on how to keep young ones engaged with the great outdoors. THE National Trust for Scotland (NTS)…
Read MoreAuthors pick top lockdown crime novels
Ahead of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival, which begins online on 18 September, authors Alex Gray and Gordon Brown – who writes as Morgan Cry – pick their favourite lockdown books. Alex Gray Three books that were really good during lockdown days include Kate Atkinson’s Big Sky. A terrific read, thoroughly enjoyable, beautifully written and quirky.…
Read MoreSpot the smaller things in nature this summer
Travel writer Phoebe Smith and binocular maker Swarovski offer tips to help countryside explorers slow down this summer and notice the little things in nature. 1. Look for nature’s clues Sometimes, when we take a walk, we can get so fixated on where we are headed to that we forget to take the time to…
Read MoreHow tweed stood the test of time
The experts at Walker Slater explore the history of tweed on its journey from simple protection against harsh weather to its status as a sophisticated material favoured by royalty. TWEED has a longstanding, romantic history, dating back to 18th century Scotland. The term “tweed” was coined accidentally in 1826 due to a misread label on…
Read MoreLet’s talk about… storing whisky
The experts from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy share their top tips for looking after your Scotch. A CANDIDATE contacted us recently to ask whether a piece of cork found floating in a bottle of whisky could spoil its flavour. It is a good question and variations of it are frequently asked: “How long does whisky…
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