Outdoors
Islanders slam ferry services, but praise staff
SCOTLAND’S ferry services are falling “well below” the public’s expectations, according to the Scottish Parliament. Nearly 400 individuals and groups responsed to a survey run by Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee. The results, published today, revealed anger at “short-notice service cancellations and the impact this is having on many aspects of life in…
Read MoreGaelic specialist celebrates winter solstice
A GAELIC specialist is helping NatureScot to mark today’s winter solstice. The Scottish Government agency, known previously as Scottish Natural Heritage, asked broadcaster, storyteller, and writer Ruairidh Maclean to compile a Gaelic compendium that “celebrates the nature, land, and heritage of Scotland in the winter”. Maclean said: “As keepers of a unique language and culture,…
Read MoreUnion Chain Bridge prepares to reopen
THE Union Chain Bridge, which links Scotland to England, is preparing to reopen after Hogmanay. Restoration of the 202-year-old structure, the the oldest vehicle suspension bridge in the world, began in October 2020. Around 95% of the handrails are now in place and final painting work is continuing – although the surfaces need to be…
Read MoreRower Jamie Douglas-Hamilton prepares for Antarctic trial
SCOTTISH adventurer Jamie Douglas-Hamilton is preparing to row from Antarctica to South Georgia to raise money for the British Heart Foundation and honour Sir Ernest Shackleton’s carpenter. Douglas-Hamilton is undertaking the row just months after undergoing open heart surgery at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to repair a leaking aortic valve. The 950-mile expedition is…
Read MoreForesters donate Scottish Government Christmas tree
THIS year’s Scottish Government Christmas tree has been donated by a Scottish forestry company. Highfield Forestry, which is based in Perth, grew the seven-foot Nordmann Fir at Beauly, near Inverness. David Grieve, head of operations at Highfield Forestry’s Biggar office, said: “We are really proud to have been able to supply the Scottish Government with…
Read MoreMountain experts urge public to ‘#ThinkWINTER’
MOUNTAIN safety campaigners have launched their “#ThinkWINTER” campaign urging the public to access the right information and advice before venturing into the hills. Now in its fifth year, the scheme is a joint venture between Mountaineering Scotland, Scottish Mountain Rescue, Mountain Training Scotland, Glenmore Lodge, Developing Mountain Biking Scotland, Snowsport Scotland, The Scottish Avalanche Information…
Read MoreFirefighting with Scotland’s first female gamekeeping lecturer
Sophie Clark, Scotland’s first female gamekeeping lecturer, shares the story of why she’s also a retained firefighter. I GREW up in the small harbour village of Kinlochbervie in the north west of Sutherland. It was and still is an idyllic place to live and the community is very close-knit. I’ve always known I wouldn’t want…
Read MoreMurrayshall tweaks £30m masterplan
MURRAYSHALL Country Estate in Perthshire has tweaked its £30 million masterplan following feedback from the public. Plans have been unveiled to extend the hotel, erect lodges, build a spa and leisure centre, open a shop, and create a camping site with glamping pods. The estate has submitted proposals of application notice to Perth & Kinross…
Read MoreScone Palace unveils refurbishment plans
SCONE Palace has unveiled plans to open all year round and turn its stables into a visitors’ centre, restaurant, and shop. Other proposals include an adventure playpark, a multi-purpose pavilion, and new greenhouses and refurbished potting sheds for its walled garden. The palace also plans to generate power from solar panels and a biomass plant.…
Read MoreComedian Jim Smith tells farmers ‘keep talking’
COMEDIAN Jim Smith is backing this winter’s “Keep Talking” campaign for farmers and crofters. Organised by the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI), the camaign encourages people to get together over the darker months. “We can all get a bit down at this time of year and this is a fantastic initiative by RSABI to…
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