Outdoors
Langholm Moor buyout hits £2.2m target
THE South of Scotland’s largest community buyout will double in size after campaigners raised £2.2 million to buy Langholm Moor. The Langholm Initiative will buy the 5,300 acres of land and three properties from Buccleuch Estates. The Dumfriesshire town hit its fundraising target in time for last Sunday’s deadline. Nearly 3,000 people donated to the…
Read MoreConifox breaks assault course world record
CONIFOX Adventure Park at Kirkliston near Edinburgh has broken the world record for the longest inflatable assault course. “The Tartan Titan“, which opens on Saturday, measures 568 metres in length – longer than five football pitches. It smashed the previous world record by 73 metres. Official adjudicator Glenn Pollard said: “Guinness World Records titles are…
Read MoreUnion Chain Bridge refit enters final stage
RESTORATION work on the famous Union Chain Bridge connecting Scotland to England is nearly complete. The 202-year-old bridge, which links Fishwick in Berwickshire to Horncliffe in Northumberland, was closed in October 2020. Engineers have dismantled the world’s oldest vehicle suspension bridge and are inspecting, repairing, and refurbishing each component. All the chains and deck hangers…
Read MoreEdinburgh’s Christmas unveils plans
IT MAY only be August, but Edinburgh’s Christmas is today sharing plans for its festivities. Markets will return to the Mound precinct, East Princes Street Gardens, and West Princes Street Gardens. New sites are also proposed, with a “Scottish market” on Castle Street and an “artisan market” across High Street and West Parliament Square, both…
Read MorePrestonpans Town Hall holds Victorian weekend
THE 125th anniversary of Prestonpans Town Hall is being marked with a Victorian weekend. The East Lothian town will hold a re-enactment of the opening ceremony on 6 August, complete with costumes. An actor will play Richard Haldane, who was the member of parliament for “Haddingtonshire” and who opened the hall. Celebrations will continue on…
Read MoreHydro Ness opens in Highland capital
THE Hydro Ness visitors’ centre and hydro-electric scheme has opened in Inverness. Ceilidh Trail performed “The Power of the River”, a song written by Duncan Chisholm and Hamish Napier to mark the event. Hydro Ness was built next to Holm Mills bridge on the site of a previous hydro-electric scheme from the 1920s. Its Archimedes’…
Read MorePeloton films first Scottish videos
PELOTON, the exercise bike maker that shot to fame during the first coronavirus lockdown, has filmed its first videos in Scotland. Members of its subscription service can use its bikes and treadmills – which come fitted with flatscreens – to take part in exercise classes recorded in the North-West Highlands. Options include a 30-minute guided…
Read MoreCulloden discovery sheds light on battle
RESEARCH has shone fresh light on the Jacobite army’s position at the battle of Culloden. Government agency Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has uncovered new evidence for the location of “Culloden Parks”, the landscaped fields and forest around Culloden House. The Jacobite army used the southern end of the parks as its left flank when it…
Read MoreAberdeen wins seven Green Flag Awards
ENVIRONMENTAL charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has presented seven Green Flag Awards to Aberdeen. Duthie Park won its tenth green flag in a row, while Garthdee Field Allotments, Hazlehead Park, Johnston Gardens, Seaton Park, Slopefield Allotments, and Victoria Park were also rewarded. Councillor Miranda Radley, convener of Aberdeen City Council’s operational delivery committee, said: “As a…
Read MoreCabrach Games return after 87-year gap
THE Cabrach Games and picnic are returning on Sunday following a 87-year hiatus. The gathering was a staple on the Highland Games circuit between 1877 and 1935. Yet a fall in the local population between the two world wars led to the games coming to an end. The Cabrach in Moray was once home to…
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