Outdoors
Royal Highland Show ends – as 2023 tickets go on sale
THE Royal Highland Show came to a close yesterday – but tickets are already on sale for next year’s event. Some 194,000 people visited the show during its four-day run, including 40,000 children, who received free tickets. More than 200,000 people watched live online coverage from the event on RHS TV, hosted by presenter Sarah…
Read MoreTourism bookings hit by cost-of-living crisis
HALF of Scottish tourism businesses are reporting fewer bookings and lower spending by customers, according to a new surey. The Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA) found 50% of members have fewer bookings between June and August this year than during the same period in 2019. The same proportion reported a fall in consumer spending this year…
Read MorePennan wants to hear from its ‘local heroes’
RESIDENTS and visitors are being asked for their views on the future of Pennan, the Aberdeenshire village made famous by the film Local Hero. Aberdeenshire Council wants to know the public’s opinion on its draft conservation area appraisal and management plan. The documents will guide property owners and developers on how their planning applications will…
Read MoreRoyal Highland Show sells out two days
THE Royal Highland Show has sold all its tickets for Friday and Saturday. The show, which begins on Thursday, is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. It will be the first time crowds have been allowed to attend the show at Ingliston on the edge of Edinburgh since 2019 due to the pandemic. Director operations…
Read More‘Estates that Educate’ boosts rural skills
NEARLY 800 children are learning about living and working in the countryside as part of the “Estates that Educate” programme. Primary and secondary school pupils in the Angus Glens, Grampian, the Southern Uplands, Speyside, Strathdearn, and Tayside are receiving five consecutive weeks of moorland education. Topics covered include deer management, cooking game, renewable energy, and…
Read MoreSir Jackie Stewart Classic revs up
THE Sir Jackie Stewart takes place this weekend, with the man himself taking to the driver’s seat once more. The three-time Formula One world champion will drive his 1969 Matra MS-80 02 F1 car in Scotland for the very first time during the event at Thirlestane Castle near Lauder. The event is being held in…
Read MoreCairngorms features in new podcast series
PEOPLE in the Cairngorms are the stars of a new series of podcasts. Cairngorms Characters explores the lives of the people who live and work in the mountain range. Produced by VisitCairngorms and the Cairngorms National Park Authority, the four-part series was made by podcasting company The Big Light. Broadcaster Cameron Angus Mackay guides listeners…
Read MoreHighland Games get set for busy summer
Peter Ranscombe takes a look at how communities are gearing up for this summer’s Highland Games. VILLAGES, towns, and cities throughout Scotland are getting ready to host their Highland Games this summer. For many organisers – including those in Aberdeen – it will be the first opportunity to hold their events in-person since the pandemic…
Read MoreKinloch Castle on verge of sale
KINLOCH Castle, the landmark property on the Isle of Rum, is on the verge of being sold. Businessman Jeremy Hosking is setting up a trust to buy the castle from NatureScot, the successor organisation to the Nature Conservancy Council, which bought the island in 1957 as a national nature reserve. The castle was used as…
Read MoreScottish hostels star in new film
A NEW film is shining a light on the people who run Scotland’s hostels. Trade body Scottish Hostels commissioned Edinburgh-based filmaker Markus Stitz to make the programme, which features Ballater Hostel, Great Glen Hostel in Spean Bridge, The Cowshed Boutique Bunkhouse on Skye, Oban Backpackers, and Coll Bunkhouse. The film aims to highlight the social…
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