Outdoors
OnFarm podcast beats Nigella, Jamie, and Heston
THE “OnFarm” podcast is preparing to celebrate its first birthday – after beating Heston Blumenthal, Nigella Lawson, and Jamie Oliver in the streaming charts. The podcast, which covers rural life in Scotland, reached third place in the Apple food podcast charts in November, beating the brigade of celebrity chefs. Anna Davies, the podcast’s presenter, said:…
Read MoreCalls to ‘care for the countryside’ this Christmas
SCOTTISH Land & Estates (SLE) – which represents farmers, land managers and rural businesses – has called on Christmas walkers to take litter home, not disturb wildlife, and keep dogs under control near cows and sheep. The organisation’s plea follows high-profile issues of littering, anti-social behaviour, vandalism, and flytipping in rural Scotland during the pandemic.…
Read MoreCairngorm reindeer march on with Bounce Back Loan
THE Cairngorm Reindeer Herd has secured a coronavirus Bounce Back Loan from the UK Government. The herd consists of more than 150 free-range reindeer that live and roam across the Cairngorm mountains and on the nearby Glenlivet Estate. The herd were introduced to the Cairngorms in 1952 by husband and wife duo Mikel Utsi and…
Read MoreScottish countryside dominates ‘best kept secrets’ list
SCOTLAND has dominated a series of lists of the “best kept secrets of the UK countryside“. Scottish locations finished top of the tables for beaches, parks, and routes for hikes. Newburgh in Aberdeenshire topped the beach list, followed by Polin near Kinlochbervie, and Embo near Dornoch. The Berwickshire coast path was the top hiking route,…
Read MoreRoyal Highland Show unveils 2021 plans
TICKETS for the Royal Highland Show go on sale tomorrow as the Scotland’s biggest outdoor event returns to Ingliston on the outskirts of Edinburgh. The first batch of tickets for the four-day show, which will run on 17-20 June, go on sale tomorrow at noon. The next batch will go on sale next month. The…
Read More‘Spectacle of Light’ opens at Dalkeith
DALKEITH Country Park’s second “Spectacle of Light” opened on Saturday. The display runs until 4 January. Midlothian residents are taken on a light and sound journey up through Fort Douglas, Sky Maze, Mini Maze, Rainbow’s End, and into the new Fantasy Forest. The historic Orangerie is also lit for the occasion. Read more stories on…
Read MoreThe story behind Gleneagles’ Christmas tree
GLENEAGLES may be closed until the end of January, but that hasn’t stopped staff from erecting the hotel’s traditional 47-foot Christmas tree. It took head gardener Duncan Clephane and his team of eight gardeners and two tree decorators a full week to add more than 6,000 lights to the tree. Clephane said: “Deciding on the…
Read MoreSouth of Scotland launches virtual advent calendar
SCOTLAND Starts Here, a campaign to promote businesses in the South of Scotland, has launched a virtual advent calendar. Behind each of the 24 windows, Christmas shoppers can find an exclusive experience, gift or treasure, only available from the website. The range of gifts available includes food and drink experiences, sport and outdoor activities, and…
Read MoreThe stories behind NatureScot’s 2021 calendar snaps
NATURESCOT, the Scottish Government agency previously known as Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), has unveiled the photographs it is using for its 2021 calendar. The agency received more than 700 submissions from members of the public. Francesca Osowska, NatureScot chief executive, said: “We were struck by the range of subjects captured – from underwater wildlife encounters…
Read MoreMontane turns Black Friday ‘Green’
OUTDOOR clothing brand Montane is donating its enitre “Black Friday” marketing budget to the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA). The Northumberland-based label will give €5,000 (about £4,500) to the charity to fund projects including tackling plastic pollution in Brazil, Columbia, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Global marketing manager Matthew Hickman said: “Throughout the year, Montane…
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