Step inside June’s issue of Scottish Field…

THE beautiful south of Scotland is in focus in the latest issue of Scottish Field magazine, which is on sale now, both in shops and online. Our writers have been busy sharing stories from the Borders and Dumfries & Galloway. They include the spectacular story of Graeme Parker, a genial Wigtownshire hoof trimmer turned social…

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Student wins Savile Row tailor competition

A STUDENT will have her textile designs made into a sports jacket by a prestigious Savile Row tailor which inspired the Kingsman movies. University student Lois Cowie, 22, won the design challenge set by Savile Row tailor Huntsman and Huddersfield Fine Worsteds, based in West Yorkshire, whose customers include the royal family. The companies challenged students…

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REVIEW: ‘Kidnapped’, National Theatre of Scotland

Megan Amato reviews the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Kidnapped. THE key ingredients for many good stories start with a hapless character down on their luck before meeting the chaotic chancer who will lead them on an adventure far outside their comfort zone. Described as “a swashbuckling rom-com adventure”, Isobel McArthur and Michael John…

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Book festivals unveil details

BOOK lovers have received details of three major events over the summer. The Borders Book Festival announced details of its programme today. Authors speaking at the festival – which runs on 15-18 June at Melrose’s Harmony Garden – include Sebastian Barry, Robert Harris, and Douglas Stuart. Celebrities appearing at the event include former Prime Minister…

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Union Chain Bridge to Northumberland reopens

THE Union Chain Bridge has reopened to link the Borders to Northumberland once more. Restoration work on the oldest vehicle suspension bridge in the world began in October 2020. Each part of the bridge – which opened in 1820 – was removed, checked, and replaced. Councillor John Greenwell, executive member for roads development and maintenance…

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Lauding the Lowlands’ larder

MORE than 50 food and drink producers from across the Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Arran, and East Lothian took part in “Showcasing the Larder of the Lowlands”, a meet-the-buyer event yesterday in Dumfries. The supplier were able to show their wares to more than 100 local, regional, and national buyers from Scotland and…

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£7,000 for The Capon Tree

THE Capon Tree, one of the few survivors of the ancient Jed Forest, has received £7,000 of funding to help with its conservation. The ancient sessile oak is estimated to be between 700 and 1,000 years old and is recognised by The Tree Council as “one of Britain’s 50 greatest trees”. The cash came from…

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Shortleet for 2023 Walter Scott Prize unveiled

SEVEN books have been named on the shortleet for this year’s Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. The titles competing for the £25,000 prize are: These Days by Lucy Caldwell (Faber) The Geometer Lobachevsky by Adrian Duncan (Tuskar Rock Press) Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris (Hutchinson Heinemann) The Chosen by Elizabeth Lowry (Riverrun) The…

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News from the rivers Dee and Tweed

IT’S been a busy month for the rivers Dee and Tweed. Actor Robson Green, Olympic rower Dame Katherine Grainger, and internationally-experienced river guide Al Peake have been appointed as ambassadors for the River Dee Trust. Green said: “It’s the bonniest river, not only in Scotland, but in Britain if not Europe. “But, like all rivers,…

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Nature inspires Borders Art Fair

TWO dozen new exhibitors are taking part in this weekend’s Borders Art Fair. Eleven of the first-time exhibitors are Borders-based and include printmaker and painter Emma Jones, ceramicist Belinda Glennon, and mixed media illustrator and artist Sara Rhys. Jones, who lives in Chirnside, said: “We take a lot from nature but often feel we are…

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