Posts Tagged ‘conservation’
Famous penguin Sir Nils Olav gets promoted
ARGUABLY the world’s most famous penguin, Sir Nils Olav, has been promoted once more. Olav was raised from the rank of brigadier to major-general during a ceremony at Edinburgh Zoo. More than 160 members of the King’s Guard Band & Drill Team of Norway attended the event and bestowed Olav with his latest honour. The…
Read MoreConservationists slam Rest and Be Thankful tunnel to protect vehicles from landslips
A conservation charity has slammed Transport Scotland’s plans to build a tunnel on the Rest and Be Thankful to protect vehicles from landslips. The Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs has listed 26 issues with Transport Scotland’s preferred solution to help keep the notorious landslip road open. In June the agency unveiled plans for…
Read MoreScottish artwork brought back to life after incredible restoration
It has taken hundreds of hours of painstaking work, but now an important Scottish painting’s restoration transformation can be revealed. For generations artist William Barr’s painting of Paisley’s ‘great and good’ was hidden from view, covered in thick, sooty dirt. In 1910, Barr, originally from Glasgow, completed pastel portraits of more than 100 of the…
Read MoreEdinburgh Zoo celebrates birth of six Asian small-clawed otters
Edinburgh Zoo is celebrating the birth of six adorable Asian small-clawed otters after the pack of pups received their first health check. Expert vets at wildlife conservation charity, The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), confirmed the new arrivals, five males and one female, are all doing well. They were born on 23 May to…
Read MoreHMS Unicorn receives £1.1m restoration funding
Scotland’s oldest ship, HMS Unicorn, has received more than £1million in funding towards its ongoing restoration. The donation comes from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) and will go towards preservation work to strengthen the ship’s hull to improve resilience ahead of a move to a nearby dry dock. The ship, which was moved to…
Read MoreBusinessman is set to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic
A Fife businessman is set to embark on an epic solo adventure which will see him row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. Henry Cheape, from Balgove Larder in St Andrews, plans to take on the challenge to raise £250,000 for conservation and environment charities. Known as the World’s Toughest Row, the challenge starts in December…
Read MoreNumber of critically-endangered capercaillie increases
Numbers of critically-endangered capercaillie have increased for the first time in eight years. The birds are on the verge of extinction in Scotland with numbers having decreased by more than 50% in the last five years. The latest national survey (2021/2022) estimated there are only 542 capercaillie left in Scotland. But the latest lek count…
Read MoreTemperatures in the River Dee are reaching levels dangerous to salmon and trout
Temperatures in the River Dee are reaching levels dangerous to salmon and trout, it was warned. The River Dee Trust has been monitoring water temperatures but its latest report shows that last summer temperatures were routinely high enough to harm fish. In 2022, all 33 monitoring sites in the upper Dee catchment routinely exceeded 20°C,…
Read MoreDad tackles West Highland Way in just 48 hours to raise money for charity
A dad has raised more than £2,500 for charity after taking on the West Highland Way in just 48 hours. Dr Nick Hesford completed the arduous 96-mile hike in just two days to raise money for PND Borders, a local charity providing essential support to families affected by postnatal depression. PND Borders has been a…
Read MorePrivate island with links to Robert The Bruce on the market for £1million
A private island with historic links to Robert The Bruce has gone up for sale for nearly £1million. Inchlonaig Island sits in the heart of Loch Lomond and comes with a cottage, jetty, woodland and bothies. It lies just north of Inchconnachan, one of the most tranquil islands which is also home to Scotland’s wallabies.…
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