Wigtown Book Festival reveals line-up

WIGTOWN Book Festival has unveiled its online programme, which includes the world premier of author Alexander McCall Smith’s Ninian’s Gift song cycle Other highlights across the ten-day virtual festival include Alastair Campbell, Maggie O’Farrell, and Andrew Marr. More than 80 guests will take part in the festival, which aims to promote local businesses affected by…

Read More

Whyte & Mackay clocking up 29,000 miles for charity

WORKERS at whisky maker Whyte & Mackay aim to walk, run, row and cycle almost 29,000 miles at home to raise cash for charities. They are trying to raise £50,000 over the next eight weeks for good causes, including the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH). As well as employees from the UK, funds will…

Read More

Meet the paper wine bottle coming to Scotland…

Peter Ranscombe ponders a cardboard wine bottle that’s been launched today – and revisits the wine inside. I ALWAYS feel more than a wee bit guilty on recycling day. As the blue box is lugged off the pavement and its contents heaved into the back of the bin lorry, I pause and think about the…

Read More

Car clubs and bike share schemes rise in Scotland

More Scottish people are ditching their own cars and are finding new ways to travel through taking up travel incentives like pay-per-drive car clubs or joining bike share schemes. CoMoUK, a charity that promotes the environmental, economic, health and social benefits of shared transport for the public good, has published two new reports into car…

Read More

Sustainable gifts for lovers of the outdoors

Ethical shopping is high on many a wish list, but it can be tricky knowing where to start. Innerleithen-based, award-winning activewear clothing brand FINDRA puts sustainability at the heart of what it does all year round, resulting in gift ideas at this time of year for outdoor lovers that are as kind to the planet…

Read More

The trials and tribulations of going through IVF

Three couples open up about their fertility problems as they each undergo a round of IVF treatment in this powerful and often moving documentary. For all our advances in medical science, the number of people suffering from fertility issues remains stubbornly high with one in seven couples in the UK – 3.5million people – experiencing…

Read More

Edinburgh is UK’s most desired retirement city

Edinburgh has beaten the south coast of England as the silver homebuyer retirement hotspot. The latest research by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, has looked at where across the UK is home to the highest demand for retirement properties and where offers the largest number as a proportion of all homes for sale. GetAgent.co.uk looked…

Read More

The butterfly making a big Scottish comeback

A beautiful blue butterfly which has been struggling for the last 40 years could be making a comeback in Scotland, wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation can reveal. The Common Blue is the most widespread of the UK’s blue butterflies and during the record-breaking hot weather in 2018, the butterfly’s numbers increased by 29% across Scotland compared…

Read More

New map launched to get cyclists on their bikes

Sustrans and VisitScotland have launched a new interactive route planner to help cyclists explore The Caledonian Way, one of Scotland’s greatest long-distance cycling routes. The Caledonian Way’s 237 mile stretch reaches from Campbeltown to Inverness and draws in around 2,500,000 cycling journeys each year. The popularity of these cycling routes contributes massively to local economies…

Read More

Get on your bike for an exciting highland adventure

The Nevis Range Mountain Experience has launched a new mountain bike school, the first owner operated trail centre bike school in Scotland. It takes place in Fort William, the host venue for the UK round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup. Running annually until 30 September, The Nevis Range Bike School will offer fun-filled…

Read More