Scottish gull-proof waste bags trial gets underway

We’ve all seen gulls causing having in town centres and seaside locations all over Scotland by ripping open bin bags with their beaks. But now one Scottish council is fighting back against those those feathered pests. Dumfries and Galloway Council are aware of the issues residents have with gulls. They are tp carry out a…

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Changing state of rural Scotland put in sharp focus

After 20 years as a soldier, author Jamie Blackett arrives home in Dumfries and Galloway ready to settle into rural life with his young family. However, he finds the countryside he grew up in is very much changed and must now learn to adapt to the new order. Blackett reflects back to his childhood, offering…

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Help wanted to mark football club’s centenary

An appeal has been made to help celebrate a Scottish football club’s centenary. Dumfries Museum is pitching in with a range of partners to bring together a display of memorabilia that will celebrate the 100th birthday of Queen of the South Football Club. Dumfries libraries, football historian Iain McLachlan and the Scottish Football Museum at…

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Henge gig promises to be out of this world

Music that’s out of this world is coming to Scotland’s festival village. Moniaive in Dumfries and Galloway is renowned for hosting bands from all over the world – but now its welcoming musicians from Venus and beyond. The mighty Henge, who describe themselves as ‘an extra-terrestrial music collective’ plan to bring their unique sound to…

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Scotland’s rural communities urged to attend event

Organisers of the 2018 Scottish Rural Parliament have urged community groups, organisations and activists to make sure their voice is heard by attending this year’s ‘critically important’ event. Convening in three weeks’ time in Stranraer, organisers say there has never been a more important time for rural Scotland to speak up. The full programme has…

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Thousands of acres of forest land put up for sale

Nearly 9000 acres of forestry and agricultural land on the Buccleuch Borders Estate are being made available for sale. Located close to the A7 road to the south of Langholm at Canonbie in Dumfries and Galloway, the land comprises around 8,959 acres of agricultural and forestry land which is available as a whole, or in…

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Captain Corelli writer brings his own mandolin

The writer of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was in Scotland over the weekend as a guest of the Wigtown Book Festival. Louis de Bernieres, famed for writing the novel which was later adapted for the big screen and starring Nicolas Gage, not only spoke but played and sang at this year’s festival in Dumfries and Galloway.…

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From sceptic to an organic farming champion

This Organic September, Soil Association licensee David Finlay, who farms beef, sheep and dairy in Dumfries and Galloway, takes us on his journey from sceptic to champion of organic farming. I took over the family farm in 1987, but before that I was working as a farm advisory consultant. I was very dismissive of organic…

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Celebrating the volunteers at book festival’s heart

A special event has been held to thank the army of volunteers who make the Wigtown Book Festival possible. Ahead of the 20th annual event, around 150 adults and children, aged from under 10 to over 80, give time throughout the year carrying out an enormous range of tasks. Most are from Dumfries and Galloway,…

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So much potential in this 18th century church manse

A beautiful church manse dating from the 18th century is now for sale in the south of Scotland. Durisdeer Manse, located in Durisdeer, Thornhill, is a detached 2.5 storey house with a two storey rear projection, offered for sale by the Church of Scotland. Benefitting from a private setting, the seven bedroom property features a…

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