Royal Highland Show is ‘bigger than Hogmanay’

THE Royal Highland Show contributes £39.5 million to Edinburgh’s economy – more than the city’s Hogmanay celebrations, according to new figures. The report by BOP Consulting marks the first time that the show’s financial impact has been measured using the same criteria as Edinburgh’s festivals. The equivalent of 674 full-time jobs are also supported by…

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Royal National Mòd ends with massed choir

A MASSED choir brought the Royal National Mòd to an end on Saturday in Perth. The mòd’s flag was handed over the Paisley, which will host next year’s cultural gathering. Around 2,100 people took part in 200 competitions over the nine-day festival, which was held at 14 venues in the Fair City. Contestants came from…

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Hostelling Scotland sites all open again

ALL of the sites operated by Hostelling Scotland are now up and running again following the lockdowns. It marks the first time in more than two years that the charity’s 29 youth hostels are all open again. Margo Paterson, the boss at Hostelling Scotland, said: “The [past] couple of years will long be remembered as…

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Tweed Valley Trail launches day and night runs

DAY and night runs are being organised on the Tweed Valley Trail. Off-road five-kilometre, 10-kilometre, and 20-kilometre routes will be offered during the day on 1 October, followed by a 10-kilometre “nightfall” run at 6.30pm with head torches. The routes will include a “100-metre arboreal avenue of light and sound effects”. Neil Dalgleish, event director…

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Faskally gets ready for Enchanted Forest return

FASKALLY Woods is getting ready for the return of the Enchanted Forest light show after a two-year gap due to the pandemic. More than 80,000 visitors are expected to attend this year’s event, which marks the show’s 20th anniversary. Tickets have gone on sale for the display, which runs from 29 September to 30 October.…

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Grouse shooting season begins today

RURAL businesses are predicting that overseas visitors will return to Scotland as the grouse shooting season gets underway. Ross Ewing, moorland director at trade body Scottish Land & Estates, said: “Thanks to the arrival of the grouse shooting season, Scotland’s rural economy is back in business after a challenging few years of covid-19. “The significance…

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TV chef Clodagh McKenna to headline Stranraer Oyster Festival

TELEVISION presenter and chef Clodagh McKenna will lead cookery demonstrations at the Stranraer Oyster Festival in September. McKenna, the resident chef on This Morning on STV and a previous regular on The Today Show in the United States, will cook in the kitchen marquee at the harbour. “Scotland’s reputation for high-quality and award-winning produce is…

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Pennan wants to hear from its ‘local heroes’

RESIDENTS and visitors are being asked for their views on the future of Pennan, the Aberdeenshire village made famous by the film Local Hero. Aberdeenshire Council wants to know the public’s opinion on its draft conservation area appraisal and management plan. The documents will guide property owners and developers on how their planning applications will…

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Less than 10 weeks until GWCT Scottish Game Fair

There are now just over two months to go until the GWCT Scottish Game Fair. Some 35,000 visitors and 400 exhibitors will descend on Perthshire for the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s annual festival of countryside and conservation, which returns for the 33rd time to Scone Palace from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 July. Research…

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Tourism group launches ‘Breathing Space’ campaign

A new campaign to attract UK-wide visitors to Caithness and Sutherland in 2022 and beyond has been launched. The destination management organisation responsible for promoting tourism in the far north Highlands, Venture North, has launched the new Breathing Space campaign to help promote businesses and attractions in the region as the country begins to emerge…

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