Book festival to welcome audiences back to Wigtown

Wigtown Book Festival is to welcome audiences and authors back to Scotland’s National Book Town this autumn, following last year’s digital-only event.  Taking as its theme, Hello Stranger, the 2021 festival (22 September to 4 October) will be two days longer than in previous years, with more than 140 events for adults and young people,…

Read More

A terrific tale with a time travelling teacher

Working at an elite school in Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish history master Mr Petrie has the gift of eternal life. He embarks on time-travelling missions where he is often met by famous and ruthless characters from history. Mr Petrie seeks out an apprentice to help him but the young boy’s past holds its own secrets.…

Read More

Artists send online D&G postcards

NEARLY 40 artists and makers have contributed small-scale works to an online exhibition entitled “A Postcard From D&G”. Pieces created for the initiative range from paintings, drawings and feltwork through to original prints and glass. Artists who have taken part in the exhibition include Heather Blanchard, Lisa Hooper, and Amanda Simmons. The online show opens…

Read More

Visit Moscow – without leaving Scotland

TOURISTS are being encouraged to visit Moscow – without even setting foot outside Scotland. That’s because the village of Moscow in Ayrshire is featuring in a new publicity campaign by holiday website Love Home Swap. The site has created an online guidebook called Around The World in Britain, which also includes California in Norfolk, Egypt…

Read More

Visitors return to Scotland’s four royal botanic gardens

DETAILS of the reopening of Scotland’s four royal botanic gardens will be unveiled on Wednesday, including how to pre-book tickets to enter the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. All four gardens – at Benmore in Argyll, Dawyck in the Borders, Edinburgh, and Logan in Galloway – will reopen on 1 July. Visitors will need to book…

Read More

Kirkcudbright to host a showcase art weekend

Artists and environmentalists are to join forces to boost Kirkcudbright’s profile. Kirkcudbright Artists’ Town – Past and Present will run from Friday 20 – Sunday 22 March, to give a unique insight into the lives and works of some of the artists who have made this picturesque town their home, past and present. The venture,…

Read More

Hills & Harbour Gin takes a top award

A Scots distiller was celebrating big this week after winning the top award for ‘Best Scottish London Dry’ Gin at this year’s World Gin Awards held in London. Taking home a win in the most competitive category against many well-known and respected Scottish gin brands delighted the Crafty Distillery, based in Galloway, believing it shows…

Read More

Campaign launched to showcase new SWC300 route

A new campaign is aiming to bring more visitors to south west Scotland by showcasing the remarkable offering of the South West Coastal 300 touring route. SWC300 Touring Road Route is a digital campaign led by Visit South West Scotland (VSWS) looking to increase awareness of the new route among key markets identified by VisitScotland.…

Read More

Record number of Hogmanay weddings set for Gretna

Tomorrow, 31 December 2019, will see the highest number of civil marriages conducted in venues across the Gretna and Gretna Green area on Hogmanay. There are 59 weddings in total being held, which is the highest number recorded since Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Registration Office opened in Central Avenue in September 1991. Analysis of marriage…

Read More

Finding the greater truth in a fascinating book

Jellyfish is a sparkling and powerful collection of writing. Janice Galloway takes on David Lodge’s assertion – ‘Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children; life’s the other way round’ – and scent-marks her multi-layered fiction with what she believes to be the greater truth. Razor sharp tales of two of…

Read More