The climbing ambitions of Hamish MacInnes

Few names are as synonymous with the British climbing scene as that of MacInnes. A trailblazing Scot from Gatehouse of Fleet known as ‘The Fox of Glencoe’, he took on solo yomps up The Matterhorn, attempted to scale Everest four times, survived an avalanche, invented lifesaving climbing equipment including an all-metal ice axe and a…

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William the cat – the saviour of Rosslyn Chapel

William is the guardian of Rosslyn Chapel. But with damp damaging the stonework, all is not well in the chapel. This delightful book combines refreshing language with charming characterisation. William the Cat and the Rescue of Rosslyn Chapel, by the Countess of Rosslyn, illustrated by Rosie Wellesley, published by the Rosslyn Chapel Trust, £7.95. [review…

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The Scots otter who won’t take to wild water

A Scottish otter who has failed to be reintroduced to the wild is to become a television star. In the penultimate episode of BBC Scotland’s series Born to be Wild, the Scottish SPCA Animal Rescue Centre receives an unusual case; an otter from the very north of Shetland who’s already failed twice to be successfully…

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Orkney is one of the book’s big characters

The Orkney island of Sanday in the middle of winter becomes a character in its own right in Lin Anderson’s novel in the Rhona MacLeod series. As if the discovery of human remains in the grounds of a former primary school and thirteen flowers representing the souls of dead children in the attic of the…

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Generous donation brings lifeboat back to life

Following a generous donation from confectionery guru Boyd Tunnock, the St Abbs lifeboat has once again returned to the seas around Berwickshire. How did you hear about the St Abbs lifeboat appeal? A letter came to the factory asking me for a donation and I thought it was such a good cause I gave them…

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Sequel to classic novel is full of intrigue

If you are looking for an adventure series to get stuck into, Castle Macnab book is certainly one to consider. As the sequel to John Buchan’s John Macnab, Robert J. Harris has created a novel full of intrigue which is played out in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. Set in the 1920s, a group…

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Santa Paws needs helping hand for rescued pets

The annual Santa Paws appeal has launched to help feed Scottish pets spending Christmas in a rescue centre. Over the festive period, Pets at Home Glasgow, Glasgow Pollokshaws, Bishopbriggs, and Abbotsinch will be taking part in a nationwide fundraiser to help raise money for rescue pets as part of the Support Adoption For Pets annual…

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Book review: Follow The Dead by Lin Anderson

Forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod returns in the 12th book of her series by the exquisite Lin Anderson. Follow the Dead takes her to the Cairngorms, joining a mountain rescue team after a mysterious plane has crash-landed, while one person is missing and three are dead on a climbing trip nearby. As if that wasn’t enough,…

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