New wheelchair accessible powerboat launched at Castle Semple Loch

A purpose-built wheelchair accessible powerboat has been launched on Castle Semple Loch in Renfrewshire. The new boat – a Coulam Wheelyboat V17 – will enable disabled children and adults to enjoy the waters. Castle Semple Centre already has one Wheelyboat – a Coulam Wheelyboat V20 – which was launched in 2015 and the first in…

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Student wins Savile Row tailor competition

A STUDENT will have her textile designs made into a sports jacket by a prestigious Savile Row tailor which inspired the Kingsman movies. University student Lois Cowie, 22, won the design challenge set by Savile Row tailor Huntsman and Huddersfield Fine Worsteds, based in West Yorkshire, whose customers include the royal family. The companies challenged students…

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Rain didn’t dampen coronation celebrations

BAD weather didn’t stop Scots from celebrating the coronation. Families gathered in Aberdeen’s Duthie Park today to join Lord Provost David Cameron, who attended the coronation in London yesterday. On Friday, coronation-themed packs – including decorations and cakes made by local school children – were delivered to nursing homes and sheltered housing centres. Cameron said:…

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Dovecot hosts next generation of Scottish artists

RECENT Scottish art school graduates will be in the spotlight at the next exhibition at Edinburgh’s Dovecot gallery. “Scottish Landscapes: A New Generation” opens on 1 July and runs throughout the Edinburgh festivals until 7 October. Dovecot director Celia Joicey said: “This exhibition is a platform to connect promising artists with new audiences. “I am…

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Artificial intelligence to help with Gaelic subtitles

ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is being used to create a Gaelic subtitle service that could be used by the BBC. Linguists and AI researchers from Edinburgh and Glasgow universities have been awarded £225,000 by the Scottish Government to develop the system. The funding will also help the team to begin creating a “large language model” –…

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Book festivals unveil details

BOOK lovers have received details of three major events over the summer. The Borders Book Festival announced details of its programme today. Authors speaking at the festival – which runs on 15-18 June at Melrose’s Harmony Garden – include Sebastian Barry, Robert Harris, and Douglas Stuart. Celebrities appearing at the event include former Prime Minister…

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Aberdeenshire county flag unfurled at Castle Fraser

THE new Aberdeenshire county flag was hoisted up the pole at Castle Fraser on Saturday. The flag was based on designs by pupils from Newtonhill primary school in Stonehaven and Elrick primary school in Westhill. Children from the schools presented the flag to Sandy Manson, Aberdeen’s lord-lieutenant at the castle, which is run by the…

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Gray’s School of Art students team up with Braemar Castle

FASHION and textile students from Gray’s School of Art at Robert Gordon University are working with a team from Braemar Castle to create clothes for their fashion show at Aberdeen Art Gallery on 5 May. Twenty first-year students have worked on the project to create garments that are linked to Braemar Castle. A total of…

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Roman ‘fortlet’ found near Antonine Wall

A ROMAN “fortlet” has been rediscovered near the remains of the Antonine Wall. Public body Historic Environment Scotland (HES) found the lost mini-fort during a geophysical survey in an “unassuming field” near Carleith Primary School in West Dunbartonshire. The fortlet was mentioned in 1707 by antiquarian Robert Sibbald, who wrote that he had seen a…

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