Alexander McCall Smith wins Edinburgh Award

THIS year’s Edinburgh Award will be presented to author and academic Alexander McCall Smith. The emeritus professor of medical law at the University of Edinburgh will receive the honour in recognition of legal career and writing success. McCall Smith has become a hugely successful novelist through his The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, The Sunday…

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How Scotland’s ‘greatest horse’ was saved

ONE woman’s fight to save the Clydesdale breed of horse will feature in a documentary being shown tonight. Professor Janice Kirkpatrick, director of creativity and innovation at Glasgow School of Art, uses the programme to share her passion for the heavy horse. Clydesdales are listed as “vulnerable” in the UK by the Rare Breeds Survival…

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Gleneagles Hotel bags record awards haul

GLENEAGLES Hotel in Perthshire has won 16 new awards during the past year. Prizes scooped by the five-star estate include being named “Best UK Hotel” in the Condé Nast Traveller’s Readers’ Choice Awards. Conor O’Leary, Gleneagles’ managing director, said: “We’re proud and humbled to have received so many fantastic awards which reflect our unwavering commitment…

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Ten easy ways to help Scotland’s wildlife

HALF of Scots want to do more to help our native wildlife, according to new figures. NatureScot, formerly Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), carried out its research during the pandemic, when more people visited nature reserves and green spaces in cities. The Scottish Government agency has now come up with ten top tips to help Scots…

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Calls to ‘care for the countryside’ this Christmas

SCOTTISH Land & Estates (SLE) – which represents farmers, land managers and rural businesses – has called on Christmas walkers to take litter home, not disturb wildlife, and keep dogs under control near cows and sheep. The organisation’s plea follows high-profile issues of littering, anti-social behaviour, vandalism, and flytipping in rural Scotland during the pandemic.…

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Visitors flock to nature reserves and urban green spaces

MORE than one million visitors have flocked to Scotland’s national nature reserves this year, while use of urban green spaces is also up, according to NatureScot. The agency, formerly Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), said around 650,000 people normally visit the country’s 43 national nature reserves each year. That figure swelled during the intitial spring lockdown,…

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Whisky auction raises cash for hospitality workers

A WHISKY auction begins today to raise money for The Ben, the charity that supports people working in Scotland’s hospitality industry. Rare bottles going under the hammer during the online auction include a 22-year-old Hazelburn, a bottle from the first single cask from Ardnamurchan distillery, and an imperial gallon from the demolished Imperial distillery. The…

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Crerar Hotels gives further £200,000 to charities

HOTEL operator Crerar is donating a further £200,000 to charities, including those working across health, education, and social inclusion. The company donates 50% of its distributable profits to charities in the communities surroundings its seven hotels. Over the past decade, the firm has given £8.5 million to more than 450 organisations. Chief executive Chris Wayne-Wills…

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Fife’s Feragaia on Harrods’ shelves

FIFE non-alcoholic brand Feragaia has secured a listing at Harrods. The drink, which is made using 14 botanicals from the land and sea, hit the London department store’s shelves earlier this month. Bill Garnock, co-founder of Feragaia, said: “Our inaugural year has not been without its challenges, but it is wonderful that a conversation I…

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Pyramid relic unearthed in Aberdeen

ONE of only three artefacts ever removed from the Great Pyramid of Giza has been unearthed in a cigar box at the University of Aberdeen. Curatorial assistant Abeer Eladany, who is from Egypt, discovered the 5,000-year-old piece of cedar while reviewing items in the university’s Asia collection. “Once I looked into the numbers in our…

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