Restoring Cairngorms forests – one burger at a time

VENISON from red deer shot in the Cairngorms is being sold to fund tree planting. Deer are culled in the Cairngorms National Park to stop them from eating the growing tips off tree saplings. The venison has gone on sale in the shop at the RSPB’s Loch Garten nature reserve. Previously, Lynbreck Croft – which…

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Abbotsford prepares for tomorrow’s ScottFest

SIR Walter Scott’s home at Abbotsford near Tweedbank is making the final preparations for its “ScottFest”. The three-day festival celebrating the life of Scotland’s most famous author begins tomorrow. Events include jousting, terrier racing, and birds of prey displays. The festival marks Scott’s birthday, which this year coincides with the 200th anniversary of the author’s…

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FRINGE REVIEW: “Angel by Henry Naylor”

Angel by Henry Naylor – Venue 24: Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Other Yin – 4pm I’VE been very lucky at this festival and have seen some wonderful productions and now, having watched Angel, I can say that any further productions will have to be extraordinary to better it. Angel tells the story of a…

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Whisky festivals prepare for busy September

SCOTLAND’S whisky festivals are preparing for a busy September, with Distilled taking place in Elgin, and the National Whisky Festival of Scotland rolling into Aberdeen. Tickets have gone on sale for Distilled, which takes place at Elgin town hall om 2-4 September. It marks the first time in three years that the Speyside festival will…

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‘Hummingbird’ flocks to Scotland

THE number of hummingbird hawkmoths spotted in Scotland has soared, according to new figures. The moths were reported in 1.2% of Scottish gardens last month, more than three times the season’s average. The British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO’s) Garden BirdWatch survey found the figure hit 5.2% across the UK as a whole, compared to 1.3%…

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First Edinburgh music map is released

VENUES, bars, record shops, and other “musical places of interest” are being featured on the first Edinburgh music map. Around 50 locations are listed on the map, including about 20 of the city’s main music venues. Featured venues include Sneaky Pete’s in the Cowgate, where local band Swim School launched the map. Summerhall, the O2…

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River City marks 20th birthday

SOME familiar faces are returning to Shieldinch for a special River City episode to mark the TV soap’s 20th birthday. Filming began this week on the anniversary episode, which will be broadcast at the end of September. In the programme, Bob O’Hara and best mate Angus Lindsay wake up “in a parallel dimension where all…

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Wine to Dine – September 2022 – Ballintaggart

In his final Wine to Dine column, drinks writer Peter Ranscombe recommends five bally good bottles for Ballintaggart. “THERE’S been a murder!” – oh no, wait, wrong Taggart. Rather than the crusty Glasgae cop, we’re talking about the recipes from Ballintaggart, which featured in the food feature in the September issue of Scottish Field magazine.…

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Nick Gardner’s Munro challenge of a lifetime

Morag Bootland speaks to the remarkable Nick Gardner about his mountaineering challenge. I’VE heard some incredible tales of adventure, tragedy, and love in my years as a journalist. But few have touched me as deeply as Nick Gardner’s real life love story. Nick is now 82, and has spent the last two years of his…

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FRINGE REVIEW: “9 Circles”

9 Circles – Assembly George Square Studios – Studio Two – 1.30pm THE title is structured around the nine rings of Dante’s Inferno. Watching this gritty, hard hitting, and at times raw and troubling production leaves you rattled. That’s good theatre in my book. The play is based on a US serviceman called Steve Dale…

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