Bluebell wood freed from Rhododendron bushes

VOLUNTEERS from the Kinclaven Woodland Working Group are celebrating the eradication of the final Rhododendron ponticum bush at Kinclaven Bluebell Wood in Perthshire. Over the last four years, the team of 50 has worked to reduce a thick mass of the plant, spending nearly 2,000 hours on the task. The plant had claimed more than…

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Orkney and Argyll outperform Dunkeld

DUNKELD may have been crowned as the “best place to live in Scotland” by The Sunday Times, but Orkney and Argyll & Bute outperform Perthshire when it comes to job opportunities, according to a recruitment website. Hijobs said the number of positions advertised in Argyll & Bute nearly doubled between 2020 and 2022, while average…

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Dressed to Kilt moves to Washington DC

THE Dressed to Kilt fashion show is moving from New York City to Washington DC to mark its 20th anniversary. Guests at the event on Saturday will include All Quiet on the Western Front scriptwriter Lesley Paterson, record-breaking rower Taylor Winyard, and Lucy Sophia Thomson, holder of the 2022 Miss Scotland title. Fellow guests include…

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Hugh Dan MacLennan’s final fling

SHINTY legend Hugh Dan MacLennan is hanging up his microphone after this year’s Camanachd Cup final at Bught Park in Inverness. The night before the match, MacLennan will be joined on stage at the Highland Capital’s Eden Court theatre by fellow commentator and music star Gary Innes for “Hugh Dan’s Highland Fling”. The performance on…

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Aberfoyle hosts ‘Grand Old Dukes’ gravel ride

ABERFOYLE will host the new “Grand Old Dukes” gravel riding endurance event for solo riders and relay teams on 30 April. The new event will be accompanied by the Gravelfoyle festival of cycling, a two-day community festival on 29 and 30 April in the Grand Old Dukes event village at Dounans Outdoor Centre in Aberfoyle. Kerry MacPhee,…

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‘Stay the Night’ returns to forest car parks

MOTORHOMES and campervans will be able to “Stay the Night” again this year in 36 car parks run by government agency Forestry & Land Scotland (FLS). This year’s scheme runs from 1 April to 31 October and will charge vehicles £7 for the night. FLS said that “stays are for one night only between the…

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Wildlife film inspires Dundee art project

A BBC wildlife documentary has inspired Turner Prize-nominated artist Heather Phillipson in creating her work for this summer’s Art Night Festival in Dundee. Phillipson’s work, provisionally entitled “Dream Land”, will be exhibited at the University of Dundee’s Cooper Gallery from 16 June to 1 July. Phillipson will attend an Art Night event at the gallery…

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The Helix hits ‘gold’ standard

THE HELIX park in Falkirk has received “gold” accreditation from the Green Tourism organisation after passing its sustainability tests. The park, which is home to The Kelpies sculptures, received a score of 80%. The “gold” award marks an upgrade from The Helix’s previous “bronze” ranking. Councillor Paul Garner, Falkirk Council’s spokesman for economic development and…

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Pop-up opera goes on summer tour

SCOTTISH OPERA is going back out on tour this summer, taking its pop-up opera around Scotland. The tour begins on 27 May at the Dumfries &Galloway Arts Festival, with 30-minute opera samples. Pop-up opera shows will also be staged in Linlithgow, South Lanarkshire, Glasgow, the Isle of Lewis, Strathpeffer, Dornoch, Dundee, and Aberdeenshire. The singers…

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Islanders ‘badly let down’ by ‘ferry fiasco riddled with failures’

SCOTLAND’S islanders have been “badly let down” by “a ferry fiasco riddled with failures in governance, transparency, accountability, communication and record-keeping”. That’s the conclusion of the Scottish Parliament’s public audit committee in its report into the construction of Glen Sannox and the as-yet-unnamed “Hull 802”. The committee has called on the Auditor General for Scotland…

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