Hamza Yassin, Judy Murray and Henry Dimbleby at Wigtown Book Festival

The first weekend of the 25th Wigtown Book Festival saw Scotland’s National Book Town welcome a host of celebrities and special guests. Among those taking part were Judy Murray, who spoke about her new novel The Wild Card, and Hamza Yassin, the Strictly champion, cameraman and CBeebies ranger, who led a birdwatching walk and discussed…

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Oysters returned to Firth of Forth for first time in a century

After a 100-year absence, native oysters are being reintroduced to the Firth of Forth. Historically, enormous native oyster beds provided an important source for food and livelihoods in the area. But the marine species was lost due to overfishing and industrial development. The groundbreaking Restoration Forth project hopes to transfer 30,000 oysters to the area…

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Judy Murray’s tennis tips target better brain health

Tennis coach Judy Murray is backing an initiative to shows playing is a game-changer for anyone wanting to keep their brain healthy. Murray was at an Edinburgh drop-in café this week to pass on skills aimed at keeping the brain and body active. The visit was part of a project led by the Brain Health…

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Lombard Collection takes centre stage at whisky auction

Some of the world’s finest whiskies, part of the Lombard Collection, are set to be auctioned off. Part 1 of the Lombard Whisky Collection will feature more than 200 whiskies from world renowned distilleries including, Springbank, Bunnahabhain, Brora, Glenury, and Glen Keith. The rare lot will be auctioned on 4 October at McTear’s in Glasgow. …

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Action! £1.25m appeal for Historic Edinburgh cinema

A fundraising campaign has started to reopen the historic Filmhouse Cinema in Edinburgh.  Supporters want to raise at least £1.25 million to cover the cost of reopening and refurbishing of the 19th-century building on Lothian Road by next year. It housed a three-screen cinema and was home to the Edinburgh International Film Festival before the…

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Group Portrait in a Summer Landscape on show in Edinburgh next month

Playwright Peter Arnott’s Group Portrait in a Summer Landscape is coming to Edinburgh next month. The play is set in a Perthshire country house during the Scottish Independence referendum of 2014.   It revolves around retired academic and political heavyweight, George Rennie – played by John Michie – and his fractured family and former students, coming…

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Dark skies: Top tips for star gazing in Scotland this winter

With the longer nights drawing in, astronomer Dr Alastair Bruce takes us through Scotland’s marvellous dark skies and  shares his top tips for stargazing. Autumn brings with it longer nights and darker skies in Scotland. Rural inhabitants will be better able to take advantage of these darker skies, enjoying reduced light pollution compared to city-bound…

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