Peter Pan will be at the heart of celebration

Dumfries’ Peter Pan heritage will play a part in a festival later this month. From sneak previews of the newly restored Moat Brae House to a CrocRock! Carnival, Dumfries is gearing up for a 10-day celebration of its JM Barrie heritage and of young people’s storytelling. The Dreams for the Future Festival, from 24 November…

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There’s more to his paintings than meets the eye

What do Liverpool football player Mohamed Salah, a dog with flowers on its head and singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne have in common? To the untrained eye: nothing. But to Stonehaven-based artist Colin Brown, putting these images together on a canvas makes perfect sense: ‘It’s about putting a piece together, balancing structure and composition. The placement of each…

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Everybody loves a Summer Holiday – a top notch show

There’s something rather endearing about those old British films, where boy meets girl, they sing a song, fall in love, and live happily ever after. Summer Holiday, currently at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow, perfectly recaptures those days. The 1963 film with the big red bus was originally a vehicle for Cliff Richard, and this…

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‘Dracula’ inn to be honoured with special plaque

The Scottish hotel that accommodated renowned author Bram Stoker while he created Dracula will be recognised under Historic Environment Scotland’s 2018 Commemorative Plaque Scheme. The annual scheme celebrates the lives of significant people by erecting plaques on the buildings where they lived or worked. Stoker’s plaque is the 57th announced under the scheme since it…

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Fiddle wizards to teach at musical workshops

Two internationally renowned musical performers are coming to Scotland for a weekend series of instructional music workshops for students of all ages. Hosted by Peebles-based Nomad Beat Community Music School, internationally acclaimed master fiddler Jamie Laval teams up with one of Britain’s preeminent classical violinists Rosemary Warren-Green to teach classes in style, technique, and playing…

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We will remember them on the beaches

A new work by Scots poet Carol Ann Duffy written to mark the centenary of Armistice Day has been released. Acclaimed film director Danny Boyle invited Duffy to write a poem as part of Pages of the Sea, which will see thousands of people gather on beaches across the UK and the Republic of Ireland…

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It will be all fright on the night at Scone Palace

Spirits of Scone, the annual Halloween event held at Scone Palace, will be scarier than ever this year as it extends to seven nights. Scone Palace’s medieval grounds are being transformed into a terrifying playground of menacing ghouls and horror film freaks, beginning on October 25 and ending on Halloween, October 31. Organisers are issuing…

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Time’s running out in vote to save red squirrels

Scotland’s only entry in the Forests category of a leading international conservation competition could this week secure funding to create a lifeline for Scotland’s red squirrels. It would also boosting nature tourism and the Gaelic language in the northwest Highlands. Trees for Life’s Reds Return initiative will receive more than £25,000 from the European Outdoor…

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Traditional charm in an attractive log cabin

A beautiful log cabin with four bedrooms, two reception rooms and a sauna is now available. Presented by Galbraith, Balnabrechan Lodge in Angus is a delightful smallholding extending to some 9.83 acres in total. Balnabrechan Lodge is a fine timber framed log cabin under a tiled roof set within its own garden ground and located separately…

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Scots distillery getting ready to host an opera

The Glen Scotia distillery in Campbeltown is set to host one of the first performances of an exciting new opera set in a distillery. Featuring music by Scot indie stars Admiral Fallow, Navigate The Blood is written by Sian Evans, and is the tale of a couple whose son has disappeared in mysterious circumstances, with…

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