A garden on its very best bee-haviour

Jay Jay Gladwin’s personal touch makes all the difference as wildflowers and beneficial weeds boost the bee population in this Black Isle garden. When Jay Jay designs a garden she thinks about three things: structure, atmosphere and plants. ‘I ask a client the obvious questions about garden use and what they like but I also…

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A return to form in saving Scotland’s pine martens

Sir John Lister-Kaye has played his part with the slow resurgence of one of Scotland’s natural predators. Increasingly, I hear complaints about there being too many buzzards or other raptors, or that numbers of badgers or pine martens are too high. The first pine marten I ever saw was during my childhood when my parents…

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Planting 1000 new trees after climate change event

Four of Scotland’s much-loved hotels have come together to plant over 1000 trees this Christmas in partnership with Trees for Life – a rewilding charity which plants trees across the Highlands. In the spirit of COP26 the voco Grand Central and Kimpton Blythswood Square in Glasgow and Kimpton Charlotte Square and InterContinental Edinburgh The George…

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Winter walkers urged to walk safely on estates

Walkers accessing Scotland’s rural estates for recreation over Christmas and New Year are being asked to take care as the clear up operation from Storm Arwen continues. Although the full damage is still being assessed from the storm in late-November, it is estimated that more than eight million trees were damaged, accounting for between 1…

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Storm Arwen takes its toll on NTS properties

Seal pups are among the casualties as Storm Arwen hit Scotland’s shores. As Scotland recovers from its first storm of the winter, conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland has shared details of the damage caused across many of its places around the country. The charity that cares for sites from Threave in Dumfries and…

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Family farm saves death-sentence beavers

A family of beavers has been saved from a death sentence and relocated to a Perthshire family farm in the first such move in Scotland’s history. The beavers, including three kits, were moved to the Argaty Red Kite centre near Doune from prime agricultural land in Tayside, where the Scottish Government’s nature agency NatureScot had…

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Gordon & MacPhail donates £80,000 to eco charity

Family-owned premium spirits company, Gordon & MacPhail, is donating £80,000 to Trees for Life, a charity with a mission to restore the Caledonian Forest. The donation follows the sale of Decanter #1 of the world’s oldest single malt Scotch whisky at auction. The Gordon & MacPhail Generations 80-Years-Old from Glenlivet Distillery launched in September 2021,…

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A modernised lodge that’s perfect for the whole family

A versatile residence versatilethat’s perfect for multi generational living has been brought to the market. Netherton Lodge, in Bieldside, Aberdeen, is presented by Savills, and set in about two-and-a-half acres with garden and mountain views, luxury triple garage block, orangery and tennis court. Dating back to 1920, Netherton Lodge was built by Sir Sydney Gammell…

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A stunning, upgraded home with large gardens

A beautifully restored and imposing detached house has been made available for purpose. Presented by Robb Residential, Ardfruoch is a most impressive, detached period home by Austen Laird, with a wonderful extension, all set in 2.25 acres landscaped gardens beside Kilmacolm golf course. The house is of distinctive ‘arts and crafts’ architecture and in recent…

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One man and his dog on charity walk across Canada

A Perthshire man is taking part in an epic coast-to-coast hike across Canada to help rewild the Highlands. In 1867, legendary Scots naturalist John Muir completed a famous 1,000-mile journey on foot across North America from Kentucky to the Gulf Coast. More than a century and a half later, 32-year-old musician Michael Yellowlees, from Dunkeld,…

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