Posts by Ellie Forbes
The Good Books, Lisa Ballantyne: ‘I am anticipating Margaret Atwood’s memoir, as I young writer I found great solace in her non-fiction’
Scottish writer Lisa Ballantyne on how she always tries to finish a book, the author who has inspired her and what’s she is reading now. The first book I remember reading: Before I even went to school, I remember ‘pretending’ to read Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne. Reading was definitely something I aspired…
Read MoreFirst Gannets of the year return to Bass Rock for spring
The first gannets of the year have returned to Bass Rock, home to the largest colony of Northern gannets on the planet. The gannets left the Rock, off the coast of North Berwick, in October to spend the winter in warmer seas, some travelling as far as the west coast of Africa. Their return to…
Read More119-year-old message in a bottle discovered behind crown decoration at Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre
A 119-year-old message in a bottle has been discovered behind an ornate crown decoration at Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre. Theatre photographer and historian Mike Hume was on scaffolding 40ft above the stage when he put his hand in a gap inside the plaster crown at the centre of the theatre proscenium arch and found the century-old…
Read MoreArtworks from Yester House collected by BBC Antiques Roadshow expert go under the hammer
Artworks from the historic 18th century Yester House in East Lothian collected by BBC Antiques Roadshow expert Hugo Morley-Fletcher are going under the hammer. The work comes from descendants of the Hay family (later the Marquesses of Tweedale), who owned the house from the 15th century until the late 1960s Hugo, who died in 2022,…
Read MoreArctic Wave Dancer: One of Britain’s rarest fly species discovered at Scottish nature reserve
One of Britain’s rarest fly species has been discovered at Scotland’s largest nature reserve. The endangered fly species, known as the Arctic Wave Dancer for its lochside courtship displays, is found on just three sites in the Cairngorms and nowhere else in the UK. The National Trust for Scotland team are celebrating after the threatened…
Read MoreMetal detectorists unearth hoard of 15th century coins in Scottish Borders
Two metal detectorists have unearthed a hoard of 15th century coins in the Scottish Borders. Keith Young and Lisa Stephenson discovered 30 gold and silver coins in close proximity in the Cappercleuch area of the Borders. The coins are a mix of Scottish and English coins, comprising English silver groats minted by Henry V (1413-1422)…
Read MoreSharks and 30ft waves: The deadly risks facing three Scots on a 14,000km Pacific row
For most people, shark-infested waters, mammoth waves, and fish that can pierce a boat’s hull would be the stuff of nightmares. But for Jamie, Ewan, and Lachlan Maclean, the sons of whisky expert Charles Maclean, these dangers will be part of daily life as they take on a 14,000km, non-stop, unsupported row across the Pacific…
Read MorePlans unveiled for new distillery to resurrect Ferintosh whisky on Black Isle
Plans for a new distillery on the Black Isle which will resurrect long lost Scottish whisky Ferintosh have been unveiled. Ferintosh was once the largest producer of Scotch whisky with 725,000 litres of the spirit produced a year. It is widely thought that Bonnie Prince Charlie drank Ferintosh whisky following his defeat at Culloden. In…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Lynne McEwan: ‘Reading outside your comfort zone can definitely pay big dividends’
Scottish author Lynne McEwan on the classic novel she never finished, why crime fiction is a great way to experience other cultures, and the book she is reading now. The first book I remember reading: Once Upon a Time, a beautiful hardback book of fairy tales with some terrifying illustrations. It was translated into…
Read MorePhotographers in Aberdeen capture ‘the light in the dark’
Photographers in Aberdeen have been capturing ‘the light in the dark’ with this stunning exhibition. Sixty amateur photographers submitted more than 150 entries to the Light in the Dark competition which aimed to capture moments of joy in Aberdeen. A selection of the winning photographs are now on display in the Aberdeen Arts Centre foyer.…
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