REVIEW: Swan Lake – Birmingham Royal Ballet

Megan Amato reviews the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s performance of Swan Lake at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh. SWAN LAKE is one of those ballets that needs no introduction. Without having to be prompted, many of us can hum Tchaikovsky’s alluring score in our sleep. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small school show or a…

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Art gallery news round-up: Lawson, GoMA, and more

Peter Ranscombe rounds-up the latest art gallery news. ARTIST Ron Lawson has used lighter tones for his latest exhibition at the Annan Gallery in Glasgow. “I definitely focused on bringing that lighter feel to my work and it cheered me up during the winter months,” he explained. Lawson, who takes his inspiration from the Hebrides,…

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St Mary’s Music School pupils visit new home

PUPILS from St Mary’s Music School have been given a sneaky peek at their new home. The pupils received a tour around the Old Royal High School building in Edinburgh, which is being converted into the new base for the specialist school, and which will also house a National Centre for Music. Their tour was…

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Scots want ‘wilder’ national parks

A MAJORITY of Scots want our national parks to be “wilder”, according to a survey by the Scottish Rewilding Alliance. An opinion poll conducted by market research agency Survation found that 74% of Scots agreed with a call to make national parks wilder, while 6% were opposed to the idea. In February, NatureScot – the…

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Shortleet for 2023 Walter Scott Prize unveiled

SEVEN books have been named on the shortleet for this year’s Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. The titles competing for the £25,000 prize are: These Days by Lucy Caldwell (Faber) The Geometer Lobachevsky by Adrian Duncan (Tuskar Rock Press) Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris (Hutchinson Heinemann) The Chosen by Elizabeth Lowry (Riverrun) The…

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Scottish designers at Dressed to Kilt

MORE than 65 outfits were on display on Saturday at the Dressed to Kilt fashion show’s 20th anniversary gathering in Washington DC. Scottish designers and brands taking part in this year’s show included: Calzeat; Glenisla Kilts; Harris Tweed Hebrides; House of Cheviot; Kinalba Scottish Cashmere; Lorna Gillies; Strathmore Woolen Mills; Slanj; Totty Rocks; and Walker…

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Outlander’s Sam Heughan picks winners

OUTLANDER star Sam Heughan has named the winners of his Write Start award. Heughan launched the competition last year to encourage students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) to develop original work. This year’s winners are Hayley Louise McGuire and Jayme Bartlett, who are both in the third year of their bachelor of arts…

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Whisky news round-up: Orkney, Glenfiddich, and more

Peter Ranscombe rounds-up more whisky news from Scotland. ORKNEY is getting its third whisky distillery. Stuart and Adelle Brown have unveiled Deerness Distillery, which will be the first to open in the county for 138 years. Construction work on the six-figure distillery is expected to begin in the coming weeks after planning permission was granted.…

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Edinburgh hospitality venues host art exhibitions

TWO art exhibitions have opened at a hotel and members’ club in Edinburgh. Spring-inspired “Gilded Attestation” opened to the public at the beginning of last week in the city centre’s Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel. “Scottish Light”, a solo-showcase for local artist Madeleine Gardiner, opening on Saturday in Gleneagles Townhouse’s exhibition space, Lobby 37. Stockbridge gallery…

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University unveils Adam Smith tartan

THE University of Glasgow has created a tartan to mark the tercentenary of economist Adam Smith. Smith began studying at the university when he was 14 years old and later returned as first its as professor of logic and then its professor of moral philosophy. He also served as its rector in 1787. Professor John…

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