Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Hostelling Scotland gears up for busy season
SCOTLAND’S youth hostels are preparing to welcome back visitors. Hostelling Scotland, which runs nearly 60 sites, said “early indications suggest it is going to be a busy year ahead”. The charity highlighted the popularity of its 16 dog-friendly “WoofHostels”. “Since 2019, when Hostelling Scotland’s first dog friendly hostel was introduced, WoofHostelling has become increasingly popular…
Read MoreFife kids get ‘Fish in the Classroom’
PUPILS in Fife have been learning about the River Leven thanks to a project called “Fish in the Classroom”. The children have been looking after brown trout eggs in school until they hatch and develop before releasing the baby fish into their local river, the Leven. Coaltown of Balgonie, Coaltown of Wemyss, and East Wemyss…
Read MoreHouse of the Binns reopens tomorrow
THE House of the Binns reopens tomorrow following major conservation work. The restoration project is part of the National Trust for Scotland’s ten-year strategy – “Nature, Beauty & Heritage for Everyone” – which was launched at the 17th-century country house a year ago. The conservation charity, which has been caring for House of the Binns…
Read MoreStanley Tucci brings film to St Andrews
ACTOR Stanley Tucci will present Big Night, one of his best-loved movies, on 15 April at Sands, St Andrews’ international film festival. Tucci was one of the 1996 film’s writers and directors, as well as starring in the movie. After the film is shown at the Byre Theatre, Tucci will then be interviewed on stage…
Read MoreConservationists object to Coul Links golf course
WILDLIFE charities are calling on the public to object to plans for a golf course at Coul Links in Sutherland. Seven organisations – including the National Trust for Scotland, the RSPB, and the Scottish Wildlife Trust – are “extremely concerned” about revised plans submitted to The Highland Council. Craig Macadam, conservation director at insect charity…
Read MoreWhisky oysters project tipped to double biodiversity
REINTRODUCING oysters near Glenmorangie distillery is expected to double biodiversity in the Dornoch Firth, according to a study published last night. The distillery has been working with Heriot-Watt University and the Marine Conservation Society since 2014 to bring oysters back to the firth. The team aims to have four millions oysters in the firth by…
Read MoreScots get ready for New York City Tartan Day Parade
SCOTTISH companies are getting ready to support the New York City Tartan Day Parade. It’s 25 years since the United States’ Senate declared 6 April to be “National Tartan Day”. Now, ScotlandShop and Bross Bagels are each supporting events in the Big Apple to mark the anniversary. This year, ScotlandShop – which is already the…
Read MoreCrown & Dagger Ball: A night for the history books
When Simone Waters attended the Crown & Dagger Ball, she was on a mission to see if fantasies could transcend into reality. AS I step out of my taxi and onto the uneven stones of Edinburgh’s Castlehill, the late evening has not only brought a moody darkness over this famous location but equally a sense…
Read MoreBluebell wood freed from Rhododendron bushes
VOLUNTEERS from the Kinclaven Woodland Working Group are celebrating the eradication of the final Rhododendron ponticum bush at Kinclaven Bluebell Wood in Perthshire. Over the last four years, the team of 50 has worked to reduce a thick mass of the plant, spending nearly 2,000 hours on the task. The plant had claimed more than…
Read MorePETA wants Royal Highland Show to go vegan
ANIMAL rights charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has called for the Royal Highland Show to become a vegan event. Dawn Carr, vice president of vegan corporate projects at PETA, wrote an open letter to Jim Warnock, chair of the the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), which organises the…
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