News
Caledonian Sleeper donates profits from anniversary whisky to charity
Caledonian Sleeper has donated profits from the sale of its limited-edition anniversary whisky to support vulnerable young people using Glasgow’s rail network. Charity Railway Children, which provides vital support to children and young people found at risk on the UK rail network, welcomed a £5,000 donation from Caledonian Sleeper. The donation will be used to…
Read MoreForestry and Land Scotland works with CivTech to improve deer management
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is working with CivTech to develop new ways to improve deer management. The fourth collaboration – part of the CivTech Round 9 – involves two projects, each worth up to £650,000, part funded by CivTech as part of their Innovate for Nature initiative. Through the two projects FLS hopes to…
Read MoreTenants in ‘Scotland’s rainforest’ get no-eviction promise in rewilding deal
Tanants on the Tayvallich estate at Knapdale in Argyll have been promised a “no-eviction policy” by entrepreneur Jeremy Leggett as part of a deal unveiled that trumpets a “triple win” for “community prosperity, nature restoration, and the delivery of ethical profit to shareholders”. Under the agreement, the first of its kind in the UK, Dr…
Read MoreHMS Unicorn receives £1.1m restoration funding
Scotland’s oldest ship, HMS Unicorn, has received more than £1million in funding towards its ongoing restoration. The donation comes from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) and will go towards preservation work to strengthen the ship’s hull to improve resilience ahead of a move to a nearby dry dock. The ship, which was moved to…
Read MoreOsprey chicks fledge the nest
Two osprey chicks born at Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve have fledged the nest. Young female osprey PF4 took to the skies for her first maiden flight around the Perthshire Loch on 9 July. Taking a courageous leap from her large nest she landed back safely on it a few minutes later. The second…
Read MoreWorld’s first pedal cycle invented by Scottish blacksmith to be recreated
The world’s first pedal cycle invented by Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan will be recreated – nearly two centuries after it was ridden around Scotland. Scottish cyclewear brand Endura hopes to revive forgotten legend of cycling history Macmillan, who created the groundbreaking bike in 1839. The bike is set to make the same journey Macmillan rode…
Read MoreNational Trust for Scotland takes Treshnish Isles under its care
The National Trust for Scotland has announced the Treshnish Isles off Scotland’s west coast is now under its protection. Eight small uninhabited islands make up the remote archipelago in the Inner Hebrides west of Mull. It is Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the islands are known for their distinctive silhouette in the seascape –…
Read MoreWorld’s oldest floral clock in Edinburgh is completed
This year’s design on the world’s oldest floral clock has been completed – with more than 50,000 flowers and plants. For 2023, the hugely popular landmark in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens will celebrate 100 years of Flying Scotsman, the world’s most famous steam locomotive. It took three gardeners just four weeks to plant the…
Read MoreNumber of critically-endangered capercaillie increases
Numbers of critically-endangered capercaillie have increased for the first time in eight years. The birds are on the verge of extinction in Scotland with numbers having decreased by more than 50% in the last five years. The latest national survey (2021/2022) estimated there are only 542 capercaillie left in Scotland. But the latest lek count…
Read MoreAuthor Michael Pedersen appointed as University of Edinburgh Writer in Residence
Award-winning poet and author Michael Pedersen has been appointed as the newest Writer in Residence at the University of Edinburgh. The Edinburgh-born author joins a stellar line-up of writers who have previously held the role including author and poet Jenni Fagan, poet and playwright Liz Lochhead, Scottish Gaelic poet Sorley Maclean and poet and teacher…
Read More