Kelso wants to be ‘Scotland’s wellbeing capital’

TOURISM body Visit Kelso wants to attract travelers interested in wellbeing to the Borders town. The group asked people who work in some of the town’s shops, cafes, restaurants, and visitor destinations to become “wellness warriors” as part of Kelso’s efforts to be recognised as “Scotland’s wellbeing capital”. The Schloss Roxburghe Hotel – which opened…

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Harpist Esther Swift unveils Scottish tour

HARP player Esther Swift is preparing to go on a tour of Scotland. Following her sold-out show at last summer’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the composer and singer will begin her tour in the capital on 11 March. She’ll play eight gigs, including at venues in Caithness, North Uist, and Skye. Her tour will end on…

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Actor Burn Gorman opens salmon fishing at Meikleour

HOLLYWOOD star Ben Gorman kicked off the salmon season on the River Tay at Meikleour in Perthshire last week. The Game of Thrones actor was assisted by author David Profumo. The pair made the first casts of the season after popping a magnum of Pol Roger Champagne. Claire Mercer Nairne, a member of Tay District…

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‘Talk to a Farmer’ week live in schools

CHILDREN will be asking questions about the countryside through online broadcasts during the second “Talk to a Farmer” week, organised by The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET). Farmers from throughout Scotland will be answering questions via video links to school classrooms. This year’s sessions will focus on farmers producing seeds and grains. There’s still time…

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GWCT training courses return for 2023

THE Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has unveiled its spring training courses. The charity’s advisory service runs half-day courses on topics including “snaring, heather burning, corvid control, mustelid control, and grouse health and disease”. People who pass the courses receive a GWCT certificate to demonstrate “due diligence and responsibility” under the 2011 Wildlife &…

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Burns Night: more than haggis, neeps and tatties

WITH Burns Night approaching on Wednesday, Scotland is demonstrating that there’s a lot more to learn about our national bard than haggis, neeps and tatties. The South of Scotland Destination Alliance (SSDA) has created themed driving routes following in the footsteps of Robert Burns and inspired by the Great Tapestry of Scotland. The 187 mile-long…

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Army veteran launches this year’s Cateran Yomp

AN ARMY veteran, who was forced to give up military life due to injury, is pledging to plough “every penny” back into the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) by embarking on the Cateran Yomp, one of Scotland’s toughest endurance challenges. Royal Artillery veteran Lee Harris-Hamer, 31, from Thirsk in North Yorkshire, is the new ambassador for…

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MacLean brothers sell art for charity

A TRIO of Scottish world record-breaking brothers hopes to raise thousands of pounds for clean water projects in developing communities through an art exhibition in Edinburgh. Works by artist Bridget Ievers Cox were left to the MacLean brothers – the first three brothers to row across an ocean together – when she died last year.…

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Raising a glass to this year’s whisky festivals

SCOTLAND’S whisky festival season is getting underway, with The National Whisky Festival returning to SWG3 in Glasgow tomorrow as part of Celtic Connections. The festival began in 2015 and has grown from its Glasgow base to include events in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Inverness. Gareth Croll, the festival’s coordinator, said: “After such an incredible year touring…

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Islands share £100m investment

ORKNEY, Shetland, and the Western Isles will share £100 million of public funding once an “islands growth deal” is signed today. The deal pulls together cash from the Scottish and UK governments. Ministers hope the money will trigger a further £393 million of investment from businesses over the next ten years, creating up to 1,300…

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