News
Famous farming faces sing ‘Silent Night’
A HOST of famous farming faces have recorded a version of Christmas favourite “Silent Night” to raise spirits this winter. Organisers from the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI) wanted to raise awareness of the potential for loneliness within the Scottish agricultural community. Recording the carol is part of the RSABI’s #KeepTalking campaign to encourage…
Read MorePanto dame hits 1,000-show milestone
PANTO dame Alan McHugh notched up his 1,000th performance last week at His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen. Having started performing at the Granite City theatre in Snow White in 2004, McHugh has notched up 19 years of shows. The popular star was given a surprise presentation on stage at the end of the evening performance…
Read MoreEngine Yard supports Edinburgh food bank
HOUSEBUILDER Places for People held an event next to its Engine Yard development in Edinburgh to raise money for one of the city’s food banks. Residents, staff, and contractors at the housing development gave £200, with a further £2,500-worth of food being donated. Grace Church hosted the event, which included stalls and a Christmas jumper…
Read MoreDynamic Earth: Have yourself a ‘marine’ little Christmas
EDINBURGH’S Dynamic Earth has unveiled details of its programme for Christmas and Hogmanay – and it has a distinct nautical theme. The centre is running “All Hands-On Deck” family drop-in sessions to teach visitors about Scotland’s seas. Workshops on offer include the chance for families to build their own boats, and “coral crafting” to teach…
Read MoreSchools news round-up: Trees, music, and more
Peter Ranscombe calls the register as he rounds-up news from Scotland’s schools. Quiet at the back. BELHAVEN Hill School in East Lothian has planted a forest full of native species to celebrate the school’s sentenary and to join the “Queen’s Green Canopy” initiative. “The native saplings were locally sourced from Cheviot Trees, and consist of…
Read MorePanto cast visits hospital
THE panto cast from the His Majesty’s Theatre visited the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital yesterday. It’s the first time the performers have been able to visit the hospital since 2019. The annual tradition of the panto cast visiting the hospital began more than 15 years ago. Lynne Brooks, partnership manager at The Archie Foundation, a…
Read MoreAberdeen university backs Jacob’s Ladder bid
THE University of Aberdeen’s Elphinstone Institute is backing a community group’s bid to restore an historic staircase known as Jacob’s Ladder. The Friends of Jacob’s Ladder & Riverside Walk want to restore the steps, which were opened more than 100 years ago to help workers get to Grandholm Mills. The staircase has been closed due…
Read MoreIslanders slam ferry services, but praise staff
SCOTLAND’S ferry services are falling “well below” the public’s expectations, according to the Scottish Parliament. Nearly 400 individuals and groups responsed to a survey run by Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee. The results, published today, revealed anger at “short-notice service cancellations and the impact this is having on many aspects of life in…
Read MoreWildlife news round-up: Rewilding, capercaillie, and more
Peter Ranscombe rounds-up the latest wildlife news from Scotland. A MIXED picture has emerged from Scotland’s national nature reserves (NNRs) this season, with bird flu decimating great skuas – or bonxies – and gannets at Noss on Shetland, with kittiwake and Arctic terns fairing better. Terns of all varieties – Arctic, common, little, and sandwich…
Read MoreGaelic specialist celebrates winter solstice
A GAELIC specialist is helping NatureScot to mark today’s winter solstice. The Scottish Government agency, known previously as Scottish Natural Heritage, asked broadcaster, storyteller, and writer Ruairidh Maclean to compile a Gaelic compendium that “celebrates the nature, land, and heritage of Scotland in the winter”. Maclean said: “As keepers of a unique language and culture,…
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