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Beaver burrows, cycling, and nurseries among CivTech winners
DETECTING beaver burrows, promoting cycle routes, and securing nursery places are just some of the tasks being solved with technology under the latest “CivTech” challenge. The civic technology or “CivTech” competition is run by the Scottish Government to help find solutions for challenges set by public sector bodies and charities. NatureScot, the agency known formerly…
Read MorePowis Gateway plaque marks slavery legacy
ABERDEEN City Council and the University of Aberdeen have erected a plaque at the Powis Gateway in Old Aberdeen. The sign is part of the council’s commemorative plaques scheme to highlight the legacy of slavery in the North-East. The gateway, now owned by the university, was built by the Leslie family, which received compensation when…
Read MoreScots language survey launched
A PROJECT is being launched today to map how Scots is spoken throughout the nation. The “Speak for Yersel” project, run by the University of Glasgow, aims to build up a picture of how Scots is used in different places. Jennifer Smith, professor of sociolinguistics at the university, said: “Lots of people say ‘Oh I…
Read MoreKing confers Dunfermline’s city status
KING Charles III will visit Dunfermline today to confer city status on Scotland’s ancient capital. The ceremony will take place at Dunfermline City Chambers as part of the celebrations of the Queen’s platinum jubilee. The King and Queen Camilla will then visit the nearby Dunfermline Abbey, which is marking its 950th anniversary. Today’s visit to…
Read MoreScone Palace launches ‘Kids go free’ offer
SCONE Palace will be throwing open its doors to young people tomorrow, with free entry throughout October for all children aged 15 and under. The “Kids go free” offer also covers the palace’s 100 acres of grounds, which include the Murray star maze, a Victorian pinetum, and an adventure playground. Indoors, the palace – which…
Read MoreGeorge Leslie Hunter paintings at Bonhams’ Scottish art sale
TWELVE paintings by Scottish Colourist George Leslie Hunter are going under the hammer at Bonhams’ Scottish art sale in Edinburgh on 19 October. The collection was assembled by Hunter’s cousin, Arthur Leyden, and is being sold by the descendants of Leyden’s daughter, Peggie. The paintings coming up for auction include The Blue Teacup, a work…
Read MoreKillin gets its first dentist
KILLIN now has its own dental practice, saving villagers a round-trip of up to 100 miles. Chris Barrowman, who founded Infinityblu Dental Care in Pitlochry in 2007, has invested £330,000 in his new clinic in the Perthshire village. “The community has been amazing,” said Barrowman, who also owns practices in Alyth, Auchterarder, Crieff, and Dunkeld.…
Read MoreReady Player One: Strathallan opens ‘esports’ suite
PUPILS at Strathallan School can now play “electronic sports” (esports) against each other in a new facility. “Esports” are computer games that are played on professional equipment, with Scotland fielding an esports team at this summer’s Commonwealth Games. “It’s a great time to be a student at Strathallan,” said former pupil Josh Martin. Martin, who…
Read More‘Internet of things’ helps Hebrides peatland
SENSORS connected to the “internet of things” (IoT) are helping to monitor the health of peatlands in the Western Isles. The year-long trial is measuring the water content of the peat surrounding Loch Orasaigh on Lewis. Normally, people need to walk to remote monitoring stations to measure the water content, and so the sensors should…
Read MoreGlasgow faces Liverpool in race to host Eurovision
GLASGOW and Liverpool have been shortlisted as the final two cities to host the Eurovision song contest. Ukraine won last year’s competition, but can’t host next year’s final because of Russia’s ongoing invasion. Instead, the UK will host Eurovision, with Glasgow making it down to the final two contestants. Aberdeen and Edinburgh had also been…
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