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‘Stay the Night’ returns to forest car parks
MOTORHOMES and campervans will be able to “Stay the Night” again this year in 36 car parks run by government agency Forestry & Land Scotland (FLS). This year’s scheme runs from 1 April to 31 October and will charge vehicles £7 for the night. FLS said that “stays are for one night only between the…
Read MoreCharts project names team to help Argyll islands
THE Culture, Heritage & Arts (Charts) Assembly has appointed a team to support Argyll & Bute’s 23 inhabited islands. Caitlin McNeill, who lives and works on her home island of Colonsay, is Charts’ new islands culture officer, and is working with some of the organisation’s 100-plus members to showcase their work. She is working with…
Read MoreAmbassadors join 40tude Curing Colon Cancer charity
RUGBY legends Andy Nicol and Gregor Townsend have signed up as ambassadors for the “40tude Curing Colon Cancer” charity in memory of their late teammate, Tom Smith. Smith served as an ambassador for the charity until he died of bowel cancer last year, aged 50. Now, Townsend and Nicol will play an active role in…
Read MoreEast coast eyes 50% cruise boost
THE number of cruise ships visiting Dundee, Fife, and Leith is due to soar by 50% this year. Capital Cruising, the tourism arm of harbour operator Forth Ports, said 150 ships are due to dock at its east coast moorings this year, up from 100 last year. The ships will dock at Dundee, Leith, and…
Read MoreRBS hands over land for Dunard Centre
EDINBURGH’S first purpose-built concert hall for more than 100 years came a step closer today after Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) handed over land to build the Dunard Centre. The venue, which received planning permission in November 2021, will sit behind Dundas House in the New Town. Impact Scotland, the charity that’s building the concert…
Read MoreHistoric Canongate gasworks to become student flats
PLANNING permission has been granted to turn the former Canongate gasworks in Edinburgh into student flats. The application was rejected by City of Edinburgh Council in August, but a Scottish Government planning reporter has now upheld an appeal. The flats will include 76 studio rooms, a gym, and two study rooms. The development is aimed…
Read MoreAll I want for Christmas…
I think I’m quite easy to buy for, but I’m sure my family would tell you otherwise, writes Morag Bootland. I’m massively into outdoor adventures, but I also like nothing better than a coorie night in by the fire with my family and dog. For those that know me, they’d tell you that I’m not…
Read MoreShop till you drop at Bicester Village in Oxfordshire
Morag Bootland enjoys some retail therapy on a trip to Oxfordshire. HAS the panic set in yet, or are you holding off for the start of December? Shopping. Love it or loathe it, the run up to Christmas means that you have little chance of avoiding it. This year I decided that if you can’t…
Read MoreREVIEW: A West Coast wildlife cruise that ticks all the boxes
Morag Bootland grabs her binoculars for a wildlife cruise on the West Coast. AN INVITATION to cruise around the Inner Hebrides and Scotland’s West Coast on an ex-Norwegian ice-class rescue vessel named Hjalmar Bjorge (which will henceforth be known as HB) was always going to pique my interest. What with my probable Viking heritage, Piscean…
Read MoreBallater gears up for Thrive Bike festival
THE inaugural Thrive Bike festival is taking place in Ballater on 23-25 September. Riders will be able to test their navigation skills during the “Ballater Dash” and “Reliability Rides”. The festival will also include children’s activities, food, music, and stories told by Lee Craigie, director of The Adventure Syndicate. Susan Allum, one of the organisers,…
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