A hugely important book for the countryside

Three quarters of the world’s stock of heather uplands is to be found in the UK, much of it in Scotland, and it has become a political, cultural and environmental battleground. The subtitle of this book – ‘The Battle for the Uplands against Authoritarian Conservation’ – gives a sense of what to expect from this…

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Campaigners renew push for Galloway as new National Park

Campaigners and MSPs are calling for Galloway to be announced as the site for Scotland’s third national park. This follows the news that the Scottish National Party and the Greens have come to an agreement for government, after the SNP failed to win an outright majority at the Scottish Parliament elections in May. In their…

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Aberdeenshire stands out in the property market

New figures indicate that the property market in Aberdeenshire continues to thrive, post-pandemic. In its latest quarterly residential market report, Galbraith property consultancy shows a continuing swell of activity. Year-on-year sales have increased by 85.7 percent for the quarter ending June 30, and the number of viewings has doubled on the previous quarter. Galbraith’s Aberdeenshire…

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Virgin Atlantic reveals its new Scottish home

Virgin Atlantic has a new home in Scotland, as the airline has announced plans to start flights from Edinburgh Airport. Services to the Caribbean island of Barbados will begin this December with flights to Orlando, the theme park Capital of the world set to commence from April 2022. The new routes mark the first time…

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Luxurious bespoke lodges on course for strong sales

Mains of Taymouth Country Estate and Golf Course at Kenmore is onto a fresh release of luxury turnkey lodges. These are located at its Cairn Lodges holiday home development, which is part of the prestigious Taymouth Village on the estate. Cairn Lodges, which sees Mains of Taymouth team up with top UK lodge manufacturer, Willerby…

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Whisky auction firm’s international boost

Online whisky auction site, Whisky Hammer, and its sister retail business Still Spirit, is poised for global expansion. It comes after selling a 49% stake of the Scottish family business to Rare Whisky Holdings, a whisky investment group managed out of Hong Kong. The multi-million-pound deal will deliver a 2.6X return to retail investors on…

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The Queen’s Balmoral stud manager comes to the fair

The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust Scottish Game Fair has announced a special guest for this year’s event. Celebrating conservation and the countryside, this year’s fair, with headline sponsor NFU Mutual, takes places from 24-26 September at Scone Palace. The GWCT Scottish Game Fair has announced that Sylvia Ormiston, stud manager at the Balmoral Estate,…

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European Beaver Tours launched on Atholl Estates

With the discovery of beaver habitats in a quiet and tranquil location near Dunkeld, Atholl Estates in Highland Perthshire is introducing dedicated tours. This will give people the chance to catch a glimpse of these elusive animals, which are critical to the countryside’s ecological balance. Starting this month and running until September, the European Beaver…

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A short story collection from beautiful Speyside

Set in beautiful Speyside, Speyside Memories contains a collection of short stories based on the author’s experiences of living in the area. The eleven stories begin with Matheson reminiscing over his childhood living on a small farm during wartime. The retired surgeon, who worked as a consultative surgeon in Aberdeen, then delves into his love…

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Just a handful of lodges remain at Balloch Park

Just five custom built, sustainable timber lodges remain for sale in a Scottish country estate. Mains of Taymouth Country Estate at Kenmore has announced that it only has five of its luxury timber lodges left for sale in the second phase at Balloch Park, its residential, buy to let and holiday home development. Priced from…

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