Reindeer trail is on track to be a success in Stirling

Stirling’s Reindeer Trail is off to a flying start with youngsters searching for the magical animals in shops and cafes around the city during the run-up to Christmas. A herd of 20 life-size colourful reindeer, designed and decorated by local schoolchildren, flew into Stirling last month to take up residence in shop windows as part…

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Work on the first cider brewery in the north east is underway

Plans to create north east Scotland’s first cidery have been revealed. Husband and wife team, Neil and Katie Sime, who run Blackford Craft Distillery near Inverurie, are launching Aberdeenshire’s first Cidery with plans to grow heritage apple trees on site at their six-acre property in Blackford, Aberdeenshire. The couple currently produce Vesperis Pictish Gin and…

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Tapestry cutting off ceremony is announced

A Scottish studio is inviting art and textile lovers to watch the cutting off of Water Surface 2018, its newest tapestry. Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh is celebrating 10 years in the Infirmary Street studio, and Water Surface 2018 is almost four metres square and has been hand-woven over the past six months by master weaver…

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The Scot who was off the strait and narrow

The temptingly wide strip of water was a terrible place to bring a ship in a gale, despite the arrival of a mystery Scot as protector. Only discovered by the British explorer George Bass a few decades before the Cataraqui went down in 1845 – still considered Australia’s worst peacetime disaster – the fact that…

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Using ancient skills to create a crafty coracle

Jane Wilkinson is a willow weaver with a passion for traditional craft and a love for the ancient art of coracle making. Despite studying science at Edinburgh University, Jane’s love of woodlands led to her branching out in a different direction. Now based in Alyth, near Blairgowrie, the willow weaver and artisan basket maker is…

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Copper stills gently reawakened after 35 years of rest

Copper stills in a Scotch whisky distillery which have been slumbering since 1983 have been wakened. The beautiful copper pot stills of the Brora distillery, which have lain at rest since the distillery closed its doors in 1983, are now at the first stage of a journey that will see them once again making the…

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The free art gallery on the streets of Glasgow

Travelling into Manchester city centre in the run-up to the 2002 Commonwealth Games made for an interesting journey. While state-of-the-art facilities popped up, such as the £32m aquatics centre and the City of Manchester Stadium, old buildings were shrouded from view. Some of the city centre’s derelict structures which escaped demolition prior to the Games, were…

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Hawick’s Common Riding to feature on television

The story of The Common Riding in a Scottish town is to feature in a TV documentary next week. For centuries, people in the Borders have been celebrating their history on horseback. The summer Common Ridings see townsfolk ‘ride out’ to commemorate the historic territory battles between the Scots and English and honour local patriots…

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The realities of dementia at the heart of Still Alice

The power of theatre is immense – provoking strong reactions from the audience, as powerful performances elicit emotions that we never expected to feel. Still Alice, currently being performed at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, takes the audience on a journey, as they feel the effects of early-onset Alzheimer’s on the play’s titular character. Based…

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Record numbers visit Enchanted Forest

A stunning Scottish sound and light show has confirmed it had record numbers of attendees this year. The Enchanted Forest, Perthshire’s multi award-winning attraction, has confirmed it had just over 80,000 visitors at this year’s sold-out show, with a 9% increase on the previous record-breaking year. Event organisers have also announced that its three official…

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