TV chef Clodagh McKenna to headline Stranraer Oyster Festival

TELEVISION presenter and chef Clodagh McKenna will lead cookery demonstrations at the Stranraer Oyster Festival in September. McKenna, the resident chef on This Morning on STV and a previous regular on The Today Show in the United States, will cook in the kitchen marquee at the harbour. “Scotland’s reputation for high-quality and award-winning produce is…

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NC500 repeats motorhome and campervan advice

THE North Coast 500 (NC500) has reminded visitors driving motorhomes and campervans about the “dos and don’ts” while touring the North Highlands. Operations director Craig Mills said: “Experiencing the NC500 by motorhome or campervan has become a popular way for visitors to enjoy all that the North Highlands has to offer. “However, it is important…

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Strathallan pupil serves up US tennis ambition

A PUPIL from Strathallan School in Perthshire is swapping Scotland for Virgina to pursue her tennis career. Katie Bradley is moving to Emory & Henry College to study psychology and join its Wasps tennis team. The 17-year-old pupil from Auchterarder said: “College tennis in North America is on a whole other level – it’s a…

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Boo bags biggest fags haul in Scotland

SNIFFER dog Boo has set a record for the most illegal cigarettes seized by a trading standards team in Scotland. East Ayrshire Council teamed up with the police to raid three premises in Kilmarnock. Boo sniffed out 447,000 cigarettes, worth an estimated £134,000. Training for Boo, a three-year-old Labrador-German Wirehaired Pointer cross, was funded by…

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St Leonards School celebrates exam results

PUPILS at St Leonards School in St Andrews are celebrating this week after receiving their International Baccalaureate (IB) results. The independent school set a record average points score of 36, out of a possible 45 points. More than a quarter of its leavers scored 40 points or higher, placing them in the top 7% of…

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Jousting sells out at Linlithgow Peel

LINLITHGOW Peel hosted its first jousting tournament over the weekend since the start of the pandemic. Organiser Historic Environment Scotland (HES) all of its tickets for the show, which is part of the public body’s summer events programme. Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfries, which is also managed by HES, will host a jousting tournament on 30…

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Why do authors use pen names?

THE reasons why writers use pen names is the theme for a new exhibition at the National Library of Scotland. “Pen Names” opens at the library on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh on Friday. The exhibition draws on material from the library’s archive to cover a range of writers using pseudonyms from the 1800s to…

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Frankie Boyle on debut novel shortlist

COMEDIAN Frankie Boyle is among six writers shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize. The debut award was launched in 2019, with two of its previous winners – Claire Askew and Deborah Masson – going on to make the longlist for this year’s main McIlvanney Prize. The judges for this year’s debut prize are Arusa…

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Orkney and Cairngorms to host outdoor art

ORKNEY and the Cairngorms have been selected to host “Green Space Dark Skies“, a series of massive outdoor artworks. Volunteers – including paddleboarders and kayakers – are being recruited to hold lights in the Cairngorms national park on 11 August. Residents on North Ronaldsay will hold lights on 16 August to form astronomical symbols and…

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Rare Coralroot Orchid found in Wester Ross

A RARE Coralroot Orchid has been found in Wester Ross for the first time in 250 years. The orchid was spotted earlier this month on on the National Trust for Scotland’s Balmacara Estate during a visit by conservation land managers from the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest. Gus Routledge, an ecologist representing Reforesting Scotland and Scotland…

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