Highland Echoes: Scottish heritage celebrated in America

Scotland’s history and heritage has been celebrated in America through music and dance production Highland Echoes. The two-hour show took place at the Appalachian Theatre in Boone, North Carolina, in July, and tried to capture the “essence of Scotland” through dance and music.  The music of Highland Echoes tells a tale that stretches across continents,…

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FRINGE REVIEW: FLAMENCO GUITAR ODYSSEY WITH PHILIP ADIE

Rosie Morton reviews Philip Adie’s Flamenco Guitar Odyssey.  ONE man and his guitar. Amidst the madness of The Fringe, it pays to keep things simple. Aberdeen-born Philip Adie, who now lives in Seville, did just that with his ‘Flamenco Guitar Odyssey’. Taking to the stage in Alba Flamenca, an intimate venue on East Crosscauseway, Adie…

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Scotland’s thriving rum scene

Peter Holland, co-host of The Scottish Rum Festival masterclasses, tells us about Scotland’s thriving rum scene ahead of this year’s festival.    Ever since Dark Matter hit the news in 2015 for being the first Scottish Rum-producing distillery to open in the modern era, the Scottish Rum scene has been growing year on year. Fast…

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Tattoo performers head for ball pit

FOUR of the performers from the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo have taken time out to enjoy the capital’s biggest ball pit. The perforners have been playing in the Electro Pipes section of the tattoo, which “fuses together traditional bagpipe melodies with contemporary electronic beats to craft a lively and vibrant experience”. “The tattoo performers taking…

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Festival Review: Phaedra/Minotaur

Madeleine Sutton reviews Phaedra/Minotaur at the Edinburgh International Festival. IN THIS production of Phaedra/Minotaur – which pairs Benjamin Britten’s final poignant cantata Phaedra, with the moving new dance piece Minotaur – opera and theatre director Deborah Warner and choreographer Kim Brandstrup take us through themes of passion, female desire, and devastation. Phaedra, based on Robert…

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Great Glen Challenge begins for RSABI

TWENTY-SIX teams are taking part in the Great Glen Challenge today to raise money for the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI). Teams of four people will run, kayak, ride, and hike from Fort Augustus to Fort William. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Scotland has three teams taking part. Colin Ferguson, NFU Scotland’s Dumfries and…

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Early departure for Loch of the Lowes ospreys

THE ospreys nesting at the Scottish Wildlife Trust nature reserve at Loch of the Lowes in Perthshire have made their earliest departure. Female NC0 hasn’t been spotted at the loch since 15 July, while male LM12 was last seen on 12 August. Both birds arrived back at the reserve after wintering in Africa on the…

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Cal Major becomes National Trust for Scotland ambassador

VET and adventurer Dr  Cal Major has been named as a new ambassador for the National Trust for Scotland (NTS). Major recently visited the Treshnish Isles, the NTS’s newest site, to film a video. In her new voluntary role, Major will raise awareness of and support for the trust’s conservation work. Major – who has…

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Famous penguin Sir Nils Olav gets promoted

ARGUABLY the world’s most famous penguin, Sir Nils Olav, has been promoted once more. Olav was raised from the rank of brigadier to major-general during a ceremony at Edinburgh Zoo. More than 160 members of the King’s Guard Band & Drill Team of Norway attended the event and bestowed Olav with his latest honour. The…

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