Aberdeenshire county flag unfurled at Castle Fraser

THE new Aberdeenshire county flag was hoisted up the pole at Castle Fraser on Saturday. The flag was based on designs by pupils from Newtonhill primary school in Stonehaven and Elrick primary school in Westhill. Children from the schools presented the flag to Sandy Manson, Aberdeen’s lord-lieutenant at the castle, which is run by the…

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Scottish Chamber Orchestra marks 50th birthday

THE Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) will unveil details of its 2023-24 season today as it prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Guests joining the orchestra during the year ahead include Thomas Adès, Nicola Benedetti, Colin Currie, Karen Cargill, Richard Egarr, Andrew Manze, and Roderick Williams. New music due to be performed during the season includes…

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Cyclists gear up for Sunday’s Etape Loch Ness

A TOTAL of 6,000 riders are gearing up for the Etape Loch Ness cycle race on Sunday. Slots to take part in the race sold out within 50 hours, with 26% of the competitors coming from Scotland, and nearly 2% from overseas. Event director Malcolm Sutherland said: “The 2023 Etape Loch Ness looks set to…

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Firth of Forth marine life mapped

WHALES, dolphins, and other mammals visiting the Firth of Forth have been mapped by scientists and the public. More than 450 people reported sightings of whales, porpoises, dolphins, and seals to researchers from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh using the Forth Marine Mammals group on the Facebook social network. Exotic species such as humpback, minke, and…

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BBC Alba marks Hebrides migration centenary

A SERIES of dramatic monologues recorded by BBC Alba to mark the centenary of major migrations from the Outer Hebrides comes to an end tomorrow. The eight-part series, entitled Marloch is Metagama: Guthan (Marloch and Metagama: Voices), will be available on the BBC iPlayer for 30 days. Nearly 600 islanders left the Outer Hebrides in…

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Billy Connolly turned into National Theatre of Scotland show

THE National Theatre of Scotland has written a show about comedian Billy Connolly. The show was written by Gary McNair, who gathered stories about Connolly from people throughout Scotland. The performance, entitled Dear Billy, is billed as “A love letter to the Big Yin from the people of Scotland” and will tour our nation from 16…

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Campaigners mount ‘Ride to Parliament’

TEN horses led a “Ride to Parliament” through London this week as part of the campaign to pass the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill. The procession rode from Knightsbridge through Central London to the Houses of Parliament, escorted by mounted police. The bill would ban exports of live animals from Great Britain for fattening or…

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Gray’s School of Art students team up with Braemar Castle

FASHION and textile students from Gray’s School of Art at Robert Gordon University are working with a team from Braemar Castle to create clothes for their fashion show at Aberdeen Art Gallery on 5 May. Twenty first-year students have worked on the project to create garments that are linked to Braemar Castle. A total of…

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Roman ‘fortlet’ found near Antonine Wall

A ROMAN “fortlet” has been rediscovered near the remains of the Antonine Wall. Public body Historic Environment Scotland (HES) found the lost mini-fort during a geophysical survey in an “unassuming field” near Carleith Primary School in West Dunbartonshire. The fortlet was mentioned in 1707 by antiquarian Robert Sibbald, who wrote that he had seen a…

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Stanley Tucci praises St Andrews film festival

ACTOR Stanley Tucci presented his directorial debut at the Sands international film festival in St Andrews. The American star showed Big Night, which he directed in 1996. “I’m excited that people still like the film, and it holds up – because films, sometimes, they don’t,” he said. “I’m excited to hear what their reactions are…

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