Up Helly Aa is such a hit with its annual visitors

Shetland’s annual Viking festival of fire is taking place this week. Up Helly Aa 2019 is being held on Tuesday, 29 January, and will be a huge draw for not just islanders, but visitors too. Rowan Slaney, who is based on London, came up to Up Helly Aa last year and loved her time there.…

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Celebrate a rural Christmas this weekend

Stargazing, carol-singing, a pantomime and a festive craft fair are part of an action-packed programme planned for the National Museum of Rural Life’s Christmas Fair at the Farm event. It will take place at the East Kilbride attraction on Sunday, 9 December. This special festive countryside celebration includes the chance to see donkeys in a…

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Christmas artist and maker market all ready to return

Forty artists and makers are coming together for the second Wasps festive Artist and Maker Market, taking place at the Briggait in Glasgow. The market will be a great opportunity to see work created in the Wasps studio network. It’s a chance to see a rich variety of art, craft and design of many kinds…

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Living and cooking on the edge of the world

Father and son duo Tom and James Morton have written a fantastic book. Shetland: Cooking on the Edge of the World should be recognised as far more than a simple recipe book as it contains a great deal on the history and culture of Shetland too. The authors convey the information in a humorous and friendly…

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Could you be a Great British Bake Off contestant?

James Morton, Norman Calder, Marie Campbell, Tom Hetherington and Flora Shedden have all done it – now could you?  They’re some of the Scots who have shown they know their baklava from their Princess cakes. The search is now on for contestants for the 2019 Great British Bake Off, and the company who make the…

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Scots silver that was kept secret from the Vikings

Concealed underground for over a thousand years, this fascinating haul of elaborately decorated Scottish silverware came to light in the middle of the 20th century during an excavation on St Ninian’s Isle, Shetland. Dated back to 700-800AD, the coveted collection, known as the St Ninian’s Treasure, is the only Scottish hoard of fine metalwork of…

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Edinburgh Castle is set to be rebuilt – in Australia

A full-size replica of Edinburgh Castle is to be constructed in Australia. The backdrop of a full-size replica of the castle will be built at the iconic ANZ Stadium in Sydney, when the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo plays a four-night showcase in Australia next year, marking a new international deal as part of the company’s…

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Bringing Scotland’s history to primary schools – in song

A new production from Scottish Opera will introduce the nation’s youngsters to Scotland’s history. In the spring annd summer of 2019, thousands of primary five, six and seven school pupils will rehearse and perform an opera about one of the most dramatic periods in Scottish history: the Jacobite risings. Entitled 1719!, the opera has been…

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100 year old Scottish yacht goes on public display

A stunning century-old William Fife III sailing yacht has gone on display at the Scottish Maritime Museum on the Harbourside in Irvine. Believed to be one of only 50 surviving seaworthy Fife yachts across the world, it was transported to Scotland and donated to the national maritime heritage collection by Canadian Tim Morton. The vessel,…

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Remembering the fallen on Scotland’s beaches

Tributes to the fallen in war were made all over Scotland yesterday, with six special commemorations on the nation’s beaches. Film director Danny Boyle’s special Armistice commission, Pages of the Sea, for 14-18 NOW and National Theatre of Scotland, took place at St Ninian’s Isle beach in Shetland, West Sands in St Andrews, Scapa beach…

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