By Cara Sulieman CHRISTMAS is traditionally a time of goodwill and cheer – but for some couples it will end in tears and divorce. And to help waring spouses get the ball rolling on the proceeding, an legal firm has set up a divorce hotline. Gibson Kerr in Edinburgh plan to respond quickly to calls [...]
By Cara Sulieman A CLAN chief is plotting to take back land that he claims once used to belong to his family. Ranald MacDonald, chief of the MacDonald’s of Keppoch branch, is hoping to use an ancient law to regain ownership of the entire area of Lochaber. And he claims that the law stands in [...]
By Rory Reynolds A TOP PR boss was sacked from his post at Homecoming Scotland without warning because bosses judged it more “humane”, a tribunal heard yesterday. Richard Saville-Smith is suing VisitScotland – the public body behind the campaign – for unfair dismissal after he was fired following an episode of stress related depression. The [...]
By Cara Sulieman SCOTLAND’S most popular baby names have been revealed, with Jack topping the boys’ list for the seventh time in the last 11 years. And for girls Sophie is still a firm favourite after five years at the top spot. In second place for the boys is Lewis, which has been in the [...]
By Cara Sulieman A CANCER patient was left facing a nightmare before Christmas after a catalogue of travel disasters. First Patricia Vikis and her husband Panos were left stranded in Cyprus last Wednesday after the collapse of what was Scotland’s biggest airline Flyglobespan. Disappointed but pragmatic, they instead booked a flight back with low-cost airline [...]
By Cara Sulieman A DEPARTMENT store is spreading a little Christmas spirit by making a donation to a charity who had their collecting tin stolen from them while they were fundraising. Members of staff from MSTC Lothian were busy wrapping shoppers’ Christmas gifts outside Debenhams in Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh when a callous thief took the [...]
By Rory Reynolds A GRANDMOTHER was fighting for her life in hospital last night after becoming locked out of her home for seven hours in sub-zero temperatures. Jeanette Wright was discovered “frozen in a ball” by a 17-year-old neighbour after spending the night out in the open as blizzards raged. Neighbours said the 60-year-old pharmacy [...]
By Cara Sulieman AN elderly dog has cheated death after being abandoned on the first day of freezing temperatures across the country. The German Shepherd was found wandering around Bo’ness by a kind-hearted passer-by who called the local dog warden, who in turn called the Scottish SPCA. At 10 years old, the pooch was extremely [...]
By Cara Sulieman A CALLOUS thief stole £200 from a charity while they were busy raising money in a Scots shopping centre. A multiple sclerosis sufferer and three members of staff from MSTC Lothian were busy wrapping shoppers’ Christmas gifts when the burglar struck. The collection jar – thought to have contained between £150 and [...]
By Cara Sulieman WAR HAS broken out in Susan Boyle’s hometown of Blackburn as one resident prepares to sell a unique piece of SuBo memorabilia. The Britain’s Got Talent star won the local karaoke competition three times before her meteoric rise to fame and there are now plans to sell the trophy for charity. But [...]
By Andrea McCallum VIKING ships could return to Scotland’s waters for the revival of an ancient racing event. Fleets of the historic crafts are expected to be used in sea-rowing contests thanks to a project launched in a Scottish coastal town. Young Scots are being given the chance to buy and build their own galley [...]
By Cara Sulieman THE CHURCH of Scotland is calling on people to give the Bethlehem innkeeper a chance and to stop the “bad press” he has been getting for the past 2,000 years. The Kirk said that he has been unfairly blamed for refusing Mary and Joseph a room when his inn was fully booked [...]
By Andrea McCallum SHE may be a little shaken if not a tad stirred but Susan Boyle has been tipped to lend her lungs to the next James Bond theme tune. The global songstress is rumoured to join the small group of stars who have been chosen to sing on 007 soundtracks. And composers who [...]
By Cara Sulieman HUNDREDS of psychiatric patients have escaped from Scotland’s mental hospitals in the past five years. The figures include 38 serious offenders who receiving treatment without time limit – including murderers and rapists – and 20 who were on remand. The numbers have led to a call for the tightening of security at [...]
By Andrea McCallum BRAVEHEART star and director Mel Gibson could return to the rolling landscapes of Scotland for his latest war epic. The award-winning actor is considering location options for a Viking movie which is allegedly untitled and at script stage. And fifteen years after Braveheart was made Gibson may just shoot Scotland’s stunning scenery [...]
By Cara Sulieman THE CHRISTMAS menu for some of Scotland’s most dangerous prisoners has been revealed, with a mouth-watering selection of meals available. With breakfast, lunch and tea being offered, the Scottish Prison Service said “nice food eases tension in jail”. But many will be angered as they struggle to feed their family during the [...]
By Cara Sulieman ONE OF the country’s top tourist attractions closed its doors today (Sun) thanks to the wintry weather. Edinburgh Zoo – which is open every day of the year including Christmas – had to remain shut because ice had made the steep paths around the enclosures too dangerous. And they said that they [...]
By Andrea McCallum POLICE are on track to find the fire-raisers who targeted a junior football club’s grounds – after footprints were left in the snow at the scene of the crime. Vandals left clues to their illegal activity after torching a Portakabin within Creamery Park in Bathgate on Thursday night. And the heavy snowfall [...]
By Andrea McCallum DECEMBER is the one month of the year when indulging in the finest food and wine is standard practice. But for a group of Edinburgh bar staff the festive period was a countdown to get whipped into shape. The nine strapping lads have spent the last few weeks preparing to strip down [...]
By Cara Sulieman CHRISTMAS is a time for gluttony as the diets are pushed aside in favour of the traditional festive feast. But for one podgy pooch this year will be different. Two-year-old Tara has been put on a strict diet when her owner found out she was DOUBLE the size she should have been. [...]