By Rory Reynolds SCOTLAND’S iconic orange-nectar is to go green with the help of new massive wind turbines. Irn-Bru bosses AG Barr have received planning permission to erect a massive two-megawatt turbine to provide electricity to its Cumbernauld factory. The 130-year-old firm will be able to generate up to 60 per cent of the factory’s [...]
By Rory Reynolds A WOMAN was in hospital last night after her car skidded on an “exceptionally” icy road and landed in a field. The vehicle, described as a dark 4×4, was travelling on the A703 near to Peebles when the incident occurred just before midnight on Saturday. The woman was rushed to the Borders [...]
By Rory Reynolds THE BRITISH National Party’s Scottish leader aims to contest Jim Murphy’s seat in the May election as part of PR drive to win a seat at Holyrood next year. The far-right party will use the Westminster election campaign to gain publicity for the next Scottish Parliament election in 2011, where they believe [...]
By Rory Reynolds THE makers of Buckfast are under pressure to remove caffeine from its recipe after new figures linked the drink to crime. Research shows that half of young men jailed for booze-related crimes consumed the tonic wine before committing an offence, with some claiming the caffeine made them “hyper” and aggressive. A BBC [...]
By Andrea McCallum SCOTLAND’S highest paid council staff will share a £200,000 jackpot – for announcing the results of the General Election. The extra cash will be added to their salaries as a one-off payment for their polling day duties. And that will mean a bonus of about £10,000 for some of the chief executives [...]
By Andrea McCallum SCOTLAND’S capital can boast five Michelin Star restaurants – after a newly-opened venture grabbed the latest coveted award. Chef Paul Kitching – owner of elite establishment 21212 – was given the prestigious honour for his restaurant which only opened last May. Edinburgh now holds more Michelin Star restaurants within the UK than [...]
By Andrea McCallum MEDIEVAL trenches dating back to the 16th century have been found underneath Edinburgh Castle. The foundations – which formed part of the castle’s outer defences – were discovered by archaeologists. Workers unearthed the walls and foundations during work to install new seating for Edinburgh Military Tattoo audiences. Two separate structures were found [...]
By Andrea McCallum A TINY puppy was left to die in freezing temperatures after being dumped in a plastic bag. The six-week-old female crossbreed was found shivering in a snow-covered field by a dog walker in Catrine, Ayrshire. Luckily the dog walker’s pet sniffed out the lonely pup inside a Farmfoods carrier bag on Monday [...]
By Michael MacLeod THE grieving family of a toddler who tragically fell to his death through a gap in a balcony at his mother’s office have been told there was “no reason” for the gap to be there. Little Ben McCreath was just 21-months old when he plunged 15-feet to his death from the first [...]
By Cara Sulieman THE pr-ICE could be right for eBay shoppers after they were offered the chance to buy SNOW online. Up for auction is a whole car park full of the white stuff, an igloo or even individual bags of snow. Bizarrely, offers for the car park worth of the stuff are flooding [...]
By Rory Reynolds A VALUABLE painting has been pinched from one of Scotland’s top law libraries in a “mystery” heist. Bosses at the Signet Library in Edinburgh believe a daring thief snatched the masterpiece after attending a talk as a GUEST on New Year’s Day. Staff returned to work at the prestigious legal collection after [...]
By Rory Reynolds CRIME boss Arthur ‘The Godfather’ Thompson masterminded a reign of terror across Scotland’s prisons even after he was jailed. Chilling declassified documents released yesterday after 40 years outlined how the Glasgow gangster threatened, manipulated and even paid other lags to do his dirty work. They describe Thompson – who ruled Glasgow’s criminal [...]
By Rory Reynolds THOUSANDS of classified government documents have been released to the general public. Many of the items, which include details of scandals, accidents and public events, were intended to be destroyed or locked away for up to 75 years. But now secret files have been opened up to the public by the National [...]
By Andrea McCallum A KEEN golf nut swaps spikes for ICE-SKATES to get a round in as Scotland is hit by a second wave of freezing weather. Former ice hockey player Anthony Caira – club pro at Kirkcaldy Golf Club – braved sub zero temperatures on Tuesday to take on the frozen green. The 48-year-old [...]
By Cara Sulieman A DRUNKEN primary teacher has been struck off after getting smashed on a school trip she was running. Marian Bruce, 55, was in charge of around 30 P6 and P7 pupils during a three-day trip to an outdoor centre near Dunoon. But Bruce asked a colleague to buy her vodka before displaying [...]
By Andrea McCallum A VIRUS outbreak has forced two Scottish hospitals to close nearly 10 wards after both staff and patients were infected. Queen Margaret Hospital and Lynebank Hospital – both in Dunfermline – have closed some wards to new admissions. And a total of 14 patients and 12 staff across the wards have shown [...]
By Andrea McCallum A CHURCH leader from Gordon Brown’s home town has taken out an advert in his local paper to support the under-pressure PM in the upcoming election. Reverend Joe Nwokoye insists the Fife-born Premier is the best candidate for the job. And Dr Nwokoye – a pastor in Kirkcaldy – hopes to inspire [...]
By Rory Reynolds A PRISONER of war logbook put together by airmen at the famous Great Escape camp has fetched 10 times its estimated value after a heated bidding war yesterday. The scrapbook, owned by Private William Macdonald, details life in Stalag Luft III, where the famous Tom, Dick and Harry tunnels were dug by [...]
By Rory Reynolds A RARE “uncorrected proof” edition of the first Harry Potter book in which J.K.Rowling’s name is spelled wrongly has been sold for £1600 at auction. The plain-covered Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – written by ‘J.A.Rowling’ – was snapped up by a collector at Edinburgh’s Lyon & Turnbull auction house yesterday. [...]
By Rory Reynolds HERO Scots rescuers are preparing to jet out to disaster stricken Haiti after a massive earthquake ravaged the Caribbean island. A 15-strong team from Fife-based International Rescue Corps were last night finalising plans to fly into the disaster zone as the death toll mounts. Julie Ryan said their advanced equipment could help [...]