By Christine Lavelle SCOTLAND rugby legend Gavin Hastings lined up with musicians at Edinburgh Castle today to help kick-off this year’s Pipefest 2010. The five-yearly event will welcome thousands of pipers from 27 countries around the world for the gathering on August 7. The One O’clock Gun will signal the start of the parade from [...]
By Michael MacLeod SCOTS firms could be about to find themselves hit by a round of golf related sickies brought on by this year’s Open golf championships. Not because golf fans are bunk-ering off work to watch the likes of Tiger Woods and co fighting it out at the Old Course in St Andrew’s. But [...]
By Cara Sulieman TV PRESENTER Ben Fogle today revealed the reason he keeps stretching himself is because he is still “chasing memories” of his time in the Outer Hebrides. He said that the reason he keeps setting himself mammoth challenges is because he misses his time on Taransay, where he was marooned with 35 other [...]
By Christine Lavelle TWO adventurous Scots are gearing up to lead a seven-strong team of fundraisers across the world in a mad dash race to Mongolia aboard a bright red fire engine. Steven Smith, 32, and step sister Kate Austin, 23, both from Portincaple near Helensburgh, are to head up the team ‘Monletsgolia’ on their [...]
By Christine Lavelle TEENAGERS will be the focus of a ‘No Knives’ campaign being launched in Edinburgh tomorrow. Lothian and Borders Police and City of Edinburgh Council plan to work with youngsters throughout the summer to tackle knife crime. They are focusing on the North of the city which accounts for a third of all [...]
By Christine Lavelle A SCOTTISH prosthetics company has been named the most innovative company in Europe at this year’s International Business Awards. Touch Bionics, based in Livingston, beat off competition from more than 1,700 entries across 40 nations to take the global award. The company, which develops upper-limb prosthetics, was assessed on its progress over [...]
By Cara Sulieman SOME of golf’s greatest legends gathered at St Andrew’s on Tuesday night to come face to face with their portraits. Sandy Lyle, Tony Jacklin and Roberto De Vincenzo were at the gallery in the Fife town to see an exhibition of golfing portraits unveiled. They were created by artist Joe Austen who [...]
By Cara Sulieman HUNDREDS of people are gearing up for this year’s Rat Race urban assault course of jumping, swimming, cycling and running taking place in Edinburgh at the weekend. Competitors will take over parts Edinburgh and surrounding area as they do their best to complete the challenges along the way. Navigating their way around [...]
By Christine Lavelle POLICE in Fife are warning residents to be alert to bogus callers in the area, following a string of suspicious house calls in recent weeks. PC Paul Buttercase, community safety officer for North East Fife, said elderly householders are the most vulnerable targets for the criminals who have been encouraging unnecessary gardening [...]
By Christine Lavelle A WOMAN has been taken to hospital with suspected leg and stomach injuries after her car turned on its side during a two-vehicle crash. The crash, near Bush Estate in Penicuik, Midlothian, happened shortly after 7am today, leaving the woman and two men injured. She was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary’s accident [...]
By Martin Graham STAFF at the doomed Slumberdown bedding plant in Hawick were last night described as being “very angry” at the actions of senior management after the collapse of the firm and the threatened loss of 60 jobs. Administrators Ernst and Young met with staff in two separate meetings to discuss the immediate plans [...]
By Martin Graham EDINBURGH Zoo has welcomed its two newest residents, a pair of Malayan sun bears called Rotana and Somnang. The bears were brought over from Cambodia, where they faced threats from poachers and hunters. They were rescued in 2004, when they were just cubs, from a private owner who kept them in a [...]
By Cara Sulieman AN OVERLOOKED Scottish artist is getting a rare retrospective of his work starting tomorrow. John Maclachlan Milne was a contemporary of the Scottish Colourists movement and was highly regarded by collectors of the day. But he has since been forgotten and only one exhibition of his work has happened since his death. [...]
By Cara Sulieman A COLLECTION of loose diamonds worth thousands of pounds are set to go under the hammer later this week. Auction house Lyon and Turnbull are hoping that the rare gems will appeal to both collectors and private buyers who could have them made up into jewellery. Four of the lots contain unusual [...]
Picture by Lorenzo Dalberto: A trapeze performer from the Gerry Cottle’s Circus rehearses her routine ahead of tonight show in Edinburgh.
By Paul Thornton A PERVERTED Sir who had seedy threesomes with two 16-year-old pupils faces being struck off and losing his career as a teacher after being placed on the sex offenders register. Art teacher Christopher Cunningham, 58, was already suspended from a West Lothian secondary school after it emerged he had instigated sexual relationships [...]
By Christine Lavelle A HEROIN addict caught with 57 bags of the drug tried to tell police he was dealing in chocolate. Officers received a tip off that Kevin McHugh, 35, was supplying diamorphine from his home in Dalkeith last October. And when they raided his Midlothian home and found almost £600 of illegal substances, [...]
By Shaun Milne POLICE have arrested a man over an assault on a Paramedic who was trying to help him after a crash. The 52-year-old had been involved in a collision in South Queensferry and turned on the medic who was tending his injuries. Officers found he was over the legal drink drive limit and [...]
By Shaun Milne POLICE in Edinburgh are hunting a knifeman who robbed a man near the city’s High Street on Sunday. Detectives said the victim – a 22-year-old man – was forced to hand over a small sum of cash but was unhurt in the drama. The incident happened at around 10.50pm on steps leading [...]
By Shaun Milne EDINBURGH is to get a little bit of ‘Ritz’ glitz with the opening of a new fashion boutique next month. Arkangel & Felon will re-launch its entire store in William Street next month complete with a major overhaul of its shop floor, IT and ordering systems. Husband and wife team Sarah Cosgrove [...]