Mar
28
Archaeologists in Scotland have found what could be the remains of Europe’s oldest stringed instrument. A small wooden fragment thought to be from a 2300-year-old lyre was found at an excavation site in High Pasture Cave, on the Isle of Skye. Music archaeologists Dr Graeme Lawson and Dr John Purser said that despite the artefact …
Mar
27
The number of Scotland’s threatened black grouse is on the rise, according to new figures. A survey of breeding sites in Deeside, Speyside and Dumfries and Galloway have revealed a 31% increase in numbers in 2011 compared with the previous year. The positive results could be down to a combination of major woodland initiatives, conservation …
Mar
23
The March 2012 issue of The Saltire newsletter is now on the website. If you would like to read it, click on “The Saltire newsletter” under “Pages” in the right hand menu. While there you can also look at past issues of The Saltire, always an interesting read.
Mar
08
Residents of Scotland’s most northerly islands have the best quality of life in the country, according to a survey. The Shetland Islands have ousted Aberdeenshire from the top spot in the Bank of Scotland Quality of Life Survey, which is based on residents’ health and life expectancy, employment and school performance. The employment rate in …
Feb
21
A large number of members attended the Annual General Meeting of the Society, held on Sunday, 19 February. As well as the financial and Chieftain’s reports (click on the link below to see the Chieftain’s Report), the main business of the day was the election of office bearers and general Committee members. The office-bearers are …
Feb
21
Edinburgh is home to 13 of Scotland’s 20 most expensive streets. The priciest homes are in Dick Place, in the Grange area of the city, where the average property costs £1.5m. Aberdeen is another centre for costly homes, with Scotland’s second and third most expensive streets. They are Rubislaw Den South and Rubislaw Den North, …
Feb
03
Scotland’s North Sea oil and gas industry can deliver a £376 billion bonanza over the next 40 years and secure Aberdeen as “one of the global energy capitals” of the future, according to a report published recently. The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) study, titled Northern Lights: a strategic vision of Aberdeen as a world-class energy capital, said …
Sep
08
A castle on the Isles of Lewis is to be restored to its former glory and turned into a museum. Lews Castle, on the edge of Stornoway, has been on the buildings at risk register since 2000 and its development has been stalled because of a lack of funding. Now the council which owns the …
May
06
A new tourism group set up to promote the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond as one of Scotland’s top tourist destinations has, quite literally, taken off. Love Loch Lomond chairman Graeme Nesbitt and Dr Mike Cantlay, Visit Scotland Chairman, took to the skies above Britain’s largest loch to officially launch LoveLochLomond.com, a new website showcasing …