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The Folk at the Salmon Bothy group, based in Portsoy, celebrated the New Year with a special online event that featured music, poetry, and stories. The group, which has been running for over a decade, aims to promote folk music and culture in the north-east of Scotland. A virtual celebration Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the group decided to host a virtual celebration instead of their usual live event at the Salmon Bothy, a historic building that was once used for curing fish. The online event, which was streamed on Facebook and YouTube, attracted more than 200 viewers from around…

A Scottish start-up social enterprise that aims to tackle climate change by restoring peatlands has been nominated for the prestigious Earthshot Prize, a global initiative launched by Prince William and Sir David Attenborough. What is the Earthshot Prize? The Earthshot Prize is a £50 million award that will be given to five winners every year for the next 10 years, to support the most innovative and impactful solutions to the world’s biggest environmental challenges. The prize is inspired by the concept of moonshots, which since the moon landing in 1969 has become synonymous with ambitious and ground-breaking goals. The prize…

The Moray MP and Scottish Conservative leader reflects on the challenges and opportunities of the past year and the future Douglas Ross, the MP for Moray and the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, has shared his thoughts on the year 2023 and his hopes for 2024 in an exclusive interview with our reporter. He spoke about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the recovery of the economy, the constitutional debate, and his plans to make Scotland a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Covid-19: A year of resilience and adaptation Ross praised the efforts of the NHS…

How it all started Lynne Fisher is a passionate animal lover who has dedicated her life to saving dogs from the cruel meat trade in China. She runs a charity called Paws2Rescue, which helps to find loving homes for the rescued dogs in the UK. Lynne, who lives in Aberdeenshire, has been working with local shelters and volunteers in China for over six years, and has helped to save more than 100 dogs from slaughter. Lynne Fisher with some of the dogs she rescued from China (Image: Daily Record) The backlash However, not everyone is happy with Lynne’s efforts. She…

The year 2022 was marked by the emergence and spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, which caused a surge in cases and hospitalizations in many countries. Despite the pandemic, millions of people around the world celebrated the arrival of 2023 with fireworks, music, and hope for a better future. Here are some of the highlights of the new year celebrations across the globe. London pays tribute to the Queen with spectacular display The UK capital put on a dazzling show of lights and pyrotechnics that lit up the sky over the River Thames. The 12-minute display featured a tribute…

A life dedicated to helping others Lucy Smith, a 29-year-old grandmother from Elgin, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in King Charles’ New Year’s honours list for her voluntary services to motor neurone disease (MND) research. Lucy, who was diagnosed with MND at the age of 19, has raised around £200,000 for MND Scotland and has been an active campaigner and fundraiser for the cause. Lucy, who is married to Tommy and has two children, Logan and Ahsoka, said she was “honoured” and “surprised” to receive the medal. She said: "When I got the email I had to…

A new report by Women’s Enterprise Scotland (WES) has highlighted the persistent challenges and barriers faced by women business owners in Scotland, despite their significant contribution to the economy. Women-led businesses generate £8.8 billion for Scotland According to the report, women-led businesses account for 20% of all businesses in Scotland, employing more than 230,000 people and generating £8.8 billion in turnover. However, these businesses face structural inequalities that limit their growth potential and resilience, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, titled “The State of Women’s Enterprise in Scotland 2023”, is based on data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM),…

Humza Yousaf announces funding boost and council tax freeze at party conference The SNP leader and first minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, has announced a new annual funding of £100m, subject to approval by the Scottish Parliament, to help reduce inpatient and day-case waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients over the next three years. He made the announcement in his speech at the SNP conference in Aberdeen on Monday, where he also revealed plans to freeze council tax rates across Scotland next year. Mr Yousaf said the extra £300m over three years would be used to increase capacity, staff…