
ScotRail rolls with it in busiest 2025 week as Oasis fans flock to Edinburgh
Around 328,000 people travelled with ScotRail on Friday August 8, when Liam and Noel Gallagher and their band took to the stage for the first of three sell-out gigs at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.
That total was up by almost a fifth (19%) compared with the same day last year.
Meanwhile, a total of 327,000 travellers took to the rails on Saturday, with passenger numbers for that day 12% higher than the same date in 2024, up 12% on 2024.
ScotRail added that these days were the busiest its services had been since December 14 last year, when the festive season was in full swing.
With the third Oasis concert taking place in the capital on Tuesday August 12, ScotRail said it had carried a total of 1,995,000 people over the week commencing Friday August 8.
David Ross, chief operating officer at the rail operator said: 'This week once again confirms that ScotRail is increasingly the travel mode of choice for people going to large events in Scotland.
'The fact that we've just delivered the busiest week of 2025 so far shows how important large concerts and events are to our business and the Scottish economy.
'Our frontline staff once again delivered an excellent service for almost two million customers who chose to travel with ScotRail.'
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Scotsman
11 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe theatre reviews: Pussy Riot: Riot Days The Invisible Spirit
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Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Pussy Riot: Riot Days Based on the memoir by Pussy Riot founding member Maria Alyokhina, and performed here by Alyokhina alongside two other female members of the group in trademark fluorescent balaclavas, it was originally a chronicle of state artistic repression and its resistance. Alyokhina infamously helped perform the 'Punk Prayer' on the altar of Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in 2012, 'forty seconds of crime' which saw her jailed in a Ural mountain prison for two years. Riot Days' original account of this is still here, set to a cataclysmic live electronic soundtrack by Eric J Breitenbach of Canadian band New Age Doom. The sound is conventional industrial punk, but the autobiographical lyrical content is unique and powerful, from the thrashy, flailing revisitation of the Prayer itself, to the doomy, funereal grind (the trio literally process through the audience) of Alyokhina's transportation to her oppressive, snowed-in prison. Last time we saw Alyokhina's release and return to protest as public enemy number one at the Sochi Olympics. Now there's so much more to say. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The material is split into separately-themed song chapters, with new ones added on gay persecution, Alexei Navalny, the war in Ukraine and the concurrent clampdown at home, and finally a very tense segment about her escape from Russia. Masters of the slogan, at one point the group declares 'freedom doesn't exist unless you fight for it every day'. Alyokhina, we are reminded, remains a wanted woman in her home country. 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Fandom and farce collide here, and in the wreckage something oddly majestic emerges. Alexander Cohen Failsafe ★ Dovecot Studios (Venue 198) until 24 August Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Failsafe, which explores a suicide and sex pact between two former schoolmates, promises the brand of black humour famed by cult TV phenomena like The End of the F***ing World. Where the 2017 serial (based on a comic book of the same name) excels in its witty and sensitive portrayal of two young, doomed adults, Failsafe visibly struggles. The lighting design, which multiplies the performers shadows and casts them in a range of colours, is to be commended. However, this is not nearly enough to carry the 90-minute production, which can hopefully enjoy a more rounded life in the future. 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Daily Record
11 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Outlander Blood of My Blood's Jamie Roy makes surprising Sam Heughan admission
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Scottish Sun
11 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Scotland's best hidden beaches including ‘secret' escape spot with pristine sands perfect for catching last of summer
Read on to find out if there is a beach near you JUST BEACHY Scotland's best hidden beaches including 'secret' escape spot with pristine sands perfect for catching last of summer Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTLAND'S best hidden beaches to catch the last of the summer sunshine have been revealed. As the warm weather continues, it is the perfect time to head to the seaside with the family. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 It's the perfect time to head to the beach and catch the last of the summer sunshine Credit: Alamy 5 The top five hidden beaches in Scotland have been revealed Credit: Getty Scotland has been piling on the rays this month, with August proving sunnier and warmer than normal. And Scots are set to bask in more summer sunshine and enjoy highs of 20C for a little while longer. With so many beaches and stretches of coastline to choose from, it's easy to feel spoiled for choice. Scottish hospitality group Crerar Hotels has compiled a list of the five best hidden beaches north of the border. These spots are perfect for soaking up the last of the summer rays whilst avoiding big crowds. Here are the top five hidden Scottish beaches: Whiteness Beach, Nairn If you are on the lookout for a nice, quiet beach then Whiteness Beach located to the west of Nairn Golf Club is the place for you. It is known locally as the 'Secret Beach', as it offers pristine stretches of white sand, dune grasses. You may even get to see the occasional sighting of dolphins and minke whales. Getting there does require a little planning however, as it's only accessible at low tide. Stunning Scots island with gorgeous 'Caribbean' beaches and crystal-clear blue waters and it's only an hour from Glasgow The best way to access it is by making your way to Hilton of Delnies before walking along a farm-track road, or by a scenic walk from the more popular West Beach past the golf course. If you are looking for a bite to eat afterwards, then head to the AA-Rosette awarded Hickory Restaurant at Golf View Hotel & Spa and watching the sun set over the Moray Firth. Knockvologan Beach, Isle of Mull Knockvologan Beach boasts expanses of pristine white, framed by stunning, pink granite outcrops. Just like Whiteness Beach, you can only access these dunes at low tide, when the tidal island of Erraid becomes reachable on foot. It's the perfect place for adventure seekers though, with the chance to explore David Balfour's Bay, made famous in Robert Louis Stevenson's iconic novel, Kidnapped. The beach is just a ten-minute walk alongside the track from Knockvologan Farm. 5 Knockvologan Beach boasts expanses of pristine white, framed by stunning, pink granite outcrops Credit: Alamy Ganavan Sands, Oban Just beyond the popular Oban Bay area is Ganavan Sands. It is a picturesque sandy beach complete with views across to Mull, Lismore and Morven. The beach offers easy access and ample parking facilities and you can take your beloved pooch with you as it is dog-friendly. It even offers snorkelling opportunities around the rocky outcrops and into seagrass meadows, perfect for seasoned divers and beginners. 5 This picturesque sandy beach complete with views across to Mull, Lismore and Morven Credit: Google Before heading home, you can head to Oban Bay Hotel to enjoy sunset views over the bay - and it's the ideal place to visit if you're a fan of seafood. Loch Fyne shoreline, Inverary If you're not a big fan of sandy beaches, then the pebbled shoreline of Loch Fyne is a great hidden spot for you. The loch side offers the ideal place for a picnic or a stroll, either along the waterfront or on the nearby Inveraray Forest Circuit. The loch is also the perfect place for a cold dip thanks to its famously clean water. It boasts some wonderful marine life, including seals, otters and a variety of seabirds. Located right on the coastline is the famous Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa. And if you are looking for a bite to eat, head to its award-winning Cladach Mor Bistro. 5 The loch is also the perfect place for a cold dip thanks to its famously clean water Credit: Getty - Contributor Hackley Bay, Aberdeenshire Hackley Bay, which is considered one of the Highland's most unspoiled coastal treasures. Tucked away inside the Forvie National Nature Reserve, this horseshoe shaped sandy bay lies within a designated Special Area of Conservation. This means its dunes and cliffs are vital for numerous seabird species and coastal flora. But it does require a bit of planning to get to Hackley Bay. Beach-goers will need to park at one of the two reserve car parks off the A975 and then walk for about 15 to 20 minutes along scenic footpaths across dune heath to the shoreline. The south side of the bay offers stone steps for a more manageable descent, while the northern approach can be steep and rough.