Latest news with #HighlandsandIslands
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Biker injured in weekend crash dies in hospital
A 67-year-old biker has died in hospital following a crash in the Highlands on Saturday morning. The man was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after the incident on the A862 near Beauly but died on Tuesday. The 47-year-old male driver of a black Mazda CX5 car involved in the collision was arrested. Police Scotland said he had been released pending further inquiries. More stories from the Highlands and Islands News from the Highlands and Islands on BBC Sounds The car driver and a second motorcyclist caught up in the crash were uninjured. Police Scotland has appealed for information. Sgt Calum MacAulay said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has died at this difficult time. "Inquiries are ongoing and we are continuing to appeal to anyone who witnessed the crash, who has not already spoken to police, to contact us. "We also ask anyone driving in the area at the time with dashcam footage to come forward." How to contact Police Scotland
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Biker injured in weekend crash dies in hospital
A 67-year-old biker has died in hospital following a crash in the Highlands on Saturday morning. The man was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after the incident on the A862 near Beauly but died on Tuesday. The 47-year-old male driver of a black Mazda CX5 car involved in the collision was arrested. Police Scotland said he had been released pending further inquiries. More stories from the Highlands and Islands News from the Highlands and Islands on BBC Sounds The car driver and a second motorcyclist caught up in the crash were uninjured. Police Scotland has appealed for information. Sgt Calum MacAulay said: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has died at this difficult time. "Inquiries are ongoing and we are continuing to appeal to anyone who witnessed the crash, who has not already spoken to police, to contact us. "We also ask anyone driving in the area at the time with dashcam footage to come forward." How to contact Police Scotland
The Herald Scotland
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Trouble in paradise for Scotland's Home of the Year
*** SCOTLAND'S Home of the Year has a deserved reputation as a no-snark zone. So when a whiff of trouble enters paradise, as it did this week, it stands out like a broken window in a Bearsden cul-de-sac. The first contender for the Highlands and Islands top spot was Tiny Skye Cabin, a small but perfectly formed structure down a dirt path. Trouble arrived in the shape of judge Danny, wearing his usual Crocs, and fellow marker Anna, sporting blinding white trainers and not nearly enough layers for the weather. Total city mice on a country tour. 'It looks like it's made of tin,' said Danny of the cabin. 'Bet that makes a racket when it's raining.' The interior was a study in minimalism. On the floor was a brown, indeterminate animal skin. It could have come from a sheep or a small bear. At least it cosied the place up a little, unlike the 'sofa', which was a wooden bench. 'This is SO comfortable,' said Danny in what must surely be the first sarky remark in the show's history. Read more Overall the vibe was not cutting it with the judges. Don't get me wrong. They praised aspects here and there, and judge Banjo caused giggles in the wet room when he 'accidentally' turned the shower on. But there was no getting away from it. The homeowners had committed the ultimate SHOTY crime of offences against soft furnishings - mainly by not having them. 'I feel like we're in Marie Kondo's house,' said Banjo, referencing the Netflix organising queen. 'She says throw it out if it doesn't spark joy. These guys have thrown a lot of stuff out.' An Cala Cottage on Skye was much more the judges' cuppas. The traditional bungalow, home to Caroline, Lee, and their collie Nuala, had been transformed using colour, charity shop finds and a custom-made bookcase. Caroline, Lee, and their collie Nuala (Image: free IWC Media) 'It's simple and unapologetic, and maybe a bit scruffy. I quite like it,' said Danny. 'Sounds like me,' said Banjo, who later pronounced a bedroom 'hurkle-durkle'. The old Scots term was lost on Anna. 'Staying in bed all day,' explained Banjo. 'You've got to hurkle-durkle more.' That would have left little time for the final house, La Hacienda, a converted farm steading in Kiltarlity near Inverness. This was a serious renovation that had taken seven years to complete. La Hacienda was also home to what Anna called 'quite the craziest breakfast bar I have ever seen'. How to describe this hunk of stone piercing through a blonde wood top? 'It is unusual to have such a sculptural piece right in the middle of what should be your most functional space,' said Danny, no doubt imagining what it would be like to crack a non-Croc clad big toe against it first thing in the morning. An Cala took first place. It was a cosy spot, but the score was the same as last week's modernist masterpiece in Central and Tayside. Do the two really compare? That's a battle for the final. Next week: the South.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Tools dating back 11,000 years found on Skye
Archaeologists have discovered ancient tools which they believe show evidence of one of the earliest human populations yet known in Scotland. The stone tool heads are believed to be between 11,000 and 11,500 years old and date from a period known as the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP). The discovery was made an at undisclosed location on the island of Skye. Experts say the find means that the west coast now represents the largest concentration of evidence for human populations anywhere in Scotland. More stories from the Highlands and Islands News from the Highlands and Islands on BBC Sounds Karen Hardy, Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, led a team of archaeologists and scientists which has published its findings in The Journal of Quaternary Science. She said: "This is a hugely significant discovery which offers a new perspective on the earliest human occupation yet known of north-west Scotland." During the LUP period when they tools are believed to have been made, much of western Scotland was buried under ice. Prof Hardy said groups of nomadic hunter-gatherers, most likely of the Ahrensburgian culture from northern Europe, would have crossed the Doggerland area now covered by the North Sea and established themselves on Skye. "The journey made by these pioneering people who left their lowland territories in mainland Europe to travel northwards into the unknown is the ultimate adventure story," she said. "As they journeyed northwards, most likely following animal herds, they eventually reached Scotland, where the western landscape was dramatically changing as glaciers melted and the land rebounded as it recovered from the weight of the ice. "A good example of the volatility they would have encountered can be found in Glen Roy, where the world-famous Parallel Roads provide physical testament to the huge landscape changes and cataclysmic floods that they would have encountered as they travelled across Scotland." Once they reached Skye, the early settlers crafted tools from stone found locally. Scientists believe they deliberately chose to base themselves close to coastal and river resources as well as natural materials like ochre, which was highly valued by ancient cultures.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Agency could intervene to cull estate's red deer
The Scottish government has used a legal power for the first time to force the owners of a Highland estate to cull red deer on their land. The compulsory deer management control scheme could see Scotland's nature agency, NatureScot, step in to reduce numbers of the animals on Loch Choire Estate in Sutherland. There are concerns grazing by deer is damaging mossy peatland called blanket bog at four sites of special scientific interest (SSSI). NatureScot said the action was approved by Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie and taken after a voluntary agreement on a cull could not be reached. The estate's Shropshire-based owners have 28 days to lodge an appeal against the control scheme. Gamekeepers 'spared torment' of pregnant deer cull Why are large numbers of red deer being killed? NatureScot had 160 deer culled on the estate in 2023 because it said the owners failed to manage their numbers. The deer were processed for venison. NatureScot said further action was needed and the estate could now be targeted with the first compulsory deer management control scheme under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996. The Scottish government wants the deer density on Loch Choire Estate reduced from 14 deer per square km to 7.5 within five years. Failure to do so could see NatureScot carry out a cull and recover the costs from the estate. The estate's owners could also be guilty of an offence under the rules of the scheme. Robbie Kernahan, NatureScot's director of green economy, said high numbers of deer could have negative impacts on woodlands, peatlands and other habitats. "We will always favour a voluntary and collaborative approach to deer management, working in cooperation with partners towards this shared goal," he said. "However, we will use our intervention powers as a last resort in cases such as this, where despite significant efforts we have been unable to secure the required commitment and action through voluntary means." More stories from the Highlands and Islands News from the Highlands and Islands on BBC Sounds NatureScot said habitats on four SSSIs on or around Loch Choire Estate were at risk. One of the sites, Ben Kilbreck, near Altnaharra, has rocks that originated as muddy and sandy sediments in an ancient sea about one billion years ago. Mallart SSSI is dominated by blanket bog, which provides habitat to otters and birds including golden eagles and black-throated divers. Truderscaig is listed as a nationally important site for birds called greenshank, while Skinsdale Peatlands SSSI has extensive "carpets" of bog moss. Deer culls credited with green loch wood recovery Culling deer 'protects' mountain habitats
