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The National
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Alan Cumming launches summer talks with 'beers and baps' in Highlands
Nestled in his home county of Perthshire, Cumming's new lecture series, A Beer, A Bap and A Boffin, will be held at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Cumming was elected as artistic director of the theatre in 2024. The series aims to spotlight leading experts from the Royal Society of Edinburgh, which Cumming is a member of himself. On Saturday, June 14, the series opens with James Robertson's talk, What's next for Libraries, Literature, and Creativity?, which will explore the state of culture and literature in the library sector, shedding light on the future of our libraries as AI becomes increasingly commonplace. READ MORE: Crew for Christopher Nolan's film starring Matt Damon take over Scottish castle David Field FRSE, CEO of the Royal Zoological Society Scotland, continues the series on Saturday, August 2, with a talk on how to train your wildcat. Field's lecture seeks to uncover the techniques that specialists use to prepare zoo-bred wildcats for release, whilst also discussing the possibility of bringing back Scotland's lost species. On Saturday, August 23, Professor Niahm Nic Daeid FRSE closes the talks with her lecture titled "what is forensic science and why does it matter?" and discuss the crucial use of science in criminal investigation and trial. Cumming said one of the "many surprises" at the theatre is the "explorers garden," adding: "I want to find as many reasons as possible for it to be enjoyed. That's why I thought of A Beer, A Bap and A Boffin! "As a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, I have watched many academics mesmerise with their knowledge and rediscovered how fascinating it can be to learn about topics you'd otherwise never encounter. So, I invited some of these Boffins to do lectures in our Explorers Garden amphitheatre, and with the addition of a wee drink and a bite to eat as they extrapolate, I don't think there could be a better way to spend a summer's day! "Also, full disclosure this is both a steal and a homage to Oran Mor's brilliant A Play, A Pie and A Pint!' Alongside access to the talks, tickets include a complementary beer and a bap. For tickets and further information visit here, or call the Box Office on 01796484626.
The National
12-05-2025
- General
- The National
Ruth Watson: Race is on to save Scotland's ancient pear trees
The monks of yore were very fond of tree fruit, which were stored for vital supplies through the winter and 'hungry months' (when some varieties were used in savoury dishes) as well as brewed to make a drink which could be much safer than water – apples for cider, and pears for the less well-known perry. Apple trees live for a few productive decades, but pears? These remarkable trees can live for an incredible 400 years. Many ancient trees have been found growing in gardens which once were part of the vast tracts of lands owned by the abbeys. The area around Newburgh – including the Carse of Gowrie, long famous for its fruit production – and Jedburgh are two examples. READ MORE: UK events use Scottish land to clean up their carbon footprint The grounds were sold off long ago but the trees which grew in those orchards still can be found in people's back gardens – many are unaware of the long history behind the tree which has been bearing fruit for generations until a diligent researcher comes to their door. Now work is being done to identify and rescue the last of Scotland's ancient pear trees before they reach the end of their very long lives – and that's where the public are being asked to help. Last year, the charity Orchard Revival carried out a Scotland-wide survey to map the location and determine the condition of the orchards in Scotland – the National Orchard Inventory for Scotland. Neil Clapperton is the director of Social Juice CIC, a social enterprise dedicated to turning surplus fruit into food and drink, helping people develop the skills needed to grow healthy fruit trees and community orchards, and saving lost heritage varieties. 'The survey of orchards was carried out by Crispin Hayes and, of course, the Carse of Gowrie was covered in some detail,' Clapperton tells me. 'He found that the pears had survived to a large extent where they hadn't been grubbed up. 'Most of them are in a poor state of health. Some of them are rotted completely internally. Some are still healthy, but they are many hundreds of years old, and there are an incredible range of varieties, some of which are unknown. 'Obviously, they were known back in 1700-whatever, when they were planted but the folk memory has disappeared, so we just don't know what they're called. We need help to try to match the information up with the varieties that were surveyed. If there are unnamed ones, then I think there's an opportunity to rename them, or if we can find historic descriptions, then see if we can match them up.' Supported by funding from the Royal Society of Edinburgh, this phase of the project will look in detail at the mapping work already carried out, and then, Clapperton says, the plan is to 'gauge interest from the general public in using the culinary pears, the dessert pears, as well as getting some feedback about the quality of them' with a view to eventually moving some varieties back into commercial production on Scottish farms. Research carried out several years ago by Kevin Reilly at Denmylne Castle, near the site of the last remaining Lindores pear tree (scions of which are now in the Royal Botanical Gardens, in Edinburgh), provides a fascinating rabbit hole of ancient names, descriptions, and origins giving an insight into Scotland's close European connections with pears from the Continent eventually giving way to home-grown names of varieties only found here – the Jargonelle and the Sheep Heid, the Longueville and the Pow Meg. The famous Lindores, or Abernethy, pear tree must have been a remarkable sight. It was reportedly the largest fruit tree in the British Isles at 80ft tall, with a circumference measured 17.5ft and its canopy had a spread of 53ft. It was 'still producing abundant crops' when it was brought down by the same storm which destroyed the first Tay Rail Bridge in 1879. READ MORE: Thousands of cyclists take part in Highlands event for charity Orchards used to abound across Scotland, producing enough fruit for the communities around them. As the British Empire grew, an early form of globalisation began as imports started to replace local fruit production. On the afternoon of Tuesday, March 1, 1910, the Master of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers introduced the reading of a paper by Dr John McCall, the Agent General for Tasmania to the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). McCall provided his London audience with a detailed analysis of the imports of fruits from across 'the Colonies'. Regarding Australia: 'In 1908 there were under fruit cultivation 172,751 acres of apples, 9604 acres pears. […] These figures do not comprise the total imports of fruit, but only of those varieties which are actually grown here [ie, competing with UK produce]. 'The fiscal policy of this country, together with the fact that the railways are privately owned and therefore run on commercial lines, and, further, that cheap water carriage is available for the transport of fruit from the countries competing in the open markets here, offers no prospect of success to the growers of certain classes of fruit in this country.' In the 1970s, farmers were encouraged to dig up commercial orchards and turn the land over to arable crops. Now, most of us are unlikely to come across pears other than something our grannies might serve to us stewed and drizzled with chocolate sauce, or as a fairly anaemic offering in a fruit basket, almost always rock hard one day and too soft the next. Clapperton would have us become a nation which falls in love with pears all over again, rediscovering the range of textures and flavours available with ancient local varieties, fresh from the farm. If you would like to be a Scottish pear detective, he would love to hear from you at socialjuice21@ Ruth Watson is the founder of the Keep Scotland the Brand campaign
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Jurassic dinosaur fossil extracted from cliff in Scottish island
A FOSSIL first spotted in a Scottish island over 50 years ago has finally been extracted from the base of the cliff where it was found and, following analysis, formally identified as a Jurassic dinosaur. The fossil was first discovered in Skye in 1973, making it Scotland's earliest recorded dinosaur find. It was not fully identified at the time and remained uncollected until a team led by Dr Elsa Panciroli returned in 2018 to the location near Elgol, in the south of the island, to undertake a challenging extraction from the rock. READ MORE: While the Elgol dinosaur is preserved only in fragments compared to some specimens found elsewhere, researchers have identified part of the spine, ribs and hip bones, making it the most complete dinosaur skeleton found to date in Scotland. Close study of these bones has led researchers to believe that it is an ornithopod dinosaur, a group of which includes notable later dinosaurs such as Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus and Edmontosaurus. The Elgol dinosaur dates to around 166 million years ago, in the Middle Jurassic, making it one of the earliest known ornithipod body fossils, as that group of dinosaurs became far more prominent in the later Cretaceous period. Analysis of the bone structure indicates that the animal, which would have been roughly the size of a pony, was at least 8 years old. The new description of the Elgol dinosaur is published in the Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. (Image: Neil Hanna) Lead author, Dr Elsa Panciroli (above), the NERC independent research fellow at National Museums Scotland said: 'This was a really challenging extraction, in fact we'd previously felt it was too difficult to collect the fossil, but I thought it was really important to study it. I was able to persuade the team to give it a try. It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, but we did it: finally we can confirm and publish Scotland's first recorded and most complete dinosaur, and that makes it all worthwhile.' The difficult excavation was made possible with the support of a specialist team from Research Casting International, based in Canada. A local crew from Elgol's Bella Jane Boat Trips piloted the rigid inflatable boat and dinghy to the shore at the foot of the cliff, where the specimen was loaded and taken back to port. Dr Stig Walsh from National Museums Scotland added: 'This is a wonderful addition to the rapidly growing set of Jurassic finds from the Isle of Skye which are enabling us to learn more and more about the rich ecosystem of the time. We've known there were dinosaurs there for a while, most obviously from the famous footprints at An Corran, Brother's Point and Duntulm and from individual bones, but it's exciting to see a more complete, if still partial, skeleton. We're delighted to add it to the other amazing finds now in the National Collection'. Other recent Jurassic discoveries from Skye include the description of adult and juvenile mammals of the same species, Krusatodon, which revealed that these mammals grew more slowly than mammals today, and the world's largest Jurassic pterosaur fossil, Dearc sgiathanach.
Sky News
06-03-2025
- Science
- Sky News
Elgol dinosaur fossil found in 1973 finally extracted from base of cliff on Isle of Skye
A Jurassic dinosaur fossil that was first spotted more than 50 years ago has been extracted from the base of a cliff on Skye and formally identified. The fossil was discovered near to Elgol in 1973 and is Scotland's earliest recorded dinosaur find. National Museums Scotland (NMS) said it remained uncollected until a team led by Dr Elsa Panciroli returned in 2018. Known as the Elgol dinosaur, the fossil is preserved in fragments, but experts have identified part of the spine, ribs and hipbones - making it the most complete dinosaur skeleton found to date in Scotland. Bone analysis has led researchers to believe it is an ornithopod dinosaur, a group which includes notable later dinosaurs such as Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus and Edmontosaurus. It is believed to date from around 166 million years ago, in the Middle Jurassic, making it one of the oldest known ornithopod body fossils, from a group of dinosaurs that became far more prominent in the later Cretaceous period. Dinosaur finds are rare in Scotland and much of the rock that is exposed at the surface across the country is not from the period when the animals ruled the earth - the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, jointly known as the Mesozoic era. Dinosaur finds are more common in southern England where more of the exposed rock is geologically newer. Analysis of the bone structure indicates the Elgol dinosaur, which would have been roughly the size of a pony, was at least eight years old. The new description of the dinosaur is published in the Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Lead author Dr Panciroli, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) independent research fellow at NMS, said: "This was a really challenging extraction. "In fact, we'd previously felt it was too difficult to collect the fossil, but I thought it was really important to study it. "I was able to persuade the team to give it a try. It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, but we did it: finally we can confirm and publish Scotland's first recorded and most complete dinosaur, and that makes it all worthwhile." The excavation was made possible with the support of a specialist team from Research Casting International, based in Canada, while a crew from Elgol's Bella Jane Boat Trips piloted the rigid inflatable boat and dinghy to the shore at the foot of the cliff, where the specimen was loaded and taken back to port. Other Jurassic discoveries from Skye include descriptions of adult and juvenile mammals of the same species, Krusatodon, which revealed the animals grew more slowly than the mammals of today, and the world's largest Jurassic pterosaur (flying reptile) fossil, Dearc sgiathanach. Hundreds of dinosaur tracks have also been discovered across Skye in recent years. Dr Stig Walsh, from NMS, said: "This is a wonderful addition to the rapidly growing set of Jurassic finds from the Isle of Skye which are enabling us to learn more and more about the rich ecosystem of the time. "We've known there were dinosaurs there for a while, most obviously from the famous footprints at An Corran, Brother's Point and Duntulm and from individual bones, but it's exciting to see a more complete, if still partial, skeleton. "We're delighted to add it to the other amazing finds now in the national collection." The earliest scientifically described dinosaur find in the UK was in Oxfordshire in the mid to late 17th century - a now-lost piece of bone from the Megalosaurus. But it wasn't until the early 19th century that after another find from the same animal in the same area, the Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur to be named, according to the Oxford Museum of Natural History.
The Independent
06-03-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Fossil from dinosaur the size of a pony pulled from cliff on Isle of Skye
A Jurassic dinosaur fossil, first discovered more than five decades ago, has finally been unearthed from a cliff base on the Isle of Skye. The fossil, dubbed the Elgol dinosaur, represents Scotland 's earliest recorded dinosaur, discovered near Elgol in the island's south in 1973. Despite its initial discovery, the fossil remained embedded in the cliff until a team led by Elsa Panciroli initiated an extraction effort in 2018. Early assessments suggested retrieval would be too challenging. However, with the crucial assistance of a local boat company, the team successfully extracted the fossil, raising hopes for further discoveries on Skye. Dating back to the Middle Jurassic period, the Elgol dinosaur is fragmented. Researchers have identified parts of the spine, ribs, and a hip bone, classifying it as the most complete dinosaur skeleton yet found in Scotland. Bone analysis has led researchers to believe it is an ornithopod dinosaur, a group which includes notable later dinosaurs such as Iguanodon, Parasaurolophus and Edmontosaurus. It is one of the earliest known ornithopod body fossils, as that group of dinosaurs became far more prominent in the later Cretaceous period. Analysis of the bone structure indicates the dinosaur, which would have been roughly the size of a pony, was at least eight years old. The new description of the Elgol dinosaur is published in the Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Ms Panciroli, the lead author and Natural Environment Research Council independent research fellow at National Museums Scotland, said: 'This was a really challenging extraction, in fact we'd previously felt it was too difficult to collect the fossil, but I thought it was really important to study it. 'I was able to persuade the team to give it a try. It took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, but we did it: finally we can confirm and publish Scotland's first recorded and most complete dinosaur, and that makes it all worthwhile.' The excavation was possible with the support of a specialist team from Research Casting International, based in Canada, while a crew from Elgol's Bella Jane Boat Trips piloted the rigid inflatable boat and dingy to the shore at the foot of the cliff, where the specimen was loaded and taken back to port. Stig Walsh from National Museums Scotland said: 'This is a wonderful addition to the rapidly growing set of Jurassic finds from the Isle of Skye which are enabling us to learn more and more about the rich ecosystem of the time. 'We've known there were dinosaurs there for a while, most obviously from the famous footprints at An Corran, Brother's Point and Duntulm and individual bones, but it's exciting to see a more complete, if still partial, skeleton. 'We're delighted to add it to the other amazing finds now in the national collection.' Other Jurassic discoveries from Skye include the description of adult and juvenile mammals of the same species, Krusatodon, which revealed the mammals grew more slowly than mammals today, and the world's largest Jurassic pterosaur fossil, Dearc sgiathanach. Professor Susie Maidment, of the Natural History Museum and the University of Birmingham, said: 'The Elgol dinosaur was a challenge to collect, and has proven perhaps an even bigger challenge to identify. Some aspects of the bones indicate that the specimen may be an ornithopod, a group of plant-eating dinosaurs that are best known from the Cretaceous. 'This specimen, however, would already have been a fossil by the time the better-known ornithopods like Iguanodon and Hypsilophodon were walking the Earth. 'Recent research on the fossils of Elgol has revealed a diverse ecosystem of extraordinarily preserved Middle Jurassic animals, and I'm sure there are more exciting discoveries to come.' Professor Rob Ellam, editor of Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, said: 'I would like to congratulate Dr Panciroli and her international team of co-authors. 'Having this exceptional piece of work on the Elgol dinosaur – both Scotland's earliest and most complete dinosaur fossil – in the pages of Transactions is a highlight for the journal. 'It is a privilege to be able to publish a world-class study led from Scotland which illustrates why the Scottish palaeontological community is held in such high esteem.'
