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Edinburgh Live
19 minutes ago
- Edinburgh Live
Former Scottish Marine relives terrifying attempt to scale Mount Everest
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A Scottish man who attempted to climb Mount Everest as a tribute to his late dad had to turn back within sight of the summit after coming face to face with climbers who had died while trying to reach it. Adventurous Tony Smith, 55, travelled to Nepal to try and scale the world's highest mountain, but the former Royal Marine and retired firefighter was forced to turn back just 800 metres from the hard to reach summit, reports The Daily Record. Tony said: "Several avalanches had raised concerns by the time I got closer to Camp Four, 800 metres short of the final summit. "There had been five fatalities – two of whom I encountered going up – and extreme weather conditions and I had to cancel the attempt. I saw a gentleman crouched down as if he was taking photographs and I thought he was getting some nice pictures. "But as I got closer I could see that he wasn't moving. He was dead, frozen and still attached to a safety line, perfectly preserved in a crouched position. "That startled me. I also passed a gentleman and a lady who were going up and he was concerned and I thought he was helping with his oxygen tank. Later I heard the woman had died. "Another person had reached the summit but died on the way back down and there had been five fatalities." Mount Everest stands at 8848.86 metres. In total, around 350 people have died attempting to climb Everest and the death toll continues to rise each year. Tony flew out on April 7. His trek to the Everest base camp took eight days before he started the climb, which took five weeks. The dad-of-three said: "I had been saving up for 10 years and I had a little money from my dad's inheritance. I saw my dad take his last breath and it made me realise life was short. I thought: 'What am I waiting for?'." Recalling one of the scariest moments of the climb, he said: "On one occasion I put my foot through a crevasse and I went through and plummeted down and fortunately my fall was broken by rocks below. "If you fall into one of those crevasses you're not coming back. There was nothing beneath me other than a 40ft dip. I'd been scaling a cliff face that was 200 metres vertical and I was done in. "I had no oxygen left, the sun was going down and I thought, 'I'm done here'. Fortunately one of the guides came and supplied me with a fresh oxygen tank and pulled me out of the gully. "If he hadn't come and got me I would have been one of those fatalities. That is why I didn't go for the summit." The climb was so. arduous and harrowing that Tony says he has no intention of reliving the experience. Tony, from Ayrshire, added: "The risk while climbing Everest far outweighed my time in Northern Ireland or Iraq. The slopes, the lack of oxygen, getting through some of the rock faces. "I felt like there was more opportunity for me to not return from Everest than from Northern Ireland or Iraq and I wouldn't want to experience that again. If you said, 'Tony, I'll pay your expenses and give you £10,000,' I'd say no thank you!" Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Daily Record
18 hours ago
- Daily Record
Five Scottish beachside Airbnbs you can stay in for summer holiday
The Daily Record has rounded up some of the best coastal accommodation in Scotland. Now that May is over and June is set to begin, it is officially time to start thinking about the summer holidays. If you don't plan early, time can easily drift by and the season will already be over. Fortunately, there is plenty of opportunity to book a summer staycation before September rolls around. Even better, there is no shortage of accommodation options within walking distance of a scenic beach. The Daily Record has taken to Airbnb to round up some of the top coastal holiday homes across Scotland that can be rented out this summer. Whether for a romantic getaway for two or a proper family holiday, there is bound to be at least one that jumps out. From Fife to Orkney, we have listed accommodation options that showcase the best of the country's coastline. We have also included the price for a two-night staycation at each one, as well as feedback from previous guests. Read on for five Scottish beachside Airbnbs you can stay in this summer. Two bedroom home in Crail Entire home in Broughty Ferry Entire home in Orkney Entire home in Portskerra Much loved large family holiday home in Clashnessie More On Staycations Holidays
Edinburgh Live
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Hollywood star Gerard Butler honours 'beloved' Scottish mother in emotional tribute
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Scottish-born Hollywood star Gerard Butler has paid tribute to his late mother who passed away earlier in the year. The actor attended the Brazilian premiere of the How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake earlier this week, reports The Daily Record. The 55-year-old is reprising his role as Stoick, the Viking leader in the upcoming movie. At the end of the screening, Butler's mother, Margaret Coll - who died at the age of 81 earlier this year - was honoured in a touching moment of remembrance. The actor shared pictures from the film premiere on social media, including a snap which read: "Dedicated to the loving memory of Margaret Coll." He captioned the post, on Instagram: "Getting weird. Funny face. The boys. And in memory of my dearly beloved mother Margaret Coll." Fans were quick to take to the comments on Butler's Instagram post, sending their condolences to the star following the sad news. One comment said: "She'll always be by your side, supporting you and loving you more than anyone else. And yes, she was definitely there with you, smiling, and making those funny faces." As another wrote: "Awe. So extremely sorry for the loss of your mama, Gerard. I remember seeing you mention a few months back that she was in the hospital." "Prayers of peace, strength, and comfort for you and your family. I know how truly much you adored your mama." A third put: "Your mother is watching you from above and is very, very proud of you," as a forth added: "Beautiful memories, God bless you." Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Butler frequently left his home in Hollywood and visited his mum, in the village of Comrie in Perthshire - where she lived for more than 20 years. He previously told about his visits back to Scotland to visit his mum. He said: "I sit in the garden, I look up at the mountain ranges and I am just taken aback constantly by how beautiful it is there, and what a great land I come from." I just really connect when I get back, and I find that I recharge and knock out all the bull that's going round in my head, all of that Hollywood nonsense." 'I quickly get that slapped out of me," he joked.
Edinburgh Live
2 days ago
- Edinburgh Live
Sickening image of gangster who triggered Scotland's drug war after revenge slashing
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A sickening image of the man who sparked Scotland's violent turf war has been shared after he was brutally attacked. The individual, who is shown with severe slash injuries to his face, is the hood who set up the £500k cocaine deal to rip off Dubai-based Mr Big Ross McGill with a payment of fake notes, reports The Daily Record. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, arranged the meeting with McGill for associates of Edinburgh mob boss Mark Richardson earlier this year. McGill has since ordered a series of terrifying revenge attacks on Richardson and his close associates, Glasgow's Daniel crime clan. A source close his henchmen Tamo Junto (TMJ) claims the group tracked the drug deal middleman down to a bolthole in Thailand to carry out the vicious blade attack. The image of his injuries was released in a video on Friday as McGill's men warned Scotland's gang war is far from over just one day after reports of a truce emerged. The source said: 'McGill got the guy who arranged the deal kidnapped and brought to one of his men who slashed him right across the face. 'He was never going to get away with it. McGill has built up a massive network of connections who are more than willing to help him out. The middleman is lucky he wasn't killed, but McGill was already planning a bigger retaliation. 'He is going to bring down the entire Richardson crew and everyone associated with them. What you are seeing playing out on the streets of Scotland now is the result of people thinking McGill is a soft touch and that they could rip him off and get away with it.' The source said reports that a truce has been agreed by McGill and his top targets is hard to believe as Tamo Junto vowed to continue their campaign of violence in their latest video. TMJ state in the clip that anyone linked to either the Richardson or Daniel mobs remain at the top of their hit-list. A message in the footage reads: 'TMJ will continue to target anyone associated with the Daniel family or Mark Richardson. 'There will never be a truce between TMJ and the Gremlins. We have terrorised you since March and will continue to do so. 'Some of you have fled your homes. Some of you have fled Scotland. Some of you sleep with fire extinguishers. 'Some of you have bulletproof windows. Some of you have offered us money to leave you alone. Some of you have tried to contact us for peace. 'Some of you have offered us information on your own family and friends. We do our talking on the streets. We aren't going away. We will continue to target you. We have no rules or limits. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. 'We are coming for you.' The disturbing video also showed a number of firebombings, shootings and blade attacks that TMJ have claimed responsibility for across Edinburgh and Glasgow in recent months. Among them are two images of the middleman gangster with a huge slash mark running from his ear to his mouth as blood still oozing from the wound. The war broke out in March when a number of homes and businesses in Edinburgh linked to Richardson were targeted. The violence spread to Glasgow in April after a carpet and flooring unit owned by Daniel enforcer Craig 'Rob Roy' Gallagher was torched in Bishopbriggs. In an attack in the Milton area of the city, a female pensioner and 12-year-old boy were injured after hoods stormed their home looking for a high-ranking member of the Daniel family. McGill's men went on to target the home of Steven 'Bonzo' Daniel, as well as the properties of his mum Annette, uncle Norman and sister Kelly 'Bo' Green. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Earlier in May, two men were attacked with a machete at a garage owned by Robert Daniel in East Kilbride. We previously told how McGill was being fed information about the Daniel clan's movements by their arch enemies, the Lyons family. Mob boss Stevie Lyons removed himself from the feud amidst a police crackdown on the violence. The kingpin ordered his footsoldiers to concentrate on the family's own interests after reports on arrests across Glasgow and Edinburgh filtered through to his Dubai bolthole. A source said: He said: 'The heat from the police is getting too much for Steven and he wants nothing to do with it anymore. 'His mob are still very active in the north of Glasgow, while he is in Dubai and he wants to keep it that way so his lads are now under strict orders to keep out of the gang war. 'They still have their own feud with the Daniel family and if the opportunity presents itself to target any of them they will take it, but it won't be for Ross McGill.' The turf war has led to an equally dramatic police operation to catch the thugs. Chief Constable Jo Farrell named the crackdown Operation Portaledge. Incidents across the country have led to a total of 41 arrests.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Robbie Williams and wife Ayda's luxury Scottish resort stay before Edinburgh gig
Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda have been spending some time in Gleneagles before he kicks off his UK stadium tour at Edinburgh on Saturday. Williams will start his 'Britpop' tour at Murrayfield Stadium and as the capital gears up for road closures and thousands of fans this weekend, he and his family have been living it up one of Scotland's most exclusive hotels, reports The Daily Record. Robbie's wife Ayda revealed they have been making the most of the drink offerings available at the £1600 a night five star hotel. READ MORE: Devastated Edinburgh restaurant owners in heartfelt note to diners over closure READ MORE: Edinburgh man spotted 'with toddler in his lap' while driving along busy streets Sharing some images online, Ayda enjoyed the whisky offering at the resort - a known favourite of Prince William and Princess Kate, John Travolta, Oasis and Sir Sean Connery. Showing off the beautiful gardens where she and Rock DJ star Robbie have been enjoying walks, she also shared pictures of the nearby stream. She then showed off an ice bucket containing six bottles of wine including the non-alcoholic Wild Idol priced at £30 a bottle in shops, making it one of the more expensive non alcoholic alternatives. Ayda joked: 'My drink order just arrived.' She then captured a picture of her table's next order which consisted of four bottles of The Macallan whisky including one Time: Space Mastery 200 anniversary edition that was worth £1200 in the shops and considerably more at Gleneagles. She laughed: 'My other drink order just arrived.' Her celebrations continued with a crepe flambé as she joked: 'There may or may not have been alcohol in my dessert.' Williams recently admitted to The Daily Record that he had come to terms with his status as a cabaret artist. The former Take That singer said he now sees himself as 'cringe' as he prepares to play in Scotland. Williams, 51, said: 'I'm going backwards in time to Tommy Cooper and Morecambe & Wise, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin with a sweary twist. That's how I see myself now. 'Whereas before, I wanted to be rock 'n' roll and high octane, I'm Robbie from a boy band and I can now be this guy, the creature that I always really meant to be.' Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. He added: 'I'm embracing parts of showbusiness that people don't embrace these days. 'I want to be cabaret, world-class cabaret but with an edge, sweary cabaret I suppose. 'I think that it's cringe for a lot of people and not necessarily a high art form but some of the best people in the world have been cabaret. Count Basie, Liza Minnelli, Tom Jones. 'That's where I'm trying to propel myself and give myself purpose, to embrace this tour and get through it. 'I want to be the best entertainer there is. I don't see anybody trying to carve that lane out for themselves so that's what I'm trying to do. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox 'Music is healing as namaste as that sounds and nostalgia is also healing. Come and relive those moments that they lived with me in the past. It'll do them good and it'll do me good too. I'm really looking forward to it.' The singer and Ayda have four children, Theodora, 11, Charlton, nine, Colette, five, and Beau, three.
