cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/27592255

Perched high above the cliffs of South Ronaldsay, one of Scotland’s most remarkable ancient sites offers a window into life and death thousands of years ago.

Known as the Tomb of the Eagles, the Neolithic chambered cairn has fascinated visitors since its discovery in the 1950s, and is now set to reopen after a major funding boost.

Discovered by local farmer Ronnie Simison, the 5,000-year-old tomb revealed a treasure trove of human bones and artefacts, with the remains of some 300 individuals found buried alongside sea eagles. The striking find gave the site its dramatic name and cemented its place as one of Orkney’s most important archaeological landmarks.

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And now, thanks to almost £358,000 in fresh funding, a community trust on the island is set to become the first in Scotland to purchase an ancient monument. The move will secure the Tomb of the Eagles' long-term future as a key piece of local

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/27288036

A woman has been placed on the sex offenders register and been ordered to attend counselling after licking an MSP’s neck.

Elspeth Wood approached a member of the Scottish Parliament while they were out campaigning for the general election on May 27, 2024.

She made a sexual comment towards the MSP before hugging and licking them on the neck.

The 57-year-old pled guilty to acting in a threatening and abusive manner towards an elected official, an offence under Section 38(1) of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010, in February.

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A non-harassment order, stopping her from contacting her victim, was also granted for a three-year period.

The sheriff accepted the prosecutor’s submissions that there was a significant sexual element to the offence, and placed Wood on the sex offenders register for the same period.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/26424306

Grant Morrison's Captain Clyde was the comic book writer's first published superhero work, which they also drew. A local superhero to the Clyde area, it ran in the Govan Press and the Clydebank & Renfrewshire Presses from 1979 to 1982 on the TV listings pages. It also included some proto-superhero revisionist ideas and superheroes dealing with real-life situations and locations. Captain Clyde was Chris Melville, an unemployed Glaswegian who was transformed by the standing stones of the Orkneys, granted magical powers by the goddess Elen, and would defend Glasgow against villains such as Quasar and Deros and would finally meet his end after a fight to the death with the devil.

Fellow Scot Etienne Kubwabo is a film director who has also created comics, including the first Black Scottish superhero DJ ET in his comic book Beats of War, which was part of the Black Lives Matter Mural Trail, with a large-scale artwork installed

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/25429359

Experts are investigating the discovery of a mysterious Roman artefact uncovered in an Iron Age settlement under an Ayrshire distillery.

Archaeologists believe the enamelled bronze brooch may have been placed in the foundations of the fortified roundhouse as a sacrifice during its construction to grant "protection" to the household.

The item, thought to have dated from about the second century AD, was found during an excavation at the William Grant and Sons Girvan Distillery at the Curragh in South Ayrshire in 2020.

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The brooch was thought to be a popular design among Roman military personnel, but examples of the artefacts have been more commonly discovered in present-day central Europe, the Rhineland and Switzerland.

It would have arrived in Scotland at about the time the Roman Empire was losing its grip on the south of the country.

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Jordan Barbour, who co-authored a rep

Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland has been vandalized by activists in response to his recent statements on Gaza.

The golf course in South Ayrshire, owned by the president, was targeted overnight on Friday, with activists painting “Gaza Is Not 4 Sale” in almost 10-foot-high letters on the lawn and damaging the greens, including the course’s most prestigious hole, used in Open Championships.

Red spray paint was used to deface the clubhouse at the 800-acre resort.

Palestine Action described it as a “direct response to the U.S. administration’s stated intent to ethnically cleanse Gaza.”

Trump’s recent comments include plans to “clean out the whole thing” and to turn the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

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A spokesperson from Palestine Action said: “Palestine Action rejects Donald Trump’s treatment of Gaza as though it were his property to dispose of as he likes.

“To make that clear, we have shown him that his own property is not sa

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/24429634

Two metal detectorists have unearthed a hoard of 15th Century coins in the Scottish Borders.

Keith Young and Lisa Stephenson discovered 30 gold and silver coins in close proximity in the Cappercleuch area which is near St Mary's Loch.

The coins are a mix of Scottish and English coins, comprising English silver groats minted by Henry V (1413-1422) to Edward IV (1461-1483), and Scottish gold demy and half-demys of James I (1406-1437) and James II (1437-1460).

Lisa described the discovery - likely deposited at the site in the early to mid-1460s - as the "find of a lifetime".

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The discovery has been reported to the Treasure Trove Unit, which assesses all Scottish archaeological finds.

It will then be referred to the Scottish Archaeological Finds Allocation Panel (SAFAP), an independent panel, where it will be assigned a monetary value to be paid to the finders in the form of an ex-gratia

Scotland’s largest haggis maker is creating a new “compliant” recipe of the nation’s most famous dish to circumvent strict American food regulations after more than 50 years in exile.

The decision by Macsween of Edinburgh comes after traditional haggis was banned by the US authorities in 1971, taking issue with the sheep’s-lung component of the recipe, which was then banned for use as human food by federal regulation.

Traditional haggis contains about 15% sheep lung. The 1971 law effectively made it illegal to import or sell traditional haggis, making it difficult for Scottish-Americans to access the country’s most famous dish.

Over the years, petitions to end the decades-old ban have been made by former environment secretaries and there have been stories of smuggled, bootleg and blackmarket haggis.

Macsween is to substitute sheep lung with sheep heart, according to the Telegraph. But those with Scottish ancestry hoping to celebrate Burns Night with the substitution will

The Proclaimers are to perform at this weekend’s memorial service for former First Minister Alex Salmond, alongside folk musician Dougie MacLean and the singer Sheena Wellington.

The Reid brothers, who have long been supporters of an independent Scotland, are to perform their 1988 single, Cap in Hand, at a service to remember Mr Salmond at the weekend.

The song, which includes the lyrics, “But I can't understand why we let someone else rule our land”, became an anthem of the Scottish independence movement during the 2014 referendum, when Mr Salmond headed up the Scottish National Party (SNP).

The service for the politician, which friends and family said would allow people to say farewell to the former first minister and reflect on his life and achievements, is to take place at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on Saturday, St Andrew’s Day

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/20300930

A farm in East Ayrshire has launched the UK’s most expensive coffee to help fund a zero-waste dairy facility.

Mossgiel Farm announced the £272 flat white, which includes 34 shares in their business, will turn customers into investors in sustainable dairy farming.

The drink consists of espresso and steamed milk from Mossgiel Farm in Mauchline. It will be available at 13 Scottish cafes on November 23.

Mossgiel’s coffee is the most expensive in the UK, a title previously held by a flat white at Shot London in Mayfair, which cost £265 and was made with Japanese Typica beans.

It comes as part of Mossgiel Farm owner Bryce Cunningham’s drive to raise funds for a state-of-the-art, zero-waste dairy facility, which will give them the backing needed to “revolutionise” milk consumption.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19963508

A bank robber put a pillow case over his head to hide his identity - then had to take it off as he could not see.

Matthew Davies failed to create eye holes in the cover ahead of the armed raid at a bank in Dunfermline, Fife last September.

The 47-year-old, who threatened staff with a meat cleaver, left the branch with nearly £2,000 but was later arrested.

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A hearing at the High Court in Glasgow heard how Davies entered the Bank of Scotland branch and pulled the meat cleaver from the pillow case before putting the bedding item on to cover his face.

But the failure to create eye holes meant he had to take it off.

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The court heard how a witness then followed Davies from the branch to his Dunfermline home.

Police later found the cash and a pillow case "consistent with what he put over his head" at his house.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19959879

Edinburgh Zoo's baby red panda has died from stress caused by fireworks on Bonfire Night, according to veterinary experts.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) said three-month-old Roxie choked on her own vomit as pyrotechnics were being set off across the city.

Roxie's mother Ginger also died unexpectedly five days earlier, and vets say they cannot rule out this also being linked to firework noise.

The zoo is now joining with animal welfare charities and other campaigners in calling for tighter restrictions on fireworks.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19796821

Homes and businesses in the Orkney island of Papa Westray are now receiving their internet through the water network, in what is believed to be a UK first.

Cables have been laid within existing water pipes, using the island's community-owned water system, enabling full fibre broadband to almost all properties.

The innovation allows locals to do things they couldn’t previously, like attending medical appointments remotely and gaming.

It’s now hoped it will attract people to live and work in the island and that water networks could be used to deliver broadband in other hard-to-reach areas.

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The internet connection initially reaches Papa Westray via a radio link from neighbouring isle of Westray, before being distributed across the island using the water pipes.

The fibre cable is delivered through a second pipe housed within the drinking water network.

The island became the first

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19498281

Two Scots who are believed to own the biggest brick collection in the UK are looking for a museum to house all 6,000 of them.

Mark Cranston and Ian Suddaby have spent the last 15 years collecting thousands of Scottish-made bricks from all over the world.

Part of the collection is stored in two large stables in Mr Cranston's garden in the Scottish Borders; the rest is stacked outside Mr Suddaby's house in East Lothian.

The pair have an agreement that if something happens to one of them the other will make sure their priceless collection is safe. However, they have now decided they need to find a more secure and permanent home for them.

Mr Suddaby, an archaeologist who lives in New Winton, told BBC Scotland News the bricks were an important record of Scotland's industrial past.

"Brick-making is a very important part of Scotland's history because we do have some of the best quality fireclay in the

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19492134

Janey Godley, who has died aged 63, turned an early life full of pain and tragedy into a successful comedy career.

A tough upbringing in the east end of Glasgow was the thread which ran through her humour. Often angry, she specialised in wringing laughs out of the most unlikely material.

Her act mirrored the city that shaped her: working-class, foul-mouthed, simultaneously angry and sentimental. She delivered her comic broadsides at high speed, jabbing her points home like a street-fighter.

For her fans, she was one of them - and as her reputation grew so did her influence. The former pub landlady became close friends with Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister, after her videos voicing-over the FM's Covid press conferences became a viral sensation.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19463362

Police officers have seized an electric scooter with an exercise bike welded to it after it was spotted being ridden around Inverness.

In a social media post featuring an accompanying photograph, Police Scotland confirmed road policing officers spotted the adapted machine being ridden without relevant documents.

The post also stated: "Yes, that is an exercise bike welded to it. Rider reported, vehicle seized."

it is currently illegal to ride an e-scooter in a public place in Scotland.