Climate campaigners have revealed the huge lobbying operation by fossil fuel interests pushing expensive and inefficient hydrogen technology onto Scottish Government and MSPs.
Campaigners unearthed over 30 meetings with oil and gas companies where hydrogen was discussed, along with an additional 70 meetings with companies who stood to benefit from the roll out of hydrogen technology in Scotland.
The Scottish Government has pledged over £100 million to this industry and has refused to rule out using hydrogen from fossil fuels. Ministers even refer to fossil fuel derived hydrogen as ‘low carbon’ despite the methane leakage during gas production and the extra energy required to run the partial carbon capture process upon which it relies.
The revelations show a huge push by fossil fuel giants like BP and Shell – who met MSPs 17 and 9 times respectively – demonstrating how hard the industry is pressing politicians to claim hydrogen as a climate solution despite mounting evidence that the technology is too expensive and inefficient.
Evidence shows that using hydrogen for heating our homes is more expensive and less efficient than direct electrification through technologies like heat pumps. Hydrogen is not suitable for most transport needs due to cost and how far the technology is behind electrification.
KEY LOBBYING INCIDENTS
On the same day (10/11/21) during COP26 as the Scottish Government published their draft Hydrogen Action Plan it organised a lavish dinner for the Hydrogen industry with 52 company lobbyists at Edinburgh Castle that FOIs reveal cost the public purse £11,000. It was attended by BP, INEOS, Shell, Wood Group and Offshore Energies UK. It was hosted by Business Minister Ivan McKee and attended by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Michael Matheson travelled to Rotterdam in May 2022 to speak at the World Hydrogen Summit which marketed itself as ‘the global platform where hydrogen deals get done.’
The two day conference had host partners BP and Shell and “diamond sponsorship” from Saudi oil company Aramco and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
Shell met with then Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse in January 2021, where the official record states Shell specifically ’emphasized the importance of both blue and green hydrogen.’
Friends of the Earth Scotland climate campaigner Alex Lee commented: “Hydrogen lobbyists have made a targeted push trying to persuade the Scottish Government to ignore the mounting evidence about the technology’s inefficiency and huge costs.
“By incorrectly classifying hydrogen from fossil fuels as ‘low carbon’, Scottish Ministers are doing the greenwashing job for fossil fuel companies. Big polluters like Shell and BP are selling hydrogen hard because it allows them to keep on drilling for fossil fuels and keep the public locked into an energy system using oil and gas for decades to come.
“The Scottish Government has been taken in by the marketing hype around hydrogen, promising over £100 million of public money to the industry and repeating outlandish jobs creation claims.
“Ministers must end their support for hydrogen from fossil fuels and instead use renewable power directly in heating and transport rather than wasting time and energy by converting it to hydrogen first.
“If the Scottish Government want to tackle the climate crisis and deliver a just transition away from oil and gas, it must cut ties with the fossil fuel industry and ban them from lobbying.”
Childline delivered more than 4,000 counselling sessions, including 273 in Scotland, to children and young people with worries around body image and eating disorders
40% of these counselling sessions take place during the summer – June to September
Childline reminds children the service is here to support them during holidays
Childline, the counselling service run by the NSPCC, reveals new data showing that 40% of all the counselling sessions they delivered last year on eating disorders and body image took place in the summer months (June to September).
Across the whole year – April 2022 to March 2023 – Childline delivered 4,179 counselling sessions to children struggling with these issues. 273 of these were in Scotland.
1656 (40%) of those counselling sessions based on these topics took place from June to September , the lead up to and the duration of the six-week summer break.
Eating disorders and body image issues were the 6th most common concern for children contacting Childline in 2022/23 in Scotland.
During this year’s summer holiday, Childline knows that many children might be struggling to cope with these issues and wants to remind them that their trained counsellors and online services are here to support them.
Childline insight
Common themes that came out of Childline counselling sessions on body image and eating disorders include:
Comparisons to friends, siblings, and people on social media
Guilt around eating particular “bad” foods or guilt about eating at all
Negative comments from family, friends, bullies, and partners about their weight and body often contributes to body image concerns
Weight worries linked to lockdown, gaining weight due to lockdown inactivity or stress
Not knowing how to manage weight or fitness without going to extremes
Cancelling plans due to body image issues
Childline knows that there are number of factors that make the summer holiday a particularly tricky time for children and young people struggling with their body image or their relationship with food.
For some, the prospect of wearing clothing which shows their body more can make them feel under pressure to look a certain way, that they need to lose weight or change their appearance.
For others, this pressure is also reinforced as many will be spending more time online during the summer months to keep in touch with their friends and to stay entertained. As a result, we know many children may be exposed to more content online that might make them feel negatively about the way they way look.
Additionally, children who struggle with eating disorders might find a change in their day-to-day routine and eating habits over the summer period difficult to cope with.
A girl in Scotland aged 16 who reached out to Childline said*: “How is Tiktok full of so many beautiful people and I look like this? I stare out at my face in the mirror and can only see what needs fixing. My lips, my nose, my eyes, my cheeks. Even my friends agree my nose is huge. Make up doesn’t do what surgery and fillers can do.”
A boy aged 13 told the service: “I feel so guilty every time I eat. I’ve been trying to be healthy and cut down on food, but it doesn’t seem to be helping. My older siblings are all so skinny, everyone says they’re so handsome and look like models, then there’s just me. It’s been upsetting me so much lately, thank you for letting me offload how I’m feeling.”
Support
Kieran Lyons, Service Head of Childline said: “Every year our trained counsellors speak to hundreds children in the run up to and during the summer holidays who are struggling with their body image or eating disorders.
“Summer can be a really a tough time for anyone who is already dealing with these issues, and it also can be a time which can make others who ordinarily felt happy with their body image begin to feel negatively.
“Regardless of your situation or your worries, Childline is here to ensure that no child is left to cope alone with any worry they have.
“If you are struggling with your body image or an eating disorder, we want you to know that Childline is here to help, and we can support you on what you can do and how to make things feel better.”
If there is a young person in your life struggling with their body image or an eating disorder here are some tips on how best to support them:
Remind them that how they look is part of who they are and that their personality, achievements and the way they behave is important too.
Images they may see on TV, in magazines, in social media or online are often altered and airbrushed so what they are seeing isn’t always real.
Remind them that everyone is different and not to compare themselves to anyone else. Accepting themselves is all about them noticing things they are happy and unhappy about and realise that is what makes them unique.
To help build their confidence encourage them to spend time focusing on a hobby they enjoy.
Also, it may help if they write down every morning a few things they like about themselves.
All children can speak to a trained counsellor over the phone on 0800 1111, via email or on a 121 chat on the Childline website.
Children can also visit the website to find more advice on any concerns or questions they may have on body image and eating disorders and they can also use the service’s monitored message boards to get support from their peers.
The National Galleries of Scotland is delighted to announce that the stunning Scottish galleries at the National will open to the public on 30 September 2023.
The new spaces will be home to key works from the nation’s historic Scottish art collection, offering more than double the physical display space and transforming the visitor experience. With ten displays in the new galleries, and new trails and activities on offer, everyone can look forward to experiencing the national collection of historic Scottish art like never before.
The vision for the project has been driven by an ambition to ensure that the greatest number of people can enjoy key works that tell the fascinating story of Scottish art.
The new fully accessible galleries will be entered directly from the adjoining East Princes Street Gardens and are free for all to explore. Large windows will offer spectacular views over the city, enticing visitors to come in and discover the work of pioneering Scottish artists such as William McTaggart, Anne Redpath, Phoebe Anna Traquair, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Boys.
Scotland’s artistic legacy will be brought to life through much-loved Scottish Colourist paintings among other major works from the first half of the twentieth century.
New ways of looking at Scotland’s built and natural environments will be on offer, with early photographs of Scotland’s capital city shown in the same spaces as grand paintings of majestic Highland landscapes.
Reimagined displays of drawings and sketches will celebrate artists such as Glasgow Style pioneer Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh and David Allan, whose depictions of ‘Edinburgh Characters’ will allow visitors to get up close to street life in the Scottish capital in the late eighteenth century.
The new Scottish galleries at the National include ten galleries at Gardens level and will be home to over 130 works of art.
These bright, attractive spaces will showcase the magnificent collection of Scottish art in a series of new and engaging presentations.
With even more to explore across the entire National, there will also be five new international hangs at the Mound level this summer, plus two additional Scottish displays, offering over 460 artworks to discover.
This includes three areas specifically designed to display drawings and other fragile artworks that will regularly change throughout the year, increasing the overall offering at the National.
Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland, Sir John Leighton, said: “This project has been driven by an ambition to transform the experience of visiting the National and to show the extraordinary collections of Scottish art with pride in beautiful, new, light-filled spaces.
“We believe that we have created a National Gallery that is more open, engaging and inviting than ever before. Whether immersing themselves in the highly Romantic paintings of the Scottish Highlands, taking part in a family day or just enjoying the views, all are welcome to come and discover.
“We are incredibly grateful to all our funders including the Scottish Government, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, key trusts and foundations, our Patrons, American Patrons and Friends as well as the many private individuals and donors who have been so generous in supporting this project.”
Culture Minister Christina McKelvie said: “The National Galleries of Scotland has the world’s finest collection of Scottish Art and I’m delighted that the new galleries will now have space to show this off to a wide national and international public.
“We have supported this redevelopment project from the start with a significant contribution of £15.25 million and it’s wonderful to see this will open soon so the public can enjoy these new galleries.”
Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Eilish McGuinness, said: “We are proud to have been part of the transformation of the National, which has been a source of inspiration and learning for over 150 years and holds a special place in the hearts of the Scottish people, and throughout the UK.
“Thanks to players of the National Lottery we have supported the project with a £6.89 million grant, from its earliest stages of planning, developing ideas and working with the team in delivering this complex and imaginative project.
“It’s exciting news that its now set to open its doors, inspiring generations to come, by offering a new perspective, doubling the gallery’s exhibition space, and improving access to its renowned collection of Scottish art. Having seen the project in its delivery I am now really looking forward to my first visit to the finished new gallery in September.”
The construction of the new galleries was one of the most complex engineering projects undertaken in a heritage building in Scotland; working within the constraints of a World Heritage site, above railways tunnels and excavating beneath a category-A listed building. Several issues were discovered when the 1970s building was fully stripped back to its core concrete structure.
These included multiple instances of undocumented asbestos deposits which required safe removal; damp and water ingress issues which substantially changed the extent of the waterproofing requirements and undocumented obstructions including remnants from previous developments, which added significant complexity to the building work.
Deeply buried layers of dense concrete had to be extracted, impacting on the sequencing of the works while managing the unique complexity of the engineering works. All these challenges were successfully overcome to create generous, high-quality new spaces for the world’s most important collection of historic Scottish art.
The total project cost is £38.62 million. This has been funded by major contributions from the Scottish Government (£15.25m) and The National Lottery Heritage Fund (£6.89 million). An extremely successful fundraising campaign raised over £16m thanks to an extraordinarily generous response in donations from trusts, foundations, Patrons, the National Galleries of Scotland’s Friends organisation, American Patrons and a wide range of private individuals.
Commenting on the success of the campaign, Sir John Leighton, said: “We are thrilled to report on the success of our fundraising campaign for this project. The strong and unwavering backing from Scottish Government and from The National Lottery Heritage Fund provided a really robust platform for our fundraising efforts and we were delighted by the generous response to this project by so many trusts, foundations and private individuals.
“We are extremely grateful to all our funders for their incredible support.”
While construction has been ongoing, a wide programme of engagement and outreach for the project has also been delivered. This has included activities in schools from Fife to Orkney and West Lothian, social groups for older people experiencing loneliness in Edinburgh, and youth groups in the Borders.
This exciting programme of activity will continue to engage with communities after the opening. A series of engaging videos about star works of art from the Scottish collection has also been produced, and a painstaking monumental conservation project gripped online audiences during lockdown.
A week-long series of activities took place at Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Dunfermline as team members celebrated the return of Prime Day.
Some of the fun and games organised for employees at the fulfilment centre included a carnival parade, tombola and carnival themed games. The events were organised by Amazon in Dunfermline to say thank you to the team for the work they do delivering for customers around the UK.
Autumn Morton, a team member from Amazon in Dunfermline who took part in the Prime Day fun, commented on the week, saying: “We had a great time celebrating together during Prime Day.
“We appreciated the chance to have fun and bond as a team as we prepared for a busy, rewarding week.”
Amazon Dunfermline General Manager, Jamie Strain, added: “Prime Day is an exciting time for customers and colleagues alike, so it’s important we set time aside to mark the occasion.
“Our week of fun provided us with an opportunity to celebrate together while delivering for our customers.”
Amazon employees receive competitive pay and comprehensive benefits. Pay starts between £11 and £12 per hour per hour depending on location and employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount as well as a company pension plan.
Amazon employees can also take advantage of Amazon’s pioneering Career Choice programme, which pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields, up to £8,000 over four years, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.
Amazon also provides opportunities to improve existing skills or learn new ones through internal career progression opportunities such as cross-training, transferring to a different department and promotion into a managerial role.
To find out more about a career with Amazon, visit Amazon Jobs.
How you can throw your own for just £3 per person!
With Reading and Leeds festival announcing the world’s largest silent disco, digital headphones magazine headphonesty.com has revealed why they are rising in popularity and how you can throw your own at home for just £3 per person.
In the previous ten years, silent discos have established themselves as a beloved staple of the Reading and Leeds Festival. As a result of this when Festival Republic cancelled the event in 2016, supporters started an online petition to bring it back to the line-up.
This year It has been announced that the Reading & Leeds Festivals will host the world’s biggest ever silent-disco, in the world’s first simulcast main stage set across both sites. The festival has stated that headliners of the silent disco; multi-platinum drum and bass duo Sigma, will be playing to around 60,000 people in total.
But why are people making so much noise for the silent disco?
Originally in the early 1990s eco-activists utilised headphones at outdoor events to minimise noise pollution and disturbance to wildlife. However, there was still only one channel for music to be played on. Since then, silent discos have adapted to be able to have 2 or 3 or even more channels, which means every single person in attendance can listen to something that they enjoy.
The use of headphones creates an immersive experience tailored to the individual, being able to adjust the volume, change to the listener’s preferred genres, and being able to stand anywhere in the arena and not compromise on sound quality. All of this is achieved while also creating safer spaces for people who may struggle with the usual sounds and sensations of traditional festival sets.
It also fosters a more interactive environment in which people can communicate with other people without having to shout over the music or go to quieter parts of the venue. This is great for meeting new people or talking to your friends or family you are there with.
The other benefit of these events is that it allows music festivals to go on longer by continuing past noise curfews, which for many festival-goers who want to party on through the night is what makes these such great events.
How to throw your own silent disco!
Silent discos utilise headphones that are wireless, this enables individuals to listen to music without the need for a traditional sound system or speakers. These are expensive to buy and rent, can only play 1 track at a time and sound quality varies depending on where you are in the venue. Also depending on where you are throwing this party you may not want to be known as the noisy neighbours.
The silent disco mitigates these issues while creating a fun and versatile party atmosphere. Once you have your venue sorted, whether that’s your home or local club, pub, hall etc… you can focus on the music.
After reviewing multiple companies for headphone hire the standard pricing for 25 headphones was around £135 which works out at £5.40 per person, or for larger parties 50 headphones was £165 which averages out at £3.30 per person.
Once you have the headphones you can set 3 channels to various different playlists and genres so that your guests can enjoy their favourite music all night long!
As with all events its always worth considering getting additional lighting and visuals such as strobes and lasers to elevate the auditory experience and create a vibrant and energetic atmosphere for guests.
A spokesperson from headphonesty.com commented: “Silent discos offer many advantages for both organisers and the audience. Everybody can discover something they like because of the capacity to offer personalised music experiences through a variety of channels that appeal to different interests.
The smooth transition between talking and partying fosters a lively and friendly environment and the headphones’ immersive qualities increase interaction and compel visitors to fully appreciate the music and atmosphere.
Furthermore, the ability to set individual volumes ensures that each guest may enjoy the party at their desired volume level. You can create a genuinely distinctive and unforgettable party experience that will be talked about long after the night comes to an end”
Children at an Edinburgh hospital will soon be learning important conservation lessons from some very unusual teachers – a mob of meerkats based in an outdoor classroom within the grounds!
The first programme of its kind outside of Australia, the meerkats from The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo will reside at NHS Lothian’s Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) and be at the heart of an extensive learning and discovery experience.
Thanks to a partnership between Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), NHS Lothian and RZSS, the inquisitive creatures will give young patients, particularly those staying long term, the opportunity to learn all about nature and the environment.
Edinburgh Zoo currently delivers a weekly programme of educational activities at the RHCYP, including projects on penguins, pandas and tigers, all of which encourage children to think about their place in the world and the importance of wildlife within it.
The meerkat enclosure will replicate their natural habitat and zookeepers from Edinburgh Zoo will care for them and provide meerkat educational sessions while on site.
Roslyn Neely, CEO of ECHC, said: “Some children are too unwell or have been in hospital for so long that they don’t have the opportunity to engage with the outdoors, or interact with animals.
“Many of the children who visit the hospital care passionately about nature and the environment. Our programme will allow them to learn from experts while getting up close to the best teachers of all – the meerkats themselves.
“The wellbeing benefits of engaging with animals and using nature in the healing process are well documented, and there’s great excitement within the hospital in anticipation of our furry friends arriving.”
David Field, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said, “Our conservation education programme has already been a great success and now we are taking this incredible next step by creating the only meerkat enclosure at a children’s hospital outside of Australia, making this a first in the UK and Europe.
“Being close to nature and animals can have a tremendous impact on people’s mental and physical health and wellbeing. We also know that people and communities are more likely to help protect nature when they have had the opportunity to connect with our natural world.
“We are really looking forward to bringing a group of meerkats to live at the hospital next year and seeing the impact this will have for the children and their families.”
Allister Short, Service Director, Women’s and Children’s, NHS Lothian, said: “We are really excited about this innovative programme coming to the RHCYP.
“Meerkats have been introduced into many children’s hospitals in Australia and this unique concept encourages children to learn and be inspired, particularly when they’re in hospital for long periods of time.
“We want to brighten up our patients’ days in an educational way and we know that the meerkats will be an exciting addition to the RHCYP.”
The programme is currently in the early stages of planning and it is hoped the meerkats will move into their new home at the RHCYP from 2024.
Around 70% of British people consider password loss as stressful as a personal injury or an illness, financial problems, or dismissal from work, the latest digital stress survey conducted by NordPass indicates.
The study, which investigated the effects increasing cybersecurity demands have on people’s mental health, reveals that 67% of adults in the United Kingdom (UK) fear losing access to an important account without a reset option.
To compare, fewer people — 64% — find a personal injury or illness highly stressful. Dismissal from work and financial problems terrify 70% and 72% of people respectively.
Tomas Smalakys, the CTO of NordPass, said: “The fact that password management issues cause more worries for British people than personal health matters is concerning.
“This insight again proves passwords no longer fit people’s needs, and the switch towards alternative methods of online authentication should become the key priority for service providers,”
Why do passwords cause so much stress?
NordPass found that the fear of losing access to an account is related to a person having too many passwords at hand and, as a result, struggling to recall which password belongs to which account.
In the UK, almost half (45%) of internet users agreed password management is a challenge for them. In the US, even more people (56%) feel this way.
According to NordPass data, an average internet user has around 100 passwords to manage. This number contains both personal and business accounts, many of which are used on a daily basis.
As Smalakys explains, with so many credentials to remember, people tend to create weak passwords and reuse them, which then results in data breaches:
“It’s an unfortunate cycle. We fear losing access to our accounts and create simple passwords so we don’t forget them, while the most direct way to lose an account is actually to create a simple password for it,” says Smalakys.
Based on the latest Verizon Data Breach Investigations report, 74% of all breaches include the human element, and creation of weak passwords is among the key causes.
Tips to reduce password management induced stress
To ensure password management is less challenging, Smalakys recommends using the following cybersecurity practices:
1. Adopt a password manager. This solution allows someone to securely store all passwords, passkeys, credit cards, and other digital assets in one place, autofilling them on websites and sharing them with others in an end-to-end encrypted environment. Password managers also generate secure passwords consisting of at least 20 digits.
2. Give passkeys a try. Many tech companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Apple, offer a passwordless login with passkeys. Passkeys are a new technology, approved by the prestigious FIDO Alliance and considered the healthiest and the most convenient alternative to passwords.
3. Delete accounts you no longer use. Rarely used accounts often get abandoned, which makes them attractive to cybercriminals. The passwords for these accounts become outdated and are then easily crackable.
Gary Maclean provides the perfect recipe for families to start baking in support of Mary’s Meals
MasterChef Gary Maclean is encouraging families to get baking over the summer holidays and raise vital funds for Mary’s Meals.
Scotland’s national chef, who won MasterChef: The Professionals in 2016, is supporting the charity’s Raise Some Dough campaign which asks people to host a fundraising bake sale to help feed hungry children.
Mary’s Meals serves nutritious school meals to more than 2.4 million children in 18 of the world’s poorest countries – including Ethiopia, Syria and South Sudan. The promise of a daily meal attracts children into the classroom, where they can gain an education and hope for the future.
For first-time bakers and kids keen to get involved in the kitchen this summer, Gary suggests biscuit making as the best way to get started.
He says: “It’s great to do this with kids because it should only take 15 to 20 minutes for a biscuit to bake, and it doesn’t really matter what shape they come out.
“I’ve got great memories of making biscuits with my mum.
“We can now introduce that side of it to our kids and it’s an entry point for them to start enjoying cooking and baking.”
Gary, who is executive chef at the City of Glasgow College, has been a long-time supporter of Mary’s Meals. He says: “Initially what brought Mary’s Meals to my attention was that connection between education and food.
“Obviously, we need both. But to bring that together, it really helps families getting children fed, but also getting them educated, because education can be their route out of poverty.”
And when asked which biscuits he’ll be enjoying with his family over the school summer holidays, the celebrity chef admitted: “I probably make more biscuits than I eat them! I like things with coconut, I do like dark chocolate.
“Over the summer holidays, I’d encourage parents and kids to get involved in Raise Some Dough. Any money raised goes a long way with Mary’s Meals, so every penny counts!”.
People across the UK can download a free Raise Some Dough fundraising pack from the charity’s website, which includes a book packed full of tasty biscuit recipes from some of the UK’s favourite celebrities – including Stephen Fry, Dame Joanna Lumley, Ellie Taylor, Rosemary Shrager and Judy Murray.
The charity will also send bakers a free mug-shaped cookie cutter, based on the mugs from which many children eat their daily serving of Mary’s Meals.
It costs just £19.15 to feed a child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school year, which means every penny raised through baking will help to transform young lives around the world.
To order your free Raise Some Dough fundraising pack, please visit:
Perkins biscuits are not to be confused with the Yorkshire biscuit called Parkins. They are similar, but not the same. Perkins are worth a go if you like your biscuits with an oaty texture. This is my type of biscuit, another very easy one to make and I think they look amazing. You could also add your own twist by topping them with some dark chocolate.
Ingredients:
120g / 4 ¼ oz Plain Flour/All-purpose
120g / 4 ¼ oz Rolled Oats
60 g / 2 ½ oz Unsalted Butter, diced and cold
85 g / 3oz Caster Sugar
1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking powder
½ tsp Ground Ginger
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
¼ Mixed Spice
100g / 3 ½ oz Golden Syrup
100g / 3 ½ oz Blanched Almonds.
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350˚F.
Take the flour, bicarbonate of soda/baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and spices and sift them into a large bowl.
Add the butter and rub until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the oats, sugar, and mix.
Take a small pan and warm the golden syrup until it is of a pouring consistency, try not to heat it too much.
Pour the golden syrup into the bowl and mix to form a stiff dough.
Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Split the mixture in half and roll into a long sausage shape.
Cut the sausage shape into 12 equal parts, do the same with the other half of the dough, you should end up with 24 pieces.
Roll each piece up into a ball, split the balls between the two trays leaving a gap between the balls.
Gently press the tops of your biscuits with your thumb and top each with a blanched almond.
Bake in your oven for 10 minutes, until the biscuits have spread and are golden.
Leave to cool on the tray until cool enough to touch before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Celebrating a new partnership between two of Scotland’s most famous landmarks and events, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo performers “try” to impress the Scotland Rugby squad with their skills at the iconic Murrayfield stadium.
This summer the Tattoo Performers will swap Edinburgh Castle for Murrayfield; pipers will provide the rugby players with a very warm Scottish welcome ahead of each of the summer international rugby matches, as well as performing for crowds in the popular Fan Zone areas.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Scottish Rugby are also offering a week-long on-air and online competition with Heart Radio, including tickets to see the International France v Scotland Rugby match on Saturday 5 August, transport from Murrayfield to Edinburgh Castle and the Spirit of Scotland hospitality package including premium seating to enjoy the Tattoo.
For further information on how to win the ultimate day out, please visit:
Staged at the world-renowned Edinburgh Castle, this year’s Tattoo performance, entitled Stories, will run from 4-26 August 2023.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at edintattoo.co.uk/tickets or on the phone on 0131 225 1188. There are also still some tickets remaining for the half price Preview Night on 3 August.
Scotland will face Italy, France and Georgia this July and August in The Famous Grouse Nations Series.
Staff, residents, relatives and the local community came together at Strachan House to enjoy a Summer Fete that was held in the home’s grounds on Saturday (15th July).
Strachan House hosted a variety of activities throughout the day, including a BBQ prepared by the talented chefs, live entertainment, face painting and balloon artist which were enjoyed by everyone who came to the event.
The local community police officer even came along to enjoy the afternoon, whilst the children got to enjoy sitting in his car.
Staff at Strachan House made everyone feel welcome and were delighted to see different generations having fun together. Visitors enjoyed a summer BBQ, prepared by the catering team, who were hard at work making sure that a great time was had by all – it really was a team effort!
Resident, Betty Munro said, “I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was surrounded by lots of great people, and the refreshments kept flowing.
“The weather wasn’t on our side but we had a fabulous regardless. Staff did a great job, not just on the day, but organising the event and getting everyone together.”
Gordon Philp General Manager at the home, said: “Staff at Strachan House are dedicated to making sure that the home is a hub of the local community, and this event, along with all their hard work, has definitely paid off. It was a resounding success!”
Strachan House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Strachan House provides residential care, nursing care and dementia care for 83 beds residents from respite care to long term stays.
