Detectives have renewed an appeal for information as they continue efforts to locate the bodies of Renee and Andrew MacRae.
Renee, 36, and her three-year-old son Andrew left their home in Inverness on November 12, 1976.
Their BMW car was discovered on fire in a lay-by near Dalmagarry later that evening. Their bodies have never been found.
William MacDowell, then aged 80, was found guilty of their murders at the High Court in Inverness in September 2022. He died in February 2023.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Geddes said: “Renee and Andrew’s family and friends waited decades for justice, which was served last year.
“However, their bodies have not been found and our investigation continues to explore all possible opportunities open to us to help answer that final, most important question in order to provide Renee and Andrew with the dignity they deserve.
“We continue to review the available evidence to identify any further areas of interest, while also considering whether there are any opportunities that modern technology could assist with in identifying possible deposition sites.
“This review includes considering any properties which may be linked to William MacDowell which he could have used, possibly a derelict building, an empty one or even an occupied one he had use of.
“The time scale would be the early to mid-1970s and we are hoping someone may remember seeing Renee MacRae’s BMW car in an area perhaps with MacDowell’s company Volvo or the family white Range Rover.
“We are also considering possible sites where they may have met during their relationship, possible including the Blackfold area above Loch Ness, Inverfarigaig, and between Nairnside and Daviot.
“This case will never be considered resolved until we find Renee and Andrew. We owe it to the family and friends to make every effort to recover Renee and Andrew’s bodies and I would urge anyone who may be able to assist, no matter how small you may feel your information is, to come forward.”
Anyone who believes they can assist police is asked to contact 101 or you can email SCDHOLMESInverness@scotland.police.uk. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Over half of Scots (52 per cent) think volunteering could improve their mental health according to a new survey from the British Heart Foundation. It comes as the national charity has also seen a boom in younger volunteers since the pandemic ended.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF), which has around 16,000 volunteers across its shops and stores, and supporting roles from home, has also revealed that over half of its new retail volunteer recruits this year are Gen Z.
A new survey of 1,000 people in Scotland has highlighted that Scots believe volunteering could improve their mental health, boost confidence, and reduce loneliness.
The survey also found that over nine in 10 (94 per cent) of Gen Z respondents nationally would consider volunteering, compared with just under three quarters (74 per cent) of Baby Boomers (people aged 59-77+) respondents.
Flexibility stood out as a key factor for Scottish respondents when it comes to volunteering, with 48 per cent of Scots saying they would be more likely to volunteer if flexible hours were offered, and nearly a quarter (24 per cent) would consider volunteering from home
Further results showed that for 30 per cent of Scottish respondents (32 per cent), the biggest barrier to volunteering in a charity shop was not having time to commit to it regularly. With flexible roles offered, and even the option to volunteer from home, it’s now much easier for anyone to get involved and try out volunteering at the BHF.
Harry McCaughey, a 17-year-old BHF volunteer, initially signed up to gain some work experience and develop his confidence in meeting and socialising with other people. He volunteers at his local shop on the weekends while he studies and loves the social atmosphere and the mix of people and ages in the team. After his A Levels, Harry hopes to go to university and have a career in dermatology.
Harry said: “I started volunteering to meet new people, and it’s been great to get to know people that I wouldn’t otherwise have met and hear advice from those that are older than me.
“I’d encourage younger people to volunteer, it’s a great way to expand your social circle and build confidence and responsibility at work.”
David McColgan, Head of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in Scotlandsaid: “Since the pandemic, it’s been great to see consistently high numbers of young people choose to try out volunteering. The flexibility we offers makes it ideal for those looking to gain work experience and build confidence before applying for jobs or heading to university.
“Our easy, flexible, and inclusive approach aims to make volunteering more accessible for all. We encourage everyone to bring their skills to the BHF, whether it’s for one day or one hundred. Whether you want to chat to customers on the shop floor, sort through donations in the stock room, style the mannequins in the window, stay active in the warehouse or research eBay items from home, we have the role for you.”
A recent volunteer photoshoot saw the charity use only real volunteers in their images, rather than models, marking a new direction the charity is taking to reflect the real diversity of their volunteers.
Multrees Walk, Edinburgh’s most stylish destination, announces the expansion of the designer retailer Louis Vuitton, in Edinburgh. Louis Vuitton – the world’s leading high-quality products group – has been extended from 3,072 square feet to over 6,500 square feet, doubling in size.
Opening in Edinburgh over 20 years ago, Louis Vuitton was the second store to open in Multrees Walk. Over the last 2 decades, the retailer has established a loyal clientele throughout both Edinburgh and Scotland. Coupled with the added benefit from the recovery in international travel and tourism and a demand from international students, the Edinburgh store has gone from strength to strength.
The solid growth for the brand and outstanding performance and demand for the fashion and leather goods, has granted the retailer the opportunity to double in size.
Commenting on the expansion, Adam Stone, Head of Retail Asset Management UK at Nuveen said: “Multrees Walk has become home to many leading and exclusive fashion brands, and we are proud to announce the next chapter for Louis Vuitton.
“As one of our first retailers to open, to see Louis Vuitton trade so successfully to the point where they decided to upsize their store and expand their product offering in Edinburgh is fantastic and testament to the strong trading environment offered by Multrees Walk.
“We look forward to continuing to evolve the retail offering by welcoming further High-End Luxury retailers in the near future.”
Offering a prime location, Multrees Walk provides a luxury shopping experience in the heart of Edinburgh and houses many exclusive fashion brands including Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton, Edinburgh is the only store in Scotland and has cemented its reputation as the destination for designer leather goods.
With only 77 sleeps until the opening of Christmas at the Botanics, fans of seasonal festivities can look forward to a host of new and spectacular botanical-themed installations which will create this year’s awe-inspiring after-dark experience at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Running from 16 November to 30 December, Christmas at the Botanics will once again transform the Garden with a reimagined trail featuring new installations created by artists both local to Edinburgh and from around the world.
The latest new installations confirmed for the 2023 trail include:
Dragonflies will appear to defy gravity as they are suspended over the serene Botanic Pond. This installation of six dragonflies measuring almost two metres in length has been created by local artist, Martha Ellis, who has a studio in Edinburgh. Martha’s work takes inspiration from pop artist Roy Lichtenstein and contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
Fire Dancers will be part of this year’s Fire Garden and has been created by artist Maria Hingerty, previously associate director ofThe World Famous, one of the leading firework and pyrotechnic performance companies in the world. This unique installation takesinspiration from Maria’s own joyful memories of celebratory gatherings, representing the ideas of unity and hope that are associated with the festive period.
Also new for 2023 is the introduction of off-peak tickets. Available on selected evenings in November and December, these tickets enable visitors to make savings on their ticket purchase.
All the new and returning installations along the one-mile illuminated trail are low in energy and have been selected to complement the Botanics’ environment.
Simon Milne, the Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said: “This year’s transformed Christmas at the Botanics trail promises our visitors a new and impressive nocturnal Garden exploration and will be a fabulous festive outing for friends and families. I am very proud of our team’s artistic and fun creations that bring together Christmas, plants, light, and creativity.
“The introduction of off-peak tickets will enable more people to join us this year, and it is important to note that all profits from Christmas at the Botanics will help advance our national and international plant research, conservation, and education programmes.”
Tickets for this year’s show are on sale. For further ticket information, pricing, and timings, please visit www.rbge.org.uk/christmas. Visitors are encouraged to book in advance to guarantee their preferred timeslot.
Christmas at the Botanics is one of nine illuminated trails staged across the UK by leading events promoter Raymond Gubbay Limited, a division of Sony Music. Christmas at the Botanics is presented in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and creative producer Culture Creative.
The 2022 trail at the Botanics attracted its biggest audience, welcoming more than 95,000 visitors over its six-week run.
For more details visit www.rbge.org.uk/christmas and follow @mychristmastrails on Facebook and Instagram.
The number of games development studios operating in Scotland and the size of the workforce they employ grew by 10.2 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively, between December 2021 and April 2023, according to new figures released today by TIGA, the trade association representing the UK video games industry.
Annually, Scottish games development companies are estimated to invest £161 million in salaries and overheads, contribute £133 million in direct and indirect tax revenues to HM Treasury, and make a direct and indirect contribution of £357 million to the UK’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The number of discrete, active, verified Scottish games development companies increased from 147 to 162, compared to an 11.9 per cent increase for the UK industry in its entirety over the same period.
Scotland has 2,338 permanent and full-time equivalent creative staff working on games development. This is up from 2,269 development staff in December 2021.
Scotland is now the fifth largest games cluster in the UK in terms of headcount (after London, the South East, the North West and the West Midlands).
The findings come from TIGA’s definitive report on the state of the UK video games industry Making Games in the UK 2023 (TIGA, 2023) which is based on an extensive survey of UK games businesses, with analysis by Games Investor Consulting.
Additionally, TIGA’s research shows that in the period from December 2021 to April 2023:
Scotland is home to 7.7 per cent of the UK’s total games companies and 9.8 per cent of its developer headcount.
Scotland’s games development sector supports an additional 4,275 indirect jobs (up from 4,148 in December 2021).
Dr Richard Wilson OBE, TIGA CEO, said: “Scotland is one of the world’s most important games development clusters. It’s home to world leading and successful studios, including Rockstar, as well as over 2,300 creative staff in 162 studios. It has a number of excellent universities, whose courses includes TIGA Accredited degrees from Abertay University and the University of the West of Scotland.
“It has one of the best funding environments supported by Scottish Enterprise and Dundee’s UK Games Fund. Dundee is also a centre of excellence for collaboration between academia and industry, in particular the outstanding R&D work carried out by InGAME, which is led by Abertay University, in partnership with the University of Dundee and the University of St Andrews.”
Professor Gregor White, Dean of the School of Design and Informatics at Abertay University added: “The continued growth of the games sector in Scotland, and across the UK more widely, once again demonstrates how integral this fast-moving and ever-evolving industry has become to the digital economy, but also the need for continued R&D and innovation support at both Scottish and UK Government level, in order to keep pace with overseas competitors.
“The success of InGAME, which has catalysed an estimated £84.7m GVA for the UK economy, is an excellent example of what can be achieved through a shared games cluster ecosystem designed to bring industry and academia together.”
BBC Scotland is seeking nominations for ‘Scotland’s People 2023’ with Jackie Bird.
Do you know an incredible person who’s gone that extra mile to help others? Someone who has an inspirational story of kindness and caring? An unsung hero who deserves recognition and thanks for the amazing work they do?
Then please get in touch now to nominate them for Scotland’s People 2023.
– greenspace scotland announces new photography series to help raise vital funds for Scotland’s parks –
greenspace scotland is today announcing the launch of Parks4Life: Scotland’s first ever fund for parks and greenspaces, with a goal to raise one million pounds by the end of 2023 to help support Scotland’s parks with a sustainable fund for the future.
To celebrate the launch of the Parks4Life fund, the greenspace charity is launching Park Portraits, a digital photo gallery bringing to life the stories of a dozen Scottish people and the ways that parks have enriched their lives.
From Aberdeen to Cumbernauld, Edinburgh to Dumbarton, and across to the Hebrides, greenspace scotland has worked with talented Scottish photographer David Anderson to capture soulful portraits of people who exemplify the value that parks provide.
The funds raised through Parks4Life will be invested to provide an endowment to provide an ongoing source of funds for parks. The endowment will be used by communities across Scotland to support local park improvements, activities and events; making sure local parks from large cities to small towns are nurtured and cherished for the future.
Parks and greenspaces are amazing places at the heart of our communities. They give us breathing spaces where we can take time out from the stresses of our everyday lives, places where we can relax and spend time with family and friends, and spaces where nature can flourish in the heart of our towns and cities.
Local greenspaces make a huge contribution to our health, our quality of life and our community spirit. And we really love them: each year, Scots make over 162 million visits to local parks and greenspaces.
Free to use, open and available to everyone, parks are great community assets, but not everyone has easy access to quality local greenspaces.
The Park Portrait series celebrates people from a wide range of backgrounds and uncovers their special reasons for enjoying parks, like Willie Mungall, a veteran Royal Marine Commando who has improved his health with a weekly walking group in Edinburgh’s Saughton Park as part of the ‘Walk with a Doc’ programme led by Health All Round.
Also featured is Greg Borthwick from Dads Rock, a peer support network for dads in Edinburgh. Greg is thrilled to share his love of the outdoors with other dads and often takes his group to the woods at Roslin Glen.
Other subjects in the series include ‘fire spinner’ Iga Sobieraj learning her craft in Pilrig Park, a Team Great Britain Paralympian with a pre-competition ritual to clear his head, and three generations of family that visit the park which holds special childhood memories for each of them.
The Park Portraits gallery is available to view online here. The portraits will also be making their way through some of Scotland’s parks this autumn in a travelling exhibition aimed at inspiring the public to donate to the Parks4Life fund.
greenspace scotland is inviting park lovers from across Scotland to get involved with Parks4Life by taking their own Park Portrait and sharing their park story here, or by making a donation to the Parks4Life Fund.
Julie Procter, Chief Executive of greenspace scotland, said: ““Greenspace is a universal service for all of Scotland’s urban residents – we know that access to these spaces is a massive factor in quality of life, and can be a game changer in creating healthier, happier and stronger communities.
“The Park Portraits project has allowed us to tell the real stories of everyday park users, from those with fond family memories to the volunteers that enable these greenspaces to provide an oasis for their visitors. It’s been an absolute pleasure to hear how many people have a deep connection with their local park and are keen to share their stories.
“Our hope is the Park Portraits series will inspire other people who love their parks to support the Parks4Life fund by donating, as well as sharing their own park stories online. Together, we can help keep Scotland’s parks in good heart for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.”
Development of the Parks4Life Fund has been supported by a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Using money raised by The National Lottery, the Heritage Fund inspires, leads and resources the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future.
Donations to Parks4Life can be made online or by texting PARK to 70450 to make a one-off donation of £5.
People across Scotland who would like to share their own Park Portrait and park story are invited to post on social media using the hashtag #Parks4LifePortraits and submit to the greenspace scotland page here.
Community groups can bid for grants to develop entrepreneurial ideas
A fund to help inspire more entrepreneurs to start or scale up their businesses has been relaunched.
The Ecosystem Fund is being widened this year to include initiatives encouraging young people to consider entrepreneurship from an early age. Applications providing access to support services for under-represented groups including women or those from disadvantaged areas will also be considered.
Community groups, non-profit making organisations, industry bodies, colleges and universities are amongst organisations invited to bid for funding to help boost entrepreneurial activity across Scotland. Grants of up to £50,000 will be available.
Projects could include:
showcasing Scotland’s start-ups globally to attract talent, investment and strategic partners
networking events allowing founders, investors and partners to share expertise and foster connections
training, mentorship and identifying growth opportunities by providing funding for staff, equipment, meeting places or programmes for start ups
encouraging entrepreneurs who support fair work and environmental good practice to make a positive impact on communities
the promotion of learning and teaching in entrepreneurship
tackling barriers or discrimination preventing women and other social groups from accessing support
Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray said: “This expanded funding will build on Scotland’s international reputation as one of the best places in the UK to do business and help make an impact across the business community.
“Despite representing less than 1% of businesses, start-ups generate more than half the value of all small and medium-sized businesses. The fund will spark innovation while fulfilling our potential to nurture many more inventive new start-up companies and driving sustainable growth.
“We need to instil enthusiasm for business and entrepreneurship at all levels from an early age, which is why I encourage collaborative proposals from a wide range of sectors to enable connections and exchange of ideas. In so doing, we can help those who establish businesses to improve lives – such as advancing renewable energy technologies or creating apps that help tackle food waste.
“The Ecosystem Fund is an important step, but we must make further progress expanding entrepreneurial access and opportunity – ensuring that everyone, no matter their background, has the chance to fulfil their potential.
“Together we can remove barriers and open up access and opportunity to budding entrepreneurs across Scotland. By uniting the business community around this goal, we can create a wellbeing economy which is fair, green and growing.”
Chief Entrepreneur Mark Logan recommended measures to support new businesses in his August 2020 Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review.
Mr Logan said: “Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem to raise a start-up.
“The Ecosystem Fund recognises and supports the vital enabling work of our ecosystem-building organisations. It will accelerate Scotland’s journey towards being an internationally recognised Start-up Nation.”
NEW SENSATIONAL SCOTTISH FIREWORKS FESTIVAL LAUNCHED AT DALKEITH COUNTRY PARK
Dalkeith Country Park is getting ready for the first event in a sensational new Scottish fireworks festival this autumn.
Billed as a unique new way to experience Halloween and Guy Fawkes night, Fawkes Festival is primed to set skies ablaze spectacularly.
Designed and produced by the team at GC Live and delivered by technical partners West Lothian-based events group 21CC, it promises wickedly wonderful Halloween and fireworks events for all the family.
The extravaganza, being staged across the Lothians and beyond, features an exciting programme of events with entertainment, fairground rides, fabulous food and drink and a magnificent fireworks display choreographed to music – all with a beautiful country house as a backdrop.
It kicks off in Dalkeith Country Park on Saturday, October 28 when the first fireworks spooktacular takes place, with the festivities culminating in a 20-minute Halloween-inspired fireworks show, set to classic Halloween music, lights and lasers, with the grand vista of Dalkeith Palace as a backdrop.
Geoff Crow, director of 21CC Group, says: “This is going to be Scotland’s biggest and best Guy Fawkes festival.
“Since the pandemic, there have been virtually no big shows like this around the country but we’re bringing Guy Fawkes back with a bang!”
The festival runs from October 28 to November 5 with further events being held at: Dean Castle Country Park, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire on October 29; Hopetoun House, South Queensferry on November 4 and Gosford House, East Lothian on 5 November.
GC Live will also be taking the Fawkes Festival to two venues in England where there will be a special movie-themed Light-Laser-Sound Extravaganza, featuring London’s largest 15-minute immersive light and laser display to music with sky trackers, flames and special effects.
These events are being staged at London’s Ravenscourt Park and Bishops Park with shows taking place at both venues on November 3 and 4.
For more information on the Fawkes Festival, all the events and to book tickets, go to www.fawkesfestival.com
Now the new school term has started, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding families to open a Tax-Free Childcare account today to save up to £2,000 per child on their yearly childcare bills.
Families can use their Tax-Free Childcare account to pay for any approved childcare including holiday clubs, breakfast and after school clubs, child minders and nurseries.
The scheme provides working families, with children up to the age of 11, or 16 if their child has a disability, up to £2,000 a year per child or £4,000 a year if their child is disabled. For every £8 paid into a Tax-Free Childcare account, families automatically receive the UK Government top up of £2. Families can save up to £500 every three months for each child or £1,000 if their child is disabled.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Arranging childcare can be costly for working families. Tax-Free Childcare offers financial help so families can save on the cost of childcare. Search Tax-Free Childcare on GOV.UK and sign up online today.”
Opening a Tax-Free Childcare account online is straightforward and can be done in about 20 minutes. Money can be deposited at any time, 365 days a year, to be used straight away or left in the account and used whenever it is needed. Unused money in the account can be withdrawn at any time.
