Latest news with #BelladrumTartanHeartFestival
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Under the Radar: Eyes of Home
Eyes of Home Edinburgh quartet Eyes of Home are having a landmark year, write Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Eyes of Home are a highly promising indie rock band who specialise in creating emotional, upbeat hits, influenced by the likes of Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, Kings of Leon and The Strokes. Consisting of identical twins Shaun and Arron Leishman, with Jack Brady and Tomas Potter completing the lineup, the Edinburgh quartet are having a landmark year. To date, they've been championed by BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio (both in the US and UK), Welsh station Radio Wigwam, CamGlen Radio and arts and music magazine Qulture Mag, as well as featuring on numerous playlists. Their producer Graeme Young, former owner and engineer of Edinburgh's legendary Chamber Studios, has been instrumental in honing their radio-friendly sound. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The band have already sold out Sneaky Pete's in the capital, and their next live outing is on the Seedlings stage at Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival in Beauly on Friday, followed by a slot at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow on 8 August, as part of their Summer Nights Festival, see Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, see
Scotsman
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Under the Radar: Florence Jack
Florence Jack Florence Jack's pop brilliance has seen her picking up airplay in all the right places, write Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Florence Jack is a gifted singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Aberdeen. She possesses a genuine pop brilliance, crafting energetic, masterful electro-pop gems with infectious choruses, reminiscent of her biggest influence, Taylor Swift. Her songwriting prowess has led to regular airplay across the BBC, including BBC Introducing, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio nan Gàidheal and she has been featured in publications including The Skinny and POST Aberdeen. A prolific collaborator, she's also co-written songs with Paul Statham (Dido, Kylie Minogue), rapper Yxng STUNNA and EDM producers Ian Robert and Charlie Aylesbury. The first single from her debut EP, Block You, has already secured airplay via Amazing Radio (both in the US and UK), CamGlen, Radio Wigwam and on several Spotify playlists. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She plays King Tut's in Glasgow on 30 July, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival in Beauly on 2 August, Live at Dun in Brechin on 16 August and Sheb Fest in Devon on 30 August, with her EP launch at Cafe Drummonds in Aberdeen on 27 September, see Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, see
Scotsman
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Highland roads: Major A9 bridge near Dingwall on North Coast 500 route hit by 20 weeks of overnight works
The bridge is a key part of the North Coast 500 route. | Google Motorists face 20 weeks of speed restrictions. Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A key A9 bridge on the North Coast 500 route will face 20 weeks of construction work, starting this month. Overnight maintenance work will be carried out on both lanes of the road over Cromarty Bridge, near Dingwall, from Monday, July 21. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A 30 mph speed restriction is being put in place 24 hours a day while work is ongoing. Temporary traffic lights will be on the bridge at night from 7pm until 6am on weekdays, and 24 hours a day on Saturdays and Sundays. The footpath will remain open at all times. Bear Scotland, the company carrying out the works, said large-scale events including the Black Isle Show and the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival have been factored into the planning, with daytime temporary traffic lights being removed during these times. It says signals will also be manually controlled at peak times to minimise disruption for drivers. The total cost of the work is estimated at £2.9 million. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The bridge is a key part of the North Coast 500 route. | Google Euan Scott, Bear Scotland's North West Representative, said: 'This refurbishment is an important investment in this major structure by Transport Scotland which will help ensure the long-term integrity of the bridge. 'Learnings from previous works on Cromarty Bridge have been built into the planning for these improvements and have been designed to minimise traffic disruption. 'We are committed to completing this essential maintenance as quickly and safely as possible. We thank all road users and the local community for their patience in advance. Please plan ahead by checking the Traffic Scotland website for up-to-date journey information and leave some extra time to complete journeys.' Scottish Water have postponed plans to close the A862 from Ardullie roundabout to Dingwall for a water main upgrade during the same period. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The proposed works, lasting 13 weeks, had sparked concern in the local community about the impact on drivers. A spokesperson for Scottish Water said: 'We recently we attended a meeting organised by Kiltearn Community Council, and listened to the concerns that residents and local businesses had, both about the work to renew the local water network and its timing. 'As a result of this, we are proposing to defer the work that is needed until Spring 2026. This will give our team opportunity to look again at the options to minimise and mitigate disruption; and to engage further with roads authorities, Network Rail and local communities.
Scotsman
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Highland roads: Major A9 bridge near Dingwall on North Coast 500 route hit by 20 weeks of overnight works
The bridge is a key part of the North Coast 500 route. | Google Motorists face 20 weeks of speed restrictions. Sign up for the latest news and analysis about Scottish transport Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A key A9 bridge on the North Coast 500 route will face 20 weeks of construction work, starting this month. Overnight maintenance work will be carried out on both lanes of the road over Cromarty Bridge, near Dingwall, from Monday, July 21. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A 30 mph speed restriction is being put in place 24 hours a day while work is ongoing. Temporary traffic lights will be on the bridge at night from 7pm until 6am on weekdays, and 24 hours a day on Saturdays and Sundays. The footpath will remain open at all times. Bear Scotland, the company carrying out the works, said large-scale events including the Black Isle Show and the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival have been factored into the planning, with daytime temporary traffic lights being removed during these times. It says signals will also be manually controlled at peak times to minimise disruption for drivers. The total cost of the work is estimated at £2.9 million. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The bridge is a key part of the North Coast 500 route. | Google Euan Scott, Bear Scotland's North West Representative, said: 'This refurbishment is an important investment in this major structure by Transport Scotland which will help ensure the long-term integrity of the bridge. 'Learnings from previous works on Cromarty Bridge have been built into the planning for these improvements and have been designed to minimise traffic disruption. 'We are committed to completing this essential maintenance as quickly and safely as possible. We thank all road users and the local community for their patience in advance. Please plan ahead by checking the Traffic Scotland website for up-to-date journey information and leave some extra time to complete journeys.' Scottish Water have postponed plans to close the A862 from Ardullie roundabout to Dingwall for a water main upgrade during the same period. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The proposed works, lasting 13 weeks, had sparked concern in the local community about the impact on drivers. A spokesperson for Scottish Water said: 'We recently we attended a meeting organised by Kiltearn Community Council, and listened to the concerns that residents and local businesses had, both about the work to renew the local water network and its timing. 'As a result of this, we are proposing to defer the work that is needed until Spring 2026. This will give our team opportunity to look again at the options to minimise and mitigate disruption; and to engage further with roads authorities, Network Rail and local communities.
STV News
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
It's no surprise Texas are back at Belladrum, they've always oozed cool
I grew up loving Texas and, in particular, Sharleen Spiteri. To me, she oozed cool. She looked so different from anyone else I'd seen on TV – beautiful with an edge – and her voice was incredible. I liked how she looked like she wouldn't stand for any nonsense – I'm putting that politely there. And she was Scottish – instantly my hero. I told her I thought this the first time I interviewed her a few years ago (fangirled) to which she loudly laughed, saying: 'I was not cool! I was a geek!' Geek or not, she's been making music with Texas for almost 40 years and can't wait to hit the road again this summer with a host of festival performances across Europe on the cards. 'I'm laughing. I'm calling it my four-day week. My four-day week tour,' said Spiteri. 'That's the dream. It's the total dream. I say to the family: 'It's like I work Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Any other day don't annoy me because I'll be recuperating.'' Among those festival dates is a return to Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival in the Highlands, where Texas will headline on Saturday August 2, celebrating 21 years of the northern soiree. 'It's such a good festival and the last time we played I think was 2011,' said Spiteri. 'And I have to say I'm really proud that we were in there quite early and that we've been invited back. 'I really enjoy playing in the open air – I love playing with the wind in your face. You get plenty of that at Balladrum!' It's no surprise Texas have been invited back though. With a plethora of hits including Black Eyed Boy, I Don't Want a Lover and Halo, to name but a few, the band provide the perfect singalong vibe for all ages. Never was this more prevalent than when they played two nights at the Hydro last year. Despite having performed on some of the most revered stages around the world, including an amazing Glastonbury performance, Sharleen admitted the Hydro moment was special. 'The first night we walked out on stage, we couldn't hear,' she said. 'The crowd were so loud. It was like a wave of love. I feel emotional even talking about it now.' Emotions were especially high for Sharleen due to two important faces being absent in the crowd. Having lost both her parents in the past few years, she said: 'My mum and dad would have been so proud.' The fact they're no longer here truly hits home for Sharleen whenever she returns to Glasgow, but her sister and family are always on hand with home comforts to help. 'That's what I like to do,' said Spiteri. 'I go to my sister's. Last night, after rehearsals, she got a pot of soup on and a slice of plain bread with loads of butter.' Sounds pretty perfect. And when she's not working? Sharleen likes to unwind in her garden proudly showing off her gardener's tan. She joked: 'I look like a blubbery zebra when I take my clothes off!' That I very much doubt, but I love her self-deprecating style. I also love that she chatted away for ages before the interview actually began, discussing our ailments, children and putting the world to rights! Down-to-earth, interested and interesting – you can say what you want but Sharleen is truly a class act. Bring on Belladrum in August. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
