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To mark the Chinese New Year the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh is hosting a range of free events for all ages - from Chinese instrument workshops to displays of Chinese glass, calligraphy and steel sculpture. Discover more about the activities planned in celebration of the Year of the Rat and as part of the China Now nationwide art trail.
Exhibition
Dates: February–July
Venue: National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh
Suitable for: Everybody
Discover contemporary Chinese design through our free displays of contemporary artworks in glass, steel and calligraphy.
Web Link:www.nms.ac.uk
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15 March to Sunday 18 May 2008
Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum
Greer Ralston, a graduate of Glasgow School of Art, has returned to painting equestrian-related work after 20 years of producing mainly figurative paintings. Greer regularly exhibits in galleries across the UK and has works in public and private collections including those of top world sportspeople and entrepreneurs.
A recipient of the international Greenshields Scholarship, she has also exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery in London and on several occasions has had portrait commissions auctioned off at Christie’s, London.
Horses have featured highly in the Ralston family over the generations and Greer herself competed from an early age. Her return to equestrian painting was inspired by the death of her late father’s Irish hunter.
Through her figurative work, she has donated many thousands of pounds to charity and her aim is to do the same through equestrian paintings, starting off with raising funds for the Riding for the Disabled at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum.
The Horse runs from Saturday 15 March to Sunday 18 May 2008
Stirling Smith opens
Tues – Sat 10.30am to 5.00pm
Sunday 2.00pm to 5.00pm
Closed Mondays
For further information please contact
Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum
Dumbarton Road
Stirling FK8 2RQ
tel 01786 471917
Web Link:www.smithartgallery.demon.co.uk
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Discover the origins of camouflage, its militarization and its impact on modern art, contemporary fashion and popular culture at The Gordon Highlanders Museum from
SPRING/SUMMER 2008
Camouflage ’08 is a dynamic exhibition and events programme led by the Gordon Highlanders Museum in association with The Arts Development Team and other city partners. Themes will be explored and interpreted through a range of fun events and activities for all ages.
More information available at www.camouflagecity.co.uk.
Web Link:www.camouflagecity.co.uk
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National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh
16 May - 5 October 2008
Experience the lives of one of Canada’s indigenous communities and discover some of Scotland and Canada’s shared history. In the 1850s and 60s Scottish fur traders collected beautifully-crafted objects from the Dene peoples living in the Canadian subarctic. Now part of National Museums Scotland’s collection, these objects provide a fascinating insight into a living community.
Extremes: Life in Subarctic Canada is the result of a new relationship National Museums Scotland has built with the descendents of the people who traded with the Scots, in particular the Dogrib Dene, or Tlicho, in their own language. The objects are returning to Scotland from Canada where they have been on display, along with contemporary material purchased from the Dene people for our collections.
Find out how the objects came to the museum. Admire their beauty, skill and workmanship. Experience personal stories from the community. Discover the extremes of the subarctic environment. What was it like to live here 150 years ago and how is it different today?
Web Link:www.nms.ac.uk
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The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) is delighted to announce that the female osprey at its Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve in Perthshire has laid her first on Friday 11 April 2008 at 4.10 am. The egg is the 50th laid by this female and is also the first-known osprey egg laid this season in Scotland.
Peter Ferns, Visitor Centre Manager at Loch of the Lowes visitors said, “Normally you would expect a female osprey to lay up to 30 eggs in her lifetime. To lay 50 eggs is amazing particularly when you consider there are just 160 – 180 pairs of breeding ospreys in Scotland. As well as producing the first osprey egg this season in Scotland, we also believe that our female is the oldest in Scotland as well as the oldest one still producing eggs.”
Update: A second egg was laid on 13 April and a third egg was laid on 16 April.
Web Link:www.swt.org.uk/Webcam/webcam.asp
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2008 PFT ensemble
We are delighted to announce details of Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s 2008 Summer Season. The ensemble will boast several familiar faces from recent seasons: Martyn James, who we welcome back for his 21st Season, following rave reviews of his performance as Jock in last year’s The Flouers o Edinburgh; Jacqueline Dutoit (5th season), who returns after her critically acclaimed performance as the psychopathic Miriam in Snake in the Grass; Robin Harvey Edwards (4th season), who is tickled pink to be at PFT again following previous roles in The Magistrate and Kind Hearts and Coronets; Jonathan Coote (3rd season), who will be remembered by many for his extraordinary performance as Atticus in To Kill A Mockingbird; Richard Addison (4th season), who earned a nominatation for Best Actor in the 2007 CATS awards for his last PFT appearance in Man Of the Moment; Dougal Lee (7th season), who was unforgettable as Sir Thomas More in Man For All Seasons in 2005; Karen Davies (3rd season), who was last seen at PFT as the eponymous Woman Of No Importance and Ma Joad in Grapes of Wrath; Greg Powrie (6th season),who returns fresh from his hilarious multiple incarnations in Passing Places; and finally, Grant O’ Rourke (2nd season), the most memorable new face from last season. All these will be joined by eight talented newcomers to the ensemble.
Web Link:www.pitlochry.org.uk
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HRH The Prince Charles, The Duke of Rothesay, accompanied by HRH The Duchess of Rothesay, visited Glamis Castle, Angus, to officially open the new Queen Mother Memorial Gates in memory of his grandmother, the late Queen Mother. The gates form an imposing new entrance for visitors on their arrival to the historic castle, one of Scotland's most popular tourist destinations.
Funded by public donations from Scotland and abroad, the Queen Mother Memorial Gates are the result of a partnership between the Queen Mother's Memorial Fund for Scotland and Strathmore Estates.
Architect Lachlan Stewart designed the magnificent gates in conjunction with a small team of memorial gates' trustees. The grand gate piers, which are carved from Wattscliffe Sandstone, a delicate pink stone, feature the eight names and coats of arms of the ancient Royal burghs of Angus, in addition to the Bowes Lyon coat of arms and the Glamis crest. Two rampant lions grace the regal pillars. The imposing gate piers frame wrought iron gates, with the Queen Mother's coat of arms intricately detailed at the centre.
In creating the memorial, this initiative sought to create a new link from the village to the castle via the avenue. It is the first time in history that the vista of Glamis, with its fairytale turrets and the rolling Angus hills beyond, can now be seen from the main road. The gates have also created a new public space in the village in the style of amphitheatre.
Web Link:www.glamis-castle.co.uk
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Perth and Kinross Leisure has converted one of its meeting rooms at Bell’s Sports Centre in Perth to create a brand new state of the art 20 station Fitness Gym.
The new gym, which is kitted out with a range of Life Fitness cardiovascular equipment is sure to provide users with a full body workout, while complimenting the existing Strength and Conditioning Gym.
Paul Cromwell, Service Delivery Manager said:
“This is an exciting addition to Bell’s Sports Centre and compliments the Strength and Conditioning gym that was opened in 2007 in partnership with Tayside and Fife Institute of Sport. Users of that gym, including the Institute’s elite athletes now have the opportunity to develop a full training programme using one facility. The gym will also be of great value to both existing and new customers and gives opportunity for parents and carers to take part in physical activity while their children enjoy our coached activities.
The new fitness gym allows us to introduce our Activity Referral programme to Bell’s Sports Centre, which has already proved popular in a number of our other sites. All of this goes a significant way to improving the health and well-being of the population of Perth and surrounding areas, which is our primary aim as Perth and Kinross’s largest leisure provider.”
The Fitness Gym opened on Monday 5th May.
Web Link:www.liveactive.co.uk
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23 May 2008 – 1 February 2009
National War Museum Scotland, Edinburgh Castle
From a 15th century mercenary to an infantry soldier in today’s army, the National War Museum’s exciting new exhibition covers the bloody and important history of the men on the fighting front of Scotland’s battlefields.
Examining 800 years of clothing, protection, weapons and tactics, Call to Arms highlights four archetypal Scottish fighting men: a 15th century ‘Galloglaigh’ roving mercenary, a 17th century highland warrior fighting for kith and clan, a 19th century Scottish soldier employed by the British Army and today’s soldier tackling the challenges of modern day warfare.
Jonathan Ferguson, Assistant Curator at the National War Museum, said:
“Scotland has always had a fearsome reputation on the battlefield and while technology has unquestionably changed the way warfare has been conducted over the centuries, one thing remains constant: the importance of infantry in any conflict. Call to Arms reveals the lives, weapons and motivations of the ‘boots on the ground’ – your average Scottish fighting man.”
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