Scotland the Best

[Pious Fraud]

BBC Pictures: Up Helly Aa fire festival on Shetland



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Shetland Viking Fire Festival

[Pious Fraud]

Glasgow's Burrell Collection becomes listed building

BBC News 1st February 2013

The building which houses the Burrell Collection in Glasgow has been awarded Category A listed status.

Historic Scotland who made the award said it reflected the building's importance as an example of 1970s architecture.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop called the building "a masterpiece of structural design".

About 1% of Scotland's buildings are listed.

The glass and brick building, which hosts the art collection of Sir William Burrell that he gifted to the care of Glasgow, is situated in the city's Pollok Park.

The building opened in 1983 after a 13-year process to design and build a museum for more 8,000 paintings, pieces of furniture, and artistic objects collected by Burrell during his life.

Sir William Burrell

Cllr Archie Graham, chair of Glasgow Life which runs the museum, said: "It says everything about the Burrell Collection building that is regarded so highly in its own right and is often named as one of Scotland's best.

"The A-listing from Historic Scotland allows us to celebrate this world famous building as proposals are brought forward for a refurbishment which will secure it for future generations."

Earlier this month trustees of the collection announced plans to upgrade and repair the 30-year-old building to make it fit for the 21st Century.

Ms Hyslop said: "The Burrell Collection is one of Glasgow and Scotland's most impressive buildings of its period and has contributed so much to our understanding of design thinking and the innovative use of interior and exterior space.

"The A-listing for the Burrell Collection is a fitting tribute especially in this its 30th year and recognises the significant contribution it has made to Glasgow's landscape and the aesthetic pleasure it has brought to many over the years."

Category A status is the highest level of architectural protection given to buildings, and makes up about 8% of 47,600 listings in Scotland. It is awarded to buildings which Historic Scotland determine have "national or international importance, either architectural or historic".

Clare Price, conservation advisor with The Twentieth Century Society, said: "We believe the Burrell Collection represents a unique contribution to twentieth century architecture in Scotland and to museum design internationally.

"The building's strength lies in its design: complementing the collection rather than competing with it, its sensitive palette of materials allowing it to blend with the landscape."

The collection attracts about 200,000 visitors each year.

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image hosted on flickr


The Burrell Collection

[Pious Fraud]

'In pictures: Your paintings puts nation's masterpieces on display'

BBC News 7th February 2013



Glasgow Bridge (Circa 1890)

by

Charles James Lauder

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More Scottish paintings here

[Pious Fraud]

Voltaire & Rousseau Bookshop, Glasgow

'Voltaire & Rousseau is everything that a great second-hand bookshop should be. Silent, dishevelled and rammed to the rafters with great books. It has been quietly sitting in Otago Lane for over 30 years, becoming a mecca for Glasgow's students and intellectuals. It's not a big place but every inch is chock full of something. What I love most about it is that there's no real sense of hierarchy. It gives the impression that no book is too unfashionable, too old or too shabby. New books mingle with old. Hardbacks and paperbacks come together, pamphlets are fair game. If the spine is broken or the dust jacket's ripped that's fine, no one stands on ceremony here. It feels like more a tribute to the printed word than a business.'

Continues here

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Puss in Books





'BB'

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Voltaire & Rousseau Bookshop

[Pious Fraud]

Wigtown

Scotland's National Book Town

'Wigtown is Scotland's Book Town, a booklover's haven where visitors can browse among more than a quarter of a million secondhand books.'

Wigtown Book Festival

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From LA to rural Scotland: The odyssey of a bookworm

[R.K.Teck]

Look at the top banner - it's Embra!


http://xl.skyscrapercity.com/images/...2013/03/07.jpg

[Chris99]

Culzean Castle viewed from the viaduct. Taken last summer:

[Chris99]

Telford’s Bridge at Dunkeld. Taken last summer:

[M_Riaz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RzAzbOWDhE

Published on 17 Mar 2013


At the birthplace of Dr David Livingstone in Blantyre today, First Minister Alex Salmond welcomed Her Excellency, Dr Joyce Banda, the President of the Republic of Malawi as she arrived on an official visit to Scotland.

The First Minister has marked the bicentenary of Scottish missionary and explorer Dr David Livingstone by announcing funding for aid projects in Malawi focussing on healthcare and growing the economy and confirmed that 15 projects in Malawi, run by Scottish--based organisations, have been allocated £4,920,106 of funding over three years from the Scottish Government's International Development Fund.

[Chris99]

Killiecrankie. The Highland Mainline is hidden by the trees:



before entering this elaborate portal:

[R.K.Teck]

A jockey from Galashiels won the Grand National!

Grand National 2013: Ryan Mania rides 66-1 shot Auroras Encore to victory at Aintree


http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/...3_2528998b.jpg

Beaten just a head in the Scottish National at Ayr a year ago, the 11-year-old had been well
beaten in recent starts but came to challenge for the lead jumping the final fence.

While the complexion of the National has changed so many times on the long run-in in the
past, the result was scarcely in doubt on this occasion as Auroras Encore galloped all the way
to the line under Ryan Mania to score by nine lengths.

Cappa Bleu finished strongly to grab the runner-up spot, with Teaforthree and Oscar Time third
and fourth respectively.

Scottish-born rider Mania said: "There's no words to describe it, I got a dream ride all the way
- I couldn't believe my luck.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/hor...t-Aintree.html

[Chris99]

Royal Palace at Stirling Castle earlier today:

[Pious Fraud]

The most beautiful places to pitch your tent



Luss Camping and Caravan Club Site, Loch Lomond, Scotland

You don’t have to head to the extremities of Scotland to enjoy the country’s beauty and tranquillity - as this site located just 40 minutes north of Glasgow proves.

Situated on a spur of land on the bank of Loch Lomond, the site is scattered with trees to create a landscaped atmosphere for its 90 pitches and has a sandy beach at its edge if you fancy a paddle.

Nearby Luss is a conservation village and is one of several points where pleasure cruises embark onto the loch – or there’s always Ben Lomond across the water if you want some more vigorous exercise.

The site is open from 21 March to 28 October.

msn

Camping at Luss

[RapidTaco]

The scenery in the west of Scotland is simply stunning. I was up in Oban at the weekend and while heading north up Loch Lomondside was reminded just how lucky we are living in Glasgow and having all this on our doorstep!

[Pious Fraud]

Shetland among world's best sunrises, Lonely Planet says

BBC News 29th April 2013

Shetland has one of the best seven sunrises in the world, according to the Lonely Planet travel guide.

It said: "The most northerly islands of the UK afford some of Europe's best sunrise views."

Mount Fuji in Japan and Mount Batur in Bali are among the guide's top seven.

Steve Mathieson, VisitScotland's island manager for Shetland, said: "This is a wonderful accolade and will hopefully encourage more visitors to come here and enjoy a stunning sunrise."

The Lonely Planet's entry for Shetland adds: "The remote beaches make the perfect spot for seeing the sun come up and we promise you'll be in sweet isolation, untroubled by tourist hordes.

"It's best to head here in early spring or late autumn for some sunrise action, as Shetland's northerly location means the sun spends just a few hours below the horizon in the summer months."

The other four sunrises on the list are Uluru in Australia, Inle Lake in Burma, America's Bryce Canyon, and Okavango Delta in Botswana.

BBC

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Shetland Sunrises



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Visit Shetland