Robert McAngus
Jul 30, 2017 · 7 min read

The Daily Thistle — News From Scotland

Sunday 30th July 2017

“Madainn Mhath” .…Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. Boy! It’s windy Gentle Reader this morning, blinds are snapping and the detritus of Saturday his being blown hither and yon.. but the good thing is the temperature has dropped about 10 degrees ..making it a comfortable 21c as I walk the town of Estepona this morning..as I walked down towards the ocean the wind was making the palm trees bow their heads in mock subservience as we walked past .. I got quite a laugh out of it, Bella of course hadn’t got a clue what I was chuckling about.. but like my morning with Vincent yesterday the heavens are clear and the stars are out in profusion.. even managed to see a couple of shooting stars rush head long across the heavens, bound I know not where.. but I now where I’m going, to get another cup of coffee and start chatting to you about the news…

HISTORIC EDINBURGH CHURCH FOR SALE — FOR SAME PRICE AS LONDON FLAT…. A stunning 19th century church in Edinburgh has gone on the market for the same price as a studio London flat. The Gothic style building offers accommodation split over three different levels for around £590,000. Picture; SWNS Sitting on the corner between London Road and Easter Road, the B-listed building is merely a mile from the centre of Edinburgh. Anyone buying the building is able to remove various fixtures and fittings contained within the land — including a war memorial. The Church of Scotland building also boasts a tudor style hall, a spacious sanctuary and a practical meeting hall. The building was closed after the London Road and Holyrood Abbey Parish churches joined together as part of plans to reorganise the churches in the east of Edinburgh. And the church has been the subject of a campaign from a local group called Save London Church” seeking to buy it using community right-to-buy legislation. A brochure advertising the Church of Scotland building suggests a number of different uses for the former religious building. It reads: “The Property is Category B* listed as a crèche, day nursery, day centre, educational establishment, museum or public library. “It has potential for a variety of other uses, subject to obtaining planning and listed building consents. “The Sanctuary is spacious and airy, with a balcony on three sides above. “There is also a bright and practical meeting hall which has potential to be used for a variety of purposes.” For the same price, you can get a new-build 471 sq ft studio flat in the Camden area of London.

ROXBURGHE HOTEL SET TO BE SOLD…. Roxburghe Estates has announced it will sell one of its landmark properties next month. The ownership of the 22-bedroom Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course, based in Heiton, near Kelso, will transfer to Bespoke Hotels — the largest independent hotel group in the UK — at the end of July. The Duke of Roxburghe said: “I am delighted that we have reached agreement with Bespoke, knowing that they have exciting plans for the future and will invest significantly in the business. “We look forward seeing the Roxburghe grow in the years ahead under new ownership and achieving our long-term vision of a high-quality resort destination. “We strongly believe the Roxburghe has a secure and successful future under Bespoke Hotels’ management.” While hotel management experts ICMI will no longer be in charge at the hotel, the Duke said that the staff at the hotel and golf course will retain their jobs. In 2010, planning consent was granted for 60 holiday lodges, a new clubhouse and conversion of the existing clubhouse to a 10-bedroom dormy house, all of which stood as a key factor in Bespoke’s strong interest and decision to acquire the business.

BREWDOG EXPLORING OPTIONS FOR FIRST AUSTRALIAN BREWERY…. Fresh from appointing a managing director for its US arm, craft beer maker BrewDog has named its “top dog” for Australia as it eyes possible sites for its first brewery Down Under.
Zarah Prior, who previously held the role of “head of people” at the Aberdeenshire-based firm before joining Australia’s Stone & Wood Brewing Co last year as head of engagement, has now returned to the company, tasked with identifying locations for its new production facility. The Ellon-headquartered brewer, which recently opened its 100,000 square foot brewery in Columbus, Ohio, and appointed Tanisha Robinson as managing director of BrewDog USA, is focusing its initial searches around the “fast-developing” areas of Brisbane in Queensland and Newcastle in New South Wales. Over the past eight years, the firm’s “Equity for Punks” crowdfunding initiative has attracted investment of more than £40 million from some 55,000 people around the world. In April, US private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners bought a stake of about 22 per cent in the business in a deal that valued it at about £1 billion.
Prior, an Australian native who holds an MBA from the University of Queensland, said: “Our Australian Equity Punk community has been crying out for BrewDog to set up shop closer to home, so we are excited to finally be making that happen.
“We are open to redeveloping an existing industrial site with a 2,000 to 4,000 square metre built-up facility, or alternatively a plot of land able to comfortably accommodate a new build of that size with expansion capabilities in the future.”

AXE FALLS ON LOOPALLU MUSIC FESTIVAL AFTER 13 YEARS…. One of the biggest festivals in the Highlands and Islands is to be axed after this year. Organisers of Loopallu, which has brought the likes of Paolo Nutini, Franz Ferdinand, Mumford and Sons and Twin Atlantic to Ullapool, will be staged for the last time this September. The announcement came after the event was forced to relocate from the Broomfield Holiday Park, on the banks of Loch Broom, after a dispute with its owners. The View, Glasvegas, Hunter and the Bear, Turin Brakes, The Rezillos and The Vatersay Boys will be among the acts to perform at the event’s swansong, which will be staged at Ullapool harbour. Loopallu was founded by Ullapool-based promoter Rob Hicks in 2005, with the American band Hayseed Dixie helping to get the event off the groud by headlining the first two festivals. The event, championed by BBC DJs Janice Long, Mark Radcliffe and Vic Galloway, is believed to the most lucrative of the year for the local economy. However the relocation to the harbour meant the event’s capacity was forced to be cut. A statement on the Loopallu Facebook page said: “With a heavy heart, we’ve decided that our 13th outing is going to be our last. There’s no time to be sad, it’s time to celebrate what has made Loopallu so special over the years. “Time to celebrate how the little event with a big heart transformed a small west coast village at the end of the season, bringing millions of pounds into the economy over the years, and not to mention the priceless friendships established. “It’s time to bring back some of our favourite acts over the years, but also introduce some new ones too; some established household names and some stars of the future. “The whole team would like to say a big thank you to all who have come over the years, your support and enthusiasm made the event what it was and what it is.

BUDGET COFFEE CHAIN EASYCOFFEE OPENS FIRST EDINBURGH STORE…. Budget coffee chain EasyCoffee is set to open its first Edinburgh outlet. The cafe chain, founded by EasyJet tycoon Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, already has £1 coffee shops in cities across England, with the Capital site set to be its first in Scotland. The shop has opened opposite the Haymarket train station. A cup of coffee or tea sells from £1 in EasyCoffee shops, with food like a ham and cheese toastie costing around £3.20. The chain has already announced plans for 200 new stores in major high street locations as it seeks to take on market leaders like Costa Coffee, Pret A Manger and Starbucks, although the locations are being kept a closely guarded secret. Announcing the Edinburgh store, CEO Nathan Lowry said: “EasyCoffee has been popping up all over and we are finally heading to Scotland. “We are just so chuffed to have found the right location with plenty of seating and free wifi, the right team and cannot wait to be a part of the neighbourhood.” He said the firm also had plans for the ‘world’s first’ Irn-Bru Freeze frozen drink to be sold from the Haymarket shop.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of a regular inhabitant of Scotland, a Seagull … something often seen but always overlooked…

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it’s always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of “Colombian” Coffee and wish you a safe Sunday 30th July 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff….But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus

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