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What we learned this week about… Beauly elm, Burns, more burns and Braemar gig for Dame Judi Dench

The Beauly Wych Elm tree.
The Beauly Wych Elm tree.

What we learned this week…

IT HAS been an integral part of a Highland community since the 13th Century, but a tree believed to be Europe’s oldest wych elm fell down in a Highland village after falling victim to the ravages of Dutch Elm Disease.

The Beauly Elm – which was believed to be around 800 years old – had stood at the entrance to Beauly Priory for centuries and references in historic documents to the once-majestic tree date all the way back to medieval times.

A RARE first edition of Robert Burns’ debut poetry collection is being exhibited in Fife.

The book, titled Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, is missing its first 50 pages, because they were ripped out by the owner of a barber shop in Shrewsbury in Shropshire, who used them to clean his razors.

However, the work, commonly known as the Kilmarnock Edition, is now on display at Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries in Fife, next to the Abbey Church which Burns visited in 1787.

Potarch Bridge over the River Dee. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson.

TWO NORTH-EAST workers, who were clearing flood debris from below a bridge, had to be rescued from rising river levels.

Aberdeenshire Council confirmed that the employees were below Potarch Bridge in Deeside when a brace of team members became cut-off on Wednesday morning.

Thankfully, water rescue teams assisted the men in their recovery and they were subsequently checked over by paramedics and found to be in “good health”.

A FILM-MAKING award has been launched in memory of a man who died while climbing the UK’s highest mountain last summer.

Rob Brown, 33, from Fort William, was an experienced climber who fell on Ben Nevis on July 29 last year.

He was a committee member of the annual Fort William Mountain Festival, and his memory will be recognised at this year’s event from February 16 to 19 with an award called The Golden Axe.

Sharleen Spiteri alongside Dame Judi Dench. Image: Ewan Venters/Twitter.

NEW YEAR revellers in Braemar were left star-struck when Dame Judi Dench put on a surprise performance to ring in the arrival of 2023.

Spectators gathered around the piano at The Fife Arms to watch the award-winning actress perform a rendition of Abba’s Waterloo with Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri.

The pair, who were staying at the five-star boutique hotel, were at the village’s traditional Hogmanay party when they broke into song.

Spiteri commended Dame Judi on her musical skills, saying: “What a pianist.” The clip has now gone viral on social media across the world.

PAUL HARTLEY returned to Cove Rangers as manager just seven months after leaving the Scottish Championship club.

The former Scotland player guided the Aberdeen-based organisation to two league titles during his first spell at Cove before moving on to Hartlepool in June.

However, after being sacked in September, he has now returned to the Balmoral Stadium to replace Jim McIntyre, who was ditched after Cove were thrashed 6-1 by Inverness Caley Thistle. It’s a ruthless business in the dug-out.

Martin Compston in The Rig.

A TASTE of real-life danger was experienced by many of the actors in The Rig while they were filming the Amazon Prime Video thriller – including the revelation that Martin Compston was “on fire a lot”.

His co-stars Iain Glen and Mark Bonnar spoke about the perils of shooting the paranormal drama in a purpose-built studio set – including being saved from terrifying falls by safety harnesses and from hypothermia by vigilant medical staff.

“Martin – well, we couldn’t put him out at one point,” said Glen. And Bonnar laughed: “He was on fire a lot.”

FAY WELDON, best known for her books including 1983’s controversial The Life and Loves of a She-Devil, died at the age of 91.

The author published more than 30 novels across her career, as well as several collections of short stories, films for television, and pieces of journalism.

She published her debut novel in 1967 and was later shortlisted for the Booker and Whitbread literature prizes for her works Praxis and Worst Fears.

A shadowy shape that some people say is a photo of the Loch Ness monster in Scotland. Photo by Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock.

A MAJOR refurbishment project, costing £1.5m, is moving forward at the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition centre in the Highlands.

The venue – which is based in Drumnadrochit – was established in 1980 and has shone a spotlight on the enduring mystery of the monster reputed to dwell in the deeps.

But now, the visitor attraction has been taken over by Continuum Attractions, who intend to reopen in the spring with what is being described as a new-look experience.

We know who they’d love to do the ribbon-cutting.

A MORAY beach cafe has closed its doors until spring. The Beach Hut at West Beach in Lossiemouth has shut after struggling through the early part of the winter, with bosses hoping it will safeguard the future of the business.

Ryan Thomson told the Press and Journal that, at some points in recent months, he was seeing only one customer a day – making it unsustainable.

Do the maths – as Rishi Sunak wants everybody to do!

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