Seven fascinating facts about Robert Burns

Over the course of over a couple of centuries the commemoration of his birthday has developed into a formal occasion full of arcane and deeply traditional whimsy . It’s laced with the sort of humour which worked well in the early 19th century, and is intensely “blokeish” some would say outright sexist and much fuss is made about the haggis, and of course whisky.

MSP hits out at Angus and Mearns Clydesdale Bank closures

A local politician believes Clydesdale Bank has “abandoned” its rural customers with the news of the closure of three of its branches in the Angus and Mearns area. Mairi Evans, Angus North and Mearns MSP, has hit out at the bank’s announcement that its Brechin, Forfar and Stonehaven branches are to close as three of 40 offices that are being axed across Scotland.