A new development is being built in the heart of Musselburgh.

Set on the banks of the River Esk, The Wireworks, created by property developer Dundas, has announced the sale of its latest block of flats after selling out on the two previous releases.

The flagship site comes fitted with high spec one, two and three-bedroom apartments with the developer expecting high demand, with the new releases following the launch of the development’s show apartment earlier this year – which was fronted by leading Interior Designer Carol Yates.

Heading up the customer service operations at The Wireworks is Product Specialist, June Pernet. She has urged prospective buyers to seize their opportunity to purchase the in-demand flats.

June said: “We’ve always wanted to create a truly exceptional living experience at The Wireworks and the overwhelming demand we’ve witnessed for the previous two blocks is a testament to the superb quality of the homes our team has worked to deliver.

“It’s encouraging to see that homebuyers have responded so positively to the development and we’re delighted with the initial feedback from those who have bought homes, and we can’t wait to see this development turn into a vibrant community in the months to come.

“Initially, we’re seeing a strong response from the market to our homes, and we expect this next phase to generate a lot of interest among buyers.

“I’d urge anyone who is in the market and is interested to reach out to our team as soon as possible to avoid missing out on a fantastic opportunity to be part of an incredible development.”

The Wireworks currently has seven plots available in block three of the development, starting from £269,995.

Each apartment comes equipped with an ensuite and a balcony, as well as a spacious open-plan kitchen, dining and living room with top-of-the-range specifications.

Hive-controlled heating, contemporary kitchens with SMEG appliances, Porcelanosa bathroom tiling and hyperopic broadband are some of the high-specification features within the properties.

Dundas is also due to release its much hyped penthouses in Spring – believed to be the only homes of its type in East Lothian.

The Wireworks is a £35million redevelopment of the former Brunton Wireworks site in Musselburgh and will bring to market a range of high-spec one to three-bedroom apartments.

Designed by Michael Laird Architects, The Wireworks is inspired by the location’s industrial heritage, while the contemporary homes have been designed to be practical, light-filled, and spacious.

Dundas has a mission to create homes that make people feel great. Headquartered in Livingston and proudly Scottish, it has a track record of building well-designed homes that are higher spec than a vast majority of competitor properties.

The award-winning Scottish property developer’s main aim is to always make the buying process one that’s smooth and stress-free.

https://www.dundas.co.uk/developments/the-wireworks

Edinburgh Open Workshop – We are Open to Everyone

Join the makers at Edinburgh Open Workshop on Saturday 27 April as they throw open the doors and welcome families from across the city to a Family Fun Day.

Enjoy guided tours of the 17,000 square foot facility with demonstrations from resident makers on how to use specialist woodworking, welding and textile machinery. Try out taster sessions in screen printing and wood turning and make your own planter or laser cut sign to take away.

DIY enthusiasts can speak to our experts and ask their advice on any future home improvements or crafting projects, and we will provide a free cut-to-size service for smaller jobs that require specialist tools.

For those interested in learning a new skill or building on existing knowledge, our team will be on hand to discuss the various courses and workshops available, with the option to sign up if you find something you’d like to try.

Co-director Natasha Lee Walsh said: “This is our first ever Family Fun Day and, building on the success of our previous events, we can’t wait to welcome members of the public to the Edinburgh Open Workshop and show them what we do here.

“EOW provides professional makers, students and DIY enthusiasts with training, support and a flexible, fully equipped place to work. We are delighted to be opening our doors and inviting local residents to join our community of artists and crafting professionals, show off our amazing facilities and specialist equipment, and inspire visitors of all ages to try something new.”

When:

Saturday 27th April, 10am – 4pm

Where:

39-41 Assembly Street, Leith, EH6 7BQ

Tickets: Entry is free

Tours:

Group tours will start every hour on the hour leaving from the main entrance. Places do not need to be booked in advance.

Taster Sessions:

We will be offering drop-in taster sessions in planter-making, a cane weaving course and wood turning demonstration (aged 13+). Children are welcome to take part but must be accompanied by an adult. Spaces can either be booked in advance to guarantee your slot on 0131 555 6866 or just turn up on the day.

400 tonne roof installed on new Marchmont storm water tank

A major investment by Scottish Water to tackle sewer flooding in Marchmont has reached a key milestone.

The utility company has announced that the roof of the new storm tank was lowered into place in 41 sections by a 200 tonne crane over the course of a week last month.

Made up from reinforced concrete beams and slabs, the new roof weighs over 400 tonnes and covers the 15 metre wide by 20 metre deep tank.

With this key section of work complete, the next phase of the project is to finish installing larger sewer pipes in the local network and a new underground chamber that will divert storm flows into the new tank.

Once complete the area will be covered in soil and planted with grass and wildflower seeds.

The new storm tank will be able to hold around 3.5 million litres of storm water and will help reduce the risk of flooding to properties in the Marchmont area of Edinburgh.

Scott Fraser, Corporate Affairs Manager, said: “We are delighted that this impressive piece of engineering, key to help alleviating the internal and external sewer flooding in the area, has reached this major milestone.

“When you see the sheer scale of the storage tank you get an appreciation of the amount of storm water that will be held back from the local sewer network during periods of heavy rainfall.”

Paul Milligan, Communications Manager at Scottish Water’s alliance partner Caledonia Water Alliance who are delivering the work said; “Our teams have worked tirelessly to deliver this major new piece of infrastructure that will benefit this historic part of Edinburgh for decades to come.

We would like to thank everyone for their continued patience and understanding while we work to complete this work.”

The project is estimated to be completed by Winter 2024.

www.scottishwater.co.uk/marchmont 

Tracy Gilbert is the Scottish Labour Candidate for Edinburgh North and Leith.

As the Scottish Regional Secretary for the trade union USDAW, she represents more than 37,000 retail and distribution workers in Scotland. An experienced campaigner she fights and wins for workers every day.

“I grew up in a mining town in Midlothian during the 80s, I saw how politics impacted on my family and our community. I thought things would never be that bad again, but I was wrong. That’s why I decided to stand for election as far too many people living in Edinburgh North and Leith are being left behind, and I want to deliver a better future for my community because we deserve better”.

Tracy, who lives in Leith, also has a wealth of experience in advocacy work in her current role but also from her previous work in housing and in various voluntary roles.

“Edinburgh is a wonderful city with thriving businesses and world class arts, hospitality and retail. However, Edinburgh is a tale of two cities. Every day I speak to people working hard to make ends meet, to pay the bills, to heat their homes, that’s if they can get a home to begin with. For far too many people work doesn’t pay and so many families are struggling”.

“A UK Labour Government will deliver the security our community needs. From delivering a New Deal for Working People, to sprinting to clean energy to provide climate leadership and cut energy bills. Only Labour is offering the change our area is crying out for.”

“I am proud to call Edinburgh North and Leith my home and it would be honour of my life to serve the people who live here, the businesses that invest here and the workers that support our community.”

Storm Kathleen

There was some storm damage in the city over the weekend, particularly on Saturday when a mature tree in the private gardens on Queen Street fell down.

Read more and see all the photos here.

Holyrood Art Club Exhibition 2024

The Annual Exhibition moves to a new venue for 2024 at the Edinburgh Photographic Society at 68 Great King Street. Members have produced up to two hundred paintings in different mediums, and you can expect a varied subject matter. Entry is free.

Open daily 10.00am to 5.45pm including Sunday. Closes 4.30pm on the final day, Saturday 20 April.

More details here.

Investment in play parks in the city

There are plans to improve the playground in Dumbiedykes and the council (through Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust) is currently running a consultation until 1 May to find out what local people would like the park to look like. You can find that here.

The Scottish Government began a five-year funding round in 2021 to improve access to premium play parks for children. This long term funding makes it possible for more renewal and refurbishment of parks in the city. Some, such as Montgomery Street Park have already been refurbished and other plans such as a skatepark in Burdiehouse Valley Park are yet to be done.

Funding of £122,000 has been awarded to the playground in Dumbiedykes, where designs have to be finalised. Play areas at Leith Links and Taylor Gardens have been added to the council’s investment programme along with Keddie Gardens and Tolbooth Wynd as part of the wider
Edinburgh Nature Network – Linking Leith parks projects. In addition a contract has been awarded for work to be carried out in the park at Princes Street Gardens where work was due to begin a short time ago to make the park ready for the summer holidays.

A total of £4.9m from The Scottish Government will be spent in Edinburgh on 189 areas which among them have more than 900 pieces of play equipment, and other monies can be sourced from Section 75 agreements which run alongside planning permission and become the liability of developers of particular areas.

New Town & Broughton Community Council meeting

The busy community council meets tonight.

Support the Edinburgh Reporter

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Serial trophy winner Dan Da Costa is returning to Carlton cricket club for 2024 in a move that will be of particular interest to the Scottish national selectors.

South African born Da Costa, 24, had an outstanding debut season at the Grange Loan club hitting 1047 runs in Eastern Premiership and Scottish Cup fixtures.

That meant winning the club’s annual batting prize as well as awards for six-hitting and wicket-keeping topped off by the “Players Player of the Season” for 2023.

According to the web-site of the professional cricketers’ agency World Sports Exchange Dan will “remain in Scotland long term to continue to qualify for the national side”.

On the subject of the Scotland team current internationalist Chris McBride, 24, will join Carlton from Dumfries.

All rounder McBride caught the eye by hitting 56 when Scotland chased down an Irish total of 286 in last year’s ODU World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe.

Carlton open their East Premiership campaign on Saturday 27 April at home to local rivals Watsonians.

Watsonians recently announced on X they had completed the signing of Afghanistan International all-rounder Noor Ali Zadran, an opening bat/ medium fast bowler.

Sam McGurk top scored with ten points but Stellar Monarchs Academy were beaten 56-34 at Leicester Cubs in the National Development League.

Scot Wilson, Monarchs’ team manager, said: “I could make excuses and say it was the first match of the season for most of our lads, whereas Leicester were already up and running in their season.

“That would be unfair to Leicester as they were simply better than us. They were faster out the starts and hungrier than us for the majority of the day.

“We never really got a foothold in the meeting and it was damage limitation by the midway point. Sam McGurk was our bright point, he kept us competitive, but he will need his team mates to give him a lot more support if we are to win matches.”

Wilson added: “It’s a good group of boys we have here though. They’ll regroup and look to put things right against Oxford a week on Friday at Armadale.”

Connor Coles but would probably be reasonably happy on his return from a bad injury at the end of last season, scoring seven points.

Leicester Lion Cubs (56): Joe Thompson 15+0, Vinnie Foord 4+1, Tom Spencer 7+1, Arran Butcher 4+0, Max James 7+2, Luke Crang 11+0, Sonny Springer 8+2

Edinburgh Monarchs Academy (34): Connor Coles 7+1, Mason Watson 3+1, Sam McGurk 10+0, Dayle Wood 4+0, Max Perry 6+0, Mark Parker 2+1, Kyran Lyden 2+1

Fife Flyers travel to Sheffield Steelers, the newly-crowned Elite League champions Sheffield Steelers, on Friday (19.00) in their ice hockey play-off quarter-final. The Kirkcaldy club then host the Yorkshire combine on Sunday (17.15).

The final night of the regular season saw Dundee Stars beat Fife 4-1 at Kirkcaldy but Flyers had already qualified after their 6-2 victory on Tayside on Saturday.

Stars won the opening session at The Fife Ice Arena 1-0 and the second 2-0 before Troy Lajeunesse scored from a penalty shot after 46 minutes but Brendan Harms completed the scoring with a goal less than two minutes from time for a 4-1 win.

Earlier, Ryan Valentini and an Anthony Rinaldi double put the visitors 3-0 ahead after 36min 47sec.

The rest of the quarter-finals are Cardiff Devils v Dundee Stars, Belfast Giants v Coventry Blaze and Manchester Storm against Guildford Flames.

Flyers finished in the eighth and final qualifying spot with 51 points, the same as Dundee Stars and one place behind Coventry Blaze following Sunday’s results.

Blaze edged Guildford 4-3, Glasgow Clan were whipped 8-5 at Braehead by Devils and Nottingham earned a 3-2 overtime win over Manchester Storm.

Clan finished bottom of the ten-strong league with 49 points from 54 games while Nottingham Panthers had 50 points and were ninth.

PICTURE: Fife against Sheffield earlier this season. Picture courtesy of the Elite League

A late St Johnstone goal from Tony Gallagher sent the visitors away with a 2-1 victory over Hibs in Leith.

Results elsewhere mean Hibs can still finish in the top half, but they must rely on Dundee dropping points in their remaining two fixtures.

With Hibs battling for top six and St Johnstone looking to avoid relegation the first half failed to live up to the occasion.

The game wasn’t helped by the blustery wind conditions that led to Edinburgh City’s game at the nearby Meadowbank stadium being called off after 24 minutes.

Hibs dominated possession early on but failed to turn it into any clear-cut chances, however, they did have a penalty claim within the opening 10 minutes.

Emiliano Marcondes went up to contest a header with Dimitar Mitov, who whilst attempting to punch the ball clear, made contact with the Hibs midfielder’s head.

Despite replays showing Mitov had failed to touch the ball, referee Grant Irvine waved away Hibs’ appeals, and no penalty was awarded.

A first half with only one shot on target was summed up late on when the strong wind comically sent a Marcondes effort from outside the box backwards and the sides went in on level terms.

Almost straight after half-time, the second half delivered what the first lacked and St Johnstone opened the scoring.

Adama Sidibeh found himself through on goal after a long ball forward and with all the time in the world, the striker calmly finished past David Marshall to open the scoring after 49 minutes.

Not long after Hibs had equalised, Nathan Moriah-Welsh broke well through the midfield, he played in Myziane Maolida out wide whose effort rebounded perfectly to Chris Cadden and the defender did well to finish through the defending bodies on the line.

The goal spurred Hibs on as they looked to take the lead, minutes after his goal, Cadden could have doubled his tally after a well worked corner routine, but his effort sailed over the bar.

The home side continued to push on, both an ambitious backheel flick from Adam Le-Fondre and a close range effort from Maolida were well kept out by Mitov who was brilliant in goals for St Johnstone throughout.

With 82 minutes on the clock and against the run of play, St Johnstone grabbed the winner with just their second shot of the game, Tony Gallagher, with his back to goal found a way to score past Marshall from a corner kick.

A Saints sucker punch looked to have all but ended any chance Hibs had of finishing in the top half of the table as boos swirled around Easter Road at full-time.

Only a comeback from two goals down by Motherwell at Dens Park keep Hibs top six ambitions alive, who will reflect on the disappointing loss as a missed opportunity to overtake Dundee heading into their final game of the season against Motherwell.

Nick Montgomery said: “It’s a game that we know that we needed to win. It was a game where we expected three points and everybody expected three points, but that’s football. It’s a cruel game.

We have 72% possession, and we lose to a team that has two shots on target. So that’s football at times, but we have to accept that. That’s not good enough.”

The home support let their feelings known after the full-time whistle, Montgomery said: “I can understand the frustration. I’m frustrated, the players are frustrated. It’s a game that we should have won, I feel, but we have to be better in both boxes and that’s what really let us down today.”

Hibs last game before the split is Motherwell away at Fir Park, which they must win if they are to have any chances of finishing in the top-six, but it is out of their hands as Dundee would need to lose their remaining games against Rangers and Aberdeen.

The Scottish men’s hockey cup will be coming back to Edinburgh as Grange and Watsonians will contest the final.

Grange came from 2-0 down with a treble-whammy in the final quarter to edge holders Western Wildcats 3-2 at Glasgow’s National Hockey Centre in the second semi-final while Watsonians were also 1-0 behind to Kelburne but then hit six straight goals.

Fraser Moran scored early for Western after a reverse stick strike and near the end of a first quarter, which Grange initially dominated, Hamish Galt finished low with another reverse stick strike for 2-0.

Grange, the current men’s Premiership leaders, left their comeback late. Indeed, it was not until the final quarter that they opened their account, Joe Waterston providing the lifeline.

Waterston was on the mark again soon after to level and with three minutes remaining Aidan McQuade sent a drag flick into the net.

Martin Shepherdson, Grange’s team manager, said that Grange edged the play in terms of chances created in the second and third quarters and he added: “The fourth quarter saw a fightback by Grange with two volleyed, open play goals from Joe (Waterston) after 57 and 60 minutes.

“The game looked like it was heading for a shootout but Grange earned a short corner with three minutes to go and Aidan (McQuade) scored. Grange immediately pulled their goalkeeper but we held out for an excellent victory.

“As usual between these two teams, it was a high quality and hard-fought context.”

Earlier, in the first semi-final, a rebound was converted by Kelburne player Michael Nicol and it was not until mid-way through the second quarter that Daniel Cain levelled for the Edinburgh club.

That started a goal blitz and Andrew Campbell put Watsonians ahead 2-1 before Max Johnstone fired home from a penalty corner. His goal was followed by another from Scottish international Duncan Riddell who netted from close in and Owen Hunter made it 5-1 before Tom Swarbrick deflected home to complete the scoring. 

PICTURE: Joe Waterston (white shirt) in a recent men’s Premiership clash at Fettes against Western Wildcats. Picture by Nigel Duncan

Emily Dark netted a double as Watsonians won their third straight women’s Premiership title at wind-swept Tipperlin with a comfortable victory over Western Wildcats.

The Edinburgh combine secured an early lead but the Auchenhowie squad hit back only for Watsonians to secure their second within two minutes and regain control of the game.

Keith Smith, their coach, said they did what they had to do to earn a 3-1 victory and he declared: “There is more on the horizon.”

The playcaller eyes victory in the Scottish Cup and also the play-offs and the league triumph was, he said, reward for a lot of hard work by the dedicated squad over a long winter.

Watsonians have also had the distraction in the second-half of the season of competing in European indoor and outdoor competitions but Smith said: “We do dominated the game (against Western).

“Yes, we could have been more clinical, but we always felt confident we would win and winning three titles in a row is a great achievement.”

He added: “Our squad handles pressure pretty well and scoring within two minutes of Western was a really good response.

“Now we have a cup semi-final and the play-offs ahead of us so the work does not stop here, but the attitude of the squad is first class and they have been rewarded with another title.”

For the record, Dark opened the scoring but Katherine Holdgate saw her penalty strike saved before Emma McDairmid levelled for the visitors.

Mairi Drummond fired home low into the bottom left-hand corner while lying on the ground then, later on, Dark completed the scoring with a thunderous penalty corner strike high into the net giving the Western goalkeeper no chance.

Meanwhile, it was a double celebration for Watsonians as their men strolled into the final of the Scottish Cup by thrashing Kelburne 6-1 at Glasgow’s National Hockey Centre.

And a 3-2 victory by Grange over defending Scottish Cup holders Western Wildcats at the same venue sets up an all Edinburgh final.

PICTURE: the victorious Watsonians women’s squad celebrate their title win at George Watson’s College. Picture by Nigel Duncan

WATCHING BRIEF: Keith Smith (left), Watsonians women’s coach, and his assistant David Knipe in the dugout at Tipperlin. All pictures by Nigel Duncan

An important early oil painting by the late East Lothian artist John Bellany has fetched more than £36,000 at auction in Glasgow.

The Players was completed in 1967 when Bellany, from Port Seton, attended the Royal College of Art in London.

Considered a pivotal piece by Bellany, it featured the acclaimed artist alongside a long-haired companion, playing musical instruments.

The 1.83m x 1.61m oil painting on board was the Highlight of McTear’s Scottish Contemporary Art Auction, where it was sold to a collector for £36,840.

Magda Ketterer, McTear’s Director, said demand for work by the artist, who died in 2013, has never been higher.

She added: “These early pieces are amongst Bellany’s finest.”

Fife Flyers’ head coach Tom Coolin celebrated claiming an Elite League play-off spot with a 6-2 win at arch rivals Dundee Stars and declared: “We did what we needed to do.”

Kyle Osterberg claimed a glory treble in the welcome win and Flyers’ No 1 goaltender, Shane Owen (pictured), was outstanding and the result leaves the Tayside team scrambling for a slot in the top eight which guarantees a play-off position.

As it stands Fife are sixth with 51 points with one game remaining at The Fife Ice Arena on Sunday (17.15) against Stars.

Coventry Blaze are seventh with 50 points from 53 games with Stars on 49 points with one game remaining.

Below them and currently out of the play-offs are Glasgow Clan in ninth spot with 49 points from their 53 games with bottom-markers Nottingham Panthers on 48 points from their 53 starts.

Sunday’s fixtures see Clan hosting Cardiff (17.00), Coventry entertaining Guildford Flames (17.30) and Nottingham at home to Manchester Storm (16.00).

On Saturday, at the Dundee Ice Arena, the sides were locked at 1-1 after the first session but Flyers won the middle period 3-1 and closed out the game with a 2-0 third-period scoreline.

Disappointed Stars head coach and director of hockey, Mark LeFebvre, whose men outshot Flyers 62 to 36 according to official figures posted on the Elite League website, said: “It is all to play for (at Kirkcaldy). It is one game, that’s all. For whatever reason, we opened ourselves up and played run-and-gun and did not play simple hockey (in Dundee).

“We played right into their hands. We played the way they wanted to play. They play open style hockey, a lot of run-and-gun and getting in behind and we know that but we decided to play that way.

“We had some opportunities at their end we did not capitalise on so it was not a lack of chances in front of their net. We have to go there and play. 

“We were very perimeter (at Dundee) and we have to go into dirty areas to score goals. They did that and they capitalised on our mistakes.

“You can’t give guys like Osterberg, who is their best player, chance upon chance off the rush and he scored a hat-trick.”

LeFebvre said: “It is all to play for. It is a tough building but we have won their twice this season.”

The wins have come, he said, by playing the right way, playing simple hockey. It is our last chance. We have to win just one hockey game. I have every confidence in the guys to get it done.”

Delighted Coolen said: “I thought we were able to turn some pucks over and we took advantage of a power play which was a big goal for us. We played pretty well.

“I don’t know if the shots on the board are correct as I thought we had more than our fair share of shots but all in all we did what we had to do. We scored when we needed to and we only gave up two.

“I am pretty happy with the effort and Shane Owen did a great job in the net and all in all it was a big win for our team.” 

Chris Harris feels there are promising signs despite Glasgow Tigers’ 48-42 defeat at Berwick Jewson Bandits in the BSN Series. 

Tigers’ rider Lee Complin was ruled out from the meeting after being deemed ineligible to race by the referee and that meant Glasgow, sponsored by Allied Vehicles, had to track with only six riders. 

Berwick took advantage and powered to an early six-point lead, but Tigers fought back and the meeting was level at 33-33 after Heat 11.

Outstanding Harris, who collected 15 points from six rides, said: “It was tough to start the meeting losing Lee Complin the way we did. We battled hard, but it wasn’t quite good enough on the night.” 

Harris is a former Berwick racer and knows the track well. He said: “It’s a tough track to come to and you can’t be afraid to attack it.” 

The veteran rider added: “There were promising signs (for Glasgow). It was tough to lose our winning streak here but that was always going to happen one day.

“But there’s lots of potential. Young James Pearson had a couple of good rides and the same for Ace Pijper. There’s a few teething problems but we can iron them out before next week.”

For the record, Tigers are next in action for the first home meeting of the season on Friday against Edinburgh, also in the BSN Series. 

Berwick 48: Lewis Kerr 13+1, Rory Schlein 8, Jye Etheridge 7, Bastian Borke 6+1, Drew Kemp 6+1, Danyon Hume 6, Freddy Hodder 2+1.

Tigers 42: Chris Harris 15, Leon Flint 8+1, Steve Worrall 6+1, Paul Starke 5+1, James Pearson 4+1, Ace Pijper 4.

PICTURE: Leon Flint, a former Berwick rider, leading Heat 10 on Saturday at Berwick. Picture by Taylor Lanning

Britain’s Speedway Control Board have issued a statement after Glasgow Tigers’ rider, Lee Complin, was withdrawn from the Berwick Bandits v Glasgow Tigers BSN Series qualifier in the Borders on Saturday.

The statement reads: “At the Berwick v Glasgow BSN fixture on Saturday 6th April 2024, four riders, two from each team, had been randomly selected for an Anti Doping test.

“Glasgow rider Lee Complin was one of the four riders selected and, unfortunately, Mr Complin’s test had comeback as a non–negative result, therefore has been excluded from the event.

“The sample test will now be sent to the laboratory for further analysis. Mr Complin’s SCB Registration will be suspended until the results have been confirmed from the laboratory.”

A rare surviving complete copy of the first lavishly illustrated encyclopedia of the Scottish clans, dedicated to Queen Victoria, has fetched more than £1,000 at auction.

James Logan’s The Clans of the Scottish Highlands was published in London in 1845 to commemorate the centenary of the last Jacobite uprising.

Scottish actor-turned artist R.R. McIan produced 72 images of clansmen for the book, in two large volumes, which is now regarded as the most complete record of Highland dress of the day.

Dedicated to Queen Victoria with her consent, the book, which was available only on subscription, fed a romanticised vision of Scotland created by the work of Sir Walter Scott.

It may even have helped inspire Prince Albert to buy Balmoral Castle in 1852 after its previous owner, Sir Robert Gordon, died.

The rare complete first edition went under the hammer at Bonhams in Edinburgh, where it was sold to a private collector for £1,088.

Gordon McFarlan, director, Bonhams Edinburgh, said “Logan and McIan’s work was published a century after the Jacobite rising, at a time when Sir Walter Scott had revived interest in Scotland and the Highlands.

“It was produced in two volumes, which would have been found in the grand country houses and libraries of the aristocracy.

“Inside, the list of subscribers includes the Queen and Prince Albert. There is every reason to think they took a great interest in it, and it may well have helped to inspire the purchase of Balmoral.

“Historically, a lot of these grand volumes would have been broken up and individual plates framed and hung on the wall so it is even rarer to find a complete first edition like this.”

The Clans of the Scottish Highlands emerged at a time when Sir Walter Scott had helped create a romantic view of Scotland. After King George IV’s historic visit in 1822 – stage managed by Scott – tartan became almost instantly popular.

Scots scholar James Logan described the Highland dress as “undeniably the most picturesque and original costume in Europe”.

Robert Ronald McIan, who left Scotland in his late teens to become an actor in London, gained a reputation for playing Highlanders on the stage but gave up acting to paint.  He is said to have employed actor friends to model for his clan pictures.

BSN Series: Berwick Jewson Bandits 48, Glasgow Allied Vehicles Tigers 42

Berwick Bandits snapped a 13-match losing run to Glasgow Tigers with a confidence-boosting 48-42 victory in a BSN Series qualifier inspired by No 1 Lewi Kerr who led from the front with 13 points.

Bandits also scored solidly throughout and the result maintained the Borders club’s unbeaten start to 2024.

Kerr (pictured by Taz McDougall) set the tone with a tapes to flag victory over Glasgow’s former GP star, Chris Harris, in the opening heat of the BSN Series qualifier.

Freddy Hodder and Bastian Borke won Heat Two 5-1 but the home side was brought down to earth as former Bandits Paul Starke and Leon Flint showed they still know the fastest way around Shielfield Park.

Steve Worrall kept Berwick skipper Rory Schlein at bay and former Bandit Ace Pijper pipped Borke for third place to level the scores.

Danyon Hume ended a string of drawn heats by roaring under James Pearson and with Borke comfortably third Berwick were in front again.

Harris created an opening for Pearson to join him for a match-levelling 5-1 in Heat 11 and Berwick fans began to get an unpleasant feeling of impending déjà vu.

Jye Etheridge and Borke, however, powered from the gate in Heat 12 while Kerr and Schlein roared clear in crucial Heat 13, Harris producing a cutback to pass the Australian but Kerr was off into the distance and Berwick fans began to believe.

Tigers’ boss Cami Brown named skipper Harris, a former Berwick rider, as a tactical sub in Heat 14 and the Cornishman obliged with a comfortable win.

Behind him, Kemp tucked in for second place but the real action was at the back as Borke put real pressure on Starke and was just half a wheel from catching him at the flag.

Kerr settled any nerves the home fans may have had by passing Harris to win the final heat and Edinburgh are next at Shielfield before Bandits take to the road in the remaining BSN qualifiers.

Bandits: Lewis Kerr 13+1, Danyon Hume 6, Jye Etheridge 7, Drew Kemp 6+1, Rory Schlein 8, Freddy Hodder 2+1, Bastian Borke 6+1

Tigers: Chris Harris 15, James Pearson 4+1, Leon Flint 8+2, Paul Starke 5+1, Steve Worrall 6+1, Lee Complin withdrawn, Ace Pijper 4

Coach Tom Coolen has no injury concerns as Fife Flyers square-up to arch rivals Dundee Stars on Tayside on Saturday (19.00) and at Kirkcaldy on Sunday (17.15) with an Elite League play-off spot on the line.

The experienced coach (pictured courtesy of the Elite League) said: “They (Dundee) are a very competitive team, they work hard, and then can score goals. We will have to be at our best to match that.”

Sound defence and capitalising on chances will be keys to the outcome according to Coolen who said: “Two wins and we are 100 per cent in the play-offs.”

The Canadian believes his men have played good hockey in the last month, hockey which sees them sitting in seventh spot in the ten-strong table, but they are one of five teams in the play-off mix along with sixth-placed Dundee and Glasgow Clan who occupy the eighth and final play-off slot.

Coolen added: “If we play at the level we have been in March then we give ourselves a chance of being in the play-offs, however, the season comes down to 120 minutes of ice hockey.

“Five teams are battling for three play-off spots and we have 49 points. Dundee and Glasgow also have 49 points but Coventry have 48 and Nottingham 46. I’d rather be on 49 points than 48 or 46.

“Our focus is on the game in Dundee. Win that and we will see where that takes us ahead of Sunday.”

Hearts collected three valuable points to move onto 59 and consolidate third place in the cinch Premiership with a hard-earned 2-1 victory over battling St Mirren at Paisley.

Fifth-placed Saints were 2-0 down but scored late on to put pressure on the Gorgie men but the visitors held out to stay 11 points ahead of Kilmarnock who are fourth. They edged Ross County 1-0 at Rugby Park.    

Earlier, travelling fans had a shock when skipper Lawrence Shankland was not named on the team sheet, and Hearts’ head coach, Steven Naismith, explained that the Scotland striker had been ill.

Beni Baningime, who has ill in midweek, was another omission but Hearts threatened early on and Cammy Devlin had a chance from a free-kick but sliced his effort from 25 yards well wide of the Saints goal.

The home side, with the wind behind them, made it tough for Hearts who failed to find their rhythm but the visitors kept working and were awarded a penalty for handball on the half-hour mark after a VAR check.

Up stepped Jorge Grant who slotted home and the scoreline stayed the same until the break.

Toby Sibbick replaced Stephen Kingsley as Hearts made a change at half-time and Kenneth Vargas poked an effort wide from the edge of the box.

St Mirren upped the pressure and Hearts’ goalkeeper Zander Clark saved at the back post following a corner. 

The Jambos made another change, Aidan Denholm replacing 18-year-old Macaulay Tait as The Buddies continued to push for an equaliser and Clark was again involved, palming the ball away.

After 63 minutes the Men in Maroon doubled their lead when Alex Cochrane sent over a corner with the wind assisting and Mikael Mandron was credited with an own goal as the ball nestled in the net.

The Buddies recovered and five minutes later the home side were back in the game and it came from a breakaway. It ended with Toyosi Olusanya sending the ball behind Clark to open Saints account and set up a tense finish.

That signalled more changes from the Jambos as Nathaniel Atkinson and Barrie McKay were introduced with Alan Forrest and Dexter Lembikisa departing.

Then Hearts had a massive chance when Devlin robbed Alex Gogic and tried to find Vargas but the ball was scrambled away. 

And the visitors survived a VAR check on a possible penalty before sending on Scott Fraser for Grant. Six minutes of added time were confirmed and Hearts survived to claim only their second win in six league games.

PICTURE: Jorge Grant playing the pain game earlier this season.

An event was held by the organisation Let Women Speak at The Mound Plaza earlier on Saturday.

The organisers explain that their movement aspires to foster a community in which all women feel empowered to speak.  “We achieve this through our free speech events, they are free to attend.  We are so proud that women across the world are using the #LetWomenSpeak hashtag as a rallying cry.”

As expected protesters countered the message of the rally with one of their own on their home-made placards. Look for #LetWomenSpeakEdinburgh on Twitter.

Storm Kathleen with winds of up to 70 mph has hit the city centre in Edinburgh with a mature tree in the private gardens on Queen Street being blown down over the road.

After a lengthy nine-month stint on the sidelines, right-back Chris Cadden has made his return to the Hibs first team.

The 27-year-old suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon on the final day of last season against Hearts at Tynecastle, and as a result, had to go through a lengthy rehabilitation process.

Ever the professional, Cadden worked relentlessly off the pitch and finally returned in the Scottish Cup tie away to Inverness in February.

An occasional cameo off the bench followed that, including a standing ovation from the home crowd in his first game back at Easter Road against Ross County.

Then, after an injury to Lewis Miller, head coach Nick Montgomery handed Cadden his first start since his return in one of Hibs’ biggest games of the season, the quarter-final with Rangers.

Hibs lost the game 2-0 after being reduced to nine men, and Cadden played the duration of the action-packed 90 minutes, looking back to his best with his trademark bombing runs down the right flank.

Cadden said: “For me personally, it was great to be back out there. It’s been a long, long journey, just over nine months.

Despite the occasional substitute appearance, the former Scotland international always had his return to the starting eleven as a target he said: “I didn’t think it would go that long.

But no, it was great. The first start was the milestone. I think that was the milestone I thought I would be truly back.

“I know I came on a couple of times, but I always say my first start is the real one, that I’ll be back. It didn’t end the way I wanted it to. But no, personally it was good to get back out there.

“I’ve just been working really hard, so hopefully the hard work pays off. It was a pretty hectic game to get thrown into as well. Aye, it was madness to be honest, it was madness.”

A concerning moment during the game was fan favourite, Martin Boyle, getting stretchered off the pitch after a nasty clash with Rangers defender John Souttar.

Boyle was rushed to hospital and after undergoing tests was released the next day, suffering from a concussion.

The Australian international was then unable to play until he displayed at least six days of concussion-free symptoms.

Hibs will hope that Cadden and Boyle can reconcile their right-wing relationship soon enough, as they approach three crucial games ahead of the Scottish Premiership split.

Fuelled by personal encouragement from three times F1 champion Max Verstappen 16-year-old Trinity Academy student Rachel Robertson is revving up to take the traditionally male world of go-karting by storm.

Rachel, who began racing go karts competitively just over 18 months ago, has made such rapid progress that on 21 April, at the PF International Circuit, Lincoln, she will contest her first British Championship race in the Senior Rotax class.

That will mean crossing swords with fellow competitors who have been behind the wheel for up to 10 years but Rachel is unfazed.

She says: “I’ll be one of the only girls and I’ll be racing against some incredible drivers but I know I’m fast enough to compete near the front.
“I know I’m going to keep getting better and I’d love to progress to race professionally at the highest level.

It is an indication of her talent and swift progress that Rachel was identified as part of a group invited to meet Verstappen at a collaboration between Red Bull and Honda Europe.

Dad Colin explains: “The call came out of the blue and I was asked if Rachel was ok to come down to Formula Fast Karting, Milton Keynes, and help Red Bull Honda Europe tell the story of how things start for many drivers.”

British world champion Lewis Hamilton started in go karting and coincidentally has hailed Larkhall, where Rachel races, as his favourite track.

“A non disclosure contract was initially involved and when Rachel arrived Max Verstappen was there to offer words of encouragement.”

Now Rachel has hopes reinforced that she might follow in the tyre tracks of fellow Scot Susie Wolff, from Oban, who progressed from karting to Formula 3 and is now managing director of the F1 academy.

But how did this remarkable journey start for Rachel?

“I always loved scooters, bikes and driving games growing up and when I was aged 8 I remember asking my dad to take me go-karting. He took me to a place called Race Land near Tranent which was great but after I went a few times it shut down and we didn’t find anywhere else.

“When I turned 14, I asked my dad to take me again. This time we went to Xtreme Karting at Newbridge. I loved it. The team there said I should try outdoor rental karts at Larkhall and, after a few months, I was winning competitions against drivers much older and experienced than me. 

“The next big jump was to get my own kart and start racing in the owner kart competitions in Scotland. My dad and I didn’t really know what we were doing at first but we learned quite fast and joined a team, LM Motorsport.

“I started podiuming in some of the Scottish races after only a few races so we made a decision to start competing at a UK level. I joined an English team, Guy Cunnington Racing, and, less than a year after I got my own kart, I competed in the British Kart Championships against some of the best drivers in the world my age.”

One of these opponents was Thomas Bearman, younger brother of Oliver, the 18-year-old who debuted for Ferrari in the recent Saudi Arabian grand prix and finished seventh.

Colin Robertson is well aware of the pitfalls to be overcome, not least financial, but this Edinburgh accountant has willingly joined in the quest by serving as mechanic, driver, etc.

“It shouldn’t be possible for Rachel to compete as well as she does after such a short space of time and she is getting better all the time in trying to create awareness and attract sponsorship because it is an expensive sport.

“A new kart can cost around £4000 with the engine about £2500” says Colin who has had to invest in a van and adds:

“Tyres are also expensive – about £200 – and on occasions we have had to practice with used tyres which can take a few 10ths of a second off lap times whereas wealthier rivals are much better placed with budgets that can reach hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“However, before taking the plunge there were plenty of assurances from experienced people in go karting that Rachel was exceptionally quick from the start so she is giving it a go with a back-up plan in place.”

If a professional career doesn’t follow then a job as a mechanic holds appeal to the extent of undertaking work experience last month with local garage Doig Motor Engineers, Leith, where she impressed owner Robert Doig, who says:

“It’s been great being able to support Rachel on her motorsport journey. She’s obviously a very talented driver but we’ve been really impressed at her mechanic-ing skills while she’s been with us for work experience. She picks things up so quickly and I’m sure she could be a top mechanic as well if she wants to be.”

The Red Admiral butterfly had its best year ever in Scotland last year, it can be revealed, as experts described 2023 as “a phenomenal year” for the much-loved species.

The colourful insect increased in abundance by 224% in 2023 compared with 2022, which was already its ninth best year since records began 44 years ago.

The latest results from the annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS), show Red Admirals have now increased by nearly 1000% north of the Border since 1980.

Dr Richard Fox, Head of Science at the wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, said: “The Red Admiral had a spectacularly good year in Scotland.

“The species had a good year in 2022 but it had a phenomenal year last year, and this is part of a long term trend.

“The Red Admiral is a migratory species and what we are seeing across all of the migratory butterflies and moths is much stronger good-year-bad-year peaks and troughs than for resident species.

“When you study them over a longer time period you get a clearer picture, and while last year was a particularly good year for the Red Admiral in Scotland, the ten year trend also shows an increase of 166%.

“And going back to 1980 you can see an overall increase of 998% — so just under 1000% increase in Red Admiral numbers in Scotland since 1980.

“It still has ups and downs but the good years are better than they were in the past and the bad years are also better.”

The Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a familiar and popular butterfly across the UK. A garden favourite, found in all types of habitat, the species is actually a migrant, travelling to the UK from North Africa and continental Europe.

Each spring, and continuing through the summer, Red Admirals migrate north where the females lay eggs, leading to an emergence of fresh butterflies from July onwards.

Butterfly Conservation scientists say there is “no doubt” that climate change is the driver behind a long-term increase in the species in the UK.

In recent years, some Red Admirals have begun to overwinter in the UK, particularly in the South of England. And, with temperatures increasing, the species’ need to return to its southerly winter habitat is reducing.

Dr Fox said: “In the past 25 years the Red Admiral has gone from being a very rarely seen butterfly in the UK in wintertime to being comfortably our most commonly seen butterfly in the wintertime.

“Rather than going south and spending winter in southern Europe, some are now spending the winter in southern UK. As the climate continues to warm they will be able to survive the winter further and further north.

“The Red Admiral had its best ever year in the UK as a whole last year, and has increased by 318% at monitored sites since 1976.

“However, its fortunes are at least partly due to what’s happening to it in other parts of Europe and particularly southern Europe, where a lot of the springtime migrants come from, even now.”

The UKBMS, which began in 1976, is one of the world’s longest-running insect monitoring schemes, led by Butterfly Conservation, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).

The latest results show a “mixed picture” for UK butterflies in 2023, with some species soaring while others continued worrying declines.

Across the UK, half of the 58 species had a better than average year while the other half were below average at monitored sites.

In Scotland, where 27 species were monitored across 269 sites, 16 species increased in abundance compared with 2022, with ten in decline and one showing no change.

More tellingly, 17 species in Scotland were above their long term average and only ten were below, as butterflies north of the Border enjoyed greater success than those elsewhere in the UK.

In contrast, in England there were 29 above their long term average and 26 below; in Wales there were 17 above and 16 below; and in Northern Ireland there were five above and nine below their long term average.

Dr Fox said: “In Scotland there were substantially more species above their long term average than below, and Scotland was the only UK country that was like that.”

Dr Marc Botham, Butterfly Ecologist at the UKCEH, said: “Butterflies are an indicator species, meaning they can tell us about the health of the wider environment, which makes the UKBMS data invaluable in assessing the health of our countryside and natural world in general.

“The mixed results this year emphasise the need for continued monitoring and conservation efforts to protect these important species and their habitats.”

The UK Government has become a financial sponsor of the New York City Tartan Day Parade.

John Lamont the Conservative MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, is Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, and the job of representing both Scotland and the UK Government at Tartan Week in New York falls to him. This is the second year he has attended the event and he told The Daily Express that the UK Government had not previously been as involved in the event as it might have been.

The Minister sent The Edinburgh Reporter a short video in which he explained what his few days in the US have been about, and he also confirmed that the UK Government are sponsoring the parade this year along with “the organisers”.

We have asked the UK Government to confirm how much the sponsorship is, and have also asked The Scottish Government to confirm their position.

The NYC Tartan Day Committee is set up as a non-profit. The committee is comprised of representatives from The Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York, The New York Caledonian Club, The American-Scottish Foundation, and Clan Campbell. 

Business Investment

The Minister also explained the purpose of the rest of the trip: “I’ve been very keen to speak to businesses that are already operating and working in Scotland, but also to speak to other businesses or investors who might be looking to come to Scotland to encourage them to do so. So it’s a very exciting week and it is a great opportunity to consolidate the base and strong ties that already exist between our very great nations.

”We’ve had some very good roundtable sessions with the FinTech sector, and the energy sector, which are clearly big parts of the Scottish economy. We shouldn’t forget about all the other iconic brands already being sold from Scotland into the US – for example, whisky, Scottish salmon, shortbread from Scotland are obviously iconic brands and are so enjoyed here in the US.

“I’m very keen to see more of them, sold from Scotland into the US. We’re very pleased to be working, for example, with Diageo, a big Scottish whisky producer, Walker’s shortbread and other businesses to see how we can build on those existing ties.”

Last year at Tartan Week the Minister confirmed the payment to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society of around £7 million to help them secure premises to use as a Fringe Hub. But it was also at this time that the Foreign Secretary rebuked The Scottish Government for Scotland’s foreign trips. The then Foreign Secretary James Cleverly issued the warning in a letter to UK diplomats saying that other countries should not to arrange meetings with Holyrood ministers without the involvement of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson is also in New York on behalf of The Scottish Government having visited Washington DC earlier in the week.

An earthquake measuring 3.8 magnitude was recorded 7km South west of Gladstone New Jersey and spread to New York on Friday, causing some buildings to shake.
Paul Earle, a seismologist at the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program said: “Earthquakes in this region are uncommon but not unexpected. It’s likely people near the epicenter are going to feel aftershocks for this earthquake in the magnitude 2-3 range, and there’s a small chance there can be an earthquake as large or larger, following an earthquake like this.”

East of Scotland representatives earned plenty of recognition when the annual Tennis Scotland awards were handed out in Stirling.

Among the successful nominees were the Meadows Tennis Club who lifted “Park Venue of the Year” with tribute paid to the 16 courts including half of which are floodlit being open all year round.

It was also acknowledged that Meadows are now in their 20^th year of turning out teams in the various VMH Solicitors East Leagues.

Present to receive the award were coach Alex Harkins, Kirsty Stobie and Alan Cameron, from Edinburgh Leisure, as well as club chair David Wood.

On the individual front Jacob Fearnley, at Texas Christian University in the USA, was named “Senior Player of the Year”.

Winner of the prestigious Edgbaston indoor tournament earlier this year when he beat former Australian Open semi-finalist Kyle Edmund in the final, Jacob, from Dalkeith, intends returning to Europe when his highly successful college stint ends shortly and embracing the grass court season.

Nearer home David Duncan and Christine Windmill were present to pick up accolades.

David was named “Official of the Year” with the citation highlighting his “attention to detail” when assisting at national and international events.

David also picked up the men’s “Padel Award” on behalf of his Barnton Park club.

For Christine Windmill her “Lifetime Achievement” award capped spectacular recent success on court as a member of the winning Great Britain women’s 75 team at the World Masters in Turkey.

Christine’s doubles partnership with Elderslie’s Marjory Love (who won the singles tournament in Turkey) saw them win elongated match-clinching tie breaks in both a semi-final against the USA and France in the final.

Off court Christine, from the Waverley club, Suffolk Road, was acknowledged for contributing as a coach, tournament director, volunteer and administrator.

In the King’s New Year’s Honours Christine was given an OBE for services to tennis.

Representing East tennis at the awards were, left to right:  David Duncan (Official of the Year) and also collecting on behalf of Barnton Park Padel, Alan Cameron (Edinburgh Leisure), David Wood (Meadows Tennis Club Chair), Alex Harkins, Kirsty Stobie (Both Edinburgh Leisure) – Meadows Tennis won Park Venue of the Year, Christine Windmill OBE (Lifetime Achievement Winner).

Gillies Boyd, a 20 year old Agriculture student at  Scotland’s Rural Campus, King’s Buildings, is preparing to run the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday 26 May … wearing wellies.

Gillies said: “I’ve always been physically fit and active especially when it came to any sort of long distance running like cross country (so) I  decided on my birthday last year to challenge myself and enter the Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

“I have had friends and family personally affected by cancer so I decided this is the cause I would like to raise money for.

“This is my first ever marathon (and) I’ve been training for it for nearly five months.

“I knew it would be very difficult to complete, however, due to myself already being quite physically fit, I found myself wanting to further challenge myself.

“It was never really my goal to do the marathon in wellies, I only decided a few months ago to do so.

 I thought it would be fitting due to my deep connection to farming and for how long I’ve spent in them; there was no running shoe that could replace how comfortable I am in my wellies (but) I’m going to  pack lots of plasters, bandages and Sudocrem.  I’m sure I will encounter a few blisters, cuts and cramps when running.”

Originally from Argyll and Bute, Gillies is about to enter the final year of his degree course after which he aims to undertake a Masters.

He is been involved in agriculture most of his life, the family having been exhibiting and showing highland ponies throughout the country at event such as The Royal Highland Shows.

To support Gillies, who aims to raise £1000 before going to the marathon starts line see: https://www.justgiving.com/page/gillies-boyd

And what will happen to the wellies if and when they complete what is expected to be Scotland’s largest mass participation event with 40,000 runners? These will be auctioned for Macmillan Cancer Support after the race.

The past is another country, a place embellished by the passing of time and a longing to recapture the visceral zeal of youth, just ask Ross Raymond.

Obsessive, pensive and a bit geeky, Ross is a man lost to his memories, a fanatic dreaming of his days on the outside looking in as his favourite band, Memorial Device, the greatest band that nobody has ever heard of… outside of Airdrie, almost made it.

Traverse Theatre

Read more here

Photographer Alan Simpson has been out to Inverleith Park in the rain today and found several dogs all having fun there.

The photos also show an area of serious flooding in the park which has been affected by rainfall over the years.

Myziane Maolida has enjoyed a successful start to his Hibs career since joining on loan in January.

After finding himself out of favour at German side Hertha Berlin, the 25-year-old has flourished in Scotland, scoring six goals in twelve games, and looking like a player Hibs will do well to keep beyond the impending summer.

At Hertha, Maolida was banished to the B side, with their coach, Pal Dardai, claiming he didn’t train hard enough.

With his career requiring a swift turnaround, Nick Montgomery swooped in and offered the forward the chance of redemption at Easter Road.

A chance that Maolida has grabbed with both hands and the people closest to him have noticed a vast difference.

He said: “I spoke with my family and my friends. They said you are enjoying your football; you are happier. Also, your body language is much better.”

“The people (in Scotland) are very welcoming, I like the city, and the fans.”

Perhaps, the “bad trainer” tag that Maolida was tarred with by his former coach isn’t accurate at all, certain players just need the right environment and a manager who trusts them to deliver, which the forward certainly has.

Maolida is currently observing Ramadan, where those taking part don’t eat or drink whilst the sun is up, for professional football players – who cover vast distances weekly – this may prove challenging.

Not for the 25-year-old, he said: “I have done it for a long time…I did it already in Lyon, so it will not be difficult for me to make Ramadan, because it’s usual for me.

“You just have to wake up early in the morning to eat, and to be good for the day until the sun goes out.”

For Maolida, breakfast is typically at four o’clock in the morning, he then fasts until around six in the evening but remains at the peak of his powers.

He said: “Every time I do Ramadan, I feel very good. For me it’s not difficult, the most difficult it just not to drink.”

It would be difficult to disagree with him, Maolida scored in the recent 3-0 victory over Livingston whilst fasting and looked as quality as ever as Hibs put the game to bed within half an hour.

His recent form meant he retained his place in the Comoros national side for games against Uganda and Angola.

Following that, he will return to Hibs for the crucial closing stages of both the season and potentially his stint with the club.

No doubt Nick Montgomery will be interested in retaining his services, but a player who has accumulated transfer fees of 14 million euros in his career already will attract interest from all over, particularly after such a successful loan spell.

For now, Hibs fans will just enjoy him whilst he is here, and sometime in the distant future they, perhaps, will reflect fondly on Myziane Maolida’s short, but sweet, stay in the capital.