Chef Scott Cameron who is now Head Chef at Brasserie Ecosse in Dundee honed his skills at some of Scotland’s top Hotels and restaurants before returning to his hometown.

He previously worked at Chez Roux at the Rocpool Reserve in Inverness, where he was instrumental in the restaurant gaining 2 AA rosettes. He also cooked for former First Ministers and visiting dignitaries at Bute House, and members of the Royal family. 

Scott felt that he had to leave Dundee to access the culinary skills that he needed. So he is really enthusiastic about Brasserie Ecosse’s Training Academy which was set up by last year by General Manager, Nikos Matsikas.

The Academy has provided on the job training and mentorship for Scott’s young Commis Chef, Jordan Millar, who now runs his own section within the Brasserie kitchen, and for Natalie Maitland, who has progressed to Head Waitress under the Academy’s tutelage.

During the ongoing pandemic, the Academy is continuing to train young chefs, with Brasserie Ecosse reaching out to local catering colleges and other educational establishments.

MARMALADE, MENUS & MENTORING

With Jordan’s skills developing well, Scott is now revelling in using the very best  produce at Brasserie Ecosse, including meat from John Gilmore Butchers and Campbells Prime Meats, fruit and veg from Dundee based Les Turriffs, and cheeses from Perthshire based Strathearn Cheese, one of his favourite suppliers. The list wouldn’t be complete without Dundee marmalade, featuring in a dessert served with a chocolate and tofu ganache.

Scott said: “I’m passionate about making sure young people who want to work in hospitality, can get the training and support they need, now more than ever. It’s safeguarding the future of this industry, which is currently being put in a perilous situation.

“I very much enjoyed my culinary travels working at top establishments throughout Scotland – at the time there was no other way for me to obtain the skills and experience- but there’s certainly nowhere like home. To come back to Dundee, and work in this stunning space is fantastic.”    

Scott also likes referencing where he is from in his food, with the Dundee Marmalade Sorbet adding a quirky touch to his menu. Other dishes include sea trout, roast barbary duck breast, Scottish beefburgers, Scottish rib eye steaks, and rump and shoulder of Scottish lamb served with a pea and lettuce ragout.

He concluded: “We’re very lucky here in Tayside with our natural larder offering top class berries available virtually all year round, and quality locally grown vegetables. Dundee’s heritage for preserves is, of course, world famous, and I can confirm that it’s a local marmalade used in the sorbet!”

Scott’s recipe for Dundee Marmalade Sorbet

Ingredients

• 2 x 340g Jars of Dundee Marmalade 
• (Scott recommends Mackays traditional Marmalade)
• 500g Demerara Sugar
• 1ltr Water
• 50g Liquid Glucose (optional)

Method

• Start by combining the water, sugar & glucose in a pot & bring to a gentle simmer.
• Turn the heat down & continue to cook until the sugar has completely dissolved.
• Add the marmalade & whisk until evenly incorporated.
• Pour into a deep flat tray or container & chill.
• When the sorbet mix has chilled churn in an ice cream machine until ready.
• Alternatively freeze in an ice cream tub & mix with a spatula every hour until it sets.

New government funding has been announced to provide around 1,400 care homes in Scotland with digital devices to connect those receiving care with their loved ones.

The government’s £1 million fund will help all Scottish care homes to access iPads which will keep care home residents connected with friends and relatives, and support the clinical management of health conditions remotely.

From today, all care homes may apply for up to two iPads to support their residents. This will be funded through combined Scottish Government funding from the Connecting Scotland programme, which has committed £500,000 to the initiative, and £500,000 allocated in the Adult Social Care Winter Preparedness plan.

This follows a trial which provided digital devices to six care homes in Aberdeenshire addressing digital exclusion, supported by Scottish Care, the Care Inspectorate and Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said:“Digital devices can never replace human interaction and we continue both to actively review what more we can do to support visiting with input from family members, carers, and clinicians and finalise our plans for routine designated visitor testing. But the pandemic has shown us that digital technology can help keep us in touch with our loved ones and provide vital access to healthcare through services such as NearMe for video consultations.

“This fund will give care home residents an additional way to keep in touch with family and friends. Staying connected will be even more important as we approach winter, and the Scottish Government is committed to doing everything we can to prepare and support care home residents and the staff who look after them.”

Dr Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive of Scottish Care said:“The funding which has been announced by the Cabinet Secretary will help to improve connection for many. We hope that it is the start of an increased recognition of the critical contribution of technology in the care home sector and that we will see an enhanced commitment to the appropriate use of technology and digital in social care as a whole.”

Isla Cowe, acting care home manager at Allachburn Care Home in Aboyne said:“Many of our residents have really embraced this new technology and are delighted to be in regular contact with their loved ones. It really makes the difference to their general wellbeing and they don’t feel such a sense of loss at being unable to have the physical contact with their families at this time. 

“Having the Near Me technology has proved so useful in reducing the number of people who need to visit whilst still being able to provide the same level of service that our residents and their families would expect. We recently had a consultation using this technology with the Speech and Language Therapy team, and were able to change the course of action to be taken for this particular gentleman which has proved immensely beneficial to the care that we deliver to him.”

Hibs’ star Rachael Boyle has been named in Shelley Kerr’s 27-player squad for two crucial EURO 2022 qualifying matches against Portugal at the Estádio do Restelo, Lisbon on Friday 27 November and Finland at Easter Road on Tuesday 1 December.

Both games are live on BBC ALBA.

Scotland go into the matches on the back of a win and a loss in their last double header.

A comfortable victory over Albania at Tynecastle was followed by a disappointing 1-0 loss against Finland and now Shelley Kerr’s side are aiming to get back on track.

There is a consistent feel to the squad with Jen Beattie, Chloe Arthur and Kim Little returning to the squad after not playing for Scotland this year.

Fiona Brown also returns to the fold after recovering from a serious injury after the World Cup last year.

The full squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers

Lee Alexander (Glasgow City)

Jenna Fife (Rangers)

Shannon Lynn (Vittsjö GIK)

Defenders

Jen Beattie (Arsenal)

Rachael Boyle (Hibernian)

Rachel Corsie (Birmingham City*)

Nicola Docherty (Rangers)

Hannah Godfrey (Tottenham Hotspur Women)

Sophie Howard (Leicester City)

Emma Mitchell (Reading FC)

Kirsty Smith (Manchester United)

Midfielders

Chloe Arthur (Aston Villa)

Leanne Crichton (Glasgow City)

Lisa Evans (Arsenal)

Lucy Graham (Everton)

Sam Kerr (Glasgow City)

Kim Little (Arsenal)

Christie Murray (Birmingham City)

Caroline Weir (Manchester City)

Forwards

Lizzie Arnot (Rangers)

Fiona Brown (Rosengard)

Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea FC)

Claire Emslie (Everton LFC**)

Kirsty Hanson (Manchester United)

Zoe Ness (Rangers)

Jane Ross (Manchester United)

Martha Thomas (West Ham United)

The Scottish FA have confirmed that a Scotland Under-21s backroom staff member returned a positive test for COVID-19 on Sunday 15 November.

The staff member had tested negative on three rounds of previous tests and has not travelled to Greece for Scotland’s latest Under-21s Euro 2021 Qualifier. He will self-isolate for 10 days.

All other playing and non-playing staff including Hibs’ defender Ryan Porteous have tested negative on this latest round of testing.

One other member of the backroom staff has been deemed as a close contact by the Scottish Government and will self-isolate for 14 days.

Police are re-appealing for the public’s help as part of their efforts to trace Lauren Weeks (35) who has been reported missing in Edinburgh.

Enquires have now revealed that Lauren was in the area of York Place, Edinburgh last Thursday.

New images are being released as Lauren’s hair may now appear to be darker than originally posted.  She is described as a white female, 5’7” tall, slim build, long blonde/brown hair.

She is believed to be dressed all in black wearing a high quality windproof jacket, skirt and ankle boots.

She is believed to be carrying a large grey mountaineering style backpack, a dark green duffle bag and a dark green sleeping bag.

Anyone who may have seen Lauren, or who has any information on her whereabouts, is urged to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 1155 of 12/11/2020

Darren McGregor has praised the character of striker Kevin Nisbet since his move from Dunfermline Athletic in the summer.

Nisbet’s father recently passed away but the youngster has continued to play his part in Hibs successful start to the season and yesterday against Dundee he scored the hugely important goal which made it 2-1 just when it looked as though the game might go to penalties.

That goal was his ninth of the season to date and Nisbet is now being suggested for a Scotland call-up and if his form continues he could be ready for next year’s European Championships.

Speaking after the game to Hibs TV, McGregor said: “I’ve said time and time again that Nizzy (Kevin Nisbet) has been nothing short of a revelation since he’s came here. He’s such a grounded guy and has such potential and  the background stuff going on at the minute shows that he can still come out here and bash out a performance like that is testament to him as a person and a character.”

After Stevie Mallan’s wonder goal Dundee fought back and when Christie Elliott equalised it looked as though Hibs would have to settle for an unseeded place in the last 16 of the Betfred Cup but McGregor praised the substitutions by Jack Ross which changed the course of the game.

He continued: “It was a wee bit nervy when it went to 1-1 but I think that gave us the motivation to kick on.

“Going through as group champions with 12-points and being seeded and with it being a home tie against Dundee whom we have just played means that we know what to expect and will be confident.

“These cup competitions are great for us and also for the fans as well. We have done well in the cups over the last few years and we need to maintain that consistency in them.

“I think the substitutions by the gaffer (Jack Ross) were on point. Guys came on like ‘Hammer’ (Jamie Gullan) whose been dying to come on and make an impact and that will stand him in good stead going forward.”

 Gullan added: I’m obviously delighted to get another goal and to come off the bench and make an impact. I’m just looking to get on the pitch as much as I can and get chances and try and get more goals.

“Cup competitions are good for players that haven’t been starting in the league and we have shown that throughout the group stages.

“The whole squad has been used and boys that haven’t been playing have got a chance.

“It’s great to get a run out as well.”

The latest figures for today detailing the number of people diagnosed with Covid-19 in the last 24 hours have just been announced by The Scottish Government today, 16 November 2020.

The First Minister was at St Andrew’s House for the media briefing with Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman and Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith.

Ms Sturgeon said that the figures announced today are lower than they had expected so they are looking at today’s figures to see what is behind that. She also announced some support for care homes with funding for technology. She says that every care home will now have one or two iPads and that their will enable the residents to stay connected with family while visiting is restricted. The other use will be for GPs who can then conduct remote consultations whenever that is necessary.This is stressed as not a replacement for visiting. The Health Secretary will make an announcement to parliament next week about arrangements for testing designated visitors which would allow more visits to take place.

The figures in Scotland as at 16 November 2020 are as follows:

The number of new cases of Covid-19 reported in Scotland today – 717 new cases reported which is 8.3% of the total number of tests carried out yesterday. 101 cases were in Lothian.

The total number of confirmed cases is now 82,011.

Number of people in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19 – 1,227 which is 14 fewer than yesterday
Number of people in Intensive Care Units in Scotland – 98 which is 2 fewer than yesterday

The number of deaths reported today of people who have tested positive within the last 28 days is 6. Registration offices are of course closed at the weekend which means this may be an understatement of the true figure.

The number of deaths including the 36 announced on Saturday now total 3,286 under that measurement.

National Records of Scotland announced their weekly figures on Wednesday which state that the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 8 November 2020 is 4,856.

You can also see the latest numbers laid out visually on the Travelling Tabby website here. It is updated at 3pm daily.

[su_spoiler class=”my-custom-spoiler” title=”Socialising in Level Three areas”]
Meeting others indoors
You should not meet anyone who is not in your household indoors in your home or in their home. This applies to all age groups 12 and over. You can meet another household indoors in a public place such as a café or restaurant. The maximum number of people who can meet indoors in a public (not a home) place are 6 which can be from up to 2 separate households.

Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people counted in a gathering.

Where an individual household includes more than 6 people, they can nevertheless meet as a single household even if the total number of people exceeds 6.

When you meet people from another household indoors you should:

minimise the number of meetings you have with people from other households each day
stay at least 2 metres apart from anyone who is not part of your household, unless in a public venue that is operating 1 metre distancing with additional measures being in place to avoid transmission.
maintain hand and cough hygiene
avoid touching hard surfaces with your hands
wash your hands when you arrive, when you leave, when you get home and especially before eating or after touching surfaces
not share food or utensils – if eating, each household should bring, prepare and eat its own food separately
if possible, keep rooms well ventilated – consider opening windows or a door
Those at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus (including those who had been shielding, people 70 and over, people who are pregnant and people with an underlying medical condition) should strictly follow the physical distancing guidance.

Meeting others outdoors
You can meet people from other households outdoors in a private garden or in a public place such as a park or an outdoor area of a pub. The maximum number of people who can meet outdoors is 6 which can be from up to 2 separate households.

Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people counted in a gathering. Children under 12 do not need to maintain physical distance from others. This is to allow children under 12 to play with their friends outside.

Young people aged between 12 and 17 can meet up in groups of up to 6 at a time outdoors and are not subject to the 2 household limit. Physical distancing is required.

Where an individual household includes more than 6 people, they can continue to meet outside as a household even if the total number of people exceeds 6.

You should:

minimise the number of meetings you have with people from other households each day
stay at least 2 metres away from anyone who is not part of your household
maintain hand and cough hygiene
avoid touching hard surfaces with your hands
wash your hands when you arrive, when you leave, when you get home and especially before eating or after touching surfaces
not share food or utensils – if eating, each household should bring, prepare and eat its own food separately
if possible, keep rooms well ventilated – consider opening windows or a door
Those at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus (including those who had been shielding, people 70 and over, people who are pregnant and people with an underlying medical condition) should strictly follow the physical distancing guidance.

Going into someone else’s home
If you are meeting people from another household in their garden and the gathering exceeds 6 people, you should only go into their house to:

access the garden – do so quickly and without touching anything
use the toilet – avoid touching surfaces with your hands as much as possible, wipe any surfaces that you do touch with antibacterial wipes, wash your hands thoroughly, dry your hands with a freshly laundered towel or a paper towel, which you should dispose of in a closed bin.
If members of another household are going to visit you and might need to use your toilet, you should ensure appropriate cleaning materials are available. You should also provide either a hand towel for each visiting household or paper towels and a safe disposal option.

Extended households
People who live in different places can form an “extended household” in the following circumstances:

People who live alone​​​​
If you are an adult and you live alone, or if all others in your household are under 18, you, any children who live with you, and the members of one other household (of any size) can agree to form an ‘extended household’. This will allow people who live alone (or those living only with children under the age of 18) to be considered part of another household in order to reduce loneliness, isolation and to provide mutual social support.
Couples who do not live together
Two adults are in a relationship and they do not live together they, and any children they each live with, can agree to form an ‘extended household’.
However, if one member of a household gets coronavirus, there is a strong likelihood that other members of that household will also catch it. For this reason, there are some important rules that extended households should follow to remain as safe as possible:

a household must not form an extended household with more than one other household
households can end the arrangement at any time, but should not then form an extended household with a new household for at least a 14-day period.
All the adults living in both households should agree to form the extended household. We also encourage parents or guardians to involve their children in discussions. Forming an extended household is an important decision that should be properly discussed and agreed beforehand. Physical distancing between members of an extended household is not required

Once two households have agreed to form an extended household they may meet outdoors or indoors, visit and stay at each other’s homes, and do everything that people in other households can do, such as watch TV, share a meal and look after each other’s children.

Members of an extended household are considered to be one household for the legal requirements on meeting other households and going outside, and for the guidance in this document about seeing friends and family and about exercise and leisure activity.

You can continue to interact with members of your extended household even if they live in a different area with a different Level of protective measures.

If someone in the extended household develops COVID-19 symptoms, to avoid spreading the virus all members of the extended household must isolate immediately if they met the symptomatic person at any time between 2 days before and up to 10 days after their symptoms started.

If the symptomatic person tests positive, all members of their direct household must isolate for 14 days from the start of symptoms. Similarly, other members of the extended household must isolate for 14 days from when the most recent contact took place. Isolate means staying in your own home for the full 14 days.

Those at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus (including people over 70, people who are pregnant and people with an underlying medical condition) may take part in an extended household arrangement, but should strictly follow the handwashing, surface cleaning and respiratory hygiene guidance on the NHS Inform website.

Shared parenting
Where parents do not live in the same household, children can move between their parents’ homes in all levels, this includes both supervised and unsupervised visitation.

[/su_spoiler]

[su_spoiler class=”my-custom-spoiler” title=”Hospitality in Level Three Areas”]
Restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars can open indoor and outdoors for the consumption of food and non alcoholic drinks. Alcoholic drinks cannot be served. Last entry is 17:00 and all venues must be closed and all customers off the premises by 18:00.

The maximum number of people you can meet indoors and outdoors in a restaurant, café, pub or bar is 6 which can be from up to 2 separate households.

Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people meeting outdoors only.

Where an individual household includes more than 6 people they can continue to meet as a household in hospitality premises, although the venue may impose a smaller group limit.

Table service and the wearing of face-coverings (unless exempt) when not seated by all customers is mandatory in all hospitality venues. When meeting people from more than one other household, you should think beforehand about what size of table you will need to keep physically distanced between members of your group. The venue you are visiting should be able to advise you of booking options.

You will be asked by to provide your contact details for Test and Protect purposes This information is retained for 21 days with a view to sharing with Test and Protect Teams, if required.

Hospitality venues are required to put in place additional measures to minimise transmission of COVID-19. For example hand sanitiser stations and adequate ventilation. There will also be signs to inform customers whether the venue is in a 2 metres or 1 metre social distancing area.

You should stay at least 2 metres apart from people from other households at all times, unless the venue is operating 1 metre distancing due to additional measures being in place to avoid transmission. Physical distancing and good hand hygiene remain the most effective measures in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, distancing requirements need to be maintained, where reasonably practicable, at all times, including when waiting to enter premises and when seated.

You should avoid visiting multiple hospitality premises on the same day. In particular, do not visit more than one pub or bar on the same day, as this increases the risk of transmission.

Takeaways can still operate as normal, provided food and drink is sold for consumption off the premises. Face coverings and physical distancing rules must be followed.

Hotels and other accommodation providers can still serve food to guests staying in their premises up to 22:00. Room service, including alcohol, is allowed as normal.
[/su_spoiler]

Hibs’ manager Dean Gibson was disappointed at the manner of the goals they conceded yesterday against Glasgow City but remains proud of his players’ attitude and their refusal to give up.

After an evenly fought goalless first half, Nicole Robertson, signed in the summer from B93 in Denmark opened the scoring with a header from Rachel McLauchlan’s cross, twelve minutes after the restart.

Amy Gallacher forced a save from City goalkeeper Lee Alexander and  Colette Cavanagh’s effort struck the top of the crossbar before Jenna Clark extended City’s lead with a header from a Mairead Fulton cross.

Hibs fought back and within a minute Ellis Notley  set up striker Kirsty Morrison who calmly chipped the ball into the net.

Fulton restored City’s two-goal advantage with long-range effort which went in off underside of bar.

Hibs refused to give up and  pulled one back when Siobhan Hunter fired a powerful free-kick through the defensive wall.

The result sees Hibs drop to fourth place whilst City extended their lead at the top of the table.

After the game Gibson said: “It took us 20-minutes to find our feet but the remaining 25-minutes of the first half were even.

“Once we started to find our feet we started to look dangerous at the other end of the pitch.

“We took that belief into the half-time team talk about how we did find our feet and how if we continued to do that into the second-half we’d gave a real chance to win the game.

“I think the second-half was more open and both teams went at each other a bit more whether that was tired legs and more gaps were opening, I don’t know but the one thing I am disappointed this week was the goals we lost.

“I think after them defending so well last week, to lose the goals that we lost was poor, a free header and a shot from distance.

“These are two things that if you close them down they don’t get the shot and if you follow your runner they don’t get a free header.

“But at the same time I have so much pride in the players. They don’t give up and hopefully this season you will never see this Hibs team giving up. We will go right to the end and try to get ourselves back into games.

Hibs’ full-back Shannon Leishman added: “It’s obviously frustrating getting beat 3-2 but there is a few positives to take from the game, coming from behind and scoring two goals.

“We do have goals in us but we just need to nullify the negative points and take the positives from the game.“

Hibs’ Head Coach Jack Ross praised his fringe players for helping the team to a 100% record in the Betfred League Cup group stages.

Hibs have won all four of their matches despite being under-strength due to international call-ups, injuries and suspensions allowing Ross to give much-needed game time for the likes of Dillon Barnes, Darren McGregor, David Gray, Stevie Mallan and Jamie Gullan.

Hibs’ victory ensured a seeded place in the last-16 of the Betfred League Cup and coincidentally they will play Dundee again at Easter Road which Ross believes will be advantageous.

After the game Ross told Hibs TV: “Rather naively I didn’t know that (facing Dundee again) could be a possibility. The fact that we are at home is the biggest thing for us.

“We wanted to win the game and be seeded and we’ve done that. To win all four group games given the challenges we have had is brilliant from the players.

“We had a lot of players missing again today with several injuries plus international duty plus Christian’s (Doidge) suspension so the squad deserves a lot of credit for coming through the group as we have done.

“Stevie (Mallan) like others has been unfortunate with game time this season because he is a good player and he does things right every single day but we have had a lot of players that have preformed well consistently so we need to trust them but equally when you have a couple of bumps it opens up opportunities for players.

“All the players who started the game and came of the bench did themselves no harm today.”

Ross also paid tribute to young striker Kevin Nisbet who scored his ninth goal of the season.

“Kevin (Nisbet) was good today. He has obviously had challenging circumstances recently but I think his overall contribution has remained good. I was pleased with him and he finished the game strongly which was encouraging for us. He looked hungry in that last period and his influence on others was vital in us winning the match.”

Sea anglers are invited to take part in Round Six of the Bass Rock Shore Angling League’s winter series. The match is on Wednesday, November 18 and it is a North Berwick open rover.

The boundaries are from Seacliff to West Beach and registration is at North Berwick Harbour at 6.15pm with fishing from 7pm to 10pm.

Only fish on the Scottish Federation of Sea Angling sized fish list should be brought to the scales and Craig Ogilvie, club chairman, said the event is open to all and new members are always welcome.

Meanwhile, Aquamarine Charters of Eyemouth were out again at the weekend and skipper Derek Anderson reports that an 8lb ling was among the prize captures by anglers on board. Paul Christie is pictured with the fish.

Weather permitting, he plans more charters in the next few weeks so call him for details and availability.

Hibs will face Dundee at Easter Road whilst Hearts travel to Alloa in the last 16 of the Betfred League Cup.

The draw was conducted by Alan Stubbs after Hibs victory over Dundee at Easter Road which secured Jack Ross’s men the final seeded place.

The full draw is as follows:

Celtic v Ross County

Falkirk v Rangers

Livingston v Ayr United

St Mirren v Aberdeen

Hibs v Dundee

Arbroath v Dunfermline

Motherwell v St Johnstone

Alloa Athletic v Hearts

The games will be played on 28/29 November.

Hibs secured top spot and a seeded place in the last-16 of the Betfred League Cup thanks to a comfortable 4-1 victory over Dundee at Easter Road this afternoon.

Head Coach Jack Ross had to shuffle the pack and made four changes to the starting XI that lost to Aberdeen bringing in Dillon Barnes, Darren McGregor, Stevie Mallan and Drey Wright.

All photos by Ian Jacobs

Kyle Magennis missed out, having been forced to withdraw from the Scotland Under-21 squad with a hamstring injury joining Lewis Stevenson and Scott Allan on the sidelines.

Alex Gogic, Ofir Marciano and Ryan Porteous missed out due to international call-ups whilst Christian Doidge was suspended.

Dundee, managed by former Hibs’ captain James McPake fielded and experienced line-up including summer signing and former Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam.

Hibs went into the game knowing that only an outright victory in 90-minutes would secure a seeded place in the next round of the tournament whilst Dundee had the ‘luxury’ of knowing that a penalty shoot out win would be enough.

The hosts started brightly and opened the scoring in spectacular fashion in the 10^th minute. Joe Newell spotted Mallan in space and the midfielder unleashed a tremendous 25-yard strike which flew into the Dundee net leaving Jack Hamilton helpless.

At the other end Barnes had to be lively to punch away a dangerous free-kick from Adam but from then on Hibs dominated the remainder of the first half.

Mallan found Boyle who turned his marker but his goal-bound shot was blocked then Dundee almost equalised against the run of play when Declan McDaid cut inside but his shot took a wicked deflection and flew inches wide of the post.

Hibs almost doubled their advantage in the 22^nd minute when Kevin Nisbet cushioned Wright’s cross into the path of Newell. The midfielder calmly dinked the ball over Hamilton but it rebounded off the far post and the danger was cleared.

Moments later Nisbet headed a Wright cross just wide as Hibs continued to press forward.

Just before the break Paul McGinn found Boyle on the right wing and he fired in a superb first-time cross which Nisbet met with a diving header but the ball flew agonisingly wide of the post.

Hibs almost doubled their advantage just after the restart when Jamie Murphy beat two played and sent in a low cross which evaded Boyle’s boot by inches.

Nisbet then intercepted a slack pass and played a one – two with Boyle but his long range effort flew just over the bar.

Dundee then enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure marshalled by Adam but the Hibs defence stood firm.

With 20-minutes remaining Dundee equalised when Christie Elliott chested down a Paul McGowan cross before firing an unstoppable shot past Barnes.

Ross replaced Wright and Doig with Jamie Gullan and Sean Mackie and the substitutions paid immediate dividends.

Mackie set up Murphy on the left and the on-loan winger beat two defenders before firing a low cross into the six-yard area which Nisbet dinked past Hamilton to regain the lead.

Moments later Nisbet picked up the ball in midfield, beat three players and fed Boyle who fired in a low cross which was knocked into the net by Gullan to all but secure the victory.

Murphy was then replaced by Melker Hallberg who scored within seconds of coming on thanks to another assist by Boyle.

Steven Bradley and Stephen McGinn replaced Boyle and Mallan with five minutes remaining and Hibs held on to secure the victory.

Hibs: Barnes,  McGinn, Doig,  Hanlon, McGregor, Mallan, Newell, Murphy, Boyle, Wright, Nisbet. Subs Samson, Gray, Mackie, S.McGinn, Hallberg, Shanley, Bradley, Gullan,

Dundee: J.Hamilton, Kerr, McGhee, Byrne, Mullen, McGowan, McDaid, Elliott, Robertson, Marshall, Adam. Subs: Legzdins, Wilkie, L. Strachan, N.Hamilton, Blacklock

Referee John Beaton

We were looking around for suggestions about keeping fit and well during the lockdown and happened to spot Fit & Happy on Facebook. Fit & Happy run Personal Training sessions and Boot Camps for Women.

Their classes have a maximum of 12 people and they meet in local parks in Edinburgh. The outdoor exercise class may be called a boot camp, but Julia McCabe who founded the company explained: “There is no shouting, it is not military style, but exercise in small groups , and it is about getting together in the fresh air and exercising. It is quite social and a lot of the women come for the social aspect, the feel good and having a laugh. It is not too serious and it is for all ages and fitness levels. We do not compete on an individual basis, it is very relaxed. Everyone works hard,  but they do that at their own level.” 

There are classes in The Meadows, Victoria Park, Spylaw Park, Ravelston Park and Inverleith Park. There are also LIFE classes (Low Impact Fun Exercise) classes in Colinton and Holyrood aimed at those who don’t really want to jump and run. These classes are for people who like being outdoors and just don’t like exercising in a gym for whatever reason.  

Julia is a personal trainer who was voted on of the best in the UK in 2019 and 2020. She began working with women outdoors on a one to one basis. She says there are many additional benefits of being outdoors, mainly for mental health and wellbeing.  She added: “For me it is all about being in nature. But running one to one classes I could only reach so many women, so I started group sessions in The Meadows first about three years ago now. The demand was there so now we have more coaches and classes available.”

After a brief period this year when all classes were online, there are still some online classes for anyone who prefers to exercise at home and now there are also yoga, stretch and mobility sessions. Julia realised that this is a stressful time for some people and that the boot camps may not be for everyone.  

The benefits of this outdoor exercise are many – getting out of the house and being with other people are the big attractions.  Julia is emphatic that even if it’s raining it makes you feel good afterwards 

 After a warm up to get the heart rate going, every session is different. They used to have equipment but of course can’t do that right now. But every class varies around the themes of strength, cardio, vascular endurance, agility and balance.

Exercises will include the usual kind of squats, lunges but they throw in some animal movements too for a bit of fun. They work the upper body with hands on the ground so gloves are recommended – but nobody is rolling around in the mud.

Prices depend on how many sessions you book for and range from £3.50 to £9.50

www.fitandhappy.co.uk

With the euphoria of Thursday night’s victory in Serbia Scotland now turn their attention to the next task; cementing top spot in their Nations League group B2.

Steve Clarke’s side need one win from their remaining two matches to secure top spot in their group and with it, promotion to the top tier of the Nations League.

Slovakia, who also secured qualification for EURO 2020 on Thursday night, with an extra time victory over Northern Ireland are currently sitting bottom of Group B2, four points adrift of Israel and having lost at Hampden Park last month.

Should Scotland win or draw today they will have gone ten games in a row unbeaten – the last time the nation managed that was nearly 100 years ago, between 1924 and 1927.

The sides last met only last month, at a Hampden Park devoid of fans due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and Scotland won 1-0 on the night thanks to an excellent second half Lyndon Dykes strike after a delicate clipped ball from right wing-back Stephen O’Donnell.

Prior to last month the sides had met on only two previous occasions, sharing the spoils with home victories. Slovakia triumphed 3-0 in Trnava in 2016, with Scotland winning 1-0 in 2017 thanks to a late own goal from Martin Skrtel.

Head Coach Steve Clarke is expected to make some changes to freshen up a side that played 120 minutes of top class football.

With Lyndon Dykes suspended for the match having picked up two yellow cards in the Nations League campaign so far, an opportunity exists for one of the other strikers in the squad to lead the line.

Oli McBurnie, Callum Paterson and Leigh Griffiths all received game time on Thursday night after coming on as substitutes, while Olly Burke and Lawrence Shankland will also be hoping to have made their case to start up front in training this week.

Thursday night’s goal scorer Ryan Christie will be hoping to continue the fine form that has seen him score three times in the Nations League campaign so far.

Scotland Head Coach Steve Clarke: “The players understand the importance of the next games.

“The next pathway from the Nations League can be to the World Cup in Qatar 2022 and that’s got to be the target as well.

“Everyone involved with the Scottish team should realise we’re in EURO 2020 because of the Nations League pathway. It’s a very important tournament for us.

“I think both teams will probably be in a similar frame of mind, and both teams physically will be on a similar pattern.”

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Football, kicking off at 2pm.

Fans can also receive live updates via the official @ScotlandNT Twitter account.

Police are growing concerned for the welfare of missing model Vineeta Anne Whyte who was last seen in the Howden area of Livingston around 2.50pm on Saturday 14 November.

The 39-year-old who lives in the Blackburn area of West Lothian, has not been seen since and there are growing concerns for her welfare.

A police spokesperson said: “Vineeta is described as female, white, 5ft 6 tall, medium/heavy build, with long black hair.

“When last seen she was wearing beige lounge trouser and a dark coloured top.

Anyone who may have seen Vineeta since this time, or who has any information on her whereabouts, is urged to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 2368 of 14th November.

Hibs’ Head Coach Jack Ross will be without a number of key players for the visit of Dundee in the final game of the Betfred League Cup group B matches this afternoon.

Kyle Magennis misses out, having been forced to withdraw from the Scotland Under-21 squad with a hamstring injury and he joins Lewis Stevenson and Scott Allan on the sidelines.

Alex Gogic, Ofir Marciano and Ryan Porteous did make it away to represent their respective nations, while Christian Doidge is suspended leaving Ross with 17-players including youngsters.

Dundee are managed by former Hibs’ captain James McPake and include a number of experienced players including former Liverpool and Scotland international Charlie Adam.

Winner of the game will be guaranteed a seeded place in the last 16 unless the victory is from a penalty shoot out whilst the loser will still have enough points to qualify.

Should the game go to a penalty shoot out, only a Dundee victory would ensure a seeded place. If Hibs won their goal difference would be insufficient to overtake Ross County in the list of seeds.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Friday Ross said: “ I think James (McPake) has individual players of proven quality at a higher level throughout the squad. Some I am familiar with and some I know from their reputation.

“The Betfred League Cup game to date have been challenging for us because of the way they have fallen and the international break with players absent from the fixtures so we will continue to try and navigate ourselves through the group.

“This is the hardest game on paper in terms of the level of the opposition so we expect a difficult match but one that will afford us the opportunity to win the group and progress to the latter stages.

“We want to get back to winning ways as quickly as possible and this game gives us the best opportunity to do that.

“We are far from panicking but we want to get back to winning matches because in the main we have been doing that in recent months.

“We are not flush with numbers, probably about 17 including a couple of young players but as I’ve said we have managed to negotiate the group to date and hopefully we can do that again on Sunday.”

A police investigation is ongoing after an incident at a jewellery shop on the High Street earlier this morning.

Officers were called to the Palenque shop around 8am this morning and the scene has been cordoned off.

The window of the premises has been damaged but at this stage it is not known whether anything has been stolen.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police called around 8am this morning, Sunday, 15 November, 2020, to a report that the window of a jewellery shop on High Street, Edinburgh, had been damaged.

“Enquiries are continuing.”

Former Hibs’ star John McGinn thought that hopes of qualification for the 2020 European Championship were over when Luka Jovic’s late header hit the back of the net with 30-seconds left in the play-off match against Serbia.

McGinn had been substituted moments earlier and was sitting in the stands of the Rajko Mitic Stadium a looking forward to next summer after a superb team performance in Belgrade.

Instead he had to endure a hectic 30-minutes of extra time when the Scots held on with a brave ‘backs to the wall’ against the hosts before a nerve wracking penalty shoot-out.

In the play-off semi-final McGinn had volunteered to take the opening penalty against Israel which he converted but this time he had to rely on his team mates who didn’t let him down culminating in Derby keeper David Marshall’s glorious save from Aleksandar Mitrovic to secure a place in the finals.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game an emotional McGinn said: “We’ve been battered from pillar to post, sometimes deservedly so. But last night there was just a feeling, the first half, even though we were underdogs we played Serbia off the park.

“Maybe just towards the end we tired a little bit, when the goal went in I was sat on the side, up in the stand thinking, ‘typical Scotland ‘.

“I just thought that was us done, but the lads on the pitch, the lads that came on showed unbelievable character.

“Davie Marshall came up the save, and we’re going to the Euros.

“I don’t know how, but it means so much more. You need to wait four years and you need to watch England enjoy it, you need to watch Wales enjoy it. This is our time, and we deserve it.”

A police investigation is underway after a suspicious package was found at the Royal Mail Office in Cutlins Road yesterday.

Staff were evacuated from the sorting office as officers, firefighters and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) staff  attended to the scene.

After the evacuation, staff were allowed to return to the building.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were called around 10.25am on Saturday, 14 November, to a report of a suspicious package at a sorting office in Cultins Road, Edinburgh.

“Officers attended along with colleagues from the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, supported by the EOD.

“The building was partially evacuated as a precaution and later re-opened once EOD removed the package.

“Enquiries into this are ongoing.”

Police are appealing for the public’s help as part of our efforts to trace 35-year-old Lauren Weeks who has been reported missing in Edinburgh.

There are growing concerns for Lauren who was last seen around 10:40 pm on Tuesday the 10th of November at Waverley Bridge.

She is known to travel around the UK and is from the North Wales area.

Lauren is described as a white female, 5ft7 of slim build, long blond hair. She is believed to be dressed in all black with a high quality windproof jacket, skirt and ankle boots.

She is believed to be carrying a large grey mountaineering style backpack. She is well spoken with an English/ North Welsh accent.

Anyone who may have seen Lauren, or who has any information on her whereabouts, is urged to contact Police Scotland via 101 quoting incident number 1155 of 12/11/2020

Colin, the giant carp, has been hooked again at popular Eliburn Fishery where officials plan major changes to encourage more local anglers.

The new committee are using the quieter winter months to smarten up swims and pegs and tidy up the popular member and day ticket fishery in Livingston.

Long-term plans currently being discussed include removing deep roots in weed beds and coaching sessions to bring more young people into the sport.

The three-acre fishery is fishing well currently with Colin having been netted again. This time he weighed-in at 26lbs 10oz. The picture shows John Wood with Colin when he was captured last June, a pound less than he is now.

Other carp in excess of 13lbs have also been hooked recently with quality tench and bream also been recorded in recent weeks.

Emma Ford, who is the non-for-profit club’s secretary, said she would love to see local anglers come to Eliburn instead of getting in their cars and heading for Magiscroft near Cumbernauld, Orchil near Auchterarder or even further afield to Broom which is near Annan.

And she added: “We have quality fish in the water at Eliburn.”

A day ticket is £7 for two rods and fishing currently is from 8am to 3.30pm. Barbless hooks plus a landing net and unhooking mat are essentials for anglers who are not allowed a keep net on Eliburn.

A variety of baits including boilies, luncheon meat, maggot and sweetcorn are fished on the water which is a maximum of 13ft deep in places.

The committee continues with a regular feeding programme and they have ambitious plans to encourage young people into the sport.”

For those who have not visited before, Eliburn is near the Livingston Community Football Club, not to be confused with Scottish Premiership side Livingston FC.

The postcode is EH54 7EE. There is a car park only yards from one end of the fishery and tickets can be bought from bailiffs on the day.

Hibs’ manager Dean Gibson believes that the media is being ‘disrespectful’ to both Hibs and Glasgow City due to the extensive coverage of the women’s game following the restructuring of Rangers and Celtic.

The Glasgow giants have both turned professional and signed top quality players in an effort to being success and many news outlets consider the ‘old firm’ match to be the biggest in the country despite Hibs and Glasgow City having dominated Scottish football for the last decade.

Speaking at the pre match press conference Gibson said: “I think it’s really disrespectful. Not to me because I have not been involved until this year in the first team but I think it’s disrespectful to Joelle Murray, to Haley Lauder, to players like that who have given so much to the women’s game.

“I think until they have achieved what these players have achieved, to what these clubs Hibs and Glasgow City have achieved then maybe the media should be a bit more respectful because there is nothing to suggest that we both won’t be up there challenging with Rangers and Celtic just because they are going to be part of a group challenging doesn’t mean that Hibs and Glasgow City aren’t.

“So I do think it’s disrespectful to both Hibs and Glasgow City, not necessarily the clubs but those within the clubs, the players who have given so much to the women’s game over the past decade are just getting written off now because other teams have got a bit of money.”

Gibson also revealed that despite the importance of the fixture on Sunday, there wasn’t any difference to the training this week.

He continued: “We have been training as normal. If you try to change things it takes away how important other games are. We have got to keep the same structure for every game.

“I’ve watched enough Hibs v Glasgow City games and been involved in the youth set up so I was always aware that these were big games. Whenever these games were played I’d get along to them so I am fully aware of what these games entail and what it means to both clubs.

Although there has been changes to the squads both teams are pretty similar. They are as strong as they have always been. They have recruited well although maybe they are not as used to the transition as we are as it happens to Hibs every year.

“That might be a small factor that might come into it but I don’t think it will be a big one.

“If we can take the belief from the cup games and take it into the league games than we can get three points on Sunday.”

The game will be streamed live on BBC Scotland

Hibs have qualified for the last 16 of the Betfred League Cup despite not playing today.

The nine points already won is sufficient to see them through to the next round even if they were to lose to Dundee at Easter Road tomorrow.

Outright victory for either team however will mean that they top the group and join other seeded teams, Hearts, Dunfermline and Livingston who all have maximum (12) points.

In the event that the game finishes level, the team that wins the penalty shoot out will have the same points as Ross County who have a goal difference of plus seven.

If Hibs gain two points it will be insufficient to be granted a seeded place however Dundee would be seeded with their goal difference of plus eight.

The eight group winners and four best runners-up progress to the second round, where they will be joined by the four clubs competing in Europe – Celtic, Rangers, Motherwell and Aberdeen.

The seeded teams in the last 16 are the four European clubs and the four group winners with the best records.

Ross County, St Johnstone, St Mirren and Ayr United also qualified as first-round group winners.

The tournament reverts to a traditional knock-out format from the second round onwards, with ties decided by extra time and penalties if the scores are level after 90 minutes.

The draw for the last 16 will take place after tomorrow’s match at Easter Road and the dates to note are as follows.

Second round – Weekend of November 28/29

Quarter-finals – Midweek of December 15-17

Semi-finals – Weekend of January 23/24

Final – Sunday February 28

There are only a final few bespoke plots left to buy at Burnbank Residential Park in Blairgowrie.

• This development has already attracted many over 50s to downsize and retire to a new community away from the city. 

The final few luxury residential park homes are now available and the park, billed by the developer as an ideal retirement environment for the over 50s, is supplied by two of the UK’s leading suppliers, Willerby Bespoke and Stately Albion.

The experienced operator Heritage Park Estates, helps buyers to work with the park’s in-house builders, McKenzie Burke, to ensure a craftsmanship finish, and a home which is personalised to buyers’ needs.

Complete with 24 hour CCTV, security gate, and a dedicated sales and after care suite, open seven days a week, Burnbank Park has been landscaped to make the very most of the picturesque countryside views. The park is just a short distance from Blairgowrie, with Blairgowrie Golf Club just along the road.

So far, buyers from all over Tayside, Perthshire, and the Central Belt have moved there, all keen to take advantage of a more peaceful, maintenance free life.

The park homes, which are supplied fully furnished and decorated, offer flexible layouts for example two bedrooms with master en-suite, luxury Howdens kitchens with built-in appliances, main bathrooms with full sized baths, and spacious light fitted living and dining areas. Prices are from £120,000.

As sturdy and well specified as new build bungalows, the park homes at Burnbank Park are finished with an attractive white stucco finish which makes them even more appealing as permanent homes. They are completed with their own driveways and private gardens, so that residents can start enjoying the outside space straight away.

Open a full twelve months of the year, Burnbank Residential Park is a five star park on which the developers say no expense has been spared. There is new infrastructure and landscaping, including new lighting, monoblocked central roads and a monoblocked forecourt.

“Don’t miss out on our final phase of homes here at Burnbank Park, which offer the chance to create a bespoke home,” said Park Owner, Nathan Smith. “We can work with buyers to personalise the property so they can look forward to a long and happy retirement here amongst like minded people. We are confident that all who enquire will be extremely impressed by just how much space and luxury features you get for your money in these park homes. We believe them to be the finest on the market.

“The tie up with McKenzie Burke, an experienced building company, is of real value, ensuring a resident’s new park home is completely tailored to their needs.”

Blairgowrie is situated in a highly accessible part of Perthshire. Burnbank Park has a bus stop right outside the park on the A93, and is close to the many amenities of both Perth and Blairgowrie.

Site fees are fixed for three years at £100 per calendar month, with gas and electric prices also fixed for three years.

Part exchange is available.

There is a virtual online tour here.

Call 01250 870 111 to arrange to view, email sales@heritageparkestates.co.uk

The latest figures for today detailing the number of people diagnosed with Covid-19 in the last 24 hours have just been announced by The Scottish Government today, 14 November 2020.

Amid warnings yesterday that figures of positive cases and deaths have to decrease before restrictions are lifted, there was even a hint that at least part of the Central Belt, in Glasgow and the West of Scotland, might move to stricter lockdown measures when the current levels are reviewed on Tuesday.

The figures in Scotland as at 14 November 2020 are as follows:

The number of new cases of Covid-19 reported in Scotland today – 1,118 new cases reported which is 5.8% of the total number of tests carried out yesterday.

22,166 new tests for Covid-19 that reported results – and 5.8% of these were positive.

Number of people in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19 – 1,198 which is 30 fewer than yesterday
Number of people in Intensive Care Units in Scotland – 92 which is 4 fewer than yesterday

The number of deaths reported today of people who have tested positive within the last 28 days is 36.

1,079,372 people in Scotland have now been tested for Covid-19.

National Records of Scotland announced their weekly figures on Wednesday which state that the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 8 November 2020 is 4,856.

You can also see the latest numbers laid out visually on the Travelling Tabby website here. It is updated at 3pm daily.

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Meeting others indoors
You should not meet anyone who is not in your household indoors in your home or in their home. This applies to all age groups 12 and over. You can meet another household indoors in a public place such as a café or restaurant. The maximum number of people who can meet indoors in a public (not a home) place are 6 which can be from up to 2 separate households.

Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people counted in a gathering.

Where an individual household includes more than 6 people, they can nevertheless meet as a single household even if the total number of people exceeds 6.

When you meet people from another household indoors you should:

minimise the number of meetings you have with people from other households each day
stay at least 2 metres apart from anyone who is not part of your household, unless in a public venue that is operating 1 metre distancing with additional measures being in place to avoid transmission.
maintain hand and cough hygiene
avoid touching hard surfaces with your hands
wash your hands when you arrive, when you leave, when you get home and especially before eating or after touching surfaces
not share food or utensils – if eating, each household should bring, prepare and eat its own food separately
if possible, keep rooms well ventilated – consider opening windows or a door
Those at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus (including those who had been shielding, people 70 and over, people who are pregnant and people with an underlying medical condition) should strictly follow the physical distancing guidance.

Meeting others outdoors
You can meet people from other households outdoors in a private garden or in a public place such as a park or an outdoor area of a pub. The maximum number of people who can meet outdoors is 6 which can be from up to 2 separate households.

Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people counted in a gathering. Children under 12 do not need to maintain physical distance from others. This is to allow children under 12 to play with their friends outside.

Young people aged between 12 and 17 can meet up in groups of up to 6 at a time outdoors and are not subject to the 2 household limit. Physical distancing is required.

Where an individual household includes more than 6 people, they can continue to meet outside as a household even if the total number of people exceeds 6.

You should:

minimise the number of meetings you have with people from other households each day
stay at least 2 metres away from anyone who is not part of your household
maintain hand and cough hygiene
avoid touching hard surfaces with your hands
wash your hands when you arrive, when you leave, when you get home and especially before eating or after touching surfaces
not share food or utensils – if eating, each household should bring, prepare and eat its own food separately
if possible, keep rooms well ventilated – consider opening windows or a door
Those at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus (including those who had been shielding, people 70 and over, people who are pregnant and people with an underlying medical condition) should strictly follow the physical distancing guidance.

Going into someone else’s home
If you are meeting people from another household in their garden and the gathering exceeds 6 people, you should only go into their house to:

access the garden – do so quickly and without touching anything
use the toilet – avoid touching surfaces with your hands as much as possible, wipe any surfaces that you do touch with antibacterial wipes, wash your hands thoroughly, dry your hands with a freshly laundered towel or a paper towel, which you should dispose of in a closed bin.
If members of another household are going to visit you and might need to use your toilet, you should ensure appropriate cleaning materials are available. You should also provide either a hand towel for each visiting household or paper towels and a safe disposal option.

Extended households
People who live in different places can form an “extended household” in the following circumstances:

People who live alone​​​​
If you are an adult and you live alone, or if all others in your household are under 18, you, any children who live with you, and the members of one other household (of any size) can agree to form an ‘extended household’. This will allow people who live alone (or those living only with children under the age of 18) to be considered part of another household in order to reduce loneliness, isolation and to provide mutual social support.
Couples who do not live together
Two adults are in a relationship and they do not live together they, and any children they each live with, can agree to form an ‘extended household’.
However, if one member of a household gets coronavirus, there is a strong likelihood that other members of that household will also catch it. For this reason, there are some important rules that extended households should follow to remain as safe as possible:

a household must not form an extended household with more than one other household
households can end the arrangement at any time, but should not then form an extended household with a new household for at least a 14-day period.
All the adults living in both households should agree to form the extended household. We also encourage parents or guardians to involve their children in discussions. Forming an extended household is an important decision that should be properly discussed and agreed beforehand. Physical distancing between members of an extended household is not required

Once two households have agreed to form an extended household they may meet outdoors or indoors, visit and stay at each other’s homes, and do everything that people in other households can do, such as watch TV, share a meal and look after each other’s children.

Members of an extended household are considered to be one household for the legal requirements on meeting other households and going outside, and for the guidance in this document about seeing friends and family and about exercise and leisure activity.

You can continue to interact with members of your extended household even if they live in a different area with a different Level of protective measures.

If someone in the extended household develops COVID-19 symptoms, to avoid spreading the virus all members of the extended household must isolate immediately if they met the symptomatic person at any time between 2 days before and up to 10 days after their symptoms started.

If the symptomatic person tests positive, all members of their direct household must isolate for 14 days from the start of symptoms. Similarly, other members of the extended household must isolate for 14 days from when the most recent contact took place. Isolate means staying in your own home for the full 14 days.

Those at a higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus (including people over 70, people who are pregnant and people with an underlying medical condition) may take part in an extended household arrangement, but should strictly follow the handwashing, surface cleaning and respiratory hygiene guidance on the NHS Inform website.

Shared parenting
Where parents do not live in the same household, children can move between their parents’ homes in all levels, this includes both supervised and unsupervised visitation.

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[su_spoiler class=”my-custom-spoiler” title=”Hospitality in Level Three Areas”]
Restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars can open indoor and outdoors for the consumption of food and non alcoholic drinks. Alcoholic drinks cannot be served. Last entry is 17:00 and all venues must be closed and all customers off the premises by 18:00.

The maximum number of people you can meet indoors and outdoors in a restaurant, café, pub or bar is 6 which can be from up to 2 separate households.

Children under the age of 12 from these households do not count towards the total number of people meeting outdoors only.

Where an individual household includes more than 6 people they can continue to meet as a household in hospitality premises, although the venue may impose a smaller group limit.

Table service and the wearing of face-coverings (unless exempt) when not seated by all customers is mandatory in all hospitality venues. When meeting people from more than one other household, you should think beforehand about what size of table you will need to keep physically distanced between members of your group. The venue you are visiting should be able to advise you of booking options.

You will be asked by to provide your contact details for Test and Protect purposes This information is retained for 21 days with a view to sharing with Test and Protect Teams, if required.

Hospitality venues are required to put in place additional measures to minimise transmission of COVID-19. For example hand sanitiser stations and adequate ventilation. There will also be signs to inform customers whether the venue is in a 2 metres or 1 metre social distancing area.

You should stay at least 2 metres apart from people from other households at all times, unless the venue is operating 1 metre distancing due to additional measures being in place to avoid transmission. Physical distancing and good hand hygiene remain the most effective measures in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, distancing requirements need to be maintained, where reasonably practicable, at all times, including when waiting to enter premises and when seated.

You should avoid visiting multiple hospitality premises on the same day. In particular, do not visit more than one pub or bar on the same day, as this increases the risk of transmission.

Takeaways can still operate as normal, provided food and drink is sold for consumption off the premises. Face coverings and physical distancing rules must be followed.

Hotels and other accommodation providers can still serve food to guests staying in their premises up to 22:00. Room service, including alcohol, is allowed as normal.
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Hibs’ star Joelle Murray is looking forward to Sunday’s match against rivals Glasgow City which she considers to be the best game in the SWPL.

The standard and profile of the league has risen with the improvement to both Rangers and Celtic who have both gone full-time and Murray is keen to test herself against the best players.

Last week Rangers travelled to the capital and beat Hibs 1-0 in an evenly fought contest with the goal coming from two former Hibs’ players,  Lizzie Arnot’s assist and Chelsea Cornet tap-in.

City currently top the SWPL but Hibs travel to Broadwood hoping to restore parity.

Speaking at the pre match press conference Murray said: “ We look forward to these games as a group and a collective unit so for us we want to be playing your Rangers, Glasgow City and Celtic.

“As players you want to challenge yourself against the best players and the best teams and there is no better team to do that against than Glasgow City. There are no better players in the league than Haley Lauder, Joanne Love and Leanne Chrichton so personally I am looking forward to it and the other players are too.

“These games are massive and for me a Hibs v City game in my opinion is the best game currently in the SWPL and I think anyone who says otherwise is being a bit disrespectful to the current squads and the history that has come before.

“There has been a lot of transition but they have recruited very very well so we appreciate the quality that they have in the squad however we have identified and will try to exploit their weaknesses.

“We won’t approach this game any differently than we have approached a City game in the past. We will prepare well and we have done so this week.”

The match will be available to watch on BBC Sport Scotland who are providing a free live stream of the game with worldwide access via their website and Murray encouraged football fans to tune in.

She added: “I would encourage people to tune in. There are so many people I have spoken to that have spoke so highly of the quality of football on the pitch in the women’s game and have been so impressed. These games have been a spectacle in the past and close fought games and Sunday will be the same. There will be competitiveness and aggression so if you haven’t tuned into a woman’s game or a Hibs v City game in the past then Sunday is the time to do so.”

The Scottish SPCA have issued an appeal after a pigeon was left on the 17.20 number 102 Stagecoach bus service from Edinburgh to Dumfries on 11 November.

The charity were alerted to the bird after the driver discovered the pigeon had been left behind when the bus reached its final destination in Dumfries.

Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer Sheena MacTaggart said “The pigeon, which has distinctive white and brown plumage, was discovered in a homemade wooden box with a blue handle.

“Unfortunately the bird doesn’t have any rings we could use to identify an owner.

“We’re hoping that this is just a case of someone being a bit forgetful, rather than anything intentional, and we can reunite this pigeon with the rightful owner as soon as possible.

“In the meantime, the bird will be cared for at one of our animal rescue and rehoming centres.

“If anyone recognises this pigeon, please contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.” 

Police are urging the public to be aware of phone scams.

A fraudster may call pretending to be from the victim’s bank advising of suspicious activity and thereafter induces the victim to hang up the telephone and call the number on the back of their bank card.

 In these cases the fraudster stays on the line pretending to be a representative of the bank, then instructs the victim to transfer money into a ‘safe account’.

Fraudsters are cunning, creative and often very convincing.

Your bank will never ask you to transfer money into another account.

If you receive a phone call, apparently from your bank, under the above circumstances, call into your local branch or phone your bank using a different telephone.

Check this website for some information, tips and advice –

An Edinburgh author will donate the royalties from her latest book to a charity she regularly supports – LOVE Learning.

Debbie Irving, who was born and raised in Edinburgh, has published her book, ‘My Brother is Different’.

The book is aimed at children with brothers and sisters who have autism, and is intended to be a tool for them to understand why their siblings and other children might behave differently to them.

The picture book tells the story of a brother and sister who discover that their little brother’s autism can be difficult for them at school, but with some help from their mother, they realise that he is special in a good way too.

Written with experts on children’s mental health, ‘My Brother is Different’ is a way to help young children cope with autism and the effects it can have on their family and friends.

It is estimated that more than 50,000 people in Scotland have an autism spectrum disorder. 

Debbie, who is currently the Head of HR for a Fife engineering company, worked at Edinburgh City Libraries for nearly 18 years. She was inspired to write her book after a personal experience that took place two years ago when she passed by a school’s playground. Then she witnessed a young boy with autism experiencing a breakdown and was surprised by the looks of confusion in the faces of the other children, who did not understand what was happening to their friend.

Debbie is a trustee of LOVE Learning and she has partnered with the charity to illustrate and print the book. She will donate all royalties to help with the charity’s fundraising. LOVE Learning is the parent body to LOVE Gorgie Farm and it works to provide alternative education and social care for children with mental health problems and learning difficulties.

Debbie Irving and LOVE Learning plan to continue releasing several books for children, from short stories to novels, on themes concerning mental health, additional learning needs and the changes children go through as they grow up.

Debbie Irving said:“I am thrilled to see a project like this book take off and I truly hope that ‘My Brother is Different’ serves as a tool to help many children understand more about autism and about what their sibling and friends with this condition go through.

“LOVE learning has been incredibly supportive during the whole process and I decided to donate all royalties to this charity so that the book can contribute to their mission of helping give children the best possible start in life.”

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE learning added:“We are so grateful that Debbie decided to so generously donate the royalties of her book to LOVE learning and look forward to keeping supporting her in her future work.

“Too often we see children with autism facing exclusion in many social and educational settings. We believe that ’My Brother is Different’ is a great educational tool for children to better understand autism and help harness love and compassion amongst siblings and friends.”

‘My Brother is Different’ can currently be purchased online as hard copy on LOVE Learning website and as an e-book on Amazon.  

A tale of two pals who like a pint and enjoy each other’s company seems an unlikely premise for a book.

But, when one of the pals is arguably the finest boxer ever to leave the British Isles, and the other is a remarkable man who has spent his life raising money for numerous worthwhile charities, then it turns into a ‘must read.’

Written by Jock Mcinnes MBE, the book, ‘My Pal the Boxing Legend Ken Buchanan’ is a series of ‘rounds’ or chapters containing his memories of days and nights in the company of the great man long after his boxing career finished.

Originally from “Methil” in Fife, Jock has been happily married for ‘many, many years’ to the long suffering Christine and is a proud father to Stuart and grandfather to Eilidh and Callum.

 He served in the Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment (RHR), as an advanced Adventure & Physical Training instructor for 22 years and was an army individual boxing champion, the Midland District Dundee/Fife boxing champion twice and represented Scotland on a few occasions.

He was awarded an MBE for years of organising and administrating several charity challenge’s including, Tandem Skydiving, Mount Kinabalu, The Sahara Desert, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, The Gobi Desert, Mount Toubkal, Nepal experience, Mont Etna and a fire walk, Moldoveanu, raising well over two million pounds for local and national charities and despite his advancing years he is far from finished trekking and raising money.

Thirty-five years ago Jock met Ken who coincidentally had fought his father Bill and since then the pair have become great friends and enjoyed many ‘adventures’ over the years.

Ken Buchanan, MBE, was born In Edinburgh 75-years ago and is widely considered to be one of the finest boxers to ever grace a ring. He turned professional  in 1965 and won both the Scottish and British lightweight crowns before traveling to the United States and gaining world-wide recognition.

Five years later he fought and beat lightweight champion Ismael Laguna in Puerto Rico where the temperature inside Hiram Bithorn Stadium reached 100 degrees. He became the first British lightweight champion since Freddie Welsh in 1917.

Famously when he returned to Turnhouse Airport, only his family was present to greet him. None of the Scottish newspapers or photographers turned up to mark the moment, which still rankles with the ‘champ’.

Ken successfully defended his title twice, winning a 15-round decisions over Ruben Navarro in Los Angeles and Laguna at Madison Square Garden in New York then a year later he returned to the Garden for his most controversial and memorable contest.

On June 26, 1972 the Scotsman put his belt on the line against Roberto ‘Hands of Stone’ Duran and at the close of Round 13 the Panamanian struck Ken with a vicious low blow which left Ken writhing in agony on the canvas, clutching his groin. Such was his pain he could barely stand and had to be half-carried back to his corner. Moments later referee Johnny LoBianco controversially made a snap decision to end the bout, ruling the champion unfit to continue.

Ken returned three months later and stopped future Hall-of-Famer Carlos Ortiz in six rounds. In 1973, he beat future world champ Jim Watt to regain the British lightweight title. He lost in his only other world-title bid, dropping a decision in 1975 to WBC champ Ishimatsu Suzuki.

He eventually retired in 1983 and of his 69 pro fights only six were in Scotland, none in his home town.

Jock told The Edinburgh Reporter: “The book is about a good honest friendship between two pals. One just happens to be the greatest pound for pound boxer that has ever come out of the UK and the other, me, a wee lad from the Kingdom of Fife.

“My own father Bill actually boxed Ken as an amateur twice, and Ken later presented me with an original boxing poster from one of the bouts, which I still have to this day. He also gave me an amateur boxing record card with my dad’s name on it, which is now framed and hangs on my wall

“The reason for writing this book is mainly to remind people of the achievements of Ken.

“It is sad to say but Ken,  like Glasgow’s Benny Lynch, another hero of mine will be more famous when he is dead which in my opinion is disrespectful and Edinburgh Council, and those who sit in the Scottish parliament in Holyrood, should all hang their heads in shame for not holding Ken aloft and parading him for all Scotland and the world to pay homage to.

“One of my best memories personally is being asked to present an award to one of my heroes, Dick McTaggart. I haven’t felt so proud since my son’s wedding, and for a good Fifer like me presenting such an award to a fellow scot, a Dundee man, made me burst with pride. That night also seeing world champions such as Alan Minter and Bunny Johnston queueing up to meet Ken and have their photo taken with him showed the esteem that he was held in.

“The pandemic has hit Ken hard. He is currently in a care home, but at first didn’t understand what was going on and the need to stay in his house but he seems settled and I visit him when I can.”

The book is currently on Amazon (Via IngramSpark) as an Ebook and also available on Jock’s website

Some of the money raised from the book will be used for another great charitable adventure somewhere around the world by Jock when conditions permit.

Jock modestly describes himself as a ‘wee lad from the Kingdom of Fife’ but ‘wee lads’ don’t normally get awarded an MBE by Her Majesty the Queen, so judge for yourself.

Buchanan was honoured with The Edinburgh Award in 2017.

https://jockmcinnes.co.uk