Ben Borland

2 weeks ago | scottishdailyexpress.co.uk | Ben Borland

The village of Blackwaterfoot on the Isle of Arran is reached from Brodick, by the String (or the B880 to use its boring name) one of the most spectacular short drives in Europe. Although it is only 11 miles, the String – following a route first surveyed by the famed engineer Thomas Telford in 1817 – climbs through one of only two passes through the mountains of Arran.

2 weeks ago | scottishdailyexpress.co.uk | Ben Borland

The SNP candidate for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse has been told to "apologise" for voting against £8million of regeneration funding for Hamilton town centre. South Lanarkshire Council is working on a 15-year plan to demolish two-thirds of the existing shops including both shopping centres, and build 450 new homes as well as a new urban park space.

3 weeks ago | scottishdailyexpress.co.uk | Ben Borland

Katherine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an officially registered competitor, has revealed that she would have finished "on her hands and knees" if she had to. She was famously attacked by marathon co-organiser Jock Semple during the 1967 race, an event captured in black and white in one of the most iconic sporting photographs of the Sixties.

3 weeks ago | scottishdailyexpress.co.uk | Ben Borland

Nicola Sturgeon is clearly enjoying life after politics, going to the gym and taking bookings for all manner of engagements: the only problem is, she's not actually resigned as an MSP. Perhaps the former First Minister still wields such a fearsome reputation in the SNP that nobody has the guts to tell her that she's supposed to step down before embarking on a career as a second-rate variety act.

3 weeks ago | scottishdailyexpress.co.uk | Ben Borland

The choice of the next Pope is likely to come down to a handful of senior cardinals, with the final decision of the conclave to be marked by the famous puff of white smoke from the Vatican. But in theory, any baptised Roman Catholic male is eligible to become the 'Vicar of Christ' with all the wealth, power and trappings that the role entails. There are approximately 1.4billion baptised Catholics worldwide, although around half of them are not permitted to become pope.