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4 days ago | 
northern-scot.co.uk | Lewis McBlane
Crews linked to the filming of a Hollywood blockbuster, which is set to star Matt Damon, Tom Holland and Zendaya, have set up a base in a coastal village. A white tent and a large wooden boat have appeared at Burghead Harbour, as Moray continues to buzz with excitement ahead of the filming of Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey. Scenes are being filmed for his adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic at various locations including Culbin Forest near Forres and Findlater Castle near Cullen.
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4 days ago | 
inverness-courier.co.uk | Lewis McBlane
A former RAF Station Commander will cycle 60km in honour of his karate instructor brother with Stage 4 cancer, who has “fighting spirit in spades”. Retired Group Captain Christopher Birks, RAF Kinloss Station Commander between 2004 and 2006, said he had been inspired by his karate instructor brother’s “fighting spirit”.
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4 days ago | 
northern-scot.co.uk | Lewis McBlane
The founder of Scotland’s only Wild West village has retold his unlikely tale after 20 years in the saddle. Alistair (Ally) Baranowski said the “the time has flown” since he founded Tranquility, a village of eight wooden buildings beside his house in the countryside outside Huntly. Hidden from the public road by a strip of forest near Forgue, the unsuspecting driver would never know there is a fully-fledged Wild West village just metres away.
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5 days ago | 
inverness-courier.co.uk | Lewis McBlane
A bus service between Forres and Inverness is being scrapped as part of changes to Stagecoach services. The number 12 bus will only operate between Forres and Elgin from July 7, under the plans. However, the service will now service both Thornhill Grant Drive in Forres and Elgin Retail Park. Blaming the change on “low usage” and cost pressures, the bus firm argued the new timetables would benefit customers between Aberdeen and Inverness.
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1 week ago | 
inverness-courier.co.uk | Lewis McBlane
Dualling between Inverness to Nairn is set to go ahead, the Transport Secretary has confirmed, as the public opposition to new plans for the trunk road has been revealed. A consultation over new plans for the stretch between Nairn and Aberdeen, called the “refined package”, suggested abandoning the SNP’s 2011 pledge to fully dual the trunk road.
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1 week ago | 
northern-scot.co.uk | Lewis McBlane
A former asylum hotel has applied for permission to undertake a £250,000 package of works. The Eight Acres Hotel in Elgin, which was used to house asylum seekers from April 2023 to April 2024, could be set for an internal overhaul under the plans. Owned by company LM Elgin 1, part of the Thailand-based Lake Merritt Group, the hotel was the subject of a building warrant application to Moray Council sent last Monday.
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1 week ago | 
inverness-courier.co.uk | Lewis McBlane
A Viking style wooden ship has appeared in Inverness ahead of filming a blockbuster movie in the local area. The ship, the Draken Harald Hårfagre, is set to feature in Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of ancient Greek epic The Odyssey starring Matt Damon. Pictures show the vessel, the world’s largest Viking boat, sailing under the Kessock Bridge today following a sighting at Buckie Harbour yesterday.
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1 week ago | 
northern-scot.co.uk | Lewis McBlane
Health Secretary Neil Gray has said he “can’t give any firm commitments” about stopping the closure of Elgin’s under-threat mental health ward. The comments came after a document, presented at a Moray Integration Joint Board (MIJB) meeting, revealed that “Ward 4 at Dr Gray’s Hospital can no longer be maintained as an inpatient service”.
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1 week ago | 
inverness-courier.co.uk | Lewis McBlane
Bus firm Stagecoach has revealed which bus routes are set for timetable changes. Among the routes affected will be services 10 and M96, where timings are being adjusted to offer buses every 30 minutes between Aberdeen and Inverness Airport - with stops at Dalcross Rail Station and Eastgate. Stagecoach North Scotland confirmed that timetable and route updates will take place across Inverness, Moray and Aberdeenshire areas from Monday, July 7.
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1 week ago | 
northern-scot.co.uk | Lewis McBlane
Bus firm Stagecoach has revealed which bus routes are set for timetable changes. Among the routes affected will be services 10 and M96, where timings are being adjusted to offer buses every 30 minutes between Aberdeen and Inverness Airport - with stops at Dalcross Rail Station and Eastgate. Stagecoach North Scotland confirmed that timetable and route updates will take place across Inverness, Moray and Aberdeenshire areas from Monday, July 7.
