Lottie Hood

Jan 4, 2025 | pressandjournal.co.uk | Lottie Hood

Not many 16-year-olds would be setting up a community centre committee, hosting youth nights for 250 teens and volunteering seven days a week. Even fewer would still be doing it 29 years later. But then most people are not Scott Beattie. Or as Scott would say, most centres are not Inchgarth Community Centre. Since being part of the group that set up a new committee 29 years ago, Scott’s commitment to the community in Garthdee and making people smile has not wavered.

Dec 30, 2024 | pressandjournal.co.uk | Lottie Hood

How did a Broadford fisherman and a candle maker and part-time barber become DJs? And no this is not the beginning of a bad joke. Childhood best friends Fraser Gillies and Ruaridh McKenzie have a lot of skills between them thanks to their day jobs. However, it is their newest and slightly unusual hobby that has been making waves from their town of Broadford in Skye.

Dec 27, 2024 | pressandjournal.co.uk | Lottie Hood

On a hook at the counter of an Aboyne cafe hangs a beautiful image captured of a peaceful loch under a blue sky. The front of a 2025 calendar filled with stunning local landscapes is the result of four years of hard work and perfectionism from 17-year-old Torin Liversedge. First discovering a passion for photography during Covid, Torin from Cushnie has since honed his skills and this year sold out over 350 calendars.

Dec 24, 2024 | pressandjournal.co.uk | Lottie Hood

There have been a few times when bullies have underestimated 11-year-old Dexter Richardson from Laurencekirk. But after they have been swept to the floor and sat on, they tend not to make that mistake again. Especially if it happened in the middle of the school cafeteria. Telling the story while sitting in the Aberdeen Martial Arts Academy gym in Cove, his dad and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu professor, Peter Richardson, smiled and said: “He only reacts like that if required.

Dec 15, 2024 | pressandjournal.co.uk | Lottie Hood

One of the perks of the cold winter months is the joy of tucking into some warm, hearty grub. It might be the urge to stay warm at all costs but I think we are more forgiving towards calories during the darker nights. And so in celebration of this, my husband Chris and I headed out for a mid-week date night to the Cove Bay Hotel Restaurant with grand plans. Before going, we had eagerly eyed the menu and were impressed by the range of choices.