Scott Begbie

1 month ago | pressandjournal.co.uk | Scott Begbie

With the Tall Ships hoving into view, it’s great to see all sorts of plans and visions surfacing to make the most of this once-in-a-generation event dropping anchor in July. So good on the licensing board for giving a thumbs up to the Ibis Hotel on Shiprow who want to transform a rooftop space into an al fresco bar with a crow’s nest view of the ships when they berth in the harbour.

1 month ago | pressandjournal.co.uk | Scott Begbie

And with a cry of “all aboard” Aberdeen has finally joined the league of cities that are serious about tourism. From this Friday, we will have an open-top sightseeing bus to call our very own and to delight locals and tourists alike as they hop on – and off – to discover what the Granite City has to offer. And there’s a lot.

1 month ago | pressandjournal.co.uk | Scott Begbie

“Warm welcome, beautiful architecture and kind local people” – yep, that’s Aberdeen for you. Well, maybe not for the Abermoaners, too busy looking at their own narrow prejudices to lift their heads long enough to see the best in the Granite City. But certainly for the shedloads of North American visitors who descended on the city centre last week, the Silver City by the Sea is an absolute gem of a place.

2 months ago | pressandjournal.co.uk | Scott Begbie

As the Scottish Government ramps up the war on cars, I can safely say I would happily give up mine tomorrow – if I lived in the Central Belt. As I type, I am sitting in the chi-chi Stockbridge part of Edinburgh in a funky café, happily people watching, as well as noting bus after bus going past to all parts of the city, including the services that got me here quickly and cheaply.

2 months ago | pressandjournal.co.uk | Scott Begbie

If I didn’t hate seagulls before then I certainly do now. It’s because of these flying garbage bins I have been forced to write the following sentence. Douglas Ross is right, the SNP are wrong. While I vehemently oppose the politics of the erstwhile Scottish Tory leader, he was spot on when he called for the Scottish Government to remove the legal protection of gulls so powers-that-be can stop them plaguing urban areas by all and any means, including culling.