Features, Anna Docherty

A Polish Adventure

A mini-trip to make you fall in love

As the anticipation builds for visiting an unknown foreign land, my brain often starts making its own mental images. These are usually a deconstructed, or reconstructed, mish-mash of images already gleaned from travel brochures, the internet and similar…

The Enchanted Forest

Myths and legends in Faskally Wood

‘ We thought it would be fun to set a fire-breathing dragon loose in the forest,’ says Tricia Fox, one of the organisers for The Enchanted Forest autumn event. She is referring to this year’s Scottish myths and legends theme, for the annual light and…

5 Reasons To Love Cornwall

Why the final days of summer are best spent on the Cornish coast

As the summer fades on British shores, we automatically start thinking about woolly jumpers, cosy nights in and what colour of thermal pants we’ll go for this year. We can’t help it; it’s in-built that we prepare for cold weather every year like it was…

Swamp Soccer

Most people grow out of their love of playing in the mud. But, as the Swamp Soccer World Championships hit Argyll this June, Anna Docherty discovers it’s still fun to get down and dirty.

Five Pound Fringe - Edinburgh Fringe Festival

The Five Pound Fringe is new for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2009, so Anna Docherty takes a look at the highlights of this innovative budget option

Edinburgh International Film Festival

The Edinburgh International Film Festival is a firm highlight in the capital’s calendar. Here Anna Docherty gives you the low-down on what to expect

Balkanarama

Balkanarama is a Balkans influenced night of music, dance and revelry. But, as Anna Docherty discovers, it’s the passion of the performers that raises the event above the crowd.

The Leith Festival

As the Leith Festival enters its eighth year, Anna Docherty profiles the best events of 2009 and takes a look at what makes the festival such a continuing success.

Futuristic Retro Champions

During music festival season there will likely be lots of ‘cool’ new indie bands thrust upon us. But Anna Docherty meets a bright young band that is unashamedly pop.

Return of the Wolf

It seems the world is set out to vilify wolves. Or the world of children’s story books at least. Peter and the Wolf; Little Red Riding Hood; The Boy Who Cried Wolf – they all depict wolves as child scaring/Grandma guzzling creatures to be feared and…

Beltane Fire Festival

Do you ever feel like you just don’t quite belong in a modern world? I’m not getting all new age-y on you, but in a fast-paced and fleeting society it can be difficult to find your place and feel part of a static community. Perhaps this is why…

Hogmanay: How Hogmanay Got Hip

Shiny silver baubles, mince pies and novelty socks don’t quite cut it in the coolness stakes for most trendy young Scots. In fact, Christmas was once just another working day here. During long Scottish winters, it’s New Year that we turn to for our…

Hogmanay: Hangovers

The Loony Dook It’s a new year and you wake up feeling anything but rejuvenated, with a tongue like sandpaper and a head thumping like last night’s party. It calls for extreme action and you can’t get much more extreme than throwing yourself into some…

Lykke Li - Youth Novels

There is a sea-softened purity to Swedish singer/songwriter Lykke Li’s voice, and this – her first longplayer – is awash with 80s beats, sparse keyboards and airy, monotone vocals. New single ‘Breaking It Up’ is a playful schoolyard chant sung over a…

Glasvegas - Glasvegas

Glasvegas like to tell stories. Their self-titled debut CD is a little circular storybook, filled with distinctly Scottish tales of city living and working class heroes. Album opener ‘Flowers and Football Tops’ is a tender tribute to the murder of a…