Brendan Paddy

"The wicked head and serene head signify that some used their exceptional knowledge for evil purposes while others were misunderstood and wished their kind nothing but good." So witchcraft was real but not all witches were bad - WTAF

W In the 16th and 17th centuries, around 2,500 people were executed for witchcraft in Scotland.

You definitely won't learn about Scotland's shameful history of executing 'witches' from visiting the well on the mound in Edinburgh because because the 19th century plaque there is a disgrace
news.stv.tv/east-central...

Walking with the Ramblers helped me rebuild my life After living with the health condition myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), Ramblers member Nick shares how the Ramblers has helped him recover and rebuild his life

www.ramblers.org.uk/walking-ramb...

Wood burners linked to 2,500 deaths a year in the UK, analysis finds Use of wood-burning stoves and fires in homes is mostly unnecessary and their toxic pollution costs the NHS millions

Important story on the horrors of #woodburning by my excellent colleague @dpcarrington.bsky.social a must-read and must-follow:
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Dutch election: Wilders seeks victory in test of European populism Dutch voters cast their ballots on Wednesday to choose between doubling down on the anti-immigration nationalism of populist Geert Wilders, who sank the last conservative coalition after a fractious two years, or a return to the centre.

Funny how quickly far right fantasies crumble when they're actually in leadership
www.reuters.com/world/dutch-...

Brilliant orange strips of cloud above the dark silhouette of a hill in the horizon

Blackford Hill in Edinburgh at dawn this morning

Blackford Hill on the horizon with orange dawn light & a grey sky

Good morning

Dutch centrist liberals neck and neck in close finish with populist Wilders Rob Jetten's D66 party celebrates but with 90% of votes counted the result is too close to call.

Dutch centrist liberals neck and neck in close finish with populist Wilders
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Donald Trump lowers China tariffs and announces end to 'rare earths roadblock' after meeting Xi Jinping He said the US can sign a trade deal with China

Look forward to seeing the detail on this but looks like China used its leverage both as an exporter of rare earth minerals & an importer of soy beans to counter Trump's attempt to bully them into a bad deal
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cd...

This is Enoch Powell except instead of putting a intellectual veneer on his racism by quoting Virgil, Musk is trying and failing to understand Tolkien's hardly subtle allegory

Why are UK politicians & government agencies continuing to use a platform whose proprietor is openly promoting crackpot racist claims that Britain is on the edge civil war?

If you search TikTok for Hurricane Melissa videos right now, you'll see a flood of AI-generated and fake videos.

These AI videos include eye of the storm views from above, sharks swimming in floodwaters, huge waves battering towns, destroyed airports, and fake news reports.

Female surfers 'verbally abused' during GB contest in Thurso The event in Thurso involved surfers Scotland, England, Wales and Channel Islands.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A group of adults gathered in a grand dining hall, engaging in conversation around several banquet tables. Some attendees are seated while others stand, and the room features elegant wooden paneling and large windows.

Two individuals cutting a celebration cake with the logo of Ramblers Scotland in an elegant room with historical paintings in the background.

A person stands smiling in front of the ornate wooden fireplace with the crest of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers above, wearing a denim jacket and a tartan kilt.

A person stands at a podium with a microphone, in a wood-paneled room, at a Ramblers Scotland event. The individual is wearing a dark jacket and red trousers.

🎉 An honour to be hosted last Friday by Edinburgh’s Deputy Lord Provost for a Civic Reception to mark 60 years of Ramblers Scotland!

It was a chance to reflect on 6 decades of promoting walking & championing access for all. We were joined by amazing volunteers & our VPs, Lucy Wallace & Ben Dolphin.

We support the Bill’s introduction of Land Management Plans for the largest estates and want to see more landholdings brought into scope. Land Management Plans as set out in the Bill would require owners to show how they respect and uphold public access.

Briefing on Land Reform Bill Stage Three debate We want this new law to better support and protect Scotland’s world-class access rights.

Two days of amendments on the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill are underway in Parliament just now. Our asks were sent to MSPs last week www.ramblers.org.uk/scotland/bri...

It's increasingly obvious that Labour's strategy - call it Starmerism, Blue Labour, whatever - has got it badly wrong. It has alienated the party's core vote while failing to win over those leaning to Reform. There was no shortage of people warning them they were getting it wrong either.

New YouGov polling. That’s a peak for the Greens. Amazing how a good communicator with vision can turn around a party’s fortunes.

RFM: 27% (+1)
LAB: 17% (-3)
CON: 17% (=)
GRN: 16% (+1)
LDM: 15% (=)

Also Labour’s lowest in a YouGov poll.

Almost all reporting of individual studies on diet and exercise is, well, let's say 'sub-optimal'. I know it's 'news' but failing to provide the context of wider health advice based on all the evidence means it's mostly demotivating noise

'Longer' in the headline is not very helpful. I love heading out for a day in the hills but all the evidence is that it's the everyday walking you do from your doorstep that makes the biggest difference (in fairness the story says 10-15 mins not 6-8 hours!)

One long walk beats short strolls for a healthy heart, study says Walking for at least 15 minutes without stopping is ideal, according to new research.

The best walking is the walking you actually do, not the optimal walking recommended by the latest scientific study (which will feed into the evidence base that informs longer term advice on physical activity)
www.bbc.com/news/article...

Edinburgh Castle with a bank of cloud behind it and surrounded by mist and fog.

Apologies for the repost but I guess a few won’t have seen the original anyway. Edinburgh in the mist last Monday for #sharemondays2025

#fsprintmonday
#photography #landscapephotography #photographers

A' Chioch looking in good shape earlier today. There were times last winter when there wasn't even as much snow as this!

Beautiful light today in the Cairngorms 🙂

Still sea reflecting busy sky.

The sea was looking rather lovely yesterday.

A person silhouetted again the backdrop of a hilltop surrounded by mist.

It might look like a mountain scene from the Highlands but no, it’s a visitor to Edinburgh with Arthur’s Seat in the background. A city landscape.

Buxton: Why one small town with very little immigration turned to Reform UK How national concerns affected a local election in the heart of the Peak District.

This is an interesting piece but I just read it going “the missing bit is the section on how the internet has fried everyone’s brains”.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Dabbled light peppers Glen Sannox with large diagonal slabs directing the view with orange autumn grasses lying between the slabs in a small dark pool of water.

Glen Sannox, Arran.

#Scotland
#Photography

Autumn vibes at Ben Chonzie in Perthshire

Bamburgh

Sunday strolls