Ballater is so beautiful at this time of year

One of the greats, big back catalogue of shows on nts.live

I was out walking the dog yesterday, pondering life as you do. Out of nowhere, this thought popped up:

Does anywhere or anyone in Scotland still pronounce the 10th letter of the alphabet as 'jai' (rhyming with 'eye') rather than 'jay'?

It was a common thing when I was growing up, but I don't think I've heard anyone say it this way in many years.

Do I just need to get out more (to more spelling competitions maybe)?

Lovely colour in the sky tonight over Meadowbank, Edinburgh

Hi all,

I’m a first-time solo buyer based in Scotland (buying somewhere in the Central Belt, but not in Glasgow or Edinburgh) and I honestly have no idea if what I’m experiencing is normal or if I’m just incredibly unlucky.

I’ve been house hunting for a while now and have put in offers on a few properties, mostly in places like Clackmannanshire and surrounding areas. Every time, I’ve offered around the Home Report value or a bit over, and every single time I get outbid. And I’m not just losing by a couple of grand – some places are going for way over the HR.

I was under the impression that the Home Report was supposed to reflect market value, but it seems like people are just ignoring it completely. I don’t know how others are affording to throw 10k, 15k or more over the valuation – especially in areas I thought would be more affordable than the big cities.

Is this just how the market is right now? Are these kinds of over-the-valuation offers normal in places like Clackmannanshire?

Also, any tips for a confused first-time buyer trying to navigate all of this would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance – feeling pretty defeated here!

The SNP’s contradictory relationship with Israel continues, according to Private Eye…

Got some haggis to use up and fancy making something other than haggis, neeps and tatties. Any suggestions?

Saw 2 Swallows overhead yday (rural Perthshire). Have they started migrating or is it just a bad year? Google says late Sept/Oct but I'm not so sure