Journalist/Dad. Owner @IslayBeachHouse. Former correspondent in London, Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong & Rome. Gardening, food, nature. Some politics, dogs & sport.
Joined May 2013
- Tweets 24,965
- Following 2,710
- Followers 5,356
- Likes 24,448
4,621 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
16 Mar 2025
"Why, ’tis a happy thing / To be the father unto many sons."
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Jun 13
Morocco looking worryingly good in the first quarter of an hour against Brazil, from a Scottish perspective 🏴
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Angus MacKinnon retweeted
Jun 11
On this day 48 years ago: Archie Gemmill scored Scotland's most iconic goal at the Argentina 1978 World Cup 🏴 Just tae get yies in the mood ⚽️
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A Roman road through Beechwood Park! I never knew, until now.
The most important road in Scotland! Built by General Agricola and used by every invasion after….Edward I, Cromwell, and Cumberland and so many more!
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PUPDATE: Skipper, the Cocker puppy we found abandoned at Christmas & later adopted, may be turning into a juvenile delinquent. Authorities are looking into the overturning of a gravy jug on a kitchen counter in the Stirling area. A single (contrite) suspect is being questioned!
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Veg patch loved the traditional downpour to mark the start of summer in 🏴.
Cavalo Nero has added a couple of inches and Calabrese heads starting to form
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May 31
"Infinite scroll has a side-effect that experts call “popcorn brain” ... our brains are so overstimulated with incessant digital noise, our thoughts & attention rapidly bounce from one thing to another, like popping kernels."
thetimes.com/article/c18d3b8…
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May 30
Yes, blame seabirds for the collapse of fish stocks. Beggars belief.
European fishing nations call for cormorant cull via @FT
giftarticle.ft.com/giftartic…
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May 25
If life gives you a raised bed full of spinach, make spanakopita! Delish version of the Greek classic by @tissysn - not sure sun-dried tomatoes are an authentic ingredient but they work well with feta and spinach. Converted a 13-year-old I know to Popeye's favourite veg!
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May 24
BBQ-ing is so not like riding a bike. Start every season having forgotten everything I've ever learned - hence the carbonised sausages. Flat beans are a new thing for me this year - inspired by recent visit to the lovely Gloriosa restaurant in Glasgow
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May 24
Excellent #birding on Sunday morning walk at Cocksburn reservoir: my first glimpses of a Sedge Warbler and a lengthy listen to its distinctive calls. Also Swallow, Swift and House Martin; Cuckoo calling, Little Grebe, newly arrived ducklings and signets ⬇️
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Angus MacKinnon retweeted
May 21
A bad day for players who look like they fought in the battle of Agincourt
May 21
Morgan Rogers received his call-up to England's World Cup squad earlier this week.
Elsewhere, Ollie Watkins is also deservedly named. He took the previous omission on the chin and fought back.
#AVFC
nytimes.com/athletic/7297826…
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May 21
At least the broom is loving today's soft rain in Stirling. @stirlingcastle looking magnificently moody and mysterious in the mist!
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May 20
Late-planted tulips looking good against the lime flush of the hostas in front garden. All planned and meticulously timed, of course 😉 #gardening
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May 20
If, like me, you find it hard to keep up with tech companies' relentless collection of data on your every move, aka spying, this is a useful checklist.
May 20
Your iPhone is dying by 2 PM every day.
It's not the battery.
It's 14 settings Apple turned ON by default that are silently draining it in the background.
I changed all of them and gained 4 hours of daily battery life.
Steal them
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May 19
In the style of print copy takers: "Is there much more of this, Mr Hemingway?"
May 18
At BBC Broadcasting House today I recalled the story (apocryphal?) of Norway’s King Haakon arriving for an interview in 1940, when Europe had fallen to the Nazis.Receptionist (hand over phone mouthpiece): ‘Sorry, dear — where did you say you were king of?’ share.google/images/hXo4Ll9X…
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May 17
Holing a 70-footer on the 71st hole to take a four shot lead heading down the last - stuff that dreams are made of for Aaron Rai at the US PGA. There'll be dancing in the streets of Wolverhampton tonight!
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May 14
Today's lunch deserved a warmer day and a glass of rosé, but that's 🏴!
Salad of peat-smoked scallops, butter beans, San Marzano tomatoes and homegrown spinach leaves in a tarragon and chilli vinaigrette. Scallops from Hebridean Smokehouse, North Uist.
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Angus MacKinnon retweeted
May 10
Ronnie O’Sullivan making a 147 maximum break faster than it takes Mark Selby to play a single shot 😂
What viral video makes you laugh no matter how many times you watch it? Mine is ‘bye driver’
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