Image source, Falkirk Wheel

People can now hire small electric boats to go on the Falkirk Wheel.

Visitors will be able use them to cruise between the Falkirk Wheel and Bonnybridge on the Forth & Clyde Canal.

They can go up the world’s only rotating boat lift as part of the journey.

The venture was launched as part of Climate Week, and Scottish Canals says there is a growing market for more eco-friendly tourism.

The Falkirk Wheel e-boats are available to rent for £35 for 90 minutes and can accommodate up to three people.

Scottish Canals plan to expand the eco-friendly offer next year by having a host of new boats available which can accommodate up to six or eight sailors per vessel.

Catherine Topley, CEO of Scottish Canals, said: “Our canal network has always been at the forefront of low carbon travel and this latest offering at The Falkirk Wheel allows tourists and local visitors to cruise the canal in an eco-friendly way."

The Falkirk Wheel is 20 years old this year and attracts 500,000 visitors each year.

Image source, Getty Images

Commonwealth Games gold medal winners Eilish McColgan and Sam Hickey will receive a hero's welcome when they return to Dundee at the weekend.

People will get the chance to congratulate the pair in a City Square celebration on Sunday, following their success in the Birmingham games this summer.

Lord Provost Bill Campbell will host a civic reception in the City Chambers and the athletes will make a public appearance on the balcony at 14:15.

McColgan won gold in the 10,000m and silver in the 5,000m, while Hickey took a boxing gold.

The Lord Provost said: ““It is fitting that the city of Dundee recognises their achievements and gives people the chance to share in the moment as well.

“Their exploits were seen by millions across the world but nowhere celebrated like Dundee, the city where these athletes put in the hard yards and the training needed to help them get on and win gold medals."

He added: “I would encourage as many people as possible to come down to the City Square on Sunday to give them a rousing Dundee reception!”

Angus residents are invited to a free cost of living roadshow at Gayfield Park on Wednesday 5 October.

Locals can find out about available support at the drop-in session at Arbroath Football Club's grounds between 11:00 and 15:00.

Council services will advise on welfare rights, housing, revenues and benefits.

External organisations will also be there to help, such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, PENUMBRA, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, ANGUSalive, NHS and many others.

There will be a demonstration for cooking on a budget, as well as grab bags with cooking ingredients and free period products for collection.

Community cafe volunteers will provide free refreshments including tea, coffee and soup.

Angus Council’s deputy leader and finance convenor councillor Bill Duff said the council hope to have more roadshows throughout Angus if it proves successful.

Image source, Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

BBC Radio Scotland's Afternoon Show will broadcast live from Dundee Rep Theatre later today.

The show features some of the best cultural talent in the city.

Nicola Meighan will be joined by the director and some of the cast of the Rep’s show Don Quixote – Man of Clackmannanshire.

We'll hear about the music and cultural impact of the city from journalist and writer Lorraine Wilson, Dundee Culture website creator Andrew Batchelor, Le Freaks Record shop owner Jack Le Fevre, and singer, musician and choir director Alice Marra.

Artistic director of Scottish Dance Theatre Joan Cleville will tell Nicola about the last minute rehearsals of Ray which is about to head to London before returning next month for the Dundee Future Festival.

Dundonian actor Taylor Dyson and director Calum Kelly will discuss Dolly Parton Saved My Life, a theatre production they are touring for free in community centres across Dundee.

And award-winning author James Robertson tells Nicola about translating the Julia Donaldson classic Stick Man into Scots.

Image source, University of Dundee

The University of Dundee is to launch a new "period library".

It is part of the Period Power Project, which aims to reduce the stigma and help normalise conversations about periods.

Staff and students will have access to a variety of educational books on the topic of menstruation in the university library foyer.

The collection can also be found in libraries in Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Ninewells Hospital and Kirkcaldy.

Dundee graduate Amy Mclaughlin, who has been working with Student Services on the project, said: “We hope this addition to our libraries will help spark conversations between people about menstruation and their thoughts, feelings, and experiences about it."

In 2017, Dundee became the first university in the UK to provide free sanitary products to its students.

Police have appealed for information after three people were found seriously injured in Camelon, near Falkirk, on Monday.

Officers were called to Gordon Place at about 16:40 following a report of a man and a woman being found injured.

The incident led police to a property on Mansionhouse Road, where a second injured man was found.

The three people – two men, aged 24 and 41, and a 29-year-old woman – were taken to hospital with serious, but not life-threatening injuries.

The incidents are believed to be linked.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, Falkirk Tryst Orchestra

The proposed closure of Falkirk Town Hall will leave a local orchestra homeless.

Falkirk Tryst Orchestra is due to play its 20th anniversary concert in the venue soon, but the celebration could be overshadowed by fears for the future of the venue they call home.

President John Paterson said: “The concert will take place in Falkirk Town Hall which has been our home for the 20 years of our existence.

“Unfortunately, if the decision to close the town hall is confirmed at the council meeting on Wednesday, the orchestra, along with many other organisations in the town, will be made homeless.

“It seems likely that this will be the last ever performance in the place we all love so much.”

Falkirk councillors will decide on Wednesday whether the building should close for good after hearing a report that separating it from the municipal buildings would cost millions and would take a year to do.

Image source, Google

A bid to find someone to run a post office in Stanley, Perthshire, has failed.

The Post Office in Percy Street closed last year after the postmaster resigned, and the premises was withdrawn.

Since then the vacancy has been advertised and a Post Office representative visited the area, but there has been no interest or formal applications.

In a letter to local representatives, external, The Post Office confirmed the branch would remain closed.

Local MP Pete Wishart said: “Post offices are a lifeline to rural communities now more than ever, as the cost-of-living crisis deepens and the number of bank branches continues to plummet.

“Everybody involved therefore must work collectively in order to get this vital facility reopened as soon as possible."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Perth and Kinross Council recorded 134 data breaches last year, councillors have been told.

The council's data protection officer said "almost all" appeared to be down to human error “as opposed to any systemic failure of process or policy”.

Of the 134 breaches, 86 were categorised as “unauthorised disclosure” and 35 as “email error”.

Nine breaches were reported to the information commissioner.

Of those, five were deemed to have been dealt with appropriately by the council, while recommendations were made for the other four which the council has followed.

At the council's scrutiny and performance committee councillors were told that where there were serious breaches of data by staff, disciplinary action was taken which may lead to them being removed from their post.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Perth and Kinross councillors have unanimously approved plans for a new pedigree poultry farm.

Aviagen Ltd submitted plans for a poultry farm accommodating up to 16,000 birds.

They applied to erect four replacement poultry buildings holding a maximum of 4,000 birds in each building at Knappilands, Strathallan.

Councillors were told the new farm would create 20 jobs.

Aviagen Ltd general manager Ivor Richmond said the company had around 76 employees in Perth and Kinross and more than 50 farms throughout Scotland.

He told councillors the country was seen as "one of the primary breeders throughout the world" and exported eggs to 21 countries.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, LDRS

A fundraising campaign has been launched to renew a memorial for the men who lost their lives in one of Scotland’s worst mining accidents almost a century ago.

Forty men were killed when water flooded No 23 Pit, in Redding, near Falkirk, on September 25 1923.

Some drowned in the initial rush of water but 11 of those who perished survived for up to 14 days, waiting in vain for rescue.

A memorial plaque was installed at Redding Cross 22 years after the disaster and every year the Sir William Wallace Grand Lodge of Scotland Free Colliers commemorate the tragedy when their annual parade stops there to pay their respects.

They are now planning a more modern tribute to the lost colliers to be in place for the 100th anniversary of the disaster, next year.

They hope to raise £100,000 for the memorial, which will include a sculpture of a miner and a mother holding a baby, waiting anxiously for news at the pit head.

Image source, University of St Andrews

A hydrogen-powered train has been tested on tracks at Bo'ness, Falkirk.

A 40-year-old Class 314 train was converted to a hydrogen fuel cell electric power train for the project led by the University of St Andrews.

Transport Scotland was also involved when testing took place at the Scottish Rail Preservation Society last month.

Gerry Agnew, a senior research fellow at St Andrews, said it provided "invaluable intellectural collateral" to inform future phases of the decarbonisation of the rail network.

“Testing and demonstrating the train was the next steps in showing that the clean energy transition is a reality," he said.

"The project is on target to deliver the critical understanding and knowledge to make hydrogen-powered rail a reality in the not-too-distant future.”

Image source, Getty Images

Commonwealth Games hero Eilish McColgan was the recipient of this year’s International Sports Person Award at the Dundee Sports Dinner, external charity event.

Middle and long-distance runner Eilish, 31, from Dundee, set a new British record over 5km on the roads and beating Paula Radcliffe's 21-year-old British half marathon record.

She took the longstanding European and UK 10km record at the Great Manchester Run and won a Commonwealth gold medal – 36 years after her mum Liz – as well as a silver in Birmingham.

Her dad, Peter, accepted her award on her behalf last week at the annual Dundee Sports Dinner.

Sandy McDonald, organising committee chair, said: “Eilish has had a fantastic season, but she is also a wonderful role model to budding track stars and more.

"She is a shining example of what can be accomplished through sheer determination and grit, as well as her natural talent."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Police have reported a spike in car thefts in Dundee this year as officers try to deal with “reckless” pursuits across the city.

There were 271 crimes involving thefts, or attempted thefts of vehicles, or from vehicles between April and June, compared to 118 in the same period last year.

In a report to a Dundee City Council committee, Chief Superintendent Phil Davison said there were a series of break-ins at commercial garages, where keys and their vehicles were stolen.

Although the report says the detection rate for car theft in Dundee is above the national average, a significant number of the crimes — 144 — “remain under investigation”.

Ch Supt Davison said: “It should be noted that a degree of recklessness has been demonstrated by these offenders when efforts to stop vehicles have been attempted."

Image source, Alan Richardson

The "Denise the Menace" outfit worn by RuPaul Drag Race UK contestant Ellie Diamond has gone on display in Dundee.

It was made for Ellie's hometown look in season two of the show and was inspired by Dennis, the comic character from the Beano, which is published in Dundee by DC Thomson.

The ensemble has now been acquired by The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery and Museum and is part of a major change to a display case looking at cultural icons from the city.

Leisure and Culture Dundee received £3,000 from the National Fund for Acquisitions to secure the outfit.

Ellie Diamond, who's off-stage name is Elliot Glen, said: "When I created this outfit for the show, I would never have believed you if you told me that it was going to be displayed at the iconic McManus. To have something like this forever be a part of Dundee is truly amazing."

Councillors in Perth and Kinross will be asked to approve funding of £150,000 for businesses which provide "warm spaces" to people struggling to heat their homes this winter.

It is part of a wider £470,000 fund being proposed which would help those most at need as prices rise during the colder months.

Perth and Kinross Council says one in four local children live in poverty and every home in the region will see their household budget stretched by an average of £250 a month.

Plans to create a Perth and Kinross anti-poverty taskforce and a new cost-of-living strategy will also go before councillors at a meeting on Wednesday.

Council leader Grant Laing said: "Although many consider Perth and Kinross to be an affluent area, we know there are pockets of real poverty and that even in areas of high employment, many are on low wages."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Image source, Falkirk Council

Falkirk Town Hall should be permanently closed and demolished after this year's pantomime, according to a report to Falkirk Council.

Officers have recommended it shuts for good, rejecting plans for a multi-million pound development of the facility, and the £33m construction of a stand-alone office next door.

"At the end of all that investment you would still have a building that was not fit for purpose for modern productions and you would still have a building that did not get anywhere close to being net zero," Falkirk Council's Malcolm Bennie told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He raised the prospect of clearing the site and selling it to a housebuilder for approximately £5m.

“It will allow us to bring 100 new homes to that location which could bring up to 300 new people into the town centre, who will naturally make use of the High Street,” he said.

Councillors will be asked to consider the report at a meeting of the Falkirk Council on Wednesday 28 September.