South Ayrshire's administrative hub on Scotland’s southwest coast
A Fra Fee-led writer grapples with the legend of Liberace in a meta-stage piece at Pitlochry, where Simon Russell Beale’s Liberace and a flamboyant production set the tone. The show examines sexuality, lie and performance, while a longer Wallace musical and a new Play, Pie and Pint piece provide counterpoints on history and memory.
A total solar eclipse has crossed Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain while the UK and Ireland have seen a deep partial eclipse — the most extensive across Britain since 1999. Scientists and agencies such as NASA have flown instruments and balloons into the path of totality to study the Sun's corona and to gather data for improving space‑weather forecasts.
The Scottish government has not funded the implementation of a standalone sexual offences court and related measures, despite reforms to end the not proven verdict. Crown Office warns Holyrood that resources are not in place as rape and sexual violence statistics rise, with ongoing calls for timely delivery of promised protections.
The bank holiday weekend is marked by widespread rail disruption due to a Birmingham power outage affecting CrossCountry’s control centre. Plans for a near-normal service on Monday are in flux as rail routes face cancellations, rail replacement buses are in place, and tickets remain valid across operators amid disruption.