Enniskillen: Northern Ireland’s county town, perched on Lough Erne; population 14,086 (2021).
A roundup of UK travel features highlights scenic routes, coastlines and towns from multiple outlets, focusing on accessible nature, iconic landscapes and local culture. The pieces span Gleneagles in Scotland, Lake District gems, Edinburgh’s outdoor scene, and Shetland’s northern beauty.
A partial lunar eclipse will dim the Moon in the early hours of Friday, 28 August, turning it reddish as Earth’s shadow darkens the surface. The event follows a dramatic partial solar eclipse weeks earlier. Visibility depends on clear skies and the Moon’s low western horizon across the UK.
Autumn has delivered a run of visible celestial events: a partial lunar eclipse in late August that reddened much of the Moon, close pairings of the young crescent Moon with Venus and Jupiter in September, and a string of upcoming spectacles — the Pleiades, the Orionid and Leonid meteor showers, a planetary parade on 14 November and a Beaver supermoon on 24 November.
Northern Ireland’s Southern Trust is preparing to temporarily move inpatient maternity services from Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry to Craigavon Area Hospital due to a shortage of consultant obstetricians. Clinics may continue at Daisy Hill, but safety remains the priority as the trust seeks to maintain service in the longer term. Barnstaple, Devon, is grappling with a separate maternity unit closure due to staffing shortages, forcing expectant parents to travel long distances for birth. The situation underscores broader staff shortages and the travel implications for rural families.
Police have extended questioning for a 35-year-old man in connection with the disappearance of 39-year-old Carrie Mullane (Noonan), who travelled to Enniskillen from Limerick on 10 October. Detectives say there is serious concern she may have been murdered after arriving in Northern Ireland, with last confirmed sighting on 10 October and movements since unknown.