How was your 2022, Scotsman readers? Wonderful, good, bad… Horrendous? Regardless of where you sit emotionally on the topic, what’s for sure is that this year has been a chaotic one indeed.
From the death of Queen Elizabeth II, to navigating 3 prime ministers in one year on top of reports of energy crises and looming threats of war just as normality appeared to tiptoe back in following Covid-19, even the toughest amongst us can be affected by it all.
But what’s easily forgotten is that life goes on and life finds a way (no film reference intended) and we mustn’t lose sight of that amid any troubled times. That’s why we’ve assembled these 22 news stories from Scotland in 2022 that tell the tales of kindness, triumph, brevity and hope.
We hope you enjoy them as we approach Hogmanay and boldly enter 2023.
17. Plans made to save millions of Wild Salmon by planting millions of trees along rivers
As Salmon-spawning rivers reach record temperatures, Scotland has planned to launch mass tree-planting campaigns to create shade around rivers that will lower their temperatures to a level suitable to sustain Salmon eggs. There are 64,000 miles of Salmon river habitat in the country and 70% were estimated to be in sub-optimal conditions for their survival hence the plan to kick-start the tree-planting campaign that should boost Salmon well-being and biodiversity broadly. Photo: 3D_generator via Canva Pro
18. Iconic Scottish children's show Balamory celebrates 20-year anniversary
We celebrated the 20-year anniversary of the first episode of Balamory which introduced a generation to the fictional world of ‘Balamory’ set off the west coast of Scotland in a series that spanned 256 episodes. Julie Nimmo (who portrayed Miss Hoolie on the show) when speaking on ITV’s This Morning show during the anniversary, said: "We just loved the script and we were just so excited - our producer and director Brian Jamieson, it was his baby and Helen Docherty they came up with this idea and we just all loved it. It sounds really cheesy but we all just fell in love with each other and all just got on like a house on fire." Photo: Submitted
19. Scottish comedian Kevin Bridges announced a healthy baby boy
Kevin Bridges is a Scottish comedian known for having a sharp tongue and the odd 'controversial' joke that can leave an audience roaring with laughter. In 2022, however, we saw a more gentle, kinder side of him as a father along with his wife Kerry as he posted a photo with his new baby boy they named Liam. Photo: Submitted
20. Scottish nightclub successfully powers itself with the heat of dancers
A Scottish nightclub has discovered that it could reduce its carbon footprint by as much as 70 tons per year if it relies on the heat created by dancers on the dancefloor. The SWG3 arts venue in Glasgow created a dancefloor that absorbs the dancers’ body heat and converts it into thermal energy, up to 600 watts depending on the music intensity. It’s a fair exchange really, play a good beat in exchange for the heat. Photo: mediaphotos via Canva Pro