If you’re looking for a summer day out, this Scottish harbour town is a historic delight, and has plenty to do from exploring caves to walks along stunning coastal paths

With the summer holidays soon coming to an end, now might be the time to go out and explore somewhere new, and this harbour town could be the perfect day out.

A recent Telegraph article named Britain’s 10 loveliest harbour towns, and coming in as the best for ‘cuteness’ was a Scottish destination that beat some of its better known rivals.

It said: “With its pastel-painted cottages and boat-bobbed harbour, comely wee Pittenweem looks made for tourists. But actually, those lobster pots stacked along the quay are still very much in use. This is an authentic working fishing village, where seafaring is still central to daily life.”

Start your day with a stroll along Pittenweem’s harbour, where you’ll still see the small boats coming in with a fresh catch. There are fish and chip shops just a few steps from the waterfront, so you can try locally caught haddock or cod, or even shellfish such as lobster, crab, or langoustines. Chip Ahoy at the Larachmhor often comes highly-recommended, and is regularly a finalist in the Scottish Fish and Chip Awards.

A walk to Pittenweem Lighthouse is also a great way to see the waterfront, giving you views of the cute cottages and stone buildings along the harbour. It also has one of Scotland’s most unique outdoor swimming spots, a tidal pool that fills with sea water twice a day, and has been designed to be sheltered from the tides making it a calm spot to swim or splash around.

Head inland, and you can visit St Fillan’s Cave, a natural underground cavern said to be the home of a saint in the 7th-century. The cave has become a minor pilgrimage spot, and you can pick up the key at the Pittenweem Chocolate Company before letting yourself round for a tour.

Once you drop off your key, take a seat at the Cocoa Tree Café, which serves decadent hot chocolate and sweet treats, or pick up some artisan chocolates to take home with you as a souvenir.

Wander around the cobblestone streets and you’ll find a variety of quaint independent shops, local food stores, and artisanal shops. Pittenweem has arty vibes, and you’ll find lots of little galleries displaying works from artists who have been inspired by the rugged beauty of the area. Its yearly art festival brings both local and international artists to the area.

Another Scottish harbour town made the list at number nine. Tobermory on the Isle of Mull was named best for colour, thanks to its waterfront houses painted in vivid tones. Those with children of a certain age will recognise the town from the CBeebies series Balamory, and many of the houses from the original series can still be spotted.

But there’s more to the town than just kids’ stories. Tobermory is still an active fishing harbour, and also has a traditional distillery and visitors’ centre where you can learn how the island’s whisky is made.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

Raleigh was founded in Nottingham in 1887 and gained fame for its Chopper model, which featured extended handlebars and is now part of its retro range.

Accell Group, based in the Netherlands, bought the company in 2012 for around 100 million US dollars (£74 million), adding to its roster of bike brands throughout Europe including Haibike, Winora and Ghost.

Raleigh owner Accell Group enters administration

Accell UK and Ireland filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators last week as the wider group kick-started insolvency proceedings.

Chief executive of Accell Group, Jonas Nilsson, said: “This is a deeply sad and frustrating situation given all the hard work and everything we have achieved, with the support of shareholders and lenders, to restructure Accell’s operations and finances.

“It is an especially difficult moment for our employees, creditors, customers, suppliers, and partners.”

Earlier this year, Accell restructured, secured additional funding, and reduced debt.

But the group said it had now “explored every possible avenue” for the business’s future, including discussions with potential buyers.

Having failed to secure a viable solution, the company has now begun insolvency proceedings in the Netherlands.

Raleigh was founded in Nottingham in 1887 and gained fame for its Chopper model. (Image: PA)

Mr Nilsson said: “Every realistic option for the future of the business has been tirelessly explored, and none have resulted in a solution to continue the Group in its current form.

“Our immediate focus is to support an orderly process, provide clarity wherever possible, and work with the relevant court-appointed administrators to preserve viable activities and employment where circumstances allow.”

Now, Accell UK and Ireland has officially entered administration, placing the future of Raleigh at risk.

Oliver Wright, Joanne Hewitt-Schembri, and Shamil Malde from FTI Consulting were appointed joint administrators on August 6, according to The Gazette.

Other UK companies that have closed or entered administration/liquidation in 2026

It has been a tough year for the UK high street, with several other retailers entering administration or liquidation and others announcing widespread store closures.

Major high street brands LK Bennett, Claire’s, and Quiz have been forced to close all their remaining stores after falling into administration.

UK fashion retailer Leading Labels is also set to close its remaining 15 stores after falling into liquidation.

Whitbread recently confirmed it will be closing all its UK restaurants in September:

TG Jones and the British Heart Foundation will also both be closing around 150 stores across the UK.

Other retailers have been forced to close stores this year, including:

Several UK travel companies have also ceased trading or entered administration in 2026:

Meanwhile, four UK airlines have fallen into administration or liquidation:

UK delivery company Yodel is set to be phased out after being acquired by InPost.

It’s also been reported that Morrisons is looking to sell some of its in-store pharmacies as it continues to cut costs.

It hasn’t all been bad news for the UK high street, with several major brands announcing new store openings for 2026, including Aldi, M&S, and Superdrug.

Meanwhile, brands including Evans and Bodycare have returned to the UK high street this year after previously closing all their stores.

Have you ever owned a Raleigh bike? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.

Jungfrau, in the heart of the Swiss Alps, is a winter wonderland all year round and you can get to the top without climbing up the sheer face

Majestic as one of the tallest mountains in the Alps – Jungfrau makes up the trio of The Eiger and Monch.

Standing at 13,642 feet (for context, that’s 9,000 feet higher than Ben Nevis, the UK’s biggest mountain) its huge peaks are covered in snow all year round.

As someone who it’s fair to say is not a natural mountain climber – I’d blame it on my crippling fear of heights – the mountain dubbed the ‘top of Europe’ wasn’t something I ever thought I’d scale in my lifetime but how wrong I was.

The ever ingenious Swiss have come up with a way of making this peak accessible to everyone, and I mean everyone.

From our base in Interlaken we first travelled by train through the Swiss mountains, taking in meadows, peaks, farms, chalets and views too beautiful to be real before arriving at the Grindelwald Terminal. From here it was a short walk to a cable car which scales thousands of feet of the mountains, including flying past the north face of the Eiger, in a mind-blowing 20 minute journey.

The final part of the journey, while lacking the immense views, is no less spectacular – what feels like an almost vertical train through the heart of the mountain – before arriving at the top of this immense peak.

A word of caution here, you are VERY high up so when you arrive it’s absolutely vital to take a few minutes to acclimate yourself to the height and avoid altitude sickness.

As soon as you disembark a true winter wonderland awaits. Snowy peaks as far as the eye can see, views for hundreds of miles,

With almost terrifying Swiss planning, the scene at the top is organised into an epic tour so you don’t miss a thing. The route could not be more clearly signposted, and takes at least 90 minutes.

First up there is the unbelievable Sphinx platform, and home to the Sphinx Observatory, one of the highest in the world, another 1,000 feet in the air with utterly epic views of the mountains below, there are ice sculptures, ice tunnels, frolicking in snow, snow sports and the highest Lindt chocolate shop in the world – note, do not be tempted to part with your money here, the prices are also sky high.

A cafe on what feels like the top of the world – it felt rude not to order hot chocolate with all the trimmings and while away half an hour gazing at the perfect white snow and splendour.

• You can book the 8-day Goldenpass, Mont Blanc & Jungfrau Express from £2,799pp. Find out more at greatrail.com.

Anecdotal evidence shared with ASH Scotland’s Youth Conservations Hub suggests that many children and young people are using nicotine as a way of coping with anxiety, stress or low mood.

ASH Scotland is inviting Lanarkshire residents of all ages to share their experiences of mental wellbeing and use of tobacco and nicotine products.

The health charity’s nicotine use and mental health survey is being launched at a time when the issue of nicotine addiction is causing an increase public health concern.

Anecdotal evidence shared with ASH Scotland’s Youth Conservations Hub suggests that many children and young people are using nicotine as a way of coping with anxiety, stress or low mood.

Responses to the survey, which is open until February 1, 2027, will help inform the charity about future resources that are needed to support people addicted to nicotine to reduce their intake to improve their mental wellbeing.

Sheila Duffy, chief executive of ASH Scotland, said “There continues to be a huge data gap in Scotland enabling us to see trends of nicotine use and how it impacts people’s mental health.

“By responding to ASH Scotland’s survey, Lanarkshire residents can help us to better understand how mental health connects with nicotine use, and identify the types of information and support that can encourage people to make positive choices to protect their mental health.

“It is vital that people across Lanarkshire can access robust, evidence-based information and support to empower them to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.”

To respond to the survey, visit www.ashscotland.org.uk/survey

*Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australians for the first time can reveal their sexual orientation and whether they identify as a different gender than the one recorded at birth — contentious debut questions in the latest census that occurs every five years.

The 66-question census, held on Tuesday, Aug. 11, is the first under a center-left Labor Party government since 2011. The current Labor government backflipped to allow the questions after having dropped them temporarily two years ago as “divisive.” Both questions are open to members of households 16 years and older.

The answer options for sexual orientation are straight, gay or lesbian, bisexual, don’t know, prefer not to answer or a term of the respondent’s choice that can be written in a designated blank space.

The options for the gender that the respondent currently identifies with that differs from that registered at birth are man, woman, nonbinary, prefer not to answer or another term that the respondent can provide.

The gender and sexual orientation questions are optional, along with a question on religion that has been included since the first census in 1911.

Labor had promised such questions about sexuality and gender would be included in the next census while campaigning ahead of the 2022 elections that brought the party to power after nine years out of government.

The Australian government determines the topics for each census. The Australian Bureau of Statistics decides the wording of questions.

In 2024, the government decided against deviating from the 2021 census questions in the interests of maintaining social cohesion.

“We do not want to open up divisive debates in the community now,” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said in August 2024.

The government soon relented after almost a week of backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and criticism from some Labor lawmakers.

Two days after Marles spoke, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a heterosexual who has marched in the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras twice since he took office in 2022, confirmed in a radio interview that a question about sexual orientation would be included in the next census.

ABS Chief Statistician David Gruen said his bureau discovered a “substantial level of interest in asking questions on gender and sexual orientation” during public consultations ahead of the census.

Liz Allen, an Australian National University demographer, said Australia lagged behind some like-minded countries in dealing with gender and sexual orientation in the census. Britain asked similar questions of its population in 2021, New Zealand in 2023 and Canada three months ago.

“We’ve been talking about these questions for some time, but the previous government, it didn’t look like they were going to budge on the evidence and enable it to be in the census. So the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) really didn’t put it to them,” Allen said.

Allen said the questions need to go further into the issues of sexuality and gender by asking respondents if they were intersex — a term for people born with biological sex characteristics such as chromosomes, hormones, or genitals that do not fit typical definitions of male or female.

The last U.S. census in 2020 allowed only two responses to its gender question: male or female. That census, which is held once a decade, did not specifically ask about sexual orientation. But same-sex relationships were for the first time allowed to be listed in the household relationship field.

People were asked to submit their census answers form as soon as they received their instructions in the mail if they knew where they would be on census night.

The ABS expects 85% of responses will be made online, up from almost 80% in 2021, when almost half the population was in pandemic lockdown. The ABS also provides paper census forms on request.

Field staff help homeless people and people living in remote areas participate. Failing to comply with a direction to complete the census can result in a fine of up to 364 Australian dollars ($257) a day.

The ABS said by Monday, more than 3.6 million forms had been submitted. Almost 11 million forms are expected to be completed.

Bryan Weir sadly passed away last week following a hard battle with cancer leaving behind his wife and son.

The family of a much-loved dad who tragically lost his life to brain cancer have pleaded with Hearts fans to hold a minute’s applause at Tynecastle in his honour. Bryan Weir sadly passed away on August 7 following a hard battle with cancer at the age of just 37.

The Jambos-daft Edinburgh native leaves behind son Alfie, three, wife Hannah, brother Mark and parents Kevin and Linda. The season ticket holder, who was described as a “warrior until the end,” travelled all across Europe to support the Gorgie side.

His loved ones have now urged fellow fans attending Thursday’s Europe League home qualifier with Benfica to take part in a minute’s applause on the 37th minute to celebrate his life. Bryan’s brother Mark, a former goalkeeper for Bonnyrigg Rose, is attending the game alongside his dad.

He believes Bryan and his late grandad, Alan Bryce, will be looking down on Tynecastle in a few days’ time. Mark told Edinburgh Live: “It was a tough year for Bryan fighting the brain tumour. Nothing prepares you for such a loss.

“It’s been a really sad, difficult time. The match will be overwhelming. A minute’s applause would mean so much.

“It will be emotional. Bryan and our grandad – who took us to our first Hearts game – will be watching over us. The response from all over the world – including from Hearts players – has been incredible.

“We just want to get this out there as much as we can, so Hearts supporters can pay tribute to one of their own. It will be a really fitting tribute to Bryan on Thursday, and hopefully they get a result for him as well.”

Advertisement

Bryan fought cancer for just over a year but had been fit and healthy until his diagnosis, running after his son, going to matches every week and even attending away games to Rotterdam, Estonia and Florence. The former Corstorphine Primary and Craigmount High School pupil was a well known face around the amateur football scene, giving up his time to play, train and organise for multiple clubs.

His son Alfie is understood to be attending his first game at Tynecastle on Sunday when Hearts face Inverness in the Scottish League Cup. Bryan was also well known as the co-founder of the ‘Packers of Scotland’ Facebook page, where he passionately connected with fellow Cheese Heads.

His fellow co-founder described Bryan as “an absolute gem”. He said: “Bryan would do anything for anyone.

“He was a kind, loving and funny and adored his family. He put his heart and soul into the page and made it much more active and relevant than it ever was before.

“We had so much fun doing it. Bryan passed away after a long fight against brain cancer.

“He was an absolute warrior until the end… The strength you’ve all shown in the past 16 months has been nothing short of miraculous.

“I was lucky enough to call Bryan a friend and I’m all the better for having had him in my life.”

A fundraiser to help support Bryan and his family as well as to raise awareness of those suffering from brain cancer has so far raised £17,000. You can donate here.

Nigel Farage has said they are ‘directly linked’

Police are investigating whether the man charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe could be linked to an alleged firebomb attack at Nigel Farage’s home.

Joshua Kerry, 28, has been charged with the murder of former Tory minister and Reform UK spokeswoman Ms Widdecombe at her home in Devon on July 8.

First reported by The Times, it has emerged that counter-terrorism police are now also investigating Kerry in relation to an incident at Mr Farage’s south London home last year.

Click here to get the biggest stories straight to your inbox in our Daily Newsletter

The Reform UK leader told the Telegraph in April that a lit incendiary device was shoved through his letterbox in early 2025 in an “outright arson attempt” when he was not in.

The Metropolitan Police and Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London said they investigated an “attempted burglary” but no arrests were made and the case was closed pending any new lines of inquiry.

After counter-terrorism police reopened the inquiry into the incident on Friday (August 7), CTP London has identified a line of inquiry “which may have been relevant” but was “not identified and pursued by them at the time”.

The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), is investigating the “conduct” of a CTP London staff member after an allegation that the employee “failed to identify and pursue a line of inquiry”.

At a press conference earlier on Monday, Mr Farage said: “Clearly counter-terrorism made some mistakes, which is why they referred themselves to the Independent Office of Police (Conduct) (IOPC).

“I understand this is a completely unprecedented move, and yes, this is directly linked to the murder of Ann Widdecombe, and I’m afraid I just can’t tell you any more than that at this stage.

Jackie, the California bald eagle who became an internet sensation, died from illness on Monday, weeks after being injured in an attack by two other eagles, officials announced.

For more than a decade, nature lovers watched via an online video feed as Jackie and her partner Shadow tended to their nest each year atop trees near Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles.

The nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley installed the nest camera in 2015 and documented the successes and failures of each breeding season. In 2024, Jackie diligently sat on her eggs for more than two and a half days straight after a winter storm blanketed the nest with snow.

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation’s San Dimas Raptor Rescue team found Jackie on July 17 following reports that the bird had been involved in a fight with two other eagles and was found to be ill.

Jackie had been receiving medical treatment for three weeks at the Ojai Raptor Center, where she was treated for a variety of ailments including anemia. Despite undergoing a blood transfusion and oxygen therapy, her condition worsened and the center announced the animal’s death Monday.

“We know this news will be deeply felt by the many thousands of people around the world who have followed her journey, hoped alongside us, prayed for her, and supported the people caring for her,” the center’s statement said. “Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is caring for the remains.

Among those who enjoyed monitoring Jackie’s nests from afar was biologist Kelly Sorenson, executive director of the Ventana Wildlife Society in central California. While his group was not involved with the Big Bear eagles, he sees their breeding as emblematic of the comeback the species has made in the state over the past decades.

American bald eagles teetered on the brink of extinction until the pesticide DDT was banned in the 1970s and other protections were established, leading the species to rebound and be removed from the federal endangered list.

“You want to see a success story like that,” Sorenson said Monday. “Having access to a live cam to see the nesting first hand is very powerful. It brings people in on an emotional level.”

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

“I could look down the road and see all the bright lights glittering and trying to encourage people to come in and spend their money. There was, however, one particular high street where I could not find a gambling shop. I walked up and down it on both sides. It is one of the wealthiest high streets in London, in Hampstead.”