Orca off the Isle of May this morning! Check out the blog for the story: isleofmaynnr.wordpress.com (Thanks to Tom Gale for the photo)

Small things. Swimming-pool-blue nail polish and peonies in full bloom.

In keeping with the Schiaparelli theme: behold my birthday cake!

Birthday trip to see V&A Schiaparelli exhibition showcasing a selection of original Schiaparelli creations, and the relaunched Maison Schiaparelli under Daniel Roseberry. Really enjoyed - loved seeing up close those first sweaters, her colour combinations, artistic collaborations & playful patterns

Square cinema in St Andrews Sq this weekend www.edinburghcitycentre.co.uk/square-cinem...

The scenes we saw in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Ayr last night are unacceptable. Scotland is a welcoming nation and those who choose to make their lives here are valued members of our communities. Racism, hatred and intimidation have no place in Scotland. We must stand against it.

A very fun evening watching The Marriage of Figaro @scottishopera.bsky.social - beautiful music and performances (Simone McKintosh’s Cherubin may well have been my favourite) and loved the sets and staging

Loved Gretel @edchildrensfest.bsky.social an utterly beautiful tale about home, & rebuilding & starting anew after loss. Clara Storti as the sole performer was incredible.

It Would Be Such A Shame If You Missed Out @edchildrensfest.bsky.social by Theater Artemis & Theatre Basel was kind of genius - captured the fear of missing out, the feeling that everyone may be having more fun over there, and the absolute stress of a night out gone bad when you just want to be home

Gutted. Thank you for Giles.

He-Man was a really big deal when I was in primary school, so kind of had to go see Masters of the Universe on the big screen. Super-camp and a lot of fun.

🖤

This is on Wednesday in Edinburgh - looks good

With a summer break looming for many researchers, Nature’s careers team suggests science-themed page-turners ☀️📚 go.nature.com/3RTbCZd

Not a great photo but ducklings on the Water of Leith! A brood (a raft? An armada? @wolct.bsky.social) of seven in total I think

Saw ‘The Unlikely Friendship of Feather Boy and Tentacle Girl’ @edchildrensfest.bsky.social The dawn flight dream scene across Edinburgh amidst a whirlwind of feathers will stay with me - very beautiful

Imaginate festival family day at the National Museum - loved King of the Birds, Wake Amusements and Dreich, Drookit and Braw

Auld Alliance comics festival on at Institut Français Écosse this weekend and well worth checking out. A guest of honor exhibition showcasing seven amazing artists, and a marketplace on today with some beautiful books, zines and artwork

This weekend, I'll be in Artist's Alley with some old favs and latest releases from @bluefoxcomics.com, @bluefoxtabletop.bsky.social Will be great to see you there! 📍Institut Français Écosse, West Parliament Square, Edinburgh EH1 1RF 📆Sat 30th - Sun 31st May ⏰Sat: 10am – 5pm ⏰ Sun: 10am – 3pm

Wine geek night - a Piemonte wine with a grape variety called Nas-Cëtta that nearly went extinct, was brought back from the brink in the 1990s, and is kind of a wonder

The 36th Edinburgh International Children's Festival kicks off tomorrow! 🎉 We can’t wait to bring world-class circus, dance, storytelling and theatre to young people and their families throughout the week. 🌟 Get tickets: www.imaginate.org.uk/festival/wha...

I love Dua Lipa anyway, and this makes me love her even more: on the power of translated fiction for the International Booker Prize youtu.be/jmFphhOPYI4?...

A pint of the black stuff and listening to things getting going at O’Donoghue’s

A weekend catching up with family (& dodging rain showers) in and around Dublin - and seeing the next generation getting to know each other and make connections 🥹

This is prompting a ‘top five best sandwiches’ because I can’t narrow it down further but 💯 agree the Oban Seafood Hut salmon sandwiches would be amongst them www.theguardian.com/food/2026/ma...

A beautiful book of photographs and stories from the Edinburgh Blue Balls down in Portobello 🏊‍♂️

Did not expect to spend Saturday night watching a play about Cowdenbeath FC but Black Diamonds and the Blue Brazil @lyceumedinburgh.bsky.social was very moving & I enjoyed it

Tartan parade getting ready to go up at St Giles

David Attenborough has raised awareness of the natural world and its myriad interconnections on which humans depend go.nature.com/3QZTvjU

A less than joyful day made happier by First Date’s late night romance market @lighthousebks.bsky.social & Scottish Ballet’s celebration of Gene Kelly choreography in ‘Starstruck’. Love saves the day.

Definitely a Water of Leith day - returning a few hours later in the sunshine to one of favourite spots

A super-early start to watch first light break down on the Water of Leith and to listen to the dawn chorus. We’re all a little groggy now but it was so beautiful.

One of the most bizarre stories from this evening - I think I need to know more about this. Abraham Sever and his Indian elephant going in and out of a *second floor* flat in Old Fishmarket Close circa 1705

Hey Palu on Bread St does a mean Negroni and a bar snack that actually lived up to hopes - a huge paper bag of hot, properly delicious, olive-oily, salty focaccia and dips (I was hungry). Am intrigued by the massive collection of Amari on the back wall but a good Negroni is hard to beat

I went to see Windblow @lyceumedinburgh.bsky.social performed by Karine Polwart - a beautiful visual, song and storytelling celebration of a 200 year old palm @thebotanics.bsky.social, the people who looked after it and coming to terms with its loss. How we might take better care of how things end 💚

Just clocked the date and these are my all-time favourite Discworlds: Lords and Ladies, Men At Arms, Mort and Small Gods #TerryPratchett

Finally tracked down a copy of Rufi Thorpe’s ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ and it has made my week (thanks @99pi.org @vivianhle.bky.social for your book reccs episode - have loved them all so far)

First asparagus of the season

Christian Aid book sale on May 11th, 12th, 13th ‼️ (& 📕 donations open from 27th April)

Kenya's Sawe breaks two-hour mark for first time in marathon history

Thought the urge to sign up for another marathon well and truly gone … but I’m watching London marathon and really wishing I was there so maybe not quite done yet

Independent bookstore day! Bit late and a little spoiled for choice in Edinburgh but *deep breath*: Rare Birds Books, Golden Hare, Ginger & Pickles, Argonauts, Book Lovers Bookshop, The Lighthouse, The Fungarium, Tills & honorable mentions to Oxfam Books Stockbridge & Canonmills’ St Columba’s 📚

Should I be worried that my daughters’ first thought was to try and pick a lock?

1/ There's a system of ocean currents in the Atlantic that shapes Europe's #climate, drives monsoons, and keeps sea levels stable along the US coast. In the last 5 years, the scientific evidence that it could collapse has shifted dramatically. Most people have no idea. 🧵

Sunshine on Leith

First Date (co-hosted by Lighthouse Books and Book Lovers Bookshop) starts on Friday. Whether you’re a romance fiction fan or entirely new to it, this is worth checking out

Cherry blossom in bloom across Edinburgh 🌸

New(ish) indy bookshop on Randolph Place: Wild Fungarium specialising in nature and wildlife books 📚

Ah, Macau Kitchen - love it. Macanese and Malacca Portuguese food remains something of a revelation.