DAYS OUT

LISTING S

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I NEVIS RANGE FUN WEEK Mon 13 Mar—Sun 19 Mar, Nevis Range, Torlundy, Invemesshire. 01397 705825. lt’s madness and mayhem on the slopes up Nevis way this month as their annual Fun Week gets off to a flying start with Scotland's first mountain bike slalom on snow, sumo slalom, teuchters and Sassenachs day oot, giant slalom drink-a-pint race and other delightful activities.

This section gives details of selected events taking place in and around the Central Belt of Scotland this fortnight. Events are listed by area and then alphabetically. All submissions should be accompanied by a contact phone number for our inlonnation. Days Out compiled by Ellie Carr.

BORDERS

I AOTOJUMBLE Sun 19 Mar. lOam—3pm. Municipal Hall. Kirkstyle. Biggar. £1. 01899 21050/20738. Spend the day messing around with bits of old car at this jumble sale of the auto kind. with stalls specialising in everything from wing mirrors to engines. and a few with a more general selection of antiques. Refreshments available throughout the day.

I MELROSE TO MAXTON ORGANISED HIKE Sun 12 Mar. 10am—4pm. Meet outside the tourist information centre (near the Abbey). Melrose. £2 (£1/free). Information. Borders Regional Council Ranger Service. 0835 830281. Follow the meandering River Tweed across the Border country to Maxton and pick up a wealth of both human and natural history from your countryside ranger guide as you go. Wear sturdy boots. wrap up warm and bring a packed lunch. hot drink. emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

I NEW LANARK MILLS: SPECIAL EVENTS Sun 12 Mar. noon—4.30pm. Model. Toy and Train Collectors Fair. 01555 661345; Scottish Enthusiasts Day at Railway Kingdom. 01555 666601. See photo caption.

LOTHIANS & FIFE

I BRIDAL FAIR Sat ll/Sun 12 Mar. 10am—6pm; 10am—5pm. West Stand. Murrayfteld Stadium, Edinburgh. £5 (£2.50). 0423 531008. A bevy of bridal goodies all under one roof. from frocks and flowers to video companies vying for the chance to record your big day. The organisers promise the cream of the wedding crop at discount prices. with makeovers. demos. competitions and fashion shows into the bargain.

I CRAFT FAIR Sat 1 1 Mar. 10.30—4.30pm. Assembly Rooms. Edinburgh. 75p (40p). ()131 661 6600. The usual mix of artsy. craftsy stalls packed with knitwear. jewellery. wood. ceramics. silks and glass made by local craft workers and designers.

: I DR JAMES BARRY: PUTTING THE

WOMAN IN HER PLACE Thurs 23 Mar. 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm). Royal Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street. Edinburgh. £1 (£2 if pre-booked). 0131 225 7534 ext 219. The curious story of Britain’s first known woman MD. as told by Dr Brian Hurwitz. GP and lecturer at University College. London and Dr Ruth Richardson. Wellcome Research Fellow. I WHEN A'STAR IS BORN Fri 10 Mar. 7.30pm. Royal Observatory. Blackford Hill. Edinburgh. £2 (£1.50). 0131 668 8405. How stars are formed is a question that continues to puzzle the greatest astronomers of our time. Dr Derek Ward- Thompson outlines current knowledge on the subject including the latest results from UK telescopes in Hawaii. The observatory visitor centre is open daily. noon—5.30pm. Evening opening Mon—Thurs. 7—9pm on clear nights to look through telescopes. Phone on the day after 4pm to book (£1.50).

I DISCOVER HOPETOUN Sun 12 Mar. 1.30pm. Hopetoun House. South Queensferry. Walk starts from the car park in front of main house. £2 (£1/Free). 0131 331 2451. Take a walk round the extensive parklands of Hopetoun House with an experienced countryside ranger at your side. Wear sturdy footwear. waterproofs and woollies.

THE NORTH

I NEVIS RANGE FUN WEEK Mon 13 Mar—Sun 19 Mar. Nevis Range. Torlundy, lnvernesshire. 01397 705825. See photo caption.

STRATHCLYDE

I BEGINNERS ARCHERY COURSE Sat 11 Mar and Sat 18 Mar. lOam—4pm. Muirshiel Centre. Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park (four miles north of Loch Winnoch). Call the archery instructor on 01505 842 803 to book your two-hour

session. The course. taught in groups of ten. will give a grounding in basic archery with an emphasis on safety procedures. All equipment is provided by the centre. I COMIC ART CONVENTION Sat l8/Sun 19 Mar. doors open 10.30am each day. £15 (weekend); £10 (single day). 0141 554 2663. A nirvana for comic-lovers of all ages. Two whole days devoted to the pleasures of 2D comic superheroes and punches that go Kerpow!!! Among those appearing for the interview. discussion and demo slots will be Mike Aldred. the US creator of Madman; Charles Adlard. who illustrates the popular X Files comic. and Edinburgh artist Colin Mcneil. who‘s recently completed a series for 2000 AD. Major events include a preview of the forthcoming Tank Girl film and the presentation of the 1995 UK Comic Art Awards.

I CONVERSATION PIECES Tue 21 Mar. 1pm. Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. 2 Sauchiehall Street. Glasgow. £1.50 (£2 if pre-booked). 0141 227 5511. Controversial Herald journalist Brian Meek speaks out on sport and politics in the latest of this series of popular lunchtime talks.

I CRAFT FAIR Sun 12 Mar. 11am—5pm. Union Building, University Avenue. Glasgow. 75p (40p). 0131 661 6600. The usual mix of artsy. craftsy stalls packed with knitwear. jewellery. wood. ceramics. silk and glass made by local craft workers and designers. '

I MUGDOCKS' MAROUISES AND MURDERERS Sun 19 Mar. 2—3.30pm. Craigend Visitor Centre. Mugdock Country Park (off the A81 Milngavie—Strathblane Rd). Free (no booking required). 0141 956 6100. Watch the history of Mugdock unfold before your very eyes with a tour round the park and its castles. and mysterious appearances by some very special guests. I NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK Fri 17 Mar—Sun 23 Mar. various times. Various venues. University ofGlasgow. 0141 339 8855 (ext 4206). A mixed bag of events hosted by Glasgow University in honour of National Science Week. Under the microscope will be X-rays. aviation. electricity. our sense of smell. the Internet and more. All from boffins to novices are welcomed. although selected events are reserved solely for schools. For full programme of exhibitions and events contact the University.

I SCOTTISH NATIONAL WOODWORKING SHOW 17—18 Mar. lOam—Spm; 19 Mar 10am—4pm. SECC. Finnieston Quay. Glasgow. £2—£4. Ticket bookings on 0141 248 9999. This three-day event devoted to the joys of woodworking is now entering its second year at the SECC with a programme of lectures. demonstrations and workshops that should interest amateurs. professionals and the general public. Watch master craftsmen at work and pick up skills in everything from cabinet making to lathe turning and woodcarving. There will be a number of trade and retail stands. and refreshments will be available throughout the day.

As The List went to press an unexpected influx of snow throughout Scotland had put paid to any signs of seasonal thaw on the slopes. leaving most resorts with excellent skiing. Conditions are expected to hold for some time. with frequent snow showers and heavy snow in some areas topping up cover. Watch out for up-to-date weather reports. as roads leading to resorts may be difficult at times.

I Skl Clubs For the social life and post- piste piss-ups. your local ski-club can't be beat. They also organise mini-buses to slopes on most weekends and can put you in touch with other people who might want to car share.

Glasgow SKI Club meet every Thursday at 9pm in The Scaramouche. Elderslie Street. Details from 0141 424 1893 or 0141 883 6665.

Edinburgh Ski Club meet every Tuesday from 9.30pm at the Royal Circus Hotel. Royal Circus. For an information pack phone 01312203121.

I Dry Ski Slopes Put in a bit of practice before hitting the white stuff:

Newmilns 35 High Street. Newmilns. Ayrshire. KA8 9EA. 01560 322320. 90m run with button lift. Evening classes. Public Skiing Sat/Sun. 2—4pm. £3.50 (£2.50).

llillend Slti Centre Hillend. Edinburgh. 0131 445 4433. Mon—Sat. 9.30am—9pm; Sun. 9.30am—6pm. The longest and most challenging artificial ski run in Europe. Ski maintenance. coaching days. kids clubs. telemarking and snowboarding.

I GLENCOE Chairlift company: ()1855 851 226. Closed Tue/Wed. The nearest resort to Glasgow has landed the best snows of the lot. with a fine powdered cover. all runs complete and the top tows in spectacular form. The road to the site. which has been somewhat dicey of late is now passable.

I NEVIS RANGE Chairlift company: 01397 705825. Scotland‘s newest and most modern ski resort. which boasts the UK‘s only gondola system and the highest pistes in Scotland (Aonach Mor: 4006 feet). has also been blessed with a good covering of the white stuff. All runs are complete. but the avalanche risk is high so take care off-piste. Creche facility: three—seven years.

I CAIRNGORM Chairlift company: 01479 861 261. Despite the recent thaws in the area. 27 of the 28 runs at Scotland's most famous ski resort are still complete. with the latest falls giving medium cover and adding loose snow to a hard base. Cairngorm is right next to the skiing town of Aviemore so there‘s loads to keep you occupied aprés—ski.

I GLENSHEE Chairlift company: 013397 41320/41343. Edinburgh's closest resort. The three valleys of Glenshee offer 38 pistes on 40km of runs and a massive uplift capacity of 18.500 skiers an hour. All runs except for those on the sunny side are complete. with good. wide hard- packed snow. Watch out for those icy patches though and play it safe off-piste. Creche facility: over two years.

I THE LECHT Chairlift company: 019756 51440. Scotland’s best resort for beginners hasn't seen quite as much fresh snow as other areas. but most runs are complete with hard-packed snow and ample cover on the nursery slopes situated right next to the car park. Creche facility: over three years.

l NEW LANAIIK MILLS: SPECIAL EVENTS Sun 12 Mar, noon—4.30pm. Model, Toy and Train Collectors Fair, 01555 661345. 60p; Scottish Enthusiasts Day at Railway Kingdom, 01555 666601. £1 (80p). Popular day out destination, New Lanarlt Mills, is hosting these two special events on the Sun 12, both of which should prove attractive to those with an eye tor a smart train set or two. Entry to the Mills visitor centre, well worth a visit In Itself, is priced £2.75 (£1.75).

72 The List 1023 Mar 1995