Susan Swarbrick

I have a birthday this weekend. It isn’t one that, in the grand scheme of things, is particularly noteworthy. Not like reaching the giddy heights of 18 or 21.

Greg McHugh, star of Gary Tank Commander and Gregor Fisher, of Rab C Nesbitt fame, both play in a new Scottish comedy Only Child about a father and son living together. Here's Greg's guide to the show

I have worked for four years making a documentary, so I know it well in terms of where the wildlife live, the birds nest and otters have their holts. I think that familiarity, when you get to know a specific place really well, is where proper magic and connection can come from.

Susan Swarbrick My Midlife Diary: The ‘Christmas creep’ isn’t to be scoffed at – it's actually good for us

Every day in my imagination, less frequently in person. Even if I don’t go physically, it’s still on my mind: I see it out my living room window, a low green curve in Clestrain Sound, the dark ramparts of Hoy rising behind it.

An October night and my dog is shaking in my arms. His entire body trembles with fear. We’re huddled together on the kitchen floor and my heart breaks as he looks up at me with terror-stricken eyes, seeking comfort.

Dark, starry skies and marine mammals are my favourite things and Coll has an abundance of both. It is a designated “dark sky community” because of its beautiful dark sky and the island’s commitment to minimise light pollution.

Shetland is back. The BBC Scotland murder mystery drama returns to our TV screens this week. So, what can we expect from the latest run? Fear not, we have asked the show’s star Ashley Jensen to give us the lowdown on everything you need to know about the much-anticipated ninth series.

Get the instant Donald Trump look by slapping on some orange-hued fake tan, style your hair into a fluffy combover, find an ill-fitting, boxy suit with exaggerated shoulder pads and accessorise with an over-long, shiny red tie.

Scotland has no dearth of eerie folklore, creepy ghost stories and mysterious legends, something that, coupled with spectacular scenery and historic architecture, has made it a popular haunt – pun intended – for copious filmmakers over the years.