Would you believe it?

Q Is it true that Beethoven became deaf but still created music? A That is true, indeed. Famed composer Ludwig van Beethoven began to have hearing issues in his late twenties, and by his mid-forties i

Just before Christmas, a bitter wind blew in. Ice and snow descended, first in Scotland and then, on Boxing Day, across the rest of the UK. Before it could melt or the new year arrive, a second blizza

QI enjoyed driving through some of the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland on holiday once, but how big is it? A The scenic Scottish national park is more than 4,500 square miles in area – 4,528 squa

QHow many golf courses are there in Scotland? AScotland is said to be the home of golf, with the sport’s history going back seven centuries in the country. There are around 550 courses in Scotland, wi

I grew up in Greenland skiing and shooting, and competed for Denmark in biathlon at the Milano Cortina Olympics. But the sport I love is becoming harder to recognize as a winter sport at all. At the w

St Valentine’s month may be bitterly cold, but the capricious charms of Vanellus vanellus never fail to warm the heart, says John Lewis-Stempel