EVERY day in The National we publish one of the best photographs our readers have sent in to pictures@thenational.scot from across Scotland. Here are last week's:
Ken Kidston of Aberdeenshire spotted this Little Egret at Montrose Basin at The Slunks, across the River South Esk from The Lurgies. He says: “Both areas are a lot more scenic than they sound!”
A distinctly 2020 St Andrew’s Day scene as Christmas preparations get under way but safety comes first. Photograph: Jane Barlow.
Reader Jim Cassidy took this great shot of a sunset silhouette of Coatbridge and the south side of Glasgow taken from Gallow Hill, near Airdrie.
READ MORE: Photos of the week: Ptarmigans prepped for winter and a lonely red phone box
Reader Anthea Bannatyne took this lovely shot of a sunset over a rural lane in Dornoch, Sutherland.
Chris Hammond found himself almost alone early on Sunday morning at the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, and couldn’t resist the chance to take this festive shot. “It’s a great place to be at any time,” he says, “but it felt amazing to be there with the place to myself after a long, hard year”.
In celebration of the news of the birth of two Scottish Wildcat kittens at Edinburgh Zoo, reader Tor Sodergren sent in this adorable photo from March 2018. Tor said: “I haven’t managed to get to the zoo yet, so this picture shows two kittens photographed in March 2018, just to show what they can look like.”
To contribute your own photographs, which may be published in our newspaper and featured online, email pictures@thenational.scot along with your name and a short caption explaining where it was taken
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here