Sweden’s Ryder Cup player Peter Hanson birdied three of the closing seven holes to make it a four-way tie for the lead when the second round of the Barclays Scottish Open was finally able to continue at Castle Stuart near Inverness.

The golfing Gods looked down on Colin Montgomerie in Inverness today and decided to make it as hard as possible for him to qualify for next week’s Open.

The Scottish Open has been cut from 72 to 54 holes for the first time in its history after torrential rain prevented any play before 3pm at the earliest at Castle Stuart near Inverness today.

Ireland’s Peter Lawrie was off to a spectacular start in the Barclays Scottish Open at its new venue Castle Stuart near Inverness today.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON believes a return to links golf in the Scottish Highlands this week will provide the ideal preparation for his bid to capture a third British Open in five years later this month.

“And Moses stretched his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the waters to go back by a strong east wind ... and made the sea dry land.”

More than 30 entrants are gathering in the Moray Firth this weekend for the British and Irish National 18ft Dinghy Championships which begin tomorrow at Findhorn.

An explosion has ripped through the Conoco oil refinery on the Humber estuary.

Three Greenpeace protesters have left an oil exploration rig in the North of Scotland.

Environmental protesters have occupied an oil exploration rig off the east coast of Scotland.