Stafford McDowall has been named in Gregor Townsend's 15 for Saturday's game with Italy at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.

Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival, Cample Line, Glenkens Community and Arts Trust, The Sove Network and Wigtown Festival Company will receive the funding over the next three years.

Hundreds of properties in southern Scotland are still without power five days after Storm Eowyn battered the region. SP Energy Networks has confirmed that 303 properties in Dumfries and Galloway are without electricity and a handful in the Scottish Borders.

Branches in Annan, Moffat, Thornhill and Sanquhar will close over the next 14 months, with the closures of Newton Stewart and Langholm branches previously announced.

The banking giant behind Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland has revealed plans to shut 136 branches by next March. | ITV News Border

SCOTS are bracing for snow and ice as the country is slapped with a fresh weather warning. The latest yellow alert comes days after Storm Eowyn, with hundreds of people left without power for a

Castle Kennedy near Stranraer makes a special map of visitor attractions beholden with legends, myths and dark secrets produced by the Scottish Caravan, Motorhome and Holiday Home Show and Andy The Highlander.

One of the strongest storms in decades leads to cancelled flights, suspended rail services, and closed schools.

Storm Éowyn is battering the west coast as a rare red weather warning has come into effect in Scotland. The area covered by the high winds alert - which lasts until 17:00 - has been extended to include most of Dumfries and Galloway. It already covered most of the central belt, including Glasgow, Edinburgh and some islands.

One rail route north of the border remains closed following damage caused by the severe conditions last Friday.

All trains across Scotland will be suspended, hundreds of schools will close and police have warned people not to travel in the areas affected by a rare red “danger to life” high wind weather warning issued for parts of the country on Friday.

A red danger to life warning for wind has been extended in Scotland where more than 35,000 properties have lost power and people have been urged to stay indoors. Trains have been suspended across the country and hundreds of schools are closed after forecasters predicted wind speeds of up to 100mph.