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alice lyall

@alyall.bsky.social
243 followers 361 following 221 posts

Slow cyclist, serial enthusiast, aspiring harpy. Mostly in Edinburgh. Work: heritage stuff Volunteering: river stuff

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Reposted by alice lyall
Melissa & Chris Bruntlett @modacitylife.com · 7h
One of the key lessons from Dutch cycling history is cities didn't start with protected lanes. They began by making streets safer, calmer and more inviting; with lower speeds, parking restrictions, traffic filters and reduced through-traffic to create an environment in which cycling could flourish.🧵
A cycling priority street in the Netherlands where drivers are guests and cyclists are the main users.
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Absolutely love this poster 🐺
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Reposted by alice lyall
Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
On the main stage at Conservative conference, the shadow transport team is discussing how to “counter” things like 20mph zones and bus lanes. The war on the motorist lives.
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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 03/10/2026
Keepers of the Light Currently on BBC Sounds For generations, the Stevensons built lighthouses around Scotland. Robert Louis was expected to do the same – but chose to write instead. Keepers of the Light explores the uneasy boundary between #art & #engineering #C19 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
bbc.co.uk
BBC Radio 3 - Sunday Feature, Keepers of the Light
Robert Louis Stevenson, the lighthouse dynasty he left behind and the sea that shaped him.
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Edinburgh Festival of Cycling @edfoc.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
There's a flight-free travellers meet up in Edinburgh this Friday (tomorrow). It's at the Haymarket pub opposite Haymarket station from 19:00 onwards, if anyone wants to join in, an informal chance to meet other people interested in flight-free travel and swap stories. Do come if you can!
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Frustrating baity headline on a more thoughtful piece. "We don’t need a theory of trophic cascades to justify loving wolves."
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Orkney Library & Archive @orkneylibrary.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
a short poem name like when we meet a bovine and we say 'hi coo' #NationalPoetryDay #Haiku
A black and white archive photograph of a cow standing beside a track leading down to a mill. The cow is looking at the camera.
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Autumn on wings 🧡
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
If you're near Kilchoan and like beautiful, useful, understated hand-thrown pottery you should visit Eòrna Pottery (& if not, she'll have stuff available online again soon). Stopped in on my holidays & it was lucky for my budget someone had just bought a lot of stuff! www.eornapottery.com
eornapottery.com
Eòrna Pottery | Experience Unique Pottery – Shop Now
Discover handcrafted, Hebridean and West Coast-inspired pottery from Ardnamurchan. Explore wheel-thrown tableware and learn about the artistry behind Eòrna Pottery.
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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
It’s a mark of the corruption of our whole way of thinking about the world that trying to meet a planetary emergency is routinely described as “ideological”, while continuing to accelerate it is presented as “pragmatic” and “economic”.
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Jodrell Bank @jodrellbank.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Two months on from the announcement about Jodrell Bank Observatory's future funding, almost £50,000 has been raised thanks to your generosity. While discussions continue, no solution is yet in place. Help protect Jodrell Bank with a donation: donate.manchester.ac.uk/p/jodrellba…
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
@codeclan.bsky.social is this a thing you might know?
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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 27/09/2026
James Kelman & the Unburied Books Podcast discuss James Hogg’s THE PRIVATE MEMOIRS & CONFESSIONS OF A JUSTIFIED SINNER, looking at the novel’s unusual structure, moral ambiguity, & mixture of genres. Kelman places the work in a modern, international context. unburied-books.castos.com/episodes/the...
unburied-books.castos.com
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner with James Kelman
Author James Kelman joins us to discuss James Hogg's The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, originally published in 1824. It tells the story of a staunch Calvininst who is lured in...
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Reposted by alice lyall
Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 27/09/2026
“How explain that a work so singular and so enlightening … how explain that such a work should have failed to become famous?” —André Gide, in his Introduction to James Hogg’s THE PRIVATE MEMOIRS & CONFESSIONS OF A JUSTIFIED SINNER (1947 edition)
How explain that a work so singular and so enlightening, so especially fitted to arouse passionate interest both in those who are attracted by religious and moral questions, and, for quite other reasons, in psychologists and artists, and above all in surrealists who are so particularly drawn by the demoniac in every shape – how explain that such a work should have failed to become famous?
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Asher HELLbein @asherelbein.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
It's #fossilfriday! Here's a guy from HOW TO SURVIVE PREHISTORY: Arthropleura, a (probably!) herbivorous millipede relative that roams the coal forests of Carboniferous Scotland. Survival Verdict: YES. It's got a nasty nip, but we feel if you get bit, you have it coming.
A large, flat green millipede of unusual size crawls through a Carboniferous swamp forest, with some tiny tetrapods crawling on its back. Art by Stieven Van Der Poorten, from HOW TO SURVIVE PREHISTORY
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Alec Finlay @alecfinlay.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
3. because these shine a light on one another. This is not only an idea about culture, but also a political principle. The citizens of a country should know enough to judge their politicians, and contribute to the progress and wellbeing of the nation.
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Alec Finlay @alecfinlay.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
2. They helped me think in terms of ‘generalism’. They were inspired by the great Scottish philosopher of George Elder Davie. Integral to these ideas is the old Scottish principle that one studies a broad curriculum, to compare different perspectives and viewpoints ...
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Definitely a difference between that everyday anthropomorphism & conceiving of something as an active (agentic?!) entity, & telling random people off for it seems v. unhelpful. We should save our fire for people selling/promoting unregulated AI who are using language with *intent* (to mislead?).
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
(Though so are fins, webbed feet & an immunity to Weil's disease.)
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Yes! In fact, I think this is an ideal canal commute solution 🤔
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Time to re-evolve fins and webbed feet?
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Ah, my wee sister had her wedding reception here a bit over a decade ago - she loves the cutaway view!
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Edinburgh Critical Mass @edcriticalmass.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
If you've never taken part in a Critical Mass ride, we ride as a large group every month to peacefully protest for better and safer cycling infrastructure in Edinburgh. Join us every one is warmly welcomed!
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I'd keep the perfect kitchen, the matching bathroom suite (because wow that colour), and surely everyone appreciates the brickwork archway at the main entrance? Genuinely love that!
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G. Willow Wilson @gwillow.me · 14/03/2026
I realize that to people outside the PNW this is just an interesting news item, but if you're in the PNW, where tracking orca pods is a local religion, this is basically like being visited by alien gods
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Water of Leith Conservation Trust @wolct.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Johnny was out this morning with the scything team. Supporting Scything Scotland’s Mow to Meet scheme at the Seilich meadow near Pathhead. Fair to say the tea break received a 10/10 with three different flavours of homemade cake on offer for their hard work.
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Melissa & Chris Bruntlett @modacitylife.com · 19/09/2026
Urban planning debates are often dominated by a small but highly motivated minority. Public meetings, consultation processes, and media coverage can create the false impression that a noisy group of opponents represents the majority view, even when the broader public quietly feels very differently.🧵
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Edinburgh Festival of Cycling @edfoc.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Cargo Bike Carnival, a fun day celebrating cargo bikes: games, stalls, best-dressed bike competition, and a world record attempt. This will be a day out for all the family to showcase how fantastic cargo bikes are for getting around the city, whatever you might need to carry.
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Lego Lost At Sea @legolostatsea.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Fragments of people's lives, washed up on the beach.
Miscellaneous beach finds laid out on a black background. Among the colourful finds featured are false nails, finger prickers, toy soldiers, toy animals, fake flowers and foliage, a plastic nose, Lego, a soy sauce fish and a covid test kit.
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SW20ed #Edinburgh @sw20.info · 15/09/2026
New York launching 100 policies for the next ten years. 👇
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Claire Boardman @claireboardman.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Return of the Peat Cafe! @glasgow.ac.uk Monthly online archaeological seminar re: wetlands, especially peatlands. 2026/27 schedule & details now online: tinyurl.com/3cavyh8p Next meeting 5 October: Angela Gallego-Saga (Exeter University) Arctic peatlands: an expanding or collapsing biome?
Image of Lindow Moss peat bog landscape with standing surface water and exposed pines (copyright Mel Giles).
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Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Like, instead of yelling at The Cyclists, how about yelling at the planners, engineers, and politicians who force us all to fight for scraps?
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Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
I know I say it all the time, but a lot of pedestrian/micro-mobility conflicts arise due to lack of infrastructure or infrastructure that puts a lot of people into slivers of space not taken from cars. Will there always be assholes? Yup, but giving everyone more space will make things a lot safer.
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Water of Leith Conservation Trust @wolct.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This summer three fawn keep making their way out of the Dells under Slateford Bridge to graze downstream of the Centre. Today they were standing in the water, chilling, when they met a class of Sciennes P7s. Great art was made as a result.
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🚲 edi.bike | weekly news digest @edi.bike · 14/09/2026
💜 A huge honour, which I’m truly grateful for! Thanks for reading / riding with me — Ben
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Morningsider @morningsider.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
It's mad this attitude presists in Edinburgh local media. 10% of working age adults in the city cycle to work, 34% get the bus, 23% walk. Hell, 42% of Edinburgh residents aged 17+ don't have a driving licence. It's car dominance that should be seen as "controversial".
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TransActual @transactualuk.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Over 3000 People have already responded! Can you help us reach more people than ever before? Respond to our Trans Lives Survey today, and share on your social media, so we can get a full picture of the experiences and views of trans people in the UK. form.typeform.com/to/BRppksJ3
A pink and blue graphic with a black and white cartoon of some people on the bottom. 

Text reads: TransActual is launching its biggest survey for the trans community yet!

TRANS LIVES SURVEY

2026

We want to hear about your experiences as a trans person living in the UK.

It's quick, anonymous, and will help us campaign for our community!
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Dr Hannah Fluck @hannahfluck.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
This thread explains some helpful facts re historic tree cover. We don't need to perpetuate inaccuracy to justify increasing tree cover now. Current & future environments & needs are different. Better to explain why than keep pretending we can return to some halcyon days to fix the mess we've made.
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Edinburgh Bus Users Group @edinburghbug.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Myth 5; elderly and disabled people rely on cars. Disabled people are twice as likely as non disabled people to have no access to a car. Disabled people face major challenges on public transport due to UNRELIABILITY. www.motabilityfoundation.org.uk/media/k3xlfr...
motabilityfoundation.org.uk
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Dr. Lesley Barron, MD, MPhil, FRACS @drlesleybarron.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
My hot take on drivers encountering any vulnerable road user is that even if cyclists/ pedestrians etc aren’t following the law they still don’t deserve to be hit/injured/killed or honked at and actually should be yielded to in most situations. This is unpopular opinion in our society sadly.
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Asher HELLbein @asherelbein.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I don't know about y'all, but as a kid I absolutely loved all-ages compendiums of weird extinct animals. So this year, I wrote one. And then @stievenvdp.bsky.social illustrated it, and the results will knock your socks off. HOW TO SURVIVE PREHISTORY. Out April 27, 2027. You can preorder it now!
bookshop.org
How to Survive Prehistory: A Guide to the Wildest Beasts of Ancient Earth
From Smithsonian and Scientific American writer Asher Elbein comes the ultimate illustrated guide to prehistory's most dangerous real-life monsters, perfect for lovers of survival guides and dinosaur ...
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The DCMS / OTW crossover I didn't know I needed!
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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
New study finds the social cost of driving a car 1 km—including pollution, crashes, infrastructure, and noise—is more than *triple* the private cost paid by the car owner. doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...
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alice lyall @alyall.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This is me. I like trams! But I am convinced I'd be past retirement before anything usable replaced the RP. No parallel route included w/trams west. P St/Shandwick Pl junction a frightening obstacle course years after a woman killed. Years for new infra but existing is ripped out in weeks. Etc etc
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Edward Tissiman @edtiss.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Demand for spaces in cycle hangars in Edinburgh has increased by 2,700 (50%) in the last 12 months. After adjusting for duplication across waiting lists, I estimate that around 7,000 people currently want a spot in one - but Edinburgh Council only provide 1,500 spaces. rpubs.com/edtiss/hangars
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Edinburgh Critical Mass @edcriticalmass.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Extreme weather makes The Bike Station’s mission even more important. Worsening climate has flooded the Bike Station and they need to clean up their workshop. They are a charity doing good work, including the Wee Bike Library and they need our help. www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/keep-us-ro...
crowdfunder.co.uk
Keep Us Rolling
Extreme weather makes The Bike Station’s mission even more important- support us to get more people using sustainable and joyful transport.
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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Full-sized SUVs are pedestrian killers. New research finds that they're more than twice as likely to kill or seriously injure a pedestrian than other cars. (Notably, vehicle height—not weight—was the biggest risk factor.) doi.org/10.1016/j.js...
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Scottish Trans @scottishtrans.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
More than 17000 people have contacted their MPs asking them to sign the motion and reject the harmful Code – have you? Take less than five minutes to write today – or if you have already, why not ask three of your friends to as well?: tinyurl.com/stopthecode
tinyurl.com
Email your MP to reject the Code of Practice and support EDM 240
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Water of Leith Conservation Trust @wolct.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Hunting for Giant Hogweed, Himalayan Balsam, and rubbish today between Gorgie Road and the Visitor's Centre, with a wee detour for a team to pull a horde of balsam from a small tributory which squeezes between Longstone retail outlets and down to join the river. Very producive! Thanks everyone!
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