Man dies after clothing catches fire while burning heather on Scottish hills

Police Scotland confirmed a 54 year-old man has died after his clothes caught fire on an estate in the Lammermuir Hills in the Scottish Borders yesterday. [View email online]( [Subscribe]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [The Scotsman] Mar 24, 2021 [Sam Shedden] Sam Shedden Engagement Editor Good morning, Welcome to your midweek newsletter from [The Scotsman.]( Did you catch our [second virtual hustings]( last night? Speaking to South of Scotland candidates we heard from George Galloway (who recently suspended his campaign) who said scottish politics needs a “time-out before somebody gets hurt” as he accused the SNP of creating a toxic political atmosphere that “denounced” its opponents in fiery exchange. [You can watch it again here.]( Yesterday we also launched The Scotsman Politics newsletter. Sent twice a week it will give you the inside track on all the latest at Holyrood as well as what's happening on the campaign trail. [It's free so why not sign up for it here.]( There's never been a better time to subscribe to us. Thanks to your support we've already been able to considerably ramp up our politics coverage with a podcast, live events and more. We'd like to do more with your help. For one more week we're offering 25% off annual digital subscriptions. It means for just 20p a day, you can have full access to our news, opinion, and sport for the whole year. See 70% fewer ads online and support independent Scottish journalism you can trust. Just use the code POLITICS25 at the [checkout.]( [Sign up today before the deal expires.]( [A 54 year-old man has tragically died after his clothing caught fire on the Lammermuirs]( Police Scotland confirmed a 54 year-old man has died after his clothes caught fire on an estate in the Lammermuir Hills in the Scottish Borders yesterday. [{$escapedtitle}]( Man dies after catching fire in fierce heather blaze on Scottish hills A tragic story to begin with today, I'm afraid. A 54-year-old man has died after his clothes caught fire on an estate in the south of Scotland earlier in the week. It is understood that the man was a part-time casual farm worker who was burning heather before the horrific incident occurred. [Read the full story here.]( Archaeologists re-writing the history of the Picts are honoured If you have even the slightest interest in Scottish history and heritage news I suggest signing up to [Alison Campsie's]( [History and Heritage newsletter.]( Her latest story follows a team of archaeologists who are shedding new light on the life, culture and society of the Picts. Pioneering work led by Aberdeen University has radically altered understanding of the people who lived in the north and east of Scotland between roughly 300 and 800AD. [Find out more about what has been learned about Scotland's long lost northern tribe.]( Shambolic Alex Salmond Inquiry shows need for overhaul of Holyrood committees It was astonishing to see Ken Macintosh, Holyrood’s presiding officer, declare the harassment committee’s work as an example of a “powerful parliament in action”, writes our investigations correspondent [Martyn McLaughlin.]( In today's opinion section Martyn argues: "If anything, it has brought parliament into disrepute, and given fresh impetus to longstanding calls for the reform of a committee system which is singularly unfit for purpose." 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