It’s that time again when thoughts turn to the year ahead, but time is taken to reflect on the year gone by.
As ever The Courier was at the forefront of providing a unique blend of the biggest local, national and international news and sport.
But what were your memories?
Here’s a look back at some of the year’s biggest stories.January to March:For hundreds of people across Tayside and Fife, 2015 started by taking the plunge in a New Year’s Day dook.
Ye Amphibious Ancients Bathing Association’s popular Broughty Ferry dook was one highlight.
Carnoustie, Stonehaven, Arbroath, St Andrews, Kirkcaldy, Limekilns and Kinghorn were amongst the others.
There were plenty other stories making splashes across the pages of The Courier during the first quarter of the year.
January featured one of the year’s biggest international stories with the attacks on the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris. It was a precursor for the Paris attacks later in the year.
In February 43 people were killed when a passenger plane crashed in Taiwan, while there was outrage when the co-pilot of a Germanwings plane deliberately crashed the aircraft into the French Alps in March, killing all 150 passengers.
Clear skies gave excellent viewing conditions in Courier Country for the solar eclipse in March.
Dundee United reached the League Cup final at Hampden in the middle of that month, losing 2-0 to Celtic after having captain Sean Dillon sent off.
Elsewhere, an accident report claimed rescued Gourdon fishermen Jim Reid and David Irvine lacked competence when they were lost at sea for two days and put their lives at risk by being ill-prepared.
They survived adrift in the North Sea on a bottle of water and biscuits.
A Fife woman strangled by her ex-partner gave an exclusive interview on her experience of domestic abuse and urged others not to suffer in silence, while a Gaelic bigotry row gripped Fife Council.
Concerns were expressed about foreign beggars “blighting” the streets of St Andrews.
Transport Scotland said its decision to install average speed cameras along the A9 was vindicated after official figures showed a dramatic reduction in speeding drivers.
A minute’s silence was held in Edinburgh to mark the first anniversary of Mikaeel Kular’s body being found in Kirkcaldy.
There was controversy when it emerged costs for Dundee’s flagship V&A museum project had risen to more than £80 million.
History was made as RAF Leuchars was officially handed over to the army on March 31.April to June:Former Fife firefighter Stevie McCrorie, backed by The Courier’s Vote Stevie campaign, won BBC’s The Voice in early April.
It was game set and match for tennis ace Andy Murray, who married his fianc Kim Sears at Dunblane Cathedral.
The local hero went on to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award and top The Courier’s Impact 100 list with his brother Jamie after leading Great Britain to Davis Cup victory in Brussels.
Fife Council gave its unanimous backing to Frank’s Law after an impassioned plea from Amanda Kopel, the wife of former Dundee United football legend Frank Kopel.
There were poignant scenes as the 70th anniversary of VE Day was marked and darker news as Arbroath woman Charmain Speirs was discovered dead in a hotel room in Ghana.
International terrorism touched Courier Country when Bankfoot couple Billy and Lisa Graham were confirmed to have been killed in terrorist shootings in Tunisia.
Hundreds joined the funeral procession for Kirkcaldy man Sheku Bayoh who was finally laid to rest in early June, five weeks after his death.
Since Sheku, 31, died in police custody on May 3, his grieving family made repeated pleas to find out the truth of what happened on that fateful morning.
As 8000 died in a Nepalese earthquake, there was tragedy closer to home when a light aircraft crashed at Abernyte on its way to Dundee, killing the pilot and passenger.
An official report into the death of Mikaeel Kular concluded the death “could not have been predicted”.
There was devastating news at the end of April when Glenrothes paper makers Tullis Russell went into administration.
Ahead of the SNP electing 56 MPs at the general election, police investigated delivery of “Nazi scum” leaflets to North East Fife SNP candidate Stephen Gethins ahead of his victory.
An investigation was launched after Dunfermline five-year-old Owen Paterson was left behind on a school trip to Blair Drummond Safari Park.
Highland Perthshire became the focus of a major search to find missing American woman Susan McLean, ending in tragedy.
There was controversy as the Fife Cultural Trust announced plans to close 16 libraries.
The month ended on a lighter note when Estonian club FC Infonet Tallinn matched Arbroath FC’s famous 36-0 win record in an Estonian cup game.July to September:If there was one image that dominated the autumn then it was that of a police officer carrying the body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi off a beach in Turkey, symbolising the human tragedy of the Syrian refugee crisis.
Closer to home, as wind and rain brought delays to the Open Championship at St Andrews, and ‘Biblical’ floods to Alyth, bad weather was also linked to the loss of three East Wemyss-based anglers whose boat overturned off the Fife coast.
Dark clouds also gathered over Police Scotland as a review of call handling was ordered after officers failed to act on a sighting of Lamara Bell and John Yuill’s vehicle by the side of the M9 in July, with the couple eventually found following a second report three days later. Neither survived.
Noel Gallagher, Kasabian and The Libertines rocked T in the Park at its new Strathallan Castle home despite concerns about osprey and complaints about traffic chaos.
Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn brought his campaign to Dundee. The veteran left-winger, who went on to win the leadership race, attended public rallies, before taking his “wider case for progressive politics” message to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
August saw dramatic scenes at the East Sands Leisure Centre in St Andrews as centre users and staff were evacuated amid a chemical leak.
The same month saw unassuming Arbroath fisherman Jim McDonough became known as “the Lego man” when his 24-foot scale recreation of the USS Missouri hit headlines around the world following a Courier article.
Young Dundee band Model Aeroplanes were on a high after signing for Island Records, later going on to win Best Emerging Artist Award at Scottish Music Awards in Glasgow.
And in September the Queen visited the Army at Leuchars Station.
There was a more sombre air as Dundee United fans flocked to Tannadice to pay tribute to club legend Ralph Milne. Around 200 supporters lined Tannadice Street to salute the Tangerines legend who recently passed. Tangerine-clad mourners applauded as Milne’s coffin was driven past the ground where he made his name on its way to Dundee Crematorium.
September ended with Perthshire teenager Flora Shedden admitting she often felt young and inexperienced on the Great British Bake Off after she exited the show in the semi-final.
It was a competitive affair, with Flora leaving the tent despite coming first in the technical challenge.October to December:The downing of a Russian plane as it flew from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 on board, and the solidarity shown in the wake of the Paris attacks by IS militants dominated the year as it entered its final months. A local dimension to a huge international story emerged as Christine Tudhope, 34, from Fife, and Mariesha Payne, 33, from Perthshire, told how they hid in a cellar at the Bataclan concert hall for three hours.
Meanwhile, there were chaotic scenes as a structural fault led to the temporary closure of the Forth Road Bridge, leading to major diversions and fears for the economy. The road re-opened to cars on December 23 but there was anger from many that it may not re-open to HGVs until February.
A growing crisis at Tannadice saw Mixu Paatelainen named as the new manager of Dundee United in October. The Finn took over following the departure of Jackie McNamara the previous month.
Sport was also on the mind as famous faces took part in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews.
It came as Arbroath man Alan Soutar beat 5000 qualifiers to earn a place at Lakeside in the world darts finals.
But hard news was again the back bone of Courier coverage. Former Arbroath man Doug Brown had a lucky escape after a Florida alligator pounced on him as he repaired a water pump at his mother’s lakeside home in the sunshine state.
The grim discovery of human remains sparked a murder inquiry in Montrose. The body parts were discovered to be those of local mum Kim Mackenzie. A man and woman appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court charged with murder.
November also saw the daughter of murdered aid worker David Haines speak of her relief after his executioner “Jihadi John” was killed in air strikes.
December saw infamous head on the beach killer Vitas Plytnykas claim, in a 14-page letter to The Courier, that false evidence convicted him.
This contrasted with news that Jools Holland and Bryan Adams are to play at Montrose in 2016. Pop band Lawson and 80s icon Billy Ocean performed a free concert in Perth City centre for the Christmas lights switch-on. Earlier Royal visits also brought out the crowds in Dundee.
December saw the controversial decision taken to close 16 Fife libraries. But at least there was pre-festive cheer with Stampy the Cat bringing a purr-fect finale to the year at Dundee’s Caird Hall.2015 weather spotlight:Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get, goes the old saying.
But Courier Country had more than its fair share of unpredictable weather during 2015 with thoughts of traditional seasons left blowing in the wind.
Doom-laden predictions of a five-month Arctic freeze to kick off the year didn’t quite materialise.
But in a year when climate change was under the microscope at the Paris summit, the freakish year did unleash topsy-turvy weather with an Indian Spring, a washout gale-lashed summer and a winter so far proving milder than most of July.
Early March saw flood warnings issued for parts of Tayside while other areas of the country were bathed in sunshine and enjoyed temperatures up to 17C, warmer than Istanbul and Corfu.
Yet within a week temperatures plummeted by 10C as an icy blast from Scandinavia swept in from the east.
As temperatures rose again in May, Dundee boffin Dr Alison Blackwell warned that above average temperatures could lead to a “perfect swarm” of midges ravaging Scotland after a relatively mild winter.
By July, however, wild and stormy weather put 2015 on track to be the windiest year for at least two decades. It turned out to be one of Scotland’s wettest Julys, with 72% of the expected monthly rainfall landing in the first 15 days.
As ever, music fans were advised to bring willies, umbrellas and suncream! – with rain forecast for much of the T in the Park festival.
In mid-July heavy rain and high winds forced the suspension of play at the 144th Open Championship at St Andrews. A gushing sewer behind the Royal and Ancient Golf Club summed up the mood as green keepers battled heroically to clear the course of standing water. Long delays led to the championship concluding on the Monday for just the second time in its history.
But it was nothing compared to the ‘Biblical” flooding experienced that morning in Alyth, which experienced its worst flood in 140 years.
Conditions were also treacherous in areas of Bankfoot, Comrie, Blairgowrie and Kirkmichael.
By late September forecasters warned that Britain faced the most savage winter in more than 50 years with months of heavy snowfall and bitter Arctic winds set to bring the country to a total standstill. A negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation would allow freezing air to pour in from the North Pole, experts said.
Sub-zero temperatures and violent snow storms were forecast for late October as freak ocean cooling in the Atlantic threatened to trigger a “historic, nationwide whiteout”, forecasters warned.
The winter hasn’t yet worked out that way with extremely mild temperatures dominating. But mid-November saw Storm Abigail cause major disruption with power cuts and school closures.
Storm Desmond caused problems across Courier Country whilst Eva wasn’t too far behind, with particular chaos in northern England. As Storm Frank brings the year to a disruptive end, all eyes are on what 2016 has in store.