Posts by Ellie Forbes
Harris Weed? PETA calls for Harris Tweed to end use of sheep’s wool and switch to hemp
PETA has called on Harris Tweed to stop using sheep’s wool in the production of the famous fabric – and suggested they switch to plant-based hemp instead. In a bizarre letter the animal rights organisation urged the Harris Tweed Authority to move away from the centuries old tradition, claiming sheep fleece ‘wreaks havoc on the…
Read MoreRare bottle of whisky from Port Ellen Distillery set to fetch up to £300,000 at auction
A rare bottle of whisky from Port Ellen Distillery, which re-opened last year after 40 years, is set to fetch up to £300,000 at auction. The Port Ellen Prism, a 46-Year-Old Single Malt, will go under the hammer at the Distillers One of One Auction in Edinburgh. The distillery on Islay’s south coast was opened…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Neil Ansell: ‘It was a revelation to discover that nature writing could also be literature’
Neil Ansell on the books of his childhood, the best book he has read this year, and the book that has been his ‘north star’ ever since he discovered it. The first book I remember reading: The earliest reading experience I can clearly recall is of a Dr Seuss book, The Cat in the…
Read MoreIn A Nutshell, Tony Singh: ‘I was very lucky to grow up around people who cooked at home’
Tony Singh on his memories of cooking as a child, the most he’s paid for a meal, and his favourite chef in Scotland. What’s the closest thing you have to a signature dish: My gran’s Punjabi salmon recipe, which is always on my supper club menu. It’s spot on. Describe your style of cuisine…
Read MoreRebecca Atkinson-Lord, An Tobar and Mull Theatre: ‘It’s still so important we come together and share stories’
Artistic Director of An Tobar and Mull Theatre, Rebecca Atkinson-Lord, on island life, how the theatre has changed the lives of many locals and her latest production – a powerful one-woman stage adaptation of Sarah Moss’ acclaimed novel Night Waking. I grew up part of the time in Wolverhampton in the Black Country and the…
Read MoreThe Good Books, Kristie De Garis: ‘If I like the sound of a book I’ll either buy it in the next six minutes or not at all’
Drystone waller Kristie De Garis on the books of her childhood, her love of O’Brother by John Niven and why life is too short to keep reading the books you don’t enjoy. The first book I remember reading: Slugs by David Greenberg. A children’s book that could only have been published in the 80s.…
Read MoreLife With Julia Brown: ‘Shetland is such a beautiful place and I feel lucky to have experienced working there’
Rising Scottish actress Julia Brown on working on Shetland, falling in love with acting as a child, and the latest season of Karen Pirie on ITV. I grew up in Edinburgh but I live in London now. I was a chatterbox at school – and still am today – so that could get me…
Read MoreDress worn by 18th century Scottish noblewoman linked to Jacobites goes under the hammer
A dress reputedly worn at the Palace of Holyroodhouse by an 18th century Scottish noblewoman closely allied to the Jacobite cause is going under the hammer in Edinburgh. The dress is one of more than 80 lots belonging to the Earls of Airlie which will go under the hammer as part of Lyon & Turnbull’s…
Read MoreRecipe: Carrot and Ginger Cake
One of Scotland’s best loved farm shops and cafes, Gloagburn in Perthshire, will publish its first cookbook this year, as a homage to the traditional country cooking of Scotland and a celebration of its natural larder. Farmer’s wife and entrepreneur Alison Niven has created a book that tells the story of her family farm through classic,…
Read MoreGardening Column, Hamish Martin: ‘Mugwort was held sacred by many cultures and thought to be the oldest of plants’
Gardening columnist, Hamish Martin, on the ancient history of mugwort and how this plant can be used today. I feel a very strong association with this magnificent plant. I have never planted mugwort, but it has amazingly, always found me. Every house I have lived in this plant miraculously appears, from where I have no…
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