Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Whisky film launches with Burns celebration
A DOCUMENTARY telling the story of Scotland’s national drink is being launched online in the run-up to Burns Night. The Water of Life, produced by Los Angeles-based Blacksmith & Jones, will be screened each night between 22 January and 27 January. Each showing will be followed by an hour-long session featuring the stars of the…
Read MoreTheatre company creates ‘Clanagrams’
THE Walking Theatre Company (TWTC), a social enterprise based in Argyll, is spreading cheer around the globe with innovative video messages from Scotland’s past. Sadie Dixon-Spain, TWTC’s creative director, has invented the “Clanagram“, a personalised video greeting. TWTC’s team of professional actors brings to life a selection of Scotland’s great names – recipients can become…
Read More12 Wines of Christmas: South Africa
In the latest instalment in his “12 Wines of Christmas” series, Peter Ranscombe looks at KWV’s top wines from South Africa. QUANTITY and quality don’t necessarily have to sit at opposite ends of the spectrum. As we saw with Paul Mas’ operations in the south of France, it’s possible to produce quality wines in large…
Read More12 Wines of Christmas: England
Peter Ranscombe ventures south of the Border for the latest instalment in his “12 Wines of Christmas” series. WHAT is “English sparkling wine”? It’s a question that I get asked more and more often by readers. The answer is a bit complicated. As we discovered back in June during my series of articles covering English…
Read MoreAlexander McCall Smith wins Edinburgh Award
THIS year’s Edinburgh Award will be presented to author and academic Alexander McCall Smith. The emeritus professor of medical law at the University of Edinburgh will receive the honour in recognition of legal career and writing success. McCall Smith has become a hugely successful novelist through his The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, The Sunday…
Read MoreBook marks Bonnie Prince Charlie’s 300th birthday
A BOOK published to mark the 300th anniversary tomorrow of the birth of Prince Charles Edward Stuart calls for a reappraisal of his character and career. Reminiscences of a Jacobite by Michael Nevin, chairman of The 1745 Association, draws on Bonnie Prince Charlie’s previously unpublished words, as well as a number of other first-hand accounts.…
Read MoreHow Scotland’s ‘greatest horse’ was saved
ONE woman’s fight to save the Clydesdale breed of horse will feature in a documentary being shown tonight. Professor Janice Kirkpatrick, director of creativity and innovation at Glasgow School of Art, uses the programme to share her passion for the heavy horse. Clydesdales are listed as “vulnerable” in the UK by the Rare Breeds Survival…
Read MoreGleneagles Hotel bags record awards haul
GLENEAGLES Hotel in Perthshire has won 16 new awards during the past year. Prizes scooped by the five-star estate include being named “Best UK Hotel” in the CondĂ© Nast Traveller’s Readers’ Choice Awards. Conor O’Leary, Gleneagles’ managing director, said: “We’re proud and humbled to have received so many fantastic awards which reflect our unwavering commitment…
Read MoreTen easy ways to help Scotland’s wildlife
HALF of Scots want to do more to help our native wildlife, according to new figures. NatureScot, formerly Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), carried out its research during the pandemic, when more people visited nature reserves and green spaces in cities. The Scottish Government agency has now come up with ten top tips to help Scots…
Read More12 Wines of Christmas: Sicily
Peter Ranscombe‘s 12 Wines of Christmas continue with organic bottles from Sicily. COMING from the north of Italy, brother and sister Stefano and Marina Girelli noticed some immediate differences when they bought the Santa Tresa estate on Sicily in 2001. While their grapes in Trentino need to soak up every hour of sunshine they can…
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