Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Auctioneer hails Balcarres House sale
AUCTION house Lyon & Turnbull has hailed its “Five Centuries” auction is Edinburgh as a “hugely successful”. The auction included lots from Balcarres House in Fife, home of the Earls of Crawford & Balcarres since 1595. A total of 206 lots from the house went under the hammer. Lord Balniel, heir apparent to the 29th…
Read MoreFight looms against European lead shot rules
A SHOOTING group has pledged to fight against European Union (EU) plans to retrict the use of lead shot over wetlands and peatlands. The British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC) warned that the EU proposals could get in the way of the UK’s existing five-year voluntary transition to sustainable ammunition if the UK Government…
Read MoreBenriach relaunch: Rachel Barrie makes her mark
Peter Ranscombe tastes his way through Benriach distillery’s new range, which was launched online today. I’LL always have a soft spot for Benriach. It was one of the first whiskies that I got to know when I was cutting my teeth as a reporter at The Scotsman newspaper. I remember meeting its then owner, Billy…
Read MoreWhy Local Selects’ gift boxes are here to stay
Peter Ranscombe reviews some of the amazing Scottish drinks featured in Local Selects’ gift boxes. ONE of the few positive results of lockdown has been the inspiring and innovative ways in which many Scottish drinks businesses dealt with the closure of bars, pubs, and other on-trade venues. The Start-up Drinks Lab in Port Glasgow is…
Read More‘Outdoor adventures manager’ joins Gleneagles
GLENEAGLES has appointed an “outdoor adventures manager” to help children enjoy its 850-acre estate. Alan McGonagle, 34, from Loch Lomond, was previously manager of Pinkston Watersports in Glasgow, a community paddle sports hub and home to Scotland’s only artificial whitewater course. The Perthshire hotel has also created an “adventurer’s guide” featuring more than 50 activities…
Read MoreBowhouse unveils market dates
BOWHOUSE in Fife has unveiled the dates for its autumn and winter weekend markets – and the first one’s this Saturday. Customers placing orders through the Bowhouse Link website can collect their groceries between 9am and 11am on Saturdays, before the site opens to the general public. Produce on offer includes wholemeal organic flours from…
Read MoreJohnnie Walker centre back on track
WHISKY maker Diageo now expects to open the doors to its Johnnie Walker visitors’ centre on Edinburgh’s Princes Street next summer. The company – Scotland’s largest distiller and the owner of brands including Bell’s, J&B and Talisker – announced the revised timescale as it launched the attraction’s website. Construction work on the former department store…
Read MoreFinalists named in shinty music contest
THREE musicians have been selected as the finalists in a unqiue composition competition. Ewen Henderson, Chris Gray, and Mary Ann Kennedy will compete for the top prize. The contest has been organised by the Royal Celtic Society (RCS), the Glasgow Celtic Society, and the Camanachd Association, shinty’s governing body, to mark the absense of the…
Read MoreAir ambulance wants patients to share their stories
SCOTLAND’S Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) is calling on the patients it’s saved to share their stories as part of this week’s UK-wide air ambulance week. The charity, which flies helicopters from Aberdeen and Perth, has operated since 2013. During August alone, the air ambulances responded to 65 emergencies as far afield as the Hebrides, Orkney…
Read MoreAlcohol-free ‘spirits’ up 30%
SALES of alcohol-free “spirits” in the UK are up 30% year-on-year, according to market research firm Neilsen. Shoppers have spent ÂŁ5.4 million buying 171,000 litres of alcohol-free “spirits” in supermarkets so far this year, analysts said. Many alcohol-free “spirits” use herbs, berries, roots and botanicals to create flavours similar to gin, prompting their use in…
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