Posts by Peter Ranscombe
You’re history: the stories behind famous wines
Peter Ranscombe travels back in time to explore some of the history of grape growing and winemaking. PART of the attraction of wine is its blend of components – it’s part geography, part sociology and part history. Diana Thompson’s latest Wine Events Scotland online tastings have focused on the third leg of that triumvirate. Thompson…
Read MoreA week in whisky: ‘I’ll have a pea, please, Bob’
THOSE enterprising souls at whisky distiller Arbikie have followed-up their carbon-negative NĂ dar gin with its vodka twin. Both NĂ dar spirits absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than is emitted over the course of the production process. The alcohol inside them is made by distilling peas instead of wheat. Master distiller Kirsty Black developed the…
Read MoreDirectory supports rural and island businesses
SHOPPERS can now support even more rural and island businesses following the launch of the Rural Enterprise Directory Scotland (REDS). Joe Sykes, founder of Perthshire-based Joelato Gelato, is one of the businesses that has signed up to be listed in the directory. He said: “Scotland’s rural businesses have faced incredible pressures over the past few…
Read MoreFirst autumn mammal survey gets underway
THE first autumn “Living With Mammals” survey kicks off on Monday, with Scots being asked to keep their eyes peeled for creatures, tracks and droppings in gardens, parks or other green spaces. People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) normally only runs its survey once a year, but is now capitalising on a successful spring count…
Read MorePupil hears her rap recorded by the army
A RAP written by a 12-year-old school pupil and inspired by the Windrush generation has been recorded by army musicians. Leila McPhate, from Larbert High School in Stenhousemuir, wrote The World Is A Dark Place as her entry for Never Such Innocence, an international arts competition to give children and young people a voice on conflict.…
Read MoreIvy’s floral flourishes in Edinburgh and Glasgow
THE Ivy restaurant chain has brought a splash of colour to its outlets in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Ivy on the Square in Edinburgh has turned its terrace into “a magical greenhouse and garden”. Meanwhile, The Ivy Buchanan Street has brought “a touch of the jungle to Glasgow’s Style Mile”. The Glasgow branch has created…
Read MoreOutdoor venue for Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival
ORGANISERS have moved Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival from The Biscuit Factory to The Corn Exchange’s outside venue. The event, which is due to take place on 9 and 10 October, will feature Scottish breweries including Fierce, Vault City, 71 Brewing, and new kid on the block Newbarns. Foreign breweries sending beer to the festival include…
Read More‘Wheelyboat’ helps anglers fish on Uists’ lochs
ANGLERS and tourists can now explore more of the Uists’ lochs thanks to funding for an accessible “wheelyboat”. Hydraulic platforms will allow people in wheelchairs to use the boat, no matter how low the water level or how inaccessible the banks. The boat will be used by anglers in the Outer Hebrides to fish for…
Read MoreYoung people to create rural ‘smart village’
SCOTLAND is preparing to create the world’s first “smart village” dedicated to young people who have connections to rural areas. A “smart village” brings together both physical and digital communities. Young people are being invited to a focus group on 10 September to talk about setting up a smart village with the Rural Youth Project…
Read MoreBotanics plastic show links art and science
VISITORS to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) are being encouraged to think about their use of plastic by a new art exhibition. “Think Plastic: Materials and Making” will run until 1 November in the garden’s John Hope Gateway. Ceramists Lorna Fraser and Carol Sinclair have collaborated with fellow artists Fiona Hutchison, Fiona Pilgrim and…
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