Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Strathallan pupils jump with joy
ONE in three grades achieved by pupils at Strathallan in Perthshire in their Highers was an A, the independent school has revealed. All the students who passed their computing, economics, music, and modern languages Highers gained As or Bs. Headmaster Mark Lauder said: “I am absolutely delighted by these outstanding results, which represent a tremendous…
Read MoreDoddie Weir’s whisky toasts medical research
RUGBY legend Doddie Weir has taken deliver of 378 very special bottles of whisky. The Scotch came from a cask that Weir selected when he visited Glenkinchie distillery in East Lothian earlier this year. Distillery owner Diageo has donated to bottles to Weir’s My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. The foundation will use the bottles as prizes…
Read MorePhoebe Waller-Bridge supports Underbelly’s Fringe fund
FLEABAG creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge is among the artists who are supporting a new fund to help Fringe performers. Production company Underbelly has set up the fund to support acts that have lost out on the chance to perform at this year’s Fringe. It’s asking the public to donate ÂŁ12 – the cost of an Underbelly…
Read MoreAston Martin and Bowmore launch ÂŁ50,000 whisky
ISLAY whisky distiller Bowmore has teamed up with sports car maker Aston Martin to launch a whisky that will cost ÂŁ50,000. Only 25 bottles of the Black Bowmore DB5 1964 will go on sale this autumn. Each bottle was formed from an Aston Martin piston by the Glasstorm studio in Tain. The year 1964 marks…
Read MoreBarefoot soldier’s 700-mile march ends in Edinburgh
A FATHER who’s marching barefoot across Britain is due to finish his incredible 700-mile journey in Edinburgh this month. Christopher Brannigan, known as the “barefoot soldier”, aims to raise ÂŁ250,000 to fund a ground-breaking gene therapy treatment for his daughter, Hasti. She has Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), a rare genetic disorder for which their…
Read MoreHow to enjoy professional cocktails at home
Peter Ranscombe puts Drinks-At-Home, a nationwide cocktail delivery service, through its paces. HATS off to wine merchants and bottle shops for helping us to enjoy our favourite vinous treats during lockdown, but there are still a few drinks that it’s hard to get right at home. Draft beer for one – no matter how good…
Read MoreFamilies tune in for online farm tours
MORE than 10,000 families have tuned in to watch live online tours of Scotland’s farms during lockdown. Almost 100 farmers have guided virtual visitors around their sites via the Go Rural Facebook page. Their “Welcome to my Farm” videos followed on from 14 farmers streaming two weeks of “lambathon” during the spring from their lambing…
Read More‘Drive through’ afternoon teas are here to stay
A HOTEL that launched “drive through” afternoon teas during the coronavirus lockdown has decided to keep running them because they proved so popular. The Stair Arms Hotel at Pathhead in Midlothian transformed an old shipping container into a hatch from which to serve its teas. Customers can order their afternoon tea over the phone and…
Read MoreCampaigners call for reopening of Glasgow Boy’s historic home
CAMPAIGNERS have called on the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) to reopen its historic Broughton House and Garden in Kirkcudbright and save the jobs of its five staff. Scottish colourist E A Hornel, one of the Glasgow’s Boys, lived at the house with his sister, Elizabeth, and planned its Japanese garden. The Friends of Broughton…
Read MoreTamfest moves online with Grado and Isa
TAMFEST, the Ayr festival that celebrates Robert Burns’ Tam O’Shanter poem, has unveiled plans to shift its activities online in the run-up to Halloween. Its virtual programme of events will include appearances by professional wrestler and media personality Grado and actress Jane McCarry, who plays Isa in the BBC Scotland television series Still Game. Festival…
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