Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Open letter by Upper Deveron Valley wind campaigners
RESIDENTS and businesses in the Upper Deveron Valley have called on Aberdeenshire and Moray councils to develop a joined-up plan for wind farms in their communities. In an open letter signed by Patti Nelson, chair of the Cabrach Community Association, campaigners called for an “inter-authority regional landscape capacity assessment”. The letter called for the councils…
Read MoreNew website gives Scottish makers a boost
AN ONLINE marketplace is shining the spotlight on craft and produce makers from throughout Scotland. Blackthorn Sea Salt, Cashmere Circle, and Mademoiselle Macaron are among the brands already listed on the Made Scotland website. The site is also sharing the stories of many of the makers behind the products. “The idea came out of my…
Read MorePerth’s £2.5m Royal National Mòd lift
THE Royal National Mòd gave Perth an economic boost, according to new figures. More than 7,500 people attended the nine-day celebration of Gaelic language, music, and culture last October. Together, they pumped £2.5 million into the local economy. Experts think the Fair City could enjoy a further £1m boost if visitors return. Councillor Andrew Parrott,…
Read MoreScotland’s lighthouses star in new book
AN ARTIST and author has spent the past five years drawing illustrations of more than 350 lighthouses surrounding Britain and Ireland. Roger O’Reilly will release a book early next year, and is already selling prints online. All Scotland’s lights are included in the project, including famous sites such as Bell Rock and Eilean Mór. His…
Read MoreDrinks news round-up: Beer, gin, and more
Peter Ranscombe pours another measure of drinks news. ALCOHOL-FREE beer maker Jump Ship Brewing is launching a £300,000 crowdfunding campaign to build its own brewery at Rosemain Steadings in Midlothian. Managing director Sonja Mitchell, who launched her brand in 2019, will create three jobs at the brewery, and a further ten posts over the next…
Read MoreMachine speeds up spinning for Shetlanders
SHETLANDERS are producing garments even faster thanks to innovative technology. Jamieson’s Spinning was awarded £33,600 from economic development agency Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) to increase capacity. The family-owned business operates from Sandness and has invested in the latest Shima Seiki knitting machine that uses computer numerical control (CNC) technology. This process uses computerised machines…
Read MoreHostelling Scotland wants diverse trustees
DIVERSITY sits at the heart of a recruitment campaign for trustees launched today by Hostelling Scotland. The charity, which runs nearly 60 hostels throughout the country, wants trustees “with skills and experience in managing operational change, charity or corporate governance, law, risk management, and youth travel and hospitality”. It said the posts are open to…
Read MoreKa Pao: When fusion goes right
Simone Waters reviews the Edinburgh branch of Ka Pao, the Glasgow fusion food pioneer. SITUATED in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter shopping centre, Ka Pao brings a plethora of flavours together into a South-East Asian fusion. We are met by friendly staff when entering this industrial and funky establishment and, while the mood lighting may be…
Read MoreFred Olsen passengers report 4,400 wildlife sightings
PASSENGERS aboard Fred Olsen cruise ships recorded 4,400 wildlife sightings last year. The most frequent species spotted was – appropriately – the common dolphin, which was sighted 296 times, reaching 1,996 individual dolphins. Other creatures reported during cruises included humpback whales, orca, a blue whale, and even the deepest-diving animal, the elusive Cuvier’s beaked whale,…
Read MoreSpirits news from the Hebrides
THREE spirits stalwarts on the Outer Hebrides are having a busy start to the year. Angus A MacMillan and Angus E MacMillan, the father-and-son team building Benbecula distillery, have unveiled the first three bottles from MacMillan Spirits. They’ve launched: “Wheelhouse Whisky”, an eight-year-old single cask Islay single malt; “Machair Gin”, a gin that contains heather…
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