Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Roxy’s Coffee & Tea House in Oban launches baking book
ONE of Oban’s most famous cafĂ©s has launched its first baking book, Roxy’s Cake & Bake. Donna MacCulloch, owner of Roxy’s Coffee & Tea House, said: “Over the years of running Roxy’s with my husband, Archie, I’ve had customers asking me for my recipes and telling me that if I had a book they would…
Read MoreRESTAURANT REVIEW: KORA, EDINBURGH
Richard Bath visits Tom Kitchin’s Kora restaurant in Edinburgh. IN A NUTSHELL: Kora is Tom Kitchin’s new 65-cover remodelled restaurant in the increasingly fashionable south Edinburgh district of Bruntsfield. His hugely talented old mucker Dominic Jack is the chef-director (aka executive chef) while James Chapman, who has worked with the Michelin-starred Kitchin for eight years,…
Read MoreFood and drink news round-up
Chefs, sherry, and fizz are among the flavours in Peter Ranscombe‘s latest food and drink news round-up. CHEF Michele Di Bonito from Sicilian restaurant Battimandorlo will visit Glasgow on 16 November to cook a six-course tasting menu at Eusebi Deli. Owner Giovanna Eusebi said: “We are so proud to welcome Michele into our kitchen all…
Read MorePeter Capaldi narrates ‘Riverwoods’ tonight on 5Select
THE relationship between Scotland’s fish and forests will be explored tonight in Riverwoods, a documentary on 5Select narrated by actor Peter Capaldi. Riverwoods, which took three years to produce, was made by Mat Larkin, head of filmmaking at Scotland: The Big Picture. “Over many centuries, the loss of natural woodlands alongside rivers has profoundly changed…
Read MoreDrinks news round-up: Barra, Curling, and more
Peter Ranscombe serves up another helping of drinks news. ISLE of Barra distillery has unveiled the new bottle for its Atlantic gin. The bottle is made from 78% recycled glass, meaning no two bottles will look the same. The company is also cutting its supply chain’s carbon footprint by selecting Allied Glass to make the…
Read MoreIslanders research aims to map connections
HOW do islanders maintain connections to their communities when they are living on the mainland? That’s just one of the questions being posed by researchers at the University of Aberdeen. Kirsten Gow is exploring “how those with island connections could play a part in the future of island life, including through return migration”. Gow, who…
Read MoreHighlands’ folklore and fantasy captured in new book
ARTISTS Alastair Laidlaw and Christine Marsden have dipped into the Highlands’ folklore and fantasy for their latest book. They have combined landscape photography with fantasy images and text by writers Roberta Edwards and James A Whittaker. Laidlaw and Marsden have been working on the book for the past 17 years, since moving to Fort Augustus…
Read MoreCharity shop clothes stun at Elgin Museum fashion shoot
PHOTOGRAPHER Mark Smith rummaged through charity shops for his recent photo shoot at Elgin Museum. The snapper chose the Moray institution as his backdrop after being impressed with its history and architecture. Elgin Museum was founded in 1843 and is billed as Scotland’s oldest independent museum. “The clothing we used was from three branches of…
Read MoreWhat will Edinburgh look like due to climate change?
IMAGES of how climate change could affect Edinburgh have been released. In the worst-case scenario, Auld Reekie could look even more dreich by 2100 according to the illustrations, which were created using an artificial intelligence (AI) program. “One of the biggest side effects of climate change that Edinburgh is expected to see over the next…
Read MoreScotland sees more Portuguese men o’ war
STORMS have led to more Portuguese men o’ war being spotted in Scotland’s waters, according to the Marine Conservation Society (MCS). To mark World Jellyfish Day, the charity has released its first “Wildlife Sightings” report, which is based on a longer-running citizen science project. A total of 1,315 jellyfish sightings were reported to the MCS…
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