Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Drinks 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…
Read MoreFinn Thomson unveils his first whiskies
Richard Bath meets Finn Thomson, who is continuing his family’s whisky connection by setting up his own independent bottling company. I FIRST heard about Finn Thomson through a mutual friend, over a dram in a remote bar in Ardnamurchan. As someone whose day job includes being the editor of both Scottish Field, where whisky coverage…
Read MoreScottish celebrities support Glasgow school’s online auction
A HOST of Scottish celebrities is supporting a silent auction to raise funds for an inner-city primary school in Glasgow. Alan Cumming, Sam Heughan, Sir Ian Rankin, and Elaine C Smith are among the actors, artists, musicians, and writers who have donated more than 100 items. The online auction begins at 6pm on Thursday 10…
Read MoreCall for rural energy price support ‘parity’
RURAL communities in Scotland risk “falling between the cracks” in the UK Government’s energy price support, according to Scottish Land & Estates (SLE). The membership body has written to Scottish secretary Alister Jack calling for more support for rural homes and businesses. Around one-third of rural homes in Scotland aren’t connected to the mains gas…
Read MoreTrossachs lookout tower gets funding
PLANS for a Trossachs lookout tower have been given a boost after securing a £231,000 grant. Funding for the project, which is being organsied by the Steamship Sir Walter Scott Trust, has come from the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF), managed by national tourism marketing agency VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. The trust…
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