Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Whisky news round-up: Leith, Royal Mile, and more
Peter Ranscombe takes another light-hearted look at the latest whisky news. FANCY helping to invent new whiskies? Then Port of Leith has the answer. The £12 million vertical distillery – which is being built next to Ocean Terminal in, erm, the port of Leith – is launching a “quality control division” for its fans. Members…
Read MoreFossils hunters have their say on Scottish Fossil Code
SCOTLAND’S fossil hunters are having their say on the revised Scottish Fossil Code. NatureScot, the Scottish Government agency known previously as Scottish Natural Heritage, published the code in 2008. It’s now being revised, with the next version due to be issued early next year. Katherine Leys, NatureScot’s head of biodiversity and geodiversity, said: “Fossil collecting…
Read MoreLowland & Border Pipers’ Society comes to Perth tomorrow
THE Lowland & Border Pipers’ Society is holding its annual conference in Perth tomorrow for the first time. The conference – or “collogue” – will take place at the Fair City’s Royal George Hotel. A concert follows the conference in the evening. Performers at the evening concert will include: Brìghde Chaimbeul and Fin Moore; Pete…
Read MoreSecret Garden Distillery bought by Admiral founder
THE founder of insurer Admiral Group has bought the Secret Garden Distillery on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Kate Armstrong was one of the founders of Admiral and was the founding managing director of price comparison website Confused.com Her daughters, Isobel and Imogen, will run the distillery and focus on brand and product development. Head distiller…
Read MoreAtlantic Salmon Trust auction is open
THE Atlantic Salmon Trust has launched its annual auction to raise money for research. More than 100 lots are up for grabs, including fishing, shooting, and stalking experiences at some of Scotland’s most exclusive locations. Works of art, clothing, and food and drink are also going under the online hammer. Wild salmon stocks have plunged…
Read MoreGlasgow Print Studio marks National Poetry Day
TO MARK National Poetry Day, Glasgow Print Studio is holding a preview tonight of a exhibition inspired in part by Scottish poet Sorley MacLean. Artist Ken Currie took inspiration for “Chunnacas na mairbh beò” – “The Dead Have Been Seen Alive” – from MacLean’s poem “Hallaig”, about the clearances on the Isle of Raasay. The…
Read MoreBorn Free brings 25 bronze lions to Edinburgh
TWENTY-FIVE life-sized bronze statues of lions will be unveiled today in Edinburgh by international wildlife charity Born Free. The statues include one of Elsa, the lion made famous in the 1966 film Born Free. The exhibition will spend the next three months in The Meadows, with three of the statues appearing in St Andrew Square.…
Read MoreREVIEW: Lagg Distillery’s maiden single malt
James Robertson reviews the maiden whisky from Lagg Distillery on Arran. LAGG Distillery, the sister distillery owned by Isle of Arran Distillers, has launched its inaugural limited release single malt. A heavily-peated whisky matured in ex bourbon barrels, batch one has been highly anticipated and it does not disappoint. Lagg is located on the southern…
Read MoreScottish hotels triumph in Conde Nast list
SCOTLAND’S hotels have taken four of the top ten spots at Conde Nast Traveller magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards, with Glasgow named as the UK’s friendliest city. The Fife Arms in Aberdeenshire topped the list of the best hotels outside London, with Edinburgh duo The Caledonian at number three and The George at number seven, with…
Read MoreREVIEW: “South Pacific”
Kenny Smith reviews South Pacific at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow. GROWING up, my parents’ musical tastes were more Gilbert and Sullivan than Lennon and McCartney, and definitely more Rodgers and Hammerstein than Chaka Demus and Pliers. So, I’ve always had an appreciation for a good musical, especially those from the Rodgers and Hammerstein stable,…
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