Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Jackie Bird is new National Trust for Scotland president
TELEVISION presenter Jackie Bird was appointed as president of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) on Saturday. Members of the charity approved her appointment at the trust’s annual general meeting (AGM) in Glasgow. David Mitchell, who convened the AGM as deputy chair of the NTS, said: “Jackie Bird is already a committed friend to the…
Read MoreWhat’s up with whisky: A Tale of Two Elchies
Mark Littler returns with his monthly look at the world of whisky auctions. WELCOME back, and welcome to September. This month we come to you with tales of the Elchies as we chat about the split that is appearing in the whisky bottle market. As we begin autumn, there are signs of softening across areas…
Read MoreREVIEW: A Canadian’s first trip to Royal Deeside
Megan Amato visits Ballater on Royal Deeside for the first time. ON THE east side of the Cairngorms National Park, the “Snow Roads” connects two picturesque and now-thriving villages – Ballater and Braemar – but that wasn’t always the case. Like many rural communities, the area best known for being home to Balmoral Castle, the…
Read MoreREVIEW: “The Book of Mormon”
Grant Dickie reviews The Book of Mormon at the Edinburgh Playhouse theatre. THERE’S just something about a night at the theatre. The grand surroundings, the buzz of the crowd as they filter in, and the anticipation of the show to come. And, on the opening night of The Book of Mormon at the Playhouse in…
Read MoreBaxters hampers help small businesses
LEGENDARY Moray food producer Baxters is launching its first luxury Christmas hampers, with a focus on small Scottish brands. Products that have made their way into the hampers include Wild Hearth Bakery sourdough whisky stollen bread, a Clootie McToot clootie dumpling kit, and Kinalba cashmere socks. Kinloch Anderson has supplied tartan crackers, while the Highland…
Read MoreNational Theatre of Scotland sets sail with Kidnapped
THE National Theatre of Scotland has unveiled its retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novella, Kidnapped. The show will have its world premiere at the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock on 31 March. It will then go on tour to the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Eden Court in Inverness, Perth Theatre, and Northern Stage…
Read MoreFour ospreys fledge at Aberdeenshire fishery
FOUR young ospreys are preparing to fly to West Africa for the winter after fledging from Lochter fishery and activity centre near Oldmeldrum in Aberdeenshire. The fishery has played host to a pair of ospreys each summer for the past 12 years, but they’ve had mixed success with breeding. Buzzards have frequently snatched and eaten…
Read MoreWhisky round-up: awards, auctions, new releases, and more
Peter Ranscombe unwraps a bumper round-up of light-hearted news, releases, and more from the world of whisky. ANNANDALE distillery is toasting a brace of prizes from the Scottish Enterprise Awards. The Globe Inn on Dumfries’ high street, which the distillery took over in 2019, was named as the “best fine dining restaurant in South West…
Read MoreMichelin-starred Maria Jose San Román cooks in Scotland
CHEF Maria Jose San Román – who holds a Michelin star at her restaurant, Monastrell, in Alicante – will be cooking in Scotland as part of the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival. Her film, Time for Olive Oil: The Essence of Sustainability, will be shown at the French Institute in Edinburgh on 6 October. She will…
Read MoreStrathallan School pupil serves for Scotland
STRATHALLAN School pupil Freya Cooper has been selected to represent Scotland at tennis at tomorrow’s Four Nations Junior Championships. Cooper, from Perth, will compete alongside her fellow Scots at the tournament for the second year in a row. The competition, which runs until Sunday, is taking place in Glasgow. She said: “I’m really excited to…
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