Posts by Peter Ranscombe
Scottish Pipe Band Championships head to Dumbarton
LOCAL pipers Rowan Murdoch and Beth Turner will be hoping for strong home support when the Scottish Pipe Band Championships begin in Dumbarton on Saturday. More than 100 pipe bands will play for 25,000 visitors at one of the biggest free bagpipe competitions in the world. Rowan, 19, who will compete in the drum majors…
Read MoreBlas Festival line-up unveiled
THE line-up for this year’s Blas Festival has been revealed, featuring 40 concerts and ceilidhs across the Highlands and islands. Julie Fowlis, Mary Ann Kennedy, and Megan Henderson are among the artists who will be taking to the stages on 2-10 September. The festival opens with a new musical commission, The Summer Walkers, by Tain…
Read MoreDressed to Kilt: Don’t miss these fashion photos
THE celebrity Dressed to Kilt fashion show returned to New York on Saturday, with Scottish designers leading the way. The theme for this year’s show was ““Dress for Adventure: From the Highlands to the Hamptons”. Singer Edward Reid, who starred in Britain’s Got Talent in 2011, performed at the show. This year’s event, which raised…
Read MoreWine in a paper bottle – whatever next!
Drinks blogger James Robertson reviews Laithwaites’ Bacchus wine in a paper bottle. WINE retailer Laithwaites has recently launched the Redbrook Estate Bacchus 2021 in a wonderfully eye-catching paper bottle. As many drinks producers have found out this year, glass is at a premium but, for winemaker Neil Walker, the self-penned “chief troublemaker and wine revolutionist”,…
Read MoreX Muse: a vodka that tips its hat to Scotch whisky
In his final blog post for The Grape & The Grain, Peter Ranscombe visits Jupiter Artland near Edinburgh to try its new X Muse vodka. IT’S not every day that you taste a vodka inside a temple. But, then again, it’s not every day that you taste a vodka that’s made like X Muse. The…
Read MoreWhisky Round-up: National Festival, Inverness, and more
Peter Ranscombe takes another light-hearted look at what’s happening in the world of whisky. THE National Whisky Festival returns to Summerhall in Edinburgh in December, following on from its events in Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Inverness. Tickets have gone on sale for the Edinburgh leg, which will feature distillers and bottlers, along with musicians and disc…
Read MoreControlled burning call to prevent wildfires
LAND managers are calling on the Scottish Government to support controlled burning to help prevent wildfires. Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), the body that represents rural businesses and land managers, said 440 wildfires have been reported in the UK this week, in both rural and urban areas. The organisation said that controlled burning would reduce…
Read More‘Paws at the Palace’ returns to Scone
SCONE will host its “Paws at the Palace” event for dogs and their owners again on 4 September. The event will include games, parades, agility classes, and demonstrations. Other attractions will include cool-down areas, stalls selling gifts and gear, and food stalls – for both dogs and humans. According to data from Booking.com, Perth and…
Read MoreBeethoven and Burns celebrated in new film
THE Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) is marking today’s anniversary of the very first Burns supper by releasing a film that celebrates the link between Beethoven and Burns. The first Burns supper was held on 21 July 1801, five years after the poet’s death. The RCS filmed Beethoven, Burns and the Folksong over three days…
Read MoreGreat British Beach Clean launches today
THE Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is today launching its annual Great British Beach Clean. The charity wants volunteers to help clean beaches on 16-25 September, and to record the rubbish that they collect. The MCS has used data collected to campaign for carrier bag charges, single-use plastic bans, and Scotland’s deposit return scheme for bottles…
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