Reviews
REVIEW: The Cauldron – A Magical Evening
Megan Amato learns how to mix magical cocktails at The Cauldron pub chain’s Edinburgh branch. EDINBURGH is not short of magical- and witchy-themed shops and enchantments, but The Cauldron on Fredrick Street has always stood out more than the others as it appeals to the local crowd – not just the streams of tourists. The…
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: Ralph & Finns, Glasgow
Peter Ranscombe enjoys chef Kevin O’Neill’s Scottish dishes at Ralph & Finns in Glasgow. WITH its soaring sandstone buildings and its baffling grid-iron street layout, Glasgow city centre is perhaps the last place you’d expect to find that most rural of delicacies – venison. Yet, amid the honking of the bus horns and the wailing…
Read MoreReview: Summer menu at The Ivy, Glasgow
Peter Ranscombe reviews the summer menu at The Ivy restaurant on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street. LET’S face it, it’s been a pretty drab summer so far. Apart from the small matter of a record-breaking, climate change-induced heatwave last month, the weather’s not been quite as sunny as we wanted. That’s why the summer menu at The…
Read MoreReview: Footloose – The King’s Theatre, Glasgow
Kenny Smith pulls on his dancing shoes to review Footloose at The King’s Theatre in Glasgow. WHEN you hear the word “Footloose”, the chances are you’re going to think of the ever-popular 80s film starring Kevin Bacon. However, there’s a new kid in town this week in Glasgow, as Joshua Hawkins sizzles in the role…
Read MoreREVIEW: Six – a tragical history tour with killer songs
Kenny Smith enjoys a musical history lesson. SOMETIMES bringing history to life in a way that will engage a younger generation can be difficult. Remembering monarchs of the past, where their wives came from, and indeed, the order in which they married Henry VIII – and how they died, can be difficult if it’s not…
Read MoreScottish Lion on Patrol is a military classic
With so many WWII books out there, it can be difficult to know where to begin. But this revised version of Scottish Lion on Patrol, a classic regimental tome (first published in 1950), is a great starting point. It is rather complex so requires a solid level of WWII knowledge, but its insights into some…
Read MoreShort stories from the creator of Sherlock Holmes
As Playing with Fire comes from the author who gifted us Sherlock Holmes, you know this is going to be good. Made up of 13 intriguing short stories, ranging from the supernatural to the downright outlandish, this is a further insight into the wonderful imagination of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A favourite of mine is…
Read MoreHow Mary, Queen of Scots, used fabrics in policitcs
Reading Embroidering Her Truth really was a pleasant surprise. In an age when textiles expressed power, Mary, Queen of Scots exploited their symbolism artfully. The most famous example was wearing red – the martyr’s colour – at her execution, but Hunter outlines the many subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which Mary used fabrics to her…
Read MoreAn academic read covering the Romans in Scotland
Think you know about the earliest Roman invasion in Caledonia? Think again. This mind-boggling study offers an alternative view on what happened in AD 83, presents new findings that are well-argued and researched, and calls into question popular historical beliefs about the Roman campaigns. Author Simon Forder also suggests a new location for the Battle…
Read More