Hospitality launches ‘Taste Edinburgh’ campaign

CHEFS have launched a campaign to encourage customers to buy gift vouchers for their favourite Edinburgh restaurants, bars, and hotels this Christmas. The launch of the “Taste Edinburgh” scheme was attended by Michelin-starred cooks Tom Kitchin and Martin Wishart. Other restaurateurs taking part in the campaign include: James Thomson from Prestonfield House Hotel and The…

Read More

Scottish rowan up for European tree award

A ROWAN tree near Moffat will represent Great Britain in a European contest. The Woodland Trust has chosen “The Survivor” at Carrifran to represent Great Britain in the “European Tree of the Year” competition. The public selected “The Survivor” as Scotland’s “Tree of the Year” back in October. It has now beaten off competition from…

Read More

Highlands and islands gift boxes launch

A GIFT box service dedicated to showcasing products from the Highlands and islands has been launched. A Whale of a Time brings together products from independent businesses spread across Inverness, Lochaber, Moray, Wester Ross, and Wick, as well as islands including Harris, Islay, Lewis, Orkney, and Skye. Its range of eight gift boxes stretches from…

Read More

Gizzi Erskine: ‘Soil can be sexy’

CHEF and food writer Gizzi Erskine teamed up with dairy farm Yeo Valley to mark World Soil Day on Saturday. Data released by the United Nations showed that the equivalent of one football field of soil is eroded every five seconds across the world. Yeo Valley invited Erskine to its organic farm to shine “the…

Read More

‘Spectacle of Light’ opens at Dalkeith

DALKEITH Country Park’s second “Spectacle of Light” opened on Saturday. The display runs until 4 January. Midlothian residents are taken on a light and sound journey up through Fort Douglas, Sky Maze, Mini Maze, Rainbow’s End, and into the new Fantasy Forest. The historic Orangerie is also lit for the occasion. Read more stories on…

Read More

The story behind Gleneagles’ Christmas tree

GLENEAGLES may be closed until the end of January, but that hasn’t stopped staff from erecting the hotel’s traditional 47-foot Christmas tree. It took head gardener Duncan Clephane and his team of eight gardeners and two tree decorators a full week to add more than 6,000 lights to the tree. Clephane said: “Deciding on the…

Read More

Is this the ultimate Christmas ice cream?

ICE cream maker Mackie’s has joined forces with Crieff Hydro Hotel to create what could be the ultimate festive flavour. Their turkey and cranberry ice cream will be served to visitors at the hotel’s Glen’s Adventure Park. A gingerbread crumble flavour has also be created. Richard Leckie, manager at the park, he said: “Turkey and…

Read More

Macduff man makes rum in Mauritius

A MACDUFF man has swapped wine making in rainy England for rum making in sunny Mauritius. David Adamson studied winemaking at Plumpton College near Brighton. “I spent some time working at a winery in England, but pruning vines in the cold UK winter wasn’t for me,” he explained. Instead, Adamson has now launched Beach Bum…

Read More

Lidl gets ready to mark ‘daft days’ with poetry

SUPERMARKET chain Lidl has brought together a group of poets to celebrate the “daft days” between Christmas and Epiphany. Poets who have penned verses for the project include Len Pennie, Stuart Paterson, Jo Gilbert, Gary Robertson, and Anne Frater. The German discounter is also running a series of virtual poetry workshops for schools, so pupils…

Read More