Whisky, food and art bouncing back

SCOTTISH tourism and hospitality businesses are continuing to welcome visitors again following the coronavirus lockdown, with distilleries, restaurants and art galleries among the latest sites to entice guests back. Diageo, Scotland’s biggest whisky maker, is reopening its Blair Athol distillery today, with Oban following on Wednesday. Cardhu, Dalwhinnie, Glen Ord and Royal Lochnagar will reopen…

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Borders Book Festival unveils August shows

ACTIVIST and entrepreneur Jeremiah Emmanuel, broadcaster and novelist Sally Magnusson, and author and ex-bishop Richard Holloway are among the writers appearing as part of the Borders Book Festival’s online programme during August. All the talks will be free to watch over the internet, with all of July’s events still available to watch online too. Family…

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Nevis Range extends bike partnership

THE Nevis Range Mountain Experience has extended its commercial partnership with Trek Bikes for another year. As part of the deal, Trek will continue to support Mikayla Parton, Nevis Range’s sponsored downhill and endurance rider in British and international races. During the past year, Trek has supplied Nevis Range with a fleet of mountain bikes,…

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Report reveals Scottish birds’ epic journeys

A TINY bird’s 11,000 kilometre flight from the Isle of Rum to Argentina has been revealed in a new report from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). The Manx Shearwater – weighing only about 400 grams and with a wingspan of around 80 centimetres – migrated from its breeding grounds in Scotland to the sunshine of…

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Old favourites with new ideas as firms continue to reopen

SCOTLAND’S tourism and hospitality businesses are continuing to bounce back from the coronavirus lockdown, with old favourites returning with new ideas to cope with physical distancing. The Lookout, the restaurant at the City Observatory on Edinburgh’s Carlton Hill, will reopen on 30 July with a six-plate set menu for £25 served between midday and 9pm.…

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Inverness named top city for newlyweds

THE Highland capital has been crowed as the best city in the UK for newlyweds thanks to its large number of create spaces and low cost of living. Aberdeen finished second, with Edinburgh in third and Glasgow in fourth, leading to Scotland taking the title of best nation in the UK. The cost of living…

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River Tweed route comes step closer

PLANS to launch a tourist route along the River Tweed have taken a step forward after Borders environmental charity Tweed Forum appointed Luke Fisher as its Destination Tweed project manager. Tweed Forum is working with Scottish Borders Council to create a long-distance route from Moffat to Berwick upon Tweed. The £20 million initiative was awarded…

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‘Dark Kitchen’ takeovers at Glasgow’s The Gate

A SERIES of legendary local chefs will be taking over the kitchen at The Gate pub in Glasgow over the next five weeks. Yu Ca Taco kicks off the line-up this weekend, followed by Baked Pizza. Craig Grozier’s new Fallachan Cart pop-up concept will then run the “Dark Kitchen” on 6-22 August. During its first…

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Harvey Nics among eateries reopening

DEPARTMENT store chain Harvey Nichols will reopen the “Forth Floor” restaurant in its Edinburgh branch on 29 July as Scotland’s hospitality venues continue to return. A one-way system has been introduced in the restaurant, which will have fewer tables to allow for social distancing. On the other side of the city’s St Andrew Square, tomorrow…

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Local Selects boxes boost Scottish food and drink

A GIFT box project launched during lockdown has unveiled plans to continue promoting Scottish food and drink. Local Selects was set up by The Start-up Drinks Lab, a business in Port Glasgow that helps brands develop and bottle new products. Much of its work focuses on bars, pubs and restaurants and so the company had…

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