News
Whisky casks go digital
RESEARCHERS at the University of Strathclyde have developed a computer simulation to help whisky distillers fill their casks without spilling any spirit. As well as the computer program, the engineers built a cask-filling test rig and achieved 99% consistency when filling a 200-litre cask in less than one minute. Inconsistent cask filling can lead to too…
Read MoreOnline gigs from stunning locations
SOME of Scotland’s best-known locations will form the backdrop for a series of performances on the new “Music Is The Answer” Youtube channel. The Forth Bridge, the Glenfinnan Viaduct and McCaig’s Tower at Oban are just some of the sites that will play host to artists including Be Charlotte, Luke La Volpe, and Oakzy B…
Read MoreTurning beer byproducts into chairs
GRAINS left over from beer brewing and gin distilling are being turned into tables and chairs for Dundee Science Centre. Aymeric Renoud named his furniture making business after “draff”, the wet grains left behind when beer is made. Renoud adds a binder to draff from 71 Brewing in Dundee and botanicals used to make gin…
Read MoreJohnnie Walker unveils paper whisky bottle
THE world’s biggest Scotch whisky brand will go on sale in paper bottles from next year. Johnnie Walker has unveiled what it bills as the world’s first plastic-free, paper-based spirits bottle. The bottle is made from sustainable-sourced wood and can be recycled after it’s been used. Ewan Andrew, chief sustainability officer at Diageo, the company…
Read MoreEdinburgh, Stirling and Urquhart castles to reopen
HISTORIC Environment Scotland (HES) has unveiled plans to reopen Edinburgh, Stirling and Urquhart castles on 1 August, while Blair Castle will hold a family fun day this Saturday. The three HES castles will be the first of its ticketed sites to reopen. A further 23 venues – including Fort George, Glasgow Cathedral, Skara Brae, and…
Read MoreGlasgow Distillery expands exports after bank deal
THE Glasgow Distillery Company has borrowed £5.5 million from Barclays to help grow its overseas sales. The distillery will lay down more spirit to turn into whisky after signing a deal to sell drinks to Russia. Distribution deals covering Belgium and Luxembourg are also being developed. Europe is already the firm’s biggest overseas market, with…
Read MoreScottish Opera’s emerging artists’ online recital
FOUR young singers will perform an online recital to mark the end of their season as Scottish Opera’s emerging artists. Arthur Bruce, Charlie Drummond, Heather Ireson and Mark Nathan have put together a short, light-hearted programme of operatic highlights, which will be streamed live at 6pm on 23 July. The season marks the tenth anniversary…
Read MoreUK’s biggest e-bike shop to open in Edinburgh
THE Electric Cycle Company (ECC) has unveiled plans to open the UK’s biggest e-bike shop in Edinburgh. The firm has launched a £70,000 crowdfunding campaign to raise the cash it needs to convert its 4,000 square-foot premises on Crewe Road North, which will be four times larger than its previous shop on Granton Road. The new…
Read MoreThreatened plants and wildlife get £1.8m
SIXTEEN projects to save Scotland’s wildlife an plants have been awarded £1.8 million from the Scottish Government’s Biodiversity Challenge Fund. Schemes receiving cash include Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust’s Endrick Legacy Project, which was awarded nearly £100,000 to tackle a wide range of highly-destructive invasive species, including Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed, American mink and American signal…
Read MoreActor embarks on epic 1000-mile horse-ride for charity
For all its trials, lockdown has been a time of reflection. Some of us have returned to the simple pleasures of an old hobby, others have reconnected with distant relatives, while stopping to smell the roses on daily walks has proved invaluable for others. But for Edinburgh-born actor and riding instructor Louis Hall, who has…
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