Let’s talk about… storing whisky

The experts from the Edinburgh Whisky Academy share their top tips for looking after your Scotch. A CANDIDATE contacted us recently to ask whether a piece of cork found floating in a bottle of whisky could spoil its flavour. It is a good question and variations of it are frequently asked: “How long does whisky…

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Buchan filmmaker reaches overseas lockdown fans

A FILMMAKER from Aberdeenshire has found a new international audience for her videos about the Buchan coastline during lockdown. Jill McWilliam, who runs the Doric Future website, began recording the videos to reflect on her own life and the lives of her neighbours. Her videos capture the natural beauty of the landscape and also the history…

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Robert Burns and Harry Potter go under the hammer

LETTERS written by the national bard and a signed copy of the first Harry Potter novel are among the lots up for sale on Wednesday at Lyon & Turnbull’s online auction. The auctioneer said that one of the highlights of its sale is a signed letter from Robert Burns to his “kind funny friend” Francis Grose…

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Rum distillery prepares to release summer liqueurs

PAUL and Jacine Rutasikwa, the husband-and-wife team behind Matugga Distillers in Livingston, are getting ready to launch a pair of rum liqueurs. Their honey and lavender and raspberry and hibiscus flavours will go on sale next month. They’ll join the navy strength, pot distilled and black spiced rums in the company’s Liv range, which was…

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School delivers 700 online lessons each week

STRATHALLAN SCHOOL is delivering 700 live online lessons each week to its pupils during the lockdowns. Its “Strath Worldwide” remote learning facilities will have be used to conduct more than 7,000 lessons by the end of the independent school’s summer term. Other online activities have included one-to-one tutorials, sports and training sessions, music lessons, ensemble…

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Trailer lands for Scottish Opera’s fishy tale

SCOTTISH Opera will next week unveil its latest work online – and it’s released a trailer to whet your appetite. The Narcissistic Fish is set in the kitchen of a seafood restaurant in Leith. The 12-minute film is a collaboration between Scottish Opera composer in residence Samuel Bordoli, The Panopticon author Jenni Fagan and the company’s…

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Scottish artist scoops award in Derwent Art Prize

A SCOTTISH artist has taken second place in the Derwent Art Prize, which attracted 4,756 entries from 1,884 artists in  72 different countries. Irvine-based Maree Hughes, who studied at Glasgow School of Art, was awarded £2,000 for 15. Fellow Scottish artist Charles Avery – who was one of the judges alongside director of Turner Contemporary Victoria…

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Highland food producers gather for online discussion

A SECOND online panel discussion organised by the newly-launched Highland Food & Drink Club (HFDC) is due to take place on Thursday at 2pm on Zoom. John Murray, who launched the HFDC in April, said this week’s session for Highland food producers will include a look at new markets, shopping trends and recovery planning. This…

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Island businesses join forces for online whisky tastings

CANNED water brand Larkfire has been teaming up with island distilleries including Highland Park and Jura and a new whisky retailer to offer online tastings during lockdown. Larkfire founder James McIntosh joined forces with Iain Faller, founder of The Island Spirit Whisky Shop, to hold the first “Whisky & Wild” tasting last month, which featured…

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Online talk to reveal secrets of two impressive Inverness buildings

CONSERVATION architect Calum Maclean will present an online talk on Thursday covering two of the most historic buildings in the Highland capital – the former Inverness Royal Academy and the Rose Street Foundry. Both buildings were designed by the Ross & Macbeth architecture practice. The talk has been organised by the Inverness Townscape Heritage Project…

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