Craft distilleries call for clarity on covid support

EIGHT of Scotland’s craft distillers have written to the Scottish Government seeking clarity on whether they qualify for support during the coronavirus pandemic. The group of spirit producers said that some of its members have been turned down by their local councils for the 12 month business rate holiday promised by Scottish ministers, while others…

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Leith Theatre gets £11,000 grant and support package

WORK to reopen Leith Theatre is taking a further step forward after the category B-listed building was awarded a grant from Theatres Trust. The theatre, which lay empty between 1988 and 2016, has been awarded £11,000 to support Leith Theatre Trust with business planning, leadership training and a package of consultancy work to strengthen its…

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Unexpected online benefits for Glenalmond College

SWITCHING to distance learning has brought a range of unexpected benefits at Glenalmond College, according to the head of the Perthshire school. The independent institution, which has around 360 pupils aged between 12 and 18 on its roll, reported “a very positive response” from parents, including an “exceptionally strong” attendance at its first online parents’…

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Lyon & Turnbull holds fundraising auction for Masks for Scotland

A TOUR around the Kelpies with sculpture Andy Scott, dinner at Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Windyhill House and a round for three people at Gullane golf club are just some of the lots up for bids at auction house Lyon & Turnbull’s online fundraising effort for Masks for Scotland, which is buying personal protective equipment (PPE)…

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Blair residents develop taste for oysters

IT MAY be nowhere near the sea, but residents in Blairgowrie have developed a taste for oysters thanks to their new fishmonger. Restaurateur Willie Little, who runs Little’s Restaurant in a converted church over the bridge in Rattray, opened Fish in Blair in premises that were previously home to the Wellmeadow restaurant. Little, who also…

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Vinyl revival continues for Scottish record retailer

SCOTS have turned to their turntables for solace during lockdown, according to the owner of a Scottish record label and retail chain. Assai Records boss Keith Ingram has shops in Dundee and Edinburgh, and has tuned in to a “significant” rise in online sales through Amazon marketplace since movement restrictions were introduced in March. Ingram’s…

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Scotch on canvas: the art of whisky

John Robertson, founder of consultancy firm Messrs Whisky & Co, finds out why Argentine artist Gisela Garcia Gleria was inspired to put whisky on canvas and how she captures the subtle essences of the dram. THE subjects of fine art and Scotch whisky might not be obvious companions but, when the two come together, it…

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Morrison’s Academy teams up with Dragons’ Den star Peter Jones

SCOTLAND’S first Peter Jones Enterprise Academy is launching at Morrison’s Academy, the independent school in Crieff. Pupils at the school will gain “real world experience by bringing the boardroom to the classroom” thanks to the partnership with the Peter Jones Foundation for Enterprise. The school said that the new academy will “help foster a culture enterprise,…

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Hive of activity as World Bee Day takes flight

Perthshire is all abuzz for World Bee Day, with Kinross-based Webster Honey placing more than 100 new hives at sites including Crieff, Dunning and the Strathallan Estate. As well as producing honey, the hives will be used in beekeeping workshops for schools and nurseries once they reopen, and to give businesses sponsorship opportunities. Meik Molitor,…

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