Scotland
Oz musical is still the most Wicked ticket in town
A hit international musical is set to fly into Edinburgh next month – and has already sold 65,000 tickets for its four week run. Wicked, the spectacular West End and Broadway musical that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, will begin performances in just four weeks at Edinburgh Playhouse. With so…
Read MoreThe British Army put in focus at new lecture series
A series of 10 lectures covering The British Army in Northern Europe, 1704-1944, are to take place in Edinburgh. Iain Gale will present the lecture series, under the collective title Blenheim to Berlin. The talks will run over 10 months, one per month, starting this June, taking place in the evening, in a private room…
Read MoreA handy guide to enjoying the perfect whisky
It’s the age-old question debated among whisky lovers around the world: what makes the perfect dram? With such a range of flavours and styles of single malts across Scotland, there is a great deal of variation even among whisky aficionados. We asked John MacDonald, distillery manager at Balblair, based in Edderton on the Dornoch Firth, for his opinion…
Read MoreConcern as butterfly numbers drop in survey
Two declining butterflies suffered their worst year on record in 2017 after hopes of a butterfly revival were dashed by a chilly snap in spring and a gloomy, wet summer, a study has revealed. Grayling and Grizzled Skipper recorded their lowest numbers since records began as difficult weather conditions caused problems for some of the…
Read MoreCollection honours former still house’s final spirit
Spirit from the final days of Glenmorangie’s former still house is being ncelebrated in a new dram. The cask assemblage of Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1989 is the first Glenmorangie expression to be part-matured in rare ex-Côte-Rôtie casks. This rich and complex single malt whisky is the second limited release in Glenmorangie’s prized Vintage Collection…
Read MoreBook review: Japanese Whisky by Brian Ashcraft
What’s the story? Japanese whisky has been around for less than a century, and this book by Brian Ashcraft, with Idzuhiko Ueda and Yuji Kawasaki, highlights the rapid growth in the industry, revealing the secrets of the master distillers of the Far East. It features never-before-published archival images and interviews chronicling the forgotten stories of…
Read MoreTasty options and a good atmosphere make Tapa a hit
Tapa This Leith eatery in a converted warehouse tucked away just off The Shore in Leith is where we often go as a family for a lazy Sunday lunch with friends. It’s relaxed, child-friendly, able to cope with big groups and there’s always space. The £15 set lunch is good, but we like the costillas,…
Read MoreSpirits firm move gin production to Isle of Colonsay
Wild Thyme Spirits is moving gin production to its base on the beautiful Inner Hebridean island of Colonsay this month. The first ‘island batch’ of Colonsay Gin set to run from the still by the end of May. Founders of Wild Thyme Spirits, husband and wife team, Fin and Eileen Geekie relocated from Oxfordshire to…
Read MoreTaking Scotland to the world at tourism Expo
VisitScotland will be telling the world to get on their bikes and come to Scotland. The national tourism organisation is exporting Scotland to the world with the flagship Expo event which will see around 600 tour operators and travel agents from over 30 countries – including the USA, Japan, Brazil, Russia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia…
Read MoreTullibardine announces latest single malt release
Tullibardine Distillery has announced the global release of the latest expression to join its range of Highland single malt whiskies. The Murray Châteauneuf-du-Pape was distilled in 2005 and bottled this year at 46 per cent volume. Following initial maturation in first-fill American oak barrels, the ruby malt has been re-casked in classic wine barriques sourced from…
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