Scotland
Tiny distillery clinches international sales deals
The Ullapool-based Highland Liquor Company is celebrating after securing the first international orders of their acclaimed Seven Crofts gin to Canada and eastern Europe. The new contracts will see around 700 cases sent initially 4000 bottles of gin with the prospect of further orders later in the year – less than two years after the…
Read MoreNew Scottish rum has more than half sold out already
A Scottish-based drinks business has launched a new rum brand, Cabal. And more than half of the first batch of Harpalion Spirits’ first expression No.1513 has already been sold during the pre-order phase. Cabal No.1513 will be available to trade and consumers on two-day delivery from next week, with the first batch being bottled on…
Read MoreHit the street with the delicious Ozen Street Food
A steady stream of delivery drivers, insulated bags open and ready to receive brown paper packages of food, approach the fire exit doorway of Bourbon nightclub, tucked away on Edinburgh’s Rose Street North Lane. As I chat to co-owner of Ozen Street Food Mahdi Ben Hamou AKA Mezzo, I do my best not to salivate…
Read MoreWe’ve an exclusive preview of new whisky book
A full colour guide to Scotland’s whisky distilleries across all regions, aimed at whisky fans and the many tourists visiting the country each year, is being released next month. Whisky, a major industry in Scotland which ties in both with the country’s history and present-day attraction, has been boosted thanks to a modern-day surge in…
Read MoreFascinating places and facts from the Kingdom of Fife
Have you heard the tale of Elie’s Janet Fall, who demanded a village be flattened to improve her own views? Or seen Gateside’s The Bunnet Stane, an Aeolian sculpture from aeons past? How about visiting the resident ghost at St Rule’s Tower in St Andrews? This book is crammed with short, sharp snippets on Fife’s…
Read MoreMacCloud falls is an absorbing and pleasant read
Scottish antiquarian Gilbert travels to British Columbia to research an early settler he believes may have been his runaway grandfather. Here, he strikes up an unexpected connection with a woman he meets on the plane. Beautifully descriptive and almost lyrical in parts, I was transfixed by the vibrant scenery. If you like short, punchy chapters…
Read MoreSheila Fleet opens stunning new jewellery retail gallery
Orkney-based jewellery designer Sheila Fleet OBE has opened a brand-new gallery in the heart of historic St Andrews. After over a year in development, Sheila is delighted to have opened the doors to her new gallery. The store will be the designer’s fifth jewellery gallery. Sheila Fleet, together with interior designer/artist Marion Yorston, present and…
Read MoreA handy guide on teaching yourself new life skills
When this breezeblock-sized hardback book – subtitled ‘214 Things You Can Actually Learn How to Do’ – slammed onto my desk I must admit that I almost laughed. This is like one of those pre-internet general interest books we used to have in the seventies. Unlike tongue-in-cheek retro tomes such as The Dangerous Book For…
Read MoreWhisky tributes released for Glasgow and Edinburgh
A pair of whiskies celebrating Scotland’s two largest cities have been released, with Compass Box Artist Blend and Glasgow Blend. Artist Blend (formally Great King Street Artist’s Blend) is a tribute to Edinburgh, and the new label depicts an artist in front of the world-famous Scottish National Gallery and embodies the creative spirit of Compass…
Read MoreThe incredible life of Scottish icon Stanley Baxter
This authorised biography has generated headlines because in it 95-year-old Stanley Baxter comes out as gay, yet there is so much more to this account of the actor’s life than that revelation. This jauntily-written book is a veritable treasure trove of anecdotes that shine a light on one of Scotland’s most beloved, yet most enigmatic,…
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