Anonymous buyer of world’s biggest whisky bottle revealed

The anonymous buyer of the largest bottle of whisky ever created, which sold for  £1.1 million in Edinburgh, has been revealed.  Whisky aficionado Viet Nguyen Dinh Tuan added the 5ft 11in tall bottle, known as The Intrepid, to his collection in Vietnam this week. The dram was conceived by Daniel Monk of Cask World and…

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Monarch of the Glen moved to new home

One of the most celebrated paintings in the world – the iconic The Monarch of the Glen by Sir Edwin Landseer – is on the move to its new home. With only one month to go until the opening of the new Scottish galleries at the National in Edinburgh, The Monarch of the Glen is one of over…

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Critically endangered piglets born at Edinburgh Zoo

Four critically endangered piglets born at Edinburgh Zoo have been named. Vets discovered the ten-week-old Visayan warty piglets were are all female at their first health check and keepers have named the adorable sisters Hilda, Effy, Esme and Ruth.   Visayan warty pigs are critically endangered and there is thought to be as few as 200…

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STORIES: THE ROYAL EDINBURGH MILITARY TATTOO 2023

As the curtain closes on another successful Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Rosie Morton reflects on this year’s Show. THE skirl of the Lone Piper reverberated around the Esplanade, taking 2023’s Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo to a poignant close.  The haunting drone echoed through the 8,800-strong audience and beyond. All eyes gazed up at the piper’s…

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Recipes: A sea trout summer special

Head chef at the Dalmore Inn, Iain Naysmith, shares his summer special – fillet of sea trout, crushed new potatoes, endive, seared scallop, piquillo and pepper coulis. Iain, who is from Edinburgh originally but currently lives in Inchture, has been working in a kitchen since he was 17. Having started his training at Prestonfield House…

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Scotland’s thriving rum scene

Peter Holland, co-host of The Scottish Rum Festival masterclasses, tells us about Scotland’s thriving rum scene ahead of this year’s festival.    Ever since Dark Matter hit the news in 2015 for being the first Scottish Rum-producing distillery to open in the modern era, the Scottish Rum scene has been growing year on year. Fast…

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Tattoo performers head for ball pit

FOUR of the performers from the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo have taken time out to enjoy the capital’s biggest ball pit. The perforners have been playing in the Electro Pipes section of the tattoo, which “fuses together traditional bagpipe melodies with contemporary electronic beats to craft a lively and vibrant experience”. “The tattoo performers taking…

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Festival Review: Phaedra/Minotaur

Madeleine Sutton reviews Phaedra/Minotaur at the Edinburgh International Festival. IN THIS production of Phaedra/Minotaur – which pairs Benjamin Britten’s final poignant cantata Phaedra, with the moving new dance piece Minotaur – opera and theatre director Deborah Warner and choreographer Kim Brandstrup take us through themes of passion, female desire, and devastation. Phaedra, based on Robert…

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Famous penguin Sir Nils Olav gets promoted

ARGUABLY the world’s most famous penguin, Sir Nils Olav, has been promoted once more. Olav was raised from the rank of brigadier to major-general during a ceremony at Edinburgh Zoo. More than 160 members of the King’s Guard Band & Drill Team of Norway attended the event and bestowed Olav with his latest honour. The…

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Fringe Review: Trash Test Dummies

Alister Tenneb reviews Trash Test Dummies at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. THIS acrobatic/circus/slapstick performance essentially revolves around three wheelie bins – doesn’t fill you with delight? The show is geared towards kids ten years and under and judging by the near constant shouts, shrieks, squeals of laughter from their younger attendees they certainly know their…

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