Mimi’s puts the ‘tea’ in Edinburgh Gin’s ‘G&T’

TWO of Edinburgh’s best-known food and drink brands have teamed up to offer a “G&T” with a difference. For four weekends, Mimi’s Bakehouse and Edinburgh Gin are selling an “Afternoon G&Tea” package to customers in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Each set contains six mini traybakes, two mini elderflower cupcakes and two freshly-baked plain scones with Rodda’s…

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Appointment-only for Laings reopening

JEWELLERY chain Laings is to reopen its shops in Edinburgh and Glasgow on 30 June, with customers booking appointments. Its Southampton store is already trading again and its Cardiff site will also follow suit on 30 June. The branches will be open from 10am to 4pm from Tuesdays through to Saturdays. Retail director Stuart McDowell…

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Visitors return to Scotland’s four royal botanic gardens

DETAILS of the reopening of Scotland’s four royal botanic gardens will be unveiled on Wednesday, including how to pre-book tickets to enter the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. All four gardens – at Benmore in Argyll, Dawyck in the Borders, Edinburgh, and Logan in Galloway – will reopen on 1 July. Visitors will need to book…

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Gorgie City Farm prepares to reopen

A SMALL farm near Edinburgh’s city centre is preparing to reopen next Monday after closing during the coronavirus lockdown. Gorgie City Farm will be open every day from 9.30am to 4.30pm to give visitors the chance to see alpacas, cows, goats, pigs and sheep. A one-way system has been introduced and an open picnic area…

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Lomond to offer two International Baccalaureates

LOMOND School is set to become the first institution in Scotland to offer two International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes and a Higher National Certificate (HNC) to its fifth- and sixth-year pupils. The independent school will offer an IB diploma programme and an IB careers programme, as well as an HNC in business studies. Lomond, which is…

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A red refresher course with Lidl

An evening of red wine tasting gave Peter Ranscombe an appetite for exploring more of the discounter’s core range. LIDL’S “Wine Tour” promotions are an addictive wee gimmick – every eight weeks or so, the supermarket chain releases a couple of dozen wines in limited quantities – so when they’re gone, they’re gone. The set that…

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Outlander star Sam Heughan reflects on his Steiner school days

HOLLYWOOD heartthrob Sam Heughan has spoken about his time as a pupil at the Edinburgh Steiner School during a new online video interview. The star of Outlander, the television series based on the historical fantasy books by Diana Gabaldon, said: “The Steiner education gives you this understanding about the world; that you are not being…

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One Year No Beer: a lockdown lifeline

Looking to change your relationship with alcohol? Peter Ranscombe reports on a Scottish firm’s online programme. FOR so many of us who have been staying safe at home with no exposure to the coronavirus, it’s been a lockdown of memes. Memes about face coverings, memes about zoom quizzes, memes about TikTok challenges. One set of…

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Seafood restaurant nets covid bank loan

ONDINE, one of Edinburgh’s best-known seafood restaurants, has landed a £50,000 bounce back loan from the UK Government. The loans, which were unveiled by Chancellor Rishi Sunak on 27 April, are designed to help businesses to recover from the coronavirus lockdowns. The 80-seat restaurant has continued to serve local customers through its “Ondine At Home”…

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