Gin and sherry released by new Scottish distillery

The upcoming £10 million Port of Leith Distillery launches its first drinks this week with a new gin and sherry. They celebrate the maritime and distilling heritage of Edinburgh’s historic Port of Leith district. Named after Edinburgh’s Dr James Lind, a hero of the Scottish Enlightenment, who observed that citrus fruits prevented scurvy in the…

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International appeal of Scottish music school

Talented young musicians from throughout Europe have joined Scotland’s National Music School. The reputation of St Mary’s Music School as an inspiring, inclusive and supportive environment for young instrumentalists and choristers continues to grow, as this year 14 new pupils have arrived there, and now has nine international young musicians on its roll. The outstanding…

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A beautiful coach house with a link to Merlin

A stunning Peeblesshire coach house occupying a majestic woodland setting has come to the market. Bellspool Coach House, a striking conversion near Stobo, is now on the market through Strutt & Parker – in an area rich in Arthurian legend. Originally built as stabling and carriage quarters for Dawyck House around 1863 and then developed…

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Young nature champion Xander is honoured

Xander Johnston has been named Young Nature Champion in the RSPB’s prestigious Nature of Scotland Awards for his outstanding dedication to conservation in the Cairngorms National Park. Young Nature Champion is a special new award created this year to mark the Year of Young People in Scotland and the winners were announced at last week’s…

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Tapestry cutting off ceremony is announced

A Scottish studio is inviting art and textile lovers to watch the cutting off of Water Surface 2018, its newest tapestry. Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh is celebrating 10 years in the Infirmary Street studio, and Water Surface 2018 is almost four metres square and has been hand-woven over the past six months by master weaver…

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Beware the dangerous signs of mouth cancer

November is Mouth Cancer Action Month – so it’s important to know the signs and symptoms of this terrible disease. Many people won’t realise that their dentist can actually spot symptoms of mouth cancer during routine check-ups, before referring you on to a hospital for further examination. By going to a regular dental check-up twice…

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Refurb and new name for a popular restaurant

A popular restaurant has reopened with a new name, following a £120,000 refurbishment. Edinburgh restaurant The Dogs is under new ownership after brothers Daniel and Finbarr McNally took over the Hanover Street eatery. Renamed The Perch, it has reopened to the public after a six-week £120,000 refurbishment project by Quiet Man Taverns. Daniel McNally, former…

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A window to a long-forgotten Scottish past

A stunning photographic exhibition taking visitors back in time to old Edinburgh has opened. The City Art Centre showcases an exhibition of vintage street photography by Robert Blomfield, revealing part of a remarkable private archive of his stunning work. Blomfield practised street photography across the UK from the 1950s to the 1970s, beginning in Edinburgh.…

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When Ayrshire was at war with two families

April 2016 marked the 430th anniversary of the Massacre of Annock. Though not an unusual occurrence in the lawlessness of Scotland in the 16th century, that event, and particularly the extent and ferocity of the reprisals that followed, marked the beginning of a change in attitude towards blood feud. ‘Blood feud was the custom of…

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The Scot who was off the strait and narrow

The temptingly wide strip of water was a terrible place to bring a ship in a gale, despite the arrival of a mystery Scot as protector. Only discovered by the British explorer George Bass a few decades before the Cataraqui went down in 1845 – still considered Australia’s worst peacetime disaster – the fact that…

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