Escape the festival and enjoy an afternoon tea

If the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh city centre in the midst of the Fringe Festival is too much for you, then you probably want an afternoon tea. This week is National Afternoon Tea Week and the Restoration Café in Dalkeith Country Park is offering a scrumptious afternoon tea in stunning surroundings. Enjoy what has…

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Arts festival needs to raise £80,000 for it to continue

A leading Scottish independent arts festival is appealing to raise £80,000 in funding so it can continue. Hidden Door is appealing for help to secure its future, as Edinburgh’s alternative arts festival has grown fast over the last five years. It began as an experimental project launched by a group of volunteers in 2014, and…

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Festival fringe comedy review: Jason Byrne

A Fringe stalwart and deservedly sold out many nights, Jason Byrne is the archetypal Irish stand up. He berates life, his idiosyncratic working class childhood and then picks on a few brave souls in the audience to tease, mock and generally make them the butt of a stream of jokes. His quick wit and the…

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Fringe review: Paul Merton’s Impro Chums

Paul Merton may be best known as a team captain on Have I Got News For You, but he’s also one of the country’s best improvisational comedians. He and his highly professional Impro Chums take genuine audience suggestions (unlike some impro shows) and create hilarious scenarios of random nonsense that are guaranteed to have you…

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Edinburgh Fringe: Baby Wants Candy review

Sold out for the past three years, Baby Wants Candy’s improvised show is a Fringe classic. Performed by six energetic Americans, the show I saw was Papa Peea – a play on the new Mamma Mia movie, with roles reversed so the debate is who is the mother of the young lady in question. As…

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Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Tape Face

Come see Tape Face, they said. We saw it when it first came to the Festival and it was brilliant, they said. He must be exceptional because he won America’s Got Talent, they said. Of course, they said all of that before we had been to see one of the worst shows I’ve ever seen.…

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Vegans won’t be left out during the festival

Vegans looking for somewhere in Edinburgh to eat during the festival have been given a new option. The Chanter, at 30 – 32 Bread Street, will launched a brand new menu on August 7, and there’s something for everyone, especially vegans. New on-trend dishes include a Vegan Burger – a spicy bean burger topped with mixed…

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A festival of gin is now underway in Scotland

A festival of gin is currently underway in Edinburgh – and it’s bigger and better than ever. Nicholson’s Gin Fest has returned for its third year, which started on 16 July and this year is showcasing an extensive range of 40 rare, premium and limited-edition batch gins across the 77-strong estate. Celebrating Nicholson’s long-standing historical…

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Pioneer launches a new gin for airport market

One of the pioneers of the Scottish gin renaissance has this month unveiled the first-ever extension to its range. Almost a decade after it launched, Caorunn Small Batch Scottish Gin has released Caorunn Gin Master’s Cut. Crafted exclusively for the travel retail channel by Caorunn’s longstanding gin master Simon Buley at Balmenach Distillery in the…

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Gaelic events celebrated at Glasgow festival

A cultural festival is taking place in Glasgow next month, to tie in with the arrival of international athletes at the Glasgow 2018 European Championships. Festival 2018 will run from August 2-12, and will feature a dynamic cultural programme, which includes a number of great events from Gaelic Arts. Naming the Tree (Ag ainmeachadh na…

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