Wine to Dine – June 2021 – The Harbour Café

Scottish Field wine columnist Peter Ranscombe scours the hills and shores for five bottles to take to the harbour. AS SPRING segues into summer, there’s no better time to visit the coast – or The Harbour Café at Elie, in Fife, which stars in the food feature in June’s issue of Scottish Field magazine. Being…

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Offers over £1.5 million for a private residential estate

A stunning nine-bedroom property with an indoor swimming pool has been brought to the market for offers over £1.5 million. Presented by Knight Frank, Camusericht Lodge sits in a wonderfully private position facing south with impressive views towards Loch Rannoch with the distant peaks of Glen Lyon. The traditional sporting lodge has been refurbished to…

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Ten fantastic walks to enjoy in Aberdeenshire

As spring is finally here and summer is on the horizon, we are all desperate to get back into the great outdoors with a bit of sunshine. Here’s our top 10 walks in Aberdeenshire for our readers to enjoy – COVID-19 safe of course! Scolty A five minute drive from Banchory, Scolty Hill is popular…

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Tales of the unexpected from Aldi and Lidl

Peter Ranscombe discovers some surprises among the latest wines released by Lidl and Aldi. DRAW closer and let me tell you some tales of the unexpected. There’s the tale of the sauvignon blanc from Hungary. There’s the story of the sangiovese from Chile. And there’s the legend of the riesling – from Canada. Supermarket chain…

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A delicious foccia to make at home

As lockdown continues, we are all looking to find things to keep us busy. Thanks to Katia Crolla, owner of the East Coast, a restaurant in Musselburgh, East Lothian, we can try making a delicious bread. The East Coast is the next chapter for the Crolla family, who have been serving the folk of Musselburgh…

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Why does Portuguese wine taste so different?

Peter Ranscombe hits the trail to find out what makes Portugal’s wine so special. IT WASN’T the grapes that first brought Peter Bright to Portugal – it was the surfing. Winemakers seem to have an affinity for the waves, no matter whether they’re from California or South Africa or Australia. Bright’s first visit to Portugal…

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Find fantastic fizz for your Valentine’s Day at home

Whether you want splash-out sparklers or bubbles on a budget, Peter Ranscombe has you covered. FEW dates strike fear into the hearts of wine fans like the fourteenth of February. Should I buy bubbles? Should the wine match the food? Should I shake the bottle and spray the room like I’ve just won an F1…

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Online wine tasting just went hi-tech

Peter Ranscombe logs on to tech entrepreneur Michael Baum’s Vivant virtual wine tasting platform – and he’s impressed by what he sees. I GUESS is was just a matter of time before online wine tastings got the gamification treatment. When every other aspect of our lives – from logging the miles we slog on running…

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New initiative makes it easier to fish in lockdown

The Scottish salmon fishing season begins today, February 1. Angling clubs, charities and a fishery board have come together to remove barriers for angling enthusiasts and those curious to know more about fishing this year in the Forth basin as a pilot project to reinvigorate some of Scotland’s best loved rivers is launched. With preparations…

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Ten easy ways to help Scotland’s wildlife

HALF of Scots want to do more to help our native wildlife, according to new figures. NatureScot, formerly Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), carried out its research during the pandemic, when more people visited nature reserves and green spaces in cities. The Scottish Government agency has now come up with ten top tips to help Scots…

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