Essential California: the ‘unusual’ organic suspects

In the second part of his report from the ‘Essential California’ virtual tasting, Peter Ranscombe goes beyond the usual suspects. IN THE days running up to Scotland’s first lockdown, one of the final wine tastings I attended was the “Essential Calfornia” event in London. In the hustle and bustle of a hotel in the city’s…

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Scottish Field unveils its new podcast series

Scottish Field this week launches its own brand new podcast series. For the uninitiated, a podcast is an spoken word audio file which can be streamed or downloaded from the internet, which a user can put on a personal device of their choice for easy listening. In the first episode, web editor Kenny Smith and…

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New podcast lifts the lid on the passion of whisky

A new monthly podcast series from anCnoc whisky is set to lift the lid on the passion, process and personalities that go into making some of the world’s most expertly crafted products. Knock Tales Whisky Podcast with Gordon Bruce will hear the Knockdhu distillery manager enjoy a dram and a bit of ‘craic’ with fellow…

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Spot the smaller things in nature this summer

Travel writer Phoebe Smith and binocular maker Swarovski offer tips to help countryside explorers slow down this summer and notice the little things in nature. 1. Look for nature’s clues Sometimes, when we take a walk, we can get so fixated on where we are headed to that we forget to take the time to…

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Ewing: Kids ‘don’t know chips come from potatoes’

THE Scottish Government’s rural economy secretary has praised farmers for keeping the nation fed during lockdown – but has expressed his fear that children don’t know that chips come from potatoes. Fergus Ewing, who represents Inverness and Nairn in the Scottish Parliament, made the comments to Alan Laidlaw, chief executive of the Royal Highland &…

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Podcast serves food and farming home school ideas

WHILE teachers may be starting to prepare their classrooms this month for the anticipated return of pupils in August, one podcast is giving parents some food- and farming-related home schooling ideas. Rural podcast “OnFARM” has teamed up with the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) to produce the advice for parents and teachers. The latest episode…

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Birds of a feather….

While most small businesses have been poleaxed by the pandemic, it has led to a remarkable growth in sales for one fledgling Scottish business. Edinburgh-based Rare Birds Book Club, a book subscription service aimed at women, has seen a 52% increase in sales since the lockdown. The company’s offering, which is a monthly book delivery…

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Whisky Unscripted

Ian Macleod Distillers are doing their best to lighten the mood during the lockdown with their new “Whisky Unscripted” podcast, which launches at 12pm UK time on Wednesday 8 April. Hosted by global brand ambassador Gordon Dundas and experiential ambassador Gordon Dallas, the idea is to offer a fun, informative guide to the whisky industry.…

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Poets compete to complete April Writing Challenge

With everybody stuck indoors for the foreseeable, many are seeking new, interesting, and accessible ways to fight loneliness and engage their brains during these difficult weeks. The team behind Loud Poets, a Scottish spoken word collective, are aiming to complete a mammoth writing task over the next month and are encouraging everybody to join in.…

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Whisky society offer online tastings and drams

The world’s leading whisky club is helping to lift spirits by bringing its community of whisky lovers together with home tastings, online masterclasses and guidance on how to survive this unprecedented period of isolation. In uncertain times, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is helping to keep spirits high by setting up an online Members’ Room…

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