Former teacher turning barrels into whisky bars

A former teacher has had a change of career as he now creates whisky bars for the stars, including Outlander’s Sam Heughan. Freddie Main, a former design and technology teacher for more than 20 years switched paths during lockdown to launch Oak & Black, which specialises in making bespoke mini bars from old whisky barrels…

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Two exhibitions mark major Jacobite battle

Two new exhibitions are set to open in East Lothian this summer marking a major Jacobite battle that took place at Prestonpans in 1745. The Orders of Battle Exhibition and Open Day will be displayed at Prestonpans Town Hall over the weekend of 26-27 June (11am-4pm). This special temporary exhibition is a chance to find…

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550 schools sign up for the virtual Discovery Portal

The Royal Highland Educational Trust is back at the Discovery Centre at this year’s Royal Highland Showcase ‘virtually’. And with more than 550 schools already signed up, it is going to be a busy portal to the farming community. The Covid pandemic has brought the interest in food and where it comes from very much…

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The fascinating tales of boarding school sports

An old Etonian? A recent Wykehamist? Remember the good old days at Edinburgh Academy? If you have fond memories of boarding school or are a sports historian then you will find this book fascinating. Malcolm Tozer has collated the pre-rugby early codes of football from an array of public schools in the 19th century, including…

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Pupil receives prestigious role as Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet

For the eighth year in a row, a Morrison’s Academy pupil has been appointed the prestigious role of Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet. Stephen Leckie, Lord-Lieutenant for Perth and Kinross presented a certificate, acknowledging the role to Cadet Sgt Lachlann Forsyth. The Lord-Lieutenant is the Queen’s official representative and the Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet is aide and representative of the…

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Whisky tributes released for Glasgow and Edinburgh

A pair of whiskies celebrating Scotland’s two largest cities have been released, with Compass Box Artist Blend and Glasgow Blend. Artist Blend (formally Great King Street Artist’s Blend) is a tribute to Edinburgh, and the new label depicts an artist in front of the world-famous Scottish National Gallery and embodies the creative spirit of Compass…

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Open-access online learning encouraging youngsters

This sees the launch of FIDA (Futures Institute at Dollar Academy) – an open-access online learning platform that empowers young people to learn in new ways. They do this through innovative projects rooted in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). It has been created to address three fundamental challenges – sustainability, equitable access…

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Low alcoholic botanical spirit launched in a paper bottle

A Scots firm has introduced a new drink which is one of the first spirits to be housed in a 94% recyclable paper bottle. With the ever expanding collection of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol spirits entering the market, NB Distillery wanted to turn it up a notch, with their collection of award-winning spirits expanded to include…

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The autobiography of a true Scottish rugby great

Ken Scotland, a fullback for Heriot’s, Cambridge University, Scotland and the British & Irish Lions in the fifties and sixties, was one of the finest players this country has ever produced. An exponent of running rugby and an outstanding sportsman (he also played cricket for Scotland), celebrated Lions skipper Tom Kiernan reckoned he was the…

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St Margaret’s School for Girls finish third in the UK

A team of pupils from St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen did Scotland proud. They represented the country in the UK Grand Final of the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) CyberFirst code-breaking competition. After beating 6,500 girls in the qualifying stages, the second year pupils have combated cryptography and learned to master logic and…

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