Reviews
Review: The Lookout, Edinburgh
Richard Bath climbs Edinburgh’s Calton Hill to enjoy the view and the food at The Lookout. IF RESTAURANTS are about escapism, nowhere does it better than The Lookout. Sitting perched on the top of Calton Hill looking out over Edinburgh’s panorama, with Fife one way and the Pentlands the other, it’s just possible to forget…
Read MoreReview: 111 by Modou
Elis Elliot is swept away by both the food and the heart-warming story at 111 by Modou in Glasgow. SELDOM have I dined in a place with such a heart-warming and life-affirming story as 111 by Modou in Glasgow’s Kelvinside. But I’ll come back to that in a little while, mainly because I am desperate…
Read MoreREVIEW: Cavens Country House
A trip to the south west of Scotland proved a welcome break from city life for Rosie Morton… Carpe diem. Two words we’ve heard countless times, and yet they seem to resonate far more in 2020 than ever before. Having been on our starting blocks since the end of March, all the trips we’ve been…
Read MoreReview: The Harbour Cafe, Elie
Wet weather didn’t put off Stephanie Abbot when she visited The Harbour Cafe at Elie in Fife. SPENDING any amount of time by the sea has an almost magical effect on one’s mood. Despite the persistent drizzle that spread across much of Sunday, the thought of a lunch at The Harbour Cafe in Elie in the…
Read MoreReview: Dinner at Harvey Nichols’ Forth Floor
With summer in full swing, Stephanie Abbot reviews The Forth Floor restaurant at Harvey Nichols department store in Edinburgh. SEEING more and more restaurants, pubs and cafes opening their doors once again is a welcome and joyful sight. Like many, I had grown tired of the “what can I make with what’s left in the…
Read MoreReview: Stair Arms drive-through afternoon tea
As Afternoon Tea Week draws to a close on Sunday, Stephanie Abbot puts the drive-through service at The Stair Arms Hotel in Midlothian to the test. A GLOBAL pandemic has a way of changing how you do things. One of the biggest shifts we’ve all experienced is how we spend time with one another and this…
Read MoreFairways from heaven
Editor Richard Bath visits the outstanding Dumbarnie Links in Fife, that rarest of things – a new golf course that lives up to the hype. I TRAVELLED to Fife determined not to be swayed by the hype surrounding Dumbarnie, but came away as an ardent evangelist for this astonishingly good new course on the banks…
Read MoreScottish trivia compiled in one little book
Did you know that approximately 71 per cent of the sand dunes in Britain are located in Scotland? Neither did I. This wee gem of a read is packed full of interesting, little known and weird and wonderful facts about Scotland. The casual narrative style and informative little chunks of information make this a great…
Read MoreThe story of Scotland’s sea eagle population
Sea eagles divide opinion; they’re a treat for birdwatchers but are despised by some crofters. John A Love was part of the team that brought the birds back to Scotland in the 1970s and chronicled their reintroduction in his 1993 book, The Return Of The Sea Eagle. Twenty years later, he brings the story up…
Read MoreScotland’s proud history on the seas
The joy of Nick Robins’ history of Scotland’s maritime prowess is not just his comprehensive and engaging text but also the array of images that accompany his words. From full-rigged sail ships like Thermopylae and Timaru through to the famous oceanliners such as Aquitania and Queen Mary, Robins chronicles Scotland’s ship-building history. But it isn’t…
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