Great Tapestry of Scotland artist Andrew Crummy among honours

ARTIST Andrew Crummy, who led the creation of The Great Tapestry of Scotland, was among those featured in the new year’s honours list. Crummy was made a member of the order of the British empire (MBE) for his “services to art and cultural heritage” in Scotland. He follows in the footsteps of his mother, Helen,…

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Holyrood and Heriot-Watt eye old barley varieties for whisky

SCIENTISTS and distillers are investigating which aromas and flavours are produced in whisky by old varieties of barley. Holyrood Distillery in Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University will study at least eight varieties over the next six years. Chevallier, a variety popular during the 19th century, is among the strains being tested. The variety fell out of…

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Native trio plans show at Aberdeen Art Gallery

WORKS by three local artists are visiting Aberdeen Art Gallery to wow crowds in their home city. Lennox Dunbar, Ian Howard, and Arthur Watson all attended Aberdeen Grammar School, where art teacher Charles Hemingway introduced them to the collection at Aberdeen Art Gallery. Howard went on to teach at Aberdeen and Dundee colleges of art…

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Hebridean Baker salutes Burns at Bonnie Badger

CHEF Tom Kitchin’s restaurant with rooms, The Bonnie Badger at Gullane in East Lothian, will host Coinneach MacLeod – better known as “The Hebridean Baker” in the run-up to Burns’ Night. MacLeod, who starred in Scottish Field‘s food feature back in January, will speak about his second cookbook during afternoon tea on 21 January. “The…

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Shetland launches ‘Jump Start January’

SHETLANDERS could win tickets to the Six Nations rugby championships through a new “Jump Start January” programme. Individuals, groups, households, and schools are all being invited by the local council to get active for at least 15 minutes each day during four weeks early in the new year. The scheme begins on Monday, with people…

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RSABI names next chair

THE Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RSABI) has named Jimmy McLean as its new chair. McLean takes over from David Leggat, who will remain as one of the rural charity’s trustees for a further year. McLean has served a trustee for five years and has spent the past two years as vice-chair. Based in the…

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Free New Year tours of The Kelpies

THE Helix park between Falkirk and Grangemouth is running free tours of its famous horse sculptures, The Kelpies. The guided tours begin on 4 January and run until 31 January. Standing 30 metres tall and weighing more than 300 tonnes each, The Kelpies were unveiled in 2014 by sculpturer Andy Scott. Lesley O’Hare, cultural services…

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Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is ‘sold out’

EDINBURGH’S Hogmanay is sold out, the festivities’ organisers have announced. All tickets have been sold for Saturday’s concert in Princes Street gardens, the world-famous street party, the candlelit concert in St Giles’ Cathedral, and the “Festival of Ceilidhs’ Countdown to Hogmanay”. Organisers said there are still limited gardens tickets for tomorrow’s “The Night Afore Party”…

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Lord Thurso chairs Institute of Hospitality

THE Institute of Hospitality (IoH) has named Lord Thurso as its incoming chair. Lord Thurso, who has served as chairman of VisitScotland since 2016, will take over from Surinder Arora, founder and chairman of the Arora Hotel Group. The institute plans to apply for royal chartered status in the spring. Lord Thurso said: “As a…

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Wedding venues prepare for New Year

SCOTLAND’S wedding venues are gearing up for a busy 2023. Joyce and Simon Usher, owners of Dunglass Estate, are celebrating after being named as “wedding venue of the year” at the Scotland Prestige Awards. The 5,000-acre estate in East Lothian was dubbed “the most romantic sweet place I ever saw” by poet Robert Burns. Usher…

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