Review: The Dunstane Houses, Edinburgh

Stephanie Abbot enjoys a ‘country’ retreat in the city at The Dunstane Houses in Edinburgh. DISCOVERING hidden gems on your doorstep has become a hobby for many. Whether that’s walking routes, a little independent bakery or being able to use the local park as your own outdoor gym, you’d be surprised by how much there…

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REVIEW: Putting on a fine sprEHd

Peter Ranscombe tucks into a grazing box full of Scottish ingredients from delivery service sprEHd. WHEN you’re eating out, it’s the little things that matter – the butter being soft enough to spread, the lighting being bright enough to see your plate, the napkin being rough enough to stay put instead of sliding out of…

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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…

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Review: 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…

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REVIEW: 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…

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Review: 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…

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Review: 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…

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Review: 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…

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Fairways 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…

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Scottish 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…

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