Finalists announced for 2019 Helping it Happen Awards

Land-based member organisation Scottish Land & Estates has announced the finalists for its 2019 Helping It Happen Awards campaign. Now in its third year, the campaign and its annual awards are becoming increasingly renowned as champions of rural business and entrepreneurship in Scotland. High numbers of entries into all nine categories demonstrate strong support and…

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Two new Game of Thrones Scotch whiskies on the way

Two new Game of Thrones whiskies are to be released – Johnnie Walker – A Song of Ice and Johnnie Walker – A Song of Fire. The Johnnie Walker team and HBO Licensing & Retail are introducing two new Scotch whiskies to the realm in honor of the enduring legacy of the critically acclaimed HBO…

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Ten fantastic places to visit in… Ross-shire

Ross-shire is one of the most beautiful areas in Scotland. A historic county in the Scottish Highlands, it Sutherland to the north and Inverness-shire the south, as well as a border with Cromartyshire. Here we highlight ten places worth investigating. EILEAN DONAN CASTLE One of Scotland’s most iconic castles, and a popular spot for tourists…

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Five great places to spot the Painted Lady invasion

Nature lovers across the country are gearing up for a once-a-decade treat as summer draws to a close, with large clouds of Painted Lady butterflies fluttering through Scotland. The typical wet, Scottish summer has provided the perfect environment for the speckled, burnt-orange coloured creatures – it’s even anticipated the numbers could be higher this year…

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Exhibitions at Royal Society of Edinburgh

The Royal Society of Edinburgh is playing host to a number of fascinating exhibitions this summer. The RSE launched Curious, a month-long programme of talks, workshops, exhibitions and performances in the beautiful surroundings of its magnificent Victorian era building. The exhibition At Risk Academics and Refugees (ARAR): A Portrait reflects the RSE’s commitment to recognising…

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Highland Park releases its most peated whisky to date

Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky has launched a special edition whisky, Valfather, the final part of the Viking Legend series inspired by the Orkney based distillery’s Viking history. The trilogy highlights the journey to Ragnarök, the battle at the end of the world and has inspired the packaging and taste profiles of the whiskies…

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Ten of Scotland’s greatest train journeys

Some of the greatest and most scenic train journeys in the world are to be found in Scotland. Here, in no particular order, are our ten favourite railways lines. 1. Aviemore to Broomhill The Strathspey Steam Railway, a restored 20-mile line which goes from Aviemore, through the osprey country of Boat of Garten and Nethy…

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Which witch is which? A history of Scottish witchcraft

What would you do if the milk in your fridge soured a week early, or a seemingly healthy pot plant suddenly withered and died? Imagine blaming one of your neighbours, getting them arrested and then watching as they were strangled and burnt at the stake. This is pretty much what happened to almost four thousand…

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When Scotland offered the world the waters of life

A happy coincidence of tourism and therapy made Scotland’s hydropathic hotels a Victorian sensation, but their popularity just couldn’t last. The stereotypical view of 19th-century Scottish industry is not the most romantic of pictures: coal-mining across the Central Belt to fuel the Empire; shipbuilding on Clydeside to defend the Empire and to extend its commercial…

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