The Editor’s Xmas Tipples – Highland Boundary

Scottish Field editor Richard Bath brings you his thoughts on some spirits available this Christmas. Vital statistics: £29.99 for 500ml. 40% ABV. Available from Woodwinters, highlandboundary.com or thegoodspiritsco.com What is it?: Birch and elderflower spirit, made by farmers Marian Bruce and Simon Montador in a 100-litre pot-bellied Portuguese still in the milking parlour of their…

Read More

Step into Christmas at St John’s Kirk on BBC Scotland

The 15th century St John’s Kirk, Perth, is the beautiful setting for this year’s Christmas Celebration which takes viewers of BBC Scotland and BBC One Scotland across midnight into Christmas morning. It was in 1490 that King James IV funded the start of the present building, but there has been worship on this site in…

Read More

Forget keyrings in crackers – go for some gin!

Boë Gin is on hand to help you swap keyrings and screwdriver sets for delicious flavoured gin this Christmas, with the release of its own colourful Christmas crackers. Set to go down a treat with gin lovers, the beautifully designed set of four crackers are each filled with the brand’s unique and award-winning flavours; 5cl…

Read More

The ethical carnivore in a green and pheasant land

Shooting grouse and other birds may seem a controversial choice for an ethical carnivore, but when done responsibly there are positive benefits. I grew up around shooting. Every season, I would see the guns pegged out across stubble fields, hear the beaters bashing through the trees, smell the gunpowder and taste plenty of roast pheasant.…

Read More

Walking the walk and going the extra mile for charity

Norman Yarrow defied Parkinson’s Disease to talk the 212 miles of the coast-to-coast Southern Upland Way. In doing so, the Gullane man raised £320,000 for charity, and won the charity Cure Parkinsons Fundraiser of the Year award for ‘going that extra mile’ in fundraising. What made you decide to do your fundraising walk? I was…

Read More

Why the mink must be exterminated

Mink are not cute and they’re not cuddly – this is one alien invader our indigenous wildlife could happily live without. At the time of Neanderthal man, animal skins were worn as a necessity against the elements. Indeed, without them life would have been well nigh impossible. These days, attitudes towards wearing fur clothing change…

Read More

Scotland’s ten greatest wildlife trips

Scotland is home to a dazzling array of wildlife so, for your pleasure, we’ve selected ten fantastic ways in which you can get close to these amazing animals. 1. Orca The orca or killer whale can grow to eight metres long and weigh five tonnes. These sociable animals live in large groups known as pods,…

Read More

Literally translated animal names will amuse you

At Scottish Field, we love our animals. From guinea pigs to cats, from dogs to horses, we adore our creatures. That’s why we smiled when we read the research gathered by dog food company tails.com, which has revealed the literal translations of animals across Asia, Europe and Africa. It’s definitely changed how we look at…

Read More

Two tasty teas that are perfect for winter

A Scottish independent whole leaf tea company have just launched their brand new limited edition Christmas teas for the festive period. Award-winning Eteaket, based in Edinburgh, have launched Chai A Little Kindness and Let’s Mull it Over. Eteaket was founded by leaf tea expert Erica Moore who has been ethically sourcing and blending teas since…

Read More

Ancient whisky art to feature on new Amazon TV series

Whisky fans around the world will gain unique insight into the ancient art of cask charring. Loch Lomond Distillery granted access all areas to part two of Amazon Prime TV series, The Three Drinkers Do Scotch Whisky. The show, which is viewed in over 160 countries worldwide, returns this month (available to stream from today,…

Read More