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ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND, AUGUST 19TH 2020: MacDuff Distillery is celebrating its 60th anniversary on 1st September. 

Pictured: Jamie Winfield with his team of operators


(Photo: Ross Johnston/Newsline Media)

A week in whisky: ‘I’ll have a pea, please, Bob’

THOSE enterprising souls at whisky distiller Arbikie have followed-up their carbon-negative Nàdar gin with its vodka twin. Both Nàdar spirits absorb more carbon dioxide from...

Directory supports rural and island businesses

SHOPPERS can now support even more rural and island businesses following the launch of the Rural Enterprise Directory Scotland (REDS). Joe Sykes, founder of Perthshire-based...

First autumn mammal survey gets underway

THE first autumn "Living With Mammals" survey kicks off on Monday, with Scots being asked to keep their eyes peeled for creatures, tracks and droppings...

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...
A 12-year-old school student had a huge surprise when she was taken to Redford Barracks and presented with a professional recording made by Army musicians of her rap inspired by the Windrush generation. 
Leila McPhate, from Larbert High School in Stenhousemuir, wrote The World Is A Dark Place as her entry for Never Such Innocence, an international arts competition to give children and young people a voice on conflict.
Leila, who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), had learned at school how people from the Caribbean were invited to the UK to help it rebuild after WWII but frequently faced injustice and discrimination. After seeing the black British artist Dave on the Brit Awards she decided to address the issue with a rap.
The Army was among the supporters of the 2019/20 competition and Leila’s song caught the eye of Lieutenant Colonel Wendy Faux, the Army’s head of arts, who led the team behind this year’s three-week Army@TheVirtualFringe event.
She was so impressed that she arranged for the Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra to create a new soundtrack for her rap. Leila was invited to the barracks where Colour Sergeant Richard Kerr, Musician Brittany Johnnie and Corporal Scott MacFarlane of the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland presented her with flowers and a copy of the music on behalf of the Army.
Wendy said: “Army@TheVirtualFringe has shone a light on many issues including racism and equality. We have also been trying to support young and emerging talent. So working with Leila has been a perfect way to round off the event.  
“The contribution of people from Commonwealth nations in Africa and the Caribbean to the Army and to civilian life has been immense but is often overlooked, along with the discrimination so many of them experienced.
“The fact that young people like Leila are determined to use their talents to demand a better world gives real hope for the future.
“We are really proud to have been able to bring her together with some s

Pupil hears her rap recorded by the army

A RAP written by a 12-year-old school pupil and inspired by the Windrush generation has been recorded by army musicians. Leila McPhate, from Larbert High School...
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Mains of Taymouth puts luxury timber lodges on sale

MAINS of Taymouth, the five-star country estate and golf course at Kenmore in Perthshire, has begun marketing phase two of Balloch Park, its residential, holiday...

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SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL DRINK

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A dram with Stewart Walker, Fettercairn Distillery: ‘All whiskies have a home, there’s a whisky for everyone’

Steeped in a rich history and aged finely like the golden spirit it distils, Fettercairn Distillery has seen a lot of change through the years....
Michael Henry, Master Blender at Loch Lomond Group

Loch Lomond Group’s Master Blender awarded prestigious Keeper of the Quaich

Loch Lomond Group’s Master Blender, Michael Henry, has been awarded a prestigious Keeper of the Quaich. Michael has led the whisky blending team at the...
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Rosebank Distillery introduces rare cask from 1990 for global travellers

Rosebank Distillery has introduced an extremely rare single cask from 1990 for global travellers.  Rich and fruity, the 33-year-old is the perfect expression of the...
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Scottish star Ewan McGregor gifted cask of Lagg Single Malt

Lagg Distillery on The Isle of Arran have gifted renowned Scottish actor Ewan McGregor his very own cask of Lagg Single Malt. The team at...
Billy Somerville, Senior Restaurant Manager at Amber Restaurant

Review: Scotch Whisky Experience, Edinburgh

The Scotch Whisky Experience sits in a prominent spot on the Royal Mile, a landmark in itself inviting tourists to discover the world of whisky...
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Former walled garden with links to Robert Burns and Winston Churchill to be brought back to life as distillery

A former walled garden within an historic estate with links to Robert Burns and Winston Churchill could soon be brought back to life as a...

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