Alexander Wines serves up Christmas with a twist

Peter Ranscombe pops the corks on some exciting alternative festive choices. I’M AS guilty as anyone else when it comes to reaching for the same old favourites at Christmas. A bottle of Chablis, a bottle of pinot noir, and a bottle of something with bubbles in it, and I’m usually set for the festivities to…

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South of Scotland launches virtual advent calendar

SCOTLAND Starts Here, a campaign to promote businesses in the South of Scotland, has launched a virtual advent calendar. Behind each of the 24 windows, Christmas shoppers can find an exclusive experience, gift or treasure, only available from the website. The range of gifts available includes food and drink experiences, sport and outdoor activities, and…

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Artists set to benefit from online auction

BORDERS auction house Brown & Turner will help 24 contemporary artists target the Christmas shopping market tomorrow through a special online auction. Seventy pieces will be auctioned, including two portraits by Berwickshire artist Gill Walton, oil paintings by Kelso artist Neville Storer, mixed media works by East Lothian artist Julie Barnes, and two pieces by…

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Craft Week Scotland ends with online and in-person events

THE first Craft Week Scotland closes this weekend with almost 50 online and in-person activities. Katie Leask, manager at Nielanell Knitwear, will open her studio at Hoswick on Shetland tomorrow to welcome visitors for a socially-distanced “meet the designer” event. More than 3,000 craft makers and businesses have taken part in this week’s activities. Irene…

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Skyran Candle Company launches Christmas collection

At Skyran Candle Company, we are dedicated to quality home fragrance products, which are kind to our bodies and to our planet. We use natural wax and the finest fragrance oil in all our products to create a truly luxurious experience. As a husband-and-wife team, we launched our business in the spring while staying in…

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Botanics invites heroes to lights show

HEROES from the emergency services are being invited to the opening of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s Christmas lights display. Some 200 “Blue Light” card holders will be asked to come along to the launch of the trail, which will be open for 32 nights. Regius Keeper Simon Milne said: “The opening of Christmas at…

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Scottish Ballet unveils first feature film

SCOTTISH BALLET has revealed its winter programme, including the company’s first feature film. The Secret Theatre will have its online premiere on 21 December at 6pm. “Seen through the eyes of a young boy as he stumbles into an empty theatre, this Christmas special will feature characters, choreography and music from Scottish Ballet’s popular festive…

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A Week in Whisky: ‘Pat’s’ collection goes under the hammer

THE largest whisky collection ever to come up for auction starts going under the hammer today. More than 9,000 bottles have been assembled by “Pat”, an anonymous collector, and are together expected to fetch $5 million (£3.9m). The first batch will be on sale at WhiskyAuctioneer.com until 5 October. Iain McClune, the website’s founder, said:…

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REVIEW: Rabble, Edinburgh

Stephanie Abbot explores the menu at Rabble in Edinburgh. A MID-WEEK dinner out is always a welcome treat.  It breaks up the monotony of the painfully dull and uninspired dinners I’ve been making of late, mostly because work has been keeping me busy (which I’m thankful for). I can recall flipping through the Argos catalogue…

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Castles, museums and distilleries continue to reopen

MORE of Scotland’s historic landmarks have announced dates for reopening as the coronavirus lockdown continues to ease. Blackness Castle will reopen on Monday, followed by Inchcolm Abbey, Huntly Castle and Melrose Abbey on Wednesday, and Elgin Cathedral and Caerlaverock Castle on Friday. Doune Castle, Dunstaffnage Castle and Linlithgow Palace will then reopen on 26 August,…

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