Speyside farm lands Harvey Nics deal

WOOL throws made by a farm and woolmill in Speyside are going on sale in department store chain Harvey Nichols’ Edinburgh and London branches. Dalrachie Farm, which rears cattle and sheep in Ballindalloch, is run by Alan and Sarah-Jane Forbes, who sell wool clipped from their flock of 350 North Country Hill Cheviot ewes to…

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Great Taste winners – in full

NEARLY 300 Great Taste awards have been presented to Scottish businesses by the Guild of Fine Food. A record 12,777 products were entered into the competition from 106 countries, with 42% of entrants receiving a prize. Products with a coastal theme proved popular, with whisky smoked black garlic sea salt from Hawkhead Whisky Smoked in…

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A Week in Whisky: Colourful capers

GLENKINCHIE Distillery in East Lothian has been presented with a gold certificate by the Green Tourism scheme. The site is only the third distillery in Scotland to receive the accreditation. It is also the first premises owned by Diageo, Scotland’s largest distillery, to achieve the standard. The distillery has installed beehives, bat houses and bug…

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Making organic wine in style

NEVER judge a book by its cover – nor a wine by its label. Fortunately, the liquid inside brothers Paride and Jacapo d’Angelo’s bottles lives up to the promise of its packaging. The siblings have been making wine in Italy’s Abruzzo region for the past seven years, having learned about wine at the feet of…

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Location influences how drones affect birds

DRONES are scaring ducks, geese and other wintering waterbirds, according to new research. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Scotland studied how drones affected waterbirds feeding in coastal, freshwater and arable farm habitats. Its scientists found larger flocks were more likely to take flight than smaller flocks, and large flocks also took flight at a…

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‘Wheelyboat’ helps anglers fish on Uists’ lochs

ANGLERS and tourists can now explore more of the Uists’ lochs thanks to funding for an accessible “wheelyboat”. Hydraulic platforms will allow people in wheelchairs to use the boat, no matter how low the water level or how inaccessible the banks. The boat will be used by anglers in the Outer Hebrides to fish for…

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Beer fans enjoy more pints with Scottish barley

SCOTLAND’S craft brewers are poised to get more access to Scottish malted barley thanks to equipment that can handle smaller bags. Crisp Malt has spent £2 million installing a packaging line at its plant in Alloa. At the moment, craft brewers that can’t buy large quantities of malt either need to buy Scottish malt that’s…

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‘Blockchain’ helps keep oats gluten-free

SHOPPERS will soon be able to check that their oats are gluten-free thanks to six Scottish farmers and “blockchain” technology. Although oats are naturally gluten-free, many of the facilities in which they are processed handle gluten and so contamination is an issue. Six Scottish farmers have been created a gluten-free oat supply chain, so customers…

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River Tweed fishing museum set to open

A MUSEUM telling the story of rod and line salmon fishing on the River Tweed will open in Kelso on 4 September. Rod and line techniques were developed on the Tweed during the middle of the 18th century and influenced the economic and cultural development of the Eastern Borders. The River Tweed Salmon Fishing Museum…

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Families tune in for online farm tours

MORE than 10,000 families have tuned in to watch live online tours of Scotland’s farms during lockdown. Almost 100 farmers have guided virtual visitors around their sites via the Go Rural Facebook page. Their “Welcome to my Farm” videos followed on from 14 farmers streaming two weeks of “lambathon” during the spring from their lambing…

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