Explorers wanted to track wildlife in castle grounds

Wildlife watchers are being encouraged to head to an Aberdeenshire castle next week to count up the species at a bioblitz event. The National Trust for Scotland’s Drum Castle is holding the event on Friday, 20 July, and provides a chance for the public to help the conservation charity’s North East Ranger Service capture as…

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Ten things to do in South Lanarkshire this summer

The summer holidays are arriving for schools across the nation this week, giving youngsters many weeks in which to be idle. But there’s lots to see and do across Scotland this summer, and we kick off our series of places to go with 10 locations worth a visit in South Lanarkshire. It has a host…

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Why Gail Porter’s heart still belongs to Portobello

Scottish TV presenter Gail Porter has been in the public eye for well over two decades. Gail hosted shows including The Movie Chart Show, Top of the Pops, and Fully Booked, as well as becoming a favourite with the ‘lads mag’ culture of the 1990s, which resulted in a cheeky picture of her being projected…

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Tune in this weekend to the story of Scottish pop music

A radio documentary series telling the story of Scottish pop music is being broadcast over the coming weekends. BBC Radio Scotland has produced The Story of Scottish Pop, a new four-part radio series exploring the pop, rock, alternative and dance music that made its way from Scotland right across the world. Presented by Vic Galloway,…

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Wine pairings spice up Tony Singh’s supper club

Peter Ranscombe joins celebrity chef Tony Singh at home for a glass or two during a recent supper club. FOR someone who has made his name in food, it’s clear that Tony Singh also knows his wines. During one of the recent supper clubs at his home in Edinburgh, it struck me that the chef…

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You have to try this mouth-watering beef dish

We’ve another fantastic recipe to share with you, courtesy of Gary Phillips, the head chef at Kilcamb Lodge on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. There’s plenty of top drawer produce to cook at Kilcamb, where the menu changes with the seasons but is always filled with local produce: venison and beef from Tigh Dhub croft, smoked fish and…

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Who fancies a game of Prosecco Pong this summer?

We all enjoy a game of ping pong – so get ready for Edinburgh’s first Prosecco Pong contest! The organisers of Assembly’s Edinburgh Food Festival have announced plans to stage the capital’s first Prosecco Pong Contest as part of the annual foodie event, which takes place at Assembly George Square Gardens, 25-29 July. Festival organisers…

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Review: Cooking with Mackie’s of Scotland

What’s the story? A delicious combination of sweet and savoury recipes have been collected from staff who work for Mackie’s of Scotland, been compiled into one fantastic volume, and the proceeds will benefit muscle-wasting charity Muscular Dystrophy UK. They’ve dreamed up, tested, tasted and agreed on a collection of 31 recipes, which will whet the…

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Dekantā reinforces Scotland and Japan’s strong whisky links

Peter Ranscombe samples the first single cask bottling from online retailer Dekantā, with Japanese whisky finished in a Port Ellen cask. JAPAN has strong links to Scotch whisky. Masataka Taketsuru, who built the Yamazaki and Yoichi distilleries in Japan and who is credited with being the father of the country’s whisky industry, studied chemistry at…

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A delicious summer of food festivals is on its way

A summer of food weekends are on their way to Fife. The Bowhouse Food Weekends return for a second series. Situated just outside St Monans in Fife, on the Balcaskie Estate, Bowhouse Food Weekends are unique indoor events, providing an opportunity to see, discuss, taste and buy the best local food and drink in a…

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