Posts Tagged ‘history’
Equipment arrives as new whisky distillery proceceds
The building of The Cairn Distillery has taken a leap forward with the arrival of the distilling equipment. The mash tun, washbacks and stills, all manufactured by Forsyths, were transported from their facilities in Elgin, Rothes and Buckie, before being craned into position at the site in Craggan. The two Moray based family-owned firms have…
Read MoreMaps are the forgotten weapons of war
The basis of A History of the Second World War In 100 Maps is that maps are ‘indispensable instruments of war’. If anyone can convince us of this it is world-leading military and cartographic historian Jeremy Black, who has studied a huge range of maps from the Second World War in minute detail. In this…
Read MoreSixty incredibly rare whiskies going to auction
For dedicated whisky collectors, there are few independent bottlers as iconic and revered as that of the late Silvano Samaroli and the Corti Brothers. The former, a visionary Italian importer and bottler whose whiskies are compared to works of art, and the latter, American gastronomic specialists who bought and bottled casks from legendary distilleries during…
Read MoreRare Scotch whiskies going under the online hammer
Bidding has opened on some rare Scotch whiskies, as well as other spirits from around the world. Sotheby’s sale of Rare Whisky & Moutai features drinks from Asia and Scotland, featuring some of the rarest whiskies and Moutai – China’s most famous distilled spirit – ever to come to auction. The Scotch Whisky in the…
Read MoreDiscover life in the Granite City in wartime
A comprehensive historical treasure chest is what awaits in Craig Armstrong’s Aberdeen at War 1939-45. Black and white photographs are interspersed with detailed explanations of life in Aberdeen during World War Two. This is an interesting read for anyone from the north east. Armstrong successfully transports readers back in time in this poignant ode to…
Read MoreCelebrate Islay’s festival of music and malt with a bottle
When it comes to whisky, few celebrations are as eagerly anticipated as Islay’s festival of music and malt – Fèis Ìle. Established almost 30 years ago, the festival draws visitors from across the globe to the thriving shores of the island each year to experience its community, culture, and its world-renowned whisky. Now, the most…
Read MoreThe autobiography of a true Scottish rugby great
Ken Scotland, a fullback for Heriot’s, Cambridge University, Scotland and the British & Irish Lions in the fifties and sixties, was one of the finest players this country has ever produced. An exponent of running rugby and an outstanding sportsman (he also played cricket for Scotland), celebrated Lions skipper Tom Kiernan reckoned he was the…
Read MoreBehind-the-scenes at the Balmoral Hotel in new TV show
Edinburgh’s Balmoral is set to appear in a new Channel 5 documentary series, featuring never-before-seen access to one of the most iconic hotels in the world, as staff deliver 24/7 luxury. The four-part series, which premiers on Friday, 21 May, at 7pm, follows the team at The Balmoral throughout 2020 as they navigate through the…
Read MoreHome of the year search heads to central Scotland
In the fifth episode of Scotland’s Home of the Year, the judges travel round Central Scotland in their search for homes with unique style, design and architecture. Interior designer Anna Campbell-Jones, architect Michael Angus and lifestyle blogger Kate Spiers explore an industrial new build in Fife, a house filled with fun in Dunblane and a…
Read MoreThe martyrs who brought Christianity to the Scots
The latest offering from national treasure Alistair Moffat is a deeply lovely account of the ‘white martyrs’, the Irish priests who, at huge risk to themselves, brought Christianity to the pagan Scots. A beautifully written comfort blanket of a book, it is part travelogue, part rumination on life, part history lesson. Moffat spent a summer…
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