The 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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A celebration and history of Scottish art and artists

Have you ever wondered about the backstory of James Guthrie’s ‘To Pastures New’ painting? Or indeed the tale of Henry Raeburn? Here to fill the art history void in our lives is Lachlan Goudie with this wonderful snapshot of Scottish art through the centuries – a comprehensive account of the nation’s creative history that caters…

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Tamdhu announce limited-edition releases for festival

Tamdhu has unveiled two highly anticipated limited-edition releases for this year’s digital Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. The Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram 004 and the Tamdhu Club Single Cask are being launched during a virtual tasting as part of the festival programme. Today ( Friday, April 30) from 8pm BST, the Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram 004 and…

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Renowned jewellers unveil their reimagined showroom

Hamilton & Inches is celebrating the reopening of its iconic showroom after undergoing an extensive regeneration. Dedicated to enhancing the customer experience with work undertaken across its showroom, workshops, and service department, this transformation has kept the building’s historic accents at the heart of the restoration, creating a space that celebrates heritage whilst innovating with…

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A celebration of 1000 Scots words and phrases

Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers: A Treasury of 1,000 Scottish Words details a huge array of Scottish words and phrases, in what is a joyously eclectic mix. From the ‘airt o’ the clicky’ to ‘yowe trummle’, it is by no means an exhaustive collection of tropes – rather the author has handpicked some of his favourites.…

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The Great Game rugby documentary is underway

A new documentary marking the 150th anniversary of the first ever game of international rugby is being produced. It saw Scotland beat England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh on 27 March 1871 and now filming has begun on The Great Game, an hour-long documentary that relives the events of 1871 and explains how that game…

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Bill Paterson narrates a history of ships and shipping

Scottish actor Bill Paterson has narrated the funny, sad and enlightening Hurricane Hutch’s Top 10 Ships of the Clyde. First published in 2013 this book is as much a social history as it is about ships and shipping. Bill Paterson’s uniquely recognisable voice brings a gentleness and authority to the storytelling, bringing alive Captain Robin…

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Lanzarote: The grapes that grow in lava

Peter Ranscombe pens a very personal reflection on wines from the Canaries’ most unusual island. LET me start with a confession – I’m biased horrendously when it comes to Lanzarote. In fact, I promised myself I would never write an article about the island and its wines in this blog. Selfishly, I wanted to keep…

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New Littlemill release is a testament to the past

A limited edition release of 250 Littlemill Testament decanters has been launched. The new release celebrates Littlemill’s legacy as Scotland’s oldest licensed distillery and is contained in a luxury decanter which skilfully incorporates treasured remnants of the original distillery manager’s house giving collectors the opportunity to own a true piece of Scotch Whisky history. These…

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New stillhouse at Ardbeg is awash with whisky tradition

Ardbeg Distillery have unveiled their new purpose-built stillhouse. The new stillhouse will increase the distillery’s capacity significantly. Retaining the character of Ardbeg was at the heart of this project, so the new stills were designed to the exact specification as the old ones – right down to the millimetre. Every nut, bolt and rivet had…

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