Why BrewDog were not barking up the wrong tree

Whether they are brewing beers at the bottom of the ocean, or bottling them in taxidermy squirrels, BrewDog has started a craft beer revolution. Gone are the days of bland yellow lagers, poured from uninspired glass bottles. Looking around the latest pubs that have appeared on our streets in the last decade, it takes no…

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An arresting charm in former police station

An attractive former village police house in the Scottish Borders is for sale. Beech House, formerly the village Police House, is an attractive detached four bedroom family home, enjoying a prime woodland edge location within the pretty conservation village of Swinton, presented to the market by Hastings Legal. Dating from 1890 and listed as of…

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A Scottish castle set by a flowing river

Spectacular historic castle set in sweeping grounds bordered by the River Almond is now for sale. Presented to the market by Savills, Illieston Castle in Broxburn, West Lothian is approached down a tree lined avenue, with a pair of intricate baroque gates opening onto a gravelled courtyard. The warm rubble construction of the property is…

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Do your bit this Boxing Day to help the environment

Christmas has now been and gone for another year. The more environmentally conscious revellers can now start worrying about the impact their festivities could be having on the planet. Here, Matt Spaul, operations director at waste management specialist Smart Solutions, provides some top tips on recycling Christmas left-overs. It’s not surprising that with approximately 90…

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Bringing salmon back to river after two centuries

The UK’s longest rock ramp construction is set to return salmon and other fish species to a Scottish river for the first time in over 200 years. In the first project of its kind in Scotland, RiverLife has begun to transform the River Avon and the River Almond in West Lothian through a mixture of…

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A country house that stands apart from the crowd

A beautiful country house occupying a spectacular arboreal setting in Perthshire has come to the market. Moulinalmond, on the banks of the River Almond in an area known for its associations with William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, is now for sale through Strutt & Parker. In a county famous for trees, Moulinalmond stands out.…

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New gin set will be present and correct

A Scottish gin firm is presenting a special release for the festive season. Oro Gin’s new luxury gift box contains a full-sized bottle of award-winning Oro Gin or Oro V, accompanied by an art deco-style balloon glass. Packaged inside a luxury keepsake box with magnetic lid, complete with beautiful gold foil detailing, it’s ready to…

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Distillery’s tree is something rather special

If you’re working in a distillery and don’t have a Christmas tree to hand, what are you going to do? The team at the Isle of Raasay Distillery are an enterprising bunch, so when the festive season approached and they didn’t have their own, they made do with the best materials to hand – casks!…

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House for an Art Lover is Mackintosh gem

A House for an Art Lover was designed in 1901 by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the famous Glaswegian architect, for a competition in a German interior design magazine. The rules for designing a modern Art Lover’s House were somewhat complex, with the exact room sizes, external finishes and the position of staircases to be detailed. There…

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Christmas is one of the best times to market your home

With festive decorations providing a warm and welcoming feeling to any house, sellers should be encouraged to market their properties over Christmas, according to independent property consultancy Galbraith. Boxing Day is reported as one of the busiest days for house hunters thinking about their next move with spikes in online traffic reported by agents. This…

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