If you live here in Edinburgh, what makes it special to you? I love that it’s like a village. So true! If you’re new to Edinburgh, it’s accessible, has so many green spaces and so many secrets waiting to be discovered. And don’t forget the wonderful people who live here!…
In the midst of Fringe madness, the Scottish Chocolate Festival (23rd-24th & 30th-31st Aug) at the Scotsman Hotel made for a sweet alternative to the non-stop comedy and drama of the Royal Mile. The doors were barely open on the Festival’s first Saturday and the place was already bustling.
We left Edinburgh on a Friday afternoon and promptly got stuck trying to get over the Forth Road Bridge. Our sat nav seemed desperate to send us via the Erskine Bridge. We stuck to our guns. It was actually a good journey and we arrived at the Craigellachie Hotel without…
Isn’t it odd that we associate eating seaweed with Asian cuisine? After all, we have actually used it in this country for centuries, in fact since prehistoric times. It’s time to change that. When you need a savoury, salty touch use seaweed! I’ve been trying out some samples from Mara Seaweed…
[January 2015. This cafe is currently closed] When I first came to Edinburgh, I often wondered why so many Solicitors had WS after their names on For Sale signs. It was quite some time that I discovered it meant Writers to the Signet. The Society of Writers to Her Majesty’s…
Gerry Neilson is master butcher at Campbells Prime Meat, an over 100-year old butcher company that is a bit of an establishment in Edinburgh. Gerry has worked in the industry for 40 years, ever since he left school. He’s a font of experience and good tales. I met Gerry at…
It’s a growing niche market, printed magazines dedicated to food and drink. I am a firm fan and regularly visit Analogue Books in Edinburgh to see what’s new (Jan 2015 – alas now closed). We have our own home grown magazine, Hot Rum Cow, designed and created in Edinburgh. Previous…
We arrive at noon. The Wee Boulangerie has a long queue of people eager to buy their bread for the weekend, queuing out of the door. One chap Phil, is waxing lyrical. “I love this bread, the crust is so impossibly crusty. I buy this each week”. He is clutching…
I love the unexpected. Having been invited to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society by Seafood Scotland, I naturally was looking forward to a delicious meal and fabulous whisky. What I didn’t expect was the chance to chat with fishermen, fish processors and a fish market owner. It was fascinating to…
Having grown up in the south of England, I became very used to a certain sort of pub. Not posh, not trendy, just somewhere welcoming where you could enjoy a drink or two. On coming to Scotland, I’ve never quite found the equivalent drinking establishment. Teuchters has changed my mind.
