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Reviews, articles and photographs by | Catriona Thomson

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I love leith, and we are all richer for its diversity.

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Travel: Allan Ramsay Hotel, Carlops

The Allan Ramsay Hotel was established in 1792 and named in honour of the celebrated Scots poet. Ramsay was famous for, amongst other things, his rural comedy The Gentle Shepherd, which was turned into the first opera in Scots. It is an everyday tale of country folk-based around locals from Carlops and nearby Newhall and Penicuik house estates. Ramsay had a varied career. He was apprenticed in the wig-making trade before setting up as a bookseller/writer, while his shop, in Edinburgh, became Britain’s first circulating library. The historic inn is located at one end of the former weavers’ village of Carlops, at the foot of the Pentland Hills. It is a blink and you’ll miss it kind of place, right on the A702, but only 20 minutes drive from the centre of Edinburgh. This makes it an ideal base to explore the countryside nearby, but close enough to make a jaunt into the capital a distinct option. The hotel has four comfortable guest rooms on the upper flo...

Travel: Tangy Mill, Kintyre Peninsula, Argyll, Scotland - Archive

Tangy Mill, which has been restored by the LandmarkTrust, is a great base for exploring the Kintyre peninsula, writes Catriona Thomson Travelling to the west coast of Scotland is always an experience as you never know what the weather will bring. This time we witnessed Loch Lomond in its full, dark brooding majesty, complete with angry waves showing their displeasure under leaden skies.The Rest and Be Thankful summit, which normally impresses, was encased in the cloud so low there was not even a glimpse of its stunning vistas. I start to question leaving the comfort of my own home for a short break en famille. However, I know this is a bipolar landscape which can change in a second to give turquoise clear waters dancing with light that makes your soul soar. Just when I begin to feel optimistic, we hit the A83 and a run of potholes, like the surface of Mars, which slows us down. We are heading all the way to the edge of the world on the Kintyre peninsula. When w...

Restaurant Review : The Tinto Hotel near Biggar - Archive

There is nothing better than a food adventure, discovering a venue you haven't been to before. We are on the trail of a hot social media post which tipped us off about The Tinto Hotel near Biggar. Their chef, Kenny Leary, was praised earlier in the year as the winner in the vegan category of The Scottish Food and Academy awards. Under the aegis of patron Lady Claire Macdonald OBE, these awards highlight people, products and businesses doing outstanding work in the industry, so we thought the Tinto might be worth an investigative jaunt. Although there were no vegans in our party this time, the hotel does host a regular four-course vegan tasting night (£25), which is quite a thing for a wee rural hotel in South Lanarkshire. En route we were blessed by nature overload, monochrome oyster catchers flapping along contentedly and cute calves gambolling in green fields. The highlight was the stunning view of Tinto Hill, bathed in the warm golden glow of a summer eve. I was reliably in...

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