FyneFest 2013
A light, conspiratorial rain slants gently across Loch Fyne, briefly obscuring the mountain scene prior to seeping into the soft, hummocky ground. In these parts, water moves inexorably southwards, destiny joining it to the slate grey body of water that curves away into the distance. At the head of the Loch, a tight, sweeping bend […]
Edinburgh Oktoberfest – why?
News filtered out at the start of the week that Edinburgh is set to gain yet another festival. This autumn, long after the city’s stages and screens have fallen silent following the August maelstrom, a large, boisterous slice of Germany will arrive in Princes Street Gardens. Auld Reekie – already twinned with Munich – will […]
Cloisters summer beer festival preview
As the days lengthen in Scotland, and the rain takes on its warmer, more summery feel, it can mean only one thing – the time for festivals is upon us. We may still be a month away from the epic mid-July craziness of Edinburgh’s unofficial beer week, but following the recent Summerhall event, another cracking […]
Summerhall Beer Festival
There was a time, in Edinburgh, when fans of beer festivals would have only a handful of options to look forward to each year – peaking around the Scottish Real Ale Festival, held annually during the startlingly brief Scottish summer. Today though, new beery celebrations crop up seemingly every week. Is this down to the […]
Another ‘new beer’ festival for Edinburgh
As an Edinburgh beer drinker, I’ve been going to the Guildford Arms pretty much since I gained the ability to lift a pint glass and negotiate a revolving door – certainly many times since this blog started out. Tucked away from the rumbling east end of Princes Street (now vibrating to the sounds of a […]
Storm in a cask?
Last week, once again, a minor Twitter storm erupted around CAMRA’s position relating to kegged beer. The upstart cousin to cask ale always generates character inches on social media platforms – particularly when a new directive comes out of St Albans, or a smart-phone toting beer fan comes across something unexpected in a pub or […]
