0 Have your say On the steep climb to his home, which sits just below the television transmitter at Burntisland, Billy Steele wonders why I’ve come to see him. He doesn’t think there’s much of a story in his rugby career and this feeling of anti-climax is compounded when we reach the handsomely converted steading and thick mist prevents him from showing off the panoramic view across the Forth. “Lucky to win my first cap for Scotland, even luckier to win my second,” he says. This was an opinion expressed by others, although Steele seems to believe it himself. He was a “skinny wee bugger”. He was a bundle of nerves before every game. But, from the Muckle Toon of Langholm via RAF bases to the South African veldt before retiring to Fife, there is a tale here, for sure.Steele was a hero of 1971’s unforgettable wham-bam: two victories over England in a week. First there was our first Five Nations triumph at Twickenham for … [Read more...] about Interview: Billy Steele on turning Flower of Scotland into our anthem
National flower of scotland
Sandy’s Garden … Flower of Scotland
St. Andrew’s Day is celebrated on November 30 – that’s Friday of this week in 2018 – a Scottish Bank Holiday. It’s a day when we have an excuse to drink rather more than we would on a normal Thursday, become maudlin and pontificate, glass in hand, “Wha’s like us? Damn few – an’ they’re a’ deid”. Yet many Scots have little or no idea of why St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and why our national flag is … no, not the lion rampant … the saltire, a white cross on a sky-blue background.In the eighth century, the Pictish King Oengus I built a monastery on the east coast of Fife to house some bones which were said to have come from the body of Andrew, one of Christ’s original twelve disciples, who was crucified on a saltire-shaped cross - a cross like a multiplication sign. King Oengus II, son of Oengus I, is said to have offered prayers to the saint before a battle against English forces from … [Read more...] about Sandy’s Garden … Flower of Scotland
The UK’s top 100 restaurants: which Thai grill was named the National Restaurant of the Year 2018?
Kiln, a casual Thai grill restaurant in Soho, was named National Restaurant of the Year yesterday evening at the Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards. A notable occasion in the food calendar, the annual list of the top 100 restaurants in the UK is voted for by the chefs, restaurateurs and food writers. Hosted by Restaurant magazine at The Hurlingham Club in Fulham, Kiln’s victory saw the top spot return to London after Telegraph columnist Stephen Harris's The Sportsman was named Restaurant of the Year in 2017. Kiln's menu focuses on the rural cuisine of Thailand's northern borderlands, and chef-owner Ben Chapman has made countless research trips to Thailand to ensure authenticity in his cooking. A perfumed smokiness pervaded our food, from the Yunnan-style lamb skewers to a spectacular hotpot "Ben Chapman’s dedication – in fact obsession – with bringing … [Read more...] about The UK’s top 100 restaurants: which Thai grill was named the National Restaurant of the Year 2018?
Bryan Redpath: I can’t keep playing my son ‘Flower of Scotland’
0 Have your say The knee injury which has ruled Cameron Redpath out of the England tour to South Africa gives his dad another chance to push the case for Scotland but he insists he won’t be going for the hard sell. Bryan Redpath is in France preparing his Scotland Under-20 squad for the junior World Cup which starts this week and knows that, by the time he returns, his eldest son will still have the option of following him into a dark blue jersey after suffering the blow of an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury.It is a huge setback for the 18-year-old Sale Sharks academy stand-off/centre who was a surprise inclusion in Eddie Jones’s touring squad and his main priority will now be a lengthy rehab process. But the old man knows that it gives more time for the youngster to weigh up his international options.“He was born in France and he spent most of his childhood down in England when I was playing there,” said the former Scotland captain and … [Read more...] about Bryan Redpath: I can’t keep playing my son ‘Flower of Scotland’
Five of Scotland’s most isolated islands for hermits who holiday
0 Have your say For those who really want to get away from it all, there are some Scottish islands that provide complete isolation. Disconnect from wifi, wrap-up in a Fair Isle jumper, and relax. St KildaSt Kilda and the surrounding seas are a world heritage site with unique plant and animal life. Hermits can enjoy the stunning landscape and sea birds. If you arrive in your own boat you can contact the St Kilda Ranger, call sign ‘Kilda Warden’, but ships with closed cabins are not allowed alongside the pier in case unwanted stowaways devastate the island. You’ll have to leave your dog at home too because of the risk of disease they could bring to the native Soay sheep, relics of sheep domesticated in the Iron Age. Tourist facilities are limited; the St Kilda Club shop opens by prior appointment only and National Trust advice is to use the toilet on your boat. Kilda Cruises also offer day trips to St Kilda.(Total journey time by boat and bus from Fort … [Read more...] about Five of Scotland’s most isolated islands for hermits who holiday