Bothy Tales: Footsteps in the Scottish hills

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Tropical fruits: refreshingly juicy and easy to make, pineapple and passionfruit is an exciting alternative to regular jam. Tropical fruits are nearly devoid of pectin though, and must be combined with pectin-loaded fruit or extra sugar to create a bonding gel. And the fact his family legacy will live on through a butter recipe devised by his mum and grandmother Frances McLeod, fills Hamish with pride.. Saltire award-winning novelist, Eleanor Thom, will be talking about her second novel, Connective Tissue. Eleanor’s story is inspired by the life of her grandmother who settled in Elgin, marrying Duncan Wilson in 1942, after being exiled to the UK aged 22. She'd been forced to leave her one-year-old daughter behind in Germany. The child was killed in the gas chambers in Auschwitz with Jewish relatives. Gin Bothy, one of Scotland’s most established drinks brands has today (Friday 3rd September) unveiled their most progressive product to date, Gin Bothy Smoked Gin, where tradition meets tradition as botanicals are smoked in a fisher smoke house in Arbroath.

Kim Cameron added: “Bringing together the bothy elements along with the best of Scotland’s produce, preserves not just the product, but also the past and it chimes perfectly with our values. We want to safeguard and celebrate traditions that have been passed down the generations and sit at the heart of the unique identity that Scots have protected and carried abroad for so long.” Stone fruit: sweet and juicy, plums, cherries, and apricots make delicious jam. Stone fruits are also lower in pectin. Heatproof spatula or wooden spoon: Metallic utensils react with acidic food. Jam tartly demands to be stirred with a wooden spoon! Further clues lie in the texture. Jam has lumpy, homely texture. Often it's more rustic, containing whole pieces of fruit and seeds. Jelly on the other hand, has a smooth but firm texture and looks glossy and clear. Have you ever been on a trek and looked at your meal of highly processed dehydrated food and thought, “Is there a way I can eat better than this?”Liked this sloe gin blog? You might also enjoy reading our tips on making the most of rhubarb season and the story of our Gin Bothy Jam. In some ways, how we make gin today hasn't changed much from the old ways of homemade rhubarb gin. You can still find us foraging for pine and heather, or eagerly awaiting the first pull of the rhubarb stalks. We use traditional methods of production - every bottle is numbered, batched, and poured by hand. The combination of John’s love of the outdoors with his passion for writing and performance makes him a uniquely powerful storyteller. In his writing, John tells tales of his travels in the mountains, in his performance he talks of the profound relationship between men and wild places.

Oh, what a shame you weren't here last week, she says, pity radiating from behind her horn-rimmed specs. You've missed him. Gin Bothy has gone on to become one of Scotland’s best known premium gin and rum brands producing over 65,000 units each year sold across the UK and exported internationally. Hot on the heels of their relaunch of the Jam Bothy range of preserves earlier this year, award-winning spirits manufacturer Gin Bothy has today (Wednesday 30 th August 2023) announced a move to new premises in Forfar, creating additional jobs as the brand sees continued growth. From remote glens deep in the Scottish Highlands, John D Burns brings a new volume of tales – some dramatic, some moving, some hilarious – from the isolated shelters mountain people call bothies.While we hope to resume hosted tastings at The Bothy Experience in Glamis soon, our virtual tastings bring the atmosphere of our 4-star visitor attraction to you! Some virtual tastings are open to the public, but if your group has 10 or more boxes you can book a private tasting. Just give us the details of everyone taking part when booking and we'll send their Bothy At Home boxes directly to their door! Sloe cordial is a great non-alcoholic alternative to sloe gin and can be served with sparkling or tonic water, or with a soft drink like lemonade. The lemon juice adds a twist of freshness but you could just as easily leave it out. Sloe syrup Craig created The Kilted Chef Supper Club in June this year, it takes place every Thursday and each week a local guest producer is invited to share their food and drink story. As the festive season fast approaches, renowned Aberdeenshire chef and regional food tourism ambassador Craig Wilson, today announces the launch of his second handcrafted, artisan gin. Decades ago, many bothies, often the remains of shepherd's cottages, were in a dilapidated state, with some in danger of falling down and being lost completely. Those that still stood had earth floors, tumbling walls and leaking roofs.

I’m really looking forward to reading from Connective Tissue. The story is set in Berlin, England and Scotland, and I’ll be talking about the process of researching and writing a novel based on a real family history.Full strength, rich in flavour, Gin Bothy Smoked Gin is 100% natural and sugar free and is classed as a London dry smoked gin, with a burnt orange deep citrus forward with the smokiness following.

I’m giving this book two and a half out of five because the writing is well-crafted; the author is quite an eloquent wordsmith, who comes across as convivial and engaging and I tend to share his disdain for fussy bureaucracy, modern ways of thinking and new-fangled-gadgets in the hills – i.e. anything invented after about 1976! (Though personally, I could have done without the incongruous Ku Klux Klan quips.) What’s more, as a lover of bothy life and hills, the book offered a nostalgic journey to some old favourite haunts. The stories mainly centre on the Cairngorms, though he does venture to the Cape of Wrath and down into Yorkshire/The Penines. His descriptions of his fellow humans, the human condition and his despair of the technological world touch a nerve – he’s bang on, is John. Chair of Moray Council's Education, Children's Services and Leisure Committee, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said:“It is really good to see Elgin Library welcoming popular authors to meet their local audience.I’m big on keeping traditions alive and proud of the fact this is based on a historic Angus recipe, using the churner from North Street Dairy. Once opened, keep jam in the fridge and use it within a month. That shouldn't be hard when you can slather delicious jam made from local raspberries on scones, croissants, or even pair it with cheese! FANS of hillwalking adventures and lost family history-inspired novels will be able to meet their favourite award-winning authors when they come to Elgin Library next week. Eleanor Thom and John D Burns will be appearing at Elgin library next week. Bothy tales gets under way at 6.30pm on Monday, November 13 while Eleanor's event begins at the same time the following day. Both sessions will include an audience Q&A and a chance to buy signed copies of books.