Life & style

Taste test: Cranberry sauce

The best cranberry sauces from Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s and more

Hopetoun / Mrs. Bridges Cranberry Sauce with Port ●● This sauce from Mrs Bridges is so sweet and sugary, it’s a bit like eating your roast turkey with a side-order of jam. It does contain whole cranberries, but it just wasn’t saucy enough for our taste…

The best family games this Christmas

Animal Croquet, Pointless, Angry Birds, Rory Story Cubes and Spyro the Dragon featured

Animal Croquet One for the little ones or if you just fancy a very civilised mini game of croquet indoors. £24 (currently on special offer online at £16.50) from poshlittletots.com Pointless The much loved TV quiz show with Alexander Armstrong…

Taste test: Truffles

The best truffles from Waitrose, Peckham’s, Thorntons and more

Seriously Chocolatey Truffles, Waitrose ●●● We like the creamy texture of these truffles from Waitrose, but sadly the taste doesn’t quite live up to the name. The flavour fails to pack a punch, though they are quite boozy – perhaps even a little too…

Battlefield 3 vs Modern Warfare 3 - review

The two big first person shooters go head-to-head

First out of the blocks is Battlefield 3 PC/PS3/Xbox 360 (EA) ●●●●, sequel to the 2005 tactical FPS. For the first time in the series’ history we have a single player campaign and it’s a turgid affair, plagued by over-scripting and infuriating enemy AI.

Taste test: Mince pies

The best mince pies evaluated from Peckhams, Tesco, Marks And Spencer and more

Peckhams Mince Pies ●●●● Fluffy pastry and a top-notch mincemeat filling make this a tasty treat from one of Scotland’s best deli staples. Sure, the pastry may seem heavy to some, but it is Christmas, so why not indulge yourself? Tesco Mince Pies…

Taste test: Champagne

The best champagne evaluated, from Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Moet And Chandon, Tattinger and Waitrose

Sainsbury’s Blanc De Blancs Champagne ●●● This is a light, if slightly forgettable offering from Sainsbury’s, but as a reasonably priced bottle of fizz, it’s decent enough bang for your buck. Morrisons Champagne Brut ●● There’s something a tad…

Historic Scotland has Christmas all wrapped up

Edinburgh and Stirling castles set to host festive events this winter

Looking to get into that Christmas spirit good and early but seeking some festive inspiration? Sometimes we forget about the very best things on our doorstep – maybe it’s because we associate them more with tourists than as places to visit ourselves but…

Take a break this winter - without breaking the bank

Winter fun or winter sun?

Whether you’re into winter sports or winter sunshine, look out for special deals and packages. Avoid school half-term and the Christmas holidays if you can, and be flexible about dates and times – flights are often cheaper mid-week or at unsociable…

Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle: Alternative Christmas dining options

Two iconic venues now taking bookings for your Christmas meal

Stuck for somewhere decent to have your Christmas lunch? Need a venue that’ll please a range of tastes but won’t be another run-of-the-mill pub grub standby in the city centre? Have you considered going for something a bit more... iconic?

Events for St Andrew's Day 2011

Live music, ceilidhs, free and discounted entry to nation’s key landmarks

Visit for free As part of Scotland’s Winter Festivals, the weekend before St Andrew’s Day will be enhanced with money-off deals for some of the nation’s key landmarks. You can get cheap or free entry to Glasgow Science Centre (check out the…

Bar Crawls: Edinburgh - No Sleep Till Leith

From central Edinburgh and Leith the best way possible – by the bars

Determining the point at which Leith Walk starts has baffled philosophers, locals and postal workers for decades. Haddington Place and Leith Street have (understandably) become subsumed within this long, iconic thoroughfare that joins Edinburgh with…

Bar Crawls: Glasgow - The Subcrawl

A truncated version of Glasgow’s infamous subway circuit

The Subcrawl – a circular navigation of pubs nearest the 15 stops of Glasgow’s underground – is an institution not strictly for all. Many stations on the route of the city’s beloved Clockwork Orange, particularly south of the Clyde, emerge in locations…

Bar Crawls: Glasgow - The Sauchiehall Street Saunter

Making the most of Glasgow city centre drinking

Both ‘pub crawl’ and ‘Sauchiehall Street’ can evoke images of large groups of revellers staggering from one ropey watering hole to the next, the night hurtling towards a climax of kebab sauce and lost cloakroom tickets. Well this route aims to redress…

Bar crawls: Edinburgh - The Prudent Student

A cheap and cheerful crawl from Marchmont to Grassmarket

I have a confession to make. I’ve never really been much of a bar crawl sort of gal. The idea of systematic drinking (vb. to lash, I suppose) with a bunch of overgrown rugby boys, with their girlfriend’s underwear on as outer wear, has never really…

Design and Democracy exhibition - Free Family Weekend to mark St Andrew's Day

Free events include building your own rocket and radio-controlled car

Design affects the lives of all of us. Whether it’s an intuitive new phone, a car that tells us we’ve left the lights on, or the Kindle doing something nobody expected and actually improving on the design of a book, who of us have not had our lives…

Glasgow Subcrawl – directions to the bars

Maps and walking directions to help you find all the bars on our List-endorsed Subcrawl

So you're off on our (shorter) Subcrawl? We realise that you might need some clear directions (especially as the night wears on), so here are directions and maps showing the routes from the subway stations to all of our listed bars. Enjoy.

Neighbourhood Watch: Stockbridge, Edinburgh

A guide to the village-like Edinburgh suburb

What’s it like? Architecturally lovely and quite picturesque, the area is still pretty bohemian despite the influx of more affluent shops in recent years. Where’s it, like? To the north of the city, between the New Town and Inverleith. It’s about…

Christmas 2011 events in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Our round-up of some of the best festive fodder including markets, fairs and carol concerts

Shopping To find prezzies with an individual feel or just some tasty treats, head out to a Christmas fair near you. In Glasgow, there’s the St Enoch Square annual market (from 20 Nov) and Country Living Magazine’s Christmas Fair, with homemade food…

Rockstar releases the Grand Theft Auto V trailer

Watch the latest release from the Scottish game developer here

Edinburgh-based games developer Rockstar have unveiled the first look at Grand Theft Auto V, the latest instalment in the world-famous series. The trailer, while still occupying the fictional universe that GTA has always been set in (with one small…

Taste test: Christmas Pudding

We track down the best from M&S, Lakeland, Coles and Tesco

Marks & Spencer Classic Christmas Pudding £3.99 ●● This pudding does the job, but won’t make you too jolly. It has the bitterness of peel running through it, giving it the flavour of a fruitcake, is densely packed with raisins and there’s not a lot…

The best Hogmanay holiday ideas

The best ways to bring in the New Year

Get on the farm Forget Carry on Camping, the crew at Comrie Croft in Perthshire know how to do camping in style, with this eco-friendly farmstead conversion. Located in Crieff, surrounded by gorgeous vistas, bring in the bells around a campfire…

Hogmanay holidays in Perthshire. Scotland

Ideas on how to bring in the New Year in Scotland

You know the drill. It’s a week before Hogmanay and you’re deciding which shindig you don’t really want to go to. The local street party’s not quite doing it for you, and honestly you’d rather be anywhere but here. So where to start? Firstly, don’t…

Christmas food ideas with a difference

Try something different this Christmas with these alternative festive recipes

Alternative Christmas food ideas Instead of mulled wine, try something slightly different: mulled cider or perhaps add mulling spices to some crème de cassis for an extra special mulled Kir Royale. Try using Pedro Ximenez sherry to deglaze your…

NEoN Digital Arts Festival 2011

Highlights include works by artists Tom DeMajo and N55 and an event exploring the sound of stars

Digital arts festival NEoN is once again transforming Dundee into an electronic playground for six days. With its series of film screenings, live music, DJ performances and workshops, NEoN’s main aim is to create works of art that couldn’t have existed…

The top tips to look wide awake after a late night

Yes, it can be done! After a night out and only a few hours sleep, you can look wide awake even if you don’t feel it. The trick is to look after your body, especially your skin, by maintaining a good beauty regime. With these quick and easy beauty tips…