Life & style, David Pollock

Hot 100 2012: 59-50

Billy Connolly, Optimo and Kevin Bridges among Scotland's hottest cultural contributors in 2012

The Hot 100 is our list of Scotland’s 100 hottest individuals and groups who’ve made a splash this year, from comic book writers to comedians, artists to actors. If they've contributed to Scotland's cultural landscape in 2012, you'll find them here.

Hot 100 2012: 79-70

Dominic Hill, Ewan Morrison and LuckyMe among Scotland's hottest cultural contributors in 2012

The Hot 100 is our list of Scotland’s 100 hottest individuals and groups who’ve made a splash this year, from comic book writers to comedians, artists to actors. If they've contributed to Scotland's cultural landscape in 2012, you'll find them here.

Dundee's NEoN Digital Arts festival develops movement theme for 2012

Among the artists exhibiting are Jaygo Bloom, Peter William Holden, Matthew Collings and Erik Parr

Four years ago, NEoN (North East of North) was launched by Interactive Tayside – a body created in partnership between the public, private and academic sectors in the city of Dundee – to promote the region’s activity in the field of digital media.

A guide to bars and pubs of Edinburgh

The best bars in Old Town, Broughton Street, Leith Walk, Tollcross & West End

The best places in the vicinity are either nearest the bottom end around the Palace of Holyroodhouse or on some of the narrow side streets that seep down into the Old Town. Particularly recommended in the former category are the White Horse (266…

St Andrews Brewing Co continue Scotland's micro-brewery revolution in Fife

New beer brand aims to make St Andrews famous for more than golf

Bob Phaff's new brewery is the fulfilment of a long-held ambition, and his range of five bottled beers are generating positive reports from ale enthusiasts across Scotland.

The best breakfasts in Edinburgh

The finest cafes, bistros and restaurants in the capital for a morning meal

Broughton Delicatessen 7 Barony Street, 558 7111, broughton-deli.co.uk Breakfast served: Mon–Sat 8am–3pm; Sun 11am–3pm. What does this place not do well? A great deli, healthy lunches and superb, made-from-scratch breakfasts from morning until 3pm…

The best restaurants in Edinburgh and Glasgow for cheap eating in January

Dining out options that won't break the bank

EDINBURGH The Mosque Kitchen Now relocated from its former al fresco spot outside Edinburgh’s mosque, the café-style Mosque Kitchen still serves a fine range of halal meat and vegetable curries in no-fuss polystyrene dishes for under £5 including…

The Hot 100 2011: 100-50

The definitive list of Scottish creative talent

100: Gordon Ferris. Kilmarnock crime author makes good. The already packed Scottish crime writing field has finally found a bit of elbow room for another burgeoning talent. Joining the likes of Rankin, Brookmyre, McDermid and co is this Ayrshire-born…

Best Edinburgh Festival street food

The ten best pop-up food stalls to be found at 2011 Edinburgh Festival

Mussel Men Seafood George Square walkway (east side), 11am–1am The guys in the stripey Breton shirts are actually London-based Scots, serving up fresh mussels and oysters from the west coast near Oban. Steaming hot moules come in a wee box sturdy…

Preview: the National Museum of Scotland

A peek inside the museum, plus reminiscences from notable Edinburghers and a guide to coming events

The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street is due to reopen this month after a three-year, £46.4 million redevelopment. David Pollock takes an exclusive peak behind closed doors to find out about the new exhibits

Pho Vietnam House - Restaurant review

Vietnamese cuisine represented well in west-end of Edinburgh

Vietnamese cuisine is hallowed by returning backpackers and adventurous tourists, but it’s poorly represented locally compared to other Far Eastern cuisines. David Pollock found a tiny outpost in western Edinburgh

Scotland celebrates a thriving brewing industry

Caledonian, Brewdog and more are holding their own on the world stage

High-quality water, historic recipes and a growing number of microbreweries means that Scotland is producing beers to rival those produced on the Continent, writes David Pollock.

Smoking Scottish seafood with peat

The unmistakable whiff of peat smoke is something we associate with crofting townships or whisky distilleries. For a few Scottish fish smokers, it’s the sweet smell of success, as David Pollock discovers.

Stornoway butcher seeks protection for Marag Dubh

Black pudding from Stornoway – or marag dubh as it is named in Gaelic – is a common sight on Scottish menus these days. David Pollock caught up with moves to secure its status and identity.

The Pineapple Chunks head up ECA Annual Summer Revel

If ever there was a party in Edinburgh’s calendar that deserves the term legendary, the Revel is it. Everyone knows about Hogmanay, the Festival and even Beltane, but Edinburgh College of Art’s traditional end of term blowout tends to be both truly…

Best bars in and around Leith

David Pollock suggests the finest locations for a festival beverage, or two

Affordable Art: Getting Started - Susanna Beaumont

Buying and owning art can bring both pleasure and profit, and you don’t need stacks of cash to get started. We begin our guide with some tips from a prominent gallery owner...

Affordable Art: Getting Started - Hugo Brown

Buying and owning art can bring both pleasure and profit, and you don’t need stacks of cash to get started. We begin our guide with some tips from an established collector...

Northern light - Dornoch Castle Hotel

‘One thing we’ve noticed this year,’ says Colin Thompson, owner and manager of the Dornoch Castle Hotel in the Highland tourist haven of Dornoch, ‘is that there have been many more young couples and families staying with us.’ It seems the ‘staycation…

A guide to the best clubs in Scotland

It’s not that we want to make Edinburgh feel inferior, but Glasgow is pretty much recognised as the most vibrant city in the UK after dark, behind London. Sure, your student days aren’t complete without a stagger alongside Sauchiehall Street every now…

Cult Fiction Movies shop opens in Edinburgh

To a certain type of movie fan, Newington’s newly-opened Cult Fiction Movies is a magical store where a litany of grindhouse double features, BFI Classics and films from America’s Criterion Collection which remain currently unavailable on this side of…

Everything's Gone Green - Coloursfest'09

These straitened times seem to be treacherous ones for festivals, but the last thing we need to get us in the mood for summer fun is a story about another call-off. How about a bit of feelgood news instead? ‘We’re already up 700 ticket sales on where we…

Ice cream days: growing up in an old school ice cream parlour

Mary Contini of Valvonna & Crolla describes her enviable upbringing

It took two men, my father and Tommy Dougal, to lift up each milk churn and tip it into the stainless-steel vat. It could be four or five churns at a time – even more in July and August when the factory was working at full capacity. Once the 20-gallon…

Berry good: the rise of the raspberry in Scotland, and the best places to pick your own

David Pollock goes by Glen Clova and Glen Ample to discover why raspberries are Scotland’s superberry.