Claire Ritchie

Steal Compass, Drive North, Disappear

Minimal and moving life awakening

Against a minimalist background of black walls and a scattering of blank chalkboards, Rachel Blackman unravels the story of Martin Charon, philandering video artist, university professor and father of two. Through the four women in his life (each…

Edinburgh restaurant Seadogs a welcome addition to the city

David Ramsden continues to refine and expand his innovative and much imitated style around central Edinburgh, with Seadogs the latest addition to his burgeoning restaurant empire. The trademark mismatched old furniture and crockery are here, contrasting…

Ripe Time - L’Artichaut

France isn’t a country known for its abundant vege sympathy, with non-meat-eaters often having to make do with a half-hearted omelette, a green salad or frîtes for every meal. But in a way the concept of a vege French restaurant shouldn’t seem so…

Naked ambition - Naked takeaway

Too often in Scotland home-delivered food is a substandard equivalent to anything you can cook yourself. A lukewarm pizza, luminous curry or MSG-packed sweet and sour chicken are the traditional, and often only, options. Convenient? From the depths of…

Unknown Album

New play promises much but delivers little

Four disparate characters’ lives are briefly touched by one song. It’s a simple premise that could deliver much, but this production of Fred Gordon’s play lacks direction and ultimately loses its way amid one too many clever stage manoeuvres. Themes…

Activism - Active ingredients

What we eat, where our food comes from and how we eat it all have a huge impact on our local and global environment – and, happily, it only takes a few small changes to the way we approach our food to make a difference. Local, seasonal food is cheaper…

Activism - Global activism

The Make Poverty History campaign garnered worldwide attention back in 2005 thanks to the involvement of Messrs Martin, Bono et al. It’s still going strong, though, and they need support to pressure the politicians and decision makers into helping make…

Salad days: former chef Robin Gray has reaped the benefits of going back to basics on Arran

Claire Ritchie visits an Arran smallholding where a former chef makes a living from living the good life.

Scotland's agricultural heritage provides a sympathetic base for Fairtrade farming initiatives

With a list of 70 different Fairtrade products, Edinburgh’s Equal Exchange is at the forefront of the movement that has changed our attitudes to food shopping. Claire Ritchie meets the folk behind it

The Scotch pie: a national icon

‘Scotch Pie’ - the very words conjure up unsavory images of football grounds across the country, where mediocre, gristly pies are served to warm the heaving ranks on cold winters’ days, entirely unpalatable without the requisite cup of Bovril alongside.

5 to try: River sports

Rafting The most famous, and by far the most popular river sport in Scotland, white-water rafting can be a huge adrenaline buzz or a relatively tame sail downstream. It all depends on the river you choose and the water levels on any given day, which…

Pick of the Autumn

Bored? Not for long. Claire Ritchie chooses 14 of the best activities this autumn