[Random Matches You Are Going To...]

Gala 0 CSS 2.

Enjoyable game. Just about a fair result.

[Random Matches You Are Going To...]

Linton Hotspur v Polbeth in the Logan Cup. New Moor Road, West Linton. Not entirely random as this is now my local team, but this is my first chance to check them out.

Lovely pie washed down by a can of Tennents from the magical wee clubhouse.

Very scenic ground. Crowd is about 50, plus a few dozen livestock.

First goal came direct from a corner.

[whisky lovers]

Anybody ever joined the Scotch Malt Whisky Society?
There's an offer to join them at the moment and currently debating whether to.

Yes, I used to be a member when I lived in Leith.

[Gigs]

Rev Magnetic just won the warm-up.

[Random Matches You Are Going To...]

Hearts U20 v Ross County. Better game than I had feared.

[whisky lovers]

Where are the Islay Malts?

In my whisky cabinet!

[Random Matches You Are Going To...]

Edinburgh Uni 1 Civil Service Strollers 3.

Game had a lot to love - red card; karate kicking goalkeeper; shots crashing off posts; 10 men team breaking away to score goal in injury time with keeper in different half...

Definite edge to the game at times. Very enjoyable.

[Random Matches You Are Going To...]

Dalkeith v Heriot Watt University.

A momentous day. Enjoyed it.

[Random Matches You Are Going To...]

Spartans v Killie last night. Every vantage point was taken.

[whisky lovers]

I was at Blair Athol on Saturday. It was pretty poor TBH.
The tour guide knew loads about production but very little knowledge about the whiskies we were tasting.
You basically get a cupboard of Diageo owned whiskies and told you can pick 4 of your own which is fine but it's not a tutored tasting session which is what I paid for.
Have to say the dram drawn from the 32 yo cask was excellent though.
I'm planning my Islay trip in a few weeks now. Looking for recommendations. More tasting experiences than tours (there are only so many mash tuns you can look at in life) , cask drawn tastings preferred or anything with rare or unusual expressions. Anywhere where they are free and easy with giving it out is good too.

I'd recommend the Lagavulin warehouse demonstration to you. I've had everything in there from new make spirit up to 40 odd year old.

Bunnahabhain do another type of warehouse tour which is three whiskies from the cask in the warehouse with some other tastings thrown in. Last time I did it the trio were oloroso, manzanilla and Beaujolais casks - outatanding value for a tour. I also find them to be the most welcoming (which is some accolade on Islay).

Bruichladdich are very generous with the welcome nips and whilst I've not (yet) done their warehouse tour I've heard many good things about it. The standard tour there is very good as it is, because you get the bonus of a wee chat about their gin.

Bowmore tasting bar is as it sounds, and has the best views from any distillery bar. They do some flavoured pairing tastings also.

Ardbeg I associate with hearty food to soak up the booze taken on board at Lagavulin and Laphroaig on the way up from town! I did once do a rare expression tour there and it was ace.

Kilchoman is the only one I haven't toured (yet), but they do a nice range of tastings with their cafe menu. Cafe is good, and a must visit when there is the big beach nearby - it's a stunner.

That leaves Caol Ila which is not overly generous with the drams in my experience and often has been closed on my visits.

And Laphroaig which is the grandfather of whisky tours. Basically if you fancy a certain type of tour, they probably run it. Tours end in their bar and you get a number of tokens to spend on whichever combo you wish.

Enjoy your trip!

ps. Final tip - do visit the Spar shop in Bowmore, trust me it's an experience for the whisky drinker!

[Random Matches You Are Going To...]

Musselburgh 2 Bonnyrigg Rose 2.

First half was keek, second half was much more lively. Decent value for £3.

[Pregnancy And Parenting]

I went to Auchingarrich today, partly triggered by this thread reminding me that it was somewhere I had flagged to take R one day. He loved it. Nearly five hours in the place. I'm shattered!

[Qatar 2022]

Moscow time in the summer yes but they don’t change their clocks in winter so Qatar will be three hours up on UK time when the World Cup is played, so I’d be fairly surprised if any games start much later than 5:30pm/6pm over here.

Oh Christ. If they can kill a few migrants here and there to build their stadia, they can bloody well change their timekeeping to suit my commute.

[Qatar 2022]

FIFA have announced Qatar World Cup is happening 21st November to 18th December 2022. How the hell is that going to work? What a balls-up from the money-grabbing corrupt mob. 

Finally a world cup tie will be played on my birthday. I usually take a day off anyway so this will be handy.

With Qatar being 3 hours ahead of us, you're probably looking at kickoff times of 9:30am, midday, 2:30pm and 5pm in the group stages and then probably 2:30pm and 5pm for the final group matches and knockouts.

Same time zone as Moscow I believe? So we may expect a 7pm game at least, for European TV audience.

[Random Matches You Are Going To...]

Two nil after a minute of second half. Visitors must be deflated. Pressure has told.

[Random Matches You Are Going To...]

Heriot Watt v Michelin FC from Ballymena. One nil to the hosts at half time.

The visitors have tyred easily, and are perhaps treading lightly after getting rubbered on the way across. Perhaps they can restore balance in the second half. Their big bald No9 needs replaced.

First visit to the Oriam. It's a cracking venue, very impressive architecture. Of I had a spare £30m I'd definitely knock another one up.

[Shinty]

Oban 2 Kyles 0. Taynuilt was roasting. Stopped off at George Hotel on way back to watch Uruguay.

Missed the Kyles red card incident.

[Gigs]

Aidan Moffat and RM Hubbert at Stirling Tolbooth tonight. Last time I was in Stirling for a gig was REM at the castle in 1942 or thereabouts.

[Scotrail]

I really hope that they keep the façade of the shed visible when they've finished.

I think the top of the arch will be visible but at ground level they're building a big glass box down to the street. Images look a bit startling but I think the reality will be better.

[Shinty]

Congratulations Newtonmore.

[New clubs in the East of Scotland]

Can you me through what it means?

Well, 200 years ago John Letts invented the diary, and to this day they are produced by Letts in a factory in Dalkeith's leafy Cowden.

Now people from Dalkeith can use a Letts diary and turn forward a few weeks and write down, for example, "Elgin away" on a given Tuesday in January to correspond with a "fixture list" published by the league.

It's a bold move by the EOSL, I'm not sure I approve. I preferred the old system of keeping Saturday's free just in case.

[New clubs in the East of Scotland]

Holy crap, it's a fixture list.

[New clubs in the East of Scotland]

Conference D an interesting one - nice wee away days for Orkney in the Isle of Man, Federated State of Micronesia, and Armadale - the last of which voiced the most displeasure of joining the Scottish pyramid!

When Orkney inevitably rise through the pyramid, can anybody confirm whether they will be in northern or southern section of the league cup?

[New clubs in the East of Scotland]

Scotland's upcoming campaign in the UEFA Nations League is going to seriously mess with heads.

I think I understand it. We're playing at home to Albania on a Tuesday night in Elgin and if we win we get to play Israel to qualify for the Confederation Cup. Is that it?

[New clubs in the East of Scotland]

I'm strangely attracted to this one, maybe because I'm often driving down the A703.

Me too! I was really taken by Peebles in my first trip to their ground recently, a seven goal classic vs Tynecastle, with tackles going in all over the shop. I was pleased to see this pair reunited in the league cup.