In brief

Glenrothes loss
Tributes have poured in for John Sutherland distillery manager of Glenrothes who died recently.Luke Tegner, Glenrothes brand director said: “John was taken into hospital, initially to Elgin then to Aberdeen and Edinburgh. He went home at the end of the week, apparently never really felt well, and died at home.“John was so much more than the distillery manager. First and foremost a true friend, John was a great character - larger than life, with a fantastic and wicked sense of humour. He was an active and devoted ambassador for The Glenrothes, fully involved both at the heart of its production and as an evangelist on a global level.“We will miss him immeasurably. It goes without saying that our thoughts are with John’s family.” Book review – Rare Malts
Ulf Buxrud £30 www.countrybooksdirect.com This book is not only an account of the legendary collection of malt whiskies, but it also contains a wealth of information about whisky, about how to evaluate it and about the individual distilleries.Buxrud tells the story of the arduous work involved in the rise of what was a cottage business to the global industry we know today.The book is beautifully illustrated with photographs from the archives of the distilleries – many of which have not been published before.Picture Perfect
The third year of one of Britain’s biggest maritime photographic competitions, started by Old Pulteney, has yielded its best results yet.Wish You Were Here celebrates Britain’s unique coastline and aims to revive its unique tradition of seaside postcards.John Short of Southshields beat off stiff competition and celebrated after his striking image was selected from more than 1300 entries to win.John’s stunning coastal image taken at Yorkshire’s Staithes Harbour - once one of the largest fishing ports in the North East - caught the judges’ attention with its careful composition and depth of dramatic colours.