Suzy Pope

Suzy Pope

I'm an Edinburgh-based freelance writer and editor specialising in travel, food and drink. Since graduating with an MSc in Creative Writing from Edinburgh University, I've had features published by The Guardian, Bradt Travel Guides and National Geographic Traveller and have worked as a restaurant reviewer and Food & Drink Editor at The List magazine. 

The Independent •

How to spend a day in Portobello, Edinburgh’s swinging seaside suburb

Three miles from the tourist-trodden Old Town of Edinburgh, Portobello has a completely different feel from the medieval spires and haunted snickleways the Scottish capital is famous for. The shoreline here has been on a rickety wooden rollercoaster of rebrands over the centuries, from a thriving industrial base in the 18th century to an upmarket seaside destination for the Victorians and then a slightly neglected suburb of faded grandeur at the turn of the millennium. Slowly and quietly since,
the Guardian •

Festive spirit: how a master distiller created a new whisky that’s ‘Christmas in a glass’

Between the heather-bruised hills and sweeping glens of Scotland’s western countryside sits a traditional distillery where Julieann Fernandez is distilling and blending away with the precision of a forensic scientist. She is creating a distinctive whisky for M&S, part of a new range of spirits specially crafted for Christmas. With its festive character profile, the whisky begs to be cracked open on the big day – as a cocktail base, nightcap or punchy addition to mulled wine. The spirit is stee
The List •

Review: Camille O’Sullivan: Dreaming ★★★★★

An intimate and raw showcase by this Irish cabaret icon proves she’s still queen of the Fringe Camille O’Sullivan has returned to her band of loyal Fringe followers. She shares a few in-jokes with the crowd, speaking of ‘the wheels falling off’, poking at and playing with the erratic collection of bric-a-brac she shares the stage with including a cat-faced tea cosy, wolf costume, and one illuminated rabbit and its baby (‘it’s his first Fringe’, O’Sullivan says, fondly). Her between-song banter
The List •

Review: Living A Little ★★★★☆

How would you cope should the world fall to a zombie apocalypse? If The Odd Couple took place during a zombie apocalypse, you’d end up with something not too far away from Living A Little. Rough, un-PC Rob and mild-mannered Paul have it pretty cushty, holed up in their flat with all the little luxuries of life (electricity, hot showers, endless alcohol supplies, and ice) before it all went south. Penelope bursts through their door wielding a katana, and after establishing she’s unbitten, this s
Reykjavik Excursions Blog •

The Icelandic Highlands

While most people visiting Iceland make their way around the Golden Circle and the Ring Road, sticking mainly to the coast, heading inland to Iceland’s highlands offers a glimpse at the country’s untamed wilderness, away from the crowds. An ethereal landscape of rainbow-coloured mountains, hills impossibly turquoise with iron deposits and vast glaciers cutting through ink-black volcanic fields await for those who dare to adventure into this uninhabited part of the country. This is a land of hiki
Reykjavik Excursions Blog •

Best Iceland tours – our most popular day excursions

“Land of contrasts” is a phrase thrown around about many countries, but Iceland – the land of Ice and Fire – works for this title. Within a few miles, you can go from geysers bursting through the land, to ice caves glowing blue, and lava tunnels snaking beneath the black earth. Icebergs float silently across glacial lakes and, in winter, the Northern Lights illuminate the night sky. For such a small island, the landscape is varied and dramatic. It would be a shame to miss out on any of the natu
Sainsbury’s Magazine •

Burns Night: 5 Scottish chefs you should know about

A rugged land of forest-clad hills, glimmering lochs and miles of coastline has led Scotland to produce some of the finest fresh seafood, game, and fruit and veg in the country. Fine-dining restaurants across Scotland have traditionally been lauded for French-style cooking, but recently we’ve seen the rise of the local. As of 2021, there are 10 Michelin-starred restaurants across Scotland, showing us that chefs up north aren’t resting on their laurels. Chefs from the lowlands to the highlands ar
The Guardian •

Get a muddler – and five other tips for making great tasting cocktails at home

During lockdown, many of us became home mixologists to infuse our routines of jogging bottoms and streaming binges with some much-needed glamour, rustling up spritzes behind kitchen islands, breakfast bars and dining tables with whatever we had to hand. I personally bumbled my way through a batch of pulpy French martini cocktails – vodka, Chambord and pineapple juice – mixed up in a measuring jug and strained through a broccoli steamer; though passable, they were far from ideal. Nights in are
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