'Impressive' hotel in beautiful Scottish coastal village has launched new £19 menu
Part of The Marram Collection, The Leddie is an award-winning 27 bedroom hotel located in the historic coastal village of Aberlady on Scotland's scenic Golf Coast.
The team's hard work has been recognised with awards including an AA Rosette for culinary excellence (2025), The East Lothian Hotel of The Year award (2025), as well as being recommended in The Times Top 100 Places to Stay (2025).
The Leddie has attracted a loyal guest base spanning locals, golfers and destination diners from Scotland and abroad with its relaxed style, exemplary service, standout menus and personal, down-to-earth hospitality.
Picture: TSPL
Now celebrating its first birthday, The Leddie has launched a new £19 two-course lunch menu.
The weekday lunchtime set menu will change regularly to reflect what's fresh, available and in season – from garden-grown herbs and just-landed seafood to premium cuts from East Lothian butcher John Gilmour. Recent highlights include asparagus, pea and wild garlic pappardelle, grilled prawns and The Leddie's twist on a chicken schnitzel.
The Leddie's general manager Robert Clark celebrated the first birthday with the team and said: 'We are so proud of what we've built at The Leddie, testament to our success is the team's passion and hard work.
'From day one, we've focused on quality, consistency and building strong relationships with our guests – and that's what keeps people coming back.
'Our team also know the area inside out and genuinely care about everyone's experience at The Leddie – whether you're here for a quick lunch, a celebratory dinner, or a full East Lothian escape - the best is yet to come.'
The hotel is just 30 minutes from Edinburgh, and within easy reach of Northumberland and the Borders. The Leddie is also just around the corner from golf courses like Archerfield, Gullane, North Berwick, and the legendary 16-time Open host, Muirfield.
With beautiful walking and cycling routes, right on its doorstep, The Leddie is perfectly positioned for short breaks, day trips or post-round pitstops. Rooms start from £103 pp sharing.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
7 hours ago
- Times
A few ‘tweaks' would make it easier to lend to small businesses
As the government focuses on backing key sectors it believes can kickstart Britain's sluggish economy, The Times is running a five-day series exploring what business leaders in these industries need if they are to deliver the growth ministers are searching for. Here, entrepreneurs in the financial and professional services sector explain why attitudes towards external capital and regulation must change Funding is a perennial problem for ambitious entrepreneurs. Most can only take their idea so far, and only grow so fast, without the leverage provided by external capital. Banks and investors in the UK are often criticised for their perceived lack of risk appetite, generally preferring to back larger, more established businesses or residential mortgages. Ison Travel, which organises travel, accommodation and events for corporate customers, made two acquisitions last year that doubled its annual revenue. Helen Cannon, founder and chief executive, does not think she would have been able to strike either of those deals had Ison not had some profits to reinvest. 'It's all been self-funded,' she says. 'When we were looking at the acquisitions last year, we did consider [outside investment] and spoke to a few different companies, but it isn't easy. It's a long process and there's an awful lot of red tape and so many hoops to jump through.' While there's a debate over whether it's supply or demand of finance that's to blame, Cannon's views are increasingly common among British businesses, with the long-running SME Finance Monitor consistently showing a growing proportion of companies preferring to grow under their own steam rather than seek external finance. That has prompted concerns about the implications for growth and productivity; less external finance usually means slower growth and less investment. Richard Davies, as chief executive of Allica, a specialist challenger bank , knows more than most about lending money to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). He says major high street banks have pulled back from the SME market in recent years. 'Their business model is either for millions of consumers and micro businesses, or for 20,000 large corporate businesses, but neither of those models works for the bit in between,' he explained. • Lending gap for small businesses 'is hurting UK's growth' Lending to British SMEs is now £90 billion lower than it would have been had it followed levels recorded between 1997 and 2004, research by Allica has found. Allica, and some of its peers, are trying to plug that gap. Allica has more than £3 billion in loans out at the moment, almost entirely to smaller companies. Last year, Allica was named Britain's fastest growing private company by the Sunday Times 100. It could be growing even faster, Davies says; he could increase lending by another £500 million this year if the government and regulators made some 'tweaks' to capital requirement rules. As a challenger, Allica lends only in the UK, but that means it must hold a higher percentage of liquid capital on hand than the big banks which are perceived as being safer because they operate in many different countries. 'I'm not sure if you're a small bank that [the regulator] should be saying 'go and lend in lots of countries because that's going to be safer',' he says. 'It makes no sense to me. If that was changed, I could lend an extra £400 million or £500 million to SMEs this year.' Crowdfunding platforms are also trying to fill the financing gaps left by mainstream banks, but Bruce Davis, a fintech entrepreneur and chairman of the UK Crowdfunding Association, believes they are being held back by too much bureaucracy. To get involved with crowdfunding, people need to pass an 'appropriateness test' introduced by regulators, which is failed by close to half of those who apply. It has had a dramatic impact on the market. 'What we've seen is a big drop-off in terms of people wanting to go through that process, which we've argued is overkill,' Davis says. 'The government wants more innovation and more growth, so the [Financial Conduct Authority] is looking again at how it defines high-risk investment. It wouldn't need a lot of changes to make [partaking in crowdfunding] simpler without removing the safeguards.' There is a 'lighter touch regulatory regime' for crowdfunding in Europe, where there are hundreds of platforms and a 'bigger pool of investors', Davis says. His concern is that UK businesses will inevitably be competing with European peers which have access to more investment. 'I just think we are constraining UK businesses. If you're a UK business in artificial intelligence, for example, and you're competing with a French AI business and you're finding it harder to raise capital, you're going to lose.' That is not what the government says it wants. As part of the industrial strategy it published this summer, the government has promised to support small, fast-growing businesses which have the capacity to punch above their weight in helping to deliver growth. Ultimately, the government wants its industrial strategy to help push today's ambitious SMEs to the next level. Labour has promised to 'slash red tape' to drive growth but onerous paperwork and box-ticking is still bemoaned by many bosses, including Aminash Patel, chief executive of Penta Consulting. Penta, which finds skilled workers for technology companies including Microsoft and IBM, employs and contracts 800 or so people in 12 offices across Asia, the Middle East and Africa. 'Because our business is across many different geographies, the mobility of our people can be quite difficult,' Patel says. 'We could have one of our consultants who is working in the UK for six months but then they may have to go off to mainland Europe for a year and then maybe go over to the US. Some of the red tape around cross-border movement of our employees causes a lot of delays for us.' Those delays, he thinks, are only getting worse. 'It's taking longer to get clearance and visas and work permits — it's not flowing as quickly as it used to. Ten or fifteen years ago you could deploy people [to other countries] much faster and more easily with less paperwork and justification.' Davies, of Allica, shares Patel's frustrations about the speed of decision-making and receiving feedback from regulators and officials. Back in 2013, the government launched a start-up unit to help new banks go through the authorisation process, which Davies says has been a 'big success'. The problem is that once a bank has established itself but is still growing quickly, such as Allica, 'there's nothing there' to help. 'We've been big advocates of a scale-up unit to ensure you've got high-speed and high-frequency interactions with regulators,' he says. 'Ironically, most fintechs want more interaction with regulators, not less. We want resolution [on issues] really quickly, we don't want to wait nine months, we want it resolved in a few weeks.' Cannon would also like support from regulators and the government to be easier to access, particularly in the early days 'which can be really lonely'. She points to research and development tax credits as an example. 'We've never used any and I don't know how to access them or whether we even qualify. It'd be great if there was someone there to help you.' • Debt load of businesses seeking finance is double pre-Covid level Patel, meanwhile, would have liked more support from the government when Penta made an international sales push. He did find advice, but from various trade bodies and organisations rather than official channels. 'It's not something the government has made available to us. There's been a lot of self-teaching,' he said. 'If you're a UK company and you want to go and sell your products or services in four or five other countries, where do you start? Some help around understanding the tax implications or the restrictions [of operating overseas] would make sense.' Davies says the UK's growth challenge must be tackled at its roots, by doing a better job of educating entrepreneurs that external finance is not a bad thing. That attitude towards debt is 'a UK problem' and not one really seen in other countries, particularly the US, he says. 'There's been a really big hang-up from the financial crisis and things like Royal Bank of Scotland's restructuring division screwing businesses,' he says. 'The statistics are shocking: the Bank of England found that four in five businesses would rather grow slower than borrow to grow faster. Banks and the government have got to get businesses feeling confident to borrow to invest again.' 'It's a real grind trying to raise single-digit millions because the pool of available capital is so much smaller,' explains one City stockbroker, whose job it is to help companies — typically on the smaller side — drum up fresh investment. It is a common gripe among growing businesses, how difficult it can be to attract the investment they need for the next stage of growth. The feeling in the City is that there are a few reasons for this, including what one senior dealmaker describes as a 'hangover from Woodford'. That is a reference to Neil Woodford, the one-time star fund manager whose Woodford Equity Income Fund collapsed in 2019 after putting too much money into smaller, illiquid businesses. Scarred by that scandal, anecdotal evidence from bankers suggests that fund managers have moved 'up the food chain' and are backing fewer small companies as a result. Simon French, chief economist and head of research at Panmure Liberum, the stockbroker, agreed that Woodford has affected the investment industry but believes there are other 'structural challenges' that are limiting how much funding is being directed at the smaller end of the market. 'Wealth managers and pension funds have also consolidated so you've got much larger asset managers out there and their propensity to invest in a small company is rather limited,' he says. 'If you're running billions of pounds [of savers' money], buying a 20 per cent stake in a £20 million company is only £4 million. Just because of the economics, you're not going to do it.' The de-equitisation of the London stock market also means there is just less money earmarked for equities. At the peak in 1990, pension funds had 40 per cent of their assets invested in UK stocks, but that has fallen to only 3 per cent. That trend partly reflects defined benefit pension schemes moving money out of stocks and into lower-risk government bonds as more of their members hit retirement. French thinks he has a solution: UK pension funds with more of their assets invested in UK equities should receive greater tax relief than those which do very little over here. 'I think we should say [to pension funds] that they can invest wherever they want, but if they only want to buy an S&P 500 tracker, they're not going to get the same scale of tax relief as if they're a pension scheme investing 90 per cent in the US but 10 per cent in the UK [stock market]. A pound invested in IQE, a semiconductor manufacturer in South Wales, has a different economic impact to a pound in Nvidia.' On Friday: Advanced manufacturers on the difference between political rhetoric and the real-world barriers to growing in the UK
Geeky Gadgets
9 hours ago
- Geeky Gadgets
Why OpenAI's GPT-OSS Models Are the Future of Accessible AI
What if the future of artificial intelligence wasn't locked behind paywalls or restricted to tech giants? OpenAI's latest release—GPT-OSS 120B and 20B—is a bold step toward making innovative AI accessible to everyone. These open source models challenge the dominance of proprietary systems like GPT-3, offering developers and organizations the freedom to innovate without the constraints of subscription-based APIs. By bridging the gap between high-performance AI and broad accessibility, OpenAI is reshaping the AI landscape, sparking conversations about inclusivity, competition, and the ethical implications of provide widespread access tod technology. In this overview by AI Grid explores what makes the GPT-OSS models so fantastic. From their scalability—ranging from enterprise-grade power to hardware-friendly adaptability—to their potential for offline deployment, these models open doors to applications in industries like healthcare, education, and beyond. But it's not all smooth sailing. We'll also unpack the challenges these models face, such as their limitations in creative tasks and the persistent issue of hallucination. By the end, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how GPT-OSS is not just a technical achievement but a pivotal moment in the evolution of open source AI. Could this be the start of a more inclusive AI revolution? OpenAI's GPT-OSS Models TL;DR Key Takeaways : OpenAI has launched two open source language models, GPT-OSS 120B and GPT-OSS 20B, aimed at providing widespread access to AI by providing innovative capabilities to a broader audience. GPT-OSS 120B is designed for enterprise-level applications with 120 billion parameters, while GPT-OSS 20B is optimized for smaller-scale use on accessible hardware like desktops and laptops. The models excel in structured tasks such as coding, mathematical problem-solving, and logical reasoning, performing comparably to proprietary systems like GPT-3. Key limitations include occasional hallucinations and weaker performance in creative tasks, highlighting areas for further development to enhance versatility. The open source nature of these models promotes innovation, supports offline deployment for data privacy compliance, and reduces costs, making advanced AI accessible to smaller enterprises and diverse industries. What Distinguishes GPT-OSS Models? The GPT-OSS models are designed to cater to diverse user needs, offering both scalability and adaptability. Their unique features make them stand out in the competitive AI landscape: GPT-OSS 120B: With an impressive 120 billion parameters, this model is tailored for enterprise-level applications and high-performance systems. It is ideal for organizations requiring robust computational power to handle complex tasks. With an impressive 120 billion parameters, this model is tailored for enterprise-level applications and high-performance systems. It is ideal for organizations requiring robust computational power to handle complex tasks. GPT-OSS 20B: Featuring 20 billion parameters, this model is optimized for more accessible hardware, such as desktops and laptops. It is well-suited for smaller-scale applications and developers with limited resources. Both models deliver performance comparable to OpenAI's proprietary GPT-3 across a range of benchmarks, including general knowledge and reasoning tasks. This dual approach ensures that businesses and developers, regardless of their scale, can use advanced AI capabilities without incurring prohibitive costs. By offering these models, OpenAI is fostering a more inclusive AI ecosystem that enables users to innovate and experiment. Performance and Capabilities The GPT-OSS models excel in specific domains, particularly tasks requiring structured outputs and logical reasoning. Their strengths include: Coding and Mathematical Problem-Solving: These models demonstrate exceptional proficiency in handling complex coding tasks, debugging, and optimizing code. They are also adept at solving mathematical problems, making them invaluable tools for developers, researchers, and educators. These models demonstrate exceptional proficiency in handling complex coding tasks, debugging, and optimizing code. They are also adept at solving mathematical problems, making them invaluable tools for developers, researchers, and educators. General Knowledge and Logical Reasoning: On benchmarks assessing knowledge and reasoning, GPT-OSS performs on par with GPT-3. It generates coherent, contextually relevant responses, making it suitable for tasks such as answering questions, summarizing information, and providing logical explanations. Despite their strengths, the models exhibit limitations in areas such as creative writing and tasks requiring nuanced emotional intelligence. For instance, imaginative storytelling or interpreting subtle emotional cues often results in less satisfactory outputs. These gaps highlight opportunities for further refinement and development to enhance their versatility. Overview of OpenAI's GPT-OSS 120B Take a look at other insightful guides from our broad collection that might capture your interest in open source AI models. Challenges and Limitations While the GPT-OSS models showcase impressive capabilities, they are not without challenges. Key limitations include: Hallucination: Like many AI models, GPT-OSS occasionally generates inaccurate or fabricated information. This issue underscores the importance of rigorous fact-checking, particularly in high-stakes applications such as healthcare or legal analysis. Like many AI models, GPT-OSS occasionally generates inaccurate or fabricated information. This issue underscores the importance of rigorous fact-checking, particularly in high-stakes applications such as healthcare or legal analysis. Creative and Qualitative Gaps: The models excel in structured tasks but fall short in creative and qualitative outputs. This limitation reduces their effectiveness in areas such as content creation, emotional analysis, and artistic endeavors. These challenges emphasize the need for ongoing research and development to improve the models' reliability and adaptability. Addressing these limitations will be crucial for expanding their applicability across a broader range of use cases. Fantastic Potential for the AI Industry The open source nature of GPT-OSS models has far-reaching implications for the AI industry. By challenging proprietary systems from competitors such as Meta and DeepSeek, these models drive innovation and foster competition. Their accessibility allows developers to fine-tune and deploy AI solutions tailored to specific needs, creating a more dynamic and inclusive AI ecosystem. One of the standout features of these models is their support for offline deployment. This capability enables organizations to comply with stringent data privacy regulations, such as HIPAA, by building private, secure AI applications without relying on cloud-based APIs. Industries like healthcare, where data security is paramount, stand to benefit significantly from this feature. Additionally, offline deployment reduces operational risks and costs, making advanced AI solutions more accessible to smaller enterprises. Applications Across Industries The versatility of GPT-OSS models opens the door to a wide range of applications across various sectors. Key use cases include: Developing AI tools that comply with data privacy regulations, such as HIPAA, for industries like healthcare and finance. Creating offline AI solutions for environments with limited or unreliable internet connectivity, such as remote locations or secure facilities. Fine-tuning models to address specialized business challenges, including customer service automation, fraud detection, market analysis, and supply chain optimization. These capabilities make GPT-OSS models particularly appealing to organizations seeking customizable, secure, and cost-effective AI solutions. By allowing businesses to tailor AI tools to their unique requirements, these models empower users to achieve greater efficiency and innovation. Shaping the Future of AI The release of GPT-OSS models marks a significant shift in the AI landscape. By reducing reliance on subscription-based API solutions, these models allow businesses to invest in one-time hardware costs, significantly lowering operational expenses. This widespread access of AI technology enables smaller enterprises to compete on a more level playing field, fostering greater diversity and inclusivity within the industry. Moreover, the open source availability of these models compels competitors to innovate, accelerating advancements across the AI sector. As adoption of GPT-OSS grows, the industry is expected to become more competitive, diverse, and collaborative. This shift not only benefits developers and businesses but also drives progress toward more ethical and transparent AI practices. The GPT-OSS models represent a bold step forward in the widespread access of AI. By offering high-performance, open source solutions, OpenAI enables developers and organizations to innovate while addressing critical challenges such as data privacy, cost efficiency, and accessibility. While the models have limitations, their potential to transform industries and drive AI-driven innovation is undeniable. As the AI community continues to refine and explore these tools, the future of open source AI looks increasingly promising. Media Credit: TheAIGRID Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy
Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Charming Cornish town often ignored for more popular neighbour named among 'best in UK'
This Cornwall town is often overlooked for its famous neighbour, but with an impressive seawater lido and tranquil beaches it is finally attracting the interest and intrigue it deserves Cornwall is a top destination for Brits seeking a first-rate seaside holiday close to home. But with over 400 miles of coastline, it's difficult to choose where in the region to centre your holiday. That said, a new ranking has named this one Cornwall destination among the best seaside towns in the UK. Often overshadowed by its famous neighbour, this lesser-known gem is equally charming and promises 'the most dramatic seaside setting in all of Cornwall'. Penzance was the only Cornwall destination on The Times' 2025 list of The Best Seaside Towns in the UK. Coming in at sixth place, this Cornish seaside town has long been overshadowed by St Ives which is less than a half-hour drive away. It comes after beachgoers were left stunned after a rare sea creature was spotted in St Ives.. While St Ives is considered the 'jewel in Cornwall's crown' and is often found on rankings of the best family holiday destinations and European beach spots, Penzance offers a more serene alternative. Located on the south coast, Penzance has been getting the recognition it deserves as of late with an advancing artistic and cultural scene. The town is home to boutique hotels, a blossoming restaurant and bar scene, new galleries and innovative installations all drawing visitors to the town's historic streets. 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of Penlee House becoming a Gallery and Museum. The estate was originally constructed in 1865 for a wealthy Penzance merchant before becoming one of the most important galleries in the UK today. While the town is full of cultural wonders, there is no denying that its natural beauty is the primary draw. The area overlooks Mount's Bay and the island abbey of St Michael's Mount, creating a distinctly dramatic vista. In addition to its top Times ranking, Penzance earned a place among the UK's seven best beach towns for 2025 in a ranking by National Geographic Traveller UK. The sheltered waters of Mount's Bay are ideal for kayaking and paddle boarding and Sennen Beach is a beloved surf spot. Swimming enthusiasts will also be drawn to the town's Grade II listed Jubilee Pool, which is the UK's largest seawater lido. First opened in 1935, the iconic Art Deco-style pool sits on the edge of the sea and offers visitors the chance to swim in its naturally heated geothermal waters. The attraction claims its 'combined system' enables the pool temperature to be sustained with a low carbon footprint. The pool is divided into three sections: the main pool, the geothermal pool, and a beginner's pool. There are also changing facilities, a café and a community space on hand. Penzance is well worth a visit in its own right, but if you're interested in stopping by St Ives it's a convenient trip away. Either take the 25-minute drive or hop on one of the many trains per day that travel from Penzance straight to St Ives. The Great Western Railway ride includes one stop at St Erth but only costs £6.20 one-way.
