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NOTHING grabs the attention like a free bottle of beer. That thought may have been uppermost in the minds of campaigners calling for reform of the tenanted pub industry in Scotland.

Smart-thinking marketers highlighted the campaign's key messages on the side of beer bottles sent to each of our MSPs this week, ahead of a debate on the beer tie in Parliament yesterday.

Our source informs us the bottles were not empty, but contained red ale.

We trust consumption of said liquid did not in any way prejudice the course of the debate.

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WE saw the band Blur now has an official ice-cream named after it in Japan, following the release of latest album The Magic Whip.

The vanilla with raspberry topping creation got us wondering if there was a gap in the market in Scotland for some music and business cross over.

We'll start things off with fencing protection products endorsed by Fife folk singer King Creosote. Send your suggestions to thebottomline@theherald.co.uk .

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THE afterglow of Glasgow 2014 continues to shine brightly at Harper Macleod.

The law firm was official adviser to last summer's Commonwealth Games and chief executive Martin Darroch said its involvement was continuing to have a halo effect on the business.

But, as he reflected on its partnership with the Games this week, Mr Darroch said the firm's relationship with Scottish wheelchair racer Sammi Kinghorn has been particularly rewarding.

Noting that signing up Sammi has the firm's athlete ambassador had boosted staff's engagement with the Games, Mr Darroch said: "Watching Sammi's development through the year, as a young 17 year old and just seeing her grow and supporting it, was fantastic."

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FRED Laing has admitting he taking slight umbrage when it was reported that he had taken on the "rump" of whisky firm Douglas Laing & Co when he and brother Stewart split the business between them in 2013 - not that there was any intention to offend on behalf of your humble correspondent.

But, talking about the firm's latest accounts, it seems he is well over the disappointment now.

"If you do make reference to rump again, you can certainly say it has morphed into the finest fillet steak!" Mr Laing quipped.

"I think we took a bit of a hit because a couple of the main brands we negotiated in order to hold on to the company here impacted in the short term. We always knew that it would. But we're very much in the game for the long term."

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IT sounds like the ultimate innovation for music festival goers. Dutch company Flexotels has extended its collapsible hotel room concept to include a sanitary room, complete with shower, hot water heater, toilet and sink.

The Comfotels will be deployed for the first time during the forthcoming event season, said the company, whose solutions are rented for major festivals such as Glastonbury.

"Generally guests don't mind to share joint showers and toilet blocks, but when staying at the event for a longer time, guests prefer more privacy and comfort," said chief executive Herbert von Heyden. "That is when you want your own bathroom."

Veterans of T in the Park are unlikely to disagree.