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Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the upper third. Lightly grease a large baking sheet, or line it with parchment. If you have a second baking sheet, place the prepared pan on top of the other; nesting the baking sheets during baking will prevent the bottoms of the scones from getting too dark as they bake.
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In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter to the dry ingredients, toss to coat the cubes in flour, then use a pastry blender or your fingers to work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly, with no pieces of butter much larger than a pea.
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Stir in the dried fruit until evenly combined.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and half-and-half. Add to the dry ingredients and stir with a flexible spatula or bowl scraper to make a cohesive dough with no dry flour remaining.
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Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and form into a disk that's about 6" wide and 1 1/4" tall.
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Use a bench knife or a sharp knife to cut the disk into eight wedges.
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Place the disk on the prepared baking sheet with at least 1" of space between them; they'll expand as they bake. Brush them with half-and-half and sprinkle heavily with coarse sparkling sugar.
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Bake the whole wheat scones for 22 to 25 minutes, until they're set all the way through and golden-brown on the bottom.
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Remove the whole wheat scones from the oven and let them cool briefly on the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Store leftover scones at room temperature, well-wrapped, for several days. Freeze scones for longer storage; to serve, remove from freezer and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then heat in a 350°F oven until warm.
