New Start for Parliament Building

As the Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) began their first session in the new building at Holyrood, George Reid, the Presiding Officer (Speaker) called for an end to the pessimism surrounding devolution and praised the ambitious design of the new complex which he described as a "work of art" and a "stunning" building. He hoped that the publication of Lord Fraser's inquiry report into the escalating costs and delays in creating the parliament building will bring to an end controversy over the "massive failure of public procurement" - though that seems unlikely. News reports the following day headlined the "sound of silence" as teething problems with the MSPs microphone systems meant that the session had to be abandoned early. The first item on the agenda was the announcement of the governments legislative programme which will include twelve new Bills and finalisation of another five which were introduced before the summer. They cover issues such as the environment, education, the health service, transport and water services. While there are many who will carp about the priorities or the specific policies, there is no doubt that the new parliament is dealing with many issues which would have never seen the light of day in the UK-wide legislature in London.

Parliament Project Report Scheduled

Last month, there was media comment that the report into the delays and escalating costs of the Scottish Parliament was itself going to be late. The team working for Lord Fraser, who is writing the report based on the evidence of over 60 witnesses, issued a rebuttal, claiming that "late August or early September" was still the target. They have now confirmed that the publication date will be 15 September - not quite early in the month but at least just in the first half. While the original "estimate" is often quoted as "£50 million" that was never a realistic figure, particularly once the politicians involved expanded the requirements. However, the total bill for the parliament building project has escalated to £431 million. And the project was originally scheduled for completion three years ago.

Mounting Public Pressure on Hospital Closures

For some time now, Regional Health Boards have been closing down or planning to close hospitals in various parts of the country in order to centralise medical services. Services from Orkney in the far north, through Caithness to Vale of Leven in Argyll, Inverclyde Royal, the Queen Mother's Maternity Hospital in Glasgow (pictured here) and many others, are either being downgraded or closed. The closures are often met by protests from the local communities about the distances involved in travelling to the larger units for both patients and relatives. It is estimated that more than 250,000 signatures have been collected on petitions against various closures but the end result always seems to be the same - the plans are approved by the health boards. Even if the strategy is the correct one, it is clear that the public - who after all pay for the services - are unconvinced. The authorities argue that expensive equipment and trained staff can only be provided in larger units and that reductions in the hours of work of some doctors means that resources have to be concentrated in fewer locations. Until now, the protests have been largely at local level on individual hospitals but one advantage of the Scottish Parliament is that the concerns of the voters can be raised on a national stage, with bus-loads of protestors travelling to Edinburgh to put pressure on MSPs. This week, one of the first debates in the new parliament building centred on the restructuring which is taking place without, so far, any national debate. There were calls for a suspension of all closures in the pipeline but an embargo on closures was rejected by the Health Minister. But perhaps he has been impressed by the strength of feelings being expressed by so many people?

Approval for Scotland's Newest University

Work is expected to begin soon on a £50 million new university campus on a 35-acre site at Craighall near Musselburgh, East Lothian, just east of Edinburgh. Queen Margaret University College will be the first new university in Scotland since 1994, when Abertay University was formed in Dundee. The campus is expected to open in 2007 and will incorporate the latest technology and teaching resources. The building will replace existing college sites at Corstorphine and leith and will be largely funded by a deal with a property developer who will build homes on the Corstorphine site.

What an Offer!

Mary Dickinson, the new boss of First ScotRail, which provides most of the rail services in Scotland, will herself be using the train service to get to work in the morning. She will be commuting from Edinburgh to her office in Glasgow. Unlike many other business travellers, she may not get much opportunity to do some work - or even to snooze - on the journey. She says she will have a name badge and is encouraging passengers to speak to her about their experiences with the network. She believes that she should be "accessible" and there will be announcements to tell passengers that she is on board. Whether other passengers in her compartment will be amused by angry travellers venting their frustrations is another matter. Ms Dickinson says that one of her first priorities will be to literally clean up the trains, stations and toilets. And she has set up "hit squads" to tackle repairs as part of the improvements promised by the new franchise holder. In a bid to improve staff morale, all 3,600 First Scotrail staff are to be issued with new uniforms and train staff will be given mobile phones to speed up responses to customer complaints. In a bid to improve on the 25% of services in central Scotland that fail to arrive on time, punctuality will also be a priority. Amazingly, the previous franchise holder, National Express, was named UK Rail Operator of the Year for improvements to punctuality as well as opening a new rail station at Edinburgh Park and installing more CCTV cameras for improved security.

Filling the Gaps in Dental Care

The National Health Service (NHS) is supposed to provide dental care for all, but in recent years a large number of dentists have left the NHS and offer only private health care - with the cost paid by the patient. It has become increasingly difficult in some areas to find a dentist operating under the NHS and government cash incentives of up to £100,000 have are being offered to attract qualified practitioners, but without success. Rural areas have been particularly badly affected. Dentists claim that it is not just that private dentistry is more lucrative. There is more preventative health care in private practise and NHS dentists are now in such short supply that they are grossly overworked.

Usher Hall Refurbishment Costs Soar

It's not just the cost of the Scottish Parliament project which has escalated well above budget in Edinburgh. The Usher Hall is the leading concert hall in the city, but the 90-year-old building was overdue modernisation and expansion, especially after part of a ceiling fell in after a concert in 1997. But work on the project has been delayed because costs have soared from the original estimate of £8.34 million two years ago to £11.85 million plus £1.8 million landscaping on top of that. Edinburgh City Council will have to find the extra cash and that will mean that other projects in the city will have to be put on hold, including the King’s Theatre and the Museum of Edinburgh. The work is not now expected to be completed until December 2008.

Cash Injection for Clydesdale Bank

National Australia Bank (NAB), the owner of Clydesdale Bank, the third largest cheque clearing bank in Scotland, has announced that it is to provide a capital injection to allow its subsidiary to refurbish its head office in Glasgow and create a "Financial Solutions Centre" in the city. There has been speculation for some time that NAB might sell off its European assets. The bank has always denied that this is the case and a few weeks ago the bank's chief executive said that he "found no compelling reason" for selling them. Clydesdale Bank was founded in 1838 and has most of its branch network in Scotland but with a concentration in the West of Scotland and Aberdeenshire, having originally been formed by the amalgamation of Clydesdale Bank and North of Scotland Bank.

Traffic Wardens as Ambassadors??

As in many cities, the traffic wardens in Edinburgh who dish out parking tickets to motorists are not a popular breed. Known as the "Enforcers" they have a reputation for hunting in packs, hiding in doorways to catch motorists who stop for a few moments, crippling businesses and pouncing on minor misdemeanors. They are supposedly given targets for dishing out fines and work hard at maximising the income for the city council - the annual number of penalty tickets issued has soared to 225,000 in recent years. So there was some surprise, nay, astonishment, when council leaders described them as "perfect ambassadors for the city." It was claimed that they spend as much time offering helpful advice and a friendly face to tourists as they do handing out tickets. Few motorists or shopkeepers would agree with that assessment and the Automobile Association commented that Edinburgh has far more wrongly issued tickets than Glasgow.

More Black Fish Landings

The Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency has reported that the number of prosecutions of fishermen caught landing so-called "black" fish illegally has more than doubled in the last year, as fishermen attempt to circumvent the allocated European Union quotas. Catching more haddock and cod than the imposed limits could threaten the recovery of the fish stocks which are already well below safe biological limits. The fishing fleet has declined as more than 170 boats have been decommissioned but remaining skippers are trying to outwit the law in order to make a living.

Fourth Bridge Over Tay?

It's not just the river Forth where there are calls for an additional bridge to alleviate chronic traffic problems. Predictions of a 30% increase in road traffic in Perth by 2018 are fuelling a demand for a fourth bridge over the river Tay, to the north of the town. Within the city, there are only two road bridges while the Friarton Bridge soars across the river to the east, by-passing Perth itself and thankfully reducing the volume going into the "Fair City". Traffic in the town can often grind to a halt even today, so there are calls for the Perth and Kinross Council to plan ahead and include proposals in the updated local plan, due to be published shortly.

Reprieve for Kilmartin Museum

Due to close later this month, Kilmartin Museum in Argyll, in the heart of what was once the ancient Dalriada kingdom of the Scots, has been saved by an 11th hour one-off payment of £100,000 by Argyll and Bute Council which will attract a further £49,000 of public funding. The council will also guarantee at least £36,000 over the next two years. The deal was brokered by Frank McAveety, the culture minister after the Argyll and Bute Council said that there was no money available to support the privately-owned museum. The council spends just 66p per head of population for museum provision - compared with £21 in Glasgow and a national average of £8 per head. Kilmartin is one of a number of prehistoric sites which are significant on a world scale and there are few visitor attractions with such international potential. Currently it only attracts about 30,000 visitors a year as it is away from many of the main tourist routes. But as one supporter said "How many museums can you go to where you can examine a Bronze Age pot and then look out of the window and see the large burial mound where it came from?"

Moths in Trouble

A research institute which has been gathering data on moths in the UK has reported that two-thirds of our moths are in serious trouble, partly because of climate change, although there have also been major changes to the countryside, with fewer hedgerows and a reduction in rough grassland and moorland. 20% of all moths are losing numbers sharply, which is of concern as they are seen as a good indicator of the general health of the environment, because they occupy most habitats. The Rothhamsted Institute gathers data from a nationwide network of light traps which show that some varieties such as the dusky thorn and the hedge rustic, have declined by more than 90%. Some others are, however, increasing in numbers - the previously scarce footman moth caught in the traps, for example, has by grown more than twentyfold. This moth feeds on lichen and lower air pollution is encouraging growth.
The illstration shows a Small Magpie moth seen earlier this year at the Cambo Estate in Fife.

Fish Farm Nets Cod Deal

A fish farm in Shetland, in the far north of Scotland, has become the country's first major supplier of farmed cod on a regular basis. They are to supply fish to the Loch Fyne restaurant group which has 20 outlets across the UK. It is claimed that a cod farm industry could provide a solution to the depleted stocks of wild fish, but environmental groups are concerned that cod farms could create the same problems as those in the salmon farming industry. Johnson Seafarms on Shetland claims that it is working closely with the Organic Food Federation to ensure that the cod are reared in the best possible conditions.

Greenpeace Halts Kelvingrove Museum Project

Protestors arrived at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum at 8am last Monday claiming that some of the merbau timber being used in the £28 million refurbishment came from endangered forests in south-east Asia. They unfurled a banner reading "National Lottery: Funding Rainforest Destruction" since much of the finance for the project comes from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Glasgow City Council has a policy of only using timber from sustainable resources and insists on all suppliers agreeing to the same restriction. The protestors alleged, however, that documentation regarding the original source of some of the timber did not exist. The city council agreed to suspend the installation of the flooring until the matter could be resolved. Of course, the council must be wondering why Greenpeace could not have raised their concerns with them direct, without resorting to such dramatic action. But then, that would not have achieved the same publicity for the activists.

Scotia Nostra Wrapped in Tartan

There has been a substantial Italian community in Scotland for well over 100 years - quite apart from earlier immigrants such as David Rizzio, the secretary of Mary Queen of Scots who was savagely murdered by Scottish nobles in front of the monarch in 1566. There are now estimated to be about 50,000 Scots of Italian extraction and while many are still in the catering trade with restaurants, ice-cream parlours and fish and chip shops, many have become involved in the arts. Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (born in Leith) is an international sculptor and artist and Richard de Marco is a major art impresario in Scotland. But until now they have not had a tartan to call their own. That has now changed, with the approval of a design incorporating the colours of the Italian national flag which has been registered with the Scottish Tartans Authority. The project has been pushed forward (with support from the Italian consulate in Edinburgh) by a fish and chip shop owner who is a third generation Scottish-Italian, whose family moved from Tuscany in 1890. Michael Lemetti plans to give all the players in the AC Milan team (and Silvio Berlusconi the Italian Prime Minister and owner of the football team) an Italian tartan scarf when they come to Glasgow to play Celtic in the Champions League.

Dinosaur Saved From Extinction

A 14 feet high and 46 feet long Tyrannosaurus Rex, which sits near the entrance to Glasgow University, was under threat of extinction because students kept causing damage by swinging on its tail. The university also thought the annual £2000 maintenance cost for the plastic replica was too high. The model was erected in 2001 to publicise an exhibition "Walking With Dinosaurs" at the Hunterian Museum within the university. Since then, the creature has become quite a tourist attraction and has been nicknamed Millie. Her popularity is such that the university authorities have now relented - and have commissioned a new metal tail instead.

Weather in Scotland This Week

After all the rain and unsettled weather during August, there was a pleasant change with wall-to-wall sunshine on a number of days this week, though there was some early mist, particularly in the east coast. Aberdeen recorded a total of over 45 hours of sunshine from Monday to Thursday and Edinburgh reached 23C (73F) on Wednesday. More typically, the temperature hovered between 17C and 21C (63F and 70F) after a cool start on Monday, when Edinburgh's maximum daytime temperature was only 15C (59F). By Friday, the weather was becoming unsettled again and rain came in from the west. By Saturday, temperatures had dipped again and strong winds and rain swept across much of the country. The outlook for next week is once again changeable, with temperatures as low as 14C (57F) forecast for central Scotland on Monday.

This week's illustrations of current flora and fauna in Scotland were all taken earlier this week at Culzean Country Park in Ayrshire. The Painted Lady feeding on a Verbena flower was one of many in the walled garden. Painted Ladies are migrants that fly in from the Mediterranean each year and this was the first time I had seen them in any numbers this year - the poor summer weather would have discouraged them from travelling so far north.

Below, the chrysanthemums and dahlias are typical late summer and autumn flowers. The Red Admiral butterflies were competing with the Painted Ladies, Small Tortoisehell and Peacocks in the walled garden. However, they appeared to tolerate one another quite well, sometimes sharing the same flower as they sucked up the nectar!

Airth Castle in Demand

Parts of historic Airth Castle, near Falkirk, date from the 14th century and it was restored in the early part of the 16th century by King James IV. Like many historic castles, however, it has been converted into a hotel. However, the company which owned the 123-bedroom establishment went into liquidation last year and the receivers are selling it for "offers over £3 million." The estate agent reports that there has been a lot of interest, particularly as the hotel itself made good profits.

First "Official Visit" for 300 Years

In 1664, King Charles II awarded possession of a large area of New York state (now known as the Capital District region), to James Stewart, Duke of Albany (later King James VII). At that time it was a crown colony and to this day there are many Scottish links in the area. They survive in local names like Livingston, Selkirk, New Scotland and Scotia, and in cultural organizations like the Schenectady Pipe Band. Albany was renamed by the Duke of Albany, using his Scottish title. The St. Andrew's Foundation is hoping to establish a National Scottish Cultural Centre, which would be in New Scotland, serving the whole of the Capital District. So there was considerable interest in the local print and TV media when Albany officials met Susan Stewart, representing the Scottish Executive. Billed as the first time a representative of the Scottish Government had visited the city in 300 years, they discussed ways to build educational, cultural and business links between the Capital District region and contemporary Scotland. Susan Stewart, who works in the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., said she was enthusiastic about plans for the region to promote Scottish industry and, in particular, build cultural links with the city of Glasgow.

Dandy Sells for £20,000

A first edition of the "Dandy" comic (featuring cartoon character Desperate Dan, pictured here), complete with its free gift of miniature pan pipes and published by the D C Thomson in Dundee on 4 December 1937, has been sold for a record-breaking price of £20,000, easily beating the previous record for a "Beano" published by the same company, which was sold at auction for £12,100. Both comics are now owned by the same man, an English businessman in his late thirties.

Sunken Forest Found on Orkney

There are trees these days on Orkney, but with the strong winds on the northern islands there are not many of them. But it appears that it was not always like that. A PhD research student, who came across letters and legends about a submerged forest on Sanday, one of the Orkney islands, used a mechanical digger to delve into the sand at Otterswick Bay. He uncovered a large layer of peat, containing parts of trees which were later shown to be willow trees. Carbon dating has established that they were 6,500 years old. In addition to forming part of his thesis, the student is to present his findings to the Orkney Science Festival which took place this week.

Next Week in History

• September 12 1715 - Jacobites defeated government forces at Battle of Sheriffmuir.
• September 12 1315 - Thomas Dun, a privateer from Scotland, sailed into Holyhead, captured an English ship and over-ran Anglesay.
• September 13 1644 - Battle of Aberdeen, in which the Marquis of Montrose captured the city.
• September 13 1645 - Royalist troops under Marquis of Montrose defeated by Covenanters led by David Leslie at Battle of Philiphaugh.
• September 13 1938 - John Smith, politician and a leader of the Labour Party, born.
• September 14 1402 - Scots led by 4th Earl of Douglas defeated at the Battle of Homildon Hill by English army led by Percy 'Hotspur'.
• September 14 1580 - Birth of Robert Gordon of Straloch, Aberdeen, cartographer and rescuer of Thomas Port's original maps.
• September 14 1745 - Bonnie Prince Charlie, Charles Edward Stuart, occupied Edinburgh.
• September 14 1507 - Edinburgh merchants granted exclusive privilege of running a printing press.
• September 15 - St Mirren Day (patron saint of Paisley).
• September 15 1595 - City Baillie shot when Edinburgh High School pupils rioted when refused a holiday.
• September 15 1773 - The "Hector" leaves Loch Broom, near Ullapool, to sail to Pictou, Nova Scotia, carrying emigrants escaping from the "Clearances".
• September 15 1931 - 12,000 Royal Navy sailors on 15 ships went on strike at Invergordon over cuts in their pay.
• September 16 1859 - David Livingstone discovered Lake Nyasa.
• September 17 1745 - Prince Charles Edward Stuart took up residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh.
• September 18 1818 - Theatre Royal, Glasgow, became the first theatre in Britain to be lit by gas.
• September 18 1959 - 47 miners were killed at Auchengeich Colliery, Lanarkshire when the bogies carrying them to work ran into smoke 1,000 feet below ground.

100,000 Fireworks

The end of this year's Edinburgh International Festival was marked by a spectacular fireworks display last Sunday. An estimated 250,000 people turned out to see the show but many of those watching from special vantage points in Inverleith Park and elsewhere in the city missed some of the show because of mist and light rain. It had taken a team of 15 people six days to set up the display which included a waterfall effect on the side of Edinburgh castle - only visible to those in Princes Street or by the 14,500 people who paid to see the event from Princes Street Gardens.

Glasgow Brushes Up an Art Festival

Edinburgh has attempted to create an art festival in August based on a number of events in the city's art galleries, but the effort is overshadowed by the major Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe Festival in the same month. So Glasgow has decided to paint the Capital out of the picture with an international celebration of the visual arts to be held annually in the spring. The promoter of the event is Peter Irvine, who's company, Unique Events, already masterminds Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, the Capital Christmas, and the Burns An’ A’ That festival in Ayr. Irvine also established the successful Art Fair in Glasgow but the new event would encourage Scottish artists and would hope to attract an international audience. While much can be achieved with aggressive and expensive advertising, however, there are concerns that the international festival calendar is already saturated.

Tower Closes Yet Again

You might have thought that after being closed for nearly two-and-a-half years, the 400ft tall Glasgow Tower would not have required "routine maintenance" for a while. But that was the reason initially given for its closure again this week. Later, embarrassed officials at the tower had to admit that an unspecified fault would mean that it will not reopen until "some time next week". The structure is the only ground-up rotating tower in the world. It rotates into the wind to reduce the structural forces but that means there is a 460-tonne vertical load on the ball bearings supporting it. The ill-fated rotating tower has been open to visitors for only three months since it first opened in October 2001. While there is plenty to see and do in the adjacent Glasgow Science Centre, anyone travelling specifically to ascend the tower to see the magnificent views would be well-advised to check beforehand that it is still operating!

Hogmanay Pop Music Event in Doubt

As an alternative to the more traditional New Year's eve celebrations in the centre of Edinburgh, a massive Hogmanay music event was being planned at the Royal Highland Centre at Ingliston on the outskirts of the capital. The aim was to attract 25,000 revellers to the three venues at the complex, linked by tented tunnels. A number of popular bands have been lined up for a 12-hour concert with a spectacular light show, a bohemian-style market place and giant video screens. The event would also be weather-proof, an advantage at that time of year. But with 100,000 revellers expected at the Royal Bank Street Party, the Concert in the Gardens and the Seven Hills Fireworks display, Lothian and Borders Police are concerned that they do not have enough resources to cover all the festivities. Planning consent would not be given for the new event if adequate police cover is not available. Around 600 officers are on duty in Edinburgh throughout Hogmanay, each working ten to 12-hour shifts - and they are demanding extra pay.

Renfrew Ferry to Cross River One More Time

The old ferry which used to take passengers and vehicles across the river Clyde at Renfrew has been moored on the south side of the river in the centre of Glasgow for many years and has played host to rock concerts and ceilidhs since then. Now it is to make one more journey, this time across to the north side of the river, to a new permanent home at Broomielaw. The move comes as the Clyde is being transformed by multi-million pound building projects and the ferry will provide an attractive and lively music venue on the riverbank. A passenger ferry service still runs between Yoker and Renfrew but the vessel in Glasgow was one of the last of the vehicle ferries.

Bad Weather Cancels Proms in the Park

An outdoor classical concert, scheduled for Glasgow's Pacific Quay on Saturday, had to be cancelled due to high winds gusting at 50mph. The Scottish Proms in the Park concert was to have formed part of a live concert broadcast by BBC Four TV and would have featured the cream of Scottish classical musicians. Nicola Benedetti, from Ayrshire, who became the first Scot in 26 years to win the prestigious "Young Musician of the Year" competition in May was to have been a soloist at the concert.

Bring On Back The Good Times

The newest radio station serving Glasgow officially got underway at 6am on Tuesday as Saga 105.2FM began its breakfast show. It had been sending out test transmissions for some weeks with non-stop recorded music - and no adverts. Aimed at the over-50 age group, the first music it played on Tuesday was "Bring On Back The Good Times" by the Love Affair. Golden Oldies from the last 60 years are being played for a generation that doesn't really regard itself as old at all. But the soft and gentle music may attract those who find the raucous, repetitive music of Clyde 1 and Clyde 2 too much to bear. Broadcasting 24 hours a day, with well-known presenters poached from other radio and TV companies in Scotland, Saga Radio is following a formula which already operates successfully in two locations in England.

Bank of Scotland Premier League Results - 11 September 2004

Celtic 3 Dundee 0
Dundee United 1 Aberdeen 1
Dunfermline 1 Motherwell 1
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1 Hibernian 2
Livingston 0 Kilmarnock 2
Hearts v Rangers will be played on Sunday.

Scottish First Division Results - 11 September 2004

Clyde 1 Airdrie United 2
Falkirk 4 Raith Rovers 2
Queen of the South 1 Hamilton 1
Ross County 0 St Johnstone 1
St Mirren 2 Partick Thistle 1

BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 11 September 2004

Aberdeen 11 Biggar 16
Glasgow Hutchesons' 20 Boroughmuir 36
Heriots 53 Hawick 15
Ayr 14 Glasgow Hawks 42
Watsonians 26 Currie 12
Melrose 71 Gala 7

League Tables

Celtic remain firmly at the top of the Scottish Premier Division, six points ahead of Aberdeen and Kilmarnock who both have 9 points. But either Rangers or Hearts could jump to second place, depending on the outcome of Sunday's game. Dunfermline remain at the foot of the SPL with a mere 2 points.

In the First Division, St Mirren are one point ahead of Falkirk and Clyde while Raith Rovers have managed to win just one point so far this season.

In the BT Scotland Rugby Division 1, Melrose have stormed to a two point lead over Heriots with Biggar (newly promoted this season) in third place. Gala, Hawick and Aberdeen all have only one point at the foot of the division.

Scots Lack Punch

Scotland's campaign to qualify for the football World Cup in Germany lurched to a slow start this week with a goalless draw against Slovenia at Hampden Park, Glasgow. There is no doubt that Slovenia were the happier side with that result. Scotland played some aggressive football, particularly in the first half, but as is so often the case, failed to put the ball in the back of the net. Scotland manager Berti Vogts made just one change form the line-up that had been holding Spain to a 1-1 draw on Friday before floodlight failure ended that friendly after 59 minutes. He restored Blackburn striker Paul Dickov at the expense of Plymouth's Stevie Crawford, who had failed to take two great chances in Valencia. But none of the forwards could produce the winning goal and in the second half Slovenia came more into the game. The previous weekend, Slovenia had a convincing 3-0 win over Moldava which made them early leaders in Group Five on goal difference.

Lap of Honour for Olympic Medalists

First Minister Jack McConnell welcomed the Scottish members of Olympic Team GB to a reception at Bute House in Edinburgh this week after they had paraded through the streets of Edinburgh in an open-top bus. The First Minister, who attended the games in Athens, had promised to recognise and honour Scottish athletes and celebrate the achievement of medal winners. The event took place nine days after the end of the Games and it took a local newspaper to organise the public parade. Otherwise it would have been just tea and cakes with the First Minister. The successful athletes included gold medallists Chris Hoy, for cycling, and Shirley Robertson, for sailing; and silver medallists Campbell Walsh, for canoeing, and Katherine Grainger, for rowing. Other stars taking part in the welcome home tour included the swimmers Ian Edmond, Kirsty Balfour and Gregor Tait, as well as badminton player Robert Blair.

Saltires End Season With a Win

The Scottish Saltires cricket team managed to secure only their second win of the season in the Second Division of the Totesport League with the defeat of Derbyshire Scorpions by eight-wickets in the last match of the season last weekend. The Saltires dismissed the Derbyshire team for 179 and their batsmen then scored freely to win by a comfortable margin, with over eight overs to spare.