The Rampant Scotland Newsletter - your weekly insight into what has been happening in Scotland, snipped from the Scottish media, for Scots in Scotland and abroad, bringing you news, events plus a Scottish magazine section. Printed with 100% recycled electrons.
Previous editions of this Newsletter are available in the Archive and the Index to the other pages of the Rampant Scotland site is available here.
The Scottish Snippets Newsletter in its original format began in April 1997 and continued in an unbroken series for 591 issues. Although no longer produced in that format there is now a regular update on the new and updated pages on the Rampant Scotland site and also "Scottie's Diary" on an intermittent basis, To receive this, kust send an e-mail to Scottie with "Subscribe Newsletter" in the subject line.
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Historical Affairs - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
It was announced this week that the new Scottish Parliament building is expected to be finished by the target date of May next year, immediately after the elections on May 1. But instead of being able to move in immediately, the massive logistical exercise of moving equipment and staff will take place during the summer. MSPs will therefore not get to use the building until September, after the summer recess. The original target date for completion, set in April 1998, was September 2001. The current estimated costs for the new building at Holyrood, across the road from the Queen's Palace of Holyroodhouse, is £280 million.
The First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, David Trimble (on the right in this illustration) and Mark Durkan, met their Scottish counterparts Jack McConnell (second from the right) and Jim Wallace at Bute House in Edinburgh this week. They discussed the practical experience of devolution in Scotland and Northern Ireland, relationships with local authorities - and arrangements for working with the UK government. They also discussed Europe, the health service, youth crime and the financing of major capital projects. The Ministers agreed that it would be a good idea if the three devolved administrations (Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales) met once or twice a year to discuss matters of common interest. The visiting Ministers later attended a session of the Scottish Parliament, where they were met by Presiding Officer Sir David Steel.
It is not often that a government minister can announce that a new hospital is to be created for the National Health Service (NHS) - and that it is already built. But that's what Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm was able to announce this week with the purchase for £37.5 million of the Health Care International (HCI) hospital at Clydebank near Glasgow. To build and equip a 60,000 square metre hospital at today's prices would be four or five times as much - and take 4/5 years to be operational. The new NHS facility is expected to carry out procedures and operations for patients across Scotland, in a bid to cut current unacceptable waiting times. It will be particularly targeting those waiting the longest for treatment, especially in cardiac surgery which is a speciality of HCI. But it will also focus its resources on reducing maximum waiting times for hip and knee replacement, cataract surgery, general surgery, plastic surgery and diagnostics. Staff in the private hospital have been guaranteed that current pay and conditions will be preserved, to encourage them to stay on. The hospital is being sold by the Abu Dhabi Investment Company as it has not been the commercial success for which they had planned. Last year, HCI carried out some 2,500 procedures for patients. It is intended to double this figure to 5,000 within the first year of operation for the NHS.
The Scottish Executive is to help support post offices in deprived urban areas. The loss-making Royal Mail is seeking to restructure its network and many of these outlets are loss making. A fund of up to £1.5 million would be allocated to keep them going in areas where there are no banks and the Post Office is the only source of the payment of pension and allowances. 
The chief executive of The Royal Bank of Scotland has ruled out a merger with Spanish banking giant Santander Central Hispano. The Royal has had close ties with the Spanish bank for many years and each bank holds shares in one another - Royal has a 2.06% stake in the Spanish bank while Santander has 8.3% of the Royal Bank's shares. Santander also helped to finance the Royal's takeover of National Westminster Bank in March 2000. But Fred Goodwin, the Royal's chief executive, says that the figures do not add up for a merger. But the Royal sees the American market, through its subsidiary Citizens Financial, as attractive for takeovers.
In an attempt to met the competition of budget airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet, British Airways (BA) have slashed the prices of tickets to European destinations. The cost of midweek return flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Paris have been cut from £353 to £99. Internal UK flights have also had ticket prices reduced - Glasgow and Edinburgh to Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol will start at £59. Advance purchase restrictions and Saturday overnight stays have also been scrapped. But, so far, BA have made no announcements about cutting the high prices on internal flights to the Western Isles.
The editor of the Church of Scotland's own magazine, Life and Work, has described the annual General Assembly, the church's main governing body, as "boring and constipated" and in need of fringe meetings to liven it up. The editor claims that the meetings are too centrally controlled and delegates are afraid to say what they really think. He cites the decision of the Kirk's board of national mission, confronted with the serious decline in membership, setting up a task force to review the situation over the next two years. Needless to say, the criticisms have been rejected by senior officials, who responded by saying that the presence of the Queen created a "lustrous occasion" and the Assembly had contributions from children for the first time.
The first ever gathering of the clan Morrison, on their ancestral lands on the Butt of Lewis in the Western Isles, is taking place there on 23 July and will last for five days. The Lords of the Isles appointed a family of Morrisons to hold the position of Brieveship, a kind of hereditary guardian and interpreter of the old Brehon Laws, in the Butt of Lewis (Dun Eistein) on a hereditary basis. The Morrisons were not numerous and tried to live at peace with their more powerful neighbours but nevertheless sometimes became embroiled in feuds with the Macauleys and Macleods and were eventually driven from their lands by the MacLeods. 
Kim Winser, the chief executive who has turned round the loss-making Borders knitwear company of Pringle into a success story over the last two years, has announced that the company is to open its first retail shop - in Terminal 3 at London's Heathrow Airport. That's where thousands of foreign tourists and business people pass through each year. There are plans to open further stores in Paris and Milan for the up-market designer label. Pringle is now endorsed by celebrities like David Beckham, captain of the England football team and husband of singer Victoria Beckham (once one of the Spice girls pop group).
There were newspaper reports this week that an unknown American was poised to buy the Cuillin mountain range on Skye from John MacLeod of MacLeod. There was consternation when the MacLeod clan chief put the estate on the market but he said that money from the sale would allow him to repair Dunvegan Castle (pictured here) and make it into a better clan centre and visitor attraction. Efforts by culture and heritage groups to buy the property have been thwarted, in part because the realistic value is far less than MacLeod is seeking - and needs. However, he has assured everyone that public access to the area, which is popular with climbers and hikers, would continue.
Efforts by Scottish Natural Heritage, the North-east Raptor Study Group and Grampian police to protect the eggs in the nests of hen harriers and peregrine falcons (pictured here), have been successful. A number of chicks are being ringed before they leave their nests later in the summer. "Operation Falcon" will continue surveillance in order to protect the birds from both human and animal predators. Local school children have had the opportunity to visit hides near the nesting sites and in some cases were able to handle the chicks, which they thought was a great treat. Meantime, a man who stole osprey eggs from a nest near Dunkeld in Perthshire in May and June 2000, has been jailed for four months. 
For years, whisky experts have been using colourful phrases to describe the flavours of malt whisky. Similar to wine buffs, they have used phrases from "clotted cream" and "lapsang-souchong tea" to "cheesy gym shoes" and "newly-sharpened pencils." But now a PhD in classification methodology has written a new guide which cuts through the jargon on the "water of life" and has simplified the descriptions of Scotland's national tipple. Dr David Wishart has spent years researching his book "Whisky Classified" which is to be launched next month at the Whisky Heritage Centre in Edinburgh. He has classified 86 of the main malts into just a handful of categories, using just 12 simple terms like smoky, spicy, nutty and fruity. A number of whisky producers have co-operated in the project - by providing free samples for "testing". Dr Wishart has also visited every distillery in the country as part of his research. He hopes the book will appeal to those who only buy an occasional bottle of malt and don't know their Glenlivets from their Glenmorangies.
Temperatures were around average for the time of year for much of the week, particularly in the east. Edinburgh and Aberdeen hovered around 17/20C (63/68F) although Glasgow was a shade cooler at 15/18C (59/64F). There were particularly strong winds in the early part of the week which gave rise to frequent episodes of sunshine and showers. Aberdeen had the best of the sunshine with 10/11 hours on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Rainfall was mostly light, if frequent, though Glasgow had nearly half an inch of rain on Monday.
The symbols carved into the stonework on the ceiling of the 15th century Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian, near Edinburgh, have puzzled historians for hundreds of years. It has been suggested that the lines and dots on the 213 cubes may have been a musical notation of a tune which had significance to the Knights Templar who founded the chapel in 1446. A number of the carvings at Rosslyn have Templar or Masonic connections and a sealed vault in the Chapel is said to contain religious relics - the Ark of the Covenant has even been suggested. Now the UK arm of Japanese electronics company Matsushita is funding research to decode the symbols in the belief that it could help in the development of muscle-relaxing products using sound vibrations. 
The 19th century Glasgow architect Alexander "Greek" Thomson earned his nickname with many classical buildings (though some showed exotic Egyptian influences as well). But it was not just in the architectural features that the Grecian features showed up. When he was also responsible for the internal decoration, Thomson often went wild on classical references. None more so than Holmwood House, a private dwelling on the south side of the city. During restoration work by the National Trust for Scotland, a frieze depicting the warriors of Homer's Iliad was discovered under layers of wallpaper and paint. Now the 19 panels have been largely restored, revealing the bright red and green colours of Thomson's design. The frieze was preserved, at least in part, by the wallpaper which later occupants of the building had applied. The Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions who took over the building at one stage were shocked by the images of naked, pagan warriors in the dining room which they wanted to convert to a chapel. But the wallpaper they used could be peeled off dry, revealing the paintings underneath.
Ever the optimist, letters written by Bonnie Prince Charlie reveal that after the catastrophic defeat of the Jacobites at Culloden in 1746, he was trying to organise another invasion. 16 letters, which surfaced at an auction in France earlier this year, were written to the French King Louis XV between November 1746 and January 1748. The French king, however, distanced himself from the Young Pretender. Prince Charlie had argued that as the government in London were annihilating both their supporters and those who had taken part in the Jacobite Uprising, high levels of discontent in Scotland would result in strong support. But he said he needed money, supplies and a handful of regular troops. Later, in October 1748, France recognised the legitimacy of the Hanoverian succession in Britain and repudiated the Stuart claim. Charles died in Rome on 31 January 1788, in the arms of his daughter by Clementina Wilkinshaw, his mistress, whom he first met in Glasgow on the retreat from the invasion of England. 
Exactly 50 years ago, on June 23, 1952, Salvador Dali's painting "Christ of St John of the Cross" went on display in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery. There was a public outcry when Dr Tom Honeyman, the then director of Glasgow's museums and art galleries, spent the city's entire annual purchasing budget (all £8,200 or US$13,000) to obtain the painting. Since then, it has become one of Glasgow's best known works of art and has been viewed by millions of people. The painting has been housed in the city's St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art since 1993.
The Royal Highland Show at Ingliston near Edinburgh will attract thousands of visitors over the four days from June 20-23. Originally a showcase for the farming community, it has expanded over the years to attract those who live in towns and cities as well. The cream of Scotland's livestock is on display and competing in more than 400 categories. Other traditional favourites include a livestock parade, horse competitions, show jumping, military and pipe bands, sheep dog trials. The "Food from Scotland" Exhibition is bigger and better than ever with an improved display area and an extended range of food exhibits to tempt everyone's taste buds. Lots of free samples, including malt whiskies and liqueurs, as well as foodstuffs! See also also the 
The Royal Highland Show is sponsored by The Royal Bank of Scotland. Which may explain why the Flower Show, sponsored by the rival Bank of Scotland, is tucked away in a corner. But regular visitors know to beat a path there to see the colourful and fragrant horticultural flower and plant exhibits from leading specialists from the UK and abroad. And unlike the Scottish Flower Show, which took place at Ingliston a few weeks ago, this exhibition is under canvas - allowing plenty of light in for taking photos! Some of the photos from the Royal Highland Flower Show will be in next week's Web version of this Newsletter. Meantime, here is one of Alstomeria (Peruvian Lily).
The beautiful old burgh of Culross plays host on June 22 to an open-air production of the enchanting comic opera "The Barber of Seville" by Rossini. "Opera on a Shoestring" is presenting its annual open-air performance in the historic surroundings of the gardens of Lord Charles Bruce's home, Abbey House, in Culross, Fife. Almost the entire village of Culross is a living museum, with carefully restored pantiled roofed houses with their crow-step gables. It is the perfect venue for open-air musical and artistic events - so long as the weather is kind.
Having cheered on Sweden, Nigeria and Denmark and maybe even Argentina in their games against England at the World Cup in Japan and Korea, most Scots became Brazilian fans on Friday as the "Auld Enemy" faced the South American team. Not that Scots dislike the English, you understand - it's just that we wanted to put an end to the jingoistic super-confidence of English TV pundits before, during and after each game and the endless replays of England's 1966 World Cup win. And, horror of horrors, another 36 years of replays if, by some miracle, they had won the Cup again. Many Scots, as well as most of England, set their alarm clocks on Friday for before 7.30am, the unsocial hour caused by world time differences. Many large companies laid on TVs in the work place in order to encourage staff to come to work and, once the game was over, get on with something more productive. As a result of Brazil deservedly winning 2-1 (even the English football commentators grudgingly thought it was the correct result) UK GDP will not take a further beating as a result of more games. If you want to read an article by a BBC (English) commentator entitled "Congratulations to Scotland on knocking England out of the World Cup" - click the 
Celtic striker Henrik Larsson has confirmed that after 72 caps and 24 goals he is to withdraw from the Swedish national side. The 30-year-old put Sweden in front in the quarter-final of the World Cup game against Senegal only to see the African team draw level and then produce the winning goal in extra time. Larsson's Celtic team-mate and Swedish captain Johan Mjallby may also decide to withdraw from international games, but is having a few weeks of holiday before making a decision.
The controversial plans by Aberdeen Football Club to build a new stadium at Kingswells on the edge of the granite city were plunged into confusion this week when it emerged that the club was involved in a legal dispute with the farmer who owns the land. A visit to the site by city councillors, who will decide on the planning application later this summer, had to be reduced to driving past the area on a bus. The owner had blocked access to his land because of "legal problems." But the club claim that they have a "legally binding contract" to buy the land.
Not for the first time, the Dutch are claiming that the first rules of golf were not written in Scotland but in the small town of Harderwijk in Holland. A sports historian at Bonn University says that in 1545 Pieter van Afferden wrote a recently rediscovered Dutch-Latin phrasebook that contained the rules of golf. The first set of Scottish rules appeared in 1744. However, the director of the British Golf Museum in St Andrews says that many ball and stick games were played in Europe during the Middle Ages. In the 15th century, the Scottish Parliament passed laws banning the game - though whether this was golf as we know it now, is not certain. The fact remains that it was the codifying of the game in Edinburgh and later St Andrews which is the basis of the modern game of golf.
