Census Shows Scotland's Population Declining

The initial results from the full 2001 Census were published this week and they show that although the overall UK population is rising, the number of people living in Scotland is down by 118,189 since 1981 when the last reliable figures were collected. The reasons for the drop are a combination of a falling birth rate and an increase in the numbers leaving Scotland. The census figures show that there are 58,789,000 people in the UK made up of 49,139,000 in England, 5,062,000 in Scotland, 2,903,000 in Wales and 1,685,000 in Northern Ireland. For the first time, there are more people aged over 60 than those under 16. Although, overall, there was a decline in Scotland's population, the fall was mainly in Glasgow (down 130,00 or 19% since 1981 - though 50,000 were "lost" due to boundary changes) and the counties of west and central Scotland while Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and West Lothian increased their population. The Highlands of Scotland are of course the least populated parts of Scotland with just eight people per square kilometre. Women now outnumber men in all age groups above age 21. Since 1951, the UK population has grown by 17%, much slower than the rest of the European Union (23%), the USA (80%) and Australia (133%).

Parliament Building Costs Break £300 Million Ceiling

Additional costs to make the new Parliament Building being built in Holyrood, Edinburgh, more bomb-proof in the aftermath of September 11, an extra £14.2 million for landscaping and an increase in the estimated cost of internal fittings has pushed the total cost of the building to £308.8 million. Critics of the building (not surprisingly belonging to the opposition parties in the parliament) complained mightily, pointing to the number of schools and hospitals which could have been bought for the same amount of money. But as the building begins to take shape (it is said to be on target for completion next May) the scale of this huge building is beginning to become clear to passers-by. Certainly, cost estimates have continued to escalate throughout the life of this project. But if it lives up to its promise of being an impressive and attractive building once it is completed, perhaps it will have been worth it. Like Edinburgh castle or the Wallace Monument, it could help to define Scotland. Whether the occupants rise to the challenge of their new home remains to be proved.

£90 Million Selfridges Store for Glasgow

Up to 1,000 jobs could be created by the decision of London-based retailer Selfridges to open a huge outlet at the corner of Trongate and Candleriggs in the Merchant City area of Glasgow. The city has been trying to regenerate the area on a piecemeal basis over many years and this will give a massive boost to the local economy. Glasgow is already recognised as the most important shopping city in the UK after London and the 200,000 square feet store will be bigger than House of Fraser on Buchanan Street. In addition to the store, the plans include 350 luxury flats plus bars and restaurants. However, it will 2006 at the earliest before the massive development is open. The announcements was greeted with disappointment in Edinburgh as the city had hoped that Selfridges would follow Harvey Nichols into the capital.

Tram Cars From Edinburgh

A huge network of tram cars which would run from Edinburgh as far as surrounding towns such as South Queensferry, Livingston, Dalkeith and Penicuik was unveiled this week as part of a £1.5 billion plan for the capital. Transport Initiative Edinburgh, the organisation set up by the City Council to oversee the transport scheme, which has been under consideration for many years, say that the trams might eventually stretch across the river Forth to Fife. But there were no details on whether this would be by a new bridge or reducing the present road traffic to one lane. However, there was a warning that a proposal to impose road tolls only at peak times would see spending on rail infrastructure reduced by £90 million over 20 years.

Fifers Alarmed at Capital Road Charges

The consultation exercise carried out by Edinburgh City Council may have shown, after massaging the figures, a marginal support amongst respondents in the city and nearby for the introduction of road charges being levied on motorists . But the local council in Fife, across the river Forth, where many who work in Edinburgh have their homes, are unhappy that commuters from the "Kingdom of Fife" will have to pay two tolls - £1.60 a day to cross the Forth Road Bridge (pictured here) and another to enter the capital. And if the money raised is used to improve public transport in the city, the Fifers are unlikely to be able to derive any benefit from this. No final decision has been made on tolls and it will be 2006 before any charging scheme can be introduced. But Fife County Council are angry that a detailed charging scheme is being recommended in Edinburgh without a full economic assessment being carried out.

Edinburgh University to Shed "Posh" Image

The new principal of Edinburgh University said this week that he wants to get rid of the institution's stereotype image of being a "snobby place full of tweedy people with English accents" and attract more students from disadvantaged backgrounds. He says he would take a pupil from a deprived background with lower grades in preference to someone from a fee-paying independent school, if it was judged that the non-traditional student would derive greater benefit.

Free Bus Travel for Pensioners

People over the age of 60 across Scotland can now enjoy free travel on local bus services under a new concessionary scheme introduced this week. Supported by £25 million of public funding, elderly folk are now entitled to free bus journeys after 9.30am on Monday to Friday and all day at weekends.

Biggest House Price Rises Since Early 1990s

According to the Nationwide Building Society, house prices are rising at an annual rate of 14.5% in Scotland, the highest level since the house price boom in the early 1990s. There are a number of "hot spots" where prices are rising even faster, including Edinburgh, parts of Aberdeen, Stirling, Inverness and Glasgow.

Dundee Couple Win £9 Million Jackpot

There were champagne corks popping in Dundee this week when a husband and wife from the City of Discovery won £8,919,798 for correctly guessing the six numbers in a Lucky Dip on the National Lottery. They were the third-largest non-syndicate winners in Scotland. The biggest individual winners so far in Scotland have been a couple in Fife who won £11.1 million last year though the largest prize north of the border was £20 million two years ago, won by a syndicate in a butcher's shop in Lanarkshire.

Supermarket Offers Influenza Vaccination

The Asda supermarket chain is offering shoppers the chance to have a flu jab while they buy their groceries. The service is being offered at all of the company's stores across Scotland and England at a charge of £12. Those who are at high risk such as pensioners, diabetics and asthma sufferers can get a free vaccination from their doctors. But the new service will allow people who are not in a high risk category the same protection. It will be particularly useful for those who deal with large numbers of the public - like bank counter staff, bus conductors and, of course, supermarket staff.

Standard Life Cuts Bonus Payments

The falling stock market has forced Edinburgh-based Standard Life, the largest mutual insurance company in Europe, to announce a 10% cut in the payouts on maturing life policies and a 20% penalty on anyone cashing in early. The 2.1 million with-profits customers in its £35 billion fund are being advised by finance analysts to "sit tight" in the hope that if/when better times arrive in the stock market, the penalties will be removed. Standard Life had 70% its funds in equities, higher than many of its rivals, but the company denies that there is any strain on its solvency margins. Media speculation had recently led to a rush of early surrenders and the company had been forced to react. The company has been taking on a large amount of new business over the last year or two but of course those plans will not be maturing for several decades.

Royal Bank Expands in USA

Citizens Financial, a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland, has taken over Commonwealth Bankcorp, a commercial bank based in Pennsylvania with £1.1 billion in assets and 60 branches. The deal is expected to be completed early next year. Last year, Citizens bought the retail division of another Pennsylvania-based bank, Mellon Financial, for £1.5 billion. Citizens Financial is now a £33.5 billion bank and has expanded across the north-east states of the US from its base in Massachusetts.

In Dublin's Fair City

There were some blushes this week when it was shown that the tourist publication "A Girls' Guide to Dublin" had a picture not of Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty (as the song goes) but was of two Glasgow lassies walking down Buchanan Street in Glasgow. The same picture adorns the front of the Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley Tourist Board's weekend break brochure. The agency which produced the Dublin publication had cropped the picture and reversed the position of the girls so as to make it less obvious. But P&O Irish Ferries, who published the guide, apologised for the gaffe - and said that they would give the girls a free holiday in Dublin as an apology. Thanks to the article in the Glasgow Evening Times about the photograph, the two 19-year-old students from Glasgow Caledonian University were able to take up the offer. And the Dublin tourist office has offered some extra treats to make sure that their Irish - sorry, Scottish eyes - are smiling.

Audi Showcase at Braehead

German car company Audi is planning a £10 million development on a five acre site next to the Braehead shopping centre just outside Glasgow. It will be a showcase for the company's products and will include a car museum and a training centre. If planning permission is granted, this would be the first commercial tenant in Phase II of the Braehead development on the waterfront of the river Clyde.

Talk of the North

Despite their reputation for looking after their money, it appears that the sociable people living in Aberdeen use their mobile phones more than anywhere else in Scotland. Aberdonians make more calls, spend more time on their mobiles and pay bigger bills than any other town or city in the country. Even traditional "patter merchants" such as Glaswegians are out-talked by the residents of the Granite City. A survey of 400 mobile phone users by the Federation of the Electronics Industry showed that Edinburgh came second behind Aberdeen in the table of greatest expenditure. The average monthly mobile phone bill of the Scots in the survey was £34 but the Aberdonians spent £41 a month, making an average of eight calls a day. Residents of Stirling spent the least time of all on their mobile phones, making only five calls a day. The people in Dumfries use their fingers more than most - they use text messages more often than anywhere else in Scotland. Aberdeen business leaders were quick to point out that it proves that the city's reputation for being mean, dour and uncommunicative was undeserved. It also showed that they were extremely sociable and keen on new technology. Even so, one non-Aberdonian commented darkly "Aberdonians must be reversing the charges if they are on the phone that much."

Call to End Holiday Confusion

Every year there is newspaper article calling for the standardisation of holidays in Scotland. Statutory "Bank Holidays" were introduced in the 19th century to regulate when banks could be closed. Although these soon became public holidays in England and Wales, by and large only financial institutions closed on these days in Scotland. Here, the traditional "Local Holidays" were perpetuated. The dates for these were (and still are) decided by local Chambers of Commerce which decide when to have the annual "quota" of four days outwith Christmas and New Year. The dates were often decided to ensure that shops in nearby towns were closed on different days, to increase trade. To this day, many Glaswegians travel to Edinburgh on a Glasgow Local Holiday - and vice-versa. Of course, the "Local Holidays" in a particular town may by chance coincide with a "Bank Holiday" - Glasgow has a holiday on the first Monday in May which is also a Bank Holiday - but Edinburgh has a holiday in the middle of May instead. Glasgow's "Fair Monday" holiday has been existence for 800 years but most Glaswegians don't know how it is calculated - and no wonder. It follows the first Saturday after the second Monday in July! These days, many shops and offices in Scotland ignore the local holidays and give staff additional annual leave instead. But the system (the term is used loosely) still causes confusion - as it did in Glasgow last Monday when it was the "September weekend" holiday - and Edinburgh carried on working as usual, having already had their September break!

Historic Properties Lose Money

51 out of the 66 properties run by the National Trust for Scotland are losing money, 9 are breaking even and only six are making a profit. Scotland's second largest landowner is reporting to its members that falling visitor numbers are adversely affecting cash flow. The Trust now has a total deficit of £2.5 million on its accounts although the annual loss is now getting smaller. The Trust hopes to be back in the black in a couple of years' time. In the past, of course, the Trust took on properties because of their heritage value, knowing that they would be a drain on resources. Souter Johnnie's Cottage in Ayrshire had only 2,254 visitors in 2001, a slump of 45% on 1997 and it thus makes a substantial loss. Now they insist on an endowment fund being set up to cover maintenance before taking on any new property - as they did recently with Crarae Gardens in Argyle. The Trust has 250,000 members who contribute an annual subscription (and in so doing get into Trust properties free - a wonderful benefit) but it is also reliant on legacies and donations. The illustration here is of Ben Lomond which is under the care of the National Trust.

Luxury Ferry Service to Orkney and Shetland

Three new ferries costing £100 million took over the service between Aberdeen and the Orkney and Shetland Isles this week. Scottish P&O Ferries, which has operated the service for over 30 years, lost the route on a competitive tender to Northlink Ferries (a consortium of ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne and Royal Bank of Scotland). There is an a la carte dining room on board and a bar which stays open all night if passengers want it. The vessels are larger than before and have been specifically designed for the routes. The number of services is also being increased.

Ban on Selling Salmon

From this week, a ban has been introduced in Scotland on the sale of salmon and sea trout caught by rod and line. The move has been made by the Scottish Executive under new legislation aimed at conserving fish stocks. The ban was welcomed by angling interests and conservationists. It will not apply to net fishermen who make their living from selling the fish they catch. Anglers who fish for sport or for fish to consume themselves are also unaffected.

Log Jam Holding Back Beavers

A trial introduction of beavers by Scottish Natural Heritage into an area in Argyle after a 400-year absence, is being held up by indecision by the Scottish Executive, according to a leading Scottish naturalist. The plan was to bring 15 to 20 beavers from Norway to a 15 square kilometre site in Knapdale which belongs to Forest Enterprise. But their arrival in 2003 is being delayed because government ministers have not given the go-ahead. It is claimed that the beaver has been re-intoduced into 12 European Union countries under a habitats directive and Scotland is one of the last countries without a restored natural population.

Egg Boxes Go round

In most countries in the world, eggs are sold in boxes of six or twelve. But in the biggest revamp of the UK industry for sixty years, the rectangular boxes of six are being replaced by round boxes of seven - one for every day of the week. The egg marketing men at the British Egg Information Council (BEIC) are walking on egg-shells by suggesting that we should all be eating one egg a day. Agreement has been reached with a supermarket chain to stock the new boxes which, presumably, take up more space than the traditional rectangular ones. The BEIC represents those egg producers who use the lion symbol stamped on their shells and with a "use before" date; they account for 70% of the UK market.

Creel Lands Top Award

The Creel restaurant in Orkney is the only establishment in Scotland to be rated in the highest category by the latest edition of the Which? Good Food Guide. It has already been awarded four medallions as "outstanding" in a VisitScotland scheme. The restaurant, in St Margaret's Hope, has been winning a succession of awards since it opened 18 years ago. Needless to say, seafood features prominently on the menu.

It's a Cat's Life

Busy life styles, and lack of time to take the dog for a walk, has meant that in recent years the number of canines being kept as pets has declined. But cats, which are more independent (they can be thrown out to roam the neighbourhood in the morning and return when the family gets home after work or school) are increasing in number. Cat ownership has soared in the UK from 6.9 million in 1991 to 7.5 million ten years later. The number of dogs in the UK is now down close to 6 million.

Scots Losing the Plaice

A report by the Sea Fish Industry Authority accuses Scots of being ignorant of the many varieties of seafood available from around our shores. More than 80% of Scots have never tasted mullet or hoki while nearly half have never sampled mussels, langoustines or pilchards. The chief of the SFIA wants to encourage Scots to be more adventurous and open up a "wonderful world of textures and flavours." Of course, with the traditional fish such as haddock and cod in short supply, due to over-fishing, it is important for the industry to try to wean consumers onto some of the other 100+ varieties of seafood available.

Weather in Scotland This Week

Temperatures held up well this week, ranging between 17C (63F) and a high of 20C (68F) which is well above the average for October. But sunshine was in shorter supply though Thursday was the exception, with St Andrews recording 8.6 hours of sun. There were also a number of showers as a succession of fronts passed over Scotland. On Friday, temperatures dipped, with Glasgow only reaching 14C (57F) and Aberdeen 13C (55F).

This week's illustration of current flowers in Scotland is of one of many begonias growing in the garden of the National Trust for Scotland's Pollok House in Glasgow.

Fight to Save Historic Warship

The 178-year-old frigate HMS Unicorn, berthed at Dundee, is believed to be the finest surviving example of Georgian shipbuilding. It was launched at Chatham in 1824 as a 46-gun frigate for the Royal Navy with a projected lifespan of 30 years. But it became a training vessel and was finally decommissioned in 1968. In Dundee, it is overshadowed by the more famous "Discovery" (pictured here) which took Robert Falcon Scott on his fateful last journey to the Antarctic. The Unicorn is showing its age, however, with waterlogged timbers and water has to be constantly pumped out of the hull. The swelling timbers have also caused the ship to change its shape and balloon outwards. It is not likely to survive for more that five years unless a £4.5 million rescue package, involving putting the ship in a dry dock, can be put together. Of course, the Discovery is also looking for financial assistance from sources such as the Heritage Lottery Fund. But it is argued that the Unicorn is of greater historical significance - Discovery is "only" an old Dundee whaling ship. Except that Dundee now markets itself as the "City of Discovery" and would move mountains to save its icon.

The Lady's Not For Moving

Attempts by contractors to move the statue of Queen Victoria in the centre of Leith this week were thwarted as the 10ft high bronze statue proved to be too heavy for the crane sent to do the job. The statue is being relocated a few feet away - so that an 18-metre high sculpture depicting the tusk of a narwhal can be put in its place. The new piece of art is designed to reflect the nautical history of the port of Leith.

Roman Legionnaires on the March

Last weekend, as part of the country-wide "Doors Open Day," the creators of the Scottish Crannog Centre on Loch Tay organised a historical "fashion parade" with a group dressed as Roman legionnaires of the Antonine Guard, with orders shouted in Latin, marching from Kenmore to the crannog on Loch Tay where they "strutted their stuff" on the walkway leading to the replica building. A crannog was an Iron Age dwelling in stilts which was built offshore at the end of a causeway in the waters of the loch. To add to the colour, staff and friends at the Crannog Centre, dressed period costume, also joined the legionnaires on the "catwalk" in a Celtic fashion show.

This Week in History

• October 7 1782 - Birth of Charles McLaren, one of the founders of the "Scotsman" newspaper.
• October 8 1774 - Rev Henry Duncan, founder of the first savings bank, born in the Manse at Lochrutton.
• October 9 1506 - King James IV ratified the Charter incorporating the Surgeons and Barbers.
• October 9 1921 - SS Rowan sank off the Rhinns of Galloway, near Corsewall Point with 34 casualties.
• October 9 1935 - Ornithologist and painter Archibald Thorburn died.
• October 9 1995 - Death of Lord Home of the Hirsel, also known as Sir Alec Douglas-Home, formerly UK Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister.
• October 10 1802 - Writer and geologist Hugh Miller born on the Black Isle, Cromarty.
• October 11 1297 - Letter from Wallace and Moray to the mayors of Lubeck and Hamburg saying that "The Kingdom of Scotland has, by God's Grace, recovered by battle from the power of the English".
• October 11 1511 - Ship "Great Michael" launched for King James IV.
• October 11 2000 - Scotland's first First Minister Donald Dewar (his statue is shown here) died suddenly after a fall on the steps of his official residence in Edinburgh.
• October 12 1866 - Ramsay MacDonald, first Labour Prime Minister of UK, born.
• October 12 1929 - Birth of Magnus Magnusson, writer, broadcaster and question master in TV programme "Mastermind".
• October 13 1644 - Battle of Aberdeen, James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose, sacked the city.

International Festival of the Sea

The tall sailing ship "Stad Amsterdam" sailed into the Firth of Forth this week as advance publicity for the International Festival of the Sea which is to be held in Leith next May. A fleet of around 600 vessels including the fabulous tall ships will be anchored along the quaysides of the Western Harbour for the four-day festival. Visitors will be able to climb aboard and talk to the crews to gain first hand experience of life on board at sea. For more information, see Festival of the Sea feature article.

Ayrshire Hosts The Mod

The Royal National Mod is Scotland's premier festival of the Gaelic language, arts and culture and this year Largs, in Ayrshire, is hosting The Mod from October 11th to 19th. The Mod first took place in 1892, and has grown to become the second largest festival in Scotland, attracting visitors from throughout the UK, Ireland, and around the world. As many as 2,000 competitors can enter, and it has been known for over 20,000 visitors to attend. Visitor numbers to the Mod are growing continually, despite a reduction in speakers of the language. It has evolved organically and been patronised by the Royal Family since 1912. Largs, which derives its name from the Gaelic 'learg' meaning 'a sloping hill face', has already held successful Mods in 1956 and 1965. The coastal town is situated in a sheltered bay, boasting panoramic views over to the Cumbraes, and beyond to Bute and the Isle of Arran. For further information visit www.the-mod.co.uk.

Feast Of Activity In Highlands

The Highland Food & Drink Festival, running from October 3rd to 6th inclusive, is a festival of cookery demonstrations, food & wine tasting, music and entertainment. There is a range of imaginatively staged offerings, including "Whisky Galore" celebrating traditional St. Andrew's day fare with lashings of whiskies, haggis and cheeses. Whisky tastings form the festival's favoured activity, and Scotland's national drink is celebrated against a hearty backdrop of fiddling and song, fireworks and a pipe band. "Seafood Symphony" celebrates the wild, wonderful gems of Scotland's waters, including clams, crabs and cockles, salmon and oysters. "Seafood & Sail" invites guests aboard for a voyage on Loch Ness, from Dochgarroch to Urquhart Castle, with Celtic music and wine and beer tasting throughout. "Belly on a Plate" offers an evening of belly dancing and 'belly building' in the form of a sensuous Middle Eastern vegetarian banquet, featuring aromatic dishes from Iran, Turkey and the Lebanon.

McGonagall on CD

He may be regarded as the "worst poet in the world" (though others do lay claim to that title) but William Topaz McGonagall has built up a "fan base" particularly in recent years. Now Billy Connolly, a long-time supporter of the "Bard of Dundee" is involved in creating a CD containing some of McGonagall's works. If copyright issues can be overcome, it is hoped to include archive material from Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and John Lawrie. The profits from the CD will go to the "Red Nose" children's charity appeal in November. The aim of the CD is to "laugh with McGonagall" not to laugh at him.

East Neuk Seafood Celebrations

The Kingdom of Fife's quaint fishing villages celebrate the rich harvests provided by the waters around their coastline with "Seafood Celebrations" from the 4 - 11 October. Anstruther is home to one of Britain's best Fish and Chip shops and throughout the week, the region's top class eateries will be offering a variety of seafood menus. There's a seafood breakfast at The Pavilion Café and the Bouquet Garni Restaurant in the idyllic village of Elie. The Golf Hotel in Crail and The Craw's Nest Hotel in Anstruther are also stops on the seafood circuit. And visitors can pamper themselves in the stately splendour of Kilconquhar Castle, Elie, where there will be a chance to taste Easter Scallops. Ru an Fhodar Smokehouse is also hosting an open day during which visitors can taste delicacies including smoked salmon, oysters and shellfish. The Seafood Cookery Demonstration at Pittenweem Harbour on the October 5 has a collection of tastings, live demonstrations and stalls. For more details visit www.east-neuk-seafood.co.uk.

Mid-Week Football Results

Hertha Berlin 1 Aberdeen 0 (UEFA Cup 1st Round. Aberdeen lose 1-0 overall)
Livingston 4 Sturm Graz 3 (UEFA Cup 1st Round. Livingston lose 6-8 overall)
F K Suduva 0 Celtic 0 (UEFA Cup 1st Round. Celtic win 10-1 overall)
Rangers 3 Viktoria Zizkov 1 (UEFA Cup 1st Round. 3-3 on aggregate. Rangers lose on away-goal rule)

Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 5 October 2002

Dundee 2 Kilmarnock 1
Dunfermline 4 Partick Thistle 1
Hibernian 2 Dundee United 1
Motherwell 1 Aberdeen 2
Celtic v Rangers and Livingston v Hearts will be played on Sunday.

Scottish First Division Results - 5 October 2002

Alloa 0 Queen of the South 1
Arbroath 2 Falkirk 0
Inverness 2 Ayr United 0
St Johnstone 0 Clyde 1
St Mirren 1 Ross County 1

BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 5 October 2002

Boroughmuir 25 Heriot's 23
Hawick 29 Jed-Forest 21
Melrose 48 Aberdeen 20
Peebles 24 Glasgow Hawks 32
Stirling County 22 Currie 26

League Tables

Rangers and Celtic meet on Sunday and, with Rangers currently one point ahead of their rivals, the result could have a significant impact on the Scottish Premier League leadership battle - unless, of course, the match ends in a draw. Dunfermline are third with 18 points, 6 behind Celtic with Hearts on 16 points and Aberdeen on 14. At the foot of the SPL, Livingston have 4 points and Dundee United 6.
In the First Division, Falkirk remain at the top with 22 points but Inverness have slipped into second place with 16 points, one ahead of St Johnstone.
In the BT Scotland Rugby Division 1, Boroughmuir maintained their five point advantage at the top over Glasgow Hawks.

Only Celtic Now Flying The Scottish Flag in Europe

After winning the first leg of their UEFA Cup first round match against Lithuanian side FK Suduva 8-1 at Parkhead, Celtic rested a number of their top players for the return match on Thursday. Even so, they still beat the Lithuanian side 2-0.

But other Scottish teams did not fare so well. Rangers were 2-0 down after their first leg against Czech team Viktoria Zizkov in Prague. On the return match at Ibrox, two goals by Ronald de Boer took the tie to extra time. Neil McCann put the light blues ahead but Rangers were cruelly denied victory when the Czechs scored in the final stages of the match. Although that meant that the two teams had scored the same number of goals, Viktoria Zizkov went through as away goals count for more in the event of a draw.

Having lost in the first leg 5-2, Livingston gave Austrian side Sturm Graz a tough test in the second leg at home. On the day, they beat the Austrians 4-3 despite some play-acting worthy of a drama festival by the continentals. But Livingston go out 6-8 on aggregate.

After a no-score draw in Scotland, Aberdeen had it all to do against German side Hertha Berlin. After one of the German players had been sent off for head-butting Phil McGuire, it looked as though Aberdeen might pull off a memorable victory. But, in the 89th minute, Hertha Berlin substitute pipped them at the post, scoring the only goal of the two matches.

Inspirational Scots Lead Way to Ryder Cup Victory

While the Ryder Cup golf tournament between Europe and the USA is first and foremost about teamwork, it was good to see Scotland's Sam Torrance as captain and Colin Montgomerie taking such a leading role in the 15½ to 12½ victory. Sam's tactics on the final day of sending out the top players first paid off handsomely and Colin Montgomerie, who has been plagued with back problems, emerged unbeaten from all his matches in the tournament, winning four and drawing one.

Dictionary in the Rough

There were red faces amongst the editors of the latest edition of Chambers' "Biographical Dictionary" which was recently published after a gap of five years. They had decided that Sam Torrance was "yesterday's man" and dropped him from their pages, including instead such golf notables as Laura Davies and Karrie Webb. (You'll need to read the dictionary to find out who they are). The latest edition covers 17,500 entries in every field of human endeavour but as Sam has not won any majors for a few years it was decided to omit him from the comprehensive survey. Sam's entry in 1997 reads "The greatest moment of his career...came in 1985, when he sank the putt which won the Ryder Cup." That event took place on the same golf course - The Belfry - as his latest triumph.

£10 Million Cash Boost for Hibernian

Like most football clubs, Edinburgh's Hibernian are struggling to balance the books. The club lost £1.6 million last year and their total debt is £8.7 million. But that could be wiped out if a four-and-a-half acre car park can be sold off to a developer. However, it could be a further nine months before any deal can be concluded. There is a property boom in Edinburgh at the moment and the financiers believe that now is the opportune moment to cash in on the property.

Solo Yachtswoman Picks Up Speed

Scotland's solo yachtswoman Emma Richardson from Helensburgh, who is the only Briton and the only female competitor in the arduous "Around Alone" solo round the world yacht race, says that she doesn't want to be a Sunday afternoon driver on the water but the Michael Schumacher of the waves. She started out badly on the first leg from New York to Torbay in Devon but picked up speed and managed to come in fourth. In so doing, she became the first woman to sail single-handedly across the Atlantic from west to east in a monohull boat. But there are another 26,000 miles to go with an estimated finish by the end of March. The 27-year-old began sailing as a youngster on the banks of the Gareloch.

National Hunt Racing

The first meeting of this season's National Hunt racing is at Kelso Racecourse on Sunday 6 October. Six races will be held throughout the day with the cream of Britain's jockeys competing for an unprecedented amount of prize money. The Berrymoss racecourse at Kelso boasts an original 1822 grandstand with excellent, uninterrupted viewing of the steeplechase. Kelso is one of the more successful of the small jumping tracks, attracting large crowds from both sides of the Border and abroad. For more information visit www.kelso-races.co.uk.