Another Milestone

Roll of drums... Fanfare of trumpets... Skirl of bagpipes.... Another milestone.. Issue # 300 of the "Snippets"... Whew! Perhaps April 2003 (when the Newsletter will have been running non-stop for six years) would be a more significant milestone - but our decimal numbering system invests significance in centuries.

In response to many requests (well, three actually), and to mark the 300th edition of this Newsletter, there are some background notes on Rampant Scotland, the Snippets - and "Scottie" - see features/bio.htm.

Scotland Shivers in the Cold

There are many parts of the world which are a lot colder than Scotland in winter. But overnight temperatures fell here this week to -18.5C (-1.3F) in Aviemore on Tuesday, the coldest January for nearly 20 years. Even Glasgow Airport saw the thermometer down to -11C (12F). The east coast saw some falls of snow too, with the north-east experiencing heavy falls. On many days, however, particularly in the west, there was a good amount of sunshine, though it was weak and the sun was low in the sky. The low temperatures lasted all week as high pressure dominated and winds came direct from the Arctic north.
The illustration is not of snow - all that white on the grass and shrubbery at Finlaystone Country Park is frost on the grass.

Little Change in Opinion Poll

The latest opinion poll of voters' intentions for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections in May suggest that the Labour Party will win 42% of the constituency vote (3% more than in 1999) with the Scottish National Party on 30% (1% up on 1999). The Liberal Democrats share of the constituency vote is holding up, at 13%. 56 of the 129 seats for the Scottish Parliament are elected on a second proportional vote. This shows the Scottish Nationalists in a strong position, ahead of Labour - partly because many voters do not understand that if they vote Labour in the constituency section of the ballot paper, they can vote Labour again in the proportional representation section. But this scarcely matters - Labour won 53 of its 56 seats in the last election from the main constituency contest. If the actual vote matches the poll, Labour and the Liberal Democrats will once again be in a coalition government with roughly the same seats as last time. Indeed, it is possible that Labour could grab back the one and only Conservative constituency seat and one from the Scottish National Party.

First Minister Stitched Up

In October 2000, after a heavy fall on the steps of his official residence in Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, Donald Dewar, the Scottish First Minister, suffered a massive brain haemorrhage and died. You would have thought that since then, the steps into Bute House would have been kept clear of ice in the winter time. But this was clearly not the case. Staff at Bute House had used hot water instead of salt to "defrost" the pavement that day. By the time the First Minister left, it was an ice rink and he slipped and fell. Although he was taken to hospital and required stitches to a gash above his eye-brow, he was back at work a few hours later.

Healthy Eating Campaign Launched

A major new Healthy Eating campaign was launched by the Scottish Executive this week - challenging Scots to "change their diet, change their lives, and help change Scotland." The campaign aims to inspire and educate about healthy eating with the co-operation of retailers and a special helpline and dedicated website offering advice and information on choices and options. It is argued that poor diet is the second biggest factor in Scotland’s high rates of premature death from cancer, heart disease and stroke. Despite this, most Scots are still eating too much fat, sugar and salt and not enough fruit and vegetables. For 2005, the Action Plan sets a variety of targets, include doubling the consumption of fruit and vegetables, and a reduction in the consumption of fat, particularly saturated fats. It also recommended an increase in the intake of complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, wholemeal bread and cereals and a reduction in sugar and salt consumption. The Scottish diet remains higher in fat than the rest of the UK, consumption of meals containing vegetables is also 23 per cent lower than the rest of the UK, and a major improvement is required in the nation’s diet overall but particularly in low-income communities.

"Building Better Cities Review" Unveiled

The Scottish Executive published this week the long awaited (and frequently delayed) report into their plans to develop the main centres of population. An additional £90 million has been allocated but the cities will be required to consult with neighbouring authorities before spending the cash. The government message was that the "City Growth Fund" was "just the start" and that further finance to breathe new life into derelict land would also be made available, particularly in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire. Inevitably, the City Councils in Glasgow and Edinburgh both felt they had been short-changed. Glasgow claims that nothing had been done about business rates - Scotland's largest city as the powerhouse of Scotland contributes £83 million more in business taxes than it receives. Meantime, over in Edinburgh, they pointed to the £40 million being allocated to Glasgow from the City Growth Fund and only £24 million to Edinburgh "which failed to recognise Edinburgh's status in Scotland." Of course, Glasgow's 50% larger population and the millions allocated to museums and the arts in the capital were not taken into consideration. Meantime, the allocation of £11.5 million to Aberdeen was described there as "measly." and Dundee was not impressed by its allocation of £9.3 million. Who would be a politician?

Top Company Profits Fall

A survey by the Scottish Business Insider magazine shows that the overall profits of the top 500 companies in Scotland plunged 7.3% to £12.4 billion in 2002, compared to a 25% rise in 2001. However, homegrown firms appear to have fared better than foreign-owned companies. Indigenous Scottish companies (299 out of the 500) had an average fall of 3.2% in profits while foreign-owned groups suffered a 17.2% decline. The Royal Bank of Scotland is Scotland's premier company and recorded a 26.7% profit increase to £14.5 billion. A rising star was Scottish and Newcastle Breweries which rose from 35oth position to 4th following the sale of its Centre Parcs subsidiary and the acquisition of the French Kronenburg drinks company.

Glasgow "Leads the Fat League"

A survey to be published in next month's edition of the magazine "Muscle and Fitness" suggests that Glasgow is the worst of 27 cities in the UK based on factors such as health, fat, natural environment and urban attitudes. Glaswegians were found to consume the most junk food and alcohol, smoke the most cigarettes and watch more television. However, while not entirely defending Glasgow's unhealthy living record, nutritionists at the University of Glasgow rejected the magazine's study as "unscientific" and suggested it should be "consigned to the wastepaper basket." The magazine (largely unheard of until it published this survey) claimed that it had used methodologies used in the USA.

Manufacturing Output Increases

According to a survey published by the bank Lloyds TSB Scotland, manufacturing output rose for the first time in two years in the three months to last November. But the bank's chief economist, professor Donald MacRae, highlighted that Scotland's economy is still under-performing that of the rest of the UK. Strathclyde University's respected Fraser of Allander Institute predicts that the Scottish economy will grow by 1.4% this year while the UK economy is expected to grow at between 2.5% and 2.75%.

Pound Hits Three-Year High Against Dollar

It certainly won't help the struggling tourist industry, but in the foreign exchange markets the pound climbed to $1.6160 this week, it's highest level since February 2000. The exchange rate will make prices seem higher for visitors from the US - but British holidaymakers travelling in the opposite direction will see the benefit.

IBM "Save" Hundreds of Jobs

There were fears this week that computer giant IBM was going to announce the lay-off of over 600 staff working on the production of PCs at its Spango Valley plant near Greenock. But instead, it was announced that the staff would be transferred to another computer company, Sanmina SCI, which has its HQ in California. IBM has assured workers that contracting out production of its PCs would allow the 640 staff at Greenock to continue in employment. Trade unions, however, have raised concerns about terms and conditions of employment and pension rights. The news for 500 electronics jobs a few miles away at Fullarton in Gourock was not so positive, however. Fullarton produced PC boxes for Sanmina SCI but their contract was not renewed as a result of the deal with IBM.

Glasgow Wounded in Airports Battle

The cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow believe that they are in a battle to expand the airports on their doorsteps. The city councils are both keen to see rail links from their centres to these airports which are eight miles away from the city centres. So there was initial gloom in Glasgow when a consultant's report on the economics of such links, concluded that there was no net value to be gained from such a link to the runways at Abbotsinch. They calculated that rail transport would only be used by 6.3% of passengers using Glasgow Airport - while 18% of those using Edinburgh airport would travel by rail. However, the Transport Minister, Iain Gray, is reported to have rejected the analysis and is committed to a rail link - to both Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports. Time will tell.

Jack and Chloe Win Again

For the fourth year in succession, the most popular names given by parents to their newly-born children were Jack and Chloe. The Registrar-General for Scotland has published the "league table" for 2002. The top five boys' names in 2002 remained in the same position as they were in 2001. Lewis, in second place, has also held that position since 1999. Longstanding favourites such as Andrew (down 10 places to 17th) David (down 8 places to 25th) and John (down 7 places to 31st), have dropped significantly, and other major drops in popularity have been Jordan (down 15 places to 34th) and Craig (down 14 places to 40th). The biggest jump in placings has been Charlie (up 31 places to 78th) a name which also figures in the girls' top 100. Chloe has been the favourite girls' name since 1998. Last year Chloe was substantially more popular than any other name, but this year, other names such as Sophie, Emma and Amy have closed the gap considerably. Sophie has in fact run Chloe quite close in 2002. Another impressive advance was made by Ellie (up 11 places to 6th). Other big movers in the top 50 are Louise (up 16 places to 28th) and Jennifer (up 11 places to 29th). Kirsten, Sara, Jasmine and Victoria have all dropped out of the top 100, along with Jordan, which also dropped significantly in the boys' list. See http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/grosweb/grosweb.nsf/pages/02name for the complete table of the top 100 names in 2002 for boys and girls.

Forging US-Style Shopping

A US shopping style is about to hit Glasgow this weekend. The first ever "sidewalk" sale will take place at the Forge Shopping Centre in the Parkhead district of the city on Sunday. Stores will place their best bargains on the "sidewalk" (pavement would be the more usual term here - but the alliteration would be lost!) so that bargain hunters can browse and search the best buys before actually entering a store. The system is said to have been a great success in the US and was brought back by the Forge's management from on a fact-finding trip to America last year.

Book a Parking Space Online

The City of Glasgow Council is planning to be the first in the UK to allow tourists to book a parking space in the city via the council's Website. Spaces would be booked for the duration of their stay in any one of the 21 car parks owned by the city council. The scheme will also be available to locals as well as tourists. The new system is not intended to replace the season ticket scheme already in place for those who need to park in the city on a regular basis.

Threat to Skibo Castle

The exclusive Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, near Dornoch, is popular with the rich and famous because of its remoteness and privacy. As Madonna found two years ago when she married in the castle, security there is tight. But the "right-to-roam" legislation now working its way through the Scottish Parliament could destroy the exclusive nature of the internationally renowned estate. The Land Reform Bill would open up all private estates and give anyone the right to walk through at will. Peter de Savary, who developed the 7,500 acre estate, along with many other landowners, have expressed their concerns about the negative impact of aspects of the new laws. They insist that it has already meant that investment in new developments has declined and now de Savary says that it might mean that he would close the Carnegie Club. He is concerned that he will find it difficult - and expensive - to obtain insurance for the estate and its prestigious visitors if he is unable to control access. The entrepreneur has two estates in the USA and says that he does not have these sorts of problems there.

Tartan Day 2003

For a number of years I have created a Web page which contains details of the Tartan Day events around the world. Tartan Day is held to celebrate and inform people about the current and historic contributions of Scots and those of Scottish descent around the world. The US holds this celebration of the contribution of Scots to local cultures around 6 April (the date of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, a document which influenced the wording of the US Declaration of Independence). If any readers knows of any Scottish-related events in their area for Tartan Day (which may be on a different date in other parts of the world) please drop an e-mail to Scottie@RampantScotland.com and I'll include it in the list. See http://www.RampantScotland.com/features/tartanday.htm for last year's collection.

Tartan Day in New York

Last year, the largest Tartan Day event in the US was held in New York, when thousands of pipers marched through the streets of Manhattan ("Machattan" for the day). This year, a National Tartan Day New York Committee (NTDNY) has been formed to organize a program of events in co-operation with local and Scottish participants. The New York Tartan Day Parade will be held this year on April 5th 2003 and it is planned to expand the line of march to include organisations that have a Scots American or Scottish connection. These would include: church groups, educational institutions, sporting clubs, clan associations, fraternal organizations such as Saint Andrew s Societies and Caledonian Clubs, expat groups and, of course, as many pipers and drummers as they can muster. Epic Concepts, who organized the pipers for Tunes of Glory 2002, are once again organising several aspects of the parade along with NTDNY. A website has been created to register pipers and organizations for the event at www.tartanweek.com A series of events are planned for the week around Tartan Day including Scots on Film, a cinema fest to be held at The Screening Room, Signature of Scotland Dinner and a Pipers' Reception after the Parade.
Picture of Tunes of Glory Parade, courtesy of www.tunesofglory2002.com.

New York Chases Scottish Teachers

Scotland is the target of an advertising campaign by the city of New York to recruit teachers for schools in run-down areas of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Scottish teachers are well paid relative to their counterparts in England, following a ground-breaking scheme pioneered by the Scottish Executive. But they could earn an extra £4,000 a year under the US scheme, after additional training. Whether Scottish teachers would think the extra money to work in schools such as Lafayette High School where a police SWAT team has been stationed due to the level of violence, is another matter. Certainly a challenge!

Direct Flights to Cuba

Starting this summer, tour operator Thomas Cook will be flying charter flights once a week from Glasgow direct to Cuba. The long-haul flight means that travellers will no longer have to travel to English international airports if they are going to the Caribbean island. A few months ago, direct flights from Glasgow started to the West African state of Gambia, an increasingly popular destination for those seeking the sun, particularly in the winter time.

Thig Air Ais

For those of you who don't understand the above Gaelic phrase (and that includes 95% of the people living in Scotland) it means "come back". That was the message of a £36,000 campaign by business leaders in Skye, to try to encourage former pupils at Plockton and Portree High Schools to return to the island. But six years later, the organisers have had to admit that it persuaded no-one to return because, as a questionnaire has revealed, more than half the pupils had never left the island in the first place. Unlike other parts of the Western Isles, the population of Skye has risen from around 6,000 in the 1970s to almost 10,000. No doubt the construction of a bridge connecting the island to the mainland has helped.

An Offal Shortage of Haggis

Around the world, at the end of January, many tons of haggis, that famous Scottish delicacy, made traditionally from a sheep's stomach full of oatmeal, spices and the intestines (offal) of sheep will be consumed at the annual celebration of the birth of Robert Burns. But one of New York's leading haggis-makers has several major problems. First of all, bureaucrats have stopped him from getting sheep's lungs, he can't find any sheep's stomachs and lamb's hearts are nowhere to be found. The native-born Texan makes his haggis the traditional way, so such ingredients are important to him. But he says he will try to use "alternatives" so that his customers will have something to stab at with a dirk at the traditional Burns Suppers. Back in Scotland, it appears that there are no such problems (I hope!).

Top Trees in Scotland

Based on votes cast by the public, the Forestry Commission in Scotland has drawn up a list of what they regard as 100 of the most important trees in Scotland. The list features not only the oldest and the tallest but also the rarest, widest, weirdest and most historically significant trees in the country. Of course, the yew tree beside the church at Fortingall is on the list - not only because it is the oldest (not just in Scotland but in Europe) but because of the legend that Pontius Pilate was born under it. Shame the Romans didn't reach that part of Alba until after 70AD, making the Pilate story hard to swallow. The tallest tree in the UK is now claimed to be a Douglas Fir called "Dughall Mor" in Reelig Glen near Beauly - it's 203ft 5ins. A Californian cousin is 275ft high, so it still has a bit growing to do. Perth and Kinross has the greatest concentration of trees on the heritage list - 22 out of 100, many in the Hermitage Park near Dunkeld. Also in Perthshire is the Meiklour Beech Hedge (pictured here). It stands 36 metres (120 feet) high and is a third of a mile long. The trees were planted in 1745 and are now officially recognised in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest hedge in the world.

Forested Area Returned to Bog

Using, in part, funding from the European Union, conservationists are removing thousands of trees to restore the Forsinard Nature Reserve in the Scottish Highlands to return the area to a massive bog. Forsinard is home to nesting birds such as the black-throated diver, common scoter, greenshank and hen harrier. The birds share the peatlands with millions of insect-eating sundew plants, dragonflies, water beetles and red deer. Similar conditions are rare elsewhere in the world, occurring only in isolated spots such as Tierra del Fuego and the South Island of New Zealand. Conifers were planted in the late 1970s to boost the forestry industry in the Highlands and create jobs. But the trees slowly strangled the natural habitat by drying out the bog and the fallen pine needles increased the acidity of the streams and lochs. Now the process is being put into reverse, though it may take many decades to achieve the desired result

Butterflies Move North

Butterflies in Britain are reported to be moving gradually further north - and further up hills - as they try to adapt to global warming. The organisation Butterfly Conservation says that species which prefer a cooler climate are now being found in habitats further north and have moved uphill by an average of over 100 feet. But, as they do so, the plants that they depend on may not be available and it is likely that more species will become extinct.

Weather in Scotland This Week

As noted at the start of this Newsletter, the weather in Scotland this week has been decidedly cold with overnight temperatures falling to -18.5C (-1.3F) in Aviemore on Tuesday. The cold Arctic air-flow has been present all week and daytime temperatures have sometimes struggled to rise above freezing. While the high pressure has resulted in mainly dry weather with clear sunny spells, there were heavy falls of snow in the north-esat at the beginning of the week. The best of the sunshine was in the west - Glasgow recorded over 20 hours of (weak) sunshine from Saturday to Tuesday.

This week's illustration of current plants in Scotland is of very frosted leaves in Finlaystone Country Park at the beginning of this week. A most typical illustration of this week's weather!

What Are Scotland's Top Historic Treasures?

Recently, a panel of archaeologists announced the top ten treasures held by the British Museum in London. One of these, the Lewis chessmen, related to Scotland. Now, two archaeologists have suggested a "top 10" of Scottish treasures. The selection has been based not just on intrinsic value or aesthetics but on what they tell us about the past. The items at the top of their list, for example, are two polished flint axes found in Banffshire in 1881 - they are 4,500 years old, dating from the Neolithic period, chipped from stone and polished to a smooth finish. The second top item is a bow found in Moffat which is 6,000 years old. Other items in the "top ten" include:
~ The Hilton of Cadboll carved stone dating from 800AD, found in Ross and Cromarty.
~ The Cramond Lioness - from Roman times, 1700 years ago, found in 1997 in the river Almond, near Edinburgh.
~ The Lewis Chessmen - a cache of over 90 carved ivory chess pieces, probably Viking in origin, from the 12th century.
~ The Deskford Carynx- a highly ornate wind instrument from the Celtic Iron Age found in a peat bog in north-east Scotland.
~ The Traptrain Treasure - a massive hoard of Roman silver found in a hill fort in east Lothian, dating from 395-423AD.
Most of these items are on display in the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Lost Castle Found - On the Internet

An archive of 16th century maps available on an Internet Web site has allowed a historian to identify the site of a forgotten medieval castle on the Black Isle, north of Inverness. Although the site of Castledownie was identified on late 19th century maps, archaeologists dismissed the idea that it had been the site of an earlier fortification. But now that the maps of the late 16th century map maker Timothy Pont have been made available on the web by the National Library of Scotland, a researcher has linked a prominent tower house on the same site. Pont's maps are the earliest surviving detailed maps of Scotland. His map illustrations of buildings were often accurate representations. The curator of the nearby museum at Cromarty has now used the maps to find evidence of the original buildings on the site. The Pont maps and many others are available at http://www.nls.uk/maps/

Industrial Revolution's Mastermind

Like all great scientific developments, the condenser which significantly increased the power od steam engines would probably have been discovered by someone else if James Watt had not spent hours watching a kettle steaming on the fire. But it's that story from his childhood which is a defining moment in the Industrial Revolution. Now, Watt's own collection of papers and artefacts - including a model of a steam engine - which have been in the hands of his descendants as a private collection since his death in 1819, are being sold at auction. Watt himself described his youthful experiments with the kettle and included in the collection of letters is one from his cousin which authenticates the story, describing how the "sickly, delicate" 15-year-old was ticked off for wasting his time watching a steaming kettle, catching and counting the drops of hot water from the spout. Watt later invented the separate condenser in a steam engine and patented the idea. He later sold the patent to a Birmingham entrepreneur, Matthew Boulton, and went into partnership with him. This proved to be highly successful and Watt retired a wealthy man in 1800. Watt never stopped inventing right up to his death and he created a steam locomotive, a chemical document copier and advised Josiah Wedgewood on pottery processes. He also gave his name to the Watt unit of power and introduced the term "horsepower".

Vikings - Bloodthirsty or Peaceable?

In recent years, the traditional picture of the Vikings as fierce invaders who destroyed and killed around the coasts of Britain has been changed. They are now often portrayed as more peaceable people who came to trade and settle, especially on the north and west coasts of Scotland. Probably they were both - initially savage raiders who attacked and pillaged. Later, they settled in the lands they had invaded and settled down as farmers. A recently discovered drawing on a stone slate found on the unpopulated island of Inchmarnock, off the west coast of Scotland, seems to confirm the early violent phase of their contact. It has been dated to before the 9th century and it depicts a shackled man being led away by a wild-haired Viking warrior clad in chain-mail. In the foreground is a longboat with oars resting on the water. The hostage appears to be carrying a reliquary - often used by monks to store the relics of saints. A number of other artefacts have been uncovered at the same location, including pottery, grave slabs, bracelets and the vestiges of a semi-buried chapel. Archaeologists say it is the only graphical representation of a Viking slave-raiding party. Previously, the only accounts were written by monks who had been subjected to raids - and who may have exaggerated the violence for their own purposes.

Hobbits and Hibs in Easterhouse

Billy Boyd, who plays the Hobbit Pippin in Lord of the Rings and Bobby Williamson, currently manager of Hibernian Football Club, returned to their birthplace this week to publicise an exhibition on the history of Easterhouse, now an area of local authority housing in Glasgow. The showcase, created by residents in the area, takes an imaginative look at the housing estate from prehistoric times to the present day and includes themes such as local churches - and gang warfare in more recent times.

17th Century Cannon Found in Wreck

Archaeologists from St Andrews University have recovered a cannon from the sea bed while working on the wreck of a sailing ship which sank off Mull in 1653. The Cromwellian ship, named "The Swan," had been attacking the Royalist stronghold of Duart Castle. It is believed that the iron cannon is the only one of its type in existence. The cannon would have fired a 4lb cannonball.

This Week in History

• January 12 1940 - John Buchan, author (39 Steps etc) and diplomat (Governor General of Canada, 1935/1940) died.
• January 13 1796 - John Anderson, founder of "Andersonian Institute" (now Strathclyde University) died.
• January 13 1893 - Keir Hardie of Legbrannock, Lanarkshire, founded Independent Labour Party.
• January 13 1915 - Mary Slessor, missionary in West Africa and known to many as "Ma", died in Calabar. The picture on the right is of Mary Slessor from a Scottish bank note.
• January 14 1872 - Greyfriars Bobby died after staying by his master's grave for 14 years.
• January 14 1930 - Sir Thomas Mackenzie, New Zealand statesman and Prime Minister, died.
• January 14 1990 - Death of actor Gordon Jackson (Tunes of Glory, Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Upstairs, Downstairs etc).
• January 15 1973 - Neil M Gunn, author of "The Silver Darlings" and many other books and short stories, died.
• January 16 1746 - Retreating Jacobite army defeated Hanoverian forces at Battle of Falkirk.
• January 16 1707 - Treaty of Union of Scottish and Westminster Parliaments ratified.
• January 16 1945 - 52nd Highland Light Infantry and 1st Commando Brigade cross from Holland into Germany and assault Heinsberg.
• January 17 1795 - Duddingston Curling Society became the first curling club in the world to be formally organised.
• January 17 1883 - Author Compton Mackenzie (Whisky Galore etc) born.
• January 17 1926 - Moira Shearer, ballet dancer and film star, born Dunfermline

Holiday and Travel Show Arrives

Next weekend will see delegates from 100 countries attending an annual Holiday and Travel Show at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow (pictured here). Over 50,000 visitors are expected to turn up to see what the 800 exhibitors, from travel agents to airlines, have to offer.

King Tut Voted the Best

A BBC Radio 1 poll has selected King Tut's Wah Wah Hut as the best live venue in the UK - by a wide margin. The Glasgow venue was given the accolade in a vote by bands who have appeared there and by listeners from across the country. For the last 11 years, King Tut's has kick-started the careers of such legendary performers as Oasis and Travis and other top acts that have appeared there include Radiohead, Pulp, Manic Street Preachers. Manic's singer James Dean Bradfield said that "King Tut's was the first venue to treat us properly." Last year the club held 294 gigs.

Pantomimes Break Records - Oh Yes They Did

It is being suggested that magical films such as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings are having a positive impact on the number of people attending that other fantasy entertainment - the pantomime. The King's Theatre and the Pavilion in Glasgow have had record breaking runs, with ticket sales close to £2 million. 95,000 people have seen Aladdin at the King's, starring Elaine C Smith (as Widow Twankey) and Gerard Kelly (as Wishee Washee). At the Pavilion, it's the Krankies together with actors from the TV soap "High Road" who star in Cinderella. At Edinburgh's King's Theatre too, Snow White has played to packed houses and has extended its run for an extra week to cope with the demand. Back in Glasgow, the Citizen's Theatre has smashed all its previous pantomime records with Scrooge, with a generous 92% average audience capacity. And ticket sales at the theatre in Motherwell which had put on Jack and the Beanstalk saw ticket sales growing skyward by 22%. Meantime, up in Inverness they calculate that half the population of the northern city could have attended the 52 performances of Sleeping Beauty.

Skaters Slide Into George Square

A record number of skaters have used the open air ice rink which was set up in Glasgow's George Square for an extended period over the festive season. 39,000 have enjoyed the facilities which remained in operation into January for the first time. There was also a funfair and a range of stalls selling such seasonal items as hot chestnuts and mulled wine.

Activity Mad In Ayrshire

Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park in Ayrshire is running a host of activities to encourage people to get out in the fresh air and work off some of the extra weight they put on over the festive season. There is an archery course or a mountain biking course on Saturday the 18th or Sunday the 19th January. On Sunday the 26th January there will be a map and compass course in the country park. And in the 'Try A Sport Day' on Sunday the 12th and Saturday the 25th there is everything from sailing and canoeing to mountain biking and archery.

Snowman from Scottish Ballet

Scottish Ballet is returning with Robert North's enchanting ballet version of Raymond Briggs' classic story The Snowman from the 14th to the 18th of January see at His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen. This story is beautifully told through Howard Blake's award winning score, featuring the hit song 'Walking in the Air'. Raymond Briggs' characters are magically brought to life and joined by a host of exciting new friends, including Father Christmas and a stunning prima ballerina.

Last Chance for Gig on the Green

The open-air pop concert which is held on Glasgow Green in the summer is being radically overhauled in a last-ditch attempt to keep it going. It is thought that the event has lost around £1 million since it began in 2000. Now it is to be scaled down and targeted at an older audience, possibly with jazz included in the line-up. But the organisers will have to convince Glasgow City Council to waive part or all of the £50,000 charge for use of Glasgow Green. This may be difficult as the council have not yet been paid for last year's event!

Chinese Get Stars in Their Eyes

The £1.5 million planetarium at the Glasgow Science Centre (GSC) has convinced a delegation from China that they should set up a similar installation in Macao. The Chinese city had been planning to include an Imax large-screen cinema (also part of the Glasgow development) as part of their £56 million science centre. But they were so impressed by the planetarium and its facilities that they have changed their plans. The delegation visited Glasgow last June but it was only this week that they e-mailed the GSC to tell them about their change of direction. Since the planetarium at the GSC opened last year it has had 93,000 visitors.

Line Dancing World Champions - From Buckie

Two youngsters from the small coastal town of Buckie in Moray have returned from the United Country and Western Dance Championships in Nashville, Tennessee as World Champion line dancers in the Junior Duo category. Katie Duncan is 15 and her sister Claire is only 11, but they have been line dancing for six years. Their dance was performed to a "Sister, Sister" theme which they choreographed themselves.

Bank of Scotland Premier League Results

No games this week as this is the mid-season break.

Scottish First Division Results - 11 January 2003

St Johnstone 2 Ross County 0
All other games in the First Division were cancelled.

Tiger Backs Controversial Old Course Change

Tiger Woods, who rates the Old Course at St Andrews as his favourite, has voiced support for the controversial changes to the bunker at the famous Road Hole at the 17th green. Champion golfers such as David Duval and Ernie Els have struggled in the past with the depth and size of the bunker - and "ordinary" golfers who were unlucky enough to be caught in the trap have been destroyed by it. The Links Trust, which administers the St Andrews courses, has made the bunker shallower and less severe. Traditionalists have protested at making it less of a challenge but Woods is quoted as saying "I'm in favour of it. That hole is a great hole, but I think it's only fair if you have that face shallowed up. I have seen too many high numbers there." The reshaping will result in more shots falling into the trap but it will not be quite so difficult to escape.

Hibernian Unveil New Training Facility Plans

While not on the same scale as Rangers' £14 million, state-of-the-art, Murray House football academy at a 38-acre site at Auchenhowie, near Glasgow, Hibernian Football Club have announced that their training facilities at Duddingston Playing Fields are to be modernised to enhance the productivity of youth and schoolboy football in the area. Financed jointly by the club and the local council, the focus will be on the development of young players. But it will provide facilities for the professional club as well. A year ago, Hibs were forced at one stage to train in the open air of Holyrood Park.

Gould Leaves Celtic

Former Scotland goalkeeper Jonathan Gould is leaving Celtic and has signed a contract with English Premier Division club Preston - where former Scotland manager Craig Brown is now manager. Gould will join another Celtic player, Simon Lynch who left the Parkhead club recently. Gould has made 147 first-team appearances for Celtic since joining the club in 1987. He lost his regular first-team place in October 2000 with the arrival of Rab Douglas.

Leg Up for Glasgow Sport Facility

A new-build Primary School at Haghill in Glasgow is to have a £1.15 million, state-of-the-art, community sports centre which will include a multi-purpose sports hall, fitness suite and dance studio as well as synthetic sports pitch. Activities available will include athletics, badminton, basketball, dance exercise, football, gymnastics, hockey, judo, karate, netball, tennis and volleyball. Pupils and the local community in Glasgow’s East End were involved in designing the new centre. The finance is part of almost £13 million going into sports facilities projects in Glasgow to try to improve health and fitness. In Scotland as a whole, £87 million of National Lottery finance is being pumped into a facilities and activities programme.

Fort William Wins International Award

At a recent International Cycle Union World Cup Organisers' meeting in Aigle, Switzerland, the award for the best Downhill and 4-X event for 2002 was presented to Fort William. The annual award is decided by voting from competitors, teams, and media who had attended events in Scotland, Canada, France, Slovenia and the USA in 2002. But with another, bigger Mountain Bike World Cup coming to Fort William on 31 May and 1 June 2003 the pressure is on to make it even better. This will further enhance Scotland's position as a key events destination.

Photograph by Andy McAndlish.