Temperatures Reach 110-Year High

It is often said, with some truth, that if you don't like the Scottish weather, just wait half-an-hour and it will change. But since the beginning of March, the extreme variation in weather patterns has been absent and we have experienced long spells of dry, sunny days (if chilly nights, due to those clear skies). Weather records have been tumbling and on Thursday of this week Altnaharra (maybe it should be renamed Altna-Sahara) in the west Highlands recorded 26.6C (79.8F), the hottest April day in Scotland since records began - 110 years ago. The picture here was taken on Thursday in the Border town of Peebles as people enjoyed the sunshine on the banks of the river Tweed. People who live in parts of the world where the sun shines for weeks on end will not appreciate the pleasant surprise all this wonderful weather has engendered in Scotland. Thursday's record temperatures meant that Scotland was warmer than Athens, Madrid, Rome and the Canary Islands. Only Edinburgh - shivering at 15C (59F) and east coast resorts at 12C (54F) did not enjoy the sunny weather on Thursday. Nevertheless, those temperatures in the capital were above the norm for April. On Friday, as temperatures dipped, fire brigades in Lanarkshire and other parts of Scotland were fighting moorland fires, enlisting the aid of helicopters to douse the flames.

The sunshine and dry weather has meant that sales of sunglasses and garden furniture are booming and visitor attractions are reporting the best opening to the tourist season for many years. The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh has reported the highest number of visitors for six years in March. Farmers, always ready to moan about the weather, have been taking advantage of the clement weather and sheep farmers are particularly pleased about the warm, dry weather for lambing.

Tony Blair in Scotland

The electioneering for the Scottish Parliament on May 1 moved up a gear this week as Tony Blair, the UK Prime Minister paid a flying visit to Scotland. With the war in Iraq now over, the Labour party leadership must be hoping that the negative reaction from many of their supporters for taking part in the war will wane. The Scottish First Minister, Jack McConnell, was a loyal supporter of Tony Blair in his stance on Iraq. The latest opinion poll published this week by the Herald newspaper certainly showed Labour had regained a commanding lead with 39% in the first vote, with the Scottish National Party trailing with 26%. But there is always the possibility that many traditional Labour supporters will just not turn out to vote. The Scottish Liberal Democrats, Labour's coalition partners for the last four years had 12% in the poll and the Conservatives 13%, with the Scottish Socialist party on 4% and the Green party 3%. If this poll is translated into seats, there would be fewer Conservatives and more Scottish Socialists and Green party MSPs.

For an explanation of the electoral system for the Scottish Parliament (which gives each voter two votes) see the "Did You Know?" feature on the Scottish Electoral System.

Scotland Eclipsed

Tourist organisations, hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments in the north of Scotland are gearing up to a surge in business at the end of May when that part of Scotland experiences an annular eclipse of the sun. Areas north of Inverness will see the first annular eclipse in Britain since 1921 - and the next one will be in 2093. Near sunrise on May 31, the moon will come between the sun and the earth. But it will not cover the sun completely so the "ring of fire" with solar flares and "Bailey's Beads" will be in evidence. Of course, the clouds will have to stay away to make the spectacular sights visible.

Petrol Price War Breaks Out

As a result of the tensions in Iraq and the Middle East, oil and petrol prices have been edging up this year. But now that the conflict is over, supermarket chains have begun a price war, cutting two pence a litre off the price of fuel in their outlets. Average prices have fallen to 75.4p per litre (£3.43 per UK gallon). Even that price, however, is the highest in Europe and many small garages in the remoter parts of Scotland, where they do not enjoy volume discounts, are forced to charge much higher prices.

Unemployment Figures Down

There was a fall in the number of people registered as unemployed in Scotland last month. Official figures published this week show that the unadjusted figure fell by nearly 3,500 to 107,190. The seasonally adjusted tally also dropped - by 500 to 99,200. The Western Isles saw the largest percentage reduction, down 12.8% to 641. In the UK as a whole, the seasonally adjusted figure rose by 1,800 to 939,000.

Easter Misery for Travellers

Nearly half of Scotrail's train services were cancelled on Thursday as a result of industrial action by guards who are objecting to new security arrangements. And engineering works on both the east and west coast lines over the Easter weekend will mean parts of the line being closed and buses being used to by-pass these sections over the four days from Friday to Monday.

Skippers Queue Up to Quit Fishing

Applications have been received by the government from skippers of more than a quarter of Scotland's white fish fleet who are seeking to scrap their boats under the fishing vessel decommissioning scheme. £40 million has been allocated to the initiative, designed to reduce the number of boats operating in the North Sea where fishing stocks have plummeted. In previous decommissioning schemes, the number of boats actually taken out proved to be much smaller than the number of applications. Skippers can find that the money available under the scheme is capped and they are better off continuing to fish. But this time many fishermen are disillusioned about the future and may give up even if the financial argument is not convincing.

Plan for River Skyscraper Launched

Glasgow City Council have launched the idea of building a skyscraper in the middle of the river Clyde in the heart of the city, linked to the shore by pedestrian bridges. Computer generated drawings have been created showing a circular tower rising from the river. Nobody seems quite sure where the finance would come from though - it is suggested that private developers might take up the scheme. Maybe the concept is a bit "pie in the river".

Scramble for Concorde

The announcement by British Airways, that it was to phase out its Concorde supersonic airliner fleet later this year, has led to a scramble by aircraft museums around the world to obtain one of the sleek aircraft for preservation. The Museum of Scotland's Museum of Flight at East Fortune is one of those keen to make a bid for the world's first supersonic airliner. But they will be competing against the likes of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in Cambridgeshire and even the Boeing Aircraft company. The flypast of Concorde, accompanied by the RAF Red Arrows aerobatic display team, was one of the highlights of the opening day of the new Scottish Parliament in 1999. There are seven Concordes owned by BA and five by Air France.

Royal Bank Expands Again in New England

In its fourth acquisition deal in two years, the Royal Bank of Scotland's US subsidiary Citizens Financial has taken over Port Financial Corporation, the holding company for Massachusetts-based savings bank Cambridgeport. The cash deal is worth $285 million (£182 million). Cambridgeport has eleven branches in Middlesex and Norfolk counties.

Souper Store for Ocean Terminal

48 different types of soup as well as cashmere clothing, food hampers and whisky will soon be available in the Ocean Terminal shopping centre overlooking Leith harbour. Speyside-based Baxters of Fochabers, which makes 70 million tins of soup each year, is opening the 8,000 square feet "lifestyle" unit which will also have a restaurant with views over the river Forth. As well as providing a shopping centre for Leith and Edinburgh, Ocean Terminal has luxury cruise ships which use the docking facilities there.

New Role for Church Halls

A report by the Church of Scotland's church and nation committee has called on congregations throughout Scotland to allow sub-post offices to be based on their premises. There are 2,000 sub-post offices in Scotland, many in small communities where they are the focal point of the community. But many of these outlets, which often double as newsagents and small grocers, have been closing down as they are no longer profitable. But the church committee says that providing premises for free could make many of them more viable and keep them going.

Baptisms Slump to Under 20%

Statistics published this week show that the number of babies baptised in the Church of Scotland has fallen to 17%, compared with approximately 50% in 1961. The Church's panel on doctrine has suggested that current regulations which require at least one parent should be a member of the church should be relaxed, with extended family being considered.

Dancing With Wolves

A millionaire landowner in Wester Ross says that he has been in talks with a Romanian wolf preservation scheme with a view to reintroducing wolves onto his Scottish estate, 250 years after they were hunted to extinction in Scotland. Paul van Vlissingen helped to reintroduce sea eagles in Scotland in the 1990s, so he is no stranger to such projects. He says that the final decision will be made by local people, but he has offered his 32,000-hectare estate as a trial site. With a fortune estimated at £420 million he has the financial resources to make the reintroduction a viable possibility. There are 3,000 wolves in the Romanian Carpathian mountains. But some naturalists are sceptical about their reintroduction in the Highlands, saying that instead of helping to keep down the number of deer, wolves would choose the easy option and kill sheep and lambs instead.

Wallace Portrait Fails to Find a Buyer

One of the earliest portraits of William Wallace failed to reach its reserve price of £20,000 when it came up at auction this week and was therefore withdrawn. The highest bid was £14,000. The 18th century work by an unknown artist is based on an earlier work by George Jamieson, painted in 1640.

Marriage in Burns' Cottage

The thatched cottage in Alloway, Ayrshire, where Robert Burns was born, is to be made available for weddings for the first time. While Scotland's national poet is certainly associated with many romantic poems and songs, he is also seen as something of a lothario with 12 children, seven of them illegitimate, to four different women. The cottage is the centrepiece of the Burns National Heritage Park and Burns was born in there on 25 January 1759.

Contract Out for Salmon-loving Seal

The Vale of Leven & District Angling Club were threatening this week to engage marksmen to execute the only seal known to be located in Loch Lomond. The grey seal, named Andre after a seal which starred in a film, has become a favourite sight on the river Leven at Balloch, at the southern end of the loch. But the anglers claim that the uninvited visitor is eating too many fish. Attempts by experts from a number of animal rescue groups have so far been thwarted by Andre who seems to be elusive, despite his highly visible profile. The seal must have followed fish up the river Leven from the Firth of Clyde several months ago - and liked the lack of competition (apart from human anglers) in the area. Further efforts to capture him to avoid being "shot at dawn" failed this week. But after media publicity, the anglers gave Andre a stay of execution. Some anglers tried to make the best of the situation by commenting that he was a great radar system for them - showing where the fish are located.

Restaurant Cooks Up a Storm

In some countries, arranging for a restaurant to provide the food for a dinner party is not unusual, but in Scotland it is something of a novelty. However, the French restaurant "La Bagatelle" in Edinburgh has introduced a scheme to allow hosts to cheat at dinner parties. They not only provide the food but customers serve the meals on their own crockery, so that they can pass it off as their own cooking. It appears that some high profile Members of the Scottish Parliament are among those who pull the wool over the eyes of their fellow guests (no surprise there, I suppose). La Bagatelle calls their meal preparation system "Service Traiteur" and the meals come complete with instructions on how to heat them up and where to place garnishes.

Peace Deal on Prickly War?

The fight between Scottish Natural Heritage (the agency which wants to exterminate hedgehogs in the Western Isles in order to stop them from eating birds' eggs) and the Hebridean Hedgehog Rescue organisation (which is trying to capture and then relocate the hedgehogs) may be heading towards peace talks. SNH has offered to call a halt to the cull if the rescuers can demonstrate that the animals can be successfully taken elsewhere - and can survive. An estimated 5,000 hedgehogs are on "death row" under the SNH plans - though the agency has to first catch the little animals. SNH rejected relocation as they believed that the hedgehogs could not survive being transported to a new environment. Around 50 hedgehogs from Uist arrived in Ayrshire this week to be released in the countryside there. Rescue organisations have been inundated with offers to take the hedgehogs.

Willow Weavers Create Living Sculpture

The Aberdeenshire landmark hill of Bennachie was the backdrop to a workshop on the art of willow weaving run by the Forestry Commission last Sunday. Experts were on hand to show those taking part the skill of weaving lengths of willow into huts and tunnels. The works made at the event were added to structures made at a similar event last year, which have now firmly rooted to create "living sculptures." The willow art has been established in a field next to a popular car park at the Back o' Bennachie.

Now Lack of Water Threatens Salmon

Young salmon and trout are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to swim from the spawning grounds in the headwaters of Scottish rivers to the open sea. With the lack of any significant rain for two months, there is concern for the welfare of tens of thousands of smolts (juvenile fish) in the Tweed catchment area in particular. The Tweed (pictured here) recently claimed that it was the most productive salmon fishing ground in the North Atlantic but this could be badly dented if young fish are unable to make it to the sea. In an effort to solve the problem, millions of gallons of water from local reservoirs have been piped into the river and its tributaries. Mature fish are also unable to move upstream - they can get no further than Kelso because of the low water levels.

Scotland's Weather in March

The weather statistics for March have now been published by the Scottish Meteorological Office and they show that most parts of the country experienced temperatures at least 2.5C (4.5F) degrees above normal, with rainfall in some parts only 25% of the long term average. Only the Western Isles had their usual level of rain. Sunshine hours were also higher than usua,l with large areas of the country with 175% of the usual level. Some places recorded nearly 200 hours of sun - a figure which would be high even for the summer months. It was the sunniest March on record at Prestwick, Kinloss and Aberdeen and the first three months have been the sunniest on record at most locations on the mainland. Peebles had the highest temperature in Scotland in March at 20.3C (68.5F).

Weather in Scotland This Week

The average April temperature in central Scotland is around 12C (54F) and lower than that further north. For most of this week, the thermometer was well above those levels. As noted earlier in this Newsletter, a new record high for April was experienced in Scotland (in the north-west coast) but other locations have been enjoying warm, dry weather. Glasgow reached 24C (75F) on Wednesday and had nearly 40 hours of sunshine in the four days from Tuesday to Friday. Aberdeen and Edinburgh were not far behind, with 32/34 hours. There was hardly any rainfall all across the country. The outlook is for the temperature to fall to closer to the seasonal average, with a few light showers.

This week's illustrations of current flowers in Scotland is of a tulip (above) in Kailzie Gardens near Peebles in the Scottish Borders; the photo was taken on Thursday of this week. The blossom here is on an apple tree in the gardens of Finlaystone House in Inverclyde - the photo was taken on another warm sunny day on Friday. Often, it is not possible to differentiate between the blossom of cherry, apple, peach or almond trees. But on this occasion I took photos of the apples on this very tree last autumn!

Panopticon on Short List

A BBC TV series, which will allow viewers to phone in and choose between 30 buildings in need of restoration, is to be shown in the autumn. A number of buildings in Scotland have been selected, including a linoleum factory in Fife, a house in Edinburgh, Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum, a croft on the Shetland Isles and a former TB sanatorium in Aberdeen. These will be joined by a former music hall in Glasgow where Stan Laurel - one half of the Laurel and hardy comedy team - first performed. The 140-year-old Britannia Panopticon Music Hall needs around £4 million to restore it to its former glory. In the TV programme, celebrities will act as advocates for each building and viewers will choose regional winners to go through to the final.

The First Glenfinnan Monument

The famous tower and statue at Glenfinnan, which marks the landing of Bonnie Prince Charlie on mainland Scotland in August 1745, may not have been the first Jacobite monument on the site. Archaeologists have discovered that a two-storey "gentlemen's retreat" was built at Glenfinnan around 1815. It may have been used as a shooting hut by the landed gentry of the area who gathered to remember the events of the Jacobite Uprising. It is thought that the building was demolished around 1830 and the stone used to construct the perimeter wall around the present tower.

Prototype Edinburgh New Town Uncovered

Archaeologists, who have been examining the site in Edinburgh's Old Town which was destroyed by a disastrous fire last December, have unearthed the remnants of a long lost Adam Square, which is regarded as the prototype for the development of the Georgian architecture of the New Town further north. The square was mentioned in 18th century maps, but historians have been unable to pinpoint its precise location because it was destroyed when Chambers Street was developed. A small corner of the square has been identified in an area of the site, with masonry showing the distinctive tool marks of the 18th century. The Edinburgh city archaeologist would like to be able to do a full dig - but the nine site owners whose premises were destroyed would have to provide the funds. The square was designed by John Adam, brother of Robert Adam, who was responsible for much of the later New Town, including the leafy Charlotte Square (pictured here) which created a new standard for urban design.

This Week in History

• April 20 1934 - Scottish National Party founded with the amalgamation of the National Party of Scotland and the Scottish Party.
• April 20 1994 - Sir Walter Scott's home at Abbotsford was raided and priceless antiques stolen.
• April 21 1703 - Edinburgh Fire Brigade, one of the first in Scotland, formed.
• April 22 1838 - The 703-ton Sirius, built in Leith and carrying 90 passengers, reached New York, the first ship to cross the Atlantic entirely under steam.
• April 23 1124 - King Alexander I died at Stirling Castle, succeeded by David I.
• April 23 1661 - Charles II crowned at Westminster Abbey.
• April 23 1945 - Blackout restrictions lifted as World War II heads to a conclusion.
• 23 April 1968 - The new 5p and 10p decimal coins were introduced in anticipation of decimalisation (in 1971). They were used as one shilling and two shilling coins until then.
• April 24 1558 - Mary, Queen of Scots, married French Dauphin, Francis Valois (he was aged 14) at Notre Dame in Paris.
• April 24 1567 - First printed book ever published in Gaelic. It was "Forms of Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Catechism of the Christian Faith," translated from English by Bishop John Carsewell of the Isles.
• April 24 1633 - Warrant issued by the Privy Council to Sir John Hepburn to raise a regiment of 1,200 men to fight in the French service. The corps ultimately became the First Regiment of Foot, The Royal Scots.
• April 24 1825 - Novelist R M Ballantyne, who wrote 90 books, the best known of which was "The Coral Island," was born in Edinburgh.
• April 24 1949 - Chocolate and sweets were no longer rationed, a measure introduced at the start of World War 2. However, demand was so great that it had to be re-introduced.
• April 25 1058 - Malcolm III (Canmore) crowned.
• April 25 2001 - Motorola factory in Bathgate closes with the loss of 3,100 jobs.
• April 26 1711 - Philosopher David Hume born.

Another Blockbuster Movie on a Scottish Hero

Although John Muir is revered in North America for his work in establishing the world's first national parks, he is less well known in Scotland. His birthplace in Dunbar in East Lothian, does house a small museum (currently undergoing a major refurbishment) but his low profile in the country of his birth could change dramatically if plans by Paul Pender, a Glasgow-born screenplay writer come to fruition. Pender, who lives in Hollywood and recently wrote the screenplay for "Evelyn" starring Pierce Brosnan, is writing the script for a major film about the environmental pioneer. Pender says that he sees John Muir as a robust Scotsman with a twinkle in his eye and a dry sense of humour. He believes that Billy Connolly would be perfect in the role. John Muir emigrated with his family to the USA in 1849. His friendship with President Teddy Roosevelt led to the creation of the Sequoia and Yosemite national parks. The John Muir Trust say that it was the beaches and cliff tops around Dunbar which gave Muir his love of wild places, nature and the countryside.

Edinburgh Easter Parade

More than 4,000 young people from across Scotland, America, Japan and Europe will gather in Edinburgh on Easter Sunday to celebrate cultural diversity, youth, happiness and heritage. 2,500 performers from the USA and Japan have already signed up to receive the warmth of traditional Scottish hospitality. The parade will embrace a sense of history, pageant and adventure, lighting up what might ordinarily be a quiet public holiday. The parade through the heart of Edinburgh, features marching bands, giant balloons, floats, and a host of international performers. Giant inflatable cartoon character balloons will tower high above the parade route. Spectators will mass on the streets to witness the spectacle and enjoy the day to the full. For more information, see http://www.edinburghparade.co.uk

New Venue for Jazz Festival

The Glasgow Jazz Festival hopes to quadruple its audience by moving its main concerts from the Merchant City to a large stage on George Square. It is hoped that the free concerts there will appeal to a wider audience. The previous venue will be unavailable for a few years while the Glasgow City Halls are being refurbished. Highlights of the 2003 Glasgow Jazz Festival include Tony Bennett, George Melly and George Benson.

Last Night of the Proms

The Sir Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, at London's Albert Hall, are a popular series of classical concerts. The last night of these Proms is a world-famous event in which audience participation (singing and trying to keep time with the orchestra as it plays the "Sailor's Hornpipe" at a faster and faster rate) is an important element. The concert is always a sell-out, despite being televised live. In recent years "Proms in the Park" has seen crowds of 40,000 participating in Hyde Park in London, viewing the proceedings on giant screens. Now the spectacular concert is to be staged this summer in Glasgow at the Glasgow Science Centre. The preferred venue would have been in the city's George Square but the all-ticket event would have created too much disruption in the heart of Glasgow. During the interval, there will be televised shots shown around the world of the backdrop of the Science Centre, the 400ft high Glasgow Tower and, on the other side of the river, the Finnieston Crane and the futuristic-looking Clyde Auditorium.

Glasgow's Midsummer Night's Dream

Last year, thousands of people braved atrocious weather to see a series of Shakespeare plays in the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow. Now the city is to stage another Shakespeare Festival in June, when the Glasgow Repertory Theatre is to put on another series of six plays called the "Bard in the Botanics".

Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results

Celtic 2 Kilmarnock 0
Dundee United 1 Rangers 4

Bank of Scotland Premier League Results - 19 April 2003

Hearts 2 Celtic 1

Scottish First Division Results - 19 April 2003

Clyde 2 St Johnstone 1
Falkirk 4 Arbroath 1
Queen of the South 0 Alloa 1
Ross County 2 St Mirren 0

BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 19 April 2003

Heriot's 12 Boroughmuir 27
Peebles 20 Currie 24

League Tables

The split in the Scottish Premier League - when the top six teams play one another as the final games of the season while the bottom six do likewise - means that Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Kilmarnock, Dunfermline and Dundee will be pitted against one another. At stake is not only the league championship, but the other places in European competitions. Celtic's surprise defeat by Hearts has given a boost to Rangers' position at the top of the Scottish Premier League. Celtic are now 8 points behind, with only one game in hand. Hearts are now in third spot - 22 points behind Celtic - despite their win on Saturday.

Any lingering hopes that St Johnstone may have held about catching Falkirk at the top of the First Division were dashed by Saturday's results. Falkirk are now 10 points ahead of second place Clyde, with St Johnstone slipping to third position, 2 points further back.

In the BT Scotland Rugby Division 1, Boroughmuir secured their position at the top with the victory over Heriot's. Boro' are 12 points ahead of Glasgow Hawks with a game in hand, though Heriot's, in third position, have another game in hand.

Tennent's Scottish Cup Semi-Final

Rangers, leading the Scottish Premier League, had to fight hard to defeat bottom of the league Motherwell by 4-3 in the first of the semi-finals. After the match, Rangers' captain Barry Ferguson said generously, but accurately, that Motherwell were the better team on the day. Rangers had a dream start with a goal from Bert Konterman after two minutes. But Motherwell fought back and equalized through a goal by Steven Craig and then went into the lead before half-time through a goal from James McFadden. Needless to say, the Rangers manager Alex McLeish gave his team a "roasting" at the interval and it seemed to work. Rangers equalized just ten minutes after the restart through a goal from Michael Mols and then went into the lead with a header from Lorenzo Amoruso. Rangers went further ahead through a cruel own-goal by Motherwell's Derek Partridge. David Adams pulled one back just before the final whistle.
The other semi-final, Dundee v Inverness, will be played on Sunday.

Celtic Defeated - by Strathclyde Police

Efforts by Celtic Football Club to persuade the Scottish Premier League to change the date of the league match against Rangers on Sunday, April 27 (three days after their UEFA Cup match against Boavista) were thwarted by Strathclyde Police who recommended sticking with the original date. The police were anxious to avoid a repetition of the crowd trouble which occurred in 1999 when the two clubs met at the end of the season in a match which decided the league title. Theoretically, the clubs can play on April 27 without the match becoming a league decider - when passions may run too high. Celtic reluctantly accepted that the date would have to stand on grounds of safety, even if it was unfair in sporting terms.

Hearts and Hibs Explore Ground Sharing

Once again, informal discussions are said to be taking place between Hearts and Hibernian football clubs and Edinburgh City Council to examine the possibility of a new joint stadium with access by the local community. It is thought that a stadium in the south of Edinburgh would not only get support from the City Council but might also be able to attract finance from the Sports Lottery Fund. The present Hearts ground is limited in size and the European football governing body UEFA will outlaw their stadium in 2010. Ground sharing is relatively common in Europe.

Bakers Rise to Challenge

Aberdeen Football Club was founded on April 14, 1903. During the whole of 2003, the club and its supporters have been celebrating the centenary and this week it was marked in true North-east fashion with the baking of the world's largest "rowie" - a type of flaky, butter-rich bread roll which originated in Aberdeen. It is known as a "buttery" in other parts of Scotland. A bakery in Bucksburn worked through the night to create the huge pastry which was presented to the club. If any of the players had a piece of the rowie they would have to do some extra training to burn off the excess fat and calories.

Slim Jim in Bronze

A one-and-a-half times life size bronze statue of Rangers and Scotland football legend Jim Baxter is to be unveiled in his home town of Hill O' Beath in Fife on Sunday. "Slim Jim" as he was nicknamed, died of cancer two years ago. Baxter was larger than life both on and off the pitch. His most famous episode was cavorting 20 yards down the pitch at Wembley, playing "keepie-uppie" with the ball - and this in an international in 1967 against England, the newly crowned World Champions. But his arrogance was justified - Scotland won that day by 3-2.

Claymores Blunted

After the record-breaking 62-31win in the first game of the season, and the brave talk afterwards, it was perhaps not surprising that the Scottish Claymores should lose the second game in the NFL Europe season. They lost 13-17 to Frankfurt Galaxy - who have now won both of their opening matches. Claymores appeared to be out of sorts and gifted the German side a touchdown in the first quarter after a fumbled punt.

Fish Too Eager to Bite

The organisers of the European Fly Fishing Championship to be held on the island of Islay in September have had to change the rules - because they fear that too many brown trout will be caught and controllers would be unable to keep up with measuring and logging the catches. So anglers will be restricted to two flies (instead of the more usual three or four). In a recent practice session, one exceptional angler caught 64 fish in less than three hours. The competition uses barbless hooks and works on a catch and release system, so speed by controllers is essential to ensure the fish are returned to the water without harm.