Go-Ahead for £8.6 Billion West Coast Rail Upgrade

The Strategic Rail Authority announced this week that it is to go ahead with the long-awaited upgrade to the railway line between London and Glasgow, at an estimated cost of £8.6 billion. But the line will not be able to handle the 125 mph trains (which tilt as they go round corners) operated by Virgin Rail along the full length of the route until 2008. Journey times, currently 5 hrs 35 mins between Glasgow and London, will be cut to 4hrs 18 mins on services which make only two stops along the way. And it has been decided that the service will not run every hour as business leaders had hoped.

Green Light for Station Modernisation

Partick interchange station, which has train, underground and bus connections in the one building, is to get an £8.5 million modernisation which will see the existing buildings demolished and a new interchange built. Partick handles four million passengers every year, with almost half of them switching from one form of transport to another. Partick is an area of Glasgow where there is a concentration of Gaelic speakers - hence the station name being in English and Gaelic.

Strike Threat at Parliament Building

No, the Members of the Scottish Parliament are not threatening to go on strike because the public don't love them. It's the workers currently struggling to complete the new parliament building at Holyrood. A senior trade union official has threatened industrial action because he says that sub-contractors are exploiting staff and paying illegally low rates of pay. It is also alleged that foreign workers are having their pay deducted to pay for accommodation and flight costs, in breach of legal guidelines. It remains to be seen whether this is just posturing on the part of the union or whether completion of the much-delayed building will be suffer yet more postponements.

Scottish Nuptial Party

John Swinney, the leader of the Scottish National Party, has announced that he is to marry his partner Elizabeth Quigley, a journalist who works for the BBC. It will be the second marriage for the 39-year-old SNP leader who is divorced and has two children under 10. His relationship with the 31-year-old Ms Quigley began two years ago. They say that they understand the unpredictable nature of each other's jobs perfectly.
Photograph courtesy of the Scottish Parliament © Web site.

Galloway Iraqi Documents Forged

Documents published in the US by the Christian Science Monitor which claimed that Scottish Member of Parliament George Galloway had been paid large sums of money by the Iraq government have now been shown to be forgeries. Two documents dated 1992 and 1993 have now been shown to have been written this year. The MP for Glasgow Kelvin, who is well known for his support of Saddam Hussein's regime, has refused to accept an apology from the paper and is suing for defamation. Galloway has been suspended from the Labour Party over his comments about the Iraq war and Tony Blair's role in the conflict.

Scottish Retail Sales Outperform UK

Shoppers in Scotland have been keeping the tills ringing at a faster rate than in the rest of the UK for the three months of March to May, according to figures published this week by the Retail Consortium. Like-for-like sales growth in Scotland was 3.3% compared to 1.7% nationally across the UK. But in May the UK figures shot up more rapidly than in Scotland where growth was described as "steady and sustainable." The illustration here is of a deserted area of the huge Braehead Shopping Centre on the outskirts of Glasgow. Retail price inflation dropped in May, renewing speculation that the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee might lower base interest rates. Lower petrol prices were a contributory factor to the lower inflation data.

Buyout of Skye Bridge Likely

When the Skye road bridge between the mainland and the island was built in 1995 it was one of the first "Private Finance Initiative" schemes. Under the deal, the Skye Bridge Company, owned by the Bank of America, financed construction and was given the right to charge tolls to cover the costs. But ever since, the islanders have objected to having to pay the tolls (though they had been paying ferry costs for centuries, like the inhabitants of many other islands). The charges are said to be the most expensive bridge tolls in Europe (though residents pay at reduced concessionary rates) and are due to run for another 19 years. But as part of the Liberal Democrats' agreement to participate in the coalition government with the majority Labour party, there was a commitment to look at abolishing the charges. Negotiations are now apparently under way, but the cost to the tax payer to buy out the owners is likely to be in the region of £23 million.

Nationalists Split Over Bannockburn

Hundreds of Scots turn up for a rally to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn each June 24 and in the past the Scottish National Party has been prominent at the gathering. But this week Kenny MacAskill, the party's transport spokesman, declared that it was "time to move on" from celebrating a victory over the English which took place in 1314. His view was immediately countered by the party's former leader, Alex Salmond, who suggested that the rally marked a "seminal point in Scottish history and should be expanded into a festival of Scotland's contribution to European thought." MacAskill, writing in an article for a Scottish Sunday newspaper asserted that Scots should stop defining themselves in terms of victory over the English. But Paul Henderson Scott, a historian and former President of the Saltire Society commented that the battle shaped the Scottish nation. It paved the way for the Declaration of Arbroath which ultimately inspired the American Declaration of Independence.

Scotland's Most Expensive City

Residents of Edinburgh always suspected that prices there were higher than in other parts of the country. But now a Sunday newspaper has carried out a snapshot survey of prices and has confirmed the worst fears of Edinburghers. House prices are, of course, much higher in the capital, particularly as demand has increased in recent years, particularly since the arrival of the Scottish parliament. But residents also pay more for services such as car servicing, nursery care and plumbing and if they decide to drown their sorrows in alcohol, prices in bars are higher too. True, those living in Glasgow pay higher local council taxes on their property and petrol prices are also higher in Scotland's largest city. Meantime, those living in Aberdeen pay more for bus fares and taxis than in any of the other large cities.

Reluctance to Switch Costs £75 Million a Year

When the monopoly electricity and gas supply industries were thrown open to competition a few years ago, it was supposed to lead to lead to lower prices as a result of competition. Householders were offered incentives to switch to having all their gas and electricity supplies from one company such as ScottishPower and Scottish Gas. In the UK as a whole, 19 million customers are no longer with the previous monopoly suppliers but in Scotland there has been a reluctance to changing suppliers. The chairman of EnergyWatch Scotland says that this is costing Scottish users up to 20% more for their electricity than it should - a total of £75 million a year. Hard sell tactics by some companies to persuade consumers to switch put off many people and stories of power companies billing systems issuing erroneous bills - or no bills at all for lengthy periods followed by demands for outstanding amounts - may have discouraged some people.

Japanese Design Guru for Glasgow Retail Store

Toyo Ito is one of the most admired architects in the world today and his first major work in the UK will be to design Selfridge's new retail store in Glasgow's Trongate. Store executives are certain that he will create an architectural and artistic landmark in the city. Insiders who have been given a preview of the designs, say that they are fabulous and will provide a unique experience to Scotland. The store is scheduled to open in 2007. The present building, with its traditional Scottish architectural style (pictured here) will be demolished.

Earthquake Rocks the Trossachs

The Stirlingshire village of Aberfoyle was shaken by an earthquake early on Friday morning, causing ornaments in houses to shake and pictures to fall off walls. Measuring under three on the Richter scale, the impact was greater because it came from only four kilometres below the surface. Aberfoyle is on the "Highland Fault Line" and Friday's earthquake was the biggest for over 20 years.

UK Curry Capital

Glasgow was successful this week in beating off a challenge to its title of "UK Curry Capital" which it won for the first time last year. Indian restaurants Shish Mahal, Crème de la Crème, Mr Singh's India and Ahoka Ashton Lane represented the city in the competition which took place in London. The runners up were Bradford and Edinburgh. The first curry house in Glasgow opened in the 1920s in the Broomielaw, catering for Indian seamen. But Glasgow's first proper Indian restaurant, the Taj Mahal, opened in the 1950s and there has been an explosion in the number ever since, with both fast food outlets as well as restaurants.

Celebrity Chef Sells Restaurant

Scottish chef Nick Nairn, who is one of a number of celebrity chefs who have become household names because of their TV appearances, has sold his restaurant in the centre of Glasgow so that he can concentrate on his cookery school and spend more time with his young family. The purchaser is a husband and wife team who are devoted to good wholesome food rather than trendy clientele. Tom and Helen Battersby have a restaurant in Giffnock in the south side of Glasgow which they will close. The couple say that their business is bursting at the seams and they have been looking for larger premises for some time.

Scottish Regiments Mount Cross-Border Raid

Traditionally, many of the Scottish army regiments obtained new recruits from their specific local areas. But despite an increase in the numbers joining the services following the Iraq war, the army still has a shortfall in the number of recruits. So now the six remaining Scottish infantry regiments are sending a team to London later this year to try to attract volunteers who will march to the skirl of the pipes and drums. Initially, the recruiting sergeants will be targeting those with Scottish family backgrounds but all volunteers will be welcomed. This is not the first time that non-Scots have been encouraged to join Scottish regiments - there are around 100 Gurkhas and 23 Fijians in the Highlanders regiment, for example.

Winter Festival Company Collapses

The company which runs Edinburgh's Winter Wonderland festival has gone into liquidation, leaving behind massive debts, including thousands of pounds owed to the city council. Promoter Karen Koren says that everyone will be paid in due course - she also runs the Gilded Balloon comedy theatre which was destroyed in the fire which hit Edinburgh's Old Town last December. The contract for this year's Winter Wonderland, which involves the creation of a skating rink, a toboggan run and other attractions in Princes Street Gardens over the Christmas and New Year period, is likely to still be awarded to Karen Koren's company - if all outstanding debts are paid by September.

All Shook Up in UK Cocktail Capital

Glasgow may have won the honour of being Curry capital of the UK but Edinburgh bartenders have swallowed hard and swept the boards in winning five of the six top places in the UK Mixologist of the Year competition - the drinks industry's "Oscars". Indeed, not one Glasgow contestant made it to the final. The outright winner of the contest will be announced on 7th July - in Glasgow, the convention capital of Scotland.

Fish Farm Releases Wild Trout

Marine Harvest, a leading salmon farming company, has invested a substantial amount of money in an attempt to restore wild trout stocks to west Highland rivers. Salmon farmers have been blamed for the collapse in the number of trout, which are cousins of Atlantic salmon. Trout numbers had been in decline before the arrival of salmon farming but the new industry has played its part in further reductions. Since Marine Harvest began its initiative, the company has released over a million trout into the wild.

New Boss at Skibo Castle

Peter Crome, a former manager of the Old Course Hotel at St Andrews and London's Savoy Hotel, is to be Peter de Savaray's successor as the managing director of Skibo Castle. Crome won the title of Hotelier of the Year in 2000 and film director and gourmet Michael Winner has named him as best hotel manager in the UK for the last five years. He says his focus will be improving facilities for the members of the exclusive club at Skibo, constructing another golf course and attaining an even higher standard of service. Skibo might have competition in the future from Peter de Savary, who founded the Carnegie Club in 1990. The entrepreneur says he may return to Scotland in the future to create another exclusive club. Skibo leapt into the media spotlight in 2000 when Madonna married Guy Ritchie there and their baby was christened at nearby Dornoch cathedral.

Heather Cream at the Hairdressing Salon

Whisky distiller Inver House has seen a rise of over 10% in sales of its Old Pultney malt and Heather Cream liqueur in the last year. And they put part of that growth down to targeting hair salons, car rallies and art exhibitions with free samples. It seems a cup of tea and a biscuit is no longer enough for today's customers of up-market hair dressing parlours. Inver House also owns the "Wee Beastie" alcopop brand and its MacArthur's, Catto's and Hankey Bannister whisky brands are sold around the world. The company is planning a launch of "Wee Beastie" in the US market later this year.

Sweet Success for Tayside Strawberry Growers

Customers of the giant supermarket chain Tesco have been enjoying the fruits of success of a consortium of 17 soft fruit farmers in Angus who have developed a new variety of strawberry. It is claimed to be one of the sweetest tasting and juiciest Scottish strawberry every created. As a consumer, I won't argue with that description! And as the fruit is grown under plastic cloches, it arrives in the supermarket shelves in pristine condition. The Angus Soft Fruit group produces 2,500 tonnes of strawberries every year which is 35% of the total Scottish crop. As a result of the large-scale production, prices have been kept low too - around £1.69 for over a pound weight.

Witch Casts Spell on Nessie

A self-proclaimed "white witch" who believes that the Loch Ness Monster is a ghost, made another visit to the loch side last week (on Friday 13) to "summon up the spirit" of the legendary creature. Kevin Carlyon, high priest of the British Coven of White Witches, cast a spell during a ritual on the shores of the Highland loch. Mr Carlyon first became involved with Nessie two years ago. He cast a spell to protect it when a Swedish monster hunter announced plans to net the giant creature. As part of his incantations, Mr Carylon also tossed a lump of iron with runic symbols carved on it into the loch. Presumably, he assumes that Nessie can read too.

Seaplane Service for Loch Lomond?

The bonnie banks of Loch Lomond are often no longer tranquil these days as a result of the large number of jet skis and motorboats on the water. But things could get even noisier if an application to operate a seaplane service from the popular loch is given the go-ahead. Permission is not required from the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority - only the Civil Aviation Authority, which only has to consider whether or not to grant a safety certificate. Fortunately, Captain David West who is proposing the new service, is well aware of the controversial nature of his plans and is making great efforts to explain the steps he would take to minimise the impact on the environment and the enjoyment of visitors to the area. He wants to operate a service for a trial period and monitor public reaction in conjunction with the park authority.

Wet West in May

The Scottish Meteorological Office has published the aggregate weather data for the month of May and it shows what all gardeners in the west of the country already knew - rainfall was well above average, in many areas twice the normal amount. Only the Grampian region of the Highlands had their usual quantity of rain, the rest of the country being wetter than usual. As a result of the frequent rain clouds, sunshine was also at a premium - only the north east coastal areas had the usual seasonal amount with the rest of the country enduring 80% or less of normal sunshine. But temperatures were mainly above average, with the east coast again seeing the highest readings, 1.5C above the long-term average figures. The highest temperature in May was recorded at Lossiemouth on 31 May, when the mercury reached 26.6C (79.8F).

Weather in Scotland This Week

There was some pleasantly warm weather in the early part of the week with some places reaching 20/22C (68/72F) but temperatures dipped markedly later in the week. Glasgow had a chilly maximum of only 15C (59F) on Thursday and strong winds made it feel even cooler than that. There were frequent showers later in the week too.

This week's illustrations of current flowers in Scotland are of the unusual Primula Vialii in the walled garden at Pollok House in Glasgow (on the left) and of Sweet William (below) after a shower of rain at the National Trust for Scotland property at Greenbank in Clarkston. Sweet William is named after King William of Orange who ousted the Stewart line. To this day, there are some who would not grow this plant because of the connection with "King Billy".

100 Years of the Floral Clock

In recent years, the Floral Clock in Edinburgh has incorporated a commemoration of some important event in the capital, but this year it is marking its own centenary. The world's oldest floral clock in West Princes Street Gardens, measures 12 feet wide and is 36 feet in circumference. It only operates from June to October (though the city authorities are considering the possibilities of a winter version). The clock was inspired by a bedding display at the same location in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII. The following year a firm of Edinburgh clock makers created the clock by installing a mechanism in the base of the nearby Allan Ramsay monument. The clock began ticking on June 10, 1903, driven initially by clockwork which was converted later to an electric motor. About 35,000 flowering dwarf plants are used in the display, including echevaria, antennaria tomentosa, penny royal and echevaria metallica. When they are filled with earth and plants, the minute and hour hands weigh 80 lb and 50 lb respectively. Just to add to the popular entertainment, there is a cuckoo in a wooden house who pops out to mark the 15 minute intervals!

Selkirk Settlers

Around midsummer 1803, 600 emigrants left Portree, Skye bound for Prince Edward Island in Canada. The emigrants were known in Canada as the "Selkirk Settlers" since their emigration was organised by Thomas Douglas, the 5th Earl of Selkirk. They sailed on two ships called the Polly and the Dykes. The 25th June sees a celebration of the links between Skye and Prince Edward Island with "An Tarsainn" -The Crossing, a traditional Music Concert taking place near Armadale on Skye and musicians from both areas will come together to commemorate the event. More information can be found at www.crossing2003.com.

Disagreement Over Future of Clan Cross

Leading members of the Clan Armstrong Trust have suggested that the Minholm Cross in Liddlesdale in the Scottish Borders is becoming eroded and should be moved to the clan museum at Langholm. The Trust says that a replica could be created at the current site. But other members of the Armstrong clan (that's the Armstrong tartan in the illustration), including television newsreader Fiona Armstrong, say that moving the cross is unnecessary. The monument commemorates the victim of a bloody murder nearly 700 years ago and the Clan Armstrong Trust claims ownership - though this is disputed by others.

This Week in History

• June 22 1679 - Duke of Monmouth subdued Covenanters at Bothwell Bridge.
• June 22 1725 - Malt Riots, Glasgow - against higher taxes imposed on Scottish malt.
• June 23 1650 - Charles II sailed into the estuary of the river Spey and signed the Covenant before going ashore.
• June 23 1823 - George and Robert Stephenson open their locomotive foundry in Newcastle upon Tyne.
• June 23 1927 - Singer Kenneth McKellar born.
• June 23 1952 - Salvador Dali's painting "Christ of St John of the Cross" went on display in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery. There was a public outcry when the city's entire annual purchasing budget (all £8,200 or US$13,000) was used to obtain the painting.
• June 23 1971 - Mass protest in West of Scotland against closure of John Brown's shipyard.
• June 24 1314 - Robert the Bruce defeated Edward II at Battle of Bannockburn.
• June 24 1886 - Crofters' Holding Act passed providing limited security of tenure.
• June 25 1887 - Wallace statue unveiled at the Wallace National Monument, Stirling.
• June 25 1971 - Lord Boyd Orr, biologist and Nobel Prize Winner, died.
• June 25 1876 - Seven Scots, including John Stuart Forbes, were in the US 7th Cavalry with General Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
• June 26 1488 - James IV crowned king at the age of 15 at Scone. He reigned until 1513 when he fell with the flower of Scotland's nobility at the Battle of Flodden Field.
• June 26 1695 - Darien Company formed to set up a Scottish colony in Panama.
• June 26 1830 - King George IV died, aged 67 (and William IV ascended the throne).
• June 27 1583 - James VI (aged 8) escaped from Castle Ruthven.
• June 28 1838 - Queen Victoria crowned at Westminster Abbey.

Looking for a New Den

After years of financial difficulties, Glasgow Zoo has announced that it is to close in September. The zoo is now working frantically to relocate its collection which includes two lions and three Bengali tigers. The zoo was established in 1947 as the Calderpark Zoo and was initially successful. It has won 28 national awards for saving endangered species and even ten years ago it was welcoming 150,000 visitors a year. But plans to sell off part of its land for housing development has been held up for three over planning wrangles. The West of Scotland Zoological Society has said that it hopes to have enough funds left to carry out a feasibility study into building a modern all-weather animal attraction on the site at a later date.

British Pipe Band Championships 2003

The town of Pitlochry is hosting the British Pipe Band Championships on Saturday 21st June and at noon, a number of the bands will march through the centre of the town. The British Championships, which incorporate Drum Major Championships and Highland dancing, will have around 120 bands from all over the UK competing against each other from ten in the morning. The day will culminate with the massed finale of 3,000 pipes and drums. Further information on the Championships is available at www.pitlochry.org/britishchampionships.

Harry Potter Works His Magic

Scottish-based author J K Rowling was on hand in an Edinburgh bookshop on Friday night (after the witching hour of midnight, of course) to sign copies of her latest book "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". But even without her presence, hundreds of thousands of copies were flying off the bookshelves around the world as the fifth book in the series reached the eager hands of readers for the first time. The publishing industry has never seen such a phenomenon before - and there are two more books to come. Meantime, the author says that she has started to write the next book in her Perthshire home. A far cry from an Edinburgh coffee shop where the then unknown author wrote the first book. 190 million copies of the earlier books have been sold in over 200 countries - and made J K Rowling richer than Queen Elizabeth II.

Ricki Fulton In Nursing Home

Comedian Ricki Fulton, who has been struggling with Alzheimer's, suffered a recent fall while out walking and has been transferred to permanent residential care as his wife is unable to provide the constant specialist care he now requires. But Ricki still manages to keep his visitors entertained with "wicked impersonations" of fellow residents in the nursing home.

Bard In The Botanics

After raising a storm of critical and audience acclaim for their first month-long Shakespeare festival a year ago, Glasgow Repertory Company is back on 25-27 June with five new, full-scale productions in the city's glorious Botanic Gardens. 'Shakespeare in the Park' has been a staple of Glasgow's West End Festival for years, but it was only in 2002 that Glasgow Rep expanded the concept to become a festival in its own right, making creative use of the gardens with fresh, stylish and entertaining productions of the classics. This season features a heavily adapted version of Henry V performed on the banks of the River Kelvin, Much Ado About Nothing with a 1950s twist and a Chicago-influenced version of A Midsummer Night's Dream inside the Gardens' Kibble Palace - among the statues, one of which is shown here. Enough said.

Curtain Up on Film Festival

The programme for the 57th Edinburgh International Film Festival, which runs from August 13 to 24, was announced this week. The event includes a number of new films including one from Oscar winner Jim Sheridan who directed "In the Name of the Father" and "My Left Foot". There will also be a new film directed by Francois Ozon whose film "8 Women" was a hit at last year's festival.

Ground Sharing Plan for Hearts and Hibs

Edinburgh football club rivals Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian have confirmed that they are in discussions about creating a shared, purpose-built stadium on the outskirts of the capital. A site at Straiton has been identified where a 25,000 capacity ground could be built. Hibs proposed the site for a new stadium for themselves ten years ago. Edinburgh City Council and Midlothian Council have both indicated willingness to assist the clubs with the project - and may give the land required to the clubs free of charge. If successful, the plan could release significant capital from their two existing sites and reduce on-going running costs. It has been suggested that the new ground could be one of the first in Scotland to use an artificial surface.

Season Ticket Frenzy

Season ticket sales for Rangers and Celtic reach a combined total of 96,500 each year, valued at almost £40 million. Even English Premier League Clubs cannot match the loyalty of the "Old Firm" fans, many of whom buy tickets for the same part of the stadium year after year so that they can be with other regular attendees. Celtic, with 53,500 annual ticket sales, has the highest level of such sales of any UK club.

Celtic's Champion League Opponents

There was some relief at Parkhead this week when Celtic were told that their opponents in the second qualifying round of the Champions League would be either HB Torshaven in the Faroe Islands or FBK Kaunas in Lithuania. There is always concern that opponents in the early rounds of the European contests will be in some out of the way location with security problems, but these two countries pose no such difficulties.

Rangers New Signing

Portuguese international soccer star Nuno Capucho has signed a contract to play for Rangers in a two-year deal which will cost the club £750,000. The 31-year-old player was in the Porto team which won the Portuguese Cup Final this year.

New Stand for Partick Thistle

Partick Thistle, Glasgow's third Premier League soccer club, has applied for planning permission to build a fourth stand at their Firhill stadium. It would replace unused terracing at the south end of the ground and would increase capacity at the Maryhill stadium to 13,000. The cost is estimated at around £1 million and the club will first need to find a suitable tenant for office accommodation to be built as part of the development.

Marathon Returns to Edinburgh

There were 2,700 runners in Edinburgh's first charity marathon for nearly twenty years which took place last Sunday. The route took in Holyrood Park, Portobello and Leith and finished at Meadowbank Stadium. It was estimated that the event will have earned around £1 million for local and national charities.