Battle for Big Holyrood Seats

The windows on the new offices of the Members of the Scottish Parliament being built at Holyrood in Edinburgh are an eye-catching feature from the outside. They were intended by the architect to be like "monks' cells" where the MSPs could sit and contemplate how to solve Scotland's problems. But inside, the seats are becoming a bone of contention amongst the 129 members. For although some of the window seats (with spectacular views of Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park) have a generous width of around a metre (over three feet), others are only 40 centimeters (16 inches) wide - which is even less than an airline seat. The varying sizes were incorporated to make the outside of the building more interesting. Some of the better endowed MSPs, however, are arguing that they should get first choice and that thinner colleagues should be allocated the narrower seats. On the other hand, one 22 stone MSP has voiced concerns about whether the bubble windows would be strong enough to support his weight. Those responsible for allocating the rooms will also have a problem - will MSPs allocated the larger window seats regard it as a reflection on the size of their posterior? Apparently, it will be up to the political parties to decide who gets what. It may be that in future the selection of MSPs will have to include a question on the girth of the applicant?

Scotland in Recession?

The latest government statistics published this week, show that the Scottish economy declined by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2003. Over the 12 months to the end of March, Scotland's economy failed to grow at all and if there is another decline in the next quarter, it will be an official recession. The dismal performance in Scotland is underlined by a 1.7% growth in the overall UK economy. The Scottish service sector has been propping up the economy in recent years as manufacturing, particularly electronics and engineering, have declined. But in the recent data, the service sector contracted slightly.

Bank Makes £1.78 Billion Profit

HBoS, the company formed by the Merger of Bank of Scotland and Halifax in November 2001, which has its HQ in Edinburgh (seen here), reported a 24% increase in profits in the first half of its financial year. It claims to be on track to meet its public targets for the full year. Its online banking operation, Intelligent Finance, which employs 2,400 staff in Scotland, expects to break even, by the end of the year, as it becomes more established. HBoS is the UK's fourth largest banking group.

Teachers Reject Longer Service

Government proposals to raise the retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 were condemned this week by the two largest teaching unions. Although the proposal suggests that the new terms of employment would only apply "initially" to new entrants to the profession, unions are concerned that this is just the thin edge of the wedge. Currently, teachers can retire on a two-thirds salary pension at 60, but can carry on working to 65 - though few do, which speaks for itself. There is concern that a move to a retirement age of 65 would have an adverse effect on recruitment at a time when that is already proving to be difficult.

Judges Reject Longer Hours

In an effort to deal with the backlog of legal cases waiting to be dealt with by the Scottish courts, the Scottish Executive put forward a plan to extend the working day by 30 minutes - to 10am to 4.30pm (minus lunch hour and other adjournments). But the judges were appalled at the idea of such "long hours" and argued that it would tire out judges and juries and lead to miscarriages of justice. The government has now withdrawn the proposal - even though 73% of former jurors who responded to a questionnaire said they thought it was reasonable.

Newspaper Circulation Falls

The circulation of the Scotsman daily newspaper has fallen from 75,899 last June to 69,841 in June this year. But the Scotsman Publications company, which also produces the Edinburgh Evening News and Scotland on Sunday, increased its profits by over 10% on turnover down 2%, according to its latest accounts. The improved profits were generated by a controversial round of staff cuts last year.

Bid to Avert Ferry Strike

When rail or bus services are suspended due to strike action by staff, it is inconvenient for customers, but at least there is usually an alternative form of transport available. But when Caledonian MacBrayne, the ferry company which serves the western isles and the islands of the Firth of Clyde, is forced to suspend services, it leaves islanders stranded. So there was concern when the trade union representatives had announced that they were to ballot he 450 ferry staff on proposed strike action. So there was some relief this week when the company raised its pay offer to staff who were threatening to go on strike later this month - at the height of the tourist season (of course). Staff had rejected a 3.5% increase (with 1% tied to performance related pay) but have now been offered a 12.5% increase, spread over three years.

Double Blow for Aberdeen

Oil giant BP dealt the north-east of Scotland a double blow this week by announcing that it is scrapping plans to build a new multi-million-pound headquarters in Dyce, on the outskirts of Aberdeen and that its head of North Sea operations is to relocate to London. Abandoning the new HQ building has arisen as a result of cutting so many jobs recently that the construction is no longer viable. The company says that the 10% levy on North Sea oil and gas profits, imposed by the government in the 2002 Budget, has been a contributory factor. BP claims that it is still committed to North Sea gas and oil production - but offshore workers' union Amicus is unconvinced.

Glasgow Harbour Apartments Sell Out

£40 million worth of apartments in the new Glasgow Harbour development sold out within 48 hours of going on the market last weekend. Some buyers camped out for two days to ensure they got the flats they wanted, even though the first phase of the Clydeside development will not be ready for occupancy for another twelve months. 194 homes were sold at prices ranging from £147,000 to over £500,000. Some of the houses were snapped up by property dealers who believe that they can sell them on at a profit. A second tranche from the first phase of 651 apartments will be released for sale soon.

Never on Sunday

There was an outcry amongst some of the residents of Lewis in the Western Isles last weekend when a shop dared to open its doors on a Sunday - the first to do so on the strongly Presbyterian island where activists have fought to retain the traditional Sabbath, with no trading allowed. There was no advance notice that Engebret Ltd would open its doors to sell petrol and groceries, but business was brisk with a mixture of tourists and locals who happened to be passing.

Vorsprung Durch Technik

Car maker Audi has started building what it describes as the "largest and most innovative car showroom in the world" near Braehead, the shopping complex on the edge of Glasgow. It will feature the first Audi experience centre in the UK with a museum, training and conference centre, outdoor off-road driving course and other hi-tech facilities. The five-acre site will be beside the M8 motorway and will be highly visible to passing motorists.The new development is part of the plan to expand Braehead from being just Scotland's largest regional shopping complex to a wider community of business space, entertainment and homes.

Tortoise Included in House Sale

Prospective buyers of a Victorian house worth over £500,000 in Edinburgh are surprised to find that the house comes not only with five bedrooms and all the modern conveniences of an up-market house, but also comes complete with a tortoise in the garden. The resident tortoise, named Troglodyte, is thought to be 60 years old and has been a resident of the Morningside home since the Second World war. The terraced house has been sold several times over the years - and each new owner has taken over the responsibilities of looking after the resident tortoise. The present owners say that when they arrived in 1986, the tortoise was in hibernation, so it was a few months before he emerged from the compost heap - much to the delight of the children but astonishment of the family cat and dog. The tortoise is very self-sufficient and can be left on his own for a few weeks at a time.

Weekend Trips to the Mediterranean

50 years ago when Scots went on their two week summer holiday (vacation), it was often for 14 days at a Scottish or English seaside resort. As package holidays grew, however, Spanish Mediterranean beaches, with sun and sangria, became popular. As flights became cheaper and more people began looking for alternatives, the Greek islands, Turkey and Florida rose in popularity. Now the travel industry is having to respond to a new trend - one night and weekend breaks in European sunshine resorts and European cities. With direct flights by low-cost airlines, "overnighters" or "beachenders" are jetting out from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Paris, Amsterdam, Prague and Majorca. 7-day and 14-day trips are apparently in decline as holidaymakers opt for more frequent, short breaks. Flying out on Saturday morning and back on Sunday evening means that they can have nearly two full days at their destination and pay for only one night's accommodation. Some are monitoring budget airline ticket prices online and snapping up good offers at short notice.

Guthrie Castle Opens to Public

A castle in Angus, which is owned by an American businessman, is to open to the public for the first time. 535-year-old Guthrie Castle has been owned by Daniel Pena for 20 years and he says he had always planned to allow some of the public in to view the hidden gem of the castle and its large estate. But it is not being opened to all members of the public, only selected groups and for functions such as weddings. The Guthrie name is thought to derive from "Guthrun", a Scandinavian prince who settled in Scotland at the dawn of history. In 1299, Squire Guthrie was sent by the Northern Lords of Scotland to France to ask William Wallace to return to Scotland to resume the fight against the English. The castle was built under a warrant from King James III in 1468 and remained the Guthrie family residence until 1984.

Midges Put Brakes on Celtic

Celtic football (soccer) team and officials were involved in a drama as they were about to leave Lithuania after their 4-0 defeat of local side FBK Kaunas in the first leg of the European Champions League tie. As their chartered Britannia Airways Boeing 757 sped down the runway, the pilot was forced to apply the brakes in an emergency stop because the aircraft's air speed indicator was not working. It turned out later that the intake for the device had become clogged up by midges - more often associated with the west Highlands than the Baltic. The team had to return to their hotel for another night in Kaunas, Lithuania's second largest city. A replacement aircraft took them home the next day.

Packing In the Travellers

Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen has carried out a comprehensive study to establish what attracts backpackers to Scotland. They have found that 54% are female. 40% are aged 20-29, 30% come from the rest of the UK with 26% from Europe, 21% from Australia and New Zealand and 14% from the US.But 95% of the backpackers say they want to return to Scotland because they did not have enough time to do all they wanted - 40% stay for less than a week. They particularly enjoyed the scenery, local culture and the friendliness of the Scots. About 300 backpackers responded to the university's questionnaire.

Aircraft Spotters Welcome

Police at Glasgow Airport have launched a new scheme called Airport Watch which aims to recruit aircraft spotters in the war against international terrorism. Air enthusiasts regularly spend hours at the end of runways watching planes landing and taking off. Now they are being asked to report any suspicious characters who could be planning to attack aircraft, perhaps with missiles. Glasgow is the first airport in Scotland to introduce the scheme. Since September 11, aircraft spotters have often been moved on by nervous police and security staff. Now they are delighted to be able to show they are responsible members of the aviation community. The illustration shows just how close you can get to the aircraft coming in to land at Glasgow Airport.

Catch Twenty-two

A human rights lawyer is planning a legal move which argues that a charge of "driving while disqualified" breaches the European Convention on Human Rights. He argues that the charge discloses that the accused already has a conviction for a motoring offence. A fundamental part of Scots law is that previous convictions are not revealed until after the verdict. He argues that people in such situations should be charged with "driving without a licence". Any previous convictions could be revealed after the verdict. But if he is successful, many motorists who have been convicted under the present rules since the European Convention on Human Rights was adopted in the UK, would have grounds for the conviction to be set aside.

Purple Patch for Highland Heathers

The UK's largest grower of heather is based in Argyllshire and produces 5.5 million plants each year, in 150 varieties at nurseries in a number of locations in the county. Highland Heathers sells its products across the UK but 20% of its sales are in Europe. It was started by an Englishman who ran a nursery and garden centre down south. He came to Scotland to get away from working at weekends in the garden centre. The heathers are grown in giant arches of tough polythene stretched over wire frames which are more needed not to protect the plants from frost but to protect them from the torrential rain of that part of Scotland.

Hotel Wins "Golden Zzz" Award

The Monaltrie Hotel at Ballater has been awarded a "Golden Zzz" award by the UK Sleep Council as it can apparently offer a good snooze with its eyes shut. Located in the heart of Royal Deeside, the hotel not only offers comfortable beds but peace and quiet too. Monaltrie, which gives guests a choice of five different types of bed, including king-size and four-posters, all of which it renews every three years. Guests are also offered a choice of pillow. It was the only hotel in Scotland to be recognised by the Sleep Council. The organisation, which promotes the sale of beds and bedding, says that sleeping in a good bed when away on a trip often prompts people to realise that they need to replace their own bed at home.

Clan Chief Deposed

Richard Oliphant, a millionaire banker in the City of London has successfully convinced the Court of the Lord Lyon in Edinburgh that he is the rightful chief of the clan Oliphant and not the Perthshire farmer, Laurence Oliphant, who has been honorary head of the clan, after inheriting it from his father. Oliphants are a long-established clan - they fought with William Wallace and later with King James IV at the Battle of Flodden. Confusion over the leadership of the clan goes back to the 16th century after the clan split into the Oliphants of Gask and the Oliphants of Condie, each with their own chieftain. But 16 years ago, Richard Oliphant hired an acclaimed genealogist who has trawled through historical documents and showed that Laurence Oliphant was descended through the female line and that Richard Oliphant was the most senior representative of the male blood line. That made him overall clan chief with the title "Oliphant of that Ilk" and entitled to join the Standing Committee of Scottish Chiefs. However, although Richard Oliphant is now "overall chief", Laurence Oliphant is still chieftain of the Gask side of the clan. His four-times great-grandfather was aide-de-camp of Bonnie Prince Charlie in the 1745 Jacobite Uprising.

Hottest June and July Since Records Began

Temperatures in Scotland in June and July this year beat the heatwave summer of 1976 which, until then, had been the highest since records began 42 years ago. Another heatwave is expected next week. The unusually warm temperatures appears to have been caused by a shift in the jet stream which has moved further north than usual, bringing warm air from the tropics.

Weather in Scotland This Week

Although the weather was bright and warm last weekend with much of the country experiencing temperatures of 20/21C (68/70F) and Aberdeen once again enjoying 24 hours of sunshine between Saturday and Monday, a series of weather fronts and low pressure produced frequent showers and longer periods of rain (Glasgow had half an inch of rain on Tuesday). This depressed the temperature, with Glasgow reaching only 16/17C (61/63F) and in Stornoway, in the Western Isles, the thermometer rose to a maximum of only 14C (57F) on Thursday. On Friday, however, Aberdeen returned to sunny weather with 11.6 hours of sun and a temperature of 22C (72F).
The balmy weather in Aberdeenshire did, however, create the weather conditions for a "twister" - funnel clouds which did not reach the ground. The unusual whirlwind was photographed by some residents near Methlick and Fyvie in Aberdeenshire.

This week's illustrations of current flowers in Scotland are first of all of a Woolly Thistle growing in Princes Street Gardens. Regular readers may even recognise this plant as it has appeared in this Newsletter in previous years! The wild flower below is a Birdsfoot Trefoil. It was seen growing in the Palacerigg Country Park near Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire earlier this week.

Spitfire Returns "Home"

A Supermarine Spitfire, which was once flown by pilots in the RAF's 602 City of Glasgow squadron, has returned to the city, having been restored at the Museum of Flight at East Fortune in East Lothian. Experts say that the five-year project has produced one of Britain's best preserved Spitfires. The legendary single-seat fighter is now being displayed in the Museum of Transport, but it will eventually be an exhibit in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum when it reopens in 2005 after its £25 million refurbishment. The aircraft is a Mk21, so it did not take part in the Battle of Britain - the City of Glasgow and City of Edinburgh squadrons dispute who shot down the first enemy aircraft over the UK when two Ju88 dive bombers attacking Leith were destroyed. This Spitfire was based at Abbotsinch (now Glasgow Airport) between 1947 and 1949 and was used as "gate guardian" at various RAF airfields, including Leuchars in Fife, after it was written off after engine trouble caused it to crash. The Transport Museum in Glasgow is tight for space, so the Spitfire is tucked away in a corner, near the main entrance.

Call to Remove Queen

An Edinburgh husband and wife, who are patrons of the National Galleries of Scotland, have launched a campaign to have the statue of Queen Victoria removed from its prominent position on the roof at the front of the Royal Scottish Academy. They argue that she is a "Philistine" and that the building is beautiful without her. They say that its size is also out of keeping with the rest of the building and it is at variance with the sphinxes and other embellishments on the building. So the couple are offering £50,000 towards the cost of having Queen Victoria removed. When the building was originally designed by William Playfair, he had intended to place a statue of the goddess of wisdom, Minerva, on the roof. But Victoria was added nine years after the building was completed as part of the "Regimania" which gripped Britain in the early years of her reign. Alternative homes being suggested for the Queen Victoria statue (perhaps with a degree of tongue in cheek) include the new Scottish parliament - or being auctioned on Ebay. Or maybe, like London Bridge in 1962, it might attract an American buyer.

This Week in History

• August 3 1573 - Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange executed, after defending Edinburgh Castle on behalf of Mary Queen of Scots from May 1568 to May 1573.
• August 3 1460 - King James II killed by an exploding cannon at the siege of Roxburgh Castle.
• August 4 1870 - Birth of the entertainer Sir Harry Lauder.
• August 4 1900 - Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, born.
• August 5 1305 - William Wallace betrayed and captured by the English.
• August 5 1388 - James, Earl Douglas, died out of sight of his army, in a bush, at Battle of Otterburn in which Scots defeat Henry Percy, (Hotspur).
• August 5 1704 - Act of Security passed by the Scottish Parliament. This allowed Scotland to choose a successor to Queen Anne, other than the one elected by the English Parliament, if Scottish conditions were not met. This precipitated the demands in London for an Act of Union of the two parliaments.
• August 6 1678 - First Glasgow/Edinburgh coach service began from White Horse Inn, Edinburgh
• August 6 1881 - Birth of Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin.
• August 8 1946 - Former World flyweight boxing champion Benny Lynch died.
• August 8 1296 - King Edward I removed to England the Stone of Destiny on which generations of Scottish kings had been crowned.
• August 8 1503 - King James IV married Margaret Tudor, daughter of King Henry VII of England. The marriage was known as the Union of the Thistle and the Rose.
• August 9 1757 - Civil engineer Thomas Telford born.

Festival Ticket Sales Soar

As the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world's biggest single arts event got under way this weekend, with a noisy street cavalcade and party, it was announced that sales of tickets for the main International Festival, as well as the Fringe and Book Festival have all increased, compared with the same time last year. Much of the increase appears to have been generated by online bookings. Tickets for the Edinburgh International Book Festival are up by 25% on last year. The Fringe sold 975,000 tickets last year and organisers are confident that they will top the million mark this year. All seats have been sold for the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. which began its season on Saturday.

Gaelic Mod Set to Break Records

Accommodation in Oban and surrounding area is fully booked for 10-18 October, the dates for the 100th National Mod which takes place in the Argyllshire town. There are more than 2,000 entries this year and that is far higher than the usual 1,200 to 1,500, as members of the Gaelic community want to be able to tell their descendants that they were at the 100th Mod.

Aberdeen International Youth Festival

Taking place from 30 July to 9 August, the Aberdeen International Youth Festival is widely recognised as one of Aberdeen's most prestigious cultural events. It showcases a riot of colour and music in the North East of Scotland, with nearly 500 young people from some of the world's finest youth orchestras (chamber/symphony), jazz and wind bands, choirs, all forms of dance groups (ballet, contemporary, jazz, folk), world music and theatre companies. Participating groups give performances in the major venues within the City of Aberdeen and throughout a network of smaller towns and villages in the Highlands. For more information see the festival's official web site.

Seafood in the East Neuk of Fife

'Neuk' is the old Scots word for corner, and the 'East Neuk' is the name given to the area of land that runs around the eastern peninsula of Fife. The delightful East Neuk villages, nestling amongst the natural harbours of the coastline, are testimony to the strong heritage of sea-fishing that still lives on in the Kingdom. This has meant that top class restaurants and other eateries attract thousands of visitors every year and this is being marked by a "Celebration of East Neuk Seafood" from 2-10 August. It will include demonstrations, promotions, the inclusion of additional seafood dishes on local menus, and a visit from the Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) kitchen and team of chefs on the last day of the popular Pittenweem Arts Festival on 9 August. Two of the most famous seafood restaurants in Scotland, the Cellar in Anstruther and the Seafood Restaurant in St Monans, are taking part and so is the Anstruther Fish Bar & Restaurant - one of the finest fish and chip shops in the entire UK. For more information, see www.east-neuk-seafood.co.uk

Stage Role Offer for Big Brother Winner

The winner of the latest "Big Brother" TV series, Orcadian Cameron Stout, has been offered a role in the pantomime "Peter Pan" at His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen. But is unlikely that he will take up the offer as he says he wants to return to being a fish trader. Speaking in a radio interview, 32-year-old unmarried Cameron described his perfect partner: "a Scottish Demi Moore, who can cook like mum and sing like Eva Cassidy." Now you see why he won the contest.

Football Results - Pre-Season Friendly Matches

Airdrie United 0 Dundee United 5
Berwick Rangers 0 Hearts 0
Bradford City (England) 0 Aberdeen 0
Carlisle (England) 1 Kilmarnock 2
Celtic 1 Boca Juniors (Argentine) 0
Celtic 1 Arsenal (England) 1
Dundee United 1 Everton (England) 0
Dunfermline 1 Portsmouth (England) 0
Elgin City 1 Aberdeen 3
Forfar Athletic 2 Aberdeen 1
Hearts 2 Sunderland (England) 2
Hibernian 2 Sunderland (England) 2
Kilmarnock 0 Portsmouth (England) 5
Kilmarnock 4 Sunderland (England) 2
Linfield (Northern Ireland) 1 Hearts 0
Linfield (Northern Ireland) 0 Rangers 3
Livingston 3 Newcastle (England) 2
Motherwell 2 Fulham (England) 2
NEC Nijmegen (Netherlands) 0 Dunfermline 1
Raith Rovers 1 Dundee 4
Rangers 2 Everton (England) 3

Bell's Scottish League Challenge Cup, Round 1 - 2 August 2003

Airdrie United 2 Montrose 0
Albion Rovers 1 East Fife 2
Alloa Athletic 1 Clyde 2
Ayr United 1 Stirling Albion 2 (after extra time)
Brechin City 1 Falkirk 0
Cowdenbeath 1 Ross County 2
East Stirlingshire 2 Raith Rovers 5
Forfar Athletic 4 Elgin City 0
Greenock 4 Arbroath 3
Gretna 0 Inverness 5
Hamilton 2 St Johnstone 3 (after extra time)
St Mirren 3 Queen's Park 2
Stenhousemuir 0 Peterhead 3
Stranraer 2 Queen of the South 1

Festival Cup

Hibernian 0 Hearts 1

Celtic Take First Step

Celtic's new campaign in Europe got off to a good start in Lithuania this week when they beat local side FBK Kaunas 4-0, with goals from Larsson (after 12 minutes), Sutton, Maloney and Miller. Larsson's goal put him in joint top place with Ian Rush and Peter Lorimer as leading goalscorer in European competition for a single British club - and Larsson still has another year to go with Celtic to improve on that total of 30. However, he appeared to pull a hamstring towards the end of the match and limped off. It is thought that the problem is not serious but he will be out of action for a week and will miss the return match in Glasgow against Kaunas. Assuming that Celtic also win this tie, their next opponents in the European Champions League will be HJK Helsinki or MTK Hungaria.

Manchester United Links to Livingston

A deal is nearing completion which will see Scottish Premier League side Livingston becoming Manchester United's first "feeder" club in Scotland. The deal will mean that promising youngsters in the top English Premier League club will be sent to the West Lothian club for first-team experience and promising talent in Livingston will be notified to the English club. Manchester United used to recruit a lot of players from Scotland but this has not happened in recent years. The arrangement will also make Livingston more attractive to Scottish youngsters, who could get a fast track to one of the biggest football clubs in the world.

World Record Bid by Celtic and Rangers

Rangers and Celtic made a bid for a world record as they unveiled giant players' shirts measuring 130ft by 120ft. The outsize shirts are expected to be recognised as the biggest in the world by the Guinness Book of Records.

Referee Hangs Up His Shirt

Top referee Hugh Dallas hung up his shirt this week - but he is not retiring. The shirt is being displayed at the National Football Museum at Hampden Park in Glasgow. It is the first shirt of its kind, as it carries the logo of the Specsavers company. When Dallas wore it at the Celtic v Dunfermline match at the start of last season, it was the first time in the UK that a football referee had displayed an advertising logo.

Another Duel in the Sun

Tom Watson, who defeated Jack Nicklaus in The Open Championship at Turnberry in 1977, took the Senior British Open Championship title at the same course last weekend after a play-off with England's Carl Mason. Watson holed an amazing number of long putts and a 112 yard sand wedge which flew into the cup for an eagle two at the 10th, to force the tie and a play-off. His winning cheque was far larger than the one he earned in 1977.