Da Vinci Painting Stolen from Scottish Castle

A painting by Leonardo da Vinci, depicting the Madonna with the infant Jesus, was stolen this week from Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, the home of the Duke of Buccleuch, one of Scotland's richest men. The painting was hung above a staircase in an area open to the public. Video footage, viewed after the theft, showed four men taking the picture and escaping in a white Volkswagen car - later found abandoned. The da Vinci work, probably painted between 1500 and 1510, depicts the Madonna with the infant Jesus holding a cross-shaped yarnwinder, said to symbolise the crucifixion of Jesus. Insurers have offered a reward of up to £100,000 for information leading to the recovery of the painting. Because a da Vinci painting has never been sold on the open market in recent years, valuation has proved to be difficult, but a figure of at least £30 million has been suggested. Drumlanrig Castle also displays works by Rembrandt and Holbein and many other famous painters. The collection is estimated to be worth over £400 million.

Failure of Scottish People's Alliance

When a new political party calling themselves the Scottish People's Alliance (SPA) burst on the scene before the elections for the Scottish Parliament in May, they stood as an alternative to the long-established Conservative party. SPA spent a massive £188,889 on their election campaign - 50% more than the Liberal Democrats. But whereas the LibDems won 17 seats the SPA failed to win any seats and managed to attract only 7,718 votes across the whole of Scotland. That equates to £24.47 per vote, making it almost certainly the worst ever return on money invested in an election campaign in UK political history. The party was backed financially by a Lanarkshire business man - who says he will continue to support it.

Postal Workers Balloted on Strike Action

The first national strike by postal workers for seven years could be on the horizon after pay talks broke down and the postal workers union decided to send out ballot papers on whether or not to take industrial action. Royal Mail has said that it is prepared for months of intermittent strikes which could stretch beyond Christmas. The chairman of Royal Mail has warned postal workers that they are committing commercial suicide as private firms will step in and provide a service. Royal Mail lost £611 million in its last financial year and was offering staff 4.5% plus 10% linked to productivity improvements - which the union rejects.

Calamari Puts Fishermen Squids In

Fishermen in the Moray Firth who have been facing dwindling white fish catches have found a new source of income from an "explosion" of squid in their waters. The lucrative "calamari" catches are mainly destined for Spanish seafood restaurants, though squid, deep fried in batter, have also become popular in Scotland. But as more boats join in the bonanza, prices on the quayside have fallen from £300 a box to £150. Rising sea temperatures, which have also been blamed for contributing to the decline in cod in the North Sea, may be the reason for the increase in the number of squid in Scottish waters.

Total Ban on Cod Fishing?

According to the head of the Scottish Fisheries Research Service, based in Aberdeen, the number of cod in the North Sea has fallen to the lowest level ever seen and has reached a critical low point. Unless the surviving fish are left alone to reproduce successfully, cod will become extinct in the area. Of course, fishermen dispute the figures, as they always have done as fish stocks and catches have steadily declined over the years. Almost half of the boats in Scotland's white fish fleet have already caught all this year's haddock and cod quota, despite being restricted to only 15 days a month at sea. A total ban on cod fishing was narrowly averted at the start of the year, only as a result of intense lobbying by the fishing industry. According to the experts, the North Sea needs at least 70,000 tonnes of cod for the species to have a future; the current estimate is less than 29,000 tonnes.

Record Number of Cars on Scottish Roads

Scottish Transport Statistics, published this week, show that a record number of cars are using Scotland's roads. Traffic volumes are up by 4% on 2001 with 2.3 million vehicles licensed - 27% more than in 1992. Despite the rise in road traffic. serious road accidents in Scotland were at their lowest for 50 years. Public transport use increased slightly in 2002, however, although rail travel fell by 5%. But between 1992 and 2002 passenger miles on local buses fell overall by 23%. Arkleston Road in Paisley was also named as the worst "rat-run" in Scotland. Despite being a quiet residential road, it is used as a shortcut by 10,000 vehicles a day, travelling between the M8 motorway and east Paisley, avoiding the centre of Paisley.

Competition Doubles Prices

The introduction of competition into providing a telephone directory enquiry service has led to a proliferation of companies, confusing customers with choice and in many cases doubling the cost of the service. Consumer groups say that the sixteen companies offering a service (including the previous monopoly provider, British Telecom) need to publicise more clearly their tariffs. Some companies are charging by the second - and spinning out enquiries by asking callers to spell out the names they are calling about. Some companies are using call centres in India and the Philippines where understanding of UK surnames and places is not as good as it might be. Anyone with access to the Web can use the free enquiry services such as www.118500.co.uk provided by British Telecom.

Now It's Budget Buses

Cut-price, no-frills airlines have had a major impact on air travel in Scotland, with cheap flights making short breaks to the continent a feasible proposition. Now Perth-based transport company Stagecoach, is to introduce budget buses with fares of just £1 between Scotland's major cities. "Megabus" starts on 8 September and bookings can only be made via the Internet. New double-decker air-conditioned buses capable of taking 94 passengers will be used. The £1 fare will last for a few months but thereafter a range of fares will be introduced, but still at competitive rates of around £3/4.

Parking Free-for-all

Drivers who get a parking ticket in Glasgow will consider themselves incredibly unlucky these days because the number of patrolmen dishing out tickets has had to be drastically reduced because they are being called upon to staff school crossing patrols. The city has a critical shortage of men and women to escort children across busy roads, despite a desperate drive to recruit more staff. 22 patrol staff quit after the first week of the new term and Glasgow needs to recruit another 60 staff to stave off a crisis. Crossing patrollers earn only £5.39 an hour for an average 14-hour week and the council is having to consider increasing this to attract more applicants. Many of the staff are retired people who want to earn a bit extra for limited hours of work but standing in the rain on a cold winter morning is not attractive to many folk.

Declining Numbers in Primary Schools

This week the government proudly announced that average class size in publicly funded primary schools (ages 5-12) is 24 pupils, a fall of 0.3 on the previous year. The census of schools at the start of last year also showed that Scotland has 50,048 publicly funded full time equivalent (FTE) school teachers, up from 48,870. But the falling birth rate and the drift in population from the city of Glasgow has also meant that the numbers of children in primary schools in Scotland's largest city have fallen from 110,500 pupils in 1970 to 43,000 in 2002. You might have thought that this would have also resulted in a decline in the number of primary schools. But the vociferous and successful campaigns by parents, whenever the city council suggests a school closure or merger, has meant that there were still 197 primary schools in 2002 compared to 222 in 1970. In an extreme case, St Robert's in Priesthill has seen pupil numbers decline from 1319 to just 137 while in Barlanark the pupil numbers have plummeted from 956 to 129. Glasgow City Council is now reviewing its strategy on primary school buildings and is likely to recommend closure of up to 50 of them. Then the fun will begin as local communities vie with one another to have their local school saved.

£40 Million Flood Prevention Scheme

The White Cart, river which flows through parts of Glasgow, is so prone to flash flooding that 12 hours of rain (not a very unusual occurrence in the west of Scotland) can raise its level by up to twelve feet. There has been persistent flooding over the years in a number of areas along its banks, particularly at Cathcart and Langside. Now, engineering works are planned at a cost of £40 million which will tame the river by deliberately flooding large areas of farmland further up-river during heavy rains. The largest will be able to hold back a million cubic metres of water in an area equal to 66 football pitches. The land will continue to be farmed, but landowners will be compensated for any periodic flooding. The flood prevention work is planned to cope with every eventuality, including an extreme flood event, expected only once every 200 years. But such an incident could swamp 1400 homes and commercial property, causing £72 million of damage.
The illustration shows the White Cart in more benign mood in springtime in Pollok Country Park.

Tourist Numbers Recover

New figures from the tourism agency VisitScotland show that the numbers of visitors in 2002 were 5% up on the previous year and that total spending by tourists reached £4.5 billion, an increase of 8%. In the UK as a whole, tourism spending rose by only 3% and the increase compares well with other European countries. While there has been an encouraging increase in the number of visitors from Europe, because of a favourable move in exchange rates, over 90% of all tourism business comes from the UK and Ireland.

Stars Converge on Bute - By Ferry

After the usual strenuous denials and media speculation, it appears that fashion designer Stella McCartney, daughter of Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, is to be married this weekend at a star-studded event at Mount Stuart, a unique Victorian gothic creation on the island of Bute. Newshounds, who had gathered in the hope of getting a scoop, were rewarded when such big names as Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie, model Kate Moss, actress Liv Tyler and singers Chrissie Hynd and Chris Martin arrived on the island, not by helicopter, but by the local Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Wemyss Bay. They were then whisked away from the pier in blacked-out Range Rover cars. Mount Stuart is owned by Formula 1 racing driver Johnny Dumfries (who just happens to be the 7th Marquis of Bute) and he was at the quayside to greet the celebrities. Local children entered into the spirit of the occasion and lined the road from Rothesay Pier with placards saying "If you're a celebrity, stop here." It remains to be seen whether Stella McCartney (who designed Madonna's wedding dress) will do for Bute and Mount Stuart what Madonna achieved for Dornoch. But some holidaymakers, who had come to the island for peace and quiet, complained they hadn't expected to find Hollywood moving in.

Cut Price Caribbean Holiday from Glasgow

The millionaire holiday tycoons who sold their Direct Holiday business for £81 million in 1998 have announced that they are planning to launch luxury Caribbean holidays flying direct from Glasgow Airport to Cuba and the Dominican Republic, starting in May next year. Holidays will cost just £699 per person for a totally inclusive two-week break, with all food, drink and non-motorised water-sports included in the deal. Hugh and John Boyle are starting Go Travel Direct and say that families spend larger sums on food, drink and entertainment in typical Mediterranean resort holidays.

Glasgow's First New Public Square for 50 Years

The scope for creating a new public square in a city which is as developed as Glasgow is not great. So it perhaps not surprising that it has been fifty years since the last one was built. But now, as part of the redevelopment of the Anderston area of central Glasgow a new open space will be the centrepiece of a new £150 million hotel, office and housing development. It will replace the run-down and unsuccessful shoe box of the existing Anderston Centre. There will be six new commercial buildings and a central part of the development will be the striking Cuprum building - which will have a distinctive cladding of copper, granite and specialist glazing.

Soaring Cost of Student Accommodation

Increasing numbers of students attend universities away from their home town, rather than staying at home, seeing this as part of the learning experience. But rising prices for property has led to a steep increase in the cost of rented accommodation and this is being felt particularly in the student market in Glasgow. Statistics compiled by online sites for student accommodation show that Glasgow costs are now significantly higher than even Edinburgh. It is claimed that only London is more expensive for student accommodation. Many of the apartments are in the heart of the city (close to Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian Universities) or in the west end (near Glasgow University.

Bobby Crowded Out

There have been lots of protests about the policy of Edinburgh City Council introducing large, ugly "wheelie bins" for the collection of rubbish in residential areas. But this week the council attacked shops and restaurants in the city for cluttering up pavements near to the statue of Greyfriars Bobby with trade waste bins - which look remarkably like the wheeled bins being introduced by the council in other areas. But it is argued that one of Edinburgh's best-known and frequently photographed statues is being blighted by the bins and they have told traders that they could be removed to ensure the pavement is kept clear. The statue was erected in 1873 to honour the terrier which stood guard over its master's grave in the nearby Greyfriars Kirkyard.

US Book Giant Opening in Glasgow Fort

The major shopping development in the Easterhouse area of Glasgow got a boost this week when it was announced that US book giant Borders is to move into the £140 million Glasgow Fort shopping complex in 2005. It will be the fifth bookshop opened by Borders in Scotland - the Glasgow store is the one of the largest Borders store in the UK. Other big names such as Boots, Argos, W H Smith, Mothercare, Next and JJB Sports are already signed up to be tenants at Glasgow Fort. There will also be a cinema and restaurants in the 350,000 square feet development, which will transform Easterhouse shopping.

New Ferry at Standstill

The new Caledonian MacBrayne ferry between the mainland at Mallaig and the island of Skye at Armadale, has been out of action for five days out of eleven since it took over the route on August 14. The MV Coruisk on the "Over the Sea to Skye" crossing, has suffered a catalogue of failures and last Sunday engine failure as she entered Mallaig Harbour resulted in the ship grounding on rocks, shearing off one of her two propellers. The Coruisk is having to be towed to a dry dock on the river Clyde. Travellers, heading for the ferry route across the Sound of Sleat, were alerted by roadside notices and advised to divert to the Skye Bridge crossing. The loss of the ferry has had a major impact on the tourist trade in Mallaig, with visitor numbers down by 10/15%.

Upgrade for Dunoon Pier

Concern about the long term future of the car ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne between Gourock and Dunoon receded this week when the Scottish Executive agreed to a new £2 million vehicle ramp at Dunoon pier. Locals had feared that the car ferry would eventually be replaced by a passenger-only operation, creating a monopoly for the privately-owned Western Ferries which uses Hunter's Quay to the north of Dunoon. The car ferry is an important access route for Dunoon and is used by commuters who live on the west side of the Firth of Clyde as well as by tourists.

Protection Continues for St Kilda

The islands of St Kilda, 110 miles West of the Scottish mainland, was the first location in Scotland to be named as a World Heritage site. The islands were inhabited until 1930. In addition to items of archaeological interest (they had been occupied since the Iron Age and were not covered in the last Ice Age) the dramatic rocky outcrops contain the largest colony of gannets in the world and a wide variety of other seabirds. The main island, Hirta, was presented to the National Trust for Scotland in 1956 by the 5th Marquis of Bute. The Trust leased out Hirta to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) the following year as it was on the path of the missile testing range based at Benbecula. This week, representatives of the Trust and the MoD signed another 25 year lease which is founded on environmental, conservation and partnership. It builds on the conservation work already being carried out on the island.

Basking Sharks Return

Last year there was concern about the fall in the number of basking sharks seen in Scottish waters. Only one of the world's second largest fish was spotted during an annual survey, arousing concerns about conservation. But the same survey this year has sighted 37 of the 40 feet ling, seven-ton fish. The Island of Arran in the Firth of Clyde is regarded as one of the UK "hot spots" for sightings of the basking shark.

Weather in Scotland This Week

After recent warm weather (temperatures were around 21/22C (70/72F) last weekend) winds began to veer round to the north and by the end of the week Edinburgh was down to 15C (59F). While there was a good amount of sunshine during the week (10.6 hours of sun in Glasgow on Wednesday and 10.8 hours in Edinburgh on Friday), it was punctuated by a number of showers and Glasgow had nearly an inch of rain over Tuesday/Wednesday.

This week's illustrations of current flora and fauna in Scotland are first of all of a Peacock butterfly enjoying the last of the blooms on a buddleja in the gardens of Finlaystone House. Other butterflies seen there on the same day this week were Small Tortoiseshell and Painted Ladies. The surprising illustration below of a rhododendron at the end of August, was of a late flowering variety in the woods at Benmore Botanic Gardens in Argyll. More commonly seen flowering in spring, this rhododendron was growing in deep shade.

Freedom of City for RAF Squadron

A Royal Air Force squadron, which was formed in Stirling nearly 90 years ago, is to be granted the freedom of the city. The ancient title of "Freeman of the Burgh" is to be conferred on 43 Squadron of the RAF, which has been based at Leuchars in Fife since World War II. The unit was created in April 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps, the predecessor of the Royal Air Force. Its World War I biplanes flew from Fallenich Farm in the shadow of Stirling Castle before moving to France. In the Second World War, 43 Squadron took part in the Battle of Britain and later moved to Malta to cover the Sicily landings. The squadron now flies Tornado fighter aircraft.

Chopin in Midcalder

The author of a new play about the Polish pianist and composer Fredéric Chopin says that most people believe that the play's title "Chopin in Midcalder" is an invention. But it turns out that Chopin did spend nearly three months in 1848 at Calder House, the home of Lord Torpichen, next to Midcalder's church. Chopin wrote of his sojourn "The population is ugly... the cows are magnificent". The composer had been invited to Midcalder by one of his pupils, Jane Wilhelmina Stirling, a sister-in-law of Lord Torpichen. Like many of his pupils, Jane is reputed to have been in love with Chopin and she invited him to leave Paris which was in revolutionary turmoil at the time. After a three month's stay however, Chopin, gravely ill from TB, returned to Paris to die. The Chopin Museum in Warsaw has a display case dedicated to his three-month stay in Midcalder and Scotland.

Stirling Smith Raising Funds for Wallace Portrait

The 700th anniversary of the death of Scottish historical hero William Wallace will be commemorated on 23 August 2005 and the Stirling Smith Museum and Art Gallery aims to have an important 17th century painting of Wallace on display before then. A fundraising campaign has already raised half of the £20,000 purchase price. The artwork is entitled "William Wallace the Scot, terror of the enemies".

This Week in History

• September 1 714 - Death of St Giles, patron saint of Edinburgh (and Elgin).
• September 1 1644 - Battle of Tippermuir, in which Marquis of Montrose defeated Covenanters .
• September 1 1719 - Marriage ceremony of Prince James Francis Edward Stewart (the Old Pretender) and Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska. The Polish Princess had been kidnapped on her way to the original wedding, escaped and had married James by proxy earlier in 1719.
• September 1 1971 - Sole remaining gas street lamp in Glasgow was lit for the last time, bringing to an end the age of the "leeries", the lamplighters who started in 1718 with oil lamps.
• September 2 1834 - Death of engineer, road, bridge and canal builder Thomas Telford. He was buried in Westminster Abbey.
• September 3 1650 - Cromwell defeated Scots at Battle of Dunbar.
• September 3 1745 - Prince Charles Edward Stuart proclaimed his father as King James VIII of Scotland at Perth.
• September 3 1752 - With the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, September 3 1752 became 14 September. Crowds flocked the streets demanding "Give us back our 11 days."
• September 3 1787 - Glasgow weavers riot after their wages are cut. Bricks were thrown at magistrates and soldiers who then opened fire on the rioters, resulting in six being killed.
• September 4 1241 - King Alexander III born at Roxburgh.
• September 4 1962 - Last tramcar run in Glasgow (to Auchenshuggle).
• September 4 1964 - Forth Road Bridge opened by the Queen. At 6,156 feet long and a centre span of 3300 feet, it was the longest in Europe at that time.
• September 5 1750 - Poet Robert Fergusson born in Edinburgh.
• September 6 1715 - The Earl of Mar unfurled the standard of the "Old Pretender" at the start of the first Jacobite Uprising.

Record Breaking Tattoo

The final performance of this year's Edinburgh Military Tattoo took place last Saturday, after a record-breaking run. Always a popular event, all the 217,275 tickets had been sold by the end of July, before the first performance. This year, acts on Edinburgh Castle esplanade included the Bermuda National Gombey Troupe, the Top Secret Drum Corps from Switzerland and the US Army Drill Team. There was a special cheer for the band of the Black Watch, straight from Iraq in their desert uniforms, when they joined the massed pipes and drums. Innovations this year included music from the chart-topping band Westlife, the film score from Bladerunner and music by Vangelis.

Record Breaking Fringe

This year, 1,184,738 tickets worth £9.3 million have been sold for 21,594 performances by 12,940 performers in 1,541 shows by 668 companies at 207 venues at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It was the first time that the Fringe had sold over a million tickets in its 57-year history. More than half the audiences came from Edinburgh, refuting the claim (made by the Edinburgh Lord Provost, no less) that all the festivals could do more to reach local residents.

Galaxy of Stars at Highland Games

Once again, Billy Connolly has invited a galaxy of entertainment stars to his home at Candacraigs Castle in Aberdeenshire. He always invites a few show-biz friends to stay over the weekend when the Lonach Gathering takes place and they all turn out in various versions of Scottish dress or tartan to watch the Highland Games. Sir Sean Connery and his wife were there for the first time but Steve Martin and Dame Judi Dench are regular attenders. As a result of the presence of the stars, the Lonach Gathering has now become very popular, rivalling the Braemar Gathering where the Queen attends. Other Connelly guests included Anna Friel, Michael Parkinson, Aidan Quinn and Fran Healy (from rock band Travis). Connolly fell in love with the Strathdon area when he filmed "Mrs Brown" there with Judi Dench.

Dundee Flower & Food Festival 2003

Featuring over 2 acres of marquees, this event on 5-7 September provides a showcase for fabulous floral and garden displays, cookery demonstrations, as well as featuring competitions, craft stalls, fashion shows and children's activities. New to the Festival this year is celebrity gardener, Charlie Dimmock (pictured here), from the TV series Ground Force, who will be providing expert gardening tips and creating a water feature. Celebrity chefs Paul Rankin and Nick Nairn will be on hand to prepare mouth-watering dishes, in a series of free cookery demonstrations and tastings. For further information, see www.dundeeflowerandfoodfestival.com

Scottish Tattoo Marches Into England

After entertaining audiences at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh and the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the Scottish Tattoo is moving down to England and performing in Nottingham on 6 September, followed by Liverpool on 13 September, Manchester on 14 September, Birmingham on 28 September and Sheffield on 11 October. With pipes and drums, Highland dancers, Irish dancers, Highland Ceilidh dancers, brass band and popular singers Moira Kerr and Stuart Barbour, the Scottish Tattoo will be bringing a wide range of Celtic culture to an English audience. The performance in Glasgow earlier this month was a very special occasion as the House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead Pipe Band was on stage the day after winning the World Pipe Band Championships. See the Scottish Tattoo Web site for more details and how to obtain tickets for the shows. The illustration shows Pipe Major Robert Mathieson of the Shotts & Dykehead Pipe Band displaying the World Championship pennant.

Glasgow Zoo Closes

The zoo at Calderpark in Glasgow finally closed its doors this week after losing its struggle for financial survival. Animals, including two lions and three Bengal tigers, are being dispersed to new homes across the UK. Edinburgh Zoo has taken a delivery of reptiles and also two cotton-top tamarins (a type of small primate). But the zoo is still trying to find homes for a number of their animals.

Mid-Week Football Results - European Champion's League Qualifier

Celtic 1 MTK Hungaria 0 (Celtic go through 5-0 on aggregate)
FC Copenhagen 1 Rangers 2 (Rangers go through 3-2 on aggregate)

Mid-Week Football Results - UEFA Cup Qualifying Round 1

Dundee 4 KS Vllaznia (Albania) 0 (Dundee go through 6-0 on aggregate)

Bell's SFL Challenge Cup, Quarter Finals

Forfar Athletic 0 Airdrie United 2
Inverness 1 Ross County 0
Raith Rovers 3 St Mirren 2
St Johnstone 1 Brechin City 2

Bank of Scotland Premier League Results - 30 August 2003

Celtic 5 Livingston 1
Hibernian 1 Aberdeen 1
Motherwell 2 Partick Thistle 2
Dundee United v Rangers, Hearts v Dunfermline and Kilmarnock v Dundee are all being played on Sunday.

Scottish First Division Results - 30 August 2003

Ayr United 1 Queen of the South 4
Raith Rovers 0 Falkirk 1
Ross County 1 Inverness 1
St Johnstone 3 Brechin 1
St Mirren 2 Clyde 1

League Tables

While Celtic are now at the top of the Scottish Premier League, Rangers can restore their two point lead as a result of Sunday's matches. Dundee United are currently without points at the foot of the SPL but Aberdeen now have one point after today's match.
Falkirk are now at the top of the First division with eight points, followed by Ross County, St Johnstone, Clyde and Queen of the South all with seven points.

Celtic and Rangers at Europe's Top Table

It says much about the financial state of Scottish football, even at the highest level, that the media concentrated on the "cash bonanza" for Celtic and Rangers by achieving the group stages of the European Champions League. Celtic had already ensured that they would progress with a 4-0 win in the first leg but Rangers had an uphill fight after a 1-1 draw in Glasgow. But a penalty scored by Mikel Arteta and a winning goal by Shota Arveladze kept the Ibrox club in the top European competition. It means that Celtic and Rangers will play lucrative home and away matches against three other European sides. Rangers have perhaps the most challenging group, as they will face the English Premier League champions Manchester United, as well as VfB Stuttgart and Panathinaikos in Group E. Celtic's challenge will come from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, with the Parkhead side also facing Lyon and Anderlecht in Group A. Opening group games are on 16/17 September.

Barry Ferguson Leaves Rangers

The captain of Rangers, Barry Ferguson, will not be helping the club to battle against Manchester United. He has signed a four year contract with Blackburn Rovers - and so will play against Manchester in the English Premier League instead. It seemed that Rangers' 1-1 draw against Copenhagen in the first leg of the European Cup qualifying round unsettled the Ibrox captain as he had pledged his loyalty to the club until then. Blackburn Rovers manager, ex-Rangers player Graeme Souness, has now bought two players from the club this summer - he signed Rangers' Italian defender Lorenzo Amoruso before the start of the season.

Wales 23 Scotland 9

In their first win after ten consecutive defeats, an impressive Welsh rugby side defeated a lacklustre Scotland in their last warm-up match before the World Cup. The omens are not good for Scotland!

Alcohol Ban at Stadia Set to Remain

The recent report on the laws covering the sale of alcohol in Scotland called for a relaxation on the ban on the sale of booze at the national rugby stadium at Murrayfield and at football grounds. But it is being reported that government ministers are unwilling to change the law in this regard. The link between alcohol and violence is well documented and football grounds are unlikely to be given the freedom to sell alcohol. While there has never been any crowd trouble at Murrayfield (pictured here), ministers do not want to be seen to be discriminating in favour of rugby against football - especially as soccer has a bigger following in Labour's traditional heartlands. While the police are against the lifting of the ban at football matches, Lothian and Borders police are said to be "relaxed" about Murrayfield because of its lack of crowd problems in the past. But at a meeting with the Scottish Rugby Union, the Sports Minister, Frank MacAveety, stated diplomatically that "no decision has been made".

Thistle Top of Financial League

Partick Thistle, Glasgow's smallest club in the Scottish Premier League, nearly went out of existence in 1997 and was saved largely by the efforts of its loyal fan base. But since they won promotion at the end of the 2001-2 season, the club has cut its debts by over 60% and made a profit each year. Net debt now stands at £310,000, the smallest of all the clubs in the SPL. In total, the 12 SPL clubs have debts of around £160 million. Of course, the entire Thistle football squad earn less than Celtic's Henrik Larsson and the club were helped by making a £750,000 windfall profit on a land sale.

Professional Cricketers Leave Saltires

Indian Test player Rahul Dravid made his final appearance for the Scottish Saltire cricket team this week saying that the Scots could now stand on their own - as the team were soundly defeated by Northamptonshire Steelbacks in what was described as their worst display of the season. Dravid has been called back to join the Indian Test training squad but has said that he would like to return to play for Scotland next year, if his commitments to the Indian squad permit. The Saltires are also losing the services of another professional, Jon Kent, who is returning to his native South Africa. The Saltires are largely a team of amateurs, who do not play enough cricket to be able to make a serious impact. But they have won some remarkable victories in their first participation in the 2nd Division of the National Cricket League, mainly at the start of the season.