Government Announces Spending Plans

This week the Scottish Executive announced its spending plans for 2004-05 amounting to £22.7 billion, rising to £24 billion in 2004-05. The money comes, of course, mainly from the Treasury in London - and from taxpayers. Much of the cash will be used to fulfill the pledges made in the election earlier this year, including increased spending on recruiting more teachers and nurses, cracking down on anti-social behaviour and implementing free eye and dental check-ups for all. Other high profile commitments such as the abolition of tolls on the road bridge to Skye and free bus travel for pensioners were not covered in detail as these are still being negotiated. Last year's budget was underspent by £394 million (1.9% of last year's budget) but this will be carried forward into the current year.

Curtain Raised on Scottish National Theatre

A government spending package of £6.5 million to create a national theatre for Scotland was announced this week. Its administrative base will be in Glasgow and £2.5 million will become available in next year with a further £4 million the following year. The theatre's first production is likely in 2005. Dr Donald Smith, who chaired a steering group which provided advice on the project for the Scottish Executive, described the announcement as "by far the boldest thing the government in Scotland have achieved in the cultural arena." The plan does not envisage creating a building for the new organisation but will be a commissioning body working with venues across the country.

Glasgow's Red Square Turning Green

Five years ago, Glasgow City Council caused outrage amongst many of the citizens by replacing the grass, flowerbeds and trees in the main square with bright red-coloured tarmac. The transformation occurred without any prior consultation. The council argued that it made George Square more suitable to stage events and certainly there have been more temporary marquees, stages and cheap fencing enclosing funfairs. Over the Christmas and New Year period there is an ice rink and other entertainment. But the question remains - why red tarmac? Could it have been that the Labour-dominated council regarded red as "their" colour? Over the years, the bright red has fortunately faded but repairs in different shades have resulted in a patchwork effect and undulations create large puddles when it rains. And, of course, chewing gum adorns the surface at irregular intervals. Now, after lengthy consultations, the Council are ready to refurbish George Square again - and turning it green again, though not with grass. There are also plans to reduce the amount of traffic in the square by decreasing the number of lanes in the present one-way system round the periphery. A complete ban on traffic is being considered, but is likely to be rejected as it could cause gridlock. The Council want to encourage a "cafe culture" and a continental style piazza. Perhaps global warming will eventually help that aspiration.

Labour Party Weathers the Storms

Tony Blair's government in London has been severely mauled by recent events and his standing in the opinion polls has plummeted. But this seems to have had little impact on voting intentions in Scotland. Indeed, the latest NFO/System Three opinion poll in the Herald newspaper suggests that Labour has improved its position, moving up from 31% to 33% in the poll for the Scottish Parliament and from 40% to 41% in the UK Parliament voting intentions. The gain seems to have been at the expense of the Conservative party which dropped from 13% to 10% in the Holyrood poll.

Delays and Rising Costs - That's Just the Investigation

While it can be argued that the new Scottish Parliament building will last for generations and be a potent symbol of Scotland, there is no doubt that the ever rising costs of the project and the delays in its completion have been major contributory factors to the level of dissatisfaction with the devolved government. To try to define what went wrong, the Scottish Executive set up an independent inquiry under a respected lawyer, Lord Fraser. But now it appears that the probe may backfire as some key figures will not even be interviewed until after the building has been occupied (next September, at the earliest) and the cost of the investigation has risen to nearly £1 million. Preliminary hearings began this week, but in order to avoid delaying the building project even more (it is running 30 months late), key personnel and contractors will not be pulled away to give evidence. Lord Fraser has suggested that in addition to all the evidence being placed on a Web site so that it could be accessed by all, the enquiry should be televised. Since viewing figures for the screening of the Scottish Parliament debates themselves are very low, it is unlikely that the TV companies will jump at the suggestion. Lord Fraser is not now expected to produce a final report until 2005.

Road Tolls Plan for Edinburgh

Around one million homes in east central Scotland are to receive information on the proposals of the City of Edinburgh Councils to charge motorists to drive into Scotland's capital. If the council goes ahead, Edinburgh will be the first UK city outside London to levy a toll charge to drive into the city centre. The aim is to reduce traffic volumes, as the capital economy booms on the back of the Scottish Parliament, while at the same time raising £1.5 billion to fund improved public transport. Of course, many of the more affluent commuters will see it as a way of making their car journeys into work faster, by paying an additional "tax" to achieve it. Charges are likely to be set, at least initially, at £2 for the central area. A similar charge would be levied at rush hours for entry to most of the main Edinburgh conurbation. Consultation, enquiries, planning and implementation mean that the charging will not be introduced until 2006 at the earliest. There is a feeling that the charging will go ahead, regardless of the views expressed as it is seen as a way of providing cash to subsidise public transport.

Scots are Tops for Shops

Recent statistics on retail sales in the UK, show that Scots are digging deep into their sporrans with the highest growth in purchases of any area of Great Britain. Between May and July this year, sales rose by 5.6% compared with the same period last year - the UK average was 5.2%. Retail chains are noticing the difference, with John Lewis stores in Edinburgh one of only two in the UK reporting growth. But it's not just in the major cities that shoppers are spending more - rural areas are also finding an upsurge in sales, though that is probably more to do with larger numbers of tourists (though many of those are local Scots). Scotland is now consistently out-performing the rest of the UK in retail sales. Of course, many purchases are being made on borrowed money, bolstered by base interest rates which have been at 4% or lower since November 2001.

Upgrade for Traffic Bottleneck

The A80 main road running north from Glasgow towards Stirling has two lanes in each direction but is not up to Motorway standard. And where it is crossed by a minor east/west road at Cumbernauld, there is a roundabout. This can produce long traffic tail-backs, particularly at commuter rush hours. The problem has been growing over the years as vehicle volumes have increased. At last the government has announced plans for a fly-over, with slip roads for traffic joining or leaving the trunk route. Of course, in the short term, construction of this £21.6 million improvement will create even more delays, but the contractors have undertaken do as much work as possible during the night. Work will begin early next year and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2005.

Public Concern Over 24-Hour Drink Laws

A few weeks ago, a government report recommended extending the hours during which many bars could stay open, saying that it would reduce the misuse of alcohol. Scots sometimes get a reputation for being partial to excessive amounts of alcohol, but an opinion poll this week says that the public think that the proposed extension in hours would add to the difficulties, not reduce them. Only 12% of those answering the random poll thought it would produce less of a problem. 55% of women were against liberalising the licensing laws and the age groups showing the most scepticism were the 18-24 and over 65s, both with 58% believing that extended hours would produce greater alcohol abuse.
The illustration is of the "Last Drop" bar in Edinburgh's Grassmarket - not far from the site of the last public hanging (last drop!) in Edinburgh.

Bus Factory Revamp Saves 1,000 Jobs

A 75-year-old factory in Falkirk, which manufactures buses for the UK and abroad, is to be replaced by a £30 million plant on a new 40-acre site in the town. The 1,000 staff currently employed by Transbus (formerly known as Alexanders) will transfer to the new factory, lessening concerns that the company would move manufacturing to eastern Europe. There is also the potential for new jobs, as the development will allow for suppliers to set up their own factories on the new site. The short-term future of the existing factory was given a boost this week with a £16 million order for the construction of 150 buses for Scottish-based transport giant Stagecoach. It is being brought forward from next year to keep the factory busy.

New Trans-Atlantic Air Service

There was delight in Edinburgh this week when Continental airlines announced that it was to start a direct service between Scotland's capital and Newark/New York. The airline already operates a daily service to the USA from Glasgow and there was some surprise at a second route from Scotland, with the airports only 60 miles apart. However, the airline is initially going to operate the smaller Boeing 757 instead of the wide-body Boeing 767. But this will have an impact on the size of the cargo hold as well as the number of passengers. Currently, Continental fly 120,000 passengers a year from Glasgow. Continental has been considering the new service for some years - but 9/11 put paid to an earlier plan. There was concern expressed in Glasgow about the future of the Continental service from there, even though it has been highly successful. This week, Scottish entrepreneur Hugh Boyle has suggested that Glasgow could lose out on his planned flights from there to Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax and Ottawa as he is now considering proposals from Manchester airport - where the population catchment area is larger.

New Inverness to Birmingham Flights

A new direct flight from Inverness to Birmingham is to be set up using financial help from the Scottish Executive's £6.8 million Route Development Fund (RDF). UK regional airline, Eastern Airways, will start a twice-daily service in November - it already flies an Inverness to Manchester link, using 18-seat Jetstream 32 aircraft. RDF was set up last November with nearly 38 million of funds to help secure new direct air services to Scotland. This week's announcement brings the total number of supported routes to 12.

Pipe Dream Coming True

The College of Piping in Glasgow was established in 1944 in an 18th century block of flats. But after demolishing the old building, a new £500,000 custom-built college, the only one of its kind in the world, has been constructed. It is due to open next month. Initially, it had been hoped to obtain Lottery Funding for the project but the application was turned down, so it has had to be paid for by fundraising and donations. A move to merge with the Piping Centre at Cowcaddens in Glasgow, after that opened in 1996, resulted in a bitter dispute over who would direct the new premises and that idea was blown out of the water. The new college building will cater for 140 students, but nearby residents have been assured that there is a high level of sound proofing to ensure that the skirl of the pipes does not waft along Otago Street.

Slow Take-up for Speedy Broadband

According to British Telecom, the main telephone line provider in the UK, 82% of lines in Glasgow are now capable of transmitting data on broadband - meaning download speeds up to ten times faster than standard modems. If BT's low "trigger levels" of customers indicating an interest in the service are met, coverage will rise to 80% across Scotland. But less than 5% of customers have signed up for the service as they think it will cost more money. And yet users who are online for an hour a day actually save money with the current pricing structures. Meantime, rural areas where broadband is not normally available, feel neglected and are mounting strenuous campaigns to persuade the government and BT to subsidise their exchanges being upgraded.

Water Witch Cleans Clyde

A new vessel is zipping up and down the river Clyde in Glasgow. Unlike the "Pride of the Clyde" ferry it does not carry any passengers but is acting like a road sweeper on the water, to clear up floating rubbish and debris. Glasgow is working hard to regenerate the river and unsightly waste is not what people want to see as they stroll along its banks. Larger items are also a danger to shipping so the Water Witch is built like a floating bulldozer and can scoop up rubbish which is then deposited on a barge moored at George V docks.

Willows for Nuclear Plant?

The nuclear power plant at Dounreay, in the far north of Scotland, is to be decommissioned over the coming decades. But that means clearing up low-level radioactive contamination in the soil and disposing of top-soil is expensive - and transfers the problem to somewhere else. Now the nuclear plant is looking at alternative ways of achieving this, including planting willow trees to soak up the contamination on the 135-acre site. A three-year trial using different species of the tree is already underway. Quite apart from the success or otherwise at decontamination, the trial will establish whether willow trees can grow successfully on the wind-swept Caithness coast.

Peregrines Perishing

In the last twelve years the number of peregrine falcons in the Highlands and in Argyll has declined by 30%. The raptor is now no longer found in Shetland. At one stage, Scotland was the main European stronghold of the species, after it suffered a major decline due to pesticides. But it appears that the bird has suffered from food shortages arising from over-grazing and they have also been targeted by gamekeepers in the Highlands, who believe it preys on game birds such as their grouse and pheasants. Peregrines have recolonised parts of the south of England and appear to be thriving there because they are not being attacked by humans.

Buzzards Breeding Too Successfully

In the 1950s,the buzzard in the Scottish Highlands was facing extinction with only 1500 breeding pairs of birds. But they became a protected species in 1954 and since then there has been a spectacular rise in their numbers, reaching 61,000 pairs over the intervening 20 years. Now gamekeepers and landowners want to cull the birds to bring their numbers down. The birds of prey are said to threaten livelihoods by killing pheasants and partridges. The Glendyne Estate in Aberdeenshire claims that 500 pheasants have been killed by the breeding birds this year. Rabbits and other wildlife are also being killed, upsetting the balance of nature. The Scottish Gamekeepers Association has now lodged a petition with the Scottish Parliament demanding an independent review. The buzzard is the largest bird of prey in Scotland with a wingspan of 60 inches.

100 Years of Milk Records

In 1903, the collection of statistics on milk production began and the records show that in the first 50 years milk yields rose by 26%. But in the most recent 50 years, the average yields per animal have gone up by 119%. Part of the increase has been due better management but most of the improvement is attributed to genetics. Scotland currently has 1,600 dairy cattle herds with an average number of cows of 135. Fifty years ago there were 8,843 much smaller herds.

Helping Pupils Weather the Storm

Rural areas of Aberdeenshire can suddenly become affected by adverse weather conditions in the winter, resulting in the closure of local schools. Information on this is provided by a telephone help line and local radio stations but last year the IT department in Aberdeenshire Council set up a Weather Watch Web page on their site, which gives parents up-to-the-minute details of any schools affected. This proved to be very popular and became one of the most accessed pages on their site - and resulted in fewer calls to schools as parents checked on the current situation. The service is being continued this year.

Weather in Scotland This Week

Scotland continued to bask in sunshine this week as the weather forecasters published the overall climate statistics for August. Scotland had average temperatures ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 degrees centigrade above the average for that month. The north-east had the highest temperatures and sunshine there was 140% of the normal August average. Rainfall was well below normal - most places only had 50% of the usual precipitation, with most of the east of the country down to 25% and parts of the Borders as low as 10% of the expected level of rain. Since the Scottish weather series began in 1961, June to August 2003 has been the warmest on record and the fifth driest. The heatwave from 5th to 9th August broke a number of records In the current week, maximum temperatures were in the range 17/19C (63/66F) and there was again plenty of sunshine - though there were also some heavy showers, particularly in the west. But Glasgow had over 56 hours of sunshine this week - less than the previous week, but still a respectable total.

This week's illustrations of current flora and fauna in Scotland are of a colchicum, the autumn-flowering crocus and a Red Admiral and a Painted Lady buttterflies feeding on a Michaelmas Daisy. Both photos were taken this week at Finlaystone Country Estate in Inverclyde.

City Landmark Saved from Demolition

For 15 years, a Victorian landmark in the centre of Glasgow has been lying empty and derelict. Only the frontage now remains - supported by a frame of iron girders. The owners have had many plans rejected for their proposal to demolish the facade and build a modern office block in Ingram Street, in the heart of the Merchant City. They have argued that to make the development financially viable, they need to be able to increase the number of floors - difficult to do with a frontage which is dictated by the high Victorian ceiling heights of a building erected in 1875. But now new proposals have been submitted which could see the stand-off between the City Council and the developer resolved - see the artist's impression. The plans also include a place for a controversial 1970s statue which once stood in Buchanan Street - and was nicknamed "The Blob".

Kidnapped Heroes to Stand Together Again

Alan Breck and Davie Balfour are the romantic heroes in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel "Kidnapped". At the end of the book, the dashing Highlander and the cautious Lowlander part with mutual respect, as they look down on Corstorphine bogs. Now the brewing company Scottish and Newcastle is planning to bring them together again - in a bronze sculpture to be placed in the affluent Corstorphine area of Edinburgh. The 20ft high statues are lifelike and full of detail and are being created by Alexander Stoddart, the Paisley-based sculptor whose work adorns the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace in London. This will be the second of Stoddart's work to be displayed in Edinburgh - he was the creator of the controversial, brooding statue of David Hume on the Royal Mile. Scottish and Newcastle are erecting the statues to mark its move to new corporate headquarters in Corstorphine. It was decided that Stevenson himself would not be a suitable subject for a statue - his characters will be a more stirring sight.

Threave Castle Stays Open

Historic Scotland announced earlier this year that Threave Castle, near Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway, was to close in September. This was to allow for work to upgrade the two jetties which are used by the small ferry boats used by custodians to transport people to the castle on an island in the middle of the river Dee. But the work has now been rescheduled and so the property will be open to visitors as usual during the month. Anyone wanting to summon the boat from the island has to ring a ship's bell to attract the attention of the custodians. Needless to say, they don't get a lot of visitors! When I called there one sunny, summer's afternoon, I was told that I was the first visitor for three hours!

This Week in History

• September 14 1402 - Scots led by 4th Earl of Douglas defeated at the Battle of Homildon Hill by English army led by Percy 'Hotspur'.
• September 14 1507 - Edinburgh merchants granted exclusive privilege of running a printing press.
• September 15 - St Mirren/Mirin Day (patron saint of Paisley).
• September 15 1595 - City Baillie shot when Edinburgh High School pupils rioted when refused a holiday.
• September 15 1773 - The "Hector" leaves Loch Broom, near Ullapool, to sail to Pictou, Nova Scotia, carrying emigrants escaping from the "Clearances".
• September 15 1931 - 12,000 Royal Navy sailors on 15 ships went on strike at Invergordon over cuts in their pay.
• September 16 1859 - David Livingstone discovered Lake Nyasa.
• September 17 1745 - Prince Charles Edward Stuart took up residence at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh.
• September 18 1818 - Theatre Royal, Glasgow, became the first theatre in Britain to be lit by gas.
• September 18 1959 - 47 miners were killed at Auchengeich Colliery, Lanarkshire when the bogies carrying them to work ran into smoke 1,000 feet below ground.
• September 20 1746 - Prince Charles Edward Stuart escaped capture by sailing to France aborad the French ship "L'Heureux."
• September 20 1842 - Sir James Dewar, inventor of the vacuum flask, born in Kincardine-on-Forth.
• September 20 1967 - Liner "Queen Elizabeth II" launched at John Brown's shipyard at Clydebank.
• September 20 1972 - Paul McCartney, one of the "Beatles", was arrested for possession of marijuana at his farm in the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland.

TV Companies Get Bonus from Old Firm

Readers of the sports section will know that Rangers and Celtic (known in Scotland as "the old firm") have both advanced to the group stages of the European Champions League. While this achievement is good for the battered reputation of Scottish football (soccer), the media have spent many column inches not on the glory but on the financial benefits the clubs will gain from European matches at the top level. But it is not just the clubs who will benefit - the local TV companies will be able to increase their advertising rates at peak times when the six autumn fixtures take place. This will help the struggling finances of Scottish and Grampian Television, both owned by the Scottish Media Group (SMG). Rangers play hosts to VFB Stuttgart on September 16. Last year, Celtic did not progress to the group stages and dropped down to the UEFA Cup (reaching the final) but these matches were televised by the BBC, where there is no commercial advertising.

Monarch of the Glen Returning

The fifth series of the drama series "Monarch of the Glen" is returning to TV screens in the UK on 28 September. The backdrop for the series is Ardverikie Castle in Badenoch and Strathspey - though "Glenbogle Castle" looks as though it could have been created by Walt Disney and the area is now marketed as "Monarch Country". The programme is shown in 24 countries in everything from Estonian to Vietnamese. In Scotland, 49% of the Sunday-night audience switch on to see Archie Mackenzie coping with trying to make the estate profitable - and cope with his love life. The latest series sees young Martin Compston, star of the movie "Sweet Sixteen" playing the part of a Glaswegian who moves to Glenbogle with his parents. After the departure of Hector Mackenzie (played by veteran Richard Briers, who wanted back to working in the south-east of England) in series three, it is the turn of Archie to the leave the show during this latest series.

Battle of Britain Air Display

The major air display in the Scottish aeronautical calendar took place at Leuchars in Fife on Saturday. Profits from the Battle of Britain Air Display go to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. Weather was expected to be dry but cloudy - although rehearsals on Friday took place in bright sunshine. In addition to the roar of high powered jets such as the Red Arrows aerobatic display team (seen in the illustration), there was the growl of piston-engined Spitfire and Hurricane as well as a WW2 Boeing B17 bomber Another Second World aircraft flying in the display was a Fairey Swordfish, a biplane which crippled the German battleship "Bismarck".

Record Numbers Take to the Streets

The 22nd Great Scottish Run brought the centre of Glasgow to a standstill last Sunday, as a record-breaking 12,000 runners raced and jogged along the course. The race started on Glasgow Green and is expected to raise more than £2 million for charities. There was a large crowd of spectators lining the route, as serious racers and fun runners enjoyed the bright sunshine. In addition to a half marathon (just over 13 miles) there was also a 10k (6 miles) race which was suggested by the veteran 52-year-old marathon man and entertainer Sir Jimmy Saville. There is no doubt that the shorter distance was more acceptable to many amateur runners. Liz McColgan's 13-year-old daughter was first girl home in the junior 3k event, which delighted her mother, a former World Champion distance runner.

Bank of Scotland Premier League Results - 13 September 2003

Aberdeen 2 Partick Thistle 1
Dundee 0 Celtic 1
Hibernian 0 Motherwell 2
Kilmarnock 0 Hearts 2
Livingston 0 Dundee United 0
Rangers 4 Dunfermline 0

Scottish First Division Results - 13 September 2003

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

BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 7 September

Ayr 14 Heriot's 26
Boroughmuir 19 Glasgow Hawks 28
Currie 20 Melrose 3
GHA 22 Watsonians 49
Hawick 31 Stirling County 30
Peebles 12 Aberdeen GSFP 30

BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 13 September 2003

Aberdeen 35 GHA 32
Ayr 23 Boroughmuir 40
Glasgow Hawks 46 Currie 14
Heriot's 20 Stirling County 17
Melrose 32 Peebles 30
Watsonians 13 Hawick 37

League Tables

Rangers remain out in front in the Scottish Premier League, two points ahead of Celtic and three points ahead of Hearts. Dundee United remain fixes to the foot of the SPL, despite gaining their first point today. Partick Thistle are above them - with 2 points.
In the First Division, Ross County head the table with 10 points. Clyde have the same number of points but have a slightly poorer goal average. Raith Rovers, Inverness and Falkirk are snapping at their heels, all with 8 points.
In the BT Scotland Rugby, Division 1, Glasgow Hawks and Aberdeen both have 14 points while Heriot's are only one point behind them.

Germany 2 Scotland 1

After the unconvincing win against Faroe Islands in the qualifying football match for Euro 2004 last Saturday, the sports writers began to talk up the possibility that Scotland might do well against Germany - former World Cup and winners and European Champions. Of course, the view was perhaps bolstered more by the decline in the German team in recent years - and the German team's 0-0 draw against Iceland last week. The Germany v Scotland game on Wednesday proved to be full of incident, as the two sides battled valiantly. Germany showed that they were indeed no longer invincible but the Scots failed to capitalise on a mediocre side which made many defensive errors. A goal by Germany against the run of play after 25 minutes and a penalty in the second half gave Germany a breathing space. But in the 60th minute Neil McCann got a goal back for Scotland, leading to a tense final 30 minutes. Germany now lead the group with 15 points, followed by Iceland with 13 points and Scotland with 11. However, Scotland's remaining match is at home against Lithuania and Iceland have to play away in Germany. There is therefore a reasonable chance that Scotland will qualify for a play-off - against another second-placed team from another group. Of course, they would have to win that match to get to the Euro 2004 finals. A tall order.

Fans Push for Seats on the Board

Celtic and Rangers fans have targeted the clubs' Annual General Meetings to press for representation on the main boards. The Celtic Trust, which seeks to represent the fans, has managed to get a proposal to have a representative on the board onto the agenda for the club's AGM. The existing directors have urged shareholders, including those with small holdings, to vote against the proposal - suggesting that the Trust only represents a small percentage of the supporters. Despite qualifying for the Group stages of the European Champions League, there is a certain amount of discontent amongst Celtic and Rangers fans, particularly about the lack of spending by the clubs on new players. There is disquiet amongst Celtic fans about the "culture of secrecy" at Parkhead and the failure to capitalise on their millions of fans world-wide. Meanwhile, over at Ibrox, fans argue that the huge debt mountain should be reduced by a share issue - but this would dilute the 65.95% stake of owner David Murray.

Logo Kicked Into Touch

Celtic will not be allowed to wear their normal team shirts for their European Champions League game against Lyon in France - because it incorporates the logo for the Carling brewing company and this is banned under French law. Rangers faced a similar ban when they played the French team Auxerre in 1996 when Rangers and Celtic strips carried the McEwan's lager logo. Carling are looking at the possibility of producing a special shirt with an acceptable logo.

Bowmore European Fly Fishing Championships

Scotland beat off fierce competition to become the hosts of the 2003 European Championships for the first time, sponsored by the Bowmore whisky company. They took place on Islay from 8-12 September and they were, by far, the biggest fly fishing event ever held in Scotland. Top anglers from sixteen European countries competed and was fought to a close finish right to the end. The gold medals went to the Polish contingent, Scotland took silver and the English squad picked up the bronze. Two of the Scottish team picked up individual awards. The weather proved to be excellent for the prestigious event which will have given a boost to Scotland's standing in the angling world.