University Top-Up Fees Cause Problems

Tony Blair's plans to allow universities in England and Wales to charge students up to £3,000 a year. The money would be payable only once they had graduated and were earning over £15,000. But the proposals have come in for a lot of criticism as there are many Members of Parliament (MPs), including a number from within his own party, who are opposed to any plan for universities to charge students on this way, especially as only the "best" universities will be able to levy the highest amount. The government argues that the additional money is needed to properly finance universities and to allow an even larger number of school leavers the opportunity to attend. If the Prime Minister wins the vote, it is likely to be with the support of Scottish Members of Parliament who may loyally vote along party lines. But the legislation only applies directly to England and Wales - and the support of Scottish MPs is likely to reinforce the views of those who believe that Scottish MPs should be prohibited from voting on legislation which only applies south of the border. Tony Blair's plans have also given the Scottish First Minister, Jack McConnell, a headache. The top-up fees will mean that universities in the south will have more cash to pay for higher salaries and better facilities, leaving Scottish institutions behind. On the other hand, there may be more English students attending Scottish institutions to avoid the higher fees and fewer Scots studying in England. But many believe that an increase in the amount paid by students in Scotland may be inevitable. A system of delayed student fees of just over £2,000 was introduced here four years ago. While this meant that "up-front" fees were abolished, graduates still have to make a contribution once they are earning a good salary.

Thrifty Scots? Not Any More

A consumer advice group has claimed that the average Scot has unsecured borrowing of £7,848 on credit cards, store cards, personal loans and overdrafts - more than anywhere else in the UK. Debt Free Direct says that the average UK debt, excluding mortgages, is £5,993, or £1,850 below the Scottish figure. And the figures are likely have got worse over the Christmas period. According to the research, 27% of Scots have outstanding debts on credit cards (on which high rates of interest are charged) and overall about half of all Scots have some form of unsecured debt outstanding.

A Cracker of a Christmas

Retailers in England have reported a disappointing level of sales in the pre-Christmas period, a critical time for many of them. But the Scottish Retail Consortium paints a different picture in Scotland where they report that the tills were ringing to the tune of £2.8 billion - a 6% increase on a like-for-like basis compared with 2002. That was double the rate of increase in November - itself a good month. The consortium reported that sales had been on a roller-coaster in December, with high levels of activity at the start of the month, followed by seven days of slump. Many retailers started their discount sales earlier than usual, motivated by the dip in sales as shoppers initially held back. But activity rallied in the third week and powered through both Christmas and New Year. The number of customers parting with their cash and credit cards appears to have carried on into January too.

Highland Power Lines

Scottish and Southern Energy have announced plans to build a massive new power line from Beauly, north of Inverness, to Stirling in the central Lowlands. Huge 165ft pylons will replace the present 100ft high ones to allow the transmission of power from the many wind-farms being planned for northern Scotland. Although enterprise and local authority officials welcomed the huge investment which will create 500 construction jobs, environmental and conservation groups were less enthusiastic. The new pylons will carry 400,000 volts compared to the present capacity of 132,000 volts. The original network was designed to supply electricity to a sparsely populated area of the country. The new system will be capable of carrying the huge amounts of electricity from renewable energy sources being planned and implemented. Future development will see the line extended to Dounreay on the northern coast. This will lead to sub-sea connectors to Orkney and Shetland to capitalise on wind and wave projects on these northern isles.

Royal Bank Has a Crack at Egg

The oddly named "Egg" is the electronic banking arm of the Prudential insurance company. In the last five years it has created a strong e-commerce arm with assets of £1.46 billion and a large customer base. But now the company has reported to the London Stock Exchange that other companies are making approaches to buy the internet bank. There are media reports that the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBoS) is one of the suitors attempting to crack Egg and add it to its already large portfolio. The Edinburgh-based RBoS has become the second largest bank in the UK by brokering a string of deals. That included the takeover of London-based National Westminster Bank and a major expansion of New England-based Citizen's Financial in the US by taking over a growing number of financial institutions in the eastern seaboard of the US.

Fixed Easter Break for Schools

The calculation of Easter involves the phases of the moon, hence the moving date each year. School term breaks have until now always fitted in with this variable date but this has meant that the length of the school terms on either side have had to be flexible too. But from 2005 all schools in Glasgow will close in the first two weeks in April - regardless of the date for Easter. The schools will still close on Good Friday and Easter Monday, however. Councils in local authorities in areas surrounding Glasgow are likely to follow suit. The move will also make it easier for pupils and teachers to plan for the Easter break and it could mean cheaper package holidays as they will be outwith the main Easter period when travel firms increase prices due to the increased demand.

Malt Whisky Society Swallowed Up

Despite concerns about its continued independence, the Scottish Malt Whisky Society has sold out to the company making Glenmorangie malt. The society, which was set up in 1983 by a group of whisky enthusiasts for the "water of life", has accepted an offer of £2.2 million. It fears that otherwise it cannot meet its commitment to expand and source specialist malt whisky for its 24,000 members. The Society makes the very finest whiskies available to members, bottled direct from the cask. They are consequently at a higher strength than many malts sold commercially and the society does not name the source - only the region it comes from. But competitive organisations have been set up in recent years to meet the growing demand for malts and the society can sometimes find it difficult to buy the varieties it wants. Although Glenmorangie may provide more financial muscle, industry insiders are concerned that competitor distillers may be reluctant to sell to the society and it could end up being an extension of Glenmorangie. The company have guaranteed that it will run the society at arm's length and the same directors will continue after the sale. See www.smws.com/ for more on the society.

Edinburgh-Based Company's Huge Oil Discovery

Cairn Energy, an Edinburgh-based oil and gas exploration company, may have found what is believed to be the largest ever discovery on the Indian sub-continent. The company had earlier revealed that ten of its 14 test wells in the desert state of Rajhastan in western India had struck oil. Now it is believed that the reserves there could be as much as 500 million barrels of oil. This would double Cairn's current reserves of oil. The company is expected to make a formal statement to the London Stock Exchange later this month and has refused to comment on the rumours.

Sound of Silence

Many people in the UK bought a digital radio for the first time as Christmas presents either for others or for themselves. There is a lot of advertising these days singing the praises of "DAB" (digital audio broadcasting) with the promise of better sound quality, more stations and automatic tuning. But in Scotland many people found that all they got from their new radios was silence. While most of central and eastern Scotland is covered by digital transmitters, there are large areas of the Highlands, Scottish Borders and the western isles where there is no reception. While people in those areas often know that it is pointless buying a digital receiver (they can check on likely reception at www.ukdigitalradio.com/coverage/search/default.asp see also the map illustrated here), those who travel around by car and expect to get uninterrupted broadcasts are sadly disappointed. Even those who are in areas supposedly covered by digital radio can hit problems if the signal is blocked, particularly as digital radio is silent when there is no signal and does not fade in or out like analogue reception. Of course, digital radio is still in its infancy and coverage will increase but it all takes time. Classic FM, one of the UK's top analogue commercial stations only covers 89% of the population after 11 years of operation.

Climbing Magazine Leads Readers Astray

Rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, including mist or rain clouds, can make the descent from Ben Nevis, Scotland's highest mountain, extremely hazardous. So clear directions and good map reading are essential. But Britain's leading outdoor adventure magazine became the centre of a storm of protest when it published a recommended route for climbers descending from the summit. If anyone followed their advice they would have been taken directly over the peak's northern face and almost certain death. It is not the first time that the magazine "Trail" has been criticised for bad advice. Last year it confidently claimed that the 28-mile trek through the Lairig Ghru in the Cairngorms and an arduous 13-mile mountain path at Stac Pollaidh in Wester Ross could be free of deep snow "even in the worst winter weather." The magazine was sent photographs of these areas under deep snow. Trail says it will print a correction to the Ben Nevis information in its next issue.

New Hotel for South Queensferry

A new hotel which is being described by its backers as "budget luxury" is being planned for South Queensferry, the town at the southern end of the Forth road and rail bridges. It is being created by Ken McCulloch, the millionaire founder of the Malmaison hotel group and by David Coulthard, the F1 grand prix racing driver. With prices at £80 a night, it will have a higher level of comfort and service than more basic hotel chains, with broadband internet access and plasma TV screens. The hotel should be ready for its first customers in the summer of 2005. Many of the rooms will have a great view out over the Firth of Forth and the bridges. Planning approval for the development has been given by Edinburgh City Council - who rejected the advice of their planning officials who recommended rejection.

Support for Highland Cathedral

Despite the lack of support for "Flower of Scotland" as the country's unofficial national anthem, the dirge continues to be played at national sports events and other occasions. Various attempts have been made to obtain support for alternatives such as "Scots Wha Hae" or "Scotland the Brave" and even "Amazing Grace". There have also been competitions to create a new anthem - "Land of Light" won a contest in 1998 but never shone. The latest effort is by Donald Smith, a playwright and poet who uses the melody of the popular "Highland Cathedral" with his new lyrics. He argues, like many others, that both Flower of Scotland and Scots Wha Hae are backward looking and anti-English and that modern Scotland should be about more than resistance to English domination. Instead, his verses begin: Land of the mountain, islands and the sea,
Highland and Lowland, that gives life to me,
Mother of justice and humanity,
Be our last refuge, stronghold of the free.
There are already several sets of lyrics to Highland Cathedral and it remains to be seen whether the new verses will catch on.

10% Increase in Clockwork Orange Fares

Passengers on Glasgow's "Clockwork Orange" (the underground rail system with twin tunnels providing a circular service linking 15 stations in the city) are facing a 10% increase in fares in February when a standard adult ticket increases in price from 80p to £1. However, for regular travellers, the increase on the 28-day pass is only rising by 3.7%. The extra ticket prices will raise an extra £278,000 for the Strathclyde Passenger Transport network.

Stamping on Whisky Stamp Duty

Plans by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to introduce tax stamps on Scottish whisky and other spirits are being attacked by UK Members of Parliament from all parties. The Chancellor announced his intention to require all bottles of whisky to have a paper strip fixed across the top to show that the tax had been paid. He claimed that the fraud in the industry was costing the country £600 million a year. But the estimate has been challenged by MPs who say that this is equivalent to 200,000 bottles of spirit disappearing each day. Bearing in mind the security measures already in place to satisfy the customs and excise officers, it is argued that the losses are not anywhere near the sum suggested by the Chancellor. The spirit manufacturers would need to set up their bottling plants to apply the strip stamp and would have to pay for them in advance - giving the Inland Revenue an interest free loan in the process. It was pointed out that countries such as the US and Greece had abolished such systems long ago.

Paris Embraces Tartan Day

Elements of the historic "Auld Alliance" between France and Scotland can sometimes still be seen in modern times. France is one of Scotland's major export markets and the improved air services between the two countries, especially by low-cost carriers, has increased the number of tourists travelling in both directions. So it is no surprise that there will be a Tartan Day parade down the Champs de Mars to the Eiffel Tower on 4 April this year. This will be the second year that there has been a celebration of Scottish culture in this way in Paris. This year they are expecting 600 pipers and around 10,000 other participants in the parade. 2004 is also the 100th anniversary of the "Entente Cordiale", an agreement between France and Britain which ended centuries of intermittent conflict. See tartanday.free.fr/ for more details of the Paris Tartan Day event.

Chicago Haggis Production Begins

There is usually a spate of haggis stories in the run-up to the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns (on January 25) and this year is no exception. It appears that because of the problems of importing traditionally made haggis due to US Food and Drug Administration restrictions, it is virtually impossible for Scottish-made haggis to enter the US. Although local firms there do a grand job satisfying the demand for haggis for Burns Suppers, a Scottish company has decided to overcome the import problems by setting up a partnership to produce its haggis recipe in Chicago - and sell it in tins. Stahly Quality Foods are a small company based in Glenrothes in Fife and are producing traditional haggis and a vegetarian variety too in Chicago. They are the only company producing haggis in the traditional skins and then canning them. They chose the windy city because of its links with the meat industry and because of its central location - ideal for both the US and Canada.

Major Upgrade for Mitchell Library

The Mitchell Library in Glasgow opened 130 years ago and now has over a million books available to the general public. It is a favourite place for students as well as the older generation carrying out research, particularly on Glasgow's history. Over the years the building has been upgraded but now it is to receive a major revamp which will cost £2.7 million. This is aimed at giving the public better access to more of the priceless treasures stored in the vaults. The Mitchell has one of the best collections of Burns literature and it plans to create a new Family History Centre to allow anyone to research their family tree. A new cafe bar, pavement bar and internet suite are also planned.

Drought in Tayside?

As Scotland, particularly in the west, was being deluged with rain over the last few weeks, it came as a bit of a surprise to find Scottish Water warning of a crisis looming in parts of Angus in the east where reservoirs serving 300,000 people in the Tayside area were struggling to cope. The company has sought permission to have supplies piped from other parts of the country to make up the shortfall. 2003 was a particularly dry year and in October Tayside had just 6mm of rain when the long-term average for that month is 103.7mm. Scottish Water have sought to reassure customers that action was taken as a precaution - while encouraging everyone not to waste water.

Weather in Scotland This Week

Temperatures hovered around 10/12C (50/54F) but the skies remained grey and leaden for most of the week and there were frequent showers with longer spells of rain on Monday - Kinloss on the Moray Firth had 1.5" of rain in 24 hours. Despite the mild spell, meteorologists are forecasting that temperatures will plummet next week as the wind changes direction and blows from the north. They predict that the resulting temperatures will be as low as -14C (7F) once the wind chill factor is taken into account. The sub-zero temperatures are likely to result in appreciable falls of snow.

Many of the plants which are further advanced than usual will get quite a shock if the snow turns up next week. The snowdrops here are some of many which are already in full bloom. The ones above were growing in a churchyard in the countryside near Glasgow while the ones below were in a woodland garden at Duck Bay on the shores of Loch Lomond earlier this week. The splash of colour in the photo below is a hammock, wrapped up for the winter.

Uncovering Stirling Castle's Past

A detailed archaeological investigation is being carried out this winter on the royal palace at Stirling Castle. This was built in 1537 for King James V and his French Queen, Mary of Guise. The project will uncover information on how the palace was constructed and progress on the work is to be reported to visitors to the castle on information boards and a new exhibition which will open in the spring. Combined with research with the Department of Art History at the University of Glasgow, it will provide evidence for the likely form of furnishings and decoration used in the palace in the mid-16th century. The archaeologists will be looking for any evidence of the form of original ceilings and panel layouts. This will help Historic Scotland, who administer the buildings, to decide on a redecoration scheme for the Royal Apartments. It was a similar exercise which resulted in the transformation of the Great Hall in the castle a few years ago.

Military Airfield in Wars Again

They may be crumbling concrete blocks sitting in land which is currently used for pig farming and drag racing. But Historic Scotland want to give special status to a former naval airfield near Crail in Fife and spend £10 million (of taxpayers' money) to restore the control tower and other buildings at HMS Jackdaw. But many locals would rather see the barracks and control tower bulldozed and the land used for the construction of affordable housing. The current landowner is also keen to do this but Historic Scotland want to preserve the site because of its "incredible international importance." The base was opened during WW1 and was used mainly to train pilots in torpedo bombing. Although the concrete is crumbling, it is thought to be the best preserved military airfield in Scotland. It is argued, however, that many of the temporary army barracks are not worth preserving and are a blight on the landscape and the land could be put to a better purpose. Discussions with Historic Scotland and Fife Council have been going on for 18 months. Those who are pushing for redevelopment claim that Historic Scotland "do not live in our world."

Next Week in History

• January 25 1759 - Robert Burns born Alloway.
• January 25 1817 - First edition of the Edinburgh-based "Scotsman" newspaper, published by its founders, Charles MacLaren, William Ritchie and John MacDiarmid.
• January 26 1861 - "One o'clock gun" fired for the first time from Edinburgh Castle.
• January 26 1878 - Kirkpatrick McMillan, inventor of the bicycle, died.
• January 26 1908 - The 1st Glasgow Scout troop was registered, the first to be formed.
• January 27 1783 - Glasgow Herald newspaper first published. It is the longest continuously published daily newspaper in Britain.
• January 27 1926 - First public demonstration of TV by John Logie Baird.
• January 28 1829 - William Burke, murderer and body snatcher of "Burke and Hare" fame, executed.
• January 28 1908 - Jimmy Shand, Scottish country dance band leader, born.
• January 29 1848 - Greenwich Mean Time adopted by Scotland.
• January 29 1928 - Earl Haig, Commander in Chief of British forces 1915-18, founder of the British Legion, died.
• January 30 1649 - King Charles I executed.
• January 31 1761 - Lachlan MacQuarie, "Father of Australia" born Ulva.
• January 31 1788 - Charles Edward Stewart, "Bonnie Prince Charlie" died in Rome.
• January 31 1918 - "Battle of Isle of Mey" - 100 men died in a series of collisions in the Firth of Forth, involving submarines and surface ships.
• January 31 1919 - "Bloody Friday" Riot - mass rally of strikers in Glasgow's George Square repeatedly charged by police.
• January 31 1953 - Princess Victoria, Stranraer-Larne ferry, sank.
• January 31 1953 - 66 crew were saved from the cargo vessel Clan MacQuarrie after it went aground near Borve, Lewis. In winds gusting to 100mph, it was the biggest ever carried out using breeches buoy in a single operation.

Edinburgh Counts Cost of Cancelling Hogmanay

A report for Edinburgh City Council estimates that the cancellation of the Hogmanay Street Party, including the rock concert and fireworks display and the return of the cost of tickets, will leave a deficit of £130,000 although this could rise to over £200,000. Much of the cost is related to the administration of refunds and the removal of thousands of fireworks. The Council are said to be looking to the Scottish Executive for financial support - but are unlikely to get any. The event had to be cancelled on safety grounds due to high winds on 31 December. The Council are confident that they can organise a Hogmanay event for 2004 which will put the setbacks of 2003 behind them.

New Venue for Edinburgh Tattoo?

The Military Tattoo which has taken place in Edinburgh for the last 53 years, is synonymous with its magnificent backdrop of historic Edinburgh Castle. But the problem with the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens below the castle has resulted in the resurrection of an idea mooted - and rejected - many years ago. Officials of Lothian Enterprise Limited, the organisation which seeks to promote small businesses in the capital, has proposed the creation of a state-of-the-art amphitheatre directly beneath Ramsay Gardens in Princes Street Gardens. At a stroke, it would replace the dilapidated Ross Bandstand and create a venue for events throughout the year. It would mean sacrificing an area of green grassland in the centre of the capital and the Tattoo would have the castle as a more distant background, rather than being staged on the esplanade directly in front of the fortification. This would also avoid having to erect scaffolding to provide the seating for the Tattoo each year. That takes eight weeks to put up and five weeks to take down. But there are lots of arguments against the idea and the Tattoo chief executive has said that any move to Princes Street Gardens would be "over my dead body". Supporters of the castle as the location for the Tattoo can take heart from the fact that the last time an attack was made on the castle (by Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745), it was repulsed.

Another Bail-Out For Scottish Opera

Despite the Scottish Executive Minister for Culture refusing to grant Scottish Opera any more funding, it is understood that the company is to be advanced £4 million of its £7.5 million 2004/2005 budget as an emergency measure to keep the organisation going and pay staff salaries. Staff redundancies seem inevitable as Scottish Opera has been told to produce plans on how it is going to balance its budget. The company received an extra £5 million in 2001 to bail it out from its financial difficulties at that time. While the company creates productions which win critical acclaim from opera buffs, it consistently overspends its budget. Its supporters claim that it is underfunded.

New Rock Venue for Glasgow

One of Scotland's biggest concert promoters is planning to convert the derelict ABC cinema in Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street into a major rock venue, with a capacity of around 1,000. It will open later this year and will be aimed mainly at young up and coming groups. Regular Music, the company behind the new venue, has also promoted the Gig on the Green festival in Glasgow for the last three years and the hugely successful Oasis concert at Loch Lomond in 1996.

Glasgow - Ready for Love

Scotland's largest city is gearing up for its third Festival of Love, from 6 to 15 February. Over 115 official love-related events are scheduled to take place across the city, ranging from a glittering fashion show attended by the Princess Royal to special showings of romantic films such as Romeo and Juliet. A large ferris wheel, with a heart in its centre, will again be operating in George Square, across from the City Chambers (Town Hall) and there will be a City of Love bus tour. The justification for this event is the fact that the last resting place of the remains of St Valentine are said to be buried in a church in the Gorbals area of Glasgow.

Scots Favour Cash for Theatre and Traditional Music

According to an opinion poll organised by the Herald newspaper, Scots would rather see the Scottish Arts Council supporting theatre and traditional music with tax-payers money, rather than opera and ballet. Over 30% of those responding said that public funding should go to theatre and traditional music with only 2% supporting opera and ballet while classical music got only 4% of the vote. Of course, it can be argued that support for the arts is not based on the views of the man and woman in the street. But the results may cause struggling organisations like Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet to think carefully about their future funding, especially as the poll mirrors an Arts Council survey which shows that 38% of adults attend a theatrical event, 20% go to traditional music performances and 13% to opera.

Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results

Hearts 0 Celtic 1
Dundee 2 Aberdeen 3 (Scottish Cup 3rd round replay)

Bank of Scotland Premier League Results - 24 January 2004

Dunfermline 1 Motherwell 0
Hearts 2 Partick Thistle 0
Kilmarnock 0 Hibernian 2
Rangers 1 Livingston 0
Aberdeen 1 Celtic 3

Scottish First Division Results - 24 January 2004

Brechin City 2 Inverness 4 Clyde 4 Falkirk 2 Ross County 1 Ayr United 1 St Johnstone 5 Raith Rovers 2 St Mirren 3 Queen of the South 1

BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 24 January 2004

Currie 22 Glasgow Hutchesons' 25
Ayr 32 Stirling County 10
Melrose 16 Aberdeen 20
Heriots 32 Peebles 29
Glasgow Hawks 16 Watsonians 3
Boroughmuir 32 Hawick 0

League Tables

Celtic stretched their unbroken run of league victories to 20 on Saturday with a convincing win over Aberdeen while Rangers had to fight hard to win 1-0 over Livingston. The results meant that Celtic remain 11 points ahead of Rangers at the top of the SPL. Hearts are third, 14 points adrift from Rangers. Partick Thistle remain firmly anchored to the foot of the SPL, 10 points behind Aberdeen.

In the First Division, Clyde and Inverness are pulling away from the pack, with Clyde currently one point ahead at the top of the division. There is then a gap of 7 points between Inverness and Queen of the South. Brechin Cit are still struggling at the foot of the First Division, 4 points behind Ayr United. Greenock Morton are ahead in the Second Division by a margin of 8 points and with two games in hand.

In the BT Scotland Rugby Division 1, Glasgow Hawks have all but secured the championship though they will deny this until it is mathematically impossible for Boroughmuir (21 points behind but three games in hand) to overtake them. Peebles remain at the foot of the table, 7 points behind Glasgow Hutchesons' who have played one game less so far this season.

Celtic Cut Jobs

Celtic may be Scotland's most successful football team at the moment but like all clubs they are struggling to reduce a mountain of debt. They have just announced a cost-cutting programme which could see the club shedding 30 out of its 400 staff. The cuts will not be in the playing staff but support staff redundancies certainly look likely.

Ten Point Penalty Hangs Over Dundee

The Scottish Premier League have voted in favour of sanctions against clubs which remain in receivership - meaning that unless Dundee can start the process of coming out of administration by 31 May, they will start next season with a ten point penalty. Optimistically, the club still hopes to be out of administration by the end of the season and Motherwell has started the process already. Understandably, Dundee was the only club to vote against the proposal.

Saints Go To University

Players at St Mirren Football Club are travelling from their Love Street ground to Paisley University in a bid to improve their success on the field. But the players are not studying academic subjects - they are using the state-of-the-art sports facilities at the Robertson Trust Sports Centre. They have the use of floodlit synthetic pitches and full-size football grounds as well as indoor training facilities. The university says that it is delighted to help out the local football team.