The Rampant Scotland Newsletter - your weekly insight into what has been happening in Scotland, snipped from the Scottish media, for Scots in Scotland and abroad, bringing you news, events plus a Scottish magazine section. Printed with 100% recycled electrons.
Previous editions of this Newsletter are available in the Archive and the Index to the other pages of the Rampant Scotland site is available here.
The Scottish Snippets Newsletter in its original format began in April 1997 and continued in an unbroken series for 591 issues. Although no longer produced in that format there is now a regular update on the new and updated pages on the Rampant Scotland site and also "Scottie's Diary" on an intermittent basis, To receive this, kust send an e-mail to Scottie with "Subscribe Newsletter" in the subject line.
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Historical Affairs - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
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The "Magazine" section includes songs/poems of Scotland, Scottish humour and brief descriptions of Scottish Culture items added recently to the Rampant Scotland Website - with a link to the page where you can find the full feature, if you find the subject of interest to you.
A "soirée" (usually pronounced "swaree") is a social gathering, sometimes organised by the local church. While it often involved people of all age groups, the one in this poem is being attended by a group of unruly youngsters. The poem comes from a book of "Scottish Readings and Recitations" published over 100 years ago. It is rather long so only the first half of the poem is included below - the second half will be included in next week's edition. As usual, any unusual Scots words are translated in a glossary at the end. Wee Laddie's First Soirée
Hurrah ! mither, yon's the soirée!
An' the weans, mither, made sic a din,
First, the stewards cam' ben in a flock,
Weel, I open'd mine oot wi' great care,
First, there was a fat London bun,
Some greedy anes tried to get twa,
Sae wi' naething afore me to eat
Sayin', "Hae laddie there's half o' mine,
Noo, a ser'er cam' roun' in my need,
Syne, the chairman stan's, up 'mang them a',
Ance mair we're shoutin'wi' glee
Jock Gentles wha sat by my side,
Ye ken, mither, wee Aggie Dunn?
[Continued next week!] Meaning of unusual words:
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Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
The enquiry into the escalating costs and delays in the project to create the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood in Edinburgh heard the closing arguments of the legal teams this week before closing down to allow Lord Fraser to consider the evidence and produce his report later this year. The project was condemned for suffering "a management failure of gigantic proportions" with civil servants, politicians and the construction managers among those to be blamed. But others defended the building, saying that it was a "work of genius" by the architect Enrico Miralles, who died in the early years of the project after creating the initial groundwork. Some architectural experts agree that it is a magnificent building, a "thrilling masterpiece, full of surprise and invention" said one. Which may mean that the ordinary tax-payer will not think much of it.
The Road Haulage Association has announced plans for about 400 vehicles to stage a go-slow in the streets of Edinburgh on 15 June as a protest at the government's decision to go ahead with an additional 1.92p a litre fuel duty in September, despite prices reaching a 13-year high. They fear that prices will rise still further from the current 82p a litre in central Scotland, to over 90p a litre. Petrol stations in the less densely populated parts of the Highlands are already experiencing petrol prices approaching that level. The action by commercial truck dtivers has brought back the spectre of the previous fuel protests at oil terminals which resulted in petrol supplies to the pumps down to a trickle.
The Scottish Executive and Scottish Quality Salmon are to jointly fund a £3 million advertising campaign to encourage Scots to eat farmed salmon. Spurious health concerns published in recent months have resulted in a decline in consumption, despite the well proven health benefits of eating oily fish. Salmon has become a more affordable option for many consumers in recent decades due to the fish farming industry. The aim of the advertising is to boost consumer confidence and help to maintain a valuable source of employment in some of the most remote and rural communities in Scotland.
Experts have warned that Scotland faces a record level of pollen in the coming months as a result of global warming and the increase in the areas planted with oil seed - its yellow flowers produce a large amount of pollen which badly affects hay fever sufferers. This coincides with the time of year when school pupils are sitting Higher and Standard Grade examinations and grades in these can dictate the future careers of students. Now the National Pollen Research Centre is to offer school pupils certified pollen counts for the days they are sitting exams. Combined with a note from a doctor, confirming that they do suffer from hay fever, this may help their chances of getting a below expected result upgraded. Teenagers are more affected than any other section of the population and constant sneezing, bleary itch eyes and fuzzy heads are common symptoms. Readings so far this year suggest that the pollen season will be longer and more severe than in previous years. A recent reading registered four times the level normally regarded as "high".
At a time when the number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland has never been lower, the first secondary (12 to 18 age group) school dedicated to the language is to be opened in Glasgow. It will use the unoccupied former Woodside School, in the west end of the city, and is expected to take its first pupils in the 2005/6 school year. The Education Minister described the move as "the most significant step forward in Gaelic education for 20 years." Initially, it will have pupils in the pre-school and 5-14 age range, but will expand to become a full six-year secondary school. In the last census, 58,000 Gaelic speakers were recorded out of a population of just over 5 million in Scotland. The Scottish Executive will provide £2.75 million of the £3.5 million capital costs and the City of Glasgow Council is expected to fund the remainder. The illustration shows a dual language sign at Partick Railway station in Glasgow.
93-year-old Colonel Sir Donald Hamish Cameron of Lochiel, the 26th chief and captain of Clan Cameron died peacefully at the clan's spiritual headquarters of Achnacarry Castle, near Fort William. He is survived by his wife, four children, 14 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Sir Donald, who was known simply as Lochiel, was made a Knight of the Thistle by the Queen in 1973. He was commissioned into the Lovat Scouts in 1929 and served with them during WW2, rising to the rank of major. He was Lord Lieutenant of Inverness-shire from 1971-85.
After the sale of the Jack Vettriano's best-known work "The Singing Butler" last month for a record-breaking £744,800, art experts found it difficult to estimate what other paintings by Scotland's most popular living artist would fetch. There was always a danger that there might be a fall-off in interest. So there was surprise in the art world this week when 12 oil paintings by the artist, which had been estimated to fetch about £500,000 at an auction, actually sold for a total of £773,000. The sale included Mad Dogs, which fetched £140,000, compared to its estimated value of between £40,000 and £60,000. It looks as though all the media publicity about the artist has helped to raise his profile. Vettriano (born in 1954) worked in the Fife coalfields before turning to art and had no formal training. His prints sell to the public in greater numbers than most classical artists. Over a million prints of the "Singing Butler" have been sold around the world. The illustration shows Vettriano's painting entitled "A Kind of Loving".
The largest ever survey into the public use of Scotland's national forests - and what they expect from such areas - gets under way next month. Following a pilot survey in Inverness-shire, and feedback received during the recent national review of land managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, researchers will be out and about in forests right across Scotland counting the numbers entering the woods and also seeking the views of local people and visitors. It is the first time ever that the entire national forest estate, including the more remote woodlands, is to be covered by the three-year survey, as previously only high-usage sites were monitored. The results will help Forestry Commission Scotland, together with local people and other partners, determine where and how they invest in forest recreation and services for years ahead.
There was lots of sunshine last weekend, with Edinburgh recording over 30 hours of sun over the two days and temperatures reaching a pleasant 18C (64F). But as the winds shifted to the north again, maximum daily temperatures fell to 14C (57F) in Edinburgh on Wednesday and a chilly 12C (54F) in Aberdeen. But the sun was much in evidence again on Wednesday and Thursday - Aberdeen recorded 14.8 hours on Thursday. By Friday, most areas were overcast and cloudy with some light showers passing through. This lasted through much of Saturday but gradually the clouds rolled away. The weather outlook for the next few days is for warmer, drier weather, particularly in the west, with temperatures rising to 20C (68F).
Glasgow-born artist Douglas Gordon, who won a Turner prize for his video art work, has been awarded a £100,000 scholarship from the Edinburgh College of Art to produce a film based on Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian, south of Edinburgh. Now based in New York, Gordon has been inspired by the 15th century chapel which was founded by Sir William St Clair. The chapel took 40 years to build and was originally planned to be part of an even larger building. Sir William drew the design of the chapel and the ornate carvings on timber boards, which the masons then copied. It is the amazingly intricate carvings, both inside and out, which make Rosslyn so unique. With associations with the Knights Templar, various claims have been made about the chapel, including that it houses the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant in a sealed crypt. Carving of what looks like maize is said to support the legend that Sir William's heir, Prince Henry, reached North America 100 years before Columbus. Douglas Gordon plans to make a film which explores the history - and the myths - of the building.
Kilmartin is in the centre of the rich heritage of Dalriada, the ancient kingdom of the Scots in what is now Argyll. The Irish tribe came over from Ireland and settled there - and eventually gave their name to Scotland. Fort Dunadd, a few miles from Kilmartin, was their capital and the region is full of standing stones, cairns and burial mounds going back to Neolithic times. The Kilmartin Museum won the Scottish Museum of the Year Award in 1998 for making history accessible. A book to be published later this year on Britain's best museums, was to have listed Kilmartin as a site of national importance. But the museum, with its unique collection of artefacts from the area, could close in September because of lack of finance. It depends heavily on the local council and Argyll and Bute spends just 66p per head of population for museum provision - compared with £21 in Glasgow and a national average of £8 per head. The museum attracts 30,000 visitors a year, which is good for a location away from the main centres of population. Kilmartin is not alone in facing financial problems - the Livingstone Centre in Blantyre had to be helped out by the National Trust for Scotland and ad hoc grants are needed to keep the Maritime Museum at Irvine afloat. 
Despite protests from Historic Scotland and city culture experts, Glasgow City Council has allowed a building used as offices by architect Alexander "Greek" Thomson to be demolished. They said that the historic building had been neglected for years and had become unsafe. The four-storey building dates back to the 1820s, and sits at the corner of West Regent Street and Wellington Street. The building was remodeled internally by Thomson during the time he was working in Glasgow, creating his distinctive buildings based on the styles of ancient Greece. Historic Scotland, the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland and others have fought for the retention of the 'A'-listed building for many years. 
129 pipe bands from around the world competed in the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Championship in the shadow of Dumbarton Castle last weekend. It was the Field Marshall Montgomery band from Northern Ireland which won the top prize in Grade 1. House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead, who won the World Championship last year, were second and Boghall and Caledonia were third. The illustration shows members of the Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band warming up prior to thw World Championships last August.
The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum is showing a selection of paintings by artist Sheena Wilkie who, though she was born and grew up in Stirling, now lives in the south of England. Sheena is now a highly respected painter, and a few years ago she began a regular pilgrimage back to the place of her childhood - Stirling. This pilgrimage has been her inspiration to record people, places, and events in paint. The exhibition includes several works which recall her early experiences - such as her fear as a child of using the 'Sma' Vennel' (seen here) as a shortcut and the time her younger sister got her head stuck in the railings of the Holy Trinity Episcopal School! 'Unbuckled', the title of the exhibition, refers to the saying that Stirling is the buckle which joins the Highlands and Lowlands together. The exhibition is at Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum until 4 July 2004. Admission is free.
Darren Fletcher, a 20-year-old mid-fielder, became the Scotland football team's youngest ever captain when he led the team out against Estonia in another friendly match this week. In the previous week, he had helped his club, Manchester United, win the English FA Cup and he continued his winning ways with Scotland. The national side scraped a 1-0 win over the Baltic side with a goal from James McFadden after a great solo run. Of course, Estonia are even lower than Scotland in the world football rankings, but Scottish supporters are grateful for any win these days. It avoided a fifth consecutive defeat and with the next match against Trinidad and Tobago the team may even perform a minor miracle and have two consecutive wins. As on many other occasions, there were a large number of call-offs from experienced players for the match against Estonia, with only six players certain to be in the starting line-up against Slovenia, when the World Cup qualifying campaign starts on 8 September. 
Willie Miller, who captained Aberdeen Football Club to European Cup Winners' Cup glory in 1983, has returned to the club as a full-time paid director. Some fans welcomed him back as a saviour. He was dismissed as a manager of the club in 1995 and although he has been out of football management since then, his media work has kept him as a high profile figure in the game. He wrote about the club's problems in his weekly column in the Aberdeen Press and Journal a few weeks ago and was invited to join the board by the club chairman Stewart Milne who said he wanted "fresh ideas". Miller immediately set about demonstrating these by sacking manager Steve Paterson, assistant manager Duncan Shearer and coach Oshor Williams. The team had won only 24 of 68 games under their stewardship and finished this season in second bottom place in the SPL. To be fair, financial strictures forced Patterson to sell all the club's experienced players and put out a team of youngsters to fill their shoes. Miller replaced Paterson with Dunfermline manager Jimmy Calderwood. Calderwood improved Dunfermline every year during his four years in charge of the club, gaining promotion from the First Division within five months of being put in charge, and climaxing this year in the club's first appearance in the Scottish Cup Final since 1968. Whether he can perform another miracle in Aberdeen remains to be seen - there is no new money in the kitty.
When Bobby Williamson departed from Hibernian Football Club five weeks ago, sports writers speculated on his replacement and a number of candidates emerged as "front runners". So there was some astonishment when the club announced that their new manager was Tony Mowbray, former coach of English Premier League side Ipswich. Nobody had anticipated the appointment of a man who had a distinguished playing career captaining both Middlesbrough and Celtic but no managerial experience. He was appointed full-time coach at Ipswich after the club had won promotion to the English Premier and worked under two managers there. Joe Royle, the current Ipswich manager gave Mowbray a glowing reference. Mowbray says that an entertaining brand of football will encourage fans to support Hibs. Winning a few more games than this year might help too - the club finished 8th in the SPL this season. His appointment is being viewed with a degree of caution by some fans.
On Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 June 2004, over 400 world class riders from more than 35 countries, together with more than 15,000 spectators, will descend upon the idyllic highland setting of Fort William to take part in the third round of The UCI (International Cycle Union) Mountain Bike World Cup, the most prestigious and the most extreme competition in the world's mountain biking calendar. BBC Sport Scotland has commissioned two 50-minute programmes covering all the action and will be televised on Sunday 6 and Monday 7 June 2004 on BBC2. Both programmes can also be viewed outside the BBC Scotland area by anyone with Sky Dsat (BSkyB Platform).