Tony Blair Under Pressure

Although the results of the European Parliament elections in Scotland will not be known until Monday, local elections in England and Wales and exit polls on polling day (Thursday) show that Tony Blair's Labour Party have done badly, being beaten into third place behind the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the English local government elections. With most results in, Labour has lost 464 seats and control of eight councils in England and Wales, the worst-ever performance by a governing party in local elections. In Scotland, there are ten political parties and an independent chasing seven European Parliament seats. Since the voting system is based on a form of proportional representation, the smaller parties are hoping that they might snatch a seat from the main political groups. Thus there are candidates for "Scottish Wind Watch - Save Our Hills" and "Operation Christian Vote Proclaiming Christ's Lordship" as well as the Scottish Labour, Conservative, National and Liberal Democrat parties. The Green Party and the Scottish Socialist Party, who have members in the Scottish Parliament, are hoping to make inroads into the Brussels parliament. A new UK Independence Party, which wants to negotiate withdrawal from the European Union, may capture many of the votes from those who are disillusioned with politics. Currently, Scotland has three Labour, two Conservative, two Scottish Nationalist and a Liberal Democrat representative in the European Parliament. As a result of the expansion of the European Union, the number of seats in Scotland has been reduced from eight to seven.

Government Consults on Smoking Ban

The Scottish Executive has launched a consultation exercise to see whether there is support for a ban on smoking in public places such as restaurants and bars. To date, it has been up to owners to decide on their own policy. While this has resulted in a number of restaurants imposing a ban or having designated no smoking areas, very few bars have taken action apart from perhaps trying to improve ventilation. Glasgow, for example, has only one smoke-free bar - where business is said to be booming. It is estimated that 19,000 Scots die each year from smoking-related illnesses. Around 30% of Scots still smoke but there is an increasing focus on passive smoking. And even without the health hazard, many non-smokers now find the smell of tobacco smoke offensive. People will be able to pick up copies of the consultation, which will only take a few minutes to complete, from doctors’ surgeries, libraries and other public outlets. Similarly, they can log on and make their opinion known via the Internet. See www.smokingconsultation.com.

Local Taxes Rise by Nearly 50% in Seven Years

Figures published this week by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities show that local council taxation has risen by 48.7% since 1996. That's an average of 2.7% a year on top of inflation and despite the local councils receiving record sums via central government taxation. The Scottish Executive are expected to announce later this month a long-awaited review of council finance. This is currently based on the value of people's houses. It takes no account of ability to pay - or the number of wage earners in a house But the review could lead to still higher bills for many. The figures also show that the local authorities only manage to collect 91.3% of the £1.75 billion of the taxes owed each year. When central government funding is added in, Local Authority spending in Scotland reached £15.5 billion in 2002-03, an increase of 11.2% on the previous year. The biggest expenditure is on education with social work coming second.

Scots Better Positioned for Interest Rate Rises

This week the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee raised base interest rates by another quarter per cent (to 4.5%), the third increase so far this year. However, figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that Scots are better placed to cope with these rising borrowing costs. In Scotland, mortgage payments account for a smaller proportion of monthly incomes than in other parts of Britain. That is largely because house prices are much higher in England and Wales and mortgage lenders are having to advance up to four times annual earnings. In the past, the limit used to be 2.5 times salary. But with escalating house prices, the lending criteria have been pushed upwards. Of course, while interest rates have been low, the amount paid by mortgage customers has been relatively modest. That could change significantly if, as expected, base rates continue to rise. Inflation rates are currently well within the 2.5% target, but rising oil prices and other factors suggest that this will not remain the situation. Of course, raising interest rates will fuel inflation in a vicious circle. Meantime, the Royal Automobile Club claims that running a motor car currently costs more than the average mortgage.

"Thrifty" Scots Failing to Save

The reputation for Scots as thrifty savers is being rapidly eroded, especially amongst younger members of the population. A new research report shows that 45% of Scots in their twenties have no savings at all. And the average for those who do save, amounts to only £47 a month. More than half of those interviewed spend an average of nearly £40 a month on alcohol and £22 on smoking. Mobile phone bills account for another £23 a month on average. Many borrow from banks and credit card companies and then have to finance the repayments each month. Recent bad press about pension scandals certainly don't encourage people to save for retirement - which anyway seems so far in the future for young people. And as a rising stock market no longer props up pension funds, companies are increasingly reducing benefits available by such "enforced" savings.

Scottish Pupils Perform Well in International Tests

The latest findings of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which analyses Scotland's performance in detail for the first time alongside 28 other countries, shows that Scottish pupils are performing well by international standards in education. Results show that Scottish pupils were in the top six in the international reading literacy rankings and in the top five in the international mathematical literacy rankings. Over 40% of Scottish pupils showed the highest two reading levels - ahead of the rest of the UK and with only four other countries doing better than Scotland. Scottish pupils ranked 9th in scientific literacy test scores and those who read a large amount of fiction and spoke regularly with their parents, scored highest in the reading tests. Two thirds of young Scots read for pleasure and Scottish school libraries are better rated than in the vast majority of other countries in the survey. PISA was set up by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) to assess the performance of 15-year-olds in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy in its members countries.

Surprise Scotrail Franchise Winner

It had been widely expected that National Express, the current franchise holder, would continue to manage the Scotrail network which covers the whole of Scotland and the overnight sleeper service to London. But the Strategic Rail Authority announced this week that FirstGroup was the "preferred bidder". FirstGroup, which started in 1989 operating buses in Aberdeen, already run around 25% of bus services in Scotland and also rail services in and out of London and Manchester. On the international stage, FirstGroup's subsidiary First Transit is the biggest private sector provider of urban bus services in the US, running transport systems in Houston and Los Angeles and a fleet of over 17,000 yellow school buses in America and Canada. Under National Express, Scotrail got off to a good start but delays in delivery of new trains - and technical failures in the new rolling stock - and problems with the track (which is operated by another company) plus a lengthy industrial dispute, led to delays and frustrations amongst passengers. Passenger numbers are only now beginning to edge back up again after a slump. It may be some time, however, before Scotrail passengers see any real changes or improvements made by FirstGroup in Scotrail services.

Boost for North Sea Oil Industry

The North Sea energy industry, much of it based on Aberdeen and Shetland, was given a boost this week when it was revealed that 68 companies have applied for 164 blocks in British waters in the 22nd licensing round. That is 25 more blocks than last time. There are 20 new entrants in the bidding as well as the long-established companies. The indications are that the UK Continental shelf has plenty more life left in it and that there will be continued exploration and production investment to exploit its full potential.

£300 Million to Solve Traffic Bottleneck

Seven years ago, a proposal to build another road bridge across the river Forth between South Queensferry and Fife was abandoned. Now, increasing congestion is having a detrimental effect on Scotland's economy and has forced the government to consider the idea again. But media reports suggest that consultants who have looked at the potential costs have produced a figure of £300 million. It is argued that the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) should be allowed to borrow the money and recoup the costs by charging tolls (where have we heard that one before?). To parry claims that such a bridge would increase traffic congestion in Edinburgh by reducing journey times to the capital, the new bridge would incorporate trams or a light railway providing public transport. Tolls on the existing bridge rise from 80p to £1 in October this year. When the present Forth road bridge opened in 1964, 4 million vehicles used it. Last year that figure had grown to 24 million - twice its design load, triggering a resurfacing programme every five years. Of course, roads leading to the crossing need upgrading too - one of the two main arteries from the south is officially a "B" category road with a single lane in each direction. Traffic is often at a standstill for miles on this route at peak times.

Scottish Opera "Rescue" Package Officially Announced

After weeks of media speculation about how Scottish Opera was going to survive within the budget allocated from public funds, there was a chorus of anger from many when the Scottish Opera board of management finally confirmed the details this week. About 88 staff will be paid off and there will be no major productions by the company between the summer of 2005 and spring 2006, as the company tries to cut costs. Scottish Opera is also in negotiations to sell its Theatre Royal base and lease it back. In return for the cost cutting, the Scottish Executive will give Scottish Opera up to £7 million which will pay for staff redundancies (the entire chorus of 34 will lose their jobs and numbers will fall from 208 to 120) and repay a cash advance made this year of £4.5 million (out of an annual allocation of £7.4 million). This had kept the company solvent as it once again spent more than its budget. While many in the arts world consider that the government should be allocating more taxpayers money to support such cultural activities, there are others who believe that Scottish Opera caters for a small audience of largely affluent members of the public and that other aspects of Scottish culture, which are attended by larger numbers, tend to be neglected.

G8 Summit for Gleneagles

In the week that the Gleneagles Hotel marked its 80th birthday, it was confirmed that the next G8 summit, to be hosted by the UK, will be held at the Perthshire resort. Built by the old Caledonian Railway Company, the hotel has its own railway station. These days, guests are more likely to arrive by road - or by helicopter. Bob Hope once remarked that if Gleneagles had enjoyed Californian weather he would have moved there. Having the summit at Gleneagles is likely to be a mixed blessing for the local people as a heavy security presence to protect the world leaders is likely to make life difficult for residents in surrounding areas.

Windproof Fireworks for Edinburgh's Hogmanay Party

After the disaster of last year's Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) street party and fireworks display which had to be cancelled because of high winds, the organisers have announced that they will have windproof fireworks and a more weatherproof stage will be in place for 31 December this year. Edinburgh's Winter Festival generates £40 million for the local economy and the final firework display, with the castle as the backdrop is the highlight of the event. If gale force winds come along in the future, the display may have to be reduced but there will be sufficient noise and "low flying" fireworks to create a display.

New Agricultural Revolution?

In recent years, the plants grown in Europe for use in drugs and herbal medicines have been cultivated by countries such as Romania and Hungary, where many of the medicinal flowering plants grow in the wild. But now that these countries are bound by the legislation banning the harvesting of many wild species, there seem to be opportunities for farmers in other countries to cash in on the demand. The Agronomy Institute of the University of the Highlands and Islands has been in the forefront of trials to produce those which are particularly suited for growing in the northern parts of Scotland. They have just signed a contract to supply arnica to a German pharmaceutical company. The yellow flowering plant has powerful anti-inflamatory properties. The Orkney-based Institute is working on a range of other high-value crops, for cosmetics, herbal remedies and pharmaceuticals. Many of these plants, such as angelica, borage and echlum can give farmers profits many times that of traditional crops and the Agronomy Institute claims they could create a "new agricultural revolution.". Initially they will be grown in Orkney, but if the market expands, Highlands and Islands Enterprise will support rolling out production to mainland areas.

Green Light for BBC Scotland HQ Building

The former Pacific Quay on the river Clyde at Govan already houses the hi-tech Glasgow Science Centre and for some years there have been plans in the pipeline for BBC Scotland to build a new Scottish HQ to act as the catalyst for the creation of a "media village" on the site. Implementation has been delayed as the BBC insisted that it was necessary to have a new bridge across the Clyde to link Pacific Quay with the north bank at Finnieston. Now that the bridge project is moving forward, the next step in the jig-saw was to obtain planning permission for their new glass and steel structure and that was achieved this week. It is now expected that staff will move from the rabbit warren of offices and studios at Queen Margaret Drive to the new state of the art premises in mid-2007.

Clock Change Bill Branded a Cheap Stunt

A bill presented by an English Member of the UK Parliament was branded a "cheap election stunt" by the Orkney and Shetland Member of Parliament. The private member's proposal entitled "Lighter Evenings Bill", sought to put clocks forward by one hour in England and Wales, bringing them in line with France and Germany and other western European countries. But the Scottish Parliament would be left to decide if it wanted to follow suit. Advocates of the time change argue that it would reduce road accidents and give the majority of people more useful daylight hours. But those living in the north of Scotland including Orkney (where in mid-winter there can be only six hours between sunrise and sunset) have led the fight to retain the present system. Private members bills seldom reach the statute book without government support, so it is very unlikely that the bill will reach the statute book.

3,000 Fined for Using Mobile Phone

It was always unlikely that bringing in legislation that made it an offence to use a mobile phone in a car (without a so-called hands free system) was going to stop thousands of motorists from using what they regard as an essential item of modern life. But like those who regularly exceed the speed limit, many drivers continue to drive with a phone clamped to their ear, steering and changing gear with the other hand and concentrating on the conversation rather than the road. Since the legislation came into force last December, over 3,000 motorists across Scotland have been stopped by the police and fined £30. One driver who was caught was driving past the Strathclyde Road Policing Unit's HQ in Glasgow, while talking on his mobile phone!

Beachfront Casino for Aberdeen

City planners in Aberdeen have recommended acceptance of a plan to create a casino beside Café Continental on Aberdeen's Beach Esplanade. Currently a derelict site, the plan will create a three-storey building (the same height as adjacent properties).

Rare Owl Rescued - By Helicopter

A tiny scops owl, which normally lives in southern Europe, was found by workers on the Forties Delta oil platform, 110 miles off Aberdeen . It was exhausted and under-weigt but was captured and flown by helicopter to the Grampian Wildlife Rehabilitation Trust hospital at New Deer in Aberdeenshire. The bird is rare in Scotland and there have only been a few sightings recorded. After rest and feeding up, the seven inch high owl is to be released in a nature reserve at Loch of Strathbeg near Fraserburgh.

Weather in Scotland This Week

The south of England basked in a minor heatwave this week as temperatures rose to 30C (86F). But 400 miles further north, Scotland missed out on most of the sunshine and warmth with temperatures that reached only 22/23C (72/73F) last weekend. Aberdeen had over 14 hours of sunshine last weekend and over 11 hours of sun on Wednesday. However, the rest of the week was dull and overcast in most areas with a number of rain showers, some of them heavy. On Thursday, a golf championship at Gleneagles had to be suspended for nearly three hours as a result of violent winds, thunder and lightning. On Saturday, the sun came out for a spell, at least in some areas, but the BBC five-day online forecast is for constant cloud in the west but the east may fare a little better on some days.

This week's illustrations of current flora and fauna in Scotland show first of all a Cardiocainum Yunnanense. What the illustration is unable to show is that the flowers were 8-10 feet above the ground! It was growing in the woodland walk of Glendoick House in Angus, between Perth and Dundee. The flowers below are also from Glendoick. The first two are different varieties of Kalmia. Glendoick has quite a number of different varieties of this lovely plant all growing together, making a striking splash of colour. The last flower is of a magnolia, also growing in the woodland area of the estate. Finally, I could not resist including a picture of a Painted Lady butterfly feeding this afternoon on one Anthemis flowers growing in my own garden in suburban Glasgow. This was one of two such butterflies which spent about two hours enjoying what they clearly regarded as the best bar in town!

Magnolia, Glendoick Gardens.

Kalmia in the garden of Glendoick House.

Kalmia in the garden of Glendoick House.

Painted Lady Butterfly on an Anthemis flower.

New Lease of Life for Marischal College

Aberdeen City Council is expected to announce shortly that it is to take over 100,000 square feet of Marischal College, the Gothic-style university building, the second-largest granite structure in the world. Marischal College was founded in 1593 by George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal of Scotland, but parts of the medieval building were replaced between 1836 and 1844 and in 1906 the massive new granite frontage and tower were added. It is not yet known whether the nearby St Nicholas House (a 1960s eyesore), currently occupied by Aberdeen City Council staff, will be demolished when they move over to Marischal College. If the suggestion of a public square is accepted, it would allow the 16th century Provost Skeen's House to emerge from being overshadowed by the 20th century office block.

Time Returns to Dunblane Cathedral

Staff from Historic Scotland, who look after many of the ancient buildings in Scotland, are often called upon to carry out unusual restoration work. Abseilling down the six-storey tower of Dunblane Cathedral to remove and then return the metre-long hands of the clock face, so that they could be regilded in Edinburgh, was certainly one of their more hair-raising tasks in recent months. Rope access specialists were putting the finishing touches to a restoration project at the Stirlingshire cathedral. The lower four floors of the clock tower were built around the time of King David I in the 12th century but the rest of the building was completed in the 13th century.

Next Week in History

• June 13 1819 - The Strathnaver Clearances began on the Sutherland estates - families were given 30 minutes to remove their belongings before their cottages were set on fire.
• June 13 1831 - Birth in Edinburgh of James Clerk Maxwell, first Professor of Experimental Physics at Cambridge University; he created the electromagnetic theory of light.
• June 13 1975 - Rate of price inflation reached 25% in the UK.
• June 14 1789 - Whisky distilled from maize was first produced - by a clergyman, the Rev Elijah Craig. He called the new liquor "bourbon" because he lived in Bourbon County, Kentucky.
• June 14 1940 - Queen Mary, Aquitania, Empress of Canada, and Empress of Britain arrive in the River Clyde with the first contingent of Australian and New Zealand troops.
• June 14 1946 - John Logie Baird, inventor of the first television, died.
• June 14 1966 - Walter McGowan wins World Fly-weight Championship.
• June 15 1567 - Mary Queen of Scots' last night in Edinburgh, at the house of Sir Simon Preston, the Lord Provost, on the Royal Mile, prior to her imprisonment at Loch Leven castle two days later.
• June 15 1945 - Queen Mary leaves Greenock, taking nearly 15,000 GIs home to US.
• June 16 1338 - Siege of Dunbar Castle by the English was raised.
• June 16 1586 - Mary, Queen of Scots recognised Philip II of Spain as her heir.
• June 17 1390 - Wolf of Badenoch burns Elgin Cathedral.
• June 17 1823 - Charles Macintosh patented the waterproof cloth he was using to make raincoats.
• June 18 1639 - Pacification of Berwick, Charles I forced to withdraw from Scotland and recognise an independent Scottish Parliament.
• June 18 1746 - Flora MacDonald met Prince Charles Edward Stuart and persuaded him to wear women's clothes as part of the escape plan from the Outer Hebrides to Skye.
• June 18 1815 - Ensign Ewart captured the French Ensign at the Battle of Waterloo.
• June 19 1306 - Army of Robert the Bruce routed at Methven.
• June 19 1566 - Mary Queen of Scots gives birth to the future King James VI of Scotland and I of England.
• June 19 1633 - Coronation of King Charles I at Holyrood.
• June 19 1861 - Earl Haig, Commander in Chief of British forces 1915-18, founder of British Legion, born in Edinburgh.
• June 19 1917 - Parliament voted by a majority of 330 to give votes to women over 30 for the first time.
• June 19 1937 - Sir J M Barrie, author of "Peter Pan" died.

Magical Trip to Drive Fans Potty

Fans of Harry Potter now have the opportunity to travel on a steam train to some of the film locations in the west of Scotland used in two of the films about the adventures of the trainee magician. The Jacobite Steam Train runs daily from Fort William to Mallaig and passes over the 21-arch Glenfinnan Viaduct, which featured in the second Potter film "The Chamber of Secrets". In the film, Harry and his friend weave around the bridge in a blue Ford Anglia. The train also passes Loch Shiel and Loch Eilt which were used as backdrops in the current Potter film, "The Prisoner of Azkaban." The six-hour train journey includes a 90 minute stop at Mallaig.

Latvian Highland Games

We are all familiar with Highland Games being held in various parts of the world where Scots and there descendants keep alive this element of Scottish culture. But most folk would be surprised to know that Highland Games are being held in Riga, the capital of Latvia, on 12 August. Singer/song writer Moira Kerr (who was invited in 2002 to Russia for a tour which included Leningrad) will be performing at the Latvian Highland Games at the invitation of the Mayor of Riga. See www.moirakerr.com/ for more information about Moira and download some of her Scottish songs.

"Read All About It" Exhibition

We Scots are avid readers of newspapers and people in Scotland read more than twice the column inches of their counterparts in England. In total, we buy nearly 2.5 million Scottish-produced newspapers every week The editor of this Newsletter reads 26 newspapers on your behalf each week, but that is admittedly unusual! The National Library of Scotland has just launched a new exhibition (which runs until 31 October) presenting the story of the news in Scotland over the past 400 years, drawing from the millions of newspapers held in the Library's collections. The development of how the news is produced is also covered, ranging from what's believed to be the first newspaper published in Scotland (in 1641), through to the online 24-hour coverage of the 21st century. And the exhibition also tries to explain why it is that Scottish people have such a huge appetite for reading news. For more information, see www.nls.uk/readallaboutit/index.html

Live + Loud, Hampden Park

Scotland’s national pop festival returns to Hampden Park on 20 June for a full day’s entertainment courtesy of the biggest chart acts around (so claims the advertising). Blue, Sugababes, Busted, Girls Aloud, Peter André, Emma Bunton, Jamelia, Maroon 5, Michelle McManus, Natasha Bedingfield, McFly and Phixx are amongst the top names already confirmed, with more to follow. The event is being sponsored by Health Scotland to emphasise the importance of taking time out to recharge your batteries. See www.liveandloud.info for more information.

Championship Dog Show in Scottish Borders

For a number of years a Dog Show has been a feature of the Border Union Agricultural Show. Held this year in Springwood Park, Kelso, within sight of the Abbey on 19th/20th June, there are generally somewhere between 6000 and 7500 entries. Sections include working, pastoral, utility, toy, gundog, hound and terrier. A social evening is held in the permanent building with entertainment, dancing and a bar.

Battle of the Thistles

The battle over whether Partick Thistle (bottom of the Scottish {Premier League) should be relegated or whether Inverness Caledonian Thistle (champions of the First Division), should be promoted to the SPL, continues to rumble on. Inverness were denied promotion by a single vote at a recent SPL meeting. Since then, although the vote was supposedly secret, it appears that some clubs who voted to keep the northern club out, may have changed their stance. A meeting has been called for 22 June at which the situation will be reviewed and possibly another vote taken. If the vote goes against them this time, it will be Partick Thistle and their supporters who will be fighting back, with threats of legal action. Partick feel aggrieved because they spent the cash to upgrade their stadium to meet the rules which prevailed at that time, even though they had no need, for example, to have a stadium capable of seating 10,000 spectators. They argue that if they had not undertaken that expenditure, they could have spent more money on players - and so avoided finishing bottom of the SPL. Inverness argue that they followed all the rules and that their interim ground sharing arrangement with Aberdeen for next season fulfills all the legal requirements. Meantime, Inverness supporters have started an online petition to put additional pressure on the SPL to change the previous decision and at the last count it had gathered 15,000 "signatures". See www.caleythistleonline.com/ If they are successful, no doubt a similar petition will be launched by aggrieved Partick Thistle supporters - the official club web site is at www.ptfc.co.uk/.

New South Wales Waratahs 33 Scotland 15

Another crushing defeat by the Scotland rugby squad on their tour of Australia and New Zealand. The Waratahs were without a number of their best players (who are training with the Australian national side for the matches against Scotland later in the month). Scotland coach Matt Williams conceded that this defeat was the worst of the last eight months. Williams said " It was probably the most disappointing performance since I have been Scotland coach." The Australian side scored five tries and Scotland could only manage two in reply. The only bright spot for the Scots was an outstanding performance from inside centre Graeme Morrison. The first game against the full Australian side is on Sunday at the Telstra Dome, Melbourne at 4pm (AEST), 6pm (NZ), 7am (UK) and 8am (RSA).

100,000 Viewers for SPL Matches?

Setanta, the Dublin-based pay-per-view satellite broadcaster which has signed a £35 million four-year deal with the Scottish Premier League to televise 38 matches each season, has started an advertising blitz to sign up 100,000 subscribers for next season. The service will cost £12.99 a month or £99 for the entire season. The matches were previously shown free on the BBC terrestrial service. The company is trying to convince supporters that they are investing millions in Scottish football and that the deal is good for everyone.

Scotland Beat USA

Scotland's international football and rugby teams (and our cricket team and even the American-style football team) have suffered many defeats in recent months (years?). So it is a relief to be able to report a success for once! The match in question was the first international polo match between Scotland and the USA. It was played at the Newport International Polo Series grounds in Rhode Island. Scotland scored first and went in at half-time leading 5 -4. In the second half, the US got the measure of the Scots' playing style and, by the end of the 5th chucker, the Scots were trailing 6-7. But the Scots fought back to 10-10 by the end of the 5th chucker and in the last chukker a determined Scots attack forced the US to concede two penalties, giving the Scots a 12-10 victory by the end. There was loud vocal support from local Scots, some of whom came dressed in kilts, broadswords and targes. For more action pictures from the game (as well as those well-dressed Scottish supporters) see www.gisele.com/ritrek/html/scotland_polo.htm. The illustration here is by kind permission of Gisele Dallaire who owns that site. The picture shows Scots Captain Ally Archibald (in the red shirt) having received a pass from Jamie Herriot-Maitland, attacking down the line - flanked by USA players Mark Wright (2) and Jim Garner (4). Three of the Scottish team came from the Dundee and Perth Polo Club. Their Web site at www.scottishpolo.com/home.htm gives the rules of the sport if you are not familiar with the finer points.

Autumn Test Series for Scotland Rugby

Dates for the international rugby test series to be played at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, have been announced. The dates and times are:
13 November 5:30pm Scotland v Japan
20 November 2:45pm Scotland v Australia
27 November 2:45pm Scotland v South Africa

Scottish Claymores End Season on Dismal Note

The Scottish Claymores will be glad that this year's NFL Europe season has drawn to a close. Their record of six defeats and two wins concluded last weekend with a defeat by Cologne Centurions, putting them at the foot of the table. It wasn't their worst season - but it did equal their two worst seasons in 1995 and 1998, when they finished with an identical result.

The Great Scottish Walk

Scotland’s premier fundraising event on 20th June offers two alternative routes in Edinburgh: a 12 mile course which extends to Ocean Terminal in Leith and a 6 mile circuit which incorporates the Cowgate, Holyrood Park and Meadowbank. There is also a competitive element with teams of up to six competing in a variety of categories. The event has been running in various guises since 1968 and, since that time, it has raised more than £1 million for good causes. For further information, see www.greatscottishwalk.com.