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.
Current Affairs
Historical Affairs - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
Entertainment
Sport
Gretna are 12 points ahead of St Johnstone at the top of the First Division, though the Perth club has a game in hand. Queen of the South are still struggling at the foot of the First Division, with 4 points fewer than Airdrie United.
Greenock Morton are sitting comfortably at the top of the Second Division, 9 points ahead of Stirling Albion, while Forfar are 10 points behind Stranraer at the other end of the table.
In the Third Division, East Fife and Berwick Rangers both have 38 points, but Berwick have played two games less. East Stirling moved to 6 points ahead of bottom club Elgin this Saturday, thanks to a fine win over the current Third Division leader. East Stirling are only 4 points behind the total number of points they achieved in the whole of last season. Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Over Two Million Overseas Visitors
The regular survey of the number of overseas visitors coming to Scotland shows that they rose by 14% in the first nine months of last year - much higher than the 8% growth for the rest of the UK. The International Passenger Survey shows that a total of 2,249,000 overseas visitors came to Scotland during these months, compared to 1,981,000 for the same period in 2005. The numbers coming from North America rose by 16% (double the rate of increase in the rest of the UK) while visitors from Europe rose by 13%, compared to the previous year. It is thought that a contributory factor is the growing number of low-cost direct air services between Scotland and overseas destinations
Flu Virus Causes Havoc
A flu-like respiratory virus has swept across Scotland, putting major strains on a National Health Service (NHS) that is always working at the limits. NHS Grampian, in the north-east, has been forced to cancel a number of out-patient appointments at the busiest time of the year, due to a combination of additional patients and staff off sick with the bug. Wishaw General Hospital, in North Lanarkshire, had to turn away all but emergency out-patient cases this week as it could not cope with the influx of referrals. Patients were diverted to other hospitals after Wishaw experienced a 64% surge in patients as a result of the virus, which causes a severe cough and aching muscles. The NHS 24 telephone help line reported that it had received twice the normal number of calls from people complaining of flu-like symptoms.
More Time Off for Scots Workers
After protracted negotiations, involving business and trade union representatives, the government is implementing legislation which will mean that an estimated 500,000 workers in Scotland will get an extra 8 days holiday each year. Currently, the minimum entitlement is 20 days a year, but employers of many part-time and low-paid workers include the eight bank and public holidays in that figure. The change to a full 28 days is being phased in, with four days extra holidays from October this year and the balance from October next year. While many employees already have a more generous holiday entitlement as part of their conditions of service, the changes will add 0.4% to the wage bill across the country. It will bring all workers more in line with the entitlement of those in Europe - workers in Ireland have a minimum of 29 days, while those in Austria receive a grand total of 38 days. It is argued that time off helps productivity, reduces sick leave and keeps people motivated.
Clyde Fastlink Slows Down
Last year, a plan was announced for a fleet of hi-tech buses to run every six minutes from Central Station in Glasgow, along the river to the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) and on to the far end of the massive Glasgow Harbour development. The initial implementation of the new bus fleet would not require any track and so it was predicted that the new superbuses could be running to the SECC by the end of 2007. About 85% of the route would be on a new private roadway, passing by the new transport museum, with a walkway to the new Partick rail and underground interchange. The cost was estimated to be around £35 million. This week, the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) formally adopted the plan - but costs have escalated to £42 million and as an application has yet to be made to the Scottish Executive for funding, the implementation timetable is slipping also. The proposals include further phases, but these are still at an early stage. The hope is to extend the system as far as Clydebank on the north side of the river and along the south bank as far as Renfrew. The cost of these extensions is currently estimated to be in the region of another £68 million. However, unless some form of improved public transport is put in place, the huge Glasgow Harbour development has the potential to create a major source of traffic congestion. Glasgow Harbour alone is currently creating 2,500 homes plus offices and retail and leisure facilities on the site of a former grain store.
Jack and Sophie
Each January, the General Register Office of Scotland publishes an analysis of the names used by parents in the previous year when registering the birth of their children. The "league table" for 2006 shows that after three years of coming second, Jack has returned to the top spot for boys' names, replacing Lewis. Jack was previously number one from 1999 to 2002. But Lewis has fallen only to second place, after 3 years at the top. Callum remains in third place and the top ten names are the same as last year with only minor changes to ranking. There are, however, two new entrants to the top 20 - Aaron (up 8 places to 13th) and Logan (up 8 places to 15th). Some new names reaching the top 100 include Kenzie, Alfie, Brodie, Luca and Bailey - showing that parents can be adventurous at times. For the second year, Sophie is the most popular girls’ name for new babies. Emma remains in second place whilst Erin and Katie climb to third and fourth places respectively. The only new entrant to the top ten is Olivia (up 3 places to 9th) replacing Rebecca (down 3 places to 12th). Grace (up 14 places to 14th), Isla (up 6 places to joint 19th) and Sarah (up 3 places to joint 19th) all climb into the top twenty. By early-December 2006, over 25,300 girls had been registered, with over 3,500 different names being used. The top 50 girls' names accounted for 45 per cent of the registrations, but over 2,200 girls in Scotland were given unique (for 2006) first names. For all the background details, see Registrar for Scotland.
Exports Continue to Fall
The sale of Scotland's manufactured exports fell in the third quarter last year, the second successive quarter in which sales have declined. The reduction was 0.8% in the quarter, but the figure for the second quarter has also ben revised upwards in the latest data to 1.4%, from an original 0.8%. The figures are being dragged down by a slump in the sales of electronic equipment - once the driver of export growth. At its peak in 2000, the electronic and instrument engineering sector accounted for 58% of Scotland's exports. That has declined rapidly since then, but still accounts for 34% of the overall total. If the electronic sector is excluded, Scottish manufacturing exports show an increase of 0.6% in the third quarter. Despite the disappointing figures, the Scottish economy is growing at an estimated 2.4% per year, which is above its long-tem trend. The service sector and sales within the UK are helping to drive the figures up.
More European Air Services
The government's Route Development Fund (RDF) has again played its part in encouraging airlines to start up new services, by providing a financial subsidy to defray the costs of starting a new route. This time, it has induced the BMI Regional airline to start daily flights between Aberdeen and Kristiansand in Norway and also between Edinburgh and Zurich in Switzerland. The RDF has now secured 36 direct air services between Scottish airports and destinations in UK, Europe, the US, Canada and Dubai. Last year, there was a major surge in international traffic to 8 million passengers.
Mastermind Quizmaster Passes Away
Magnus Magnusson, who presented 450 editions of the "Mastermind" TV quiz programme which was watched by millions between 1962 and 1997, has passed away after a brief illness. Although he sometimes appeared on the show as a feared inquisitor, in part that was due to the format of the quiz show with its intimidating black chair. His generosity, sense of humour, humanity, warmth and intelligence shone through and made the show and its presenter, one of the best-loved on BBC TV. The Director General of the BBC described him this week as "one of the defining faces and voices of the BBC". Magnusson's father was the Icelandic consul and he came to Scotland at the age of one. After graduating from Oxford, he had a distinguished career in journalism but also became a TV presenter in a wide range of factual programmes. At its peak, Mastermind had an audience of 22 million and his famous phrase "I’ve started, so I’ll finish" (if he was in the middle of a question when the time limit was reached) entered the language. He had a number of high-profile appointments outside of television, including Rector of the University of Edinburgh, chairman, Scottish Natural Heritage and president of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. He was awarded an honorary knighthood in 1989.
Whales and Dolphins in Firth of Forth
Campaigners who want to stop the Forth Ports Authority from going ahead with plans to allow ship-to-ship transfers of oil in the Firth of Forth, have produced new evidence to help their case. A survey of the waters which lie between Edinburgh and Fife found 99 dolphins and a number of whale species, including Minke, Pilot and Orca. Sunderland firm Melbourne Marine Services Ltd wants to transfer oil from Russia to other vessels in the Firth of Forth. Ship-to-ship oil transfers already take place at Scapa Flow in Orkney and contingency plans for the Forth estuary have been approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. But campaigners argue that if it can be shown that the scheme would endanger protected species and their habitats, the Scottish Executive may be persuaded to block approval for the scheme.
Picture via Wikipedia.
650 Jobs Lost in Dundee
After months of speculation and rising concern, the employees of automated cash machine manufacturer NCR learned this week - by a video presentation - that 650 staff at the Dundee plant are to lose their jobs. NCR blamed a "changing market environment" and competitive pressures for the job losses. But there had been worries amongst staff ever since the company had opened a plant in eastern Europe. NCR had said in 2005 that the Hungarian operation would "complement" the Dundee operation. Around 100 staff are being retained to make products developed by the local research department.
Kidnapped Given Away
As part of a "One Book - One Edinburgh" project, 25,000 copies of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic adventure "Kidnapped" are being given away in schools and libraries in the Capital. The Jacobite adventures of Alan Breck Stewart and David Balfour were based on real people and events by the Edinburgh-born author. The give-away includes 10,000 copies of the original story, 7,500 in a special edition for younger readers and 7,500 copies of a newly created version told as a graphic novel - a "comic book" in other words.There is also what has been described as an "irreverent and cheeky take on the Kidnapped story" for a younger audience by the director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, entitled "When Kilts Were Banned."
The illustration shows a statue of Alan Breck Stewart and David Balfour in Edinburgh.
New Art Gallery for Kirkcudbright
Although the Dumfries and Galloway town of Kirkcudbright (pronounced "Kirkcoobray" with the accent on the second syllable) has staged a number of high-profile art exhibitions, including a Monet collection in 2005, the town does not have any permanent home for the arts. The town has attracted a large number of visitors to a variety of exhibitions and now the local authority is to provide some modest finance to help towards the creation of a permanent gallery of "national significance" to reflect its artistic heritage. Kirkcudbright has had a long association with art, which started when a colony of artists, including the Glasgow Boys and the famed Scottish Colourists, such as Samuel Peploe and F. C. B. Cadell, based themselves in the area between 1880 and 1910.
Housing Planned for Sports Stadium
Edinburgh City Council has unveiled plans to sell off the Meadowbank Stadium and use the cash to pay for a replacement multi-sports complex at Sighthill and refurbish the Commonwealth Pool. The present sports stadium was built for the Commonwealth Games in 1970 and staged them again in 1986. It has a capacity of 16,000 and the sports facilities, including squash and basketball courts, are used by residents in that part of the city. 20% of those using the facility live close by, not just for sport activities but also as a community centre. So they are unhappy about the plans which would create new sporting venues in other parts of the Capital - and leave them with a much reduced (though modern) complex. Plans currently include a new six-court sports hall, a fitness centre with two activity studios, a martial arts room, four squash courts, a fencing area and a floodlit synthetic pitch. The cost would be absorbed by the developer and there is always a concern that they would try to negotiate with Edinburgh Council for a reduced sports centre. The site is likely to accommodate 815 homes, 25% of which would have to be low-cost affordable housing.
Youngsters More Active
The Scottish Executive's £12 million a year Active Schools scheme seems to be having a good impact on Primary school pupils aged 5 to 11, with the number of physical activity and sport sessions up by over 50%. But in secondary schools, the picture is not nearly so good, according to a report into the effectiveness of the scheme. Over 50% of secondary pupils (aged 12 to 18) fail to hit the target of 60 minutes of physical activity a day - which can include time spent walking to school as well as formal physical education and games. The report showed that while some pupils were taking part in activities such as surfing, dancing, skiing, golf, tennis and judo, overall activity by secondary pupils actually fell slightly in the last year.
Cash Machines Swallow Cards
Thousands of Bank of Scotland customers were horrified this week to find that when they went to draw cash from the automated teller machines, their cards were swallowed up. Instead of getting their cash, they were given a print-out saying their card had been retained and to contact their branch. When they did so, they found queues of people at the counter, all telling the same story. The bank blamed a "technical fault" but it could be up to a week before the customers are reunited with their cash cards. For those with no other means of drawing cash, that could create major problems. The bank tried to play down the issue, saying the problem had been fixed and "the vast majority of customers were unaffected." Presumably they meant all those who hadn't tried to draw cash via the automated system while "technical issue" was operating...
Cromarty Firth Empty
It is a sign of the booming oil industry that the Cromarty Firth, north of Inverness, is empty of unused oil rigs for the first time for 10 years. Used as a parking lot for rigs that are not required, the area has seen as many as 19 structures lying idle in the sheltered waters. The last rig to leave is currently being refurbished at Invergordon and will then "sail" to a new home off the shores of India. There are 70 rigs currently operating in the North Sea and the facilities at Invergordon are working hard on inspection, repair and maintenance work.
Photograph courtesy of the Scotavia> © Web site.
Glasgow Accent "Calming and Trust-building"
The Glasgow accent is often characterised as being rough and indecipherable (a bit like most strong accents to those unfamiliar with them). Certainly, when it is portrayed on TV or film, it often sounds aggressive and guttural. But a report this week by the recruitment agency Office Angels shows that over 160 businesses operate call centres in Scotland's largest city - and one of the reasons is that the Glasgow accent is considered to be "calming and trust-building". Of course, those employed by call centres are more likely to have an "educated Glasgow accent" rather than the one found in an east-end bar. Over 20,000 Glaswegians are now employed in call centres and as customer dissatisfaction with equivalent overseas centres increases, the numbers involved is not diminishing, despite some companies opting for lower costs rather than good service.
E-mail Campaign Saves Pie and a Pint
They may not be the healthiest option on the menu, but large numbers of Scotch Pies are sold in Scotland every day. They are a popular fast food in bakeries as well as in football grounds and bars. A "pie and a pint" is part of the culture in many hostelries, so when the Horseshoe Bar in the centre of Glasgow announced that it was no longer going to sell pies, there was outrage amongst some of their customers. As often happens on these occasions, a Web site was started up - and BBC Scotland's news website and the local press took up the story. Within a short space of time, 3,000 votes had been registered, most demanding the return of the traditional dish. The owners of the bar (no doubt grateful for all the free publicity) have relented and meat pies will be back on the menu next week! Scotch pies are made in special straight-sided pastry moulds, roughly 3-3½ inches in diameter and about 1½ inches deep. A pastry lid, inside the pie, covers the meat about ½ inch below the rim. This leaves a space at the top of the pie which can be filled, if required - with hot gravy, baked beans, mashed (creamed) potatoes etc. The meat is usually mutton (sometimes of varying quality). Many bakers have their own recipes and add spices to give additional flavour - there is now an annual competition for the best Scotch Pie. For how to make this "delicacy", see Scotch Pie Recipe.
Weather in Scotland This Week
It was another week with lots of high winds, torrential rain - and the usual travel chaos that goes along with that. The Tay Bridge was closed for six hours on Tuesday after two lamp-posts half-way across snapped as winds gusted at over 80mph. Both carriageways were closed and travellers were left stranded as there was no information about what was happening or an indication of alternative routes. That involved a journey of over 20 miles to the Friarton Bridge across the Tay at nearly Perth and back along the other side of the river. The Erskine bridge across the Clyde was also closed due to the high winds and the Forth bridge was closed to high-sided vehicles that day. While Wednesday proved to be a dry and sunny day, the gales and rain returned on Thursday. The weather closed some schools in the Western Isles and disrupted ferry services while air services from Glasgow were grounded for a time. Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh was closed after a section of the roof was blown away and a supermarket in Glasgow was also closed when part of its roof blew off. Friday was not quite so wet - but winds continued to gust at over 60mph. On Friday too, Aberdeen reached nearly 15C (59F) with lots of sun - while the west was mainly covered in thick cloud.
This Week's Colour Supplement
This week's large format photographs taken in Scotland to show the current season and its flora and fauna include views around Perth, including the river Tay, the High Street, statue of the "Fair Maid of Perth", the Fergusson Gallery (formerly a neo-classical style water works), St John's Kirk (see thumbnail) and whimsical animal sculptures on top of the walls of the flood defences. See this week's Colour Supplement.
Scotland's Oldest Map Sold
A copy of the oldest accurate chart of Scotland was sold at auction this week for £22,000 - double the amount predicted. Although named the "Nicolay Rutter" it was originally created by an Alexander Lyndsay for King James V, so that he could set out to subdue the rebellious lords of the Western Isles in 1540. The "rutter" (or routier from the French word) showed not only coasts in great accuracy, it also gave sailing directions, the tides and channels which could be used only at high tide. A copy of the map, by a scheming English admiral, found its way to Nicolas de Nicolay, a French map-maker, who produced printed copies. The map is accompanied by 86 pages of sailing directions and all but one of the 150 places shown on the Nicolay Rutter can be identified - though some places, such as "Edembourg" have been given a French spelling. Only a dozen copies of the map have survived, mainly in public institutions such as the National Library of Scotland. Later maps, such the Gordon-Blaeu map of 1654 or the Moll map of 1714, were less accurate.
Aberdeen Wants a Statue of Robert the Bruce
Aberdeen City Council is to launch a design contest for a statue of King Robert the Bruce, who is being described as the city's greatest benefactor. Citizens still benefit from a charity that was established by the monarch and the council is looking for proposals for the creation of a "striking monument" to acknowledge Aberdeen's debt to the medieval king.
Next Week in Scottish History
Celtic Connections Festival
Tickets for Europe's biggest traditional music event are heading for a sell-out, with one week to go before the start on 17 January. Last year, over 100,000 tickets were sold and this year looks like exceeding that figure. There are 260 concerts and workshops in 12 venues across Glasgow to keep everyone entertained by artists from around the globe, alongside the very best Scottish talent. Now entering its 14th year, the festival is a real bright spot amid the gloom of a Glasgow January.
Year of Highland Culture Launched
A crowd of 10,000 spectators braved the high winds and rain in Inverness on Friday to see the launch of "Highland 2007" - a year-long celebration of culture in the north of Scotland. The official launch included Gaelic choirs, pipers and aerial ballet dancers in the streets of the city. Events over the next year include sport, music, poetry - and the world porridge-making championship. The refurbished Eden Court Theatre will stage a new opera and the new visitor centre at Culloden battlefield will be launched during the year. But the rain and a water-logged pitch caused a postponement of a shinty match on Saturday, which was to mark a similar contest in 1887.
Flying High
A version of the classic Peter Pan story, which has been created by Olympic ice-skating champion Robin Cousins, is being staged at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow this week. The J M Barrie story has been adapted for ice and includes magnificent figure skating as well as the traditional flying sequences. The role of Tinkerbelle is being performed by local ice-skater Natalie Cunningham from East Kilbride. After the Glasgow performances, the show moves on to the Aberdeen Exhibition Centre next week.
Tattoo Tickets Sold Out
Seven months before this year's annual Edinburgh Military Tattoo, all 208,848 tickets for the three-week run have been sold. This is the ninth year that the event has been sold out, but each year it is happening earlier than previously. This time, all the tickets have gone four weeks before the same situation last year.
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
Dunfermline 3 Rangers 2 (Scottish Cup, 3rd Round)
Aberdeen 2 Hibernian 2 (Scottish Cup, 3rd Round. Replay on 18 January)Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 13 January 2007
Aberdeen 1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1
Falkirk 1 Dunfermline0
Rangers 5 Dundee United 0
Hearts v Celtic is scheduled for Sunday and Kilmarnock v Hibernian for Monday.Scottish Football League First Division Results - 13 January 2007
Livingston 3 St Johnstone 2
Partick Thistle 2 Gretna 2
Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 13 January 2007
Cowdenbeath 0 Peterhead 3
Forfar 1 Ayr United 1
Greenock Morton 2 Alloa 1
Stirling Albion 0 Raith Rovers 1
Stranraer 0 Brechin City 2Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 13 January 2007
Dumbarton 1 Arbroath 0 (Match abandoned at half-time - bad weather)
East Fife 0 East Stirling 2
Montrose 2 Albion Rovers 3
Queens Park 0 Berwick Rangers 2
Stenhousemuir 3 Elgin 2League Tables
Rangers welcomed back Walter Smith as manager (and Barry Ferguson as captain) with an emphatic win on Saturday - in marked contrast to being knocked out of the Scottish Cup by bottom of the table Dunfermline last Sunday. Saturday's win put the Ibrox side 14 points behind Celtic, who play on Sunday against Hearts and could go further ahead. Aberdeen are in third place, 3 points behind Rangers. At the foot of the table, Dunfermline lie 9 points adrift from St Mirren.
Tennent's Scottish Cup Fourth Round
The draw for the fourth round of the Scottish Cup was made last weekend and the matches will be played on 3rd or 4th February. The ties are:
Motherwell v Greenock Morton
Dunfermline v Heart of Midlothian
Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Dundee United or St Mirren
Falkirk v St Johnstone or Ayr United
Deveronvale v Partick Thistle
Dundee or Queen of the South v Cowdenbeath or Brechin City
Aberdeen or Hibernian v Gretna
Livingston v Celtic
Rangers Get Their Man
Although the Scottish Football Association initially refused to agree to Rangers' request for Walter Smith to become the club's new manager, contracts in soccer are merely a way of ensuring that financial compensation will be paid when the agreement is torn up. Thus, Smith was already at the Rangers training camp and sitting with the club's chairman, Sir David Murray, before the SFA has accepted the inevitable - and a modest amount of cash in compensation. Whether he can be as successful as manager in the 1990s (helping Rangers to nine successive league titles), remains to be seen. Smith's assistant in coaching the Scotland goal scorers, Ally McCoist, has also moved to Rangers - a club where he gained the admiration of fans during his successful playing career. That allowed the sports commentators to start the merry-go-round off again with speculation about who would be the next Scotland manager. With Scotland about to play some crucial World Cup qualifying matches in the near future, an appointment is likely to be made as quickly as possible.
Scotland Cricketers Do Well
Scotland are hoping for a place in the final of the four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup match in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates after a fine performance against UAE in which Dougie Lockhart claimed a national record for catches in an innings. They need to gain an outright victory on Day 3 (Sunday) against UAE to be sure of a place in the final. Otherwise, Ireland or even UAE could reach the final instead.
Two Scots in Australian Open Tennis Tournament
Andy Murray (pictured here), who recently finished third in the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne after beating 2005 Australian Open champion Marat Safin, has been seeded 15th in the Australian Open Tennis Championships which start next week. Murray is joined by another Scot, Alan Mackin, who qualified for the tournament and plays his opening match against Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti on Tuesday at Melbourne Park.