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
At one stage Gretna looked as though they would run away with the First Division title. They may still do so, but losing to second place St Johnstone on Saturday puts the Perth side 9 points behind, with a game in hand. A win by bottom-placed Queen of the South has put them within 4 points of Airdrie United.
In the Second Division, Greenock Morton are 10 points ahead of Stirling Albion, while Forfar remain 7 points adrift from Stranraer.
At the top of the Third Division, Berwick Rangers have drawn further ahead and are now 5 points clear of East Fife. Both clubs at the foot of that table lost on Saturday, so East Stirling are still 6 points above Elgin. Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
£17 Million for Burns International Museum
There were more reasons than usual to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Scotland's national bard this week. The Burns heritage centre in the thatched cottage in Alloay where he was born has been under threat for some years. It suffered so much from lack of finance and the resulting damp that some of the artefacts, including the bard's own bible, had been damaged. The trustees had been forced to move a number of valuable items to the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. Of course, there had never been any possibility of Burns Cottage having to close down as a visitor attraction - especially with the celebrations for 250th anniversary of his birth approaching in 2009. But there was some relief this week when it was announced that the Heritage Lottery Fund had allocated a grant of £5.8 million and the Scottish Executive in Edinburgh had awarded £5.5 funding. The National Trust for Scotland will co-ordinate the management (and further fund raising) for the a new "Burns International Museum". In total, the aim is to gather £17 million for the project to create a centre that is worthy of the country's greatest and best known poet. Burns himself, who struggled for much of his life with financial problems, would no doubt smile at the millions now being spent to keep his immortal memory burning brightly in the land of his birth.
Royal Navy's Latest Warship Launch
HMS Dauntless, the second of the advanced Type 45 destroyers to be launched on the Clyde, went down the slipway on Tuesday at the BAE Systems yard at Govan on the river Clyde. The vessel joins her sister ship HMS Daring (launched last February at the Scotstoun yard) in being fitted out with state-of-the-art technology. The UK government is currently investing in the biggest shipbuilding programme for the Royal Navy in decades - and much of the new fleet is being constructed by the yards on the Clyde. Each Type 45 vessel costs £650 million. The launch of HMS Dauntless nearly had to be postponed when atmospheric conditions meant that the narrow river was not deep enough. A frantic call was made to Glasgow City Council staff to close three tidal gates three miles further up the river. That blocked the tidal water flowing upstream and levels at Govan rose by another foot - enough of a margin to allow the launch to proceed.
Scots on the Move
The results of a National Travel Survey in Scotland show in statistical terms that we are travelling more - and further - than 20 years ago. The average distance travelled by Scottish residents within the UK each year has gone up since 1975/76 by over 3,000 miles to 7,332 miles. Of course, around 75% of the distance travelled was by motor car - no other mode of travel accounted for over 10%. Buses accounted for 6% of the distance travelled and rail travel for about the same. Despite the increased amount of travel by car, over a third of people in the survey said that they walked continuously for at least 20 minutes each week - though that left the other two-thirds who didn't achieve even that level of exercise.
British Airways Strike to Affect Scottish Flights
British Airways (BA) cabin crews are going on strike on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, unless last minute efforts to avert the industrial action are successful. The company will be forced to cancel 88 flights to and from Scotland as a result, affecting an estimated 9,000 passengers. The management and staff have failed to reach a compromise in the dispute over pay and sick leave. BA competitors are already laying on extra flights to cope with the expected demand.
Demand for Staff Forces Up Wages
The latest report from the Bank of Scotland on the Scottish labour market shows that demand for permanent and temporary staff is continuing to grow. That, combined with a skills shortage, is pushing up wage rates. The strongest growth in staff placements was seen in Glasgow, while Aberdeen companies reported the greatest skills shortages. As a result, pay rates for temporary staff were rising more quickly in Aberdeen, although Glasgow saw the greatest increase in permanent staff salaries. The category showing the greatest demand for staff was engineering and construction, due to the unprecedented explosion of building projects. The most sought-after temporary workers were in the financial services sector.
£46.4 Million for Royal Museum of Scotland
The huge project to modernise the Royal Museum of Scotland building has at last got the financial backing it needed. This week, it was announced that the Heritage Lottery Fund had allocated £16.7 million to the upgrade, with a further £15.25 million from the Scottish Executive. The balance will come from private sponsorship and fund-raising. Now that the finance is in place, subject to final approval by the Lottery Fund trustees, the ambitious plans to transform the building into a world-class attraction can now move forward.
Drivers Warned to Steer Clear of City Centre
Why is it that "improvements" by highly-paid traffic management experts always manage to create chaos when they are implemented? The latest city to create long queues of irate drivers is the Highland capital of Inverness. Things got so bad that the senior traffic warden there made a plea to motorists to stay away from Inverness Old Town. The new scheme was introduced ahead of a multi-million pound city centre regeneration project. A member of the Inverness City Traders Association described the traffic situation as "dreadful" and "a complete bottleneck".
Crackdown on Noisy Planes at Glasgow Airport
Airlines that break the agreed noise limits at Glasgow airport could face fines of up to £1,000 - with the cash going to local charities. A new hotline has been set up to allow residents to contact the airport authorities so that they can crack down on carriers who use noisy aircraft or deviate from established flight plans. A special listening device in Clydebank has shown that some of the 265 planes a day using the airport breached the government decibel noise limit. The numbers of errant aircraft (184 out of over 30,000 measured during the survey) were not huge, but if you have been woken up by a Balkan airline using an ancient Tupolev aircraft at 3am, once is too often.
Pipers Attempt World Record
Pipers from across the north-east of Scotland have taken part in a non-stop piping marathon of eight hours, with the aim of gaining entry into the Guinness Book of Records - and raising money for a local cancer charity called Clan - Cancer Link Aberdeen and North East. The piping event was part of a week-long effort by a local school to raise money for this good cause. The piping record was monitored by representatives of the Guinness Book of Records and they will announce in the coming weeks whether the pipers have been successful in their record attempt.
Uncertain Future for Dundee Botanic Garden
Dundee University is having to make substantial savings in order to reduce a budget deficit and one of the areas under threat is the much-loved botanic garden. It occupies 22 acres on a prime site on land between Riverside Drive and Perth Road and has been available to the public since it opened in 1971. Although run on a shoe-string budget, the gardens and glass-houses are a joy for visitors. The visitor centre won a national award in 1988 from the Royal Institute of British Architects. The area is regarded as one of the major tourist attractions in the city, as well as being an important educational resource for the university and local schools. It has been described as the "jewel in the crown of the university" and it seems inconceivable that it would close. But the revelation that it is "under threat" is probably being made in order to focus minds on how to obtain suitable finance to allow it to continue in its many roles.
Two Million Visitors
The Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery reopened after a three-year renovation programme last July and since then visitors have flocked through the doors. Early estimates of the numbers, based on the previous figures of just over a million a year, have been massively exceeded. This week, the Lord Provost of Glasgow was on hand to greet the two-millionth person to arrive at the attraction since its reopening. It was a sign of the times that the two millionth visitor should be Marta Zurowska and her young daughter Ola, who moved to Glasgow from Poland only four months ago. They had already been to the attraction on a number of earlier occasions, but had come back so that Ola could see the dinosaurs - before moving across the road to tour the Transport Museum at the Kelvin Hall. Kelvingrove's visitor numbers, measured over the last six months, places it as the third most popular museum in Britain, in addition to being four times as busy as Scotland's previous top attraction - Edinburgh Castle.
Michelin Star for New Edinburgh Restaurant
It is unusual for a restaurant which has been open for less than a year to win a prestigious Michelin Star rating. But that was the achievement of The Kitchin restaurant on the Shore in Leith this week, as it joined such illustrious company as the nearby and long-established Martin Wishart restaurant and Number One at the Balmoral Hotel in the centre of the Capital. Owner Tom Kitchin said he was "shocked" when he learned of the award - though many in the trade had tipped him to be successful, despite the short time his establishment has been operating. The judges in the Michelin Star awards visit undercover - at least until after they have eaten. There is a review of The Kitchin by travel writer Vivien Devlin on the Rampant Scotland site at Great Places to Eat - The Kitchin.
Jam and Soup Company Expanding Worldwide
Baxters Food Group, which is still based in the village of Fochabers in Moray, is planning to open a new base in Poland. And in pursuit of its expansion strategy, the company is also looking at setting up a manufacturing base in other countries, including Australia. Founded in 1868, Baxters main product lines are jam and soup but it has also expanded into pickles (especially beetroot) and preserves. The Canadian soup company acquired two years ago has since doubled in size. Chairwoman and chief executive Audrey Baxter aims to expand the group's turnover to £300 million and is confident of breaking the £200 million barrier in just a few more years. Despite the international expansion plans, staff at Fochabers have been reassured that the company has no intention of cutting back local production there. Quite apart from staff loyalty, any such move might threaten the "family business" marketing brand.
Now Polish Scots Have Their Own Tartan
A new tartan, incorporating the red and white of the flag of Poland and the dark blue of Scotland, has been created by a Polish Scot in Edinburgh, whose grandfather settled in Scotland. The two countries have had a long association - Scottish merchants lived and worked in Poland centuries ago. There is a myth in Poland that Lech Walesa, leader of the Solidarity movement, is descended from Sir William Wallace and, more certainly, Bonnie Prince Charlie's mother was Maria Clementina Sobieska, a Polish Princess. 20,000 Poles stayed on in Scotland after World War II and since Poland joined the European Union, there has been a large influx of workers from there. So now they all have a tartan to call their own.
Fife Fish Bar's Success
The Anstruther Fish Bar has won the title as the best fish and chip (French fries) in Scotland on two previous occasions and came out top again this year. The "chippie" then went on to be judged in the UK-wide competition and this week it was announced that the judges had placed it second in the National Fish and Chip Shop of the Year competition, narrowly missing out on the top prize. The small cafe on the seafront at Anstruther is under new ownership - the business (along with the secret recipe for the batter for the deep fried fish) was sold for £1.5 million to a new husband and wife team who seem to be maintaining the same standards.
Scottish Standard Time?
It will never reach the statute books, but a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) in the UK legislature, has introduced a private members bill which would introduce a three-year experiment in which would put all UK clocks forward by one hour. His "Energy Saving (Daylight) Bill" would mean that the UK would be in the same time zone as mainland Europe. Only Portugal and Ireland currently keep to the same time as the UK. The move would create more useful daylight hours at the end of the day, throughout the year. But when a similar experiment was tried previously, those living in the north, particularly the north of Scotland, objected to going to work or kids going to school in the dark in the middle of winter. It doesn't change the number of daylight hours, of course, but makes the available hours more useful for much of the UK. In order to get round Scottish objections, particularly in the far north, the MP is proposing that the Scottish Parliament could vote separately on the issue - and opt out, if they wanted. But that would mean Scotland having a different time zone from the rest of the UK which would undoubtedly lead to total confusion in such a small island.
That's the Ticket
The staff at Lothian Transport in Edinburgh were more than a little surprised when they received a demand for a fine of £100 from the City of Westminster Council in London. It was claimed that a number 44 bus from Edinburgh had been caught on CCTV in a restricted zone of Oxford Street in the UK capital. But they reckoned without the video cameras in the north - which firmly recorded the errant bus on the Edinburgh city by-pass 17 minutes after the alleged "offence". The operations manager of Lothian Buses commented that he had known a few buses to get lost, but this one topped the lot. And getting from Edinburgh to London and back (800 miles) in 17 minutes would have taxed an RAF supersonic fighter. The fine has now been cancelled, with a "clerical error" blamed for the "mix-up".
Great Chieftain o' the Pizza Race
The owner and chef of Pizza Crolla in Glasgow are the only British entrants in this year's World Pizza Championships in Las Vegas in March. Entries have to be "original" and you can't get more unique than a pizza stuffed with haggis and mashed/creamed neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes). The calzone or stuffed pizza has the dough folded over the ingredients rather than sitting on top. The dish is being served to customers in the south side of Glasgow - along with a single malt whisky followed by a cranachan-style sweet pizza, topped with Drambuie-soaked oatmeal, cream and raspberries sprinkled with brown sugar. The PizzaExpress chain is also celebrating the anniversary of Burns' birthday this week with a more conventional pizza - but with a haggis topping instead of the usual range. The company claims that it has proved to be a great success and they are considering making it available on a regular basis - and in other parts of the UK. Haggis lovers will be delighted!
Weather in Scotland This Week
The early part of the week saw overnight temperatures falling below freezing and maximum daytime levels struggling to reach 3/4C (37/39F). Tuesday was the coldest day of the week, with much of the east coast barely managing temperatures above freezing during the day. Heavy snow fell in Aberdeenshire on Tuesday, resulting in the closure of a number of schools and making some minor roads impassable. Commuters in Aberdeen faced long delays as traffic slowed to a crawl. The cold weather did produce clearer skies and some wintry sunshine at times. By Friday, temperatures began to rise and the more easterly wind direction changed to north-west. Edinburgh and Glasgow reached a sunny 9C (48F) that day and the forecast for early next week in the central Scotland belt is 10/11C (50/52F).
The illustration above is of the snow-covered hills of Argyll, seen across the river Clyde from Inverclyde, earlier this week.
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 Holyrood Park Edinburgh (see thumbnail); the 19th and 21st century styles of St Leonard's Hall and Chancellor's Court at the Pollok Halls of Residence for Edinburgh University students; the Royal Observatory at Blackford Hill; Prestonfield House - and a Highland Cow. See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Antonine Wall Nominated for World Heritage Status
The UK government's nomination for World Heritage status was announced this week by the UK Culture Secretary. As widely expected, the site being put forward to the conservation body Unesco is the Roman Antonine Wall, which runs for 37 miles across central Scotland from Old Kilpatrick on the river Clyde to Bo'ness on the Firth of Forth. The wall was built around 140AD, in the reign of Emperor Antonius Pius, to deter warriors from the north invading southern Scotland. But it lasted only 25 years, after which the Roman occupying force retreated to behind Hadrian's Wall, across northern England. Unesco will examine the proposal and will make a pronouncement at a later date.
Edinburgh Burns Club Celebrates Again
The Edinburgh Burns Supper Club was created 160 years ago by George Thomson, a close friend and publisher of the Ayrshire bard. Its members included Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and John Buchan, but it closed down over 20 years ago. However, a lifelong enthusiast for the poet's work has resurrected the gathering and Prof David Purdie will himself proposed the Immortal Memory at the New Club in Princes Street this week.
Commemorating the Union of Parliament
The commemoration of the Union of the Scottish and English Parliaments in January 1707 has proved to be a very muted affair - it seemed as though there was a "300 Year Itch" on the go, with more discussion of a possible divorce rather than a happy anniversary. There were a few TV programmes presenting the historical background - and the Royal Mint produced a smart new £2 coin. The design showed a Scottish thistle and English rose along with the portcullis which is a logo of the UK parliament. The design was linked together as if it was a jigsaw puzzle. While the symbolism was no doubt meant to be the linkage aspect, there were many who perhaps saw it more as a puzzle? The new coin will go into general circulation later this year, but the Mint these days makes money out of collectors buying limited editions of uncirculated coins. The presentation package of the full set of coins for 2007 from the Royal Mint also contained a card showing the evolution of the UK Union Jack flag (from the individual flags of England, Scotland and Ireland) - and a £2 coin to mark the abolition of the slave trade in Britain, in 1807.
Next Week in Scottish History
Last Exit for Edinburgh Fringe Festival Director
Paul Gudgin, who has been the director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the last eight years, is leaving "to pursue other arts opportunities in the UK and abroad" - probably with competing events outside of Scotland. He is to remain in post until the 2007 programme is launched on 7 June. His departure comes not long after resignation of the top man at the main Edinburgh International Festival. During Mr Gudgin's term of office, the Fringe has seen unprecedented growth, attracting performers from all over the world - and transformed it into the largest arts event in the world.
Burns the Bard
As the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns is toasted this week around the world, the Scots Language Centre has produced material on their Web site which aims to give a good flavour of the poet - who is credited with giving the Scots vernacular a shot in the arm at a time when many in Scotland were striving to lose their Scottish brogue and adopt "North British" styles. The section includes an amusing poem by Liz Niven which gives a modern take on the many meanings that the word "bard" can have - at least if it's said out loud rather than written. See Scots Language Centre.
Snowdrop Festival
Organised by the national tourism agency VisitScotland, the first-ever Scottish Snowdrop Festival is taking place between 1st February and 11 March. Over 60 locations - mainly gardens and woodlands - have been lined up to participate so that everyone can go out and enjoy these harbingers of spring. VisitScotland has set up a Web site with an active map showing the locations of all the participants. See Scottish Snowdrop Festival.
Sunday Football Results
Dunfermline 0 Rangers 1
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3 Hibernian 0Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 27 January 2007
Dundee United 0 Dunfermline 0
Falkirk 0 Kilmarnock 2
Hibernian 1 Motherwell 0
Rangers 0 Heart of Midlothian 0
St Mirren 0 Aberdeen2
Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Celtic is scheduled for Sunday.Scottish Football League First Division Results - 27 January 2007
Airdrie United 1 Clyde 0
Livingston 1 Hamilton 2
Queen of the South 4 Partick Thistle 3
Ross County 0 Dundee 0
St Johnstone 2 Gretna 1Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 27 January 2007
Ayr 0 Peterhead 0
Brechin City 2 Alloa 3
Cowdenbeath 1 Greenock Morton1
Stirling Albion 4 Forfar 0
Stranraer 0 Raith Rovers 2Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 27 January 2007
Arbroath 0 Albion Rovers 0
Berwick Rangers 2 East Stirling 0
Elgin 0 Dumbarton 1
Montrose 3 East Fife 3
Stenhousemuir 1 Queens Park 2League Tables
The 0-0 draw on Saturday between Rangers and Hearts makes Celtic's position at the top of the SPL even more secure.The Parkhead side sit 16 points ahead of Rangers and have a Sunday game against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Meantime, Aberdeen are only four points behind Rangers, with a game in hand. At the foot of the table, Dunfermline trail S Mirren by 8 points.
New Scotland Manager Named on Monday
A press conference has been arranged by the Scottish Football Association for Monday at which the new manager of the Scotland national football team will be announced. It is widely expected that he will be Alex McLeish, the former manager of Rangers. So the musical management chairs will have moved full circle. Walter Smith, who resigned as Scotland manager to take over again as manager at Rangers, is being replaced by the man who was manager at Ibrox until Frenchman Paul le Guen took over last year - and produced the same unsatisfactory results as McLeish.
New Stadium for Hearts Moves a Step Forward
The football stadium at Tynecastle in Edinburgh, which is home to Heart of Midlothian, is hemmed in by businesses, educational establishments and residential property. It was the restrictions on expansion which persuaded previous managements of the club to look at the possibilities of relocating to another site - much to the dismay of many supporters, who have a love affair with the traditions of the present ground. It was the promise of redevelopment of Tynecastle (plus a lot of cash) which won the day for Lithuanian banker Vladimir Romanov when he offered to buy the club. The tortuous process of achieving that goal inched forward this week when the Executive of City of Edinburgh Council gave permission for the club to purchase land adjacent to the stadium. Once the details of the £6 million sale have been agreed, expansion of the main stand can start. The aim is to build a new 12,000 seater stand which would expand capacity up to 26,000.
Andy Murray's Best Performance?
Even though he was defeated by Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the Australian Open this week, Andy Murray was justifiably up-beat about his performance. The 19-year-old was leading two sets to one in the earlier stages of the match, but eventually lost in five sets to the world number two in a battle that lasted for nearly four hours. He said he was definitely not disappointed and thought that it was the best tennis he had ever played, even better than last August when he defeated Roger Federer. Nadal was full of praise for Murray too - and the effort of defeating the Scot was no doubt a factor in Nadal's defeat in the following round.
Welcome for Lady Golfers at R&A
The home of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews, the governing body for the sport in most of the world, is one of the last bastions of sport which is still men only. The R&A has been softening their attitudes in recent years, however, and The Open Golf Championship is now, theoretically at least, open to both men and women. Although the golf courses are open to all members of the public, the club house itself is traditionally men only. But that is set to change later this year - at least for a few days. The Weetabix Women's Open will be held at St Andrews in August and the R&A is putting out the welcome mat. The championship attracts most of the top 100 women golfers and the St Andrews event will probably see the Hawaiian teenager prodigy Michele Wie playing in a competition in Scotland for the first time.
Delight at Scottish Ski Centres
Drivers in the Lowlands may have viewed the snow-fall last week with some dismay, but it's an ill blizzard that blows nobody any good... All five ski resorts in the Highlands were open for the first time this winter. The high winds initially meant that only the more expert skiers could venture out, but this week the slopes saw as many as 1.000 skiers and boarders on the slopes each day. Fresh snow overnight helped to keep the runs complete.