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
Even though Gretna could only manage a draw against Airdrie United, St Johnstone's faint chance of overtaking them receded as the Perth side lost to Dundee (who are in third place). Gretna now sit comfortably at the top with a ten point lead. At the foot of the First Division, Queen of the South still trail Airdrie United by 4 points.
In the Second Division, Greenock Morton have a cushion of 7 points from Stirling Albion, while at the foot of that table, Forfar are 6 points adrift from Stranraer.
In the Third Division, Berwick Rangers are 6 points ahead of Queen's Park at the top and Elgin are 3 points behind East Stirling at the other end of the table.
Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
600 Electricity Pylons, 200 Feet High, Across Scotland
A public enquiry started this week into a plan by Scottish and Southern Energy to build a 137-mile long line of around 600 electricity pylons, each around 200 feet high. They would march from Beauly, north of Inverness, across the Highlands to Denny, near Stirling. Some of the pylons would be in some of Scotland's most picturesque locations, including the Cairngorms National Park. The company argues that the £320 million development is needed to allow the renewable energy resources such as wind and wave generators, to be transmitted to the populated south of the country. There is already a line of pylons, but the new ones are much higher and even more intrusive. The enquiry is expected to last for eleven months as the electricity company makes its case and the many objectors have their say. SSE has ruled out putting the line underground on cost grounds. The report from the enquiry will be submitted to the Scottish Executive for a final decision - with SSE asserting that ministers would approve the plans because of the need to encourage the use of renewable energy.
Graphic of Drumochter Pass from Cairngorms Against Pylons.
Bid to Extend Cairngorms National Park
When the Cairngorms National Park was being created four years ago, there were many who thought that the park's boundaries should have encompassed the southern edge of the Cairngorm mountain range and Blair Atholl. Their exclusion effectively sliced the mountain range into two. But that would have meant another local authority (Perth and Kinross) being involved in what was already the largest national park in the UK. But a Nationalist Member of the Scottish Parliament has now tabled a bill which would expand the park to cover these areas. The Scottish Executive Environment Minister, however, has suggested that such an expansion was "premature" and consideration should be left until 2008 when the park would undergo its first five year review.
Local Taxes Rises Below Inflation
In recent years the annual increases in local taxation levied by the 32 local government authorities have been well above the rate of inflation. But there is an important election for all of Scotland's councils and the Sottish Parliament in May. So this year, aided at the last minute by funds from the Scottish Executive (ie, from general taxation), the average increase has been kept to a below-inflation level of 1.9%. This being a local tax, there are of course local variations - ranging from zero increase in Angus, Glasgow and Midlothian to 3.9% in South Ayrshire. For the first time, Glasgow has lost its dubious title of having the highest council tax in the country - Stirling and Aberdeen now have a rate which is slightly higher. The tax is based on house valuations and higher valued dwellings attract a higher tax. On average across Scotland, a mid-band house will pay a charge of £1,151, with the highest band averaging £2,300. There is also a separate bill from Scottish Water for £366 in the mid-band and £732 at the top. Of course, much of the councils annual spend of over £17 billion comes via allocations from the Scottish Executive and general taxation.
FirstGroup Buys US Greyhound
Aberdeen-based transport company FirstGroup has bought US bus business Laidlaw, which runs the cross-country Greyhound coaches and the distinctive fleet of yellow school buses. The deal makes FirstGroup the largest single school bus operator in the US, with 63,000 school buses in the US and Canada. The purchase has cost FirstGroup £1.9 billion and will build on its existing North American transit management contracting and vehicle maintenance services. FirstGroup is the UK's leading transport operator with 23% of the bus market and 23% of the passenger rail network. Hopefully the purchase will be more successful than that of Stagecoach, the other major transport company based in Scotland. It bought Coach USA in 1999 but after making major losses, Stagecoach was forced to sell off a major part of the company five years later.
Picture via Wikipedia.
Snowfalls Cause Travel Delays
Air services between Scotland and England were disrupted on Thursday when widespread snow in the Midlands and south-east England and across Wales brought a number of airports there to a standstill. Even though it was "only" three to four inches, it was the heaviest fall of snow in that part of the country for over ten years and the support services were over-stretched. Flights to London Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton were cancelled, including nine flights from Glasgow and ten from Edinburgh. Although the English airports re-opened later in the day, there was the usual ripple effect as aircraft were out of position. Welsh rugby fans travelling to Edinburgh for the Six Nations match against Scotland were said to be unperturbed by the delays as they enjoyed the bars at Cardiff International Airport.
Bumper Pay Rise for Train Drivers
Drivers of First ScotRail trains have been offered a new pay deal which will be worth 5.7%, backdated to the start of the year. The deal is for 15 months, so it is equivalent to an annual increase of 4.5%. The new salaries will mean that experienced train drivers will be earning over £32,000 a year. Median wage rates in the UK are around £23,250 a year and last year wage rates rose by 3.7%. The trade unions are recommending acceptance - though pointing out that train drivers in the rest of the UK earn as much as £2,000 more. The deal will also give the drivers 10 extra holiday a year and unlimited rail travel for them, their partner and their children. While the increase will no doubt lead to higher fares, rail travellers will at least be relieved that an agrement would avoid any disruptive strike action.
Points Failures Disrupts Train Services
Commuters on trains to Edinburgh from Glasgow and other central Scotland towns again faced major disruption to services on Monday when two sets of points failed and brought the rush hour to a halt for 45 minutes. The problem resulted in 99 trains being cancelled or delayed. Even when the faults had been rectified, the frequency of the Edinburgh/Glasgow service was reduced from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes. Last month, a train derailment at Waverley Station in Edinburgh was followed by another disruption four days later when replacement equipment installed after the incident failed.
Lewis Wind Farm Approved by Council
The environmental services committee of Western Isles Council (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to give it its correct title) has approved a controversial plan for 181 wind turbines, each 140 metres (460 feet) high, on Barvas Moor on the Isle of Lewis. Wildlife charities, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds have fought strenuously against the development. The island is the most northerly in the Hebrides and is home to one of the largest peatland habitats left in Europe. Three wind farms have been proposed for Lewis, with the potential to generate more than 1,000 megawatts of electricity and make the island the "renewable energy capital of Europe". But others argue that it will spoil the natural beauty of the area. The wind farms are not being built in the Special Area of Conservation, due to European Union restrictions. But that means they are on the periphery, which is nearer the populated areas of the island.
Graphic via Lewis Wind Power.
"Superbranch" Opens in Glasgow
These days, many banks are reducing the size of their expensive branch networks as more and more customers use automated services and online banking instead. So it is surprising that Halifax Bank of Scotland has opened a new "superbranch" in Argyle Street, Glasgow, which they claim is the largest branch of any bank in the UK. It has been built in a former department store and spreads over three floors and 8,000 square feet. There are 12 till positions (how many will actually have staff in them, I wonder?) and eight auto-tellers. There are also facilities for customers to do their own internet banking. The branch will be open from 8.30am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays. The new facility will replace two existing city centre branches.
Car Parking Charges for Glasgow Hospitals
With parking charges already in place in hospitals in Edinburgh and other towns in Scotland, the surprise is that it has taken so long for them to be introduced in hospitals in Glasgow. The Royal Infirmary in the centre of Glasgow brought in charges some time ago, but now they are to be imposed at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children and the Queen Mother's Hospital at Yorkhill, the Western Infirmary, Gartnavel General Hospital and the Victoria Infirmary. There will be special concessions for patients and guardians of children undergoing extended treatment and disabled drivers will be able to park free. The hospital trust argues that charging will help to ensure that people will actually have a chance of getting a parking space. Charges for up to two hours will be just £1, but after that the cost will be another £1 for every hour.
Scottish Gas Cuts Prices
On the coldest day of the winter so far, Scottish Gas announced that at last it was passing on some of the reductions in wholesale energy prices to customers and would cut the cost of gas to consumers by 17% and electricity by 15%. Both changes will take place on March 12. Over the last two years, bills for gas have risen by 75%. Electricity bills have gone up by 67% during the same period. Consumer watch-dogs said last July that Scottish Gas was the most expensive supplier in the country. They have 1.5 million customers, of whom over a million are in Scotland. Scottish Gas claims that the price cuts will now make it the cheapest provider of combined gas and electricity fuel in the UK - at least until their competitors join in the "price war". The changes will cut average fuel bills for combined gas and electricity by £187 a year, to £950.
Nuclear Power Station Dumped Illegal Waste
Although the activities related to between 1963 and 1984, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKEA) has admitted this week that it dumped waste and allowed radioactive particles to be flushed into the sea at Dounreay in the far north of Scotland. UKEA conceded that "some mistakes were made" during the early days of fast nuclear reactor technology but assured the public that such practices ceased long ago. Dounreay was Britain's first centre for fast reactor research, although it is now in the process of being decommissioned and dismantled. Over the years, radioactive particles have turned up on the beaches along the coast from Dounreay.
Picture via Wikipedia.
Busiest Year for Search and Rescue
The nerve centre for Scotland's search and rescue service is based at RAF Kinloss in Moray. Last year proved to its busiest for a decade, as the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre launched aircraft 2,391 times and rescued about 1,700 people, not just in Scotland but throughout Britain. While some of the missions are over the sea, Kinloss is also involved in mountain search and rescue. In July, for example, a glider which went missing was found by an RAF Tornado jet fighter sent out to search the Cairngorm mountains. The centre's helicopters also winched 150 people to safety after an accident in the Nevis cable car. The unit was originally set up to deal with military search and rescue but these days it is much more involved in civilian incidents. The increasing use of mobile phones is thought to be a reason for the growing number of call-outs.
Library Reopens After 20 Month Refit
The Mitchell Library, one of Europe's largest reference libraries, with 1.3 million books, has reopened after a £2.75 million refurbishment which lasted for 20 months. New features include a new contemporary reception area that provide access to Internet and information facilities, a high quality café bar, a new community library and upgraded conference facilities and the adjoining Mitchell Theatre has been upgraded too. Future developments at the Mitchell complex include plans to attract visitors through the world-renowned collections telling the story of Glasgow. Highlights of this include the world’s largest Robert Burns’ collection, the City’s archives which date back to the 12th Century and a fantastic collection of rare books and manuscripts. The Mitchell Library was founded in 1877 with a bequest from the estate of tobacco merchant Stephen Mitchell (1789 - 1874). The current building was built between 1906 - 11 with further extensions in 1939 and 1981.
Who Says the Scots Are Not Romantic?
The Scots have a reputation for not being very romantic and showing tender emotions. The sale of Valentine Cards in the shops would seem to suggest otherwise, however, And the Scots Language Centre has pulled together a selection of items with a romantic theme. Of course, the Scottish dimension is well to the fore as they all relate to items you can purchase through the site (and so help the Scots Language Centre in their work). So if you want a CD of Scottish Love songs, Valentine Cards in Scots (and Gaelic), a great book of Scottish poems for weddings and affirmations (selected by the Scottish Poetry Library) or a book with everything you need to conduct your wedding ceremony in the Scots tongue, have a look at Scots Valentine Day.
Royal Mile "Like an Eastern Bazaar"
The director of the Scottish Tartan authority has criticised many of the shops in Edinburgh's Royal Mile because they look "like an Eastern bazaar" with cheap goods hanging outside in the street and Scottish music blaring from open doorways. He claimed that the famous street was full of "tartan tat" including fake kilts made of acrylic costing just £20. The traders responded, saying that they were filling a "gap in the market" and that many of the kilts, for example, were bought by Scots going to rugby matches at Murrayfield, rather than international tourists.
Sick With the Subway
Passengers on the Glasgow underground railway system get sick fed up with the frequent breakdowns in the service, either because of mechanical failures or lack of staff. All too frequently there is industrial action or the service just closes down because there is nobody to man the trains or the stations. Figures published recently on the number of days subway staff are off sick, show that Glasgow subway staff were absent for an average of 21 days last year - the UK average is around 6/7 days. Management claim that since last summer steps have been taken to tackle the problem and the figure is now down to "only" 15 days on average a year - still more than twice the UK average. Trade union leaders defended the staff, saying that it was a "stressful job".
First Outdoor Curling for Many Years
Those of us who had to scrape the ice from windscreens or slipped on ungritted pavements this week may have cursed the recent cold spell, but one group of sports enthusiasts were delighted with the low temperatures. The members of Kinross Curling Club were able to use their recently refurbished outdoor rink for the first time in ten years and only the second time since the late 1960s. A lot of curlers have never had the opportunity to play outdoors (where the sport was originally played) and the club invited enthusiasts from far and wide. Monks are reputed to have played the game on parts of nearby Loch Leven as far back as the 14th century - when winters were far colder than they are now. Kinross Curling Club claims to have been formed in 1688 - though as with all such claims there are other clubs that dispute the title of "world's oldest".
The graphic is of an outdoor curling match taken many years ago at Lochwinnoch in Ayrshire.
Weather in Scotland This Week
After a cloudy start on Sunday, much of Scotland had clear skies and lots of sunshine, though with freezing overnight frost and maximum daytime temperatures struggling in the range 2/4C (36/39F). Aberdeen and the north-east was also affected by snow on Tuesday and again on Thursday. Further south, in England and Wales, there was the heaviest fall of snow for over ten years.
The picture here shows the walled garden in Colzium Lennox Estate, North Lanarkshire.
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 snowdrops in Colzium Lennox Estate in North Lanarkshire; Hamamelis (also known as "witch hazel"); Iris Reticulata (see thumbnail); the pink flowers of Viburnum standing out against the blue sky; and the "last rose of winter". See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Edinburgh Castle's Ancient Defences Uncovered
Excavations at Edinburgh Castle, in preparation for the construction of a new visitor reception area, have uncovered sections of its defences from over 350 years ago. A two metre thick artillery wall, which had been built after sieges in 1640 and 1650, has been excavated. This had been built over with a gatehouse in the 19th century, when the artillery wall was no longer required. The archaeologists had not expected to find anything surviving below ground level as the area has been redeveloped since then on a number of occasions. Whenever the opportunity arises, archaeologists are keen to use modern techniques to uncover more of the castle's history. A number of years ago excavations on Mills Mount and the Guard House produced evidence of occupation of the site going back to 900BC, the late Bronze Age.
One O'Clock Gun to Return - In Dundee
The One O'Clock Gun fired from the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle is a popular tourist attractions - and pedestrians in busy Princes Street below do use it to check their watches (after they recover from the fright of the sound of a howitzer). Now Dundee City Council is being asked to bring back the Dundee Time-Cannon, which was fired every day from Dudhope Castle, near Dundee Law, from 1873 to 1917. After that, it was only fired on New Year's Day and Armistice Day, so as not to disturb shell-shocked soldiers who had returned from the battles of the First World War. Even that limited firing was brought to an end in 1936 after complaints from the nearby Dundee Royal Infirmary. Modern Ninewells Hospital is some distance away and so after 70 years of silence, the tradition may be revived with a gun in the public park in the grounds Dudhope Castle.
Next Week in Scottish History
Funding Boost for Festival
Last December, it emerged that the Edinburgh International Festival had built up a debt of £1.5 million over the previous three years. The Scottish Arts Council agreed a one-off grant of £500,000 to help reduce that figure and a charitable trust contributed a further £500,000. Edinburgh City Council increased their contribution to £1.8 million for this year's festival, but clearly additional finance was required. So this week the council agreed to add another £350,000 and the Scottish Executive is also to provide £350,000 - the first time that they have made a direct contribution, although its agency, the Scottish Arts Council, has increased its funding to £1.5 million, an increase of £400,000. The aim is to maintain the Edinburgh as ther home of one of the world's leading international arts festivals. It was estimated a few years ago that 2.5 million visitors came to the city because of the annual extravaganza and contributed £184 million to the local economy.
Whisky With Ice
This year's Spirit of Speyside whisky festival is to be held at the Moray Leisure Centre, with its ice rink covered over to provide the venue for an evening concert on May 5, at which Scottish entertainers Wolfstone, Shooglenifty, Ivan Drever and Duncan Chisholm will be performing. The festival, which runs from 3-7 May attracts thousands to Speyside for whisky nosings, tours, talks and master classes.
Glasgow Film Festival
Over one hundred films will be showing over ten days at this successful new festival from 15th to 25th February. Alongside its previews and premieres, gala nights and guest appearances, the Film Festival showcases a range of innovative and exciting films as well as the best from some of the world's greatest filmmakers. See also www.glasgowfilmfestival.org.uk.
Aberdeen Jazz Festival
Performers from around the world play at various venues across Aberdeen from 7th to 11th March, in more formal concerts and intimate club settings. Instrument workshops for younger musicians and a programme of both famous and up-and-coming names from around the world ensure an all-inclusive festival catering for jazz enthusiasts of all ages. See also www.jazzaberdeen.com.
Sunday Football Result
Livingston 1 Celtic 4 (Scottish Cup, Fourth Round)
Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 10 February 2007
Aberdeen 3 Dunfermline 0
Celtic 1 Hibernian 0
Falkirk 1 Motherwell 2
Hearts 1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0
St Mirren 0 Dundee United 1
Kilmarnock v Rangers is scheduled for Sunday.Scottish Football League First Division Results - 10 February 2007
Clyde 0 Livingston 1
Dundee 2 St Johnstone 1
Gretna 0 Airdrie United 0
Hamilton 2 Queen of the South 2
Partick Thistle 1 Ross County 1Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 10 February 2007
Alloa 1 Stranraer 0
Greenock Morton 0 Brechin City 2
Peterhead 2 Forfar 2
Ayr United v Raith Rovers and Cowdenbeath v Stirling Albion were postponed.Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 10 February 2007
Berwick Rangers 1 Montrose 0
East Stirling 0 Queens Park 2
Albion Rovers v Stenhousemuir, Arbroath v Elgin and East Fife v Dumbarton were all postponed due to ground conditions.League Tables
Celtic increased their lead at the top of the Premier League to 21 points, though Rangers have a chance of reducing the deficit with the game against Kilmarnock on Sunday. But Aberdeen are only one point behind Rangers, with Hearts in 4th place, one point behind Aberdeen. At the foot of the SPL, Dunfermline lag 8 points behind St Mirren.
Scotland Kick to Victory Over Wales
With both sides smarting from defeats in their first matches of the RBS 6 Nations rugby tournament last weekend, Scotland and Wales had something to prove when they met at Murrayfield on Saturday. In the end, neither side could score a try - though Scotland came close on a few occasions. So it was left to the penalty kicking of both sides to produce a result and it was Chris Paterson of Scotland who came out on top. The Scots were just in the lead at half-time by 9-6 but inched away in the second half to win by 21-9 at the final whistle - with all the points scored from penalties. While a win is a win, this is a game that Scotland will want to forget.
Scottish Cup Quarter Finals
The draw for the Quarter Finals of the Scottish Cup was made last weekend. The matches are scheduled for 24 February and the fixtures are:
Dunfermline v Partick Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Celtic
Motherwell v St Johnstone
Queen of the South v HibernianQuo Vadis?
The Italian Football Association have a reputation for leaving decisions on venues to the last minute, making it more difficult for fans from abroad to travel to support their teams. They established a few weeks ago that the next international match against Scotland was to be in Bari on March 28. However, the venue is up in the air again as a result of the death of a policeman at a recent football match in Italy, which has caused the local football authorities to suspend all matches while the whole question of security at football ground is reviewed. Also caught up in the uncertainty is Celtic's Champions League game against AC Milan.
European Promotion for SFA Chief
David Taylor, the chief executive of the Scottish Football Association, has been selected to become the general secretary of UEFA, the governing body of European football. Final contracts have yet to be signed, but there are media reports that the appointment has been confirmed (after days of the usual speculation) by a senior UEFA source. The move will mean that the SFA will now have to seek a replacement chief executive. The UEFA appointment give Scotland further influence at the top of world football - earlier in the week John McBeth, the SFA president was elected to by the four British nations to one of the posts of FIFA vice-president.
Scotland's Cricketers Just Miss Title
Scotland went into the final matches of the inaugural ICC World Cricket League in Kenya as favourites, after beating the host country by 77 runs. That win meant that regardless of the last match, the Scottish team had booked their place at next September's inaugural ICC Twenty20 World Championships. But the team stumbled in their next match, losing to bottom of the table Bermuda. In the final match, once again against Kenya, the Scots were soundly beaten by the host nation after they could only manage 155 runs. Unlike many other sports where players have to have a genealogical link with the country they are representing, cricket at this level does not have such any restrictions, so there are English, Indian and other nationalities playing for the Scotland national team.
An Ice New Look
The huge ice rink next door to the Braehead Shopping Centre, on the banks of the river Clyde at Renfrew, is to be given a major face lift. It was last used as an ice-skating rink two years ago, when Disney on Ice was staged there. Now it will become a permanent Olympic-size rink and will host ice hockey and figure skating. It will be open to the public for skating every Friday evening as an ice disco. This weekend, the Paisley Pirates ice hockey team will host their first Scottish National League match at their new venue. The building also houses a large curling rink and that will continue as a separate operation.