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
Scots Abroad
Sport
Gretna failed to get the three points that would have won them the First Division title and promotion to the SPL - and St Johnstone kept up the pressure with a convincing 3-0 win. So both teams have everything to play for in the final game next Saturday. But Gretna are playing foot of the table Ross County while St Johnstone face rivals Hamilton, third in the table. So it would require a dramatic upset for Gretna not to win promotion.
In the Second Division, Greenock Morton have already won the title and promotion to the First Division and Forfar are already set for the Third Division.
In the Third Division, Berwick Rangers won the league title and promotion by defeating their nearest rivals Arbroath 1-0 on Saturday.
Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Big Rise in Rail Fares
We are all being encouraged to use public transport - but then the operators keep increasing the cost of travel. There was a shock for rail travellers in Strathclyde this week when fares on local services in the Glasgow area were increased by 4.6%. The train operator is allowed to raise fares under the franchise agreement by 1% above inflation rate - and has taken advantage of that in full, based on the inflation rate last September. The cost of a return ticket between Paisley and Glasgow is now £4. Despite the rising costs, the number of passengers travelling by trains operated by Strathclyde Passenger Transport has been increasing in recent years.
UK Pound Worth US $2
For the first time since 1992, the exchange rate for the UK pound has moved through the US $2 mark as sterling strengthens due to the present robust economy and the money market expecting UK interest rates to rise from their present level of 5.25%. The consumer price index rose to 3.1% in March - which is more than 1% above the government's target and action to curb further rises seems inevitable. The strong pound has been great news for visitors from Scotland to the US - it is said that shoppers have been "flocking" to New York in recent months. But it makes it harder for UK exporters to sell abroad and tourists coming here view prices as "expensive" due to the exchange rate.
Scottish Retail Sales Still Strong
The Scottish Retail Consortium and Royal Bank of Scotland monthly retail sales monitor for March says that good weather and a strong start to the tourist season have produced some good results overall. Once again, Scottish retailers did better than their UK counterparts. Like-for-like sales in March were 4.6% higher than in March 2006. Total sales (which include new stores) in March were 9.4% up on a year ago, ahead of the 9.2% recorded in February and well above the previous six-month average (8.3%). March’s like-for-like sales were the best since April 2006, when sales were boosted by Easter falling in that month. Scotland’s performance in March remained stronger than that across the UK, which saw 3.9% like-for-like growth. But a major factor in increased sales has been widespread discounting and "special offers". Even so, the overall position in Scotland still represents solid growth in consumer spending.
BBC Scotland Moving House
Instead of just reporting the news this week, staff at BBC Scotland were making the news. The first 100 staff moved from their rambling old building at Queen Margaret Drive to a bright, modern, 21st century HQ at Pacific Quay, on the banks of the Clyde and close neighbours of the Glasgow Science Centre. Externally, the £188 million building is like a boring, glass-sided shoe-box. Internally, it is dominated by a huge, stepped "street" which rises for 95 feet past five floors of the building. In addition to the usual open-plan office space, there are three major studios, including one covering 8,500 square feet, the largest in Scotland. The new building is not only 50% larger than the previous premises, the simple layout is a great improvement on the convoluted series of buildings in Kelvingrove that were a nightmare of long corridors and connecting doors. All the BBC Scotland staff will be in their new offices by August
Scotland's Water Dearer and Dirtier Than England's
The organisation that monitors and reports on the performance of the water companies in the UK has just published another report confirming that the publicly-owned Scottish Water performed worse than all the 22 privately-owned water companies in England and Wales on almost every indicator. The industry watchdog says that the Scottish utility organisation provides the worst, least efficient and most expensive service in Britain. Water quality was particularly bad, with sub-standard samples found ten times more frequently in Scotland than south of the border. Average bills in Scotland were £30 a year higher than in the rest of Britain and Scottish users are more likely to suffer low water pressure, sewers are more likely to be overloaded and service performance is worse than in the south. Scottish Water says that the report, covering 2004-5, is "out of date". But while improvements may have been made in the interim - water companies in England and Wales have not been standing still either.
Lectures Podcast to University Students
Glasgow Caledonian University has given some students handheld devices to allow them to download university lectures by podcasts, text messaging and MySpace communications. The university claims it could "revolutionise" and improve teaching methods. So far, the experiment has provided podcasts to complement rather than replace conventional lectures and to provide background material to put lectures in context. Of course, while many students already use such methods for leisure pursuits, there are also those who are not computer literate or own a PC at home because of lack of finance. The university says it thinks it is "unlikely" that students will be able to desert the university campus and do all their learning from home. On the other hand, for decades the UK-wide Open University has used TV programmes and the Internet to allow students to study entirely at home, apart from short tutorial sessions.
Curling Centre for Capital
Plans were unveiled this week for a £1.5 million, top-class curling academy to be built next to the Ratho Adventure Centre in Edinburgh. It would host major international competitions as well as becoming home for the Gogar Park Curling Club, which lost its original home as a result of the prestigious new Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters. The building would have a grass roof to allow it to blend into the rural aspects of the surrounding farmland. It could become the country's home of curling now that plans for a National Curling Centre in Stirling have fallen through thin ice.
Best Places in UK to Raise a Family?
A UK-wide survey by the Reader's Digest magazine to find the best areas in the country to bring up a family, has placed East Dunbartonshire (pictured here) and East Renfrewshire in Scotland in the top two places, followed by the Forest of Dean and the Vale of Glamorgan in England and Wales. The report was based on questionnaires to a selection of residents plus official data, to identify counties with safe streets, strong schools, thriving towns and a strong community as well as good local hospitals and affordable family housing. The magazine used official data such as Home Office crime figures and house price data to rank each area. It's nice for two of Scotland's counties to top such a poll. Some residents in East Dunbartonshire, at the top of the table, described it as "a slice of paradise". But at the same time, the local newspaper was publishing the usual lurid headlines of muggings and assaults in Milngavie town centre in East Dunbartonshire. And house prices in both East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire are amongst the highest in Scotland.
"Continental Carnival" for Glasgow
A carnival atmosphere was created in Glasgow in 2002 when the city hosted the European Champions League football final that year. Now there are plans to recreate that atmosphere next month when 50,000 supporters flock to Glasgow to see the Uefa Cup final at Hampden Park national football stadium. In the days before the game, "Fan Zones" are to be created in George Square and in the Merchant City, featuring a range of entertainment, including street theatre and music. Streets will be closed off to traffic and small music stages will be set up on 15 and 16 May. Of course, the effort is not just being made to impress the football fans - it is hoped that the welcome will give another boost to the bid by Glasgow to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
Local Hero Inn for Sale
The Pennan Inn, which was featured in the 1983 movie "Local Hero" starring Burt Lancaster, is up for sale. Fans still visit the village on the Moray Firth coast to see the 200-year-old inn - and the red telephone kiosk across the road, which was the focus of communications in the film. Lancaster played the part of an American oil company CEO who sends one of his executives to buy up the entire village so they can build a refinery. Of course, the wily locals thwart the plan in the comedy drama, directed by Bill Forsyth. The present owner of Pennan Inn is now going off to a job in the food service industry in Canada.
Picture via Wikipedia.
Staff Illness Closes Airport
As any small business can testify, the loss of key staff through illness can bring work to a grinding halt. That was the situation at Stornoway Airport this week when the duty air traffic controller fell ill and there was nobody else available to take over. So five return flights to the Western isles airport had to be cancelled on Monday. Western Isles Council described the situation as "unacceptable" and demanded that Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) should not allow it to happen again. HIAL's managing director apologised to everyone affected, but claimed it was due to a "world-wide shortage of air traffic controllers" and that there had been a gap between staff leaving and being replaced by newly-trained employees.
Saints Sell Love Street
Paisley football (soccer) club Saint Mirren have reached agreement with supermarket giant Tesco to demolish the club's Love Street stadium and build a new one at Ferguslie Park in the town. Built 122 years ago, the ground is one of the oldest in Scotland. The deal, thought to be worth £18 million, will not only provide the club with a modern new stadium, it will clear its outstanding debts of around £5 million - and still leave Saints with a cash surplus. The supermarket is keen to build a multi-storey, 110,000 square feet store and still has a number of planning hurdles to overcome on that. There is also opposition from a number of local traders who do not want the additional competition. Paisley's retailers have suffered a downturn in business ever since the Braehead shopping mall near Renfrew opened its doors and many see a major supermarket, selling a wide range of goods, as a further nail in the coffin for centre of town shops.
Patter of Tiny Wings Soon?
An osprey, which has been nesting at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes Nature Reserve near Dunkeld for the last 16 years, has laid her eggs again. The event was captured on a new web-cam in the nest, which relayed the pictures to the visitor centre. There had been concerns that she had succumbed to old age as her mate turned up first - which is not the usual sequence. When she arrived, the male bird soared high above the nest, making a mating call and plunging up and down. The rangers had never seen such a display before, as the female usually arrives first. The camera has an infra red capacity which allows views of the nesting bird at night - when she moves around frequently, adjusting the eggs and stretching her wings. Since 1969, the Loch of Lowes reserve has produced 66 chicks, of which 46 have been raised by this one female.
Tourist Company "Hope to Find Nessie"
Is there any place to hide for the elusive Loch Ness Monster? Over the years, innumerable attempts have been made to reliably capture the legendary tourist attraction on film and prove once and for all that those grainy pictures were of a real prehistoric monster. Now, a cruise company whose business owes much to the reptile (along with the wonderful scenery in the area, it must be said) is to fit sonar equipment to its flagship "Jacobite Queen" boat, which takes tourists for trips on the loch. The company agrees that it has been a while since Nessie was last seen on the loch - despite the explosion in digital cameras and camera phones being pointed at the loch in recent years. Sightings have been reported as far back as the 6th century (no photographs - just stories handed down by word of mouth) but various theories have been offered as to what it could be. These include suggestions it is from a group of marine reptiles called plesiosaurs, while another scientist has suggested that it may have originated with the sighting of an elephant. An elephant? Yes, from circus animals visiting Inverness and stopping for a refreshing dip in the waters. Of course, those extra deep waters of Loch Ness could be hiding any manner of creatures unknown to science - couldn't they?
Camberwell Beauty in Scottish Highlands
A rare Scandinavian butterfly has been spotted in Nethybridge in the Scottish Highlands and is being regarded as yet another sign of global warming. It is called Camberwell Beauty in the UK because it was first sighted in Camberwell in the south of England in 1748, almost certainly having stowed away on ships bringing timber from Scandinavia. The beautiful butterfly is known as the Mourning Cloak in North America. Butterfly Conservation Scotland said there were sightings of the migrant last year, but were surprised to have a report of one so early in the season. It was seen sunning itself on a track in the Inverness-shire village near Aviemore and later flying around the treetops, with its distinctive gliding flight.
Picture via Wikipedia.
Dry Weather Creates Fire Hazard
A blaze affecting 5,000 acres of land in the Galloway Forest Park, which took firefighters three days to get under control, has prompted the Forestry Commission to urge the public to be vigilant over the risk of grassland fires. There is a much greater risk than usual as a result of the exceptionally dry weather since the start of April. The south-west has had just one millimetre of rain in the first half of the month and in Angus on the east coast there were 17 consecutive days without rain, broken only by 0.2mm by the middle of this week. The average rainfall figure for Scotland as a whole so far this April is only 5.1 millimetres, which is only 6% of the usual amount for the entire month. Only the north-west and the northern isles have had an appreciable amount of rain this month. There were more April showers on Saturday and more are forecast for Sunday, however.
Weather in Scotland This Week
Although a few temperature records for April were broken in some parts of Scotland last Sunday, it has been downhill all the way since then. Aberdeen reached 22.7C (72.5F) on Sunday - and managed only 7C (45F) on Friday. Although the skies have often been cloudy, rainfall was limited to a few showers, apart from the Western Isles - at least until this weekend. The weather outlook for the next few days is unsettled, with temperatures around 14/15C in the central lowlands - slightly above average for the time of year.
The illustration here is a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly on Sloe (Blackthorn).
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 Glendoick House in Angus; a large golden yellow Rhododendron; Erythronium "White Beauty"; Sparrow; golden yellow Magnolia; "candy striped" Camellia, a handsome Pheasant (see thumbnail here); Pasque Flower / Anemone Pulsatilla. See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Musa
The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £449,000 towards a £1 million project to preserve the historical collections of St Andrews University. They will be displayed in a new venue to be known as "Musa" - Museum of the University of St Andrews. There will be four galleries, an education centre and a terrace, which will have scenic views over St Andrews Bay. Items which will be on public display include three medieval maces (currently only on show during graduation ceremonies), college silver, an oil painting by Scottish Colourist Samuel Peploe, and silver archery medals won by students between 1620 and 1750. With the lottery funding now in place and other funds pledged by the university itself and private donors, work in the museum is expected to begin next month.
Renaissance Wall Paintings on View
Kinneil House in Bo'ness, west of Edinburgh, is not normally open to the public - only the surrounding parkland and a small but interesting museum. But this weekend the Renaissance wall paintings in Kinneil House, considered to be amongst the finest in Scotland, will be on view in an event designed to coincide with a national free weekend being organised at all Historic Scotland properties across the country. Kinneil House dates back to the 15th century and was once the home of the Dukes of Hamilton - they probably had a residence there as far back as the 14th century. Despite its history, the local town council was on the point of demolishing the building in 1936. Fortunately, at an early stage, the extensive, well-preserved wall and ceiling paintings were discovered and the demolition halted. But the building is only open on special occasions - such as this weekend.
Next Week in Scottish History
Perth Festival at Scone Racecourse
The 2007 horse racing fixtures get off at the gallop next week at Perth Racecourse, at Scone, with the Stan James Perth Festival over the three days from 25th to 27th April. The prize money on offer is over £235,000, so there are a good number of horses competing in quality races. With folk coming from far and wide, there is also a programme of parties and events in the evenings - including the "infamous" Jockey’s Disco & Karaoke. The Perth Festival comes after the high pressure of Cheltenham and the Grand National at Aintree in England and the emphasis at Scone is on having fun in beautiful surroundings.
Riverdance at the Clyde Auditorium
Recently, Glasgow was "invaded" by 4,000 competitors, accompanied by family and friends, to take part in the World Irish Dancing Championships. There was Irish Dancing of a very different kind at the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow this week when the famous "Riverdance" group gave their usual breathtaking show - or should that be out of breath, as far as the energetic performers are concerned? Over 19 million people around the world have seen various versions of this "Irish" phenomenon - which includes Spanish flamenco, Russian ballet and jazz, presented against a backdrop of Irish sunsets and rolling hills.
Picture via Wikipedia.
Maydaze Taking Cover
After a number of years when Glasgow's Maydaze family festival has been affected by poor weather, the organisers are fed up with the clouds raining on their parade. Last year, attendance on a grey, showery day fell to only 5,000, from a peak in previous years of 25,000. So this year's event, on 6 May, will be moved from Glasgow Green to the Old Fruitmarket and the City Halls in the Merchant City. The main act will be Scottish folk group Salsa Celtica, who have played T In The Park and Celtic Connections. Other events include dance workshops from Academia de Salsa, a Glasgow organisation promoting Cuban music, as well as storytelling and children's activities.
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
Last year, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, staged near Beauly in Inverness-shire, was nominated for three awards in the UK Festival Awards - best small festival, best family festival and the Shelter Award. The organisers hope to make this year's event on 10/11th August just as successful. This week it was announced that headline acts will include the legendary alternative rock band "James" and brother/sister foursome "The Magic Numbers." Other acts included in the line-up include Julian Cope, formerly of post punk band "Teardrop Explodes" as well as "The Alabama 3" and reggae roots band "Misty in Roots". Fife folk maverick and former punk rocker Jackie Leven appears with Robert Fisher of the "Willard Grant Conspiracy" and Michael Weston King of "The Good Sons." Capacity at the increasingly popular family-friendly event will remain the same as last year at 12,000.
Scottish Culture Around the World
The main focus of the Scottish Snippets is news items, usually about Scotland but occasionally items from overseas are covered. The new "Scots Abroad" section, invites folk to write in about Scottish-related events in their part of the world. It allows publicity for them and an appreciation by others of just how much Scottish culture is perpetuated in every corner of the globe.
Scottish Guard in Buenos Aires
There are many thousands of people with Scottish blood in Argentina, most of them having been there for many generations. These Scottish descendants and their friends gathered last Sunday on the esplanade in front of the Yacht Club Puerto Madero to remember their cultural heritage and the contributions they have made to the history and development of Argentina. A symbolic key of the gate of Arbroath's Abbey was transferred to a new "Guardian" for the coming year. The escort of the parade, the Buenos Aires Scottish Guard, and the invited guests, the Granaderos de Fernando VII, marched into the esplanade where the authorities of the parade reviewed them. The Grand Marshall summoned the clansmen to gather for the parade, walking around the esplanade exhibiting the "Fiery Cross" which then proceeded round the docks. Many kilts, tartan banners, shields and flags of the clans were displayed during the march, accompanied by the music of bagpipes. At the end of the parade, the Scottish Guard presented a show of piping and Highland dancing.
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
St Mirren 0 Rangers 1
Clyde 0 St Johnstone 1Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 21 April 2007
Aberdeen 2 Hibernian 2
Dunfermline 1 Dundee United 0
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2 Motherwell 0
Rangers 2 Heart of Midlothian 1
Kilmarnock v Celtic is scheduled for Sunday and Falkirk v St Mirren will be played on Monday.Scottish Football League First Division Results - 21 April 2007
Airdrie United 1 Partick Thistle 1
Dundee 1 Hamilton 0
Gretna 0 Clyde 0
Livingston 1 Ross County 1
St Johnstone 3 Queen of the South 0Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 21 April 2007
Cowdenbeath 3 Ayr United 1
Forfar 1 Raith Rovers 2
Greenock Morton 1 Stranraer 1
Peterhead 0 Alloa 0
Stirling Albion 0 Brechin City 1Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 21 April 2007
Berwick Rangers 1 Arbroath 0
East Fife 1 Albion Rovers 3
East Stirling 1 Dumbarton 5
Montrose 3 Stenhousemuir 2
Queens Park 3 Elgin 0League Tables
Celtic can win the SPL title if they defeat Kilmarnock on Sunday. Rangers had to come from 1-0 at half-time to win against Hearts and keep up the pressure. Defeat for Hearts makes it harder to overtake Aberdeen for third position (and that Uefa Cup entry). Aberdeen are 4 points ahead, though there are four games left to play in the SPL.
Scottish Cup Semi-Final
Hibernian and Dunfermline have it all to do again after finishing their semi-final Scottish Cup match last Sunday with a goalless draw. Hibs started strongly but poor finishing let them down. Dunfermline came closest to scoring when Jamie McCunnie hit the post. Hibs again had the best of the second half but again failed to capitalise on their pressure. So Celtic will not know until Tuesday which of these two teams they will be playing in the final on 26 May.
Clubs Vote Against "SPL2"
The clubs in the Scottish Football League have voted 22 to 8 against the proposal to create new break-away league that would be linked to the present Scottish Premier League, with ten teams in each. That would have meant two teams in the present SPL being relegated to join 8 clubs from the lower echelons to form "SPL2". However, the clubs in favour of the restructuring might still press ahead, if agreement can be reached with the Premier League clubs.
Scotland Slip Down the Football Rankings
The Scotland's international football ranking fell to 86th in 2004. Then Walter Smith took over from Berti Vogts as manager of the team and results immediately began to improve. So much so, that by this year Scotland was back in the top 20 at 16th place. When Alex McLeish took over from Walter Smith, the international team recorded a 2-1 win over Georgia but lost 2-0 in the Euro 2008 qualifying match against Italy. The net result is that Scotland has slipped to 19th in the Fifa world rankings.
Andy Murray in Top Ten - Briefly
19-year-old Andy Murray moved into 10th position in the tennis world rankings for the first time in his career. But a few days later, defeat in the early stages of the Monte Carlo Masters saw him drop back again to 11th.