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
The fight for the First Division title on the last day of the season was a real cliff-hanger. Gretna - who had looked as though they had the title in the bag earlier in the season, were only one point ahead of St Johnstone. Saints were playing third-placed Hamilton but raced to a 3-0 lead. But Hamilton fought back and the match finished 4-3 in favour of the Perth side. Meanwhile, Gretna were playing Ross County, who were fighting to avoid relegation. As the match neared its conclusion, the score-line was 2-2, which would have meant Saints gaining promotion. Then in the 90th minute Gretna scored - giving them their third title in a row, as they have fought their way from the Third Division. Opponents Ross County are relegated.
In the Second Division, Greenock Morton had already won promotion and Forfar are relegated and Berwick had already topped the Third Division. Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Biggest Ever Bank Takeover Battle
The Edinburgh-based Royal Bank of Scotland is no stranger to take-over battles. They famously snatched the major English bank Nat-West from under the nose of rivals Bank of Scotland. And their Citizens Financial subsidiary in the US has expanded rapidly in recent years as a result of taking over other financial institutions. This time, they are trying to thwart a takeover of Dutch banking giant ABN AMRO by Barclays Bank. The board of the Dutch organisation has agreed terms with the London-based bank, including the HQ of the combined organisation remaining in Holland. But the Royal Bank and its partners (Dutch-Belgian bank Fortis and Spain's Banco Santander) have made a higher bid of 72 billion Euros (£49 billion), mostly in cash, which is 7 billion Euros above Barclays offer (which is based on Barclays' shares). The deals are the biggest-ever in the banking sector. But the three participants want to split up the various parts of ABN AMRO, taking the parts which fit best with each of them. For example, Royal Bank is keen to take over US-based LaSalle Bank and add it to its portfolio there. While the board of the Dutch bank clearly do not want this to happen, they may be forced by their shareholders to accept the higher price offered by Royal Bank and its partners.
Strongest Economic Growth Since 1997
Scotland's economy grew by 2.6% in 2006, well in excess of its long-term annual trend rate of under 2%. Growth was the fastest in any calendar year since 1997 and was only a shade below that achieved by the UK economy as a whole. The performance was well ahead of forecasts by economists. Once again, it was the banking and construction sectors that led the way. Manufacturing output was still struggling, however, falling by 0.1% over last year. Statistics published this week also showed that the UK economy grew by 0.7% in the first quarter of this year, equivalent o an annual rate of 2.8%. That is widely expected to further convince the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee that they should raise base rates next month.
Polling Day Next Thursday
Scotland goes to the polls next Thursday to elect the 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament as well as all the local authority councillors. The polls have consistently put the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the lead in the parliamentary elections - apart from one poll in the Herald newspaper at the start of the official campaigning that put Labour in the lead. Now, even the Herald's market research results show the SNP ahead - 4% in the individual constituencies (where it's "first past the post") and 1% ahead in the regional vote (which is based on a proportional representation system). On the question of which way voters would respond to a referendum on independence (one of the Nationalists main aims), the percentage who say they would vote "no" has increased to 58%. The election this time is using an electronic counting system, so we should know the actual result of the parliamentary election within hours of the closing of the polling stations.
Scottish House Prices Continue to Soar
The latest Quarterly Scottish House Price Index from the Bank of Scotland shows that, in the most recent quarter, the price of homes in Scotland rose at twice the rate of those in the rest of the UK. Edinburgh is still the most expensive place to buy a home - the average house costs over £205,000, up 11% on the last year. But in some other areas, house price inflation is rising even faster - prices in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders and Johnstone in Renfrewshire grew by over 30%. The average price of a home in Scotland (£138,655) is still well short of the UK average (192,314) but the gap has been closing for a number of years.
Schools Lose Computer Access
Computer giant Dell took over the provision of technology support to primary schools in Glasgow from a previous contractor over the two-week Easter break. When teachers and pupils returned, however, the new system should have been up and running - but a "glitch" meant that the "state-of-the-art" facilities were not working. So there was no access to e-mail, the internet or data stored on the PCs in 170 primary schools across the city. That meant that administrative work such as recording pupil's absence, accessing pupil records and even ordering catering supplies could not be carried out. Unlike most Dell customers - who get their support from India these days - the local support centre in Glasgow worked feverishly to resolve the problem. Dell claimed that a software "fix" had been applied four days after classes resumed, which allowed the "majority" of schools access to the network from "some" PCs in each school. It was the following week before the problem was fully resolved.
Better Late Than Never
A new £5 million science centre has been given the green light - five years after it was scheduled to be built (after ten years of debate). But protracted negotiations between the organisers of the Edinburgh Science Festival (who will be running the visitor attraction), the city council and its development wing delayed progress on the project. The seven-storey complex is to be built on an empty site beside the City Art Centre in Market Street in Edinburgh's Old Town. It will become a base for the Science Festival itself, as well as providing science-themed permanent displays and exhibitions. Work on the new attraction will start next year and be completed in time for the 2010 Science Festival.
Vandalism or Progress?
Five years ago, an application to build an apartment block on a vacant piece of ground in the internationally-renowned conservation area of Park Circus in Glasgow was rejected by the city's planning committee. The area was designed in the 1850s and experts describe it as one of the best examples of town planning in Europe. But now the developer has come back with a modified plan to create an apartment block with 107 flats and an underground car park for 115 vehicles. And Glasgow's planners have approved the scheme in their final act before the local council elections in May. But one politician said that the original Park Circus architect would be turning in his grave and told the planning committee: "You should be ashamed". The controversial plan is for a six-storey blonde sandstone building, with a copper roof - see artist's impression above.
Famous Aberdeen Retailer Closing
The famous Aberdeen department store Esslemont and Macintosh, which began trading in the city's Union Street in 1873, is about to close. Its parent company, Owen Owen, is bankrupt and has called in the receivers. Efforts to find a buyer have failed and over 100 staff will lose their jobs.
Kidnapped Travels the World
In February, 250 copies of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel "Kidnapped" were left lying around in various places in Scotland's Capital as part of the "One Book - One Edinburgh " campaign. This was designed to make the tale of David Balfour and Alan Breck more freely available than ever before. People who find the books are encouraged to register with the BookCrossing website, so that they can be tracked. So far, copies of Kidnapped have been registered in Calcutta, Barcelona, Stockholm and Frankfurt as well as various parts of the UK. One copy of the book was left (and picked up) in Hawes Inn in South Queensferry, which is featured in the novel. Readers are encouraged to leave the book for other to find, once they have read it. The illustration shows a statue of David Balfour and Alan Breck in Edinburgh.
Daring Raid on Litter
30 Royal Navy sailors from HMS Daring, left their warship being fitted out at the BAE Systems yard at Scotstoun on the Clyde this week on a different mission. They moved into the darkest parts of the nearby river Kelvin to help to clean up what was once a beauty spot. The volunteers (weren't they?) donned waders and dragged rubbish from the river, including part of an old horse-drawn cart, a sofa, bikes, road cones and - of course - supermarket shopping trolleys. The charity "Friends of the River Kelvin" had persuaded the ship's commanding officer to "lend" some of his men. The CO saw it as an opportunity to do something for the city where his crew have been well looked after during their stay before the destroyer sets sail on its maiden voyage.
Marathon Star Vows "Never Again"
Liz McColgan won the world 10,000 metres title in 1991, the gold medal in the 1986 Commonwealth Games, and a silver medal in the Seoul Olympics in 1988. She won the London Marathon in 1996 with a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes and 54 seconds. She now coaches young athletes in her home town of Dundee but has been plagued with injury problems and has been away from mainstream competitive running for a number of years. However, she decided to take part in the London Marathon which took place last Sunday, partly for fun, but also as patron of the Leukaemia Research charity which had a team of actors and actresses raising money for the good cause. She surprised herself and many others by completing the course in 2 hours 50 minutes 38 seconds. That made her the first over-40 female finisher and the 25th female home overall. But she has vowed that it is the last time that she will pull on her running shoes and do that distance again.
Mamma Mia!
The smash hit musical Mamma Mia, inspired by the music of the Swedish pop group Abba, is to be staged at the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow next April. The City Council has agreed what has been described as a "multi-million pound deal" to bring the show to the city for a four-week run. The popular show set a box office record when it was staged in Edinburgh's Playhouse theatre from November 2004 to January 2005. At that time, it was the only venue in the UK outside of London where this "ultimate feel-good" show was being performed. The show has been seen by 30 million people around the world.
Scotland the What?
The Freedom of the City of Aberdeen is to be bestowed on the comedy legends who created the "Scotland the What?" sketch show which began in 1969 and had audiences rolling in the aisles until the "Final Fling Show" in 1995. Buff Hardie, Steve Robertson and George Donald enjoyed sell-out audiences not only in Aberdeen but across Scotland and starred in their own Grampian TV shows. The trio provided the entertainment when Sir Alex Ferguson was awarded the freedom of the city in 1999 - and joked that maybe the football manager could provide the entertainment if they were ever to be similarly acknowledged. It has only taken the city council 8 years to respond... Now it's up to Sir Alex to do likewise?
Record Price for Art Fair
The Glasgow Art Fair 2007 took place from 19th to 22nd April in the tented pavilions set up in the city's George Square. Over 1,000 artists were exhibiting at the show and sales figures were expected to be in excess of £1 million, with paintings ranging in price from £50 to over £30,000. One painting on sale at the fair sold for £85,000, a record for the event. It was by the Scottish Colourist Ann Redpath, who sold another painting as well during the four days of the fair, but not for such a high price.
Breaking the Sound Barrier on First Flight
Gordon Feeney's first flight in an aircraft saw him going faster than the speed of sound - and the aircraft standing on its tail as it took off for the clouds, before doing aerobatics above the North Sea. The 22-year-old had been nominated to take a flight in an RAF Tornado fighter from Leuchars air base in Fife, as a recognition of his hard work on a Prince's trust development course at Dundee College. Gordon was in the back seat of the aircraft as Flight Lieutenant Sue Freeman used maximum thrust to shoot the aircraft straight up after take-off - and then turned the supersonic fighter upside down. The young man later described his flight as "fantastic".
Fly Whoosh Lands at Dundee
Dundee's Riverside airport has served only one scheduled airline (Scot Airways to London's Dockland airport) for many years. But earlier this year ownership of the facility was transferred from Dundee City Council to Highlands and Islands Airport (HIAL), which already operates ten landing grounds across the north of Scotland. Now, new services to Birmingham and Belfast are to begin on May 29, operated by flywhoosh.com, a company formed to operate in the UK by Poland’s largest privately owned airline, White Eagle Aviation. The airline will use 46-seater ATR42 turbo-prop aircraft and will provide a twice daily service to the airport in the English midlands and once a day to Belfast. The airline promises "attractively priced" fares, starting as low as £20.
New Chapter for Scotland's Book Town
Wigtown, in Dumfries and Galloway, has created a niche for itself as "the nation's first Book Town". The project was originally aimed at regenerating the town by focusing on the large number of book shops in the town and running an annual Wigtown Book Festival. Over the years, that has attracted some of the top writers, including Iain Banks, the late Magnus Magnusson and Louis de Bernieres. The objective of revitalising the town appears to have been successful and now that work is to be driven forward by a new Chamber of Commerce. The book festival is to be administered by a new charity, the Wigtown Festival Company. That will open up the opportunity to attract new sources of funding. This year's festival will be on May 5 and 6.
Revival for Coldstream's Romantic Reputation?
The Marriage Act passed in England in 1754 required parental consent for marriage if one of the couples was under 21. Since the legal age for marriage in Scotland was only 14 (16 since 1929), many young lovers headed for Scotland if their parents were trying to stop them getting married. Towns such as Gretna in the west and Coldstream in the east were the first towns of any size on the roads from England and became a popular venue for eloping couples. Gretna, with its marriages over the blacksmith's anvil has continued to be a romantic location for such weddings - of the 7,500 weddings in Scotland each year where both bride and groom are non-residents, 50% take place at Gretna. Coldstream has been forgotten, but now the town is to try to revive its romantic reputation. Its Old Town Hall has been refurbished to make it an attractive place for tying the knot and local traders are working to make the town the "Gretna of the east".
Heading for Hottest April On Record
Nobody was surprised when the weather experts reported this week that, with only a few days to go before the end of the month, Scotland is heading for a new record high temperature for the month of April. The average, taking into account night-time as well as day-time temperatures, is expected to reach 8.8C (47.8F). That may not sound high - but the previous record was 8.1C (46.6F) set in 2003. Rainfall has also been very low this month in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Weather in Scotland This Week
We took it hard when that lovely weather over the first half of April departed. But it seems to have returned - although the temperatures have not been quite as high as earlier in the month. After a cloudy and showery start to the week, there was wall-to-wall sunshine by Thursday and the outlook is for this to continue until at least next Wednesday. Daytime maximum temperatures have only been around 14/15C (57/59F), however - it was warmer than that earlier in the week, despite the cloud and showers.
The illustration here shows the seeds forming on the branches of an elm tree, just as the leaves start to burst out.
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 multi-coloured Tulips (see thumbnail here) in the walled garden of Kellie Castle; the lovely garden of Cambo Estate, Fife; Spanish Lavender flowers; Fritallaria Imperalis; houses in Crail; fields of yellow in Fife; and sunset over the rooftops of Anstruther in Fife. See This Week's Colour Supplement.
When Abe Lincoln Was Lost for Words
US President Abraham Lincoln was introduced to the poetry of Robert Burns as a child and could recite a number of works by heart, including Tam O' Shanter. His official biography reported: "When practicing law before his election to Congress, a copy of Burns was his inseparable companion on the circuit; and this he pursued so constantly, that it is said he now has by heart every line of his favourite poet." But when he was asked by the Burns Club in Washington in 1865 for "the honour of your recognition of the genius of Scotland's bard, by either a toast, a sentiment, or in any other way you may deem proper" - he was lost for words. His reply reads "I can not frame a toast to Burns. I can say nothing worthy of his generous heart and transcending genius. Thinking of what he has said, I can not say anything which seems worth saying. A. Lincoln." Now that note is going on sale in New York on 22 May - and is expected to fetch over £6,000 ($12,000).
New Historic Plant Archive
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has moved three million plant samples into a special archive with air and dust-tight protective cabinets to hold the specimens, some of which date back 300 years. The samples have been re-classified using 21st century DNA techniques. The new storage facilities will provide additional space over the next 20 years for the 10,000 new specimens that arrive each year at the Royal Botanic Garden's herbarium.
Next Week in Scottish History
Live at Scone Palace
The grounds of Scone Palace in Perthshire will resound to the music of virtuoso pianist and TV presenter Jools Holland and Scottish singing icon Lulu along with a host of other star acts in a series of concerts from 27th-29th July. "Live at Scone Palace" is being introduced to complement the successful "Live on the Lawn" concert series which takes place at Crathes Castle on Royal Deeside. Over 15,000 people are expected at the event at Scone Palace over the three nights. Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra have already been popular entertainers at the Crathes event. His late night TV show "Later - with Jools Holland" has launched the careers of many new pop artists and groups and he has toured the world with his own R&B orchestra.
Capercaillie for Feill Chaluim Chille
The Festival of St Columba (Feill Chaluim Chille in Gaelic) includes traditional music, dancing and crafts linked to Scottish and Irish history and culture. Colmcille, an organisation which promotes links between Gaelic Scotland and Ireland, is organising the events in honour of pan-Gaelic St Columba. This year's event on Mull is part of the "Highland 2007" year of culture and the organisers have arranged for a line-up of top Scottish and Irish performers, including Capercaillie, Kila, Daimh, Seamus Begley, Jim Murray and Aidan O'Rourke - all big names in the Gaelic music circuit. The Book of Kells, an ornately illustrated manuscript, produced by Celtic monks around AD 800, will be one of a number of exhibits and cultural events. The gala concert will be staged in a large marquee in the grounds of Torosay Castle, with a special late-night ferry back to Oban afterwards.
Bang! Wallop! Crikey!
Dundee, the city that produced such comic book characters as Oor Wullie, Desperate Dan, Korky the Cat, Dennis the Menace and Lord Snooty, is to host a major international conference which will look at the role that comics have occupied in popular culture. It is being held at Dundee University from 25 to 26 May as part of a Scotland-wide Six Cities Design Festival. "Comics as Design & Entertainment" is the rather prim title of the event, which will explore such aspects as comics as literature and/or art, topical and controversial comics, and the meeting points of British and American comics. The local publisher D. C. Thomson has produced comics which are known all over the world - 2007 is the 70th anniversary of the Dandy, one of the longest running comics.
Gaelic Poetry Online
The works of the Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean were launched online this week by the Sorley MacLean Trust. It contains his 98 poems in Gaelic, along with a bibliography, English translations of a few of the works, a photo gallery and biographical information. Links to the various pages are in Gaelic, which makes access difficult for those who do not read "the language of the angels". See www.sorleymaclean.org.
Highest Cinema in the UK
As part of the Aviemore Mountain Film Festival, a tent is being constructed on the top of the 4,000 feet high Cairn Gorm mountain to house a cinema screen where some of the best films from last year's festival will be shown to anyone who happens to drop in. Having brought the mountains to cinemas in Aviemore for the last three years, the organisers decided to turn the concept on its head and bring the cinema to the mountains. Admission will be free, but donations to the festival's charity partner - Disability Snowsport UK - will be encouraged. This year's Aviemore Mountain Film Festival will take place from May 17-20.
Picture by Paul Kennedy via Wikipedia.
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.
75th Annual Highland Games
The United Scottish Society is hosting their 75th Annual Highland Games in Los Angeles County, at L.A. Fairplex, Pomona, California on 25/26 May. Included in the programme are The World Championship Hammer Throw and also the North American Hammer Throw Championship. Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, winners of the World Championships four times, will be competing along with Alberta Caledonia and California Pipe Bands in the Grade 1 contest. A total of 24 bands will be competing in various grades. The US Highland Dancing Championship is also part of the two-day event. Entertainers include Isla St. Clair, Alisdair Fraser, Bad Haggis, Highland Way, Stand Easy all Celtic Entertainers and Alex Beaton. On the Saturday evening, they will have Whisky Tasting and, to round it off, a good old fashioned Ceilidh. There are over 60 Clan societies to trace the heritage of visitors and the largest Southern California selection of vendors selling Scottish Products. For more information see www.unitedscottishsociety.com.
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
Kilmarnock 1 Celtic 2
Falkirk 0 St Mirren 2
Dunfermline 1 Hibernian 0 (Scottish Cup, Semi-final)Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 28 April 2007
Aberdeen 3 Kilmarnock 0
Dundee United 1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1
Hibernian 3 Rangers 3
Motherwell 3 Falkirk 3
Celtic v Heart of Midlothian is scheduled for Sunday and St Mirren v Dunfermline on Monday.Scottish Football League First Division Results - 28 April 2007
Clyde 1 Dundee 1
Hamilton 3 St Johnstone 4
Partick Thistle 0 Livingston 0
Queen of the South 0 Airdrie United 3
Ross County 2 Gretna 3Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 28 April 2007
Alloa 2 Forfar 0
Ayr 1 Greenock Morton 0
Brechin City 1 Cowdenbeath 0
Raith Rovers 2 Peterhead 0
Stranraer 3 Stirling Albion 1
Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 28 April 2007
Albion Rovers 2 East Stirling 1
Arbroath 1 East Fife 3
Dumbarton 1 Queens Park 2
Elgin 0 Montrose 2
Stenhousemuir 2 Berwick Rangers 0League Tables
Celtic stumbled over the finishing line last Sunday to become SPL champions with a winning goal by Shunsuke Nakamura in the dying minutes of the game against Kilmarnock. Celtic looked as though they had the title sewn up weeks ago, but have faded in recent weeks - while Rangers have been playing to a higher standard. Under Walter Smith, the club had won 29 out of a possible 33 points, drawing only with Hearts and Inverness Caley Thistle. That was until this Saturday - when Rangers failed to confirm second place and the European Champions League place with a draw against Hibernian.
Dunfermline in Cup Final
The Scottish Cup semi-final replay between Dunfermline and Hibernian was heading for another draw on Tuesday, when Dunfermline were awarded a penalty. Dunfermline's Jim McIntyre cheekily chipped the ball over the diving Hibernian goalkeeper - and the Fife club are now not only in the Scottish Cup final against Celtic, they win a place in the Uefa Cup next season. Not bad for a club that is currently at the foot of the Scottish Premier League, 4 points adrift from St Mirren.
Footballer of the Year
Hours after he had scored the goal that gave Celtic the SPL title, Shunsuke Nakamura was named Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year at a gala dinner. The Celtic manager, Gordon Strachan, was named "Manager of the Year" as a result of leading the team in its defence of the SPL title and reaching the last 16 in the European Champions League. And there has to be a good chance that the team will add to this season's silverware with the Scottish Cup, assuming that they can defeat bottom of the table Dunfermline in the final.
Celtic Captain Departing
Neil Lennon, the Celtic captain, has announced that he is to leave the club at the end of the season. He joined the club in December 2000 when Martin O'Neill signed him from Leicester City. Since then, he has helped the team win five Scottish Premier League titles and (so far) three Scottish Cups and two CIS Cups - and he could go out on a real high as his last game for the club is the Cup Final on 26 May. Lennon may play on for another club, perhaps in England, or pursue a coaching career.
Good Weather Spoils Event
Most organisers of outdoor events would be delighted with good weather and calm conditions. But that's not what creates good surfing contests and so some of the world's best surfers were left disappointed at the start of the O'Neill Highland Open being staged at Thurso in Caithness this week. The start of the competitive surfing had to be delayed, but eventually got underway, though the waves were not as big as the organisers would have hoped.
Tour of Britain Cycle Race to Finish in Scotland
In recent years, Scotland has hosted the opening stage of the Tour of Britain cycle race, with the finale being held in London. But as a boost to Glasgow's bid to stage the Commonwealths Games in 2014, the organisers of the cycle race have decided to have the finish of the race in Glasgow, with the final day starting in Dumfries. Almost 100 riders in 16 teams will make up the field for this year's event.