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
In the First Division, Dundee are ahead on goal difference and it is the same measurement that is needed in the Second Division (where Alloa and Queens Park tie at the top) and Division Three where Stranraer sits at the top of the table. Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Fire Closes Princes Street
Edinburgh's principal shopping street was closed on Friday as a result of a fire on the third floor of the historic Romanes and Paterson store in Princes Street. Police sealed off the surrounding area and it took firefighters four hours to bring the blaze under control. Firemen had to fight hard to stop the blaze spreading to adjoining buildings. It was some time after that before the section of Princes Street between Jenners department store and The Mound could be reopened. Considerable damage was done to the Romanes and Patterson store, which is a kilt and tartan specialist and also has a restaurant. The elegant building, with tartan draping its windows, is one of the more traditional buildings still left on Princes Street and conservationists will be hoping that it can be restored and does not have to be demolished.
Saltire Flies High
The new UK Prime Minister may come from Fife, but he is a fierce supporter of the preservation of the United Kingdom. Gordon Brown believes that not enough is done to reinforce British attitudes and - as a frequent visitor to the US where he sees the unifying force of the Stars and Stripes - wants to see the Union Jack being flown all year round on all public buildings, instead of just on under 20 special days in the year. But after discussions with the Scottish Executive, agreement has been reached that it will be up to that body to decide what flag or flags are flown on its own buildings. Currently, the Scottish Saltire flag is flown outside Scottish Executive buildings except on 18 special days - including the Queen's birthday. The Scottish Nationalist government is expected to review this - which they are perfectly free to do, as it is a devolved matter. A leading nationalist Member of the Scottish Parliaments has commented that Mr Brown can "wrap himself in the Union flag to prove his Britishness" but it was not appropriate for Scotland.
The Future Shape of Scotland
The Lighthouse gallery in Glasgow is Scotland's top centre for design. Its new season of exhibitions begins with a controversial one which shows the future shape of Scotland - by highlighting the response of new architects to challenges faced in the central Lowlands. It will be the biggest display to be staged at The Lighthouse since it opened in 1999, when the focus was on the work of Alexander "Greek" Thomson. The new show will examine new buildings, including some stark modern designs by local architects. The gallery is located in a building originally designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the Glasgow Herald newspaper between 1893-95.
Edinburgh's Highland Fling
The biggest Highland Games ever staged in Scotland will be held at Holyrood Park (seen here) in Edinburgh in 2009. It will be part of a year of "Homecoming Scotland" events aimed at attracting people from around the world to visit or emigrate to Scotland. The games are being scheduled for the same weekend as a massive "gathering of the clans" when 7,500 clan members from around the world are expected to travel to the city for what is being billed as the world's biggest clan gathering. The Highland Games will have the traditional displays of piping, dancing, athletics and heavy events, featuring 2000 competitors and performers. Additionally, there will be a food and drink fair, live music and an exhibition allowing visitors to trace their ancestry. The event is being held on July 25 and 26, 2009. On the first day, all the clan members will take part in a parade up the Royal Mile from Holyrood Park to Edinburgh Castle. The seats in the arena for that year's Tattoo will be available for a huge pageant to be staged on the castle forecourt.
Scottish Household Survey
A major statistical survey of over 31,000 Scottish households has produced a wealth of facts and figures about how we live today. 32% of households contain just one adult, 33% have two adults, while households with children account for just 26% of the total. 30% of households own their property outright (and don't have a mortgage) - that is a growing trend, with only 23% in that situation in 1999. 93% of adults describe their neighbourhood as either "very good" or "fairly good" - in marked contrast to the tales of crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour that we tend to see relentlessly in the press. 68% of households have access to one or more cars (though that leaves 32% without, often amongst city dwellers, some of whom have made a deliberate choice). 56% of households have internet access (at the start of 2001, that figure was 26%). 26% of adults say that they smoke cigarettes (down from 30% in 1999). 80% reported recycling at least some glass, paper, metal or plastic in the month preceding the survey. 34% of adults have no religious affiliation
Wildcat Postal Strikes
Before the days of Margaret Thatcher as UK Prime Minister, industrial disputes often resulted in strikes being called with little advance warning. Legislation was then introduced that required trade unions to give notice - and ensure that their members don't just walk out if they have a grievance. But sometimes - as in the case of postal workers in Edinburgh, Glasgow and the west of Scotland this week - staff get so frustrated or aggravated that they walk out in a "wildcat" strike. One-day strikes called by the Communication Workers Union in a planned fashion did not seem to be having too much impact - there are so many alternative means of communication these days. That includes rival companies willing to take over some of the work, now that the Royal Mail no longer has a monopoly. Delays in business mail can have a bad effect on some companies, but the series of one-day strikes did not have much im,pact on ordinary households. However, as the wildcat strike lasted several days before the men were persuaded to return to work, a considerable backlog of deliveries has now built up. So if that letter or birthday card to a Scottish address doesn't arrive when expected, you now know why.
US Company Doubles Scottish Workforce
A US-owned Scots biotech plant at Bellshill in Lanarkshire is to create nearly 400 new jobs over the next three years, doubling the size of its present workforce. Pharmaceutical Product Development is based in North Carolina and plans to move to a new building next door to its present Scottish factory. The firm has offices in 28 countries.
University of the West of Scotland
The merger between Paisley University and Bell College went ahead this week, creating a new institution with 18,000 students across campuses in Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton and Paisley. For legal reasons, the combined body is initially being called the University of Paisley, but steps are being progressed to change of name to the University of the West of Scotland. More than 50% of students attend campuses outside of Paisley and it is argued that the name change is a sensible one. There are plans for an investment programme of more than £160 million and an expansion of degree and post-graduate courses.
Happiest University Students
The latest UK-wide "Good University Guide" has ranked St Andrews University in Fife top of the league for student satisfaction in a survey of 113 establishments across Britain. Scotland's oldest university (founded in 1413) was ranked 5th overall, but top for student satisfaction. Edinburgh University came 16th overall while Glasgow was further down the table at 30th. There were nine measures used to rank the universities - including student satisfaction; research strength; student-staff ratios; spending on facilities; the proportion of first class and upper seconds awarded; the proportion of students leaving for graduate jobs or further study and drop-out rates. Paisley University came near the foot of the table - 101st overall and 113th out of 113 for student satisfaction. However, some academics are sceptical of the value of such tables as they attempt to measure institutions that are often markedly different.
Emergency Landing at Edinburgh Airport
A Flybe Bombardier Q400 with 36 people on board had to make an emergency landing at Edinburgh airport last Monday when the crew had to shut down one of its two engines on a flight from Manchester. After an emergency call from the pilot, a full emergency alert was declared, with fire engines at the end of the runway. But the plane landed safely on the remaining engine, thanks to the training and skill of the pilot. Passengers said that everyone on board "became very quiet" after the captain announced that he was feathering one of the engines. The plane landed more heavily than usual and stopped quickly - with the fire engines gathering outside once it had halted. Apparently, a warning light had come on in the cockpit, indicating a problem in the engine. After investigation, the plane resumed its normal flying schedule later in the day. No doubt the passengers using the aircraft later in the day knew nothing about the earlier technical problem.
£120 Investment in Dewar's Scotch Whisky
Drinks giant Diageo has announced a £120 million investment in its blending, packaging and bottling operations for the Dewar's Scotch whisky brand, so that it can take best advantage of emerging markets in Asia and Latin America. Demand for Dewar's premium whisky has been growing significantly, with sales in Singapore, China and Venezuela doing particularly well. The removal of massive import taxes on whisky and other spirits to India will result in a major boost there too. Diageo operates whisky distilleries in Aberfeldy, Macduff, Aultmore, Craigellachie and Royal Brackla, with blending, bottling and packaging facilities in Glasgow and Coatbridge.
Whisky Heated Hospital
Whisky distilleries use a lot of heat in their processes and normally that heat just gets lost in the atmosphere. But Pulteney Distillery in Wick in the far north of Scotland is already piping its waste heat to local homes and from October, Caithness General Hospital will be connected to the system - making it the first in the UK to become heated by a whisky distillery.The plant is already using an environmentally friendly biomass, wood-burning power source to provide the heat used in the distilling processes.
Flight Delays at Inverness
There have been frequent complaints over many months from passengers flying from Inverness to London Gatwick via budget airline Flybe. A recent flight from the UK capital to the Highland capital was delayed by over four hours - with passengers having to check on details using a company computer on an unmanned check-in desk. This prompted some investigations into the airline's punctuality record. This revealed that only 30% of Flybe flights between the two cities had arrived on time between April 1 and July 1 this year. The data was provided by the Highlands and Islands Airport authority. A similar enquiry to Flybe produced an evasive response quoting their overall punctuality times at Gatwick (81%).
A Million Pounds of Pianos
This week, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) took delivery of its biggest single investment in instruments - £1 million worth of Steinway and Yamaha pianos. The 39 instruments were carefully delivered over six days and will be ready for the students when they arrive at the start of the new academic year, at the end of September. The pianos have been purchased via the Musical Instrument Finance Company. They are sponsoring the RSAMD's International Piano Fellowship over the next three years, enabling a world-class pianist to teach at the academy.
Campaign to Honour "World's Worst Poet"
Scotland may have produced Robert Burns to delight the world with his poems and songs in his short but boisterous life, but we also managed to spawn a rhymester who vies for the dubious title of "World's Worst Poet". During his lifetime, William McGonagall (1830-1902) used to carry an umbrella to ward off the rotten tomatoes hurled at him. He was certain of his own genius, however, believing that he was second only to William Shakespeare. In recent years, however, he has attracted a growing band of admirers (who relish the sheer awfulness of his excruciating rhymes, metre and word choice). He often wrote about events of his day - and had to do a hasty rewrite of his eulogy on the railway bridge over the river Tay when it collapsed:
Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silv'ry Tay!
Alas! I am very sorry to say
That ninety lives have been taken away
On the last Sabbath day of 1879
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.
Despite a growing fan base for McGonagall, the literary establishment turns up their snobbish noses at him - and refuse to agree to a proposal to erect a memorial to him at Edinburgh's Writer's Museum alongside the recognised greats such as Burns, Stevenson and Scott. His supporters are undaunted and hold an annual "McGonagall night" when the courses are served back to front, starting with dessert and ending with the starter.
The graphic is a memorial to William McGonagall in Greyfriars Churchyard.
Whiff of Change
The women's British Open golf championship was being played at the Old Course at St Andrews this week - the first time that the ladies have been allowed to compete on the hallowed ground and use the previously "men only" club house facilities. There were no doubt some old colonels who disapproved of the development - and they perhaps felt vindicated when it emerged that one of the lady players had changed her child's nappy (diaper) in the changing room. Janice Moodie, a Scot married to an American and based in Florida, admitted afterwards that it "was a particularly stinky one" but it was a choice between the club house and the car.... Although no record books were consulted, it is confidently being said that it is the first time such a task has been performed there in the 253-year history of the St Andrews club, which governs golf outside of the US and Mexico.
July Weather Overview
It is always interesting to see if the official Meteorological Office review of the previous month's weather matches our memories. Certainly the statistics confirmed that it was duller and wetter than normal. Rainfall was 141% of the 1961-1990 average. That was not as wet as some parts of England, where overall the rain was double the normal level during the month, with some parts experiencing four times the norm, resulting in extensive flooding. Temperatures in Scotland were slightly above the long-term average, despite sunshine being less than usual for July.
Weather in Scotland This Week
Another week of sunshine and cloud, with some showers thrown in for good measure - though the rain was often overnight, rather than during the day, as several weather fronts chased one another across the country. A "mini-tornado" was seen in the Aberdeen area on Thursday - and was recorded on video by a BBC TV camera crew. West of Scotland had a particularly dull, dreich day on Friday, but most of the country managed to get some sun again on Saturday. Maximum daytime temperatures this week have been largely in the range 18/19C (64/66F) but Saturday saw the thermometer rising to 21C (70F) in the north-east.
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 Nasturtiums in an Urn at Swan Pond, Culzean Castle Country Park; a Damselfly that landed on the back of my hand; Hollyhock flowers (see thumbnail here); Lysimachia Clethroides, better known as Gooseneck Loosestrife; Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly on Verbena Flower; very late flowering Rhododendrons. See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Steam Loco Returning to Glasgow
A "Mountain Class" railway steam engine, which was built in Polmadie in Glasgow in 1945 for the harsh conditions of South Africa, is to return to take pride of place in the new Riverside Transport Museum being built in the city of its birth. The engine pulled the renowned "Blue Train" from Johannesburg to Cape Town for over 40 years, until it was mothballed in 1988. The huge engine has made a 6,000 mile journey from South Africa and will be put on display in the city's George Square for a few days at the end of this month. It will then undergo a major restoration and will eventually be the largest exhibit in the new transport museum. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of British engineering, representing a culmination of 100 years of railway technology in the city. An appeal has been launched for public contributions to the Riverside Transport Museum - a similar appeal for the refurbishment of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum raised £13 million. For more details, see www.glasgowmuseums.com.
"Royal" Iron age Roundhouse
2,000 years ago, roundhouses were common in Scotland and recently an archaeological dig in Aberdeenshire uncovered the remains of one of the largest ever found in Scotland. The foundations of the stone building were in the Bennachie hills - on the site of an earlier Bronze Age fort. The size of the building (about 20 metres or 65 feet in diameter) suggests that it was occupied by one of the elite members of the people living there at the time. The roundhouse was surrounded by a cobbled road. Nearby to the site is a Roman camp, but there is no evidence to be found of interaction between the two races, although the original inhabitants probably were involved in trade.
Next Week in Scottish History
Northern Ireland Win European Pipe Band Championships
The Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, based in Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, won the Grade 1 contest in the European Pipe Band Championships last weekend in Inverness. Strathclyde Police, who have been world champions twelve times, finished second. The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, who organise the event, commented: "The pipe band scene in Northern Ireland is very strong - we don't mind where our winners come from."
New Scottish Opera Conductor
The Italian opera conductor Francesco Corti was appointed this week as the new director of Scottish Opera. He had been a guest conductor in a production of Madame Butterfly earlier this year and clearly both Scottish Opera staff and the maestro got on well. He gained glowing reviews for the quality of the music and the playing of the orchestra under his baton. He has now been given responsibility for setting the artistic direction of the company, maintaining its musical standards and conducting about half of all its major productions. The 43-year-old conductor was born in Milan and was previously music director with the Magdeburg Opera in Germany. He has conducted both operas and symphony orchestras across Europe and America. He immediately endeared himself to local audiences by saying that he fell in love with stylish Glasgow when he was here earlier - and that was why he had taken the post. He claimed that "there was more than a touch of Milan about the streets of Glasgow."
Record Crowds for Air Show
The National Museum of Flight's annual air show at East Fortune in East Lothian attracted a record crowd of nearly 14,000 last Saturday. Glorious sunshine (at least initially) helped, of course, and the crowds enjoyed the static display as well as a flypast by the RAF's new Eurofighter "Typhoon," daring acrobatics and an array of Second World War aircraft, such as a Catalina flying boat, a Spitfire, a Hurricane and a Lancaster bomber. The display ended with the exciting "Red Arrows" display team from the RAF - despite the weather breaking down near the end of the afternoon.
Kilsyth International Carnival
The annual summer festival in the North Lanarkshire town of Kilsyth takes place on 12th August. There will be the usual arts and craft fair, singers, dancers (including belly dancers as well as Chinese and Japanese dancers appearing for the first time), juggling and a big parade. And this year Tom Craven's new book, entitled with the correct degree of erudition as "My windaes ur steamin' 'n' so am a" will be launched at the event. You can meet the author (steaming or not - you decide) and buy a signed copy. See also Kilsyth International Carnival Web site.
Scottish Culture Around the World
The main focus of the Scottish Snippets is news items, usually about Scotland. But the "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.
Scots in New Zealand
An exhibition "The Scots in New Zealand" will open at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, NZ on 18th August 2007 and will feature the Scottish community in New Zealand. Many New Zealanders can claim some degree of Scottish ancestry, and there is much evidence of pride in this fact throughout New Zealand. This exhibition is primarily focused on New Zealand rather than Scottish history. The Scots were one of the major immigrant groups in New Zealand. Their settlement over time has become widespread and pervasive, and is now thoroughly integrated into New Zealand life. The overarching theme of the exhibition is the contributions Scots have made to New Zealand history, society and culture. There are three main themes to the exhibition: migrations and settlement (including case studies on the Scottish settlements of Waipu, Turakina and Otago); contributions made by the Scots (e.g. education, science, civic responsibility, business, engineering, architecture); and expressions of identity (e.g. clans, art, sport, music, dress). For more information, see www.tepapa.govt.nz.
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
Heart of Midlothian 1 Barcelona (Spain) 3
Aberdeen 5 Etisalat (Egypt) 1
Hibernian 1 Middlesborough (English Premier) 0
Falkirk 2 Ajax (Netherlands) 1
Kilmarnock 1 Leicester City (English League) 0
Motherwell 0 Nottingham Forest (English League) 0
Rangers 2 Chelsea (English Premier) 0
Rangers 2 FK Zeta (Montenegro) 0 (European Champions League qualifier, first leg)Clydesdale Bank Premierleague Results - 4 August 2007
Dundee United 1 Aberdeen 0
Gretna 0 Falkirk 4
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0 Rangers 3
St Mirren 0 Motherwell 1
Celtic v Kilmarnock will be played on Sunday and Heart of Midlothian v Hibernian on Monday.In-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Results - 4 August 2007
Hamilton 2 Dunfermline 1
Greenock Morton 3 Clyde 2
Livingston 0 Dundee2
Queen of the South 3 St Johnstone 3
Stirling Albion 1 Partick Thistle 1In-Bru Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 4 August 2007
Airdrie United 0 Raith Rovers 1
Berwick Rangers 1 Cowdenbeath 1
Peterhead 1 Alloa 4
Queens Park 3 Brechin City 0
Ross County 2 Ayr United 0In-Bru Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 4 August 2007
Dumbarton 1 Elgin 0
East Fife 3 East Stirling 1
Montrose 0 Albion Rovers 1
Stenhousemuir 1 Arbroath 0
Stranraer 3 Forfar 0League Tables
With just one match played and (in the case of the Premier League) some clubs still to play their first match, not a lot of significance can be attached to current league placings. Falkirk's 4-0 defeat of Gretna put them at the top of the Premier League, with a marginally better goal difference than Rangers in second place (with Celtic still to play on Sunday and Hearts/Hibs not playing until Monday).
Scottish Clubs Get Tough European Fixtures
Celtic and Rangers were given tough matches in the qualifying stage of the European Champions League. Celtic play Spartak Moscow and Rangers (assuming they get through in the second leg against FK Zeta) will face Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) or Levadia Tallinn from Estonia. The winners of these qualifying matches go on to the lucrative group stages, playing in a mini league to decide on further progress. Celtic's opponents Spartak Moscow play on an artificial pitch and are already midway through their domestic season, so are match sharp.
Rangers 2 FK Zeta (Montenegro) 0
Rangers will have a two goal advantage when they play the second leg of their European Champions League qualifying match in Montenegro. But Rangers have poor goalkeeping by their opponents rather than themselves to thank for the win. Even so, the experts think that Rangers should get past this hurdle and will then face a further qualifying match (see item above) before they can breathe a sigh of relief by reaching the group stage of the competition.
Hearts' Owner Keep Coaches
Vladimir Romanov, the Lithuanian banking tycoon who owns Heart of Midlothian Football Club in Edinburgh, has confirmed that Anatoliy Korobochka and Steve Frail will remain in charge as sporting director and coach. They took over on a temporary basis last season and their contracts have been extended for one year. They didn't exactly get a ringing endorsement from Romanov, who said that on a scale of 1 to 5 he would probably assess them as a 3.
Catching Diving Cheats
The recently appointed Scottish Football Association (SFA) chief executive proposed this week that video recordings of matches should be reviewed by referees after the match to identify when players have been guilty of "diving" which was not spotted during the game. Experts can often look at video recordings and get annoyed at the way some cheats get away with theatrically crashing to the ground when there has been hardly any body contact. However, the sports' governing body, Fifa, have pointed out that the idea could fall foul of the current rules which say that disciplinary decisions taken by the referee on the field of play during a match are final. The SFA hope to at least proceed with a "behind closed doors" trial which would not involve any disciplinary action.
Women's British Open Golf Championship
For the first time ever, the women's British Open golf championship was being played at the Old Course at St Andrews, the home of golf this week. Until recently, women have been excluded from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club and so it was being hailed as a "major milestone" in the sport. The Women's British Open is a leading event in women's professional golf and was established in 1976 as the women's equivalent of the Open Championship. Crowd favourite Michelle Wie failed to make the cut at the half-way stage and after three rounds it was 25-year-old Lorena Ochoa from Mexico who was in the lead. The world number one lady golfer was six shots ahead of Sweden's Linda Wessberg, with a number of other players in the following pack.