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.
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Current Affairs
Historical Affairs - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
Entertainment
Scots Abroad
Sport
In the First Division, Hamilton continue in their winning ways and sit at the top, two points ahead of Dundee. Livingston bring up the rear, with just 2 points.
In the Second Division, Raith Rovers' defeat of Queens Park on Saturday placed them firmly at the top, 3 points ahead of their rivals. Alloa, Berwick and Brechin are at the foot of the table, with 4 points each.
In Division Three, East Fife are at the top with maximum points, with East Stirling chasing in second place, 3 points behind. Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Delays Return to Forth Road Bridge
The work to resurface the Forth Road Bridge was suspended over the summer tourist season, but the second phase on the northbound carriageway begins on Friday, September 7. A contra-flow, allowing only one lane in each direction will operate every weekend until the end of October - or even longer if there is bad weather. When the first phase of the repairs was being carried out, earlier this year, it resulted in delays of up to 90 minutes for northbound traffic and 60 minutes for vehicles going south.
Two Million Traffic Cones
Motorists have suffered in the past few years as a result of road works as Scottish Water tries to repair the crumbling 19th century underground water supply system. But now the utility company has announced a £2 billion nationwide programme that will affect 300 roads over the next twelve months. Scottish Water say that they have splashed out £20 million just on two million traffic cones - which could cordon off 450 miles of roadway. While it means misery for drivers caught in long tail backs, the company says that if the corroding pipes are not attended to, burst water mains could lead to even bigger problems.
Three-Day Ferry Strike
Islanders on Orkney faced disruption to any travel plans this week as a result of a three-day strike by 30 staff on Orkney Ferries, which halted services to six of the outer isles. The dispute arose when staff rejected a 3.5% pay rise and talks to resolve the dispute failed. The trade union says that further strikes are planned. Extra flights have been organised to carry small amounts of freight, but the islanders have expressed concern about the impact the strike will have on their fragile economies. Crews on other ferry routes have also rejected the pay offer and a ballot for strike action is being held which could spread the industrial action to other ferry services.
Picture via Wikipedia.
Highland Theatre Reopening Delayed
The Eden Court Theatre in Inverness closed in June 2005 to allow a major refurbishment to take place. It was supposed to re-open to play a major part in the 2007 Year of Highland Culture celebrations. But delays and cost over-runs have meant that it will not open until 3 November, 12 weeks later than scheduled. Costs have risen to £23 million - £3 million over budget. Musicians Phil Cunningham and Aly Bai,n who played the last gig at the theatre before it closed, will perform on the opening night.
New Primary Schools for Scottish Borders
It's not just in Scotland's cities that old buildings and changing demographics have prompted local authorities to undertake a programme of school closures and building at new locations. Scottish Borders Council has unveiled plans to spend £38 million on six new primary schools for the 5-11 age group, between now and 2012.The programme will get underway next month with a new Denholm Primary School (see artist's impression), in Teviotdale, about halfway between the towns of Hawick and Jedburgh. The school there was destroyed by fire last year. Other schools in the pipeline are at Peebles, Lauder, Clovenfords and West Linton.
No Shelter for Passengers
The £12.7 million upgrading of Partick railway station in Glasgow's West End is well behind schedule and over budget, but Strathclyde Passenger Transport were slammed this week by the head of Railfuture, a watchdog organisation, for refusing to provide any cover for passengers over the platform. Partick is the fifth busiest railway station in Scotland and the two million passengers a year that it handles is expected to rise once the refurbishment is completed. But in wet weather (a not infrequent occurrence in the west of Scotland) they either stand in the rain or crowd into a central waiting room, before dashing out when their train arrives. Hardly an encouragement for car drivers to leave their cars behind and use public transport. The rail watchdog described the omission as a "blunder". Planning for the upgrade began in 1998 but work did not begin until late 2005. It was originally due for completion in January 2007 but delays to the project have resulted in completion being now being scheduled for February 2008. The station is a major hub, serving both underground and east-west over ground services, as well as being on a major bus in the city's West End.
Prison Population Reaches Record High
A report on Scotland's prisons this week highlighted that the number of prisoners has reached a record high of 7,497 - an increase of 9% on two years ago - and over 30% more than 20 years ago. Last week, the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill announced that the Scottish Executive was to build a new prison, but would also be addressing the number of people who re-offend and return to prison after a short time. It is argued that some of that arises because of lack of support for people after they are released.
Wildlife Conservation
In 1997, when a UK-wide "Biodiversity Action Plan" was launched for the first time, it identified 577 species in need of conservation and protection. The latest list, published this week, lists 1,149 species - nearly double that of ten years ago. While some of the additions are due to wider research, it highlights the declining state of much of the UK's wildlife. The Scottish Highlands are important refuges for many species, including red squirrels (pictured here), wildcats, pine martens and mountain hares. Other parts of Scotland are home to hedgehogs, house sparrows and otters, all of which are in decline. It's not all doom and gloom, however, with increases in some species of birds such as bittern, stone-curlew, corncrake, nightjar and woodlark. That is due to conservation efforts and persuading farmers to modify their activities to benefit wild life in the countryside. Home owners have a part to play too - experts say that hedgehogs would rather have untidy gardens to snuffle around in!
Picture via Wikipedia.
Paintings by Scots Artist Sell for £1 Million
A series of paintings by Scots painter Jack Vettriano have been sold at auction for more than £1 million this week. The most expensive art work was "Bluebird at Bonneville" which was bought for £468,000 at an auction held at the Gleneagles Hotel. The seven paintings had been commissioned in 1997 from the Fife-born artist by London restaurateur and designer Sir Terence Conran. They were inspired by the Bluebird cars driven by racing motorist Malcolm Campbell, who set nine land speed records in the 1920s and 1930s. The sale is the second highest price for a Vettriano, after the "Singing Butler" fetched £744,500 in 2004. Vettriano (originally Jack Hoggan) grew up in the industrial seaside town of Methil, Fife and he became an apprentice mining engineer. He later took up painting as a hobby, producing copies or pastiches of impressionist paintings. In 2005 it was "discovered" that figures in some of his paintings, including "The Singing Butler," were based on figures from an artists' reference manual. However, he is one of the most commercially successful living artists in the world.
Polish Bar Opens in Edinburgh
Dillon Doyle is as Irish as a four-leafed clover, so you might have expected him to open an Irish-themed bar in Edinburgh. But instead, he has created the first traditional Polish bar in the capital. Of course, his Polish girlfriend might have influenced that decision, but with a range of Polish vodkas and beers, "U Soltysa" has built up a loyal customer base of both Polish and Scottish drinkers. Polish brewers made about 7% of the entire European production volume in 2005, but is growing faster than the European Union average for the product.
Harley Hurl in Aviemore
Around 1,200 Harley-Davidson riders from across Britain and beyond descended on Aviemore last weekend for an action-packed and fun-filled "Thunder in the Glens" festival. Harley fanatics from as far away as Norway, Germany and America soaked up the atmosphere at a series of events in the Speyside town and across Badenoch and Strathspey. The weekend was the 10th consecutive gathering in the area by the Edinburgh-based Dunedin Chapter of the Harley-Davidson Owners Club. Throughout the course of the three-day event, money was raised in aid of the Maggie's Centre cancer charity.
Photograph courtesy of the Scotavia> © Web site.
Iranian Company Creating Cashmere Jobs
Jahan Cashmere, an Iranian company, is setting up a new cashmere plant in a former electronics factory in Kelso in the Scottish Borders. Initially it will create 20 jobs, but that is expected to rise to 60 as the factory goes into full production. The company said that the reputation of the Scottish Borders and its skilled workforce were key factors in moving into the area. The textile industry is still a major employer in the Scottish Borders, despite difficult trading conditions, which have led to contraction in the sector in recent years.
Oor Wullie For Sale
No, the publishers of the Sunday Post, in which the archetypal Scots laddie has been sitting on his bucket in a cartoon strip since the 1930s, are not selling up. But an original drawing of Oor Wullie, signed by artist Dudley D Watkins, is being sold at auction in Edinburgh next week. World-wide interest is expected, with telephone and internet bids. The iconic cartoon character was created by Watkins. He began in 1933 illustrating comic strips in a series of publications for children such as Adventure, Rover, Wizard and Hotspur. Oor Wullie and The Broons first appeared in the Sunday Post in 1936 - and generations of Scots grew up reading of their escapades.
Traditional Roots for Christmas Tree
Up until 2002, up-market Jenners department store in Edinburgh always delighted its customers with a Christmas display in its main hall with a real tree, covered in lights and decorations. Then in 2003, the popular store decided to use an artificial tree, because by Christmas the pine needles were starting to go brown and drop off. They have used the same artificial one each year since then. At the time it was first installed, it was the largest indoor artificial tree in Europe. But Jenners is now part of the Highland Consortium, a group which includes Icelandic investment company Baugur and Bank of Scotland. They say that they want to "return to the traditional values of what Jenners is all about" and so have arranged for a 40ft Norwegian spruce from the Duke of Buccleuch's estate in the Scottish Borders. Because of its size, the tree will need a police escort when it transported to Edinburgh early in November. The store's main doors in Princes Street will have to be removed after close of business and staff will then work overnight to add the lights and decorations.
International Rocket Week
Up, up and away... Kelburn Castle near Largs is not exactly the Kennedy Space Centre, but it was the location for the launch of Britain's largest-ever amateur rocket last weekend. Named "Corpulent Slump", the rocket reached 6,000 feet before the on-board computer guided it back to earth. Bad weather delayed the launch last Saturday - the final day of an International Rocket Week, attended by enthusiasts from all over the world. Clear skies on Sunday allowed the launch to go ahead, as it accelerated from zero to 100mph in just one second and reached a maximum speed of 500mph.
Chinese Tartan Takeaway
A specially designed Chinese tartan incorporates the white and blue of the Scottish flag and the red and yellow of the Chinese flag, with the yellow crossing the red in five places, symbolising the five stars on the Chinese flag. There are also green bands to symbolise the co-operation between botanists in Scotland and China - the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh are home to the biggest collection of Chinese plants outside China. Now Forfar textile company Strathmore Woolens has received its first order from China for the tartan, which will be used to make clothing for golfers. Other orders are in the pipe-line for cloth in a version using fabric suitable for sportswear.
Weather in Scotland This Week
Cloud was the predominant feature of the weather this week, but there were bright sunny spells as well as some showers and light rain. Temperatures in Edinburgh and Glasgow were mainly in the 16/18C (61/64F) and cooler further north. A strong north or north-west wind towards the end of the week made it feel cooler, however.
This photo of a brightly coloured Fuschia was taken in one of those rare sunny spells earlier this week.
This Week's Colour Supplement
This week's large format photographs taken in Scotland to show the current season and its flora and fauna include the flower of the Indian Bean Tree (see thumbnail) in the one of the gardens at Culzean Castle Country Park in Ayrshire; Red Admiral butterfly with its wings spread; papery petals of Helichrysum flowers; magnificent blooms of Chrysanthemum; Echinacea - the Cone Flower, which originated in eastern USA; pollen covered bee on a Hollyhock flower. See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Ettrick Shepherd's Home For Sale
Blackhouse Cottage in the Yarrow Valley, Selkirkshire, where James Hogg penned his most famous works of poetry and literature, is now for sale. Known as the "Ettrick Shepherd", Hogg lived in the three-bedroom,18th-century stone house for ten years. It is on the market at offers over £165,000. It remains unconnected to mains electricity, but has its own generator. The cottage is 15 miles south of Selkirk with half an acre of woodland garden. Hogg is best known for the his novel "The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner" published in (1824). The house features in one of his stories - "Storms" from his book "The Shepherd's Calendar." It tells of a terrible snow storm and rescuing sheep in a dramatic battle with the elements. Hogg was discovered by Sir Walter Scott and the two men developed a life-long friendship.
End of the Govan Titan
The Titan crane at the shipyard at Govan has been towering over the river Clyde since 1911. It has not been operational for many years - construction methods and the types of ships being built have moved on at the BAE yard. The management have wanted to demolish the structure in the past, but its importance as an A-listed building has stopped that. But they argued that it was going to impede work on the £4 billion aircraft carrier contract and would need £1.6 million to refurbish it. So, with Titans still standing at Finnieston, Scotstoun, Clydebank and Greenock, Historic Scotland has relented and granted permission for it to be dismantled. The 150 feet high cantilever crane, set on a lattice girder tower, will disappear from the skyline over the coming weeks. The metal will be recycled and the winding gear will be donated to the Scottish Maritime Museum. A detailed scale model of the crane is held by Glasgow Transport Museum.
Next Week in Scottish History
Another Record Year
It would be surprising if the Edinburgh Fringe Festival didn't report another record year - the arts festival has been doing that regularly for the last 60 years. So when the event came to an end and the organisers totted up all the ticket sales, it came to 1.7 million - another record. That was spread over 2,000 different shows, with 31,000 performances by 18,626 performers. Of course, many of the shows are small scale - the average attendance at each one was just 55 people. But the concert by the Foo Fighters was the biggest in the history of the Fringe, with 25,000 tickets sold. There are criticisms that the rapid expansion of the Fringe has meant that standards are slipping - but it is argued that the Fringe is a self-regulating festival, with audiences and artists dictating whether or not the open access event continues to grow.
50 Years of Scottish Television
50 years ago this week the first programmes televised by the commercial channel Scottish Television (STV), reached the small black and white TV screens available in those days. Scottish actor James Robertson Justice narrated the first programme - an hour-long account of travel, history and humour from around the country. The channel started production in the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, before moving to its permanent home not far away. This year, the company moved to custom-built, state-of-the-art studios at Glasgow's "media village", Pacific Quay. STV claims to be Scotland's most popular peak-time station. One of the station's most successful programmes has been Scotsport, which began in 1957 and eventually entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-running TV sports programme in the world.
Scotland's Greatest Movie of All Time?
Everyone has their own idea of "Scotland's Greatest Movie" but to mark the end of this year's Edinburgh Film Festival, some of Scotland's leading actors, directors and producers were asked to give their nominations. While we would all have our own opinions on which one was the "best", there is no doubt that the experts selections would appear high on most folk's lists. For example, they highlighted Tunes of Glory (as a strait-laced officer takes over as CO of a Scottish regiment in Stirling Castle), Gregory's Girl (a coming-of-age classic set in Cumbernauld), Local Hero (oil company tries to buy a Scottish village - starring a phone box), 39 Steps (classic thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with a chase across Scotland), Whisky Galore! (as islanders plunder cases of whisky from a shipwreck and evade the customs and excise men).
Book Festival Sell-Out
More than half the events at this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) sold out completely, and 80% of all tickets were sold across 700 events staged this year. More than 200,000 people visited the festival, which is staged under canvas in the Capital's Charlotte Square. There were 650 authors from 40 countries at the event, including Ian Rankin who launched "Exit Music" - his 20th and final novel about Inspector Rebus, the Edinburgh detective.
Desperate Fishwives
The first comedy show for many years in the Doric dialect of the north-east of Scotland has been commissioned by BBC. The highly popular "Scotland the What?" ran for 26 years on radio from 1969. Now, Radio Scotland's new series is entitled "Desperate Fishwives" and it will re-inroduce listeners in other parts of the country to such phrases as "Ay ay," or "fit like?" and "Foo's ye daein?" Boys and girls are "louns and quines" and actors will be "spikin' intae yer lug" instead of speaking into your ear. The programme is being broadcast on Saturday afternoons on BBC Scotland. It is based on a stage act which played to sell-out audiences in Aberdeen earlier this year.
Chariots of Fire Sequel?
A film is in the pipeline entitled "Beyond the Chariots" which will tell the story of Scots Olympic champion Eric Liddell after he won his medal in 1924, as immortalised in the 1981 movie "Chariot's of Fire." The new film will cover his life as a missionary in China and his experiences as a prisoner-of-war at the hands of the Japanese. Liddell died of a brain tumour in February 1945, just months before liberation.
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.
The graphic here, by William Hacker, was taken at the close of the Virginia International Tattoo, in Norfolk Virginia, USA.
St Andrews, Victoria, Australia
The town of St Andrews in Victoria, Australia, north-east of Melbourne, has a huge celebration next year as it is the 150th anniversary of the establishment of both its Hotel (seen here) and Primary School and 140th anniversary of the local Anglican Church. St Andrews was the third name for the area - the first (Caledonia Run) was established prior to 1851 by a local farmer. When the area was gazetted as a town in 1861, the adopted name was Queenstown. But that was changed to the name of the local hotel - St Andrews - in the late 1940's, after confusion with other Queenstowns in Tasmania and New Zealand.
Mid-Week Football Results
BK Hacken (Sweden) 1 Dunfermline 0 (UEFA Cup qualifier - Dunfermline go out 2-1 on aggregate.
Red Star Belgrade 0 Rangers 0 (European Champions League - Rangers win 1-0 on aggregate)
Celtic 1 Spartak Moscow 1 (European Champions League - Celtic through after penalty shoot-out)CIS League Cup - 2nd Round
Berwick Rangers 2 Hamilton 3
Dundee 2 Livingston 2 (Dundee won 6-5 on penalties)
Gretna 3 Cowdenbeath 1
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3 Arbroath 1
Montrose 1 Falkirk 2
Partick Thistle 0 St Johnstone 0 (Partick won 5-4 on penalties)
Peterhead 0 Kilmarnock 3
Queens Park 1 Hibernian 2
St Mirren 0 East Fife 1
Dundee United 2 Ross County 1
Motherwell 3 Raith Rovers 1Clydesdale Bank Premierleague Results - 1 September 2007
Dundee United 2 Falkirk 0
Hibernian 1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0
Kilmarnock 0 Aberdeen 1
Rangers 4 Gretna 0
St Mirren v Celtic will be played on Sunday and Motherwell v Hearts on Monday evening.Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Results - 1 September 2007
Clyde 1 Dundee 2
Greenock Morton 0 Queen of the South 1
Partick Thistle 0 Hamilton 3
Stirling Albion 3 Livingston 3
Dunfermline v St Johnstone will be played on Sunday.Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 1 September 2007
Ayr 2 Alloa 0
Brechin City 1 Cowdenbeath 1
Peterhead 4 Berwick Rangers 3
Queens Park 2 Raith Rovers 5
Ross County 1 Airdrie United 1Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 1 September 2007
Albion Rovers 2 East Stirling 3
Arbroath 4 Elgin 0
East Fife 3 Forfar 0
Stenhousemuir 0 Montrose 4
Stranraer 2 Dumbarton 0Scottish Rugby Premiership 1 Results - 1 September 2007
Ayr 22 Dundee 23
Boroughmuir 23 Melrose 19
Currie 51 Glasgow Hawks 26
Edinburgh Academicals 10 Heriots 10
Glasgow Hutchesons 9 Stirling County 36
Hawick 25 Watsonians 16League Tables
Rangers have scored maximum points so far this season, their 15 points putting them 4 points ahead of second placed Hibernian. However, Celtic do not play their 5th SPL match this season until Sunday and could move above Hibs if they win that match. At the other end of the table, Inverness Caledonian Thistle have still to record a single point and Gretna are only one point better off.
Two Scottish Teams Progress In Champions League
Both Celtic and Rangers have won through their qualifying matches and will now play in the Group stage of the European Champions League. Rangers were first to qualify, surviving a tense 90 minutes against Red Star Belgrade which ended 0-0. But the Ibrox side had won the first leg 1-0 at home and that was sufficient to take them through. Celtic's duel with Spartak Moscow at Parkhead produced an identical result to the first leg - a 1-1 draw. That meant that the winner had to be decided by a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out. Celtic's goalkeeper became a hero when he saved two of the spot-kicks, allowing the Glasgow side to progress to the Group stage by 4-3 on penalties. The results mean that both Rangers and Celtic will benefit from the extra income generated by the next stage of the competition, providing at least £10 million for each team.
Tough Draw for Champions League
Achieving progress to the group stage of the European Champions League is a great achievement for Celtic and Rangers - now it gets even tougher. The draw for the next stage means that Celtic will be facing AC Milan, Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk. Last season, Celtic drew 0-0 at home against Milan and lost by just one goal in extra time in Italy. Celtic did enough last year to qualify for the knock-out stage. Rangers face perhaps a tougher set of teams - Barcelona, Lyon and Stuttgart.
UEFA Cup
Aberdeen will be playing Ukranian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovisk for a place in the group stages of the UEFA Cup. The games will be played on September 20 and October 4. Dunfermline failed to progress further in the UEFA Cup this week, when they lost 1-0 against Sweden's BK Hacken. With the 1-1 first leg, Dunfermline went out by 2-1 on aggregate.
IRB Sevens World Series
Melrose is regarded as the spiritual home of the seven-a-side form of rugby and there was disgust in the Borders last year when the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) refused to stage the Scotland leg of the IRB Sevens World Series in Melrose, using the national stadium at Murrayfield instead.. This week, the SRU confirmed that the match will continue to be staged in Edinburgh's Murrayfield, saying that the Melrose stadium was too small to host the event. As a consolation, Scottish Rugby plans to offer practical support for the 125th anniversary of the Melrose Sevens in April 2008. The SRU will also enter a team for the tournament, which will include some Scotland 7s players. The SRU will assist Melrose FC in securing broadcast coverage and other commercial activities.