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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, Hamilton are in the lead, 3 points ahead of Dundee. Clyde are at the foot of the table, but only by reason of goal difference, as Stirling Albion have the same number of points. Dunfermline are just one point above them.
In the Second Division, Ross County have a one point lead over Raith Rovers at the top, while Berwick Rangers bring up the rear, 3 points behind Brechin City.
East Fife sit comfortably at the top of the Third Division, 8 points ahead of Montrose. Forfar are at the other end of the table with 5 points, 6 fewer than Stenhousemuir.
Boroughmuir have a commanding lead of 9 points over Melrose at the top of the Rugby Division One table. Glasgow Hutchesons trail Edinburgh Academicals by 5 points at the other end of that league. Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Support for Independence at Ten Year Low?
It is surprising that with the Scottish National Party in government in the Scottish Parliament and its leader, Alex Salmond, riding high in the popularity stakes, research published this week claimed that support for an independent Scotland "has fallen to its lowest point in 10 years." The Scottish Social Attitudes Survey has been carried out annually over the past 10 years. It has measured support for an independent Scotland between 2004 and 2006 at between 30% and 35%. But this year, of 1,300 people selected at random and interviewed between May and August, only 23% registered support for independence. Organised by academics at the Scottish Centre for Social Research, it is claimed to give far more depth than commercial polls. In the same survey, First Minister Alex Salmond's approval rating, however, reached 44% of all the respondents, up 9% from a year ago. According to Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University, the May elections for Holyrood were determined more than before by how much people felt politicians were willing to stand up for Scotland. He claims that the "SNP's victory in May was a success for the party rather than the cause of independence that it espouses. It had a popular leader and tapped a feeling that Holyrood should put Scotland, rather than partnership with London, first."
Sea of Saltires for St Andrew
It used to be that St Andrews Day on 30 November was celebrated more by Scots abroad than in Scotland itself. It was largely ignored here for most of the 20th century, but in recent years - prompted as much by the jingling of cash registers and encouraging tourism as honouring Scotland's patron saint - a number of activities have arisen. In Edinburgh, giant marquees are to be erected in Princes Street Gardens for three days of events. The "Jig in the Gardens", organised by the Scottish Government, will be one of seven major celebrations held across the country to mark Scotland's national day. There will be concerts, ceilidh dances, and live music sessions, storytelling and children's activities in the Capital. Leading Celtic and traditional folk acts are expected to take to the stage in the evening for a "monster ceilidh" including an Edinburgh-based ceilidh band named "The Porridge Men." Glasgow's celebration is confined to Friday, 30th November, but is no less rumbustious, with "Shindig in the Square" which will see the city's George Square transformed by a sea of Saltires
Fun and Games
The announcement of which city is to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games will be made in Sri Lanka on November 9 and, win or lose, Glasgow is still gong to celebrate that day. The team behind Glasgow's bid is holding a party at venues across the city with such stars as Deacon Blue, the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band, the Treacherous Orchestra and singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald entertaining the crowds. They will view the announcement on giant screens at the events at 12.30pm. Glasgow's rival to host the Games is Abuja, Nigeria. The winner will be decided by a majority of the 71 delegates from all the Commonwealth countries, meeting in Sri Lanka.
Airport Link on Track
The engineering works for the project to provide a 15-minute train service between Glasgow airport and the city centre were approved this week by Renfrewshire Council's Planning and Economic Development Policy Board. Plans for a rail bridge to be built over the M8 motorway are expected to be rubber-stamped next month. The £200 million scheme by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, includes 1.2 miles of new track and a dedicated platform at Glasgow Central Station. It remains on track to be completed for 2010
Rest and Be Thankful Closed
The main road between Loch Lomond and Loch Fyne in Argyll has been closed since last weekend after hundreds of tonnes of rock and mud fell onto the road at Rest and Be Thankful - the highest point on the route. Torrential rain at the weekend, with just under an inch on Saturday night, also caused subsidence below the road. Inveraray and the Mull of Kintyre can now only be accessed from the north - resulting in traffic from Glasgow and central Scotland having to go on a detour which adds around 35 miles to the usual route. If the blockage had taken place in the main tourist season, the consequences for local businesses would have been even more serious. Even so, Inveraray is beginning to look like a ghost town. Bad weather continuing during the week has meant that engineers have been unable so far to do any remedial work.
The graphic shows the Rest and Be Thankful road on a summer's day.
Timetable for Digital TV Switchover
Analogue TV transmissions across the country are to be brought to an end and a detailed timetable of the changeover to digital only TV broadcasts has now been announced. The change is being made area by area, with the Scottish Borders becoming the first in Scotland to switch. Analogue TV signals are to be turned off from the Selkirk transmitter next November and replaced with a stronger digital signal. Sales of digital TVs or set-top boxes that can convert the digital signal for analogue TVs fitted with Scart sockets, have rocketed in the last year and will increase next year. So far, it is estimated that only around 50% of TVs in the home have some form of digital receiver. The switchover will continue with south-west Scotland in 2009, and most other parts of Scotland in 2010. The Black Hill transmitter, which serves Glasgow and west central Scotland, will cease analogue transmissions in 2011. Some areas, particularly in the Highlands, are still having difficulty receiving a strong enough signal. That will be improved when analogue TV is no longer transmitted, allowing digital signals to be boosted.
Council Rejects "Hideous" Hotel Plan
Glasgow City Council planning officials recommended acceptance of plans for a luxury glass tower hotel in the centre of the city which had been put forward by Staybridge, part of the world's largest hotel group. It was described by officials as a "slick, modern building" made of glass and steel, with a metallic black finish. Lighting strips running the entire height of the building would have changed colour at night. It was to be topped off with a massive stainless steel vertical fin, while the public areas would be given a marble finish. Each suite in the four-star Staybridge hotel comes with a kitchen, sofas, wi-fi broadband and plasma-screen TVs. But opposition councillors on the planning committee voted to throw out the plans and managed to carry the day by two votes, describing the design as "hideous and ghastly" and questioning the height of 20 storeys, which would have dwarfed surrounding buildings. One of these is listed as grade A because of its historical and architectural importance. Planners will now go back to the developer to discuss a redesign.
Aberdeen Harbour Upgrade
A major, multi-million pound project is being planned by Aberdeen Harbour Board which will involve reconstruction and realignment of ageing quays along 540 metres of the south side of the river Dee, the creation of six new, deepwater berths, with the present River Dee Dock filled in to provide an extensive back-up area to support shipping operations. That part of the harbour is mainly used by oil-related companies and currently some of the quays are too short to accommodate the modern, wider and deeper vessels now being used to service the North Sea oil rigs. Traffic in Aberdeen harbour has been breaking all records in recent years, with annual cargo exceeding five million tonnes and the tonnage of shipping reaching 23.5 million gross tonnes.
Photograph courtesy of the Scotavia> © Web site.
Pride O' the Clyde Departs
A waterbus service which began on the river Clyde in July 2001 as the "Pride O' the Clyde" suddenly left the river this week - and the vessel is to be relaunched on Loch Katrine in the Trossachs as the "Lady of the Lake". The boat had been brought from Amsterdam and sailed from the Broomielaw near central Glasgow to the Braehead Shopping Centre at Renfrew. While it tried to offer a "commuter" service, it was used largely by tourists and local Glaswegians looking for a nostalgic trip along the Clyde, past the former shipyards as well as the new Glasgow Science Centre and Glasgow Tower. The owners of the cruiser said that they had tried to get Glasgow City Council to take over the service, but the offer had been rejected. One problem faced by the vessel was the Bell's Bridge, which had to be opened to allow the ship to pass through at high tide. But in high winds, the bridge could not be moved. So now the "Lady of the Lake" will sail on Loch Katrine while the steamship "Sir Walter Scott" is being converted from being coal fired to biofuel.
Robert the Bruce Statue for Aberdeen
Aberdeen was one of the cities to shelter King Robert the Bruce when he was deposed by King Edward I's army in 1307. In return, King Robert the Bruce issued the Greater Charter in 1319 and granted Aberdeen the Forest of Stocket (now Mid Stocket) in feu. The money generated by the Forest has been used to create the Common Good Fund which has helped to build some of the city's great landmarks such as Marischal College, Aberdeen Art Gallery, the Central Library, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Hazlehead Park. Now, Aberdeen City Council is commissioning a monument to King Robert the Bruce to commemorate the 700th Anniversary of his inauguration and to celebrate his contribution to the city. Sculptors from across the world submitted design proposals for a monument and three of these were shortlisted to make scale models of their proposed design. The public is being asked to vote for their favourite, either at the Aberdeen Art Gallery or via the link below, where you can view the models, learn about the artists and vote online. http://tinyurl.com/39vhuf.
Bottle Imp
The Bottle Imp online magazine is published by the Association for Scottish Literary Studies to promote and support Scottish literature and language. But this is no dry academic production - it's full of fascinating background and articles. There's an item, for example, on the first ever Scottish literary character - Calgacus, who turns up in Tacitus' life of Roman General Julius Agricola, prior to the battle of Mons Graupius. He is there to add a touch of nobility to the barbarian horde, before the legionnaires win a resounding victory (according to the Romans). The item on the Scots word "gloaming" also caught my eye. This Old English word for twilight seems to have survived in Scotland, perhaps as a result of us having longer hours of daylight after the sun has set - and Sir Harry Lauder going roamin' in the gloamin' probably helped too! At first sight, "The Scots Continuum and Descriptive Linguistics" might sound a bit academic - but I learned something new about Scots phrases I didn't know were Scots, such as "lying in" and "this needs washed" (rather than this needs washing), and that in Scotland a door "opens in the way", not "inwards". And we still "have a shot at" things and "swither" on a regular basis as we hesitate, without realising that we are using Scots phrases - many of which have journeyed round the world with Scots emigrants. For these and other articles, see Bottle Imp.
Online Chefs Network
Gary Goldie, head chef of the award winning Ardanaiseig hote,l in a remote and secluded part of Argyll, has launched an online network for professional chefs, with the aim of connecting chefs across the world - offering friendly advice to youngsters starting out in the trade and professionals exchanging culinary expertise. The "Cooks Pro" networking site is still in its early stages. It is hoped that as membership grows, pages will be developed for chefs looking for work, vacancies in the industry, a recipe and tip sharing page as well as information on awards and scholarships which might be of interest. Cookspro can be found at http://cookspro.ning.com/.
Embarrassed Politicians - 1
After the quarter-finals of the CIS Cup on Wednesday, four clubs were in the draw for the semi-final. You might have thought that picking four names out of a hat would be easy - even for a politician. But the Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer (Speaker) managed to cause total confusion by reading out the wrong names when ther four balls were drawn, despite having had two dress rehearsals. Scottish Football League officials realised at the time that a mistake had been made in the live TV event - but decided not to cause confusion and embarrassment and waited until later to sort it out. But it was several hours before they contacted the media and the clubs concerned. By that time, the clubs had spent several hours trying to arrange the ties - with the wrong opponent. The newspapers and TV news reporters had a field day with the confusion, with reference for example to the Scottish Parliament being built on the site of a former brewery and suggesting that the Presiding Officer couldn't organise a party in a brewery...
Embarrassed Politicians - 2
Continuing an embarrassing day for Scottish Parliament politicians, they were not even able to drown their sorrows for a spell as the bar frequented by MSPs, the media and guests in the building was forced to close - because officials forgot to renew the licence. Then the officials discovered that they could legally continue to trade while a fresh application was made to Edinburgh City Council. So the bar resumed business. As one TV news reporter remarked: "And these are the people still running the country..."
Weather in Scotland This Week
Although there was some sunshine this week, cloud has predominated, often thick and overcast, with some showers or the threat of showers. There was heavier rain last Saturday in the west and almost non-stop drizzle in Glasgow and surrounding areas on Thursday. Temperatures have been very mild for the time of year, however, with Aberdeen reaching 17C (63F) on Friday, well above the November norm.
The graphic here is of a typical flower of autumn, the Nerine.
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 a Red Admiral butterfly basking on a pure white Marguerite daisy (see thumbnail); Osteospermum flower; a stag and his herd of red deer at Culzean Castle and Country Park; a raspberry ripple ice-cream cone - being consumed at the end of October!; Gazania flower which only opens up when there is sun; a busy bee was taking advantage of the spell of mild weather and some sunshine. See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Final Effort to Save "City of Adelaide"
The "City of Adelaide" is the only sailing ship built to give regular passenger and cargo service between Europe and Australia that still survives. Between 1864 and 1887, she brought out emigrant families and goods vital for the survival of the young colony in Adelaide. The ship has been stored for many years on a slipway in Irvine in Scotland and, despite many efforts to save her, permission has been granted to "deconstruct" the ship, thus losing an important link with the past. A final effort is being made, however, by South Australia’s own Clipper Ship "City of Adelaide" Preservation Trust to develop a viable plan to relocate the ship. The Trust has a business plan in place and is campaigning to bring the historic vessel back to Port Adelaide. Support is needed from the public to save this iconic world heritage clipper ship. It is argued that from a historical, educational and tourism perspective, she is of vital importance to South Australia and must be saved for the benefit of future generations. A public meeting is being held on Tuesday, 20th November, 2007 at Semaphore Masonic Hall, 66 Semaphore Road, Semaphore, South Australia, to hear of efforts to bring the world’s oldest clipper ship back to Adelaide. For further details and lots more on the ship, see http://www.cityofadelaide.org.au.
Roman Tombstone Uncovered
The first Roman tombstone discovered in Scotland for over 170 years has been unearthed by an amateur archaeologist in a field near Inveresk in East Lothian. The Latin-inscribed sandstone monument was for a man called Crescens who was a bodyguard for the governor who ran the province of Britain for the Roman Emperor. Dating from between 140 and 180AD, it features a "barbarian" - possibly a local Scot being attacked by a cavalryman. The tombstone has been described as the most important Roman discovery in Scotland since the Cramond Lioness, a white sandstone lioness statue found in the mud of the River Almond 10 years ago.
Next Week in Scottish History
Formal Reopening of Inverness Theatre
Eden Court Theatre in Inverness is quite unlike any other venue in Scotland, serving an entire region not just a city and presenting an enormous variety of events, including music, drama, dance, comedy and cinema. It is also one of the busiest venues in Scotland, with ticket sales up by 40% in the last five years for 300 events a year. The building closed for a major redevelopment in 2005 and the work should have been completed earlier this year so that it could host events associated with the Highland 2007, a year-long celebration of local arts and culture. However, delays have meant that the official reopening was postponed until Saturday, 3 November. The stunning new venue looks as though it was worth the wait!
Photograph courtesy of the Scotavia> © Web site.
Radiance
Glasgow’s biennial International Festival of Light "Radiance" returns to the city centre this year with buildings transformed by the installation of light, following a trail through the Merchant City, the Commercial District, Strathclyde University Campus and High Street. For the first time ever in the UK, the work of international artist Xavier de Richmont can be seen as he transforms all of Glasgow Cathedral into a modern day mural. The light show is on 23 to 25 November.
Spirit of the Glen
In 1972, a recording of "Amazing Grace" by the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards swept to the top of the pop charts. It remained there for five weeks. Now, 35 years later, the same regimental pipe band has signed a £1 million contract with a major record company. Their CD, "The Spirit of the Glen" will be released in late November and the hope is that it will top the charts again. In addition to traditional Scottish tunes, including a reprise of "Amazing Grace", the new compilation includes easy-listening hits such as Rod Stewart's "Sailing" and Paul McCartney's "Mull of Kintyre". The album was recorded by regular soldiers in Scotland's only tank regiment between tours of duty in Iraq. All royalties are being donated to military charities.
Inverness Film Festival
Perhaps Inverness doesn't have quite the same pulling power as Cannes or Venice, but even so the annual film festival in the capital of the Highlands will showcase eight films this month, four of which will be UK premieres. The Fifth Inverness Film Festival, which gets underway on 15 November, will screen Brad Pitt’s The Assassination of Jesse James, as well as Ethan and Joel Coen’s new film No Country for Old Men. The festival will be held in the new two-screen Eden Court cinema. It will also have a special screening of Gaelic film Seachd, a Skye-based feature which was the subject of recent controversy when its director resigned from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) after the committee failed to put forward his film for a foreign Oscar nomination.
Black Watch Sells Out in Big Apple
The award-winning National Theatre of Scotland's gritty production "Black Watch" has sold out in New York after rave reviews. The play, which focuses on Scots soldiers of the regiment in Iraq, did well when it was performed in Los Angeles, but there had been concerns that its Scottish accents - and occasional digs at the US military - might put off audiences in New York. Instead, the New York Times gave it top billing, describing it as "one of the most richly human works to have emerged from this war".
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.
Scottish Tavern in Highlands of NSW
Peter Robertson's great-great-grandfather, Angus Robertson, was one of many who emigrated to Australia from Scotland in the 19th century as a result of the social upheavals in those days. Peter is one of an estimated 1.5 million Australians with Scottish forebears, and when he worked as a town planner in Wingecarribee Shire Council, New South Wales, he tried to protect the unique rural environment of the area which had villages with such Scottish names as Glenquarry, Balmoral. And when a new estate was created in East Bowral, Scottish names were chosen for its streets - Dundee, Aberdeen, Stirling, Dumfries. So when he retired and decided to create a restaurant in the Southern Highlands town of Bowral, it was natural to base the building, decor and staff uniforms on a Scottish theme. The building has a soaring wall that encases a chimney for the huge open fireplace echoes an Edinburgh streetscape. Inside, the brilliant Robertson clan tartan (predominantly red) positively glows on the carpet and there are pictures, posters, swatches of tartan and reminders of Wallace, Burns - and Harry Lauder. It may be a bit over the top - but one mature lady customer, who still had her Clydeside accent, was heard to say wistfully: "I've just come home for a day".
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
Aberdeen 1 Falkirk 1
Dundee United 2 Rangers 1CIS Cup, Quarter Finals - 31 October 2007
Aberdeen 4 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1
Celtic 0 Heart of Midlothian 2
Dundee United 3 Hamilton 1
Motherwell 1 Rangers 2Clydesdale Bank Premierleague Results - 3 November 2007
Aberdeen 2 Dundee United 0
Falkirk 2 Gretna 0
Kilmarnock 1 Celtic 2
Motherwell 1 St Mirren 1
Rangers 2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0
Hibernian v Heart of Midlothian will be played on Sunday.Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Results - 3 November 2007
Clyde 1 Partick Thistle 2
Dundee 2 St Johnstone 1
Dunfermline 0 Livingston 4
Greenock Morton 1 Stirling Albion 1
Queen of the South 2 Hamilton 1Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 3 November 2007
Berwick Rangers 1 Ayr United 1
Brechin City 0 Alloa 0
Peterhead 1 Ross County 2
Queens Park 0 Airdrie United 1
Raith Rovers 2 Cowdenbeath 0Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 3 November 2007
Dumbarton 1 Arbroath 1
East Fife 3 Elgin 0
Forfar 0 East Stirling 2
Stenhousemuir 0 Albion Rovers 1
Montrose v Stranraer will be played on Tuesday.Scottish Hydro Electric Rugby Division One Results - 3 November 2007
Ayr 11 Melrose 10
Currie 10 Boroughmuir 30
Glasgow Hutchesons 10 Glasgow Hawks 16
Hawick 25 Dundee 12
Heriots 37 Stirling County 16
Watsonians 38 Edinburgh Academicals 22League Tables
With Rangers losing to Dundee United last Sunday and then Dundee United losing to Aberdeen on Saturday, Celtic remain on top of the SPL, 3 points clear of Rangers, with the Ibrox club 3 points above Dundee United. Gretna continue to languish at the foot of the SPL, 6 points adrift from Inverness.
CIS Cup Semi-Finals
After Celtic's shock defeat in the quarter-finals of the CIS Cup, Aberdeen, Dundee United, Heart of Midlothian and Rangers were the four clubs in the draw for the semi-final. After the Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer managed to read out the wrong names at the live TV draw (see news item earlier in this newsletter), the games for the semi-final were later correctly announced as Rangers against Hearts and Aberdeen against Dundee United. The games will be played on 29 and 30 January.