January
Hogmanay
Epic JourneyA Scots family of five have just returned from a journey round the world with a difference. The Grant family took seven years on an epic 12,000 mile journey by horse-drawn caravan. They sold their home in Orkney in 1990, survived rocket-firing jets in Slovenia, attempts to steal their horse on Mongolia, being expelled by the Chinese and huge bills for quarantine of their horse in Japan. Two of the children, who were 10 and 6 when the journey started will resume their education but the third child, now 16, plans to take up a job in a in a riding school and hopes to become a jockey. Robert Carlyle WedsAs reported in last week's Snippets, Robert Carlyle (36) was expected to marry make-up artist Anastasia Shirley (31) at Skibo Castle last weekend. But Robert, former star of star of Trainspotting and The Full Monty, who avoids media attention in his private life fooled the press and convinced them that he was going elsewhere....But despite the denials from the hotel, Robert Carlyle WAS married at Skibo Castle in a ceremony that started on the stroke of midnight on Saturday.  |
Site of New Scottish Parliament AnnouncedAs predicted, Donald Dewar, Secretary of State for Scotland, announced on Friday that. Holyrood will be the home to Scotland's Parliament. The four acre Holyrood site is on the Royal Mile adjacent to the Palace of Holyrood House and Holyrood Park. The site is currently occupied by Scottish & Newcastle Plc and will be largely cleared to make room for a new building. Donald Dewar said that Scotland's Parliament will occupy a prestigious setting in the historical heart of Edinburgh close to the Palace of Holyrood. The site had the most to offer, combining the opportunity to construct a new specially designed building, right for Scotland's needs in the next century with a unique historic setting. The new building, combining history with modernity - and with a magnificent view of Salisbury Crags - will provide a fitting place for Scotland's parliamentarians to debate, legislate and receive their constituents The next stage will be a competition to identify an architect for the building. Work on the site is expected to begin by the middle of 1999. Some History of the Scottish Parliament SiteMany historians believe that Robert the Bruce, who led the Scots to victory against the English at Bannockburn, held two of Scotland's earliest parliaments at Holyrood Abbey seven centuries ago. Edward Balliol, who acted during the early 1330s as king of Scotland with the military backing of Edward III, convened a parliament at Holyrood Abbey in February 1334. Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun owned a house on the site of the new Parliament at the end of the 17th century - and used it as a base for his opposition to the Act of Union in 1707. The site was later sold to William Younger the brewer and their headquarters have stood on the site. The Scottish Parliament met in Parliament House, (now part of the High Courts) further up the Royal Mile, from 1640 to 1707. Farewell to St KildaBritish troops who have occupied St Kilda, 112 miles west of the mainland, celebrated their last new year on the island. It was occupied as a missile tracking station and to stop the Russians occupying the deserted island in the 1950's. But it is no longer required and will be left to the seabirds. St Kilda was abandoned by the previous residents in the 1930's. The main island, Hirta, is 1575 acres and it is surrounded by cliffs 1400 feet high. |
February
Cathedral for Woman MinisterThe first woman minister to take charge of a Church of Scotland cathedral was inducted at 12th century Dornoch cathedral this week. Rev Susan Brown is a mother with two children and her husband is chaplain at Raigmore Hospital and the Highland Hospice in Inverness. She will also be the first woman minister in Sutherland. No SnowAfter a disastrous season last year, Scottish ski resorts are having to contend with another mild winter and recent mild spell. The base of snow which built up earlier in the winter has gone and the resorts will need several weeks of snow to help them to recover. The only skiing available in Scotland is on artificial plastic slopes In a good season the Cairngorms would have 200,000 skiers on the slopes; last year there were only 96,500 and so far this year it has registered only 23,000. Other Scottish ski resorts have a similar story. And now the European Cup Alpine Skiing Finals scheduled for Highland resorts next month have had to be cancelled due to lack of snow. We've Been Together Now for ...75 Years!Scotland's longest-married couple celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary this week with a celebratory cup of tea. Davy (95) and Maggie (92) Burgher were married on February 15 1923 - the year Ramsay MacDonald became Britain's first Labour prime minister. They live on a croft on Westray, Orkney and have 2 grand-children and 5 great-grandchildren. Their secret for such a long, happy marriage? "Give and take and try to make up if you fall out" |
Ban on Hand GunsA total ban on handguns came into force on Sunday, February 1. Last year's successful hand-in of large calibre weapons led the Government to extend the ban to small-calibre weapons. Last year's hand-in of high calibre weapons in Scotland yielded a total of 6,260 weapons, and a further 1,224 small calibre weapons are expected be handed in during the month-long period starting on Sunday. As we approach the second anniversary of the Dunblane tragedy a total of nearly 10,000 legally-held weapons will have been removed from Scottish society. Scotland now has some of the toughest gun laws in the world. Owners of small-calibre handguns who hand in their weapons during the surrender period will receive compensation under the scheme agreed by Parliament. Illegal possession could result in severe penalties - up to 10 year in prison. Lighthouses OutOn 31 March the last of Scotland's lighthouses will be automated and the lighthouse keepers at Fair Isle South will end a 210 year tradition. Automation began in the 1970's and over 90 lighthouses have been "de-manned". Many of the former lighthouses have sold, some to private residents, others to become small guest houses. You can see some of Scotland's lighthouses at Scottish Radiance Euro Currency ComingAlthough the UK has opted out of the first phase of European Monetary Union "until the economic situation is right" Scottish businesses are being encouraged to plan ahead for the introduction of the Euro currency on 1 January 1999 and the new notes and coins in1 January 2002. Exporters in particular will need to be able to trade in the new currency but it also expected that large companies in the UK may invoice in Euros from 1 January 1999. And banks and retailers are starting to plan now for the changeover to the new currency - possibly after a referendum on the subject (after the next General Election, probably in 2001) |
March
Prime Minister Takes a Wrong TurnThe Royal Air Force had a red face on Friday when they were taking the Prime Minister from London to Scotland. The BAe 146 jet of the Queen's Flight took the PM to Edinburgh instead of Glasgow! Due to "an administrative error" the paperwork for the flight had the wrong destination and the plane landed at the airport - much to everyone's surprise. After safety checks, the plane took off again for the 50 mile flight to Glasgow. Later in the day the PM went to Perth - by road. Three Graces DamagedOne of the figures in The Three Graces, the most expensive sculpture in the world and jointly owned by the National Gallery of Scotland and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, sustained a hairline fracture when it was sent to Spain last year. It had been sent there on short term loan to Baron Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza who had donated 800,000 pounds of the 7.6 million pound purchase price. Tribute to Rangers' Manager50,000 fans turned up at Ibrox to see Rangers and Liverpool pay a tribute to Walter Smith, Rangers' manager for the last six years. The testimonial match, the proceeds for which will go to Smith from a grateful club, was made even more special when the only goal of the evening was scored by Ally McCoist. |
Site Chosen for Interim Parliament Building
Forgers CaughtA gang of counterfeiters who planned to flood the country with forged bank notes were found guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh. The gang planned to produce Scottish bank 5 pound notes, Bank of England 20 pound notes, Danish Kroner as well as postage stamps, TV licence stamps and other documents. Police caught the gang after a tip-off. The police claimed that the potential volume of notes the forgers could have produced could have threatened the economy but banks denied this pointing to the difficulties involved in laundering the notes into circulation and the huge volume of genuine notes in circulation (25 billion pounds of English and Scottish notes). |
April
National Tartan Day Declared in USAAfter strenuous lobbying by Scottish American Societies and by individuals, the US Senate has voted to make every April 6 (the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath) National Tartan Day in recognition of the "monumental achievements and invaluable contributions" made by Scottish Americans. The idea was promoted by Senator Trent Lott whose mother was a Watson. Tartan Day is already celebrated across Canada and a number of states, including Pennsylvania and California. Aviemore DemolitionThe bulldozers moved into the Aviemore centre in the Spey Valley this week to knock it down. One of the earliest Scottish ski centres it started to grow in the 1960s - and it showed. Now the tawdry buildings are being demolished to make way for a 50 million pound world class centre. Described as a "wart on the face of the Cairngorms" the shabby concrete is to be replaced by a tourism and leisure resort in keeping with its spectacular surroundings. Sterling Exchange RatesSterling exchange rates soared to a nine year high against the German Mark this week making holidays abroad cheaper for Scots but creating problems for exporters. Visitors to the UK will also find prices "higher" because their own currencies will buy fewer pounds. The impact on the dollar exchange rate is not so great (markets are concerned about the new Euro currency in which the UK is not initially participating).The US$ to the pound exchange rate is currently $1.677 to the pound. New Contract for Scotland ManagerScotland's football team manager, Craig Brown, has signed a new 4-year contract to manage the team through to 2002. This means he will be the manager during the qualification stages of the next World Cup. Britannia to Berth at Leith
Prime Minister of... England?There were red faces at Westminster this week when the latest edition of the "Parliamentary Year Hand Book" - the bible for those who work in Parliament - listed the British Prime Ministers from 1721 to Tony Blair in 1997 as "Prime Ministers of England" There were claims that it typified a London-oriented attitude but Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party was more relaxed. "Maybe it's not so much a mistake about the past but a forecast of the future! Blair as Prime Minister of England only? I wish!" |
Balmoral Road RacesThe BBC flagship sports programme on Saturday afternoon was broadcast from the grounds of Balmoral Castle on Saturday. The cameras were there for the Balmoral Highland Challenge, a series of road races, the first ever televised event from the grounds of Balmoral Castle. There was a 10 kilometre road race for men which started in a blizzard and finished in glorious sunshine. It was won by an athlete from Morrocco. Star athletes such as Scots runners Liz McColgan and Yvonne Murray competed in a 6 kilometre road race for women. Scot Wins Squash ChampionshipOn his 25th birthday, Chris Nicol became the first Scot to win the British Open Squash Championship in Birmingham last weekend. He defeated the great Jansher Khan who has won the tournament for the last six years. Dolly's Had a Little LambDolly, the world's first sheep to be cloned from an adult animal has given birth to a healthy lamb - by natural means, confounding those who argued that Dolly would be sterile. The proud mother and daughter, Bonnie, were on display for photographers at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh. Bonnie's dad, a Welsh mountain ram, was not present at the birth. McIntosh Patrick Painting Sold for Record PriceAn oil painting by Dundee artist James McIntosh Patrick, who died earlier this month, was sold at Sotheby's annual auction of Scottish pictures for 30,000 pounds (US$50,000)- twice the pre-sale estimate. "Hot Noon - Easdale, near Oban" was painted in 1947 while the painter was on holiday there. Birthday Salute from Female SoldiersFor the first time in British Army history the 21-gun salute for the Queen's birthday was fired by female soldiers. Three members of the 105 Regiment Royal Artillery fired the guns from Edinburgh Castle on Tuesday. "Tam the Gun" who normally fires the traditional "One O'clock Gun" each day from the ramparts of the castle was unavailable for comment! Neolithic Burial Chamber UncoveredA 4,000 year-old underground burial chamber built by the same people who constructed the neolithic village of Skara Brae has been discovered in an Orkney field by a farmer who found a hole had suddenly appeared in the ground as he was ploughing. Archaeologists who have looked inside say there is beautifully constructed stonework and bones carefully piled up in a corner. While other burial chambers have been uncovered, this is the first time that archaeologists have had the chance to explore one which is completely untouched. British Academy of Film and Television ArtsAt the awards ceremony of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (the UK equivalent of the Oscars) Sean Connery was given an Academy Fellowship and fellow Scot Robert Carlyle took the "Best Actor" award for his role in "The Full Monty". Dame Judi Dench won the "Best Actress" award for "Mrs Brown" |
May
Dead Sea Scrolls in GlasgowThe former head of Glasgow's PR department who was born in Glasgow to Lithuanian Jewish parents was delighted this week when, as a culmination of 13 years effort, an exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls opened this week in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. This is the only showing of the Scrolls in Britain of the 2,000 years old manuscripts which were found in 1947 in caves high above the Dead Sea in the Judean desert. Advance bookings for the exhibition are already at a high level - including a group from Kentucky. The exhibition runs from 1 May to 30 August. Alba Centre ChipsConstruction of the "Alba Centre" at Livingston in West Lothian began this week. The centre involves major investment by Cadence Design Systems of California creating its next generation of chip design there. Other major electronic factories are being attracted to the area and four Scottish universities (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Heriot-Wattt and Strathclyde) will collaborate to create the world's first System Level Integration Institute to provide design engineers with expertise needed to work at the cutting edge of research. Stagecoach Takes to the SkiesPerth-based Stagecoach Company (which started up in 1980 with only two buses and now operates 17% of all UK buses and 5,000 trains and is valued at 2.9 billion pounds - US$4.8 billion) announced this week that it was taking over Prestwick International Airport in Ayrshire. Motor Racing Grand Prix WinScotland's David Coulthard won the San Marino Formula 1 Grand Prix on Sunday. He led from the start and finished 4.5 seconds ahead of Michael Schumacher from Germany. It was Coulthard's first win this season and puts him 3 points behind team-mate Miko Hakkinen of Finland in the drivers' championship. "Britannia" Berths at LeithThe former Royal yacht "Britannia" reached its final berth in the port of Leith on Monday. The ship had been towed from Portsmouth, encountering gales along the way. Britannia is to form the centre-piece of a new cruise terminal and conference centre. The vessel will go on public display in four months time in a temporary berth. ScotichroniconA translation of 1,000 years of Scottish history from Latin, in which it was written, into English, has finally been completed. The 500-year-old document, the Scotichronicon, fills nine large modern volumes running to several thousand pages. A paperback version is expected, but don't hold your breath waiting for it to receive the Mel Gibson treatment. Scotichronicon, which translates roughly as A History Book for Scots, was written by the churchman and scholar Walter Bower in the 1440s. It pulls together the myths and facts of the nation's past from the oldest stories, passed down through the generations, to the murder of King James I in 1437. The work was done at Inchcolm Abbey, on the island of the same name in the Firth of Forth, where Bower was abbot. Scot Wins UK PGA ChampionshipScottish golfer Colin Montgomery won the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Championship at Wentworth last Monday. This is the first time a Scot had won the tournament since 1969. He finished by holing a 9-foot putt on the 18th green. |
The Show Must Go On - But Didn'tThe new 660,000 pound mobile cinema which was to open for the first time to an audience in Islay didn't quite make it. In fact it got damaged on the road beside Loch Lomond and had to return to the manufacturers in Birmingham. But the lunch for the launch at Bowmore Distillery still went ahead (Whisky Galore was not being shown). The wee van which used to tour the Highlands showing films in church halls never had these problems. Final League PositionsLast Sunday Celtic failed to clinch the Premiership title when Dunfermline snatched a late equaliser. So the championship came down to the wire on Saturday. But they made no mistake this Saturday and clinched the title with their win against St Johnstone. This was the first Premier title Celtic had won for 10 years - Rangers won the title for the last 9 years. Third place went to Hearts, followed by Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, Aberdeen, Dundee United and Dunfermline. At the foot, Hibs are relegated to the First Division. In the First Division, Dundee is promoted and Partick Thistle and Stirling drop to the Second Division. World Snooker ChampionshipScot John Higgins from Wishaw became the Embassy World Snooker Champion at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, beating Dubliner Ken Doherty 18-12. The 22-year-old Scot has been playing well consistently this year and has deposed another Scot, Stephen Hendry, from the number 1 position in the snooker rankings. Frank SinatraThe death of Frank Sinatra this week revived memories of performances of "old blue eyes" in Scotland over the years. He first appeared at the Empire Theatre in Glasgow and the Green's Playhouse in Ayr in1953, before his rise to stardom. He was politely applauded by the audience. Later, his private jet would land at Prestwick Airport to refuel. His final performance in Glasgow was in 1990 as part of the city's European City of Culture celebrations. This was marred by bad organisation of the event with too few seats installed at Ibrox stadium. Reviews of the event however concentrated on Sinatra's performance - "Sinatra found that Glasgow was his kind of town with a stunning performance for a man of his age. He sang like a man reborn" Football (Soccer) ResultsThe League football season is now over. The only major football match this week was the Tennants Scottish Cup final on Saturday. Heart of Midlothian beat Glasgow Rangers 2-1. Hearts scored from a penalty awarded in the first minute of the match and again in the second half. Ally McCoist scored for Rangers but when the final whistle blew the first trophy won by Heart of Midlothian for 30 years went back to Edinburgh. And Rangers finished the season without winning a single trophy - an unusual situation for the club. Scotland's Biggest Traffic JamThe biggest traffic jam in Scotland arose on Wednesday with a 9-mile tail-back - and all because of a clerical error. Workmen started to resurface a section of the M80 between Glasgow and Stirling at 7AM instead of 7PM. By 9am the bottleneck caused by a chicane and single file traffic at the rush hour caused cars and lorries to slow to a crawl. The Scottish Office immediately ordered a halt to the work but it was 4.30pm before the road was cleared. |
June
Scott Monument Hides from the Tourists
Scottish Flag StolenThe Scottish flag which normally flies at the Bannockburn Heritage Centre near Stirling was stolen this week. In its place was left a banner with the words"Gone 2 France". Staff at the centre have asked for the thieves to bring it back from France - together with the World Cup after Scotland win the tournament....;-) World Cup Fever 1Scots football fans who arrived early in Paris for the World Cup were told by immigration officials to wash their faces! No, not some Francophone plot, just that the fans had arrived with their faces painted with the Saltire and wearing red wigs- and the officials said their passport photos did not match. It is thought that fans arriving later will have their passport photos with the Saltire painted on their faces - it only needs someone to certify that it is a "true likeness" ;-) World Cup Fever 2Parisian newspaper "Le Monde", after observing Scots soccer fans party the night away commented admiringly "These fans know how to party. Having fun and partying seems to be second nature to them. They have made it into an art. The tartan army is a friendly, joyful group of lads who carry the flag of peace high. Wearing kilts and with their faces painted blue and white like their hero William Wallace they will become one of the attractions of the World Cup" "Le Figaro" and "Paris Soir" echoed these sentiments. Bar owners in Paris were also full of praise for the Scots fans as they drank the city dry. One commented "I can't imagine what they would have been like if they had won" We hope that he will not have long to wait (Scotland play Norway on Tuesday!) Les Miserables : Morocco 3 Scotland 0Scotland have qualified for eight World Cup finals and failed to make it past the first round on every occasion. Even if they had beaten Morocco they would still not have qualified as Norway surprisingly beat Brazil 2-1 in the other match in Scotland's group. So we should feel sorry for Morocco who were the better team on the night but who also failed to qualify for the next round. Sixteen teams, including Scotland, headed home to think again and the other 16 (including England) battle on. |
New CoinsA new coin was launched in Scotland this week (OK, so the rest of the UK got them too!). 50 million coins to the value of 2 pounds came into circulation, 15 years after the one pound coin replaced the one pound note and started to weigh us down (though to this day, a Scottish bank still issues a one pound note - much to the bewilderment of English shopkeepers - see Scottish Bank Notes web site). The new two pound coin is bi-coloured - looking like gold and silver - and though slightly larger than the one pound coin it is also thinner so does not weigh as much as two one pound coins. Oldest Man in BritainThe oldest man in Britain, David Henderson a farmer at Conveth Mains outside Laurencekirk in Angus celebrated his 109th birthday this week. He attributes his longevity to never giving up working - he is still involved in the management of his 1,000 acre farm. Hyundai Plant MothballedThe 2.3 billion pound (US$3.8 billion) semi-conductor plant being constructed at Dunfermline by the Korean electronics company Hyundai is to be mothballed before it has been completed. The economic problems in Korea and the Far East and the fall in the price of DRAM chips have contributed to the "delay" - there are fears that the plant may never be completed. Dr Finlay's On-line Casebook1,000 doctors in Scotland are now able to communicate with one another by e-mail as a result of a new computer network launched this week. Urgent information from the Scottish Office can also be circulated. Over the next few years, hospital lab results and confirmations of hospital appointments will be sent to local doctors' surgeries. Never on a SundayStrict adherence to the traditional Sabbath has long been a feature of the Outer Hebrides. Over many years there have been violent clashes over, for example, running a ferry service to the isles on a Sunday and there are no newspapers or petrol from midnight to midnight on the "day of rest". And until now, there has not been a pub open on a Sunday (Remember the horror on the faces of the islanders of Little Today in "Whisky Galore" when they realised they could not rescue the shipwrecked whisky because the bells signaled midnight and such activities were not permitted on the Lord's Day?) But now the "Whalers Rest" in Stornoway has obtained the town's first pub licence for a Sunday - but only if those risking hell and damnation also have a meal in the restaurant. Needless to say, there is alarm and outrage. The Rev John Macleod, of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland said: "The sad part of it is that it will affect those least able to resist temptation - you're accelerating their progress to ruin" |
July
Fastest Round the WorldTwo Scots were part of the crew of the "Cable and Wireless Adventurer" a slim hulled trimaran, which broke the 38-year-old record for circumnavigating the globe by sea. Jock Wishart from Dumfries and his crew completed the 25,000 mile voyage in 74 days, 20 hours and 58 minutes, knocking eight days off the previous record and comfortably beating the mythical target of 80 days set by Jules Verne. Jock Wishart is fond of adventure - he carried a Saltire flag when he walked to the North Pole in 1996 and rowed across the Atlantic last year. 200 Years of Orkney WhiskyHighland Park Distillery in Orkney celebrated its 200th birthday this week and marked the occasion with a 40_year-Old single malt which was laid down in 1958. As there are only 500 bottles, the asking price is 1,000 pounds (US$1,660). Highland Park is the most northerly distillery in Scotland. The company was founded by a lay preacher who started with an illegal still. He once avoided the excise men by hiding the bottles underneath a coffin! English Fans Impersonate ScotsThe ultimate compliment to the Scottish football fans, who won over the French people with their good humoured joie de vivre, was paid by a number of ENGLISH fans. The English sports enthusiasts dressed up as Scottish fans, with saltire-painted faces, Scottish football shirts and even kilts, so that they could enjoy the hospitality the French have been lavishing on the Scots. New Coach for CelticAfter months of speculation Celtic Football Club have appointed a new coach, five days before their first match of the season. He is Slovakian Dr Josef Venglos, formerly coach of the national teams of Czechoslovakia, Australia, Malaysia, Oman and Slovakia. Although he speaks four languages, his English is said to be poor. |
Architect for Scottish Parliament Chosen
Police Investigate 5,000 Year-old CaseA police forensic expert is to be the first to enter the burial chamber which was recently discovered by a farmer ploughing a field at Cranit, near Kirkwall in Orkney. A video camera has already established that the chamber has been undisturbed since neolithic times, 5,000 years ago. Foot and handprints may also be fund and fibres, hairs and DNA samples from bones will be analysed. It is likely that this new chambered cairn was constructed by the same people who made Skara Brae, Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar and Standing Stones of Stenness. Yo-Yo Bounces BackThe old children's favourite (it has been around for 70 years) is undergoing yet another revival as shelves are cleared of yo-yos, the latest children's fad. Manufacturers are said to be struggling to keep up with the surge in demand as interest in the spinning toy. Parents are also polishing up their skills, remembered from school playgrounds long ago. |
August
Extra-Cellular Superoxide Dismutase!!PPL Therapeutics, the company based at Roslin, near Edinburgh, which first cloned Dolly the sheep has announced the birth of lambs to produce a protein called Extra-Cellular Superoxide Dismutase which could eventually be used in organ transplants and heart surgery. Taj Mahal for ScotlandAfter ten years of effort, Edinburgh's Central Mosque will be opened this week by a Saudi prince, providing a fitting place of worship for the 8,000 Muslims in the city. The 4 million pound (US$6.6 million) building is capable of holding 1,200 worshippers beneath crystal chandeliers. The secretary of the mosque trustees agreed that it had taken longer to build than expected and help from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia had been crucial. But he pointed out that the Taj Mahal took 32 years to build - and this is the Taj Mahal for Scotland. 40 Years in Show BusinessPopular entertainers, The Alexander Brothers, celebrated 40 years in show business this week by performing in the theatre where it all started, Webster Theatre in Arbroath. The brothers mix of song and accordion music made them top of the bill all over the world. They have had their own TV series and a string of hit albums. Clan Gathering500 MacLeods gathered in Skye on Sunday at the 13th Clan MacLeod Parliament at Dunvegan Castle on Skye. MacLeods from all over the world meet every four years and clan chief John MacLeod was there to greet them in a week-long event. Mongolia Links with ScotlandThe provost of Clackmannanshire has just returned from a visit to Ulan Bator in Mongolia. Regular Snippets readers will recall that Scotland's smallest county decided that "twinning" with a French or German equivalent location was not good enough. After a visit by the Mongolian ambassador, it was decided to link with the Dornod Aimag region of Mongolia. The provost had been on a "fact finding" visit (not a jaunt...) and a number of commercial opportunities were identified. But the most bizarre experience was to find a group who had never met Westerners, performing to a tape of the Spice Girls - and getting the steps just right! "The Full Monty" in WaxMadame Tussaud's waxwork museum unveiled its latest celebrity this week - Robert Carlyle, star of Trainspotting and "The Full Monty". But the museum were quick to point out that the model was fully clothed and not as in the smash hit film... |
Edinburgh Castle's Royal Apartments
Weather Records BrokenThe weather experts have totted up the figures and have confirmed what we all knew - June and July were the wettest since 1938. Rainfall was at least 150% of average and some places reached twice the normal levels. As a result, temperatures and sunshine were well below average. Sunday 12th July was the wettest day of 1998 - causing a landslide on the road between Lochgilphead and Tarbert and washing out the "T in the Park" pop festival.. A week later, Sunday 19th July was the second wettest day of the year. Rab C Nesbitt CelebratesFew people thought ten years ago that a TV show about an unemployed, pot-bellied, layabout from Govan with a string vest, whose Glaswegian patter was almost unintelligible to anyone outside of Scotland, would become a success with an audience of millions in both Scotland and England. Of course "Rab C Nesbitt" and his wife Mary Doll is a very funny programme (and certainly not "politically correct"). To celebrate the launch of the seventh series on TV on Friday, Rab took his wife to the "Two Heads" pub in Govan and gave her an eternity ring (well, it was actually a ring pull from a lager can, but it's the thought that counts). World Pipe Band ChampionshipsAt the World Pipe Band Championships held on Glasgow Green last Saturday, Victoria Police Pipe Band wrested the title from Shotts and Dykehead, last years winners who were runners up tis year. Third place was won by Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band and in fourth place were 78th Fraser Highlanders from Canada. Prime Minister Sheds Blood in ScotlandNo, not an assassination attempt or even an attack by political opponents - Prime Minister Tony Blair, in Scotland to open the bridge linking Scalpay island to Harris, was ambushed by a determined band of "culicodes impunctatus" - midgies in other words. They managed to draw blood far more successfully than the Scots Nats. |
September
Diana RememberedOn the anniversary of the death in Paris of Princess Diana, the Queen, Prince Charles, Princes William and Harry and other members of the Royal Family attended a private service in her memory at Crathie Kirk, the parish church near Balmoral castle. A spokeswoman for the Queen said "The Queen and the Royal Family, particularly the Prince of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry, would like to thank people for their messages and kind gestures of sympathy at this sad time and for sharing their remembrance of the Princess of Wales". Scottish Samurai HonouredThe man known as the Scottish Samurai - Thomas Blake Glover - has had statues erected to him in Japan and his former home in Nagasaki is visited by two million Japanese every year. But until recently there was no recognition in Scotland. Now his former home on the outskirts of Aberdeen is to become a museum. It was officially opened by the chairman of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the Japanese conglomerate Glover helped to found in the 19th century. Glover was married to his Japanese wife for 30 years but he had an affair with another Japanese woman. That relationship is said to be the inspiration for the Puccini opera "Madam Butterfly". Commonwealth Gold for NicolPeter Nicol won the first gold medal for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur when he beat Canadian rival Jonathon Power in the final of the singles squash competition. |
Changing the Guard at Edinburgh CastleFor the first time, women will stand guard at the drawbridge of Edinburgh Castle this weekend. Members of the City of Edinburgh Universities Officers Training Corps will form the ceremonial guard, a role traditionally reserved for male soldiers. For Sale - Hampden Park's Hallowed TurfHampden Park, the national stadium and scene of many glorious victories (and defeats...) has been the home of Scottish Football for 100 years. The stadium is being redeveloped and the playing surface - last relaid 30 years ago - is being replaced. Fans are being offered the opportunity to buy a square foot of the turf, together with a certificate of verification, if they queue at the stadium and donate a minimum of one pound to charity. Light Off at Light-OnThe Taiwanese company Lite-On which started production of computer monitors in Lanarkshire only last year is to be mothballed. 230 workers were laid off last year and now most of the remaining 120 will lose their jobs too. Neighbouring company Chunghwa picture tube company which concentrates on television tubes and now employs 1,000 people said it may be able to take some of the redundant Lite-On staff. |
October
Viasystems Confirm ClosureTwo printed circuit board factories in Galashiels and Selkirk, owned by US-based Viasystems, are to close with the loss of 950 jobs. Recent Viasystems accounts show the company to be in debt to the tune of $1.1 billion against assets of $1.3 billion. Lowest Unemployment for 21 YearsThe number of people claiming unemployment benefit fell again in September, to 135,400 (5.5% of the workforce). This is the lowest figure since 1977. Recent job losses in Scotland - 1000 at Viasystems in the Borders and 600 at National Semiconductor in Greenock, have yet to work their way through into the figures. There have also been announcements of job creation such as computer giant Packard Bell with 825 new jobs for Livingston and the 1700 jobs recently announced by Standard Life in Edinburgh, Scottish Amicable in Stirling and Cable & Wireless in Glasgow. Royal Yacht Britannia PartyThe first official party onboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, since it took up its new berth in Leith, was hosted last weekend by millionaire Sir Tom Farmer - a "local boy" from Leith who has built up his company Kwik-Fit from a local garage into a huge empire. True to his roots, Sir Tom did not invite the "great and the good" to the party. Instead his guests were 360 "ordinary" people of Leith.
Jane Russell Visits ScotlandFilm star Jane Russell (who steamed up the camera lenses during the making of films such as "The Outlaw", "Paleface" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes") breezed into Scotland this week. She was being interviewed by Mark Cousins for a BBC Scene by Scene programme about her life and films. And the 77-year-old actress insisted on coming to Scotland for the first time so that she could visit the country of her ancestors. She has two great, great grandfathers from Scotland. One was from Inverness and she went there during her sojourn in Scotland. |
Glasgow's Red Square
Mountain Railway Gets Green LightA judge in Edinburgh's Court of Session threw out the application by the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to stop the proposed new funicular railway in the Scottish Cairngorms, the highest mountain range in Britain. The two-kilometre railway, almost to the summit of 4084ft Cairn Gorm itself, will replace the ageing chairlift which at present takes skiers up into the mountains. It is expected that it will be an important new tourist attraction not just for skiers, but in summer will take more than 200,000 visitors up into the hills. But conservationists believe it will damage the fragile environment of the Cairngorm range and the effect of the development on birds like the dotterel and the snow bunting in "the UK's largest unspoilt wilderness". Caledonian pine forests, bog woodland, and alpine grasslands were also said to be at risk. Save "Woofie"When collie bitch "Woofie" barked at a postman and chased him down the street (without catching him, I may add) she was prosecuted under the dangerous dog laws - and sentenced to death. But a campaign has been mounted (with support from the local media, of course) to save Woofie. Pictures of the dog being hugged by the children in the family have appeared and now hit singer Del Amitri has joined the campaign, saying "Anyone who would want to kill a dog for barking at a postman is barking mad." |
November
Sean Connery to Open Hollywood Studio in EdinburghScots movie legend Sean Connery has put together financial backing from Sony, Scottish Screen (a publicly funded film agency) and local Scottish business men to build a multi-million pound film studio near Edinburgh (where Connery was born, in 1930). The studio is expected to make 20 films in its first five years.The mega-star is currently trying to sell his luxury villa in Marbella and is then expected to find somewhere to live in Scotland. So if he gets called upon to act in one of the home-based films, he will be able to do so without leaving home! And there are lots of golf courses in the Edinburgh area... Millennium Countdown on Forth BridgeOn Friday, the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, switched on a giant digital clock on the Forth Rail Bridge which will count down the number of days to the millennium - 414, including 13 November. At the same time, Railtrack who now own the bridge, announced that a new lighting system will be in place on the bridge in time for the year 2000, repacing the system installed in 1990 for its centenary. Offer to Buy Celtic
It was confirmed this week that a consortium, led by former star player Kenny Dalglish and pop singer Jim Kerr (from Simple Minds), is to make a multi-million pound bid for Celtic Football (soccer) Club. Celtic shares jumped in value following the announcement, valuing the club at 77 million pounds (US$128 million). Over 50% of the shares in the club are held by the current chairman Fergus McCann who has already announced he wants to sell his investment so that he can return to Canada. However, he is said to be keen to sell his shares to existing small shareholders, rather than in a block.
Start of New Scottish Parliament - 1 July 1999The Scottish Parliament will take up its full powers on 1 July 1999 with the Queen performing the official opening ceremony. This start date is several months earlier than envisaged in the White Paper "Scotland's Parliament". Elections will be held on 6 May. Work is underway on the parliament's temporary home at the Church of Scotland Assembly Hall. The new parliament building on the Holyrood site is due to open in the autumn of 2001. Sioux "Ghost Shirt" to be Returned
|
French Help for "Woofie"..."Woofie" was described by one paper as "a bizarre shaggy dog story which has grown four legs and entered newspaper history." The collie chased, but failed to catch, a postman and was ordered to be destroyed under the Dangerous Dogs Act. An appeal was launched and Woofie (previously known as Woolfie before his leap to stardom) had two offers of help from France. First, actress and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot flew into Edinburgh in a private jet to lend her support at the appeal hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh. The sex kitten was able to meet Woofie and give advice to the owners of the family pet before the hearing. Then a team of French veterinarians sent the dog a free sample of a collar which they claimed controls barking. It incorporates a microphone which emits a harmless spray when it picks up a bark. Within days dogs learn the link between bark and spray, and keep quiet. Diverse figures such as film star Whoopi Goldberg and politician Roy Hattersley added their support too. However, before the hearing, one judge, commenting on the publicity and media circus, asked whether the whole world had gone barking mad. ...and "Woofie" in CourtCharacter witnesses were called during the hearing, including an animal aggression expert who concluded that Woofie was a good family pet and just got excited after falling out of a window as the postman arrived. There was then applause in court when the appeal court judges decided that the death sentence should be set aside. After the 15 minute hearing Woofie was on her best behaviour when she met the press hounds and did not woof once. One reporter asked who was going to ghost Woofie's book. Indeed, her front-page photos made her look as though a postman wouldn't melt in her mouth. There were also calls for the dog's dinner of the Dangerous Dogs Act to be amended. Science Centre ApprovedThe final piece of finance was announced this week for a 71.5 million pounds (US$118 million) science centre to be built on the banks of the river Clyde at Pacific Quay, Glasgow. The centre will consist of an "exploration hall" with permanent exhibits, a 100 metre high tower with spectacular views across the city and an Imax theatre which will have the largest film screen in Scotland. It is expected to attract over 600,000 visitors a year. Construction starts this month and is due to be completed in April 2001. Robin HallLovers of Scottish folk music were saddened to hear of the sudden death last week of Robin Hall, one half of the successful duo, Robin Hall and Jimmy McGregor. They became well known as a result of a regular spot on the BBC TV "Tonight" programme and they were the prime movers in the folk revival movement of the late 1950s and the 1960s. Robin Hall had to overcome polio as a child in Edinburgh and met Jimmy McGregor in London. They were encouraged by Paul Robeson at an early stage in the partnership. They sang together for 20 years until Robin Hall decided he had enough. Robin Hall enjoyed life to excess and was part of the "protest" movement of the 1960s - and was criticised for wearing a CND badge on BBC television. He married and divorced twice and had three children. |
December
Trial of Libyans Accused of Lockerbie BombingSpeculation, that the Secretary-General of the UN was to meet the Libyan leader Col Gaddafi to agree the surrender of the two men accused of blowing up the Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie nearly ten years ago, failed to materialise. It had appeared that agreement had been reached that the two men could be brought to trial in the Netherlands, under Scots law. Background to the Lockerbie bombing can be found on the BBC News web site. Gazetteer of ScotlandWith backing from the Carnegie Trust, the Robertson Trust, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society and the University of Edinburgh, the first full Gazetteer of Scotland since 1885 (not a typing error!) is to be available by 2000. It is to be produced on the World Wide Web as well as in printed form with information about all the places of Scotland including their geographical details, history and famous sons and daughters. The initial design phase of the project is already on a Web Site but only Fife has any information set up. Royal Bank Profits Over A Billion PoundsThe Royal Bank of Scotland announced that its profits for their last financial year exceeded a billion pounds (US$1.65 billion) for the first time, an increase of 32%. The Royal Bank's Citizen's Financial Group, in New England, made a profit of 33 million pounds (US$54.5 million). Scots Become World PowerScottish Power )logo on the left), the Glasgow-based power company, is to merge with PacifiCorp, the largest power company in the American West. The merger, effectively a takeover, is the first time a British company has bought a US utility. PacifiCorp has 1.4 million customers in seven states - Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Utah, California and Wyoming. Scottish Power now becomes a 12 billion pound (US$20 billion) company supplying electricity to California in the US and California in Scotland (a village outside Falkirk!). Scottish Power has already taken over Manweb a Manchester based power company and Southern Water. It created ScottishTelecom, a competitor to British Telecom, took over Demon Internet and now supplies gas as well as electricity. Canadian Funds for Mackintosh Church
|
Steps to a Scottish ParliamentThis week the Secretary of State for Scotland signed the order that will bring the Scotland Act 1998 into force, setting out the timetable over the next few years. Work is underway on the Parliament's temporary home at the Church of Scotland Assembly Hall and the other buildings which will make up the interim Parliamentary complex around the Assembly Hall. Conversion work will be completed on interim accommodation by April 1999. The first elections to the Parliament are to be held on 6 May next year, with the Parliament and Executive taking up their powers on 1 July. On 1 July 1999 there will be the official opening of Parliament and it will assume its legislative powers. Construction work begins on Holyrood site in the summer of 1999. The Holyrood Parliament building opens in Autumn 2001. Curling Returns to Edinburgh
"Scottish Six" RejectedThe Board of Governors of the BBC this week confirmed the decision not to proceed with a six o'clock TV news programme produced in Scotland - now referred to in the media as the "Scottish Six". It had been argued that the Scottish parliament created an opportunity to have a dedicated news programme for Scotland. Instead, the BBC have decided to allocate a further 50 million pounds to news and current affairs in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. But they have not ruled out a Scottish news programme at the peak viewing time of 6pm, in the future. 13th Century Wallace Letter..A rare letter written by William Wallace has recently been uncovered in Lubeck in Germany. It was written following Wallace's victory at Stirling Bridge in 1297 and informs the German authorities that Scotland "has by arms been recovered out of the power of the English" and invites them to reopen trade routes through Scottish ports. The letter, written in Latin, was thought to have been destroyed during World War II. The new Museum of Scotland, which has been criticised for the lack of any reference to Wallace, immediately announced it would seek to obtain a copy or, preferably, a loan of the document, which is one of the few authentic objects associated with the national hero. |
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
200,000 people thronged the centre of Edinburgh on New Year's Eve - Hogmanay. They were entertained by rock bands and fireworks. But there was no peal of bells welcoming the new year. The only church in the city centre with suitable bells had to cancel their "performance" when the 4 foot long, clapper on the main bell, weighing 70 pounds, fell out during practice and could not be repaired in time. A smaller crowd of 40,000 in Glasgow's George Square and in similar events around the country celebrated the start of the New Year in traditional style. The weather was kind too - dry and not too cold (which contrasted with the wet and inner warmth of the crowds).
After weeks of bickering between the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow over the temporary home for the new Scottish Parliament while the Holyrood building is being constructed, the Secretary of State for Scotland, Donald Dewar announced that it would be in Edinburgh in the Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland. The Assembly Hall is located high above Princes Street, near to Edinburgh Castle.
Leith has been selected as the location as the final berth for the Royal Yacht Britannia by George Robertson, Minister of Defence. The ambitious plans of Forth Ports for an ocean going liner terminal and other facilities at Leith Docks are entirely self-financing and have been developed in a way which will guarantee that Britannia and its artefacts will be secured in a condition compatible with the dignity of the Yacht's history.
The Scott Monument (honouring another "Scottie" - Sir Walter Scott the novelist) in the centre of Edinburgh is currently shrouded in scaffolding while the building undergoes a 2 million pound repair. The last time the building was encased for many months in scaffolding it emerged unchanged because the experts could not agree what to do to preserve it and repair the damage caused by air pollution and acid rain over the last 152 years.
The winner of the design competition for the new Scottish parliament building which is to be built close to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh was announced this week. The Spanish company led by Enric Miralles in partnership with Edinburgh-based architects RMJM (Scotland) has been awarded the 50 million pound (US$80 million)contract. His design concept incorporates roof elements which represented the keels of up-turned boats. However, Miralles said that the designs were at an early stage. Detailed designs will be finalised next spring. The graphic is an artist's impression of the Miralles concept drawing.
The Royal apartments at Edinburgh Castle were refurbished in 1617 for the one and only return visit of King James VI after the Union of the Scottish and English crowns in 1603. The lack of royal visitors since then (the Palace of Holyroodhouse and Balmoral Castle have been used by monarchs staying in Scotland) meant that the royal apartments in Edinburgh Castle became part of the barracks for the army garrison - and latterly served as a visitor's tearoom.. Now, after five years of painstaking work, Historic Scotland has restored the apartments to their former glory, with oak panelling, stained glass windows, brightly painted coats of arms and ornate plasterwork. The newly refurbished Laigh Hall or "King's Presence Chamber" is now open to the public.
Despite a campaign by the local newspaper to save the trees in Glasgow's George Square, 75% of the area is now covered in RED bricks. Office workers around the Square are aghast, pointing out that the vivid colour does not tie in with any of the architecture around the square - including the City Chambers where the local council dreamed up the scheme. It looks as if they have tried to achieve an Italian pizza (sorry, piazza) effect. But council insiders have renamed it Tiananmen Square.
Glasgow city council decided this week to return a shirt believed to have been taken in 1890 from a Lakota Sioux warrior after the battle of Wounded Knee. The shirt has been on display in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery for the last 100 years after it was sold to the Museum in 1891 by an indian with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Circus when it was touring Britain. A spokeswoman for the Wounded Knee Association said "We appreciate the friendliness and the overwhelming support from the city of Glasgow and its surrounding areas."
The only church built to the designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh is being bought by the Mackintosh Society as a result of a gift of 80,000 pounds (US$135,000) from Toronto-based Dr Thomas Howarth, a pre-eminent Mackintosh scholar. Dr Howarth first came across the church when he was preparing his PHD thesis on Mackintosh at Glasgow University in 1941. The Mackintosh Society has been using the church as an administrative HQ since 1976 and is now discussing with the Glasgow Development Agency ways of opening the church to make it more visitor friendly. Internally there are many Mackintosh designed features and carvings.
History says that the first curling events took place in Edinburgh on the Nor' Loch, below Edinburgh Castle. In the 18th century the loch was drained as part of the plans for the Georgian New Town and the area became Princes Street Gardens. But curling returned to its roots when the first match in 200 years took place on the ice rink which has been created as part of the city's Winter Wonderland event.
