This page contains extracts from the July to December editions in 2001 of the 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
The first part of this Scottish Review of 2001 was published on 22 December, 2001. The normal Newsletter of news, events and culture, resumes on 5th January 2002.
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.
July 2001
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August 2001
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September 2001
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October 2001
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November 2001
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December 2001
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Culture MagazineThis Review of Scotland in 2001 does not contain the usual "magazine" section of the weekly Newsletter. However, if you wish to see the collection of many of the previous articles, you can do so via the Features Index.
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Thousands of people turned up at the Scottish Parliament last Saturday and were allowed to wander around the debating chamber and see behind the scenes. The event was organised to mark the second anniversary of the Parliament reconvening in July 1999 after a gap of nearly 300 years. Visitors were able to meet and talk to MSPs and there was a free bus service to take people to the other end of the Royal Mile to see the construction of the new parliament building and visitor centre at Holyrood.
There was some surprise that Donald Dewar, the Scottish First Minister who died last year, left an estate valued at over £2 million. The leader of the Scottish Labour Party held shares in companies privatised by the Conservative Government in the 1980s and 1990s, in the face of fierce opposition from the Labour party. However, close friends pointed out that he had inherited a significant collection of paintings by Scottish colourists from his parents. This had increased in value in recent years and a large holding in Royal Bank of Scotland had also appreciated in value in the last few years. When he became Secretary of State for Scotland in 1997 his inherited shareholdings were put into a "blind trust" and the manager of that portfolio correctly traded in shares outwith Donald Dewar's knowledge. He was also a very frugal man who had to be persuaded to buy even one raincoat. He had also refused to take advice to minimise estate duty.
Guidance to local authorities in Scotland - from the government Department of Culture - suggests that Scotland's national flag, the St Andrew's Cross on a blue background, known as the Saltire, should only be flown on public buildings on St Andrew's Day (30 November). On all other days, the Union Jack should be used. But increasing numbers of local councils are instead flying the Scottish flag all year round. The local authority for the Scottish Borders recently joined Edinburgh, Glasgow, Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Clackmannanshire and Perth and Kinross in announcing that the Saltire will be flown from the flagpole on council offices. The Saltire is believed to be the oldest national flag in the world - it is said that it was adopted after a St Andrew's cross was seen in the sky before a crucial battle at Athelstaneford in 832AD in which King Angus led a force of Scots and Picts against an invading force from Northumbria. Success in that battle led to the adoption of the symbolic white cross and blue background. The cloud formation seen at Athelstaneford was long before jet condensation trails appeared (as in this illustration).
Ten months after collapsing in his studio, 76-year-old Leith-born artist Sir Eduardo Paolozzi is back at work. At one stage he was in a coma and was being kept alive by a heart-lung machine. He was in intensive care for six months but the founder of the British "Pop Art" movement is recovering well and has selected four works to be displayed at the Dean gallery in Edinburgh this summer. But it may be some time before he gets back to the commissions he was working on before his illness.
In recent months petrol prices have been edging up again, near to the levels of last year at which protesting lorry drivers and motorists blockaded oil terminals, stopping supplies reaching garages. In the UK, unleaded petrol (gas in some parts of the world) costs an average of 79 pence a litre (equivalent to around £3 or US$4.25 per US gallon), the highest in Europe due to government taxes. In Spain, the cost is 45 pence per litre with Germany between those two extremes at 66 pence a litre. Of course, in many rural parts of Scotland, delivery costs and low turnover pushes the price up to 85 pence a litre or even higher.
As expected, the Royal Bank of Scotland has bought the retail and small business arm of the US financial giant Mellon Financial Corporation in a $2.1 billion cash deal. It will nearly double the size of the Royal Bank's US operations. The bank has also announced that first-half profits before tax have increased by 37% compared to the same period last year. The Mellon retail branch network has 345 branches of which 321 are in Pennsylvania.
There was an outcry last year when John MacLeod of MacLeod, chief of the clan MacLeod, announced that he was having to sell 35 square miles of the Cuillin mountains in Skye to pay for repairs to his ancestral home, Dunvegan castle (pictured here). His asking price of ten million pounds was way above what heritage trusts could afford and he rejected any idea of a trust taking over responsibility for Dunvegan. But over a year later, nobody has made an offer to buy the Cuillins and John MacLeod now says that he is willing to consider either the Cuillins or the castle being taken into public ownership. He says that if money can be raised to repair the 800-year-old castle through the National Trust or Historic Scotland, he would put the Cuillins into public ownership.
A year-round waterbus service, between the centre of Glasgow and the Braehead Shopping Centre a few miles downriver, was launched this week. The 50-seat "Pride o' the Clyde" uses a converted Dutch cruise boat and it will make six trips daily in each direction., taking 30 minutes to travel between the foot of Jamaica Street and a pontoon at Braehead. A stop at the Glasgow Science Centre is also being considered. Next year, there will be a fast catamaran service connecting Glasgow with Greenock, Dunoon, Rothesay and Brodick.
The cartoon character "Desperate Dan" has been striding across the pages of the Dandy comic since 1937. In his honour, a life-size (that's eight-foot high) bronze statue of the popular character was unveiled this week in Dundee (the city of his birth as the Dandy is published there by D C Thompson). The statue of Desperate Dan has his faithful pet Dawg in tow and the Beano comic's prankster Minnie the Minx is stalking the grizzly cow-poke with her catapult. Dan himself, with his usual stubble chin is striding along the pedestrian precinct - clutching a copy of the Dandy.
The shareholders of the Bank of Scotland agreed this week to the merger with Halifax - a former mutual building society. The Bank of Scotland was set up by an Act of the original Scottish Parliament in 1695. It will now become part of "HBOS" the new name made up from "Halifax Bank of Scotland" but which will only exist in its shortened alphabetic form.
Plans to make the birthplace of conservationist John Muir in Dunbar into an interactive visitor centre has produced a storm of protest from devotees and descendants of the man regarded as the founder of national parks and conservation. John Muir was born in a three-storey house in Dunbar's High Street on 21 April 1838 but emigrated to the United States with his parents 11 years later. His love of the countryside in East Lothian provided the basis for his life of exploration in much of the American West. He wrote many books and argued for the setting up of the system of national parks in America. But he was largely forgotten in the land of his birth until recent years when the John Muir Trust was set up. Plans to buy the house where he was born were announced two years ago and funding is now in place. But opponents argue that the plans do not attempt to recreate anything of the conservationists birthplace. Instead, there will be an "empty stone box". On the other hand, it is argued that nobody knows what the inside of the building looked like in Muir's day - and the house was completely renovated and modernised in 1970.
Most people in Glasgow will tell you that Provand's Lordship in High Street is the oldest house in the city. It is generally accepted that it was built in 1471, opposite Glasgow Cathedral, for Bishop Andrew Muirhead as the Preceptor's House of the Hospital of St Nicholas. But now a lesser known rival has emerged - Provan Hall in Auchinlea Park, Easterhouse. Some archaeologists believe that it was built between 1460 and 1480 and so could be older than Provand's Lordship. An investigation into the "hazy history" of Provan Hall is to be carried out - but Glasgow City Council still assert that Provand's Lordship is the oldest.
The statue of the Skye terrier Bobby outside Greyfriar's Churchyard in Edinburgh commemorates the faithful dog that maintained a vigil over his master's grave for 14 years. But few tourists who make Bobby the most photographed dog in Scotland, appreciate that the monument was designed as a public drinking fountain. It dried up in the mid-1950s after being hit on more than one occasion by careless motorists mounting the pavement and crashing into it. But now a Greyfriar's Bobby enthusiast has raised the possibility of restoring the water supply with the city council. Recently, the Ross Fountain in Princes Street Gardens was brought back into operation. While Bobby's fountain is much smaller, it would have to be converted into a hygienic drinking fountain for the 21st century. The fountain was built in the 1870s and is made of polished red granite.
During an appearance on the US TV show "Late Night with David Letterman", Hollywood star Ewan McGregor gave a plug for the malt whisky made in his home town of Crieff. He described the Glenturret Distillery's product as a "lovely malt whisky". Needless to say the company were delighted at such high profile publicity. Glenturret is a small distillery and makes only small amounts of its malts. It depends on sales in its extensive visitor centre and claims to be the oldest (legal) distillery in Scotland.
The annual report of the Registrar General shows that the number of births in Scotland were lower than in any year since 1855 (when such records began). There were only 53,000 births and although there were 58,000 deaths, that figure was also a record low. There was also a slight increase in the number of marriages and divorces were lower than at any time since 1981. 47% of all births were to mothers aged 30 or above and 43% of babies were born outside of marriage.
Scotch whisky is regarded as a trendy, young person's drink in many countries of Europe. As a result, sales are booming as and bars and clubs feature cocktails such as Highland Cooler, Purple Heather, Bannockburn and Summer Scotch. Spain has now overtaken the USA as the largest importer of Scotch whisky and the Greeks consume more whisky per head of the population than any country in the world.
The upmarket Princes Square shopping mall in Glasgow is to undergo a £2 million revamp so that it can compete more effectively with the nearby Buchanan Galleries and the out of town Braehead Shopping Centre. When it was first opened over ten years ago, it was a unique speciality shopping centre with expensive boutique outlets.
The final draft of the Argyll and Bute Structure Plan is predicting a 12% increase in the population of the west-coast town of Oban by 2012. The town is labelled "an engine room for growth" but as there is no room for building within the town itself, "development corridors" on the outskirts of the town have been identified. While growth of 12% may seem a lot, the present population of the town is only 15,100.
Plans to restore the Caledonia Road Church in Glasgow's Gorbals district may have to be scrapped because the city's transport committee wants to retain a derelict railway line which runs close by. The church was designed by Alexander "Greek" Thomson and was built in 1857. It was gutted by fire in the 1960s and has remained derelict ever since. Numerous efforts have been made to obtain the finance to restore it but the demolition of a nearby raised railway line (last used in 1966) was a key element in the plans. If the derelict railway line is retained, as proposed by the transport committee, it will add £5 million to the cost of the new M74 motorway extension as it will have to be raised to cross over it.
Glengyle House, overlooking Loch Katrine, was associated with the MacGregor family for most of the 18th and half of the 19th century. It was taken over by the Water Board when Loch Katrine became a reservoir for the supply of water to Glasgow, 25 miles to the south. West of Scotland Water are now selling the property and of course the clan MacGregor are watching the sale with great interest. While Rob Roy MacGregor was not born in the "big house" in Glengyle, he might well have been born in part of the Steadings [now used as barns] which are also being sold off with the house. Vehicle access to Glengyle is restricted to ensure that large numbers of vehicles do not spoil the unique character of the private road around the Loch. The Water authority are looking for offers over £220,000. The Clan Gregor Web site has further details and illustrations at the Clan Gregor 
On Saturday, Gregory Lauder-Frost, the great-nephew of Sir Harry Lauder, officially opens the community garden created in memory of the world famous entertainer. They are next to the Town Hall in the centre of Portobello. The date and place are appropriate as Sir Harry was born just along the road in Bridge Street on 4th August 1870. Donations to create the garden came from individuals and a variety of sources all over the world including Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Music Hall Society, Sir Cameron Mackintosh Foundation and St. Andrews Society of Honolulu. The Urban Britain in Bloom Project awarded a grant and Portobello Garden Centre planted a twisted hazel tree whose branches resemble Lauder’s famous crooked walking stick. There will be further fund raising required to maintain the garden and a variety show is being held in Portobello Town Hall on 1st September.
The Pavilion Theatre, where Scottish comedians Jimmy Logan and Jack Milroy performed on many occasions, has set up a Web site celebrating the lives of the two Glasgow favourites. It contains photos, press cuttings and a visitors' book to allow fans to record their own tributes to these two dearly loved characters who formed such an important part of theatre history in the last 60 years. Both show business legends passed on earlier this year. The Web site is 
Victoria Park in Glasgow was the venue for the "Glasgow Show" this weekend in which professional and amateur gardeners put on a flower show in the city park. It was lovely and sunny on Friday, the first day of the show and Saturday cleared up after a damp start. But anticipating that the weather might be poor, the organisers had arranged for four large marquees covering 10,000 sq metres to house most of the exhibits. The pond in the park had also been cleaned up and radio controlled model boats were speeding around. Some of the crowd were surprised to see a model "destroyer" ramming a duck - until it was realised that the duck was a radio controlled model too! The begonia and gladioli displays were the most colourful and on Friday morning a Queen Victoria look-alike could be seen admiring the blooms. It is hoped that the Glasgow Show will become an annual event.
The Scottish Executive's £25 million scheme to finance the decommissioning of fishing boats came into force this week. Fishermen are being encouraged to take the money in an attempt to preserve dwindling whitefish stocks. Earlier this year fishing boats were forced to stay in harbour for several weeks in an effort to allow some recovery in the North Sea. The aim of the scheme is to reduce the Scottish fleet by 20%. Applications can be made until the end of October. The illustration here is of fishing boats in the harbour at Pittenweem in Fife.
Sir Reo Stakis, who transformed the eating habits of a generation of Scots with a chain of low price steak houses, died this week aged 88 after suffering a stroke a few weeks ago. He was only 14 when he left Cyprus in 1928 to sell lace goods, door to door. He settled in Glasgow and opened his first restaurant in 1945 after his life as a travelling salesman showed him the lack of eating establishments in Scotland at that time. He established a pattern of prawn cocktails (a novelty in those days), steak or gammon or chicken, followed by Black Forest Gateau. In the 1960s he established a chain of hotels and, later on, casinos. In 1978 his flagship hotel, the Grosvenor in Glasgow's West End (pictured here), was gutted by fire but it was rebuilt. He sold the chain in 1999 for £1.2 billion of which Sir Reo and his family owned £78 million.
Data from the US census in 2000 shows that there are 5.4 million citizens there who consider themselves to be of Scottish descent. Ten years ago the figure was 3.3 million. The number who said that they were "Scotch-Irish" came to another 5.6 million. This combined figure of 11 million is exceeded only by Italians (16 million). English (28 million), Irish (33 million) and Germans (47 million). The significant increase in the numbers regarding themselves of Scottish extraction may be due to a number of factors - not least the Internet which has raised the awareness of genealogy and the growing number of Scots-related organisations and activities in North America.
Because the Scottish Parliament is still housed in Church of Scotland Premises in Edinburgh (until the new building is completed in 2003), the Parliament is forced to vacate the premises each year to allow the church to hold its General Assembly. Last year Parliament moved to Glasgow but this year the church used the Usher Hall instead. But a number of locations have been vying with one another to host the Parliament next year. A joint bid by Aberdeen city council and the university there became the winner this week. (The illustration here was taken in Aberdeen's Union Street). One of the guiding principles of the parliament is accessibility and this temporary relocation is seen as an ideal opportunity to take the body outside of Edinburgh.
The annual survey of readers of "Traveller", the US magazine published by Conde Nast, has awarded the title of UK favourite tourist city to Edinburgh. London was beaten into second place, followed by Bath and Glasgow. Glasgow won the title in 1998 but this year was voted the most friendly city in Britain by 30,000 readers of the travel magazine. Edinburgh has been very successful this year in such surveys - the city has been voted top by customers of Thomas Cook and readers of both the Guardian and Observor (English-based daily newspapers).
In olden times, Edinburgh's Grassmarket was where public hangings in the city took place. In more recent times it was regarded as run-down and seedy but over the last decade the local pubs have re-invented themselves and it is now a popular place for office parties and stag nights. (The "Last Drop" pictured here recalls those earlier days of hangings!) But the local shops have not shared in that prosperity with many of them being forced to close. Now the traders have put forward plans to revitalise the area, including open air markets and antique fairs, jazz and rock concerts and even fashion shows. The traders say that they have won the support of those who live close by and there is enthusiasm to create a "buzz" in the area.
The Queen Mother was honoured his week when the new lifeboat at Broughty Ferry was named "Elizabeth of Glamis" at a ceremony in the harbour there last Saturday. The Queen Mother has been a patron of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution since 1937. Funding for the new boat was raised locally. The RNLI is a charity and is sustained only by fund raising, collections, gifts and legacies.
A survey published this week by the Office of National Statistics has highlighted that Scots are more likely to have had a higher education than anywhere else in Britain and that their children achieve higher grades at school than other regions. But that education and intelligence doesn't stop them having the worst health record in the country, due in part to eating more junk food and lack of exercise. Scots are the most likely to suffer from heart disease and cancer than those in other regions - but we are more generous to our children, giving them more pocket money than anywhere else in the UK. Scots do not smoke more than other areas but when it comes to drinking, it is Scots women who consume far more than their counterparts in other parts of Britain. But crime rates in Scotland are the lowest in the UK - and the clear-up rates are also better.
On September 4, 1962, the last of the Glasgow tram cars ran to Auchenshuggle, watched with regret by an estimated half million former passengers. It brought to an end an era of 90 years of the often bone-shaking vehicles which "shoogled" (swung from side to side). The first horse-drawn trams began in 1872 in Glasgow and the service was taken over by the city council at the end of the 19th century - just as the horses were being withdrawn and electric power came into use. The trams are still remembered fondly by many Glaswegians - perhaps because of the legendary conductresses who shouted "C'mon, get aff" in overcrowded vehicles. Although latterly there were enclosed versions, even at the end of the tram service there were still vehicles with open platforms where the driver stood in all weathers. Several attempts have been made to bring them back in a modern form, so far without success.
The celebrated Cadboll Pictish stone is on display in the Museum of Scotland. But this week the base of the stone was lifted from the Easter Ross site in which it has lain for over 1,200 years. It is not yet known whether it will also be taken to Edinburgh. Local people in the area are agitating for it to remain in the village of Hilton, near where the remains have been found. The illustration is of a the Cadboll stone in the Museum of Scotland.
The starter's box on the first tee at the Old Course at St Andrew's has been there since the 1920s. It has seen golf celebrities, presidents, royalty and ordinary golfers for nearly 80 years. But it is being replaced and this week it was put up for sale in an Internet auction. The brick walls and slate roof of the small building eventually went to a Californian golf enthusiast who bid £59,000. The box comes complete with loud-speakers and St Andrews Golf Club logo. The money raised will go to the Junior Golf Development Programme. But the auction nearly didn't take place - the original plan had been to just demolish it. Then someone suggested the auction.
The entrance hall of the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh is dominated by a stunning frieze which illustrates famous Scots through the centuries - as selected in the latter part of the 19th century. Now the hunt is on for the Scots who made the greatest contribution in the 20th century. The general public are being asked to vote via hundreds of special post boxes being set up in libraries across the country. But you can also cast your vote via the Web site of the Scottish Cultural Resource Access Network (better known as SCRAN). The Web site is at 
There was a big crowd at the RAF Leuchars International Air Show last Saturday to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 1940. Over 50,000 attended the show which had a large static aircraft park as well as a flying display by a range of aircraft including the spectacular Red Arrows display team. More than 100 aircraft from France, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands and Spain as well as the RAF took part. There were historic aircraft such as Spitfire, Hurricane, Sea Fury, Swordfish and Lancaster. In the light of events in the US, there were no USAF aircraft involved this year. There was a one minute silence at 2pm before the start of the flying display.
Despite some dismal weather during the first two weeks, the Edinburgh International Book Festival in the tented village in Charlotte Square, attracted 115,000 visitors, an increase of 15% on last year. Sales for events associated with the Book Festival and at the book shops were up by 10%.
The recent spell of wet weather is causing problems for many arable farmers who are struggling to bring in the grain harvest. There are reports that the quality and yields are poor and that the excessive moisture content will increase the cost of drying the grain. Prices are about half what they were five years ago. Growers in the north-east are particularly badly affected and grain is starting to germinate in the fields before it can be harvested. Straw is not being baled because it is too wet and farmers cannot get new crops planted.
Administrators have been appointed to manage Railtrack, the company which operates the track and stations in the UK rail network. The company has debts of £3 billion and the government has refused to bail out the company and its shareholders. It is being said that a contributory factor in the decision to wind up the company was the £5 billion cost of upgrading the west-coast line from London to Glasgow. The railway system is continuing to operate but a new organisation will be put in place eventually to run the rail network. It looks as though it will be re-nationalising the operation in all but name, with the government involved in any new set-up. But, even if the problems are sorted out eventually, future projects such as the upgrade of the west-coast line to allow faster trains to operate, will at the very least be delayed.
The maternity hospital at Rottenrow in Glasgow has seen the births of generations of the city's babies over the last 140 years. But with the creation of the Princess Royal Maternity Unit at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, the last baby was born at Rottenrow on Wednesday. There was some sadness at the closure of historic Rottenrow even though in recent years it did not match up to modern practices and the expectations of patients. The new facility at the Glasgow Royal is custom-built and has all the modern facilities.
A conference which will examine the impact of the Declaration of Arbroath is being held next weekend in the Angus town which gave its name to the famous document. It was written in 1320 as a letter to the Pope asking him to recognise Scotland's independence from England and Robert the Bruce as king. It's stirring words have many similarities with the American Declaration of Independence. For more information on this document (and the full text) see this 
A school which was designed by the renowned architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, has reopened in Glasgow - as a museum. The Scotland Street School building bears many of the Mackintosh hallmarks, despite the inevitable clash when it was being built with the School Board of Glasgow - who considered his embellishments as unnecessary increases in costs. Mackintosh departed from the usual flat frontage by creating stair-wells at each end of the building which were reminiscent of ancient Scottish towers. 
Internally, however, the budget did not allow much in the way of Mackintosh detailing. The building has a number of classrooms fitted out as they would have been in its early days and evocative black and white photographs of pupils in serried ranks. Some of the classrooms have been given over to displays of modern design.
A campaign is being mounted to convert the former Royal High School building in Edinburgh into a national gallery for photography. The landmark building near the centre of the capital has long been an icon for Scottish nationalists who wanted it to become the home of a new, independent parliament. It is also only yards away from Rock House, the building on Calton Hill where the pioneers Scottish photographers David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson produced some of the finest photographic portraits of the 19th century. The campaign, led by Michael Shea, a former royal press secretary, has already obtained the support of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (which has a huge collection of prints and limited space to display them) and the City of Edinburgh Council.
Former footballer Ally McCoist, who has a new career as a TV celebrity, was at the premiere of the film "A Shot for Glory" in Glasgow last weekend. The likeable ex-Rangers and Scotland player had a starring role in the film which was directed by Robert Duvall. Ally had been in the papers earlier in the week because of revelations about an affair with actress Patsy Kensit. So there was a stir amongst the assembled fans at the premiere when Ally turned up with a new blonde on his arm - which turned out to be his wife who had dyed her hair.
When I was invited to a preview of the Glasgow Tower back in March, the lifts were not yet operational and I had to walk up the 500 stairs to reach the observation platform, 340 feet above the ground. The views were spectacular and I was looking forward to a return visit once the lifts were working. But although the associated Glasgow Science Centre opened in June, a series of problems with the lifts meant that the Glasgow Tower could not be made available to visitors. It has taken until this week to make sure that the lifts were free of faults. The tower is the tallest free-standing structure in Scotland and the only tower in the world which rotates through 360 degrees (so that it always faces into the wind). You can see a series of views of Glasgow from the top of the 
The project to create a National Garden for Scotland on the edge of Perth was officially launched this week. And it was announced that the £40 million Cherrybank Scotland project will incorporate the existing Bell's Cherrybank Gardens. The owners of the garden, drinks company Guinness UDV (who market Bell's whisky), are to hand over their heather garden to the Cherrybank Scotland Partnership and are also gifting the Bell's Visitor Centre with its modern multi-media facilities.
The entire length of the river Tweed, which flows through the Scottish Borders, has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The river rises near Moffat and flows for 97 miles to the sea. Part of its length forms the border between Scotland and England. The river is noted for its salmon population and has a growing number of otters. Parts of the river were previously given SSSI status but now the entire river will be protected
The first conference of the charity "Butterfly Conservation" to be held in Scotland took place this week. The conference heard that if there is not a greater emphasis on biodiversity through agri-environment schemes, the decline in the numbers of butterflies surviving in the countryside will continue. The charity is trying to encourage government to put more money into such schemes. Many farmers are keen to participate but find that the cash allocated by the Scottish Executive falls short of demand. The illustration here is of a butterfly on a buddleia in the gardens of Scone Palace.
After only 12 months in the post, Henry McLeish resigned as First Minister on Thursday. For some time he had been harried about income from sub-letting part of his constituency offices in Fife - while receiving the full cost of the office as part of his parliamentary expenses. Many people eventually accepted McLeish's own assessment that it was more of a "muddle than a fiddle" and that he had not personally obtained any financial benefit. But the way in which the affair was mishandled by the First Minister and his advisers led to "the man in the street" looking askance at the office of First Minister and the Scottish Parliament.
A report from a parliamentary committee has expressed "disappointment" at the low level of preparedness of many Scottish businesses for the introduction of Euro notes and coins in the European Monetary Union next January when 300 million people across Europe will start using the new currency. They called on VisitScotland to ensure that prices were quoted in Euros as well as sterling and on other organisations to get ready for the new currency.
Watched by his wife and family from the public gallery, Jack McConnell was duly elected as the third First Minister for Scotland on Thursday with the support of his Liberal Democrat coalition partners. He obtained 70 votes against a total of 56 for the other three candidates (from the Scottish National Party, Conservatives and an independent). He pledged to restore the credibility of the devolved government and to have the courage to take decisions but also to listen, to learn and to change when it was right to do so. And to have the good sense to say no when the time is not right or the money is not there. He also spoke of the particular need to provide opportunities for the young people of Scotland. In an unintentional slip of the tongue, however, Sir David Steel, the Presiding Officer seemed to declare the winner to be "Mr Meccano" - perhaps because he is a lad of many parts.
Statistics published this week confirm what we all knew - Scotland is getting wetter. The number of days with heavy rain has increased by over 50% compared with 40 years ago, and records keep getting broken. Last month, the Glasgow weather centre recorded rain on 28 days out of 31, with a total of 6 inches (150mm). December 1999 was one of the wettest on record, with over 12 inches of rain in Glasgow. Global warming and increasing numbers of days with moist south-westerly winds are at the root of the extra precipitation. The increased rainfall is causing more rivers to burst their banks and flood surrounding areas. This is not just confined to Scotland, of course; England is experiencing even more problems due to persistent rain and rivers which cannot cope.
The Siege of Dunkeld in 1689 was commemorated last weekend in the Perthshire town, with a march of clan representatives through the streets to the 13th century Dunkeld Cathedral. A service was held at the cathedral's nave which was destroyed by fire during the siege and at the site of a Jacobite mass grave. The battle in Dunkeld arose after the Battle of Killiecrankie when Highlanders loyal to King James VII descended on the Cameronians who were Covenanters. Much of the town was destroyed and the present attractive town is the result of the rebuilding which followed. The name Dunkeld is derived from "the fort of the Celts" and St Columba may have founded the first monastery there. Kenneth MacAlpin made Dunkeld his capital in the 9th century.
The extensive shipping history of one of Scotland's oldest port towns is the subject of a new exhibition in Dumfries and Galloway which runs to 1st of December. 'The History of the Port of Kirkcudbright,' at the Stewartry Museum, Kirkcudbright, is largely based on copies of early print illustrations and photographs of the port and River Dee, supported by objects and documents from the museum collection. The first documentary reference to trade and shipping at the port dates to 1236 when a person named Erkin of Kirkcudbright was given permission by the King to sail to Ireland to conduct trade in corn. The earliest illustration of the port dates to 1566, when an English spy sketched the town and the Dee estuary to accompany an intelligence report on the town, made for his masters in London. A copy of this sketch is shown in the exhibition. For more information on the Stewartry Museum visit 
Sir Walter Scott's Border home at Abbotsford, on the banks of the river Tweed near Galashiels, has seen visitor numbers at an all-time low this year, threatening the future of the private manor house. The house is owned by Dame Jean Maxwell-Scott, a direct descendant of Sir Walter. She says that the decline is not just due to reduced numbers of tourists due to foot and mouth disease earlier in the year and the aftermath of September 11. She believes that there is a decline in interest due to the fact that Scott's works are no longer part of the curriculum in Scottish schools. There have been only 31,500 paying visitors this year, down on the 40,000 of the previous year and well down on the 86,000 visitors in the 1970s.
Regular readers of this Newsletter may recall that Glasgow City Council had announced plans to create a new and larger transport museum as part of the £500 million Glasgow Harbour scheme. This is being developed jointly by the Council and Clydeport on the west bank of the river Kelvin as it joins the river Clyde. But now consideration is being given to creating the transport museum on the west bank of the Kelvin and provide a bigger emphasis on the maritime elements of the museum. It would also be close by the existing Clyde Maritime Trust museum with its sailing ship Glenlee (illustrated here) moored at the quayside. The Clyde used to be one of the largest shipbuilding centres in the world. During the 19th and 20th centuries 30,000 ships were built on the river and 50,000 locomotives were exported by ship from Glasgow factories. The plan now is to fill a large part of Yorkhill basin, using the spoil from the demolition of the Meadowside Granary. It is being pointed out that many of the exhibits at the Maritime Museum at Irvine and at Summerlee Heritage Park are on loan from Glasgow.
The creation of five new sculptures in Tay Street, Perth, was attacked this week by artist Charles Harris who accuses the Perthshire Public Art Trust (made up largely of local politicians and civic officials) of promoting only modern art instead of also backing works with "traditional" values - such as his sculpture of the "Three Graces". Perth has made quite a name for itself by funding a large number of art works in public spaces - Norrie Miller Park, Rodney Gardens and Bellwood Riverside Park are full of modern sculptures and there are many other examples around the city - including a far from modern sculpture of the Fair Maid of Perth, sitting demurely in a shopping precinct. The Trust claims that it takes on board all comments from the public but point out that Mr Harris' latest submission for Tay Street incorporates three female nudes. The Trust says that the potential for vandalism is great and that "Perth doesn't display three naked ladies in public".
After making his mark with the radical shake-up of the Executive by appointing his supporters (described by political writers as "Jackobeans" or "Jackolytes") to Cabinet posts, Jack McConnell then tried to influence the election of a replacement Deputy Presiding Officer (ie Speaker) in the Scottish Parliament. The vacancy had arisen because he had appointed a previous incumbent to the ministerial ranks. But in a "free" vote, the Conservative Murray Tosh was elected with the support not only of many Scottish Nationalists but also the Liberal Democrats and some Labour Party MSPs. The illustration shows Sir David Steel, the Presiding Officer, flanked by his original two deputies.
St Andrew may be the patron saint of Scotland, but most Scots don't know when St Andrew's Day is celebrated. A new survey highlights that only 22% of those living in Scotland know that it is November 30. And only 50% knew why he was the patron saint. Surprisingly (?) 64% could give the date of Burns Night (25 January) perhaps because it is actually celebrated more in Scotland than St Andrew's Day. The illustration is of a carving of a representation of St Andrew in the Museum of Scotland.
The twelve judges from the meat and bakery trades, plus invited guests, have voted Thomas Auld and Sons from Greenock as the Champion Scottish Pie Maker, for the second year in succession. The Scotch Pie is often derided by nutritionists as a poor quality fast food but the meat traders are trying to emphasise that many are made from prime mutton and lamb and seasoning with a pastry shell which should look attractive and taste good too. 
The new funicular railway on the Cairngorm slopes is on schedule to open before Christmas. The high-speed transport system will offer a modern, comfortable and more reliable method of transportation, running from car park level, to only 122 metres below the summit of CairnGorm at the Ptarmigan station. It is the first, high speed funicular to be built in the United Kingdom and will carry up to 1,200 passengers per hour in winter. At full speed it will take less than five minutes to travel nearly 2km. The new railway will also have greater resistance to adverse weather conditions than the previous chair-lifts. CairnGorm Mountain is located 9 miles from the village of Aviemore, which can be easily reached by car, train and coach and a regular bus service runs from Aviemore to the mountain. For more information visit 
A chance to experience Christmas at the end of the 19th century is on offer to visitors to Culzean Castle in Ayrshire on the 9th December. As you walk through the castle doors you are whisked back to 1869 to see what everyone from the masters of the house to the servants were doing in preparation for Christmas. Sir John and Lady Alice Kilhame will be welcoming visitors to their home where every room has come alive again for this special day. You will hear the stories of the family and servants, and some carol singers may arrive from local Kyle Academy. Culzean Castle and Country Park is the National Trust for Scotland's most visited property and one of the major tourist attractions in Scotland. Robert Adam's castle was built between 1772 and 1790 for David, 10th Earl of Cassillis on a cliff-top site associated with the Kennedy family since the late 14th century.
For more information visit: 
The 25-pounder howitzer which has been firing at 1pm each day from Monday to Saturday from the battlements of Edinburgh Castle since 1953 was used for the last time on Friday. A more modern, 105mm light gun will be used in future as it was proving to be difficult to get spare parts for the previous type of gun - which saw service in WW2. "Tam the Gun" - Staff Sergeant Tom Mackay, MBE - who has fired the gun since 1978, expressed sadness at the departure of the old howitzer. He makes a theatrical experience out of the firing of the gun, with his military bearing and stop-watch held high in the minute before the gun is fired with a flourish - and that loud bang!
The village of New Lanark, which was founded by philanthropist David Dale in 1785 and was expanded by Robert Owen in the middle of the 19th century, has been added to the World Heritage list administered by UNESCO. It therefore joins the ranks of such well known world heritage sites as the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal. The 19th century buildings are being carefully restored in an ongoing programme (the school house which was one of the first of its kind in the country is currently being renovated). The mills, set in the countryside beside the river Clyde, were far removed from the "dark satanic mills" which Dickens described. Unusually for his day, Dale believed that the best work can be obtained from happy, prosperous and well educated employees. New Lanark is the first industrial site in Scotland to be added to the UNESCO list. But its fine buildings and riverside setting with idyllic walks to the Corra Linn Falls, the largest fall of water in Scotland, make it unlike most "industrial" sites. You can read more about David Dale 
Glasgow's George Square looks as if a mini ice age has taken hold with the return of Glasgow on Ice 2001, a hugely popular ice-skating rink in George Square, throughout the festive season. There are special schools and community sessions, themed nights/events, personal appearances, professional demonstrations, guest DJs and music evenings, street theatre and associated events. The "helter-skelter" is back again, along with a merry-go-round and a traditional Christmas market. And for weary shoppers, there is an array of festive food and refreshments on offer from the covered café that overlooks the rink. Glasgow on Ice is open daily between 1-24th December. For more information visit 
Initial details of the programme for next year's Edinburgh International Festival were revealed this week. It will include the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Japanese choreographer Saburo Teshigawara and the American pianist Richard Goode. The Vienna Burgtheater will be performing Schiller's "Mary Stuart" and there will be a brand new production of Macbeth. There will be a joint production with the French festival in Aix en Provence of Benjamin Britten's "The Turn of the Shrew" and the third instalment of the Wagner Ring Cycle - Siegfried.This year, more than 600,000 tickets were sold, with 66 of the 152 programmed events completely sold out. Overall, 78% of seats were sold - the best figure for 10 years.
The "Winter Wonderland" in Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens is now in full swing with a toboggan run and a helter skelter in addition to an ice rink. The giant ferris wheel, located beside the Scott monument, is proving to be a great attraction too, particularly at night. The many stalls at the "German Market" selling food and bric-a-brac are now located beside the ferris wheel and as a result seem to be doing better business than in previous years.