Current Affairs
Cars to be Banned from Edinburgh City Centre
The day when cars are banned from Princes Street, the main shopping area of Edinburgh, is edging closer with media reports that the City Council could bring in the ban next May. Cars were barred from the eastbound side of the street (beside the shops) nine years ago and banning cars from the other side of the street (beside the castle and Princes Street Gardens) has been a long-term aim. Of course, if some of the predictions for what will happen if the city goes ahead with road tolls to enter the capital come to pass, a lot fewer cars drivers will be wanting to travel into the city centre anyway. Buses, taxis and cycles are still to be allowed to move along Princes Street, so the area will not be completely pollution free (especially as elderly diesel buses belch their way along). In Glasgow, the main shopping areas of Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street and Argyll Street were fully pedestrianised years ago.
Young Scots Fizz
A study by the World Health Organisation claims that Scottish youngsters drink more fizzy drinks than nearly all other countries in the world. Out of 35 countries in the world, Scotland ranked second in the consumption of sugary drinks by young people. And the report says that 44% of 15-year-old boys and 42% of Scottish girls claim to consume at least one alcoholic drink each week.
Protest at Invitation to Chinese Army
The spectacular and ever-popular Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which takes place this year on the esplanade (forecourt) of Edinburgh Castle from 6th - 28th August, will have military bands and performers from five continents. But the invitation to the People's Liberation Army of China to participate has sparked a storm of protest. Human rights campaigners point to the violent suppression of pro-democracy protestors in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and the continued occupation of Tibet. There are threats of a protest campaign against the inclusion of the People's Liberation Army in the Tattoo. The organisers say that the invitation was to "hold out the hand of friendship" while also admitting that they "produce a pretty good show." It is also claimed that the performers are musicians and not soldiers and that the Tattoo is not political.
Aberdeenshire Man's £5.4 Billion Tax Bill
None of us like paying income tax and we all believe that the amount we pay from our income is always too much. But when Craig Gallagher from Newmachar, north-west of Aberdeen, opened the envelope from the Inland Revenue last Saturday, he thought that the Chancellor of the Exchequer must be in big trouble. The document claimed that he owed the government £5.5 billion and that £4.1 billion had to be paid by next January. The Inland Revenue also claimed that he owed them £2.7 billion for the last financial year - on "earnings" of only £85 million - which works out at a tax rate of over 300%. Because it was the weekend, Craig could not contact the Inland Revenue officials immediately. When he did so on Monday, he was told "not to worry" and that it was due to a "technical error". But he checked a revised statement very carefully, just in case there are any more "technical errors" - even though it said he now owed the government a mere £2.
Comma Butterfly Makes a Mark
Last year there was some excitement in the world of butterfly conservation when the beautiful Comma butterfly (one of the Fritillary family) was seen in the St Andrews area of Fife. The Comma (so-called because of underwing markings which look like the punctuation mark) has not bred in Scotland for 180 years. There were a number of sightings and it had been hoped that it might start breeding in Scotland again. There are breeding colonies as far north as Northumberland in England. So you can imagine my delight when I spotted a Comma butterfly last week during a visit to Cambo Estate in north Fife. It was sitting on a leaf in the late afternoon sun, and I was able to take some photographs of it. I got in touch with the environmental department of Fife Council and initially they were very interested in the sighting. But later this week, the department said they had received a report suggesting that a batch of Commas had been released last summer by a hobbyist in Kincaple village, further along the Fife coast. Comma's are capable of over-wintering. All the sightings seemed to be of older butterflies and all the reports of the butterfly were in the general area of release. Of course, there is always the chance that the survivors may breed in the area and become established, but that is probably a long shot.
34 Aberdeens
Fred Bull from Deeside in Aberdeenshire has recently travelled over 90,000 miles around various parts of the world - all to visit and find out about the 34 other places named Aberdeen. He visited 28 of them in just 16 weeks and has now written a book about his travels to Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Aberdeen...you get the picture. He has also produced a video on all those Aberdeens and a DVD is to follow. He was unable to visit Aberdeen in Sierra Leone because of the civil war there, but reached Aberdeen in such diverse locations as South Africa, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Guyana, Australia. Antigua, Canada and of course 18 Aberdeens in various parts of the United States. And there is even a suburb of Manchester in England named Aberdeen. Aberdeen Round the World is being published by Scottish Cultural Press in Aberdeen (the one in Scotland) on June 22.
Local Taxes Rise by Nearly 50% in Seven Years
Figures published this week by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities show that local council taxation has risen by 48.7% since 1996. That's an average of 2.7% a year on top of inflation and despite the local councils receiving record sums via central government taxation. The Scottish Executive are expected to announce later this month a long-awaited review of council finance. This is currently based on the value of people's houses. It takes no account of ability to pay - or the number of wage earners in a house But the review could lead to still higher bills for many. The figures also show that the local authorities only manage to collect 91.3% of the £1.75 billion of the taxes owed each year. When central government funding is added in, Local Authority spending in Scotland reached £15.5 billion in 2002-03, an increase of 11.2% on the previous year. The biggest expenditure is on education with social work coming second.
G8 Summit for Gleneagles
In the week that the Gleneagles Hotel marked its 80th birthday, it was confirmed that the next G8 summit, to be hosted by the UK, will be held at the Perthshire resort. Built by the old Caledonian Railway Company, the hotel has its own railway station. These days, guests are more likely to arrive by road - or by helicopter. Bob Hope once remarked that if Gleneagles had enjoyed Californian weather he would have moved there. Having the summit at Gleneagles is likely to be a mixed blessing for the local people as a heavy security presence to protect the world leaders is likely to make life difficult for residents in surrounding areas.
Tayside Reservoirs at Record Low Levels
Reservoirs which supply 300,000 people across Tayside, including Dundee, are only 50% full, their lowest level on record for this time of the year. It was the dry and warm weather of 2003 which led to this situation. Last October the region had an all-time low of 6mm of rain, instead of the average of 103.7mm. Since then, the reservoirs have not recovered and Scottish Water is asking customers to cut down on wastage and to save water. Otherwise, the spectre of sanctions such as a ban on the use of hosepipes will start to become a reality.
Scotland Resists UK Independence
In the European Elections last week, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) caused a major upset in England and Wales, winning 15.6% of the vote and 12 seats in the European Parliament - where their aim will be to wreck proceedings, obstruct and delay legislation and "expose" the negative aspects of the European Union. UKIP pushed the Liberal Democrats into fourth place nationally, after doubling its share of the vote. In Scotland, on the other hand, although they increased their share of the vote from four years ago, UKIP did not have a major impact. It is being suggested that the UK Independence Party struggles in Scotland because of the "UK" in its title. All the other major and most minor parties north of the border have "Scottish" in their names.
 In Scotland, the established parties held off the challenge from their smaller rivals and elected two Labour, two Scottish National Party and two Conservative members, while the the Liberal Democrats won one seat. Labour won 26.4% of the vote (2.3% less than in the last Euro elections). The Scottish National Party, which had aimed to increase its share of the vote to 30%, fell back instead to 19.7% (7.5% less than last time). The Conservatives lost 2%, moving back to 17.8% while the Liberal Democrats (who had encouraged the electorate to express their views against the Iraq war by voting for them), rose 3.3% to 13.1%. The Scottish Green Party increased its share by 1% to 6.8%, but that was not enough to win a seat under the proportional voting system used for Euro elections. The UK Independence Party increased their share of the vote by 5.4% to reach 6.7%, while the Scottish Socialist Party, were up 1.2% to 5.2%.
£100 Million School Building Plan Approved
Councillors in East Dunbartonshire voted to approve a £100 million school building programme which will see Bishopbriggs High School and Thomas Muir High merging to create a new 1200-pupil joint campus. And Bearsden Academy (pictured here) will be replaced by a new building at the site of the former St Andrews College in the suburb on the periphery of Glasgow. A new building for Douglas Academy in Milngavie will be constructed on the existing site. Parents in Renfrewshire, however, were celebrating their victory in blocking council plans there to merge Gryffe High and Linwood High into a new 1450 capacity "super school" on greenbelt land in Houston.
Police Quackdown in Glasgow
Two police officers had to be called in to control the rush-hour traffic in busy Cowcaddens Road in Glasgow on Tuesday as it ground to halt as a duck shepherded her ducklings after they fell out of a nest on the roof of a nearby bar. The police quackdown led to the officers having to decide "waddle we do?" before stopping the traffic and guiding the duck and her eight offspring across the road to some bushes. The police officers said they were used to escorting unsavoury characters out of Glasgow public bars but their latest experience may lead them to being promoted - to the Flying Squad...
"Don't Call Me Auntie" Says New Naval Commander
Commodore Carolyn Stait, the Royal Navy's second female to be promoted to that rank, took charge of the naval base at Faslane on the Gare Loch this week. She is now responsible for eight nuclear submarines, including four Trident nuclear missile vessels. She commands the biggest workforce and budget in the UK armed services with 6,000 personnel. Commodore Stait says she will offer a sympathetic ear to her new staff - so long as they don't call her "Auntie". Aged 47, Commodore Stait is tipped to rise still further in the Royal Navy and could become its first female rear-admiral.
Historical Affairs
Paisley Abbey Refurbishment Complete
It has taken 15 years and cost £2.4 million, but the refurbishment of Paisley Abbey has now been completed. There have been major improvements to the stained glass windows and stonework has been restored. The completion was marked last weekend with a four-day flower festival which had flower arrangers from across Scotland flocking to see the displays. The ornate carving of the wood and stone in the Abbey were an excellent back-drop for the floral art. For more on Paisley Abbey, see Places to Visit - Paisley Abbey.
Does Arrowhead Pinpoint Battle Site?
Archaeologists have found a 700-year-old armour piercing arrowhead at Bannockburn which they say may pinpoint the site of the battle of Bannockburn on June 24, 1314. During the battle, King Robert the Bruce defeated an army of King Edward II of England, ensuring the continuation of Scotland as a separate kingdom. The precise site of the battle has been the subject of intense debate, especially in recent years. Now the National Trust for Scotland has found the arrowhead - the cruise missile of its day - during excavation work near the Bannockburn visitor centre. It is the first-ever find of a weapon from the area (a broken stirrup was found last year). The arrowhead was not used for hunting but was used to penetrate heavy armour. It is unclear whether it is an arrow from an English or Scottish weapon although the small size suggests that it is Scottish, as they used shorter and less powerful arrows than their opponents. Many of the English archers actually came from Wales but they were driven from the field of battle by the Scottish cavalry.
Entertainment
Royal Scottish National Orchestra Promenade Season
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra ScottishPower Proms season for 2004 runs from 10 to 12 June at the Usher Hall Edinburgh, and 16 to 26 June at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (pictured above). The season began at the Caird Hall in Dundee from 26-29 May and Aberdeen from 3 to 5 June. This is a series of popular classics that will appeal to a wide and varied audience. Every night is a highlight, but book early for ‘An Evening with Bond James Bond’ , conducted by Carl Davis. The season begins with a Russian Night followed by Symphonie Fantastique, West End Gala, Kids’ Concert, American Night, Classical Gala Night, Sinatra Song Book and the unmissable Last Night of the Proms. For more details, see www.rsno.org.uk.
Scottish Opera "Rescue" Package Officially Announced
After weeks of media speculation about how Scottish Opera was going to survive within the budget allocated from public funds, there was a chorus of anger from many when the Scottish Opera board of management finally confirmed the details this week. About 88 staff will be paid off and there will be no major productions by the company between the summer of 2005 and spring 2006, as the company tries to cut costs. Scottish Opera is also in negotiations to sell its Theatre Royal base and lease it back. In return for the cost cutting, the Scottish Executive will give Scottish Opera up to £7 million which will pay for staff redundancies (the entire chorus of 34 will lose their jobs and numbers will fall from 208 to 120) and repay a cash advance made this year of £4.5 million (out of an annual allocation of £7.4 million). This had kept the company solvent as it once again spent more than its budget. While many in the arts world consider that the government should be allocating more taxpayers money to support such cultural activities, there are others who believe that Scottish Opera caters for a small audience of largely affluent members of the public and that other aspects of Scottish culture, which are attended by larger numbers, tend to be neglected.
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January 2004
In the days leading up to the end of the year, the organisers of Edinburgh's Hogmanay street party were congratulating themselves on having a total sell-out of tickets for the event. More than 100,000 visitors were expected in the capital, with thousands thronging Princes Street at midnight on 31 December. But 70mph winds on the last day of the year wrecked the temporary stage in Princes Street Gardens and led to the cancellation of the pop concert and then the fireworks display, the high point of the Street Party. Bemused revellers were ushered away from Princes Street after the cancellation was announced at 11pm. Organisers and the police were concerned that flying debris could cause injury - some workers on the stage at the Ross Bandstand had already been slightly injured. People who bought tickets for the pop concert in Princes Street Gardens have been offered their money back but many had spent large sums travelling from far and wide and will not be recompensed. This is the 11th year of the event which has expanded greatly over the years and now takes in a number of other celebrations such as a candle-lit procession on 30 December and, for the first time, an Indian-themed street carnival. The festivities in Aberdeen were also cancelled because of the stormy weather and events were also called off in Liverpool and Newcastle. Glasgow's Hogmanay party in George Square went ahead as planned, including the firework display. The strong winds abated there in time. Nevertheless partygoers had to brave heavy rain.
It sounds like the botanical equivalent of sending coal to Newcastle, but Scottish plant scientists are exporting rare rhododendrons back to China. In the 19th and early 20th century, Scottish botanists were responsible for finding and bringing back from China many of the species grown in gardens and parkland today. George Forrest, from the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, is credited with introducing the rhododendron to Britain - he discovered 1,200 species. But these days, the pink rhododendron uvarifolium are threatened with extinction in China because for generations the local girls picked the flowers as soon as they appeared so that they could wear them in their hair. Now the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, which houses one of the world's great rhododendron collections, has as many of the rhododendron uvarifolium as exist in Yunnan in China. Young plants and seeds are being returned to the area in an effort to form new colonies. The skills needed to raise and conserve the plants are also being taught to the Chinese botanists.
In a move which the Scottish National Party will find hard to swallow, the UK Parliament in London has dropped Scotland's "other national drink" from the menu in its restaurants and cafés. Barr's Irn-Bru, an orange fizzy soft drink which users claim has restorative and medicinal properties (it has been used as a cure for hangovers for decades), has been displaced by Diet Coke. Catering management claim that there was a lack of demand, but sweet-toothed Members of Parliament (MPs) are taken aback and have tabled a motion in the House of Commons calling for it to be reinstated. They claim that with a busy parliamentary timetable, MPs need the stamina and strength provided by Irn-Bru. Investigative journalists have established that Irn-Bru was only introduced in the UK legislature in 1997 - when there was a new intake of Scottish Labour MPs. 
In popular literature and entertainment shows, from PC Murdoch in "Oor Wullie" cartoons to the recent "Fast Show" on TV, police officers are often portrayed as plodding and being somewhat overweight. But now Lothian and Borders Police are taking steps to make sure that in reality they have slimmer, fitter constables on the "thin blue line". In a move which is believed to be the first by any UK police authority, calorie-controlled weight-watcher diets are being introduced to the staff restaurant at police HQ at Fettes Row. The initiative has been set up after it was revealed that an alarming number of officers quit early on grounds of ill health - though there are also other factors involved. But an increasing amount of time spent on desk duties and in patrol cars contributes to poor health amongst some police officers. 
The steeple of Renfrew Town Hall has been surrounded by scaffolding for some considerable time but at last the go-ahead has been given for the £350,000 repairs to the landmark in the centre of the town. The steeple was built in 1872 to replace an earlier town hall on the site which dated from 1670. 
Michelle McManus from Coatbridge in North Lanark, who won the "Pop Idol" contest just before Christmas, is heading for the Number One spot on the charts with her first single "All This Time". Michelle has lots of personality and her powerful voice really belts out the songs. Record stores across Scotland ordered extra copies of Michelle ballad after she won the Pop Idol show. She was voted by the TV viewing audience ahead of 20,000 other hopefuls, over the course of many weeks of elimination contests.
The proliferation of golf courses (80 new courses in the last ten years) in a country which already had 550) has resulted in many clubs having to slash their membership fees to survive. Instead of 8-10 year waiting lists, some clubs are struggling to fill vacancies although it can still be a number of years to get into prestigious courses such as the R&A at St Andrews and Muirfield near Edinburgh. Scotland can now boast 630 golf courses for 250,000 registered golfers - one course for every 400 golfers.
Comedian and actor Rikki Fulton died this week aged 79 after a number of years battling with Alzheimer's disease. He may be best remembered for his double act on stage with the late Jack Milroy but his popular and long-running TV series "Scotch and Wry" produced another famous character, the lugubrious Rev I M Jolly. This became a much-loved part of Hogmanay TV for many years. After war-time service, Rikki Fulton became an actor and writer both for the theatre and TV. As an actor, Rikki appeared not only in the theatre but also in films such as Local Hero and Gorky Park. Comedian Tony Roper, who co-operated with Rikki Fulton in producing two books based on the Rev I M Jolly character, said: "He was one of those comic actors who actually didn't need a funny joke. What he did was he created the comedy before your eyes." Veteran comedian Johnny Beattie said the death was a "sad loss" and that "He was a comic genius. Hogmanay TV has never been the same." In 1993, Rikki received a lifetime achievement award from Bafta Scotland. 
A new Web site has been set up by the Dee Salmon Fishery Improvement Association to increase awareness of the opportunities for visiting anglers with information on 20 of the beats on the river, including when and where to fish, a map of the river, current fishing conditions and prospects, how to book for a fishing permit plus details on how to get there, where to stay and eat. See 
The Scottish Executive is working on a plan to attract skilled immigrants from the European Union in an effort to plug the population gap as the number of Scots is heading down due to low birthrate - and emigration from Scotland. These demographic changes are predicted to lead to further decreases in population over the next few decades, which will lead to the working age population in Scotland going below three million by 2027. It is estimated that if Scotland was allocated work permits commensurate with its share of UK population , then that demographic change of declining population in Scotland could be stemmed. The expansion of the European Union following the entry of east European countries is likely to see an influx of economic migrants and the flow may be controlled via work permits.
With Valentine's Day on Saturday, some of the media have been looking at the state of love and marriage in Scotland. In particular, how many people tie the knot - and then untie it with a divorce. The 2001 Census showed that there were just over 4 million people in Scotland aged 16 (the minimum age for marriage) or above. Of these, 44.27% were married and 20.55% were single and had never married. 7.02% were divorced. The number of marriages is certainly in decline - there were 41,000 in 1951 but only 29,621 in 2001. But many couples with children do not get married. Of 53,527 registered births in Scotland in 2001 (the lowest number since 1855), 43% were born outside of marriage. For those who do get hitched, the average age for men was 34.8 in 2001 but that figure was 27.6 in 1981. The average age for women getting married has risen from 25.3 in 1981 to 32.3 in 2003. Nearly one marriage in three ends in divorce - in 2001 there were 19,631 divorces.
Although universities in England and Wales will not be introducing "top-up" fees until 2006, the prospect has swollen the number of applicants to Scottish universities from south of the border and Europe by 4,000 (15%). Normally applications from outside Scotland do not vary by more than about 3%. It appears that applicants believe that they will save money in the final years of study as the new charges could cost over £3,000 a year, compared to a total of just over £2,000 for an entire degree course in Scotland. The increase in non-Scottish applicants has led to fears that, as universities select students on merit, some Scottish students who might otherwise have been accepted, will be squeezed out. One factor which students have to take into account, however, is that an honours degree takes three years of study at English universities and four years in Scotland.
An ardent supporter of Aberdeen Football (Soccer) Club scored a winner when he proposed to his girlfriend on one knee on the hallowed turf at the Pittodrie ground last Saturday - St Valentine's Day. He popped the question at half-time - with a microphone transmitting his question and the startled "yes" to the 15,000 crowd attending the match against Glasgow Rangers. The roar from both the Aberdeen and Rangers supporters sounded as if he had scored a winning goal. Aberdeen were in fact ahead at that stage - but the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
When residents in the east end of Glasgow take a drink of tap water this week they may not notice any difference. But Scottish Water are proud of the fact that they are now supplying a new, better quality blend to consumers - water from both Loch Katrine and Loch Lomond (pictured here). A new pipeline, part of a project costing £100 million, allows water to flow from the two lochs to the Balmore Water Treatment Works near Kirkintilloch. Eventually, the entire city will benefit from a new water treatment works at Mugdock reservoir at Milngavie where work has begun to improve filtration on the water from Loch Katrine which has been flowing through there since Victorian times. Water chiefs claim that customers should notice a difference as the new combined supply has a better colour balance and contains less chlorine. 
It appears that the Lanarkshire town of Motherwell is the unluckiest town in the UK, based on the amount won in the national Premium Bond prizes. Its inhabitants won only £238 for every million pounds of Premium Bonds held. The Western Isles did not fare much better, with only £285 per million bonds. At the other end of the scale is Aberdeen, where people won £18,846 for every million of bonds held, making it the second top city in the UK (behind Sunderland in the north of England). The prizes are allocated by a computer named "Ernie" - standing for Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment.
Moves by the Scottish Executive to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union in 2007 are understandably not seen in a favourable light by the Scottish National Party. It was the Act of Union which merged the Scottish and English Parliaments into one London-based organisation. It took until 1999 before a separate legislature was recreated in Edinburgh. But the total dissolution of the Act of Union is a central plank of SNP policy and 2007 is also an election year for the new Scottish Parliament. Celebrating the positive aspects of the Act of Union with taxpayers money is being seen as an unfair political act and it is likely that the Electoral Commission will be asked to decide whether it would give the government an unfair advantage. The tricentenary of the Union coming into being falls just 48 hours before the election on May 3.
The influential architectural group Europa Nostra has presented an award this week to the railway authorities for their £33 million project which saw Central Station in Glasgow brought back to its Victorian splendour. The work took ten years to complete and focused on the roof, windows and the famous Heilanman's Umbrella - a bridge which straddles Argyle Street and was reputedly used as a gathering place for Highlanders who had moved to the city to find work. The Central Station is the largest rail terminus in Glasgow and was opened in 1879. It serves trains to the south and west of the city and as far as London and other stations in England.
The Beltane Fire Festival, which ran on the night of 30 April for 15 years on Calton Hill in Edinburgh to herald the arrival of spring, was cancelled last year because the cost of a public entertainment licence, insisted upon by Edinburgh City Council plus meeting health and safety requirements became too expensive for organisers of the free event. 15,000 people had attended the festival in 2002 but there had been complaints that it had caused too much noise and went on too long. Now agreement has been reached between the organisers and the Council which will see numbers limited to 12,000 with controlled access. Revellers will be charged between £2 and £4 to cover the costs which will include stewards to ensure crowd safety and cleaning up Calton Hill by 9am on 1 May. The colourful and noisy Beltane Fire Festival takes the form of a procession snaking round the hill between points entitled fire, air, earth and water.
The Dreich End Festival showcases the thriving music scene across Perthshire and in the process, acts to blow away the winter blues. Covering all types of music and featuring a mix of internationally acclaimed and local talent, open "session" events and teaching workshops, the festival offers the opportunity to see legendary artists all doing what they do best - playing live music! It runs from 26 February to 1 March 2004. Further details can be found at 
Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre marks its 100th anniversary at the end of this month. This much-loved "theatre of the people" opened on 29 February 1904 and has seen all the famous Scottish performers treading the boards there, including Billy Connolly, Tommy Morgan, Lex McLean, Rikki Fulton, Jack Milroy, Jimmy Logan, Barbara Dickson, the Krankies and many others. Productions such as "Paras Over the Barras" and "Mrs Brown" have allowed the theatre to keep packing in the audiences. There was a bad spell in the late 1970s when it went into decline but after Iain Gordon took over as manager, it never looked back. It has staged mainly comedy shows and of course an annual pantomime, all of which appeal to the local Glaswegian sense of humour.
There have been a number of alternative slogans invented to market the City of Glasgow since it adopted the cartoon character Mr Happy and the phrase "Glasgow's Miles Better" in the early 1980s. There was "Glasgow's Alive" and "Glasgow's For It" (which played on the local word forit meaning forward) and "City of Love" makes a fleeting annual appearance. But none have had the same impact. Indeed, from time to time Mr Happy has appeared to bolster the image of the city. The catchy slogan (which could be mispronounced to read "Glasgow Smiles Better" to reflect the local humour and warmth) was so successful that it even convinced the residents of Glasgow that indeed the city was a lot better. Of course, a major urban renewal programme, civic buildings, being European City of Culture and a major Flower Festival all in the 1980s helped the process. But now the marketing men have decided to completely pension off Mr Happy and have come up with "Glasgow: Scotland with Style" as the new slogan, using a font with hints, it is said, of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It remains to be seen whether it has the same impact as Glasgow's Miles Better. While the Glaswegian humour is legendary, "style" is not perhaps the first word that springs to mind in relation to Glasgow - despite the Versace, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren and Emporio Armani outlets in the city. But there is no doubt that over the years Glasgow has always aimed high.
It was confirmed this week that the Edinburgh Military Tattoo is to be staged in Australia for the first time since the spectacular event began 54 years ago. 1,300 performers from military bands and pipes and drums from a host of nations will perform next February at the Aussie Stadium in Sydney. A replica of Edinburgh Castle, including drawbridge, sentry boxes and cannon emplacements on ramparts 100 feet high will be created as a backdrop. The Tattoo first performed outside of Edinburgh four years ago, when the colourful event was staged in New Zealand. The Sydney performance will be the largest single gathering of military and civilian performers ever seen in Australia.
Great Western Road in Glasgow is one of the busiest trunk roads in the city but frogs spawning in Bingham's Pond beside a hotel beside the road do not appear to have learned the rudiments of how to cross a road safely. As a result, at the spawning season which lasts from March until July, many of the frogs end up being squished by passing traffic. But now Glasgow City Council is to build a ramp from the bottom of the pond where they spawn to a grassy area so as to steer the frogs away from the road. Road signs will also be erected to inform motorists to look out for the frogs - though whether busy commuters speeding along the road will take avoiding action is probably unlikely.
The Office of Fair Trading recently recommended that local government councils should lose their current powers to set limits on the number of taxi cabs operating in a town or city and leave numbers to market forces. The OFT believe this would help the chronic shortage at peak times and a number of cities in England have scrapped such controls - with beneficial results as far as consumers are concerned. But the Scottish Executive is understood to be reluctant to follow suit as they don't believe it would result in more taxis on the street. The OFT, however, estimated that scrapping controls would put an extra 1,500 taxis on the roads and reduce the number of people waiting at ranks as a result. Aberdeen currently has 4.2 taxis per 1,000 population while Glasgow has only 2.2 vehicles per 1,000 people. Stirling has only 0.6 cabs per 1,000. Edinburgh has the highest charges in Scotland - a five mile cab ride there costs £9 while Inverness, (with 5.1 vehicles per 1,000 population and has no control on numbers) charges only £6.60 for the same distance. In Glasgow, private car hire (which must be pre-booked by phone) is widely used and they outnumber the licenced black cabs by two to one.
The residents of Uummannaq in Greenland may be drowning their sorrows but they will not be drinking the Scottish liqueur Drambuie to do it. For the last few years the drinks company has sponsored the World Ice Golf Championship on the whites (not greens) of the ice floes near the community, bringing a significant boost to economy. But now Drambuie has decided to hold the event on the island of Spitzbergen, 600 miles north of Norway. They say that Greenland is too remote and that Uummannaq couldn't guarantee enough ice.
Govan, now swallowed up as part of Glasgow, was once a major centre of Christianity in Scotland and a centre of power of the Britons in Strathclyde, stretching back to the 9th century and even earlier. Over the years, its role declined and it was only after a large number of carved stones, crosses and hog-backed burial stones were discovered in the churchyard in the 19th century, that its significance came to light. Some of the stones had lain buried in the ground, others had been "adapted" as gravestones by later generations. In order to afford them better protection, the stones have been taken inside the present Govan Old Parish Church but over the years a total of 16 of the rare monumental crosses and grave markers spanning the 9th to the 11th centuries have been "lost". Now Historic Scotland has scheduled the site as being of historic importance and the 31 surviving monuments have been listed in a move which may help to preserve the large collection. The most important sculpture is a carved stone sarcophagus which has been linked to St Constantine who is said to have founded the church in the 6th century. Access by the public to the carved stones is currently somewhat restricted but there is talk of creating a tourist attraction. 
A project to recreate tapestries which will adorn the walls of the Palace at Stirling Castle is well underway- but will take more than three more years to complete. The Palace is currently having a major makeover and the tapestries will be hung in the Queen's Presence Chamber in the building. The design is based on a set of medieval tapestries depicting the "Hunt of the Unicorn". Dating from 1495-1505, the original tapestries were woven in Brussels and are now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. There will be replica furniture and fittings alongside the tapestries to recreate the splendour of the royal apartments in the 1540s, following the death of King James V and the regency of Mary of Guise (parents of Mary Queen of Scots).
Glasgow's Odeon cinema is to be converted to shops, restaurants and bars after audience numbers declined following the opening of Scotland's largest multi-screen complex only a few blocks away. The art deco Odeon is the only building in Scotland designed by Frank Verity and Samuel Beverley, the renowned in-house architects for Paramount. Historic Scotland have listed the frontage of the cinema and the developers say they will restore it to its 1930s glory.
Pop star Robbie Williams arrived with his entourage at Inverness airport last weekend on his way to a "surprise" 30th birthday party at the exclusive Skibo Castle resort. He is having 50 guests at a party which is due to last for five days. Skibo was the venue for Madonna's wedding to movie director Guy Ritchie in December 2000 and caters for private functions for wealthy guests.
A survey of petrol (gas) prices recently concluded that prices in the far north of Scotland were the highest in Europe and increases in oil prices since then have only served to make matters worse. Of course, 75% of UK petrol prices arise from tax so further rises will make the Chancellor of the Exchequer smile. Prices in central Scotland are currently around 75p per litre - that's over $5 per US gallon and prices are even higher in the Highlands. Consumers in the US who are complaining about prices there don't know how lucky they are!
Many of Scotland's tourist attractions close down over the winter months and April 1 is often the day when they once again throw open their doors. For example, the National Trust for Scotland, with over 100 properties ranging from grand castles to the scenes of epic battles and glorious gardens, is one of many organisations pulling off the dust covers and getting the home baking ready for the new season's visitors. The "Taste of Scotland" recommended catering at the Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed Hill House in Helensburgh (pictured here) was already doing a good trade in their scones and carrot cake on Thursday when I called in there. Those of us who have been "making do" with, for example, Historic Scotland's winter opening hours, now have a full range of places to go to. 
When an environmental umbrella group carried out a survey of Scottish beaches in 1998 based on 68 different criteria such as water quality and dog control, the average score was 47%. But last year it rose to 78% as local authorities and Scottish Water clean up their act. As in previous years, the beaches of Fife cleaned up the top prizes, with six out of the top eight beaches. Burntisland got the highest score but St Andrews (West), Aberdour (Silversands), Broughty Ferry, Elie and St Andrews (East) also got top marks. But the biggest improvement was achieved by Montrose in Angus which broke into the top ten with a score of 84%, up from 47% in the previous survey.
Edinburgh-based writer Alexander McCall Smith was named this week as Author of the Year at the prestigious British Books Award. McCall Smith has become well known for his series of detective stories "No 1 Ladies Detective Agency" which relate the adventures of Precious Rambotswe, a Botswana version of Miss Marple. The books have sold over three million copies worldwide. The author is a professor of medical law at Edinburgh University and his latest work "44 Scotland Street" is being published in daily instalments in the Scotsman newspaper.
It's enough to bring tears to your eyes, but the designers of Lochcarron of Scotland have created a kilt made from stinging nettles. However, the company have promised that there is no "sting in the tail" and that the process of extracting fibres from the stems of the wild nettle has meant that the sting has been removed. The fabric is surprisingly soft, so even Scots who wear their national dress in the traditional fashion have nothing to fear!
200 specialists were assembled by the National Geographic Magazine to assess how areas have coped with development pressures and environmental problems and mass tourism. They had to consider the nature of tourism development and whether it was of appropriate character. And the Highlands of Scotland came 7th out of 115 locations, having accommodated tourism but still conserving the area's natural and cultural resources. Above them on the National Geographic list were the Norwegian Fjords in top place, followed by Cape Breton Islands, Canada; South Island, New Zealand; Torres del Paine, Chile; Tasmania, Australia and the Rocky Mountain parks in Canada. But the Highlands came higher than the Kruger National Park in South Africa while the Cotswolds in England was the second highest in the UK at 38th overall.
Arnold Schwarzennegger, the governor of California, has selected the Scots-born conservationist and writer John Muir to be represented on the design of a 25-cent coin marking the state joining the United States in 1850. The design, created by Los Angeles graphic artist Garrett Burke, was one of 8,000 initially put forward to the California quarter selection committee. Muir, born in Dunbar, is widely credited as being the "father" of the US conservationist movement. He established the National Park system in the US after his family emigrated to Wisconsin in 1849. His prolific writing opened the eyes of many to the wonders of nature. He was dismayed at the devastation caused by sheep and cattle and established national parks at Yosemite, Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest and established the Sierra Club to protect the Yosemite National Park from ranchers who were seeking to reduce its boundaries.
Oscar-winner Ray Harryhausen is a Hollywood legend for his special effects. He is also married to the great grand-daughter of missionary/explorer David Livingstone. He has combined these two aspects of his life in creating a spectacular sculpture showing an incident in the life of the Blantyre-born hero. Livingstone described in his journals how he and his servants had been attacked by a lion in the African jungle and "shaken as a terrier does a rat.". They managed to drive it away - but not before its jaws had broken the explorer's arm in two places. A cast of the arm bones in the Livingstone Centre shows the fractures clearly. The new sculpture is one-and-a-half times life size and took four years in a Donegal studio of artist Gareth Knowles to create. 83-year-old Ray Harryhausen said that he had wanted to produce the six tonne statue because he "wanted to bring heroes back into fashion. Heroes are inspirational figures and David Livingstone was certainly one of those." The monument is in parkland at the entrance to the David Livingstone Memorial Centre in Blantyre. This was created in the houses and weaving factory in which the Victorian explorer was born and went to work before becoming a missionary.
It was King Edward I of England who gave permission in 1304 for the Fife coastal town of Kirkcaldy to hold a three-day market every Easter on the links (the sandy foreshore). The town, more famous in the 20th century for producing linoleum (and its associated smells) has been celebrating the 700th anniversary in style this week. Kirkcaldy's nickname is the "Lang Toon" so it was appropriate that they should set up Europe's longest street funfair including a 140 feet-high Big Wheel. Traders from many European countries set up their stalls in a Continental Market. The town's history was not forgotten either, with an exhibition of photographs and paintings of the Links Market in by-gone years. Kirkcaldy Old Kirk (even older than the Links Market) was also open for visitors to climb to the top of the church tower and get a bird's-eye view of the town.
The programme for the 2004 Edinburgh International Festival was announced this week. It includes performances by Ballet West USA and Hanover State Opera and features a retrospective of the work of the choreographer Antony Tudor and concert performances of the operas of the German romantic composer Carl Maria von Weber. One talking point was the inclusion of Henri Claudel's "Le Soulier Satin" starring French film star Jeanne Balibar which lasts for 11 hours. The production was last performed at the Salzburg Festival. This year's Festival will have 111 events including a ballet without music, a play with music instead of words and a piece of music with 150 saxophonists playing in unison.
It is understood that Sir Sean Connery is creating a book covering his illustrious career in conjunction with a Scots author, Meg Henderson, a long-term friend of the mega-star. It is likely that publishers will bid over £3 million for the rights to a book, which may shed some light on the controversies which have appeared throughout the life of the star of all those James Bond movies and many more. At the age of 73 Connery is arguably the most famous Scotsman in the world. Sir Sean's spokesperson refused to comment on the speculation about the book. Illustration courtesy of 
The ever expanding Royal Bank of Scotland has now become the 7th largest bank in the US through its subsidiary Citizens Financial. It paid $10.5 billion (£5.8bn) this week for Cleveland-based bank Charter One which has 616 branches in six Mid-Western states including the cities of Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland. Royal Bank has made 26 acquisitions in the US via Citizens Financial, most in the last 5/7 years, and now has assets there of almost $130bn with 24,000 employees in 13 states. The Royal Bank is the UK's second largest bank.
Jenners on Princes Street in Edinburgh is the world's oldest independently owned department store and its attractive building overlooking Princes Street Gardens and the castle is a landmark for locals and tourists alike. But the owners claimed this week that plans to charge motorists £2 to drive into Edinburgh could close the business down. Congestion charging in London resulted in some shops losing 17% of their customers and if Jenners lost that - or more - it would be "terrifying". The comments came during an inquiry into the road charging plans by Edinburgh City Council. The inquiry also heard from the owners of the John Lewis department store that they would not have gone ahead with a £25 million development if they had known that the charging plan would be implemented. In a survey of 700 customers in the store, 70% of John Lewis customers said they opposed charges and 37% said they would shop elsewhere.
The textile giant J&P Coats, which once employed 14,000 people in Paisley, is to close its last Scottish factory, ending 178 years of industrial history. The multinational company has moved all its manufacturing to England and abroad, including a thread-making factory opened last year in Romania. The company is following in the steps of many other textile manufacturers that have closed down in Scotland in recent years, including Daks, Simpson, Levi-Strauss and William Baird.
A two-year survey of Scotland's favourite wild flowers, to find which ones should associated with each county, has produced some surprising results, ranging from the extremely rare plants which only botanists would find and recognise to the more common varieties seen on country walks. Edinburgh/Midlothian selected the sticky catchfly (Lychnis viscaria) and East Lothian opted for viper's bugloss (which has a reputation as an aphrodisiac). Glasgow's choice of broom (cytisus scoparius) seems almost boring by comparison. Dumfriesshire has opted for a typical Scottish plant, the harebell, while West Lothian has voted for the common spotted orchid (dactylorhiza fuchsii) which is pictured here. The survey was run by Plantlife International and the organisation hopes that the selected wild flowers will be used by local councils as emblems to help to make people aware of local wild flowers - many of which are endangered.
Colin Powell, the four-star general who is now the United States Secretary of State, has petitioned the Heraldry Society of Scotland for a coat of arms to link him to his Scots ancestry. He traces his Scottish roots back through his mother's side of the family. Symbols incorporated into the design will include the head of an American bald eagle and four stars. The motto reads "Devoted to Public Service". Powell is understood to have been advised on the procedure for obtaining a coat of arms by his US army colleague General Jack Nicholson (whose ancestors came from Arran). It is likely that the Lord Lyon, who is the Queen's representative responsible for all heraldic matters in Scotland will personally travel to Washington to present documentation.
The Loch Fyne Oyster Bar was the unlikely focus of press attention earlier this week. It became known that the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown had stopped in the car park there on the way back from the memorial service for the former Labour leader John Smith. The gossip-mongers had it that the two were hatching a plot to oust Prime Minister Tony Blair from office because many Labour Members of Parliament are said to be increasingly seeing him as a liability going into the next General Election, likely to take place next year. Of course, the pair denied the rumours vehemently, with the down-to-earth Deputy Prime Minister telling reporters that they had got it all wrong, not only on what had been discussed, but also on what they had eaten. As an "old Labour" man, Mr Prescott insisted that he had bought kippers (a low-cost, smoked herring) rather than oysters.... 
The number of students in Higher Education in 2002-03 ( 267,026) was 24.6% higher than in 1995/96, according to Scottish Executive statistics published this week. Of these, 78% studied in Higher Education Institutions (such as universities) while 22% studied in Further Education Colleges. The increase was largely due to larger numbers of women going into Higher Education - between 1995/96 and 2002/03 the number of female higher education students increased by 40 per cent to 148,556. Over the same period the number of male higher education students increased by only 10 per cent to 118,470. There were 134,825 new entrants to Higher Education in Scotland in 2002/03. This was a decrease of 4.7 per cent on the number of entrants in 2001/02, but that year had the highest recorded number of entrants in a single year.
The death this week of the great-great-garnd-daughter of Sir Walter Scott has put into question the future of Abbotsford House, which the writer created after buying a farmhouse on land beside the river Tweed in 1812. Dame Jean Maxwell-Scott was the closest direct descendant of the novelist and it is understood that around 40 relatives around the world now have a stake in the future of the house. It contains many of Scott's possessions and is now a tourist attraction in the Scottish Borders. But visitor numbers have declined in recent years, despite the historic interest and the attractive gardens and riverside walks.
The National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh bought a 500-year-old masterpiece "Venus Anadyomene" by Titian for a cool £11.6 million last year but that quite a dent in its acquisitions budget. But the Portrait Gallery's director says that he is "thrilled" by the latest purchase - even though it cost a mere £20,000. It is not just a miniature price, it is a miniature picture, measuring only 2.5 inches high. But the portrait is of King Charles II at a time when he was monarch of Scotland but not of England. He had fled to France after the execution of his father King Charles I, but returned to Scotland a year later where he was crowned at Scone on 1 January 1651. He did not become king of England until after the Restoration in 1660. While Charles was in Scotland, David de Granges was appointed "His Majesty's Limner" and painted the miniature - but was never paid for his work by the king.
The footprints left by a dinosaur which walked on mudflats 170 million years ago, which are now part of the Trotternish Peninsula of the west coast of Skye, have been identified by paleontology experts as a ceolophysis. This flesh-eating velociraptor was similar to the one featured in the film "Jurassic Park". It hunted in packs and was built for speed. It was one-and-a-half metres tall, but was moving slowly when it made the prints. A number of dinosaur discoveries have been made on Skye in recent years, including a dinosaur print surrounded by the fossils of ten young.
In recent years, the Royal Bank of Scotland has issued a number of limited-edition banknote designs to commemmorate historical events - including the 100th anniversary of the death of Robert Louis Stevenson, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Graham Bell and the 100th birthday of the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Now the bank has issued a new £5 note which marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews on 14 May 1754. It shows the R&A clubhouse, the Captain's silver clubs and golf balls, the famous Claret Jug presented to the winner of The Open and a portrait of Old Tom Morris, one of the early golfers from St Andrews from the 19th century who won the Open Championship at the age of 17. Two million of the banknotes have been printed and are in general circulation. However, collectors who keep their notes in pristine condition know that they will increase in value over the years. American golf legend Jack Nicklaus unveiled the new note at a press conference last week.
Edinburgh-based crime novelist Ian Rankin this week won the Edgar Allan Poe Award, the top US accolade for crime writers presented by the Mystery Writers of America. The novel which won the prize was "Resurrection Men" a novel based on his Edinburgh detective John Rebus.
129 pipe bands from around the world competed in the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Championship in the shadow of Dumbarton Castle last weekend. It was the Field Marshall Montgomery band from Northern Ireland which won the top prize in Grade 1. House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead, who won the World Championship last year, were second and Boghall and Caledonia were third. The illustration shows members of the Field Marshall Montgomery Pipe Band warming up prior to the World Championships last August.