Double Honour for Father of Scottish Parliament
 
Donald Dewar, the first First Minister of the new Scottish Parliament, who died suddenly last October, has been honoured by three bronze sculptures. One is in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the other in the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery and the third in his old school.. Of course, the late Donald Dewar would not have approved of such a memorial - he was an extremely modest man who would have scoffed at such recognition. The sculptor, Archie Forrest, suggested that Dewar, with his good eye for art, would have observed "Dreadful subject but a good sculpture". The bust of his head sits on top of a pile of books - Dewar was extremely fond of reading and his huge collection is to be gifted to the nation. In a further accolade, the gates at the entrance to Glasgow University (Dewar was a law graduate from there) which are already inscribed with a number of famous names from the institution's past, has had the name Dewar added to the roll of honour. The name of the former leader of the Labour Party, John Smith, who died in 1994, has also been added to the gates. Dewar and Smith were both members of the University debating team in the 1960s and both retained links with their alma mater in later years.
Land Reform Bill Threatens Privacy
The owner of Skibo Castle, the exclusive club in the Scottish Highlands where Madonna was married, away from the glare of the media, says that the future of the facility is under threat by the Land Reform Bill being progressed through the Scottish Parliament. The Bill gives ramblers the right to walk anywhere on the 7,500 acre estate (or any other open land in the country). The idea of hordes of news reporters, exercising a legal right of access under the proposed legislation, rubbing shoulders with the exclusive club members is likely to drive the paying guests away, forcing it to close with the loss of at least £4 million a year to the local economy. In addition to Madonna, guests have included Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson, Greg Norman and the late King Hussein of Jordan. The names of many other guests are a closely guarded secret. The Bill is now at the "consultation" phase and Peter de Savary, the owner of Skibo has written to the Parliament with his concerns. Over 3,000 responses have been received, mostly critical of the draft legislation - including attacks from activists who want to see even greater freedom of access than the Bill provides.
Holyrood Art Creates Storm
A contract awarded to Edinburgh-based agency "Arts in Partnership" to advise on works of art for the new Scottish Parliament at Holyrood has created yet another storm. Critics say that there is no need for external consultants and others have highlighted that there is no budget for works of art for the new building. There is speculation that this will push the total cost of the building even higher. The Arts in Partnership company is a not-for-profit agency and its previous commissions have included art beside the M8 motorway between Edinburgh and Glasgow and the Scottish Executive buildings at Victoria Quay, Leith.
Photograph courtesy of the Scottish Parliament © Web site.
New Tourist Chief
Visitscotland, formerly the Scottish Tourist Board, has announced the appointment of Philip Riddle as Chief Executive. He has spent much of his career in the oil industry. In April, the organisation had to withdraw an offer to a new chief executive a few days after he had been appointed. Philip Riddle was born in Dunfermline and now lives in Edinburgh. For most of his career he has been with Shell working a number of senior posts across their global network. He has recently been working with two Scottish companies, Maximedia Ltd in Leith as Chairman and Optos Ltd in Dunfermline as advisor.
Royal Bank Buys US Bank
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.
The illustration is of the Royal Bank's impressive head office in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh.
New Financial District for Glasgow
A property development, estimated to cost £250 million, is being proposed for a derelict area of Glasgow and is aimed at creating a new financial district and creating thousands of new jobs in the city. The area involved is between the Central Station and the Kingston Bridge, north of the river Clyde. Nearby existing buildings, occupied by BT Scotland at Atlantic Quay, will be incorporated. Detailed plans for the site will be unveiled in the middle of next month.
Retail Sales Rise
Figures published by the Scottish Retail Consortium this week show that retail sales in Scotland rose by 6.2% in June compared to the same month a year ago. On a like-for-like basis (after deducting additional retail floor space) the increase was 4.6%, the second highest figure for the last two-and-a-half years.
Largest Number in Work Since 1960
Despite some high profile redundancies in recent months, unemployment in Scotland fell in May to 104,743 (5.7% of the adult work force). The UK jobless figure is even lower at 3.2%. The total number of people in employment in Scotland reached 2,398,000, the highest figure since 1960. There were of course wide variations in the unemployment figures - Edinburgh recorded 2.2%, City of Aberdeen 1.7%, City of Dundee 7.5% and Shetland 1.4%.
Brakes on Polluting Traffic "Unworkable"
Plans by the City of Glasgow Council to declare the centre of the city a statutory "Air Quality Management Area" were immediately condemned by taxi drivers and the Automobile Association. If implemented, diesel taxis, buses and trucks would be banned and replaced by electric vehicles and tramways. The Council believe that they have to act as it is forecast that the statutory limit for pollutants will be breached by 2005. But replacing all of Glasgow's taxis in four years was deemed "hopelessly optimistic" and there were concerns about the economic impact on retailers. Glasgow City Council itself has the largest fleet in the country of vehicles powered by liquid petroleum gas - a clean fuel.
The illustration is of one of Glasgow's 1,000+ taxis in Queen Street Station.
Demand to Ban Burger Vans
A Glasgow councillor is demanding that fast food vans should be banned from the east end of the city in an effort to improve the eating habits and health of children in the area. Parkhead councillor Elaine Smith says that the streets are lined with burger stalls on the days when Celtic are playing at home. She says they encourage unhealthy eating and food van licences should be curbed. Nearby Shettleston is the worst area in the UK for premature deaths, much of it caused by poor diet.
Rail Franchise Extended
Despite a recommendation from the Strategic Rail Authority that a 20-year franchise should be awarded for the main east coast rail route from London to Edinburgh and points north, the UK Government Transport Secretary has granted a two-year extension to GNER (Great North-Eastern Railway). Richard Branson's Virgin Rail had also been bidding for the route and the door is still ajar for his company to win the franchise in two years time. The GNER route is popular and overcrowded - thanks in part to the successful marketing by the rail company. Hours after the new franchise was announced, hundreds of passengers on a GNER train from Glasgow to London were stranded after overhead power lines toppled onto the tracks.
Edinburgh and Stanford University Link-Up
Edinburgh University, pioneers in speech recognition technology, is reported to be close to signing a deal with Stanford University in the US to assist in the commercialisation of the cutting-edge research. It is estimated that the market for speech recognition and synthesis technology will reach $25 billion by 2004.
New York to Glasgow Flights Take Off
Continental Airlines, the only carrier flying direct flights between New York and Glasgow has announced that increased passenger numbers has forced them to draft in larger aircraft on the daily schedule. There has been a 40% increase in passengers. If the demand continues to grow, extra flights will be considered.
Gaelic Returns to Court
Speaking in plain English instead of legal jargon is sometimes difficult for some lawyers. But now they will have to understand Scotland's oldest living language - Gaelic. For the first time in over 100 years witnesses will be allowed to give evidence in Gaelic in the local courts in Stornoway and Lochmaddy in the Western Isles and in Portree in Skye. But witnesses must give two weeks notice - so that arrangements can be made to provide a translation into English. The change has come about because the UK has signed a European Charter on Minority Languages.
Clan Chief Climbs Down Over Mountain Sale
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.
Edinburgh Rust Buckets
The smart new litter bins being introduced into Edinburgh were designed to be attractive and graffitti-proof. They had corrugated sides and lockable lids which allow them to be secured in advance of VIP visits to the city. But after only a few months they are starting to show evidence of rust. Of course, they were meant to be resistant to corrosion. The company responsible has said that they are "monitoring the situation" and may have to change the specification and replace the bins already installed.
It's Not All Water Under the Bridge - It's Paint
The painting of the Forth Road Bridge has been halted for the rest of the year following complaints from people who live under the bridge on North Queensferry that their cars were being spattered with paint. The areas being painted are enclosed in a tarpaulin but it would appear that some of the spray paint was escaping.
Phone Mast Protesters Dig In
When contractors for telephone company One2One turned up this week to erect a mobile phone mast in Newlands, a smart suburb of Glasgow, they were taken aback when local residents jumped into the hole they had just dug and refused to let them continue. This was the second time within a week that angry residents in the area have stopped construction work - a BT Cellnet mast 100 yards away in Giffnock was also halted. But residents in Port Glasgow were a bit slow off the mark and the mast was already up before they got organised. So they just attacked the mast which had been erected by Orange - and toppled it to the ground. Telephone companies are being accused of rushing to instal masts before 23 July - after that date they will require local authority planning permission.
Clyde Waterbus Service Takes the Plunge
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.
Plan to Eradicate Mink
Mink were introduced into the Western Isles in the 1950s and 1960s on commercial farms. Even though these ventures have all closed down, a number of mink escaped and have successfully bred on the islands, decimating local bird populations. There is now estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 of these fierce creatures on the islands, causing problems to fish farms, sporting fisheries and crofters as well as other wildlife. Plans have been drawn up and £1.65 million allocated by the government in a bid to wipe out the animals.
Guided Tour of St Kilda
The remote island of St Kilda is 40 miles west of Benbecula in the Western Isles of Scotland. It has exceptional cliffs and the most important seabird population in north-west Europe. The last permanent inhabitants left the islands (it is an archipelago, with the largest island named Hirta) in the 1930s. In 1986 it became Scotland's first World Heritage Site. Administered by the National Trust for Scotland, about 1,500 visitors manage to reach the remote island each year. But now it is accessible to everyone with a Web connection. The site is at http://www.kilda.org.uk/ and it has some stunning photos, fascinating facts, maps and the sounds of the Gaelic St Kildan song - and the local Soay sheep.
Photograph courtesy of the Photonet © Web site.
Church of Scotland May Abandon Hotel Plan
Plans by the Church of Scotland to develop a hotel complex on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in Israel may have to be abandoned after an ancient burial ground was found on the site. The 1,500-year-old remains were only discovered after work on foundations had started. The Israeli Department of Antiquities has proposed removing the bodies but Orthodox Jewish groups have thwarted the plans. The Church of Scotland have run a hospital on the site since the 19th century; it has been used as a tourist hostel in recent years. The $19.7 million development would have created a 130-bed hotel and had been welcomed by the Israeli authorities. Efforts to find a way of developing the site without disturbing the graves have so far failed.
Minister Wins His Bet With Oomph
A Church of Scotland minister, who challenges the church's blanket condemnation of gambling, made a high-profile visit to a local betting shop this week and placed a bet on a horse called Oomph - and won. Rev Erik Cramb accepts that abuse of gambling can cause problems but argues that the Church's views are out of touch with reality for many people. The minister says he plans to visit a night-club and wants to make contact with night-shift workers in Dundee - he says they are often forgotten about by the church.
A Bare Green Place?
American artist Spencer Tunick says that he has been overwhelmed with applications from Glaswegians to take part in one of his "living sculpture" events in the city. He has already persuaded thousands of people in places such as Montreal in Canada and Friburg in Germany to sprawl naked in the streets as part of his international "Nude Adrift" tour. The prospect of hundreds of peely-wallie (pale and unwell) Glaswegians lying in George Square (pictured here) in front of the City Chambers may be too much for the city fathers, however. But the artist says that any open space will do and if he is refused he will use "underground" methods. Has he heard about the Clockwork Orange? That's the city's underground which goes round in one complete circle.
No Highs From Hemp
A farmer in Dalbeattie, who lost all his cattle and sheep during the foot and mouth outbreak earlier this year, decided to grow a cash crop to make his fields productive. But he has hit another problem because raiders are stealing it - because it looks like cannabis plants. He is growing 255 acres of hemp, which looks similar to the cannabis plant, but it has no hallucinatory effect. It is estimated that you would have to smoke about a quarter of an acre of hemp to get the same effect as one cannabis cigarette.
Loch Katrine Running Dry
Despite one of the wettest summers for many years, water levels at Loch Katrine (which supplies much of the water used in Glasgow) are at the lowest level for many years. It is 40% lower than usual and, if it drops further, it will affect the popular cruises by the steam ship Sir Walter Scott. If the water levels fall by another two feet, the ship will no longer be able to call at Stronachlochar, at the head of the loch.
Cha-Cha and Salsa Learn Doric
Two exotic parrots named Cha-Cha and Salsa are causing a bit of a stir in their home in Aberdeen. Like many similar birds, they are learning to speak, parrot fashion, but they have developed a distinctive Doric accent from the north-east of Scotland. They appeared this week as a TV news item, giving examples of their repertoire, with many a "Fit like" (what is it like?). When Cha-Cha asks "Kin I hae ay biscuit" (can I have a biscuit?) Salsa is likely to reply "I dinna want ony o' they cheap anes". Other favourite phrases include:
"Fa's makin' the coffee, then"
"Fit's wrang wie you?"
"Far d'you bide?" (Where do you stay)
"Are we haein a perty the nicht?"
Weather in Scotland This Week
Forecasters are predicting that July could be one of the coldest for a 100 years. There have been more strong north-easterly winds than usual and the outlook to the end of the month is that the weather will continue to be cool and unsettled. But the experts have discredited the old wives' tale that if it rains on St Swithin's Day (15 July) there will be wet weather for the next 40 days. But an analysis of the weather following 55 wet St Swithin's Days has failed to confirm the prediction. This week was brighter and sunnier than in recent weeks, at least at the start of the week.
This week's illustration is of a bed of astilbe at Finlyastone Gardens, Inverclyde. The photo was taken on Monday - when there was lots of sunshine.
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The Scottish Snippets Newsletter in its original format began in April 1997 and continued in an unbroken series for 591 issues. Although no longer produced in that format there is now a regular update on the new and updated pages on the Rampant Scotland site and also "Scottie's Diary" on an intermittent basis, To receive this, kust send an e-mail to Scottie with "Subscribe Newsletter" in the subject line.
Current Affairs
The elevation of Inverness as a "city" was marked this week by the arrival of three WW2 vintage aircraft at the city's airport. The Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster (pictured here) are part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and they flew up from their base in Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Two local Bomber Command veterans turned up to renew their acquaintance with the Avro Lancaster - there are only two airworthy examples left out of 7,366 which were built. The RAF's top aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, are scheduled to perform on Saturday's Inverness Highland Games.
The last surviving sea-going "Puffer" (a steam-powered small cargo boat which served the Clyde estuary and inner west-coast islands) has completed a major refit and is moving to a new home at Inveraray on Loch Fyne where it will be used for pleasure cruises. The ship, similar to the "Vital Spark" made famous by Neil Munro in his books on Para Handy, was originally built in 1944. The ship is named "Eilean Eisdeal" and is owned by Inveraray Maritime Museum.
The house which was built in York Place, Edinburgh, for the artist Sir Henry Raeburn in 1798, is to continue to be leased as offices. Heritage campaigners had hoped that the terrace house, which has particularly high windows to let in light to Raeburn's studio, might be acquired for the nation and used as a gallery. Raeburn was one of the Scottish Enlightenment's most famous portrait artists.
The Centre for Contemporary Arts in Sauchiehall Street in the heart of Glasgow, is housed in the former McLellan Galleries. It is to be given a £11.5 million revamp to transform it into a venue with six different performance spaces for arts events including music, dance and visual arts. It will be one of the largest such venues in the city. The building will incorporate a Georgian villa which was "discovered" during reconstruction work. The main building was originally created around 1860.
