The Rampant Scotland Newsletter - your weekly insight into what has been happening in Scotland, snipped from the Scottish media, for Scots in Scotland and abroad, bringing you news, events plus a Scottish magazine section. Printed with 100% recycled electrons.
Previous editions of this Newsletter are available in the Archive and the Index to the other pages of the Rampant Scotland site is available here.
The Scottish Snippets Newsletter in its original format began in April 1997 and continued in an unbroken series for 591 issues. Although no longer produced in that format there is now a regular update on the new and updated pages on the Rampant Scotland site and also "Scottie's Diary" on an intermittent basis, To receive this, kust send an e-mail to Scottie with "Subscribe Newsletter" in the subject line.
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Historical Affairs - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
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The "Magazine" section includes songs/poems of Scotland, Scottish humour and brief descriptions of Scottish Culture items added recently to the Rampant Scotland Website - with a link to the page where you can find the full feature, if you find the subject of interest to you.
With a possible threat of invasion by Napoleon, Robert Burns, a representative of the government as result of his position as an excise officer, played a prominent part in the formation of the Dumfries Volunteers. This song was published in many newspapers in the area to encourage recruitment. Even so, Burns views on equality and that the common man was as important as the king, comes through in the last line. This poem is sometimes entitled "The Dumfries Volunteers". Does Haughty Gaul Invasion Threat? Does haughty Gaul invasion threat,
O, let us not, like snarling tykes,
The kettle o' the Kirk and State,
The wretch that would a tyrant own,
Meaning of unusual words:
The Couple Next Door For those readers who would like to see some Gaelic, here are some girls' names in that language. The English word is followed by the Gaelic translation, then a guide to pronunciation. |
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
On Monday, former South African president Nelson Mandela visited Barlinnie prison in Glasgow to see Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi. The Libyan was convicted by a Scottish court (meeting in Holland) of killing 270 people in the bombing of the Pan Am aircraft over Lockerbie. The illustration is of the Garden of Remembrance in the cemetery at Lockerbie. After his visit, Mr Mandela expressed his doubts about the conviction and described Megrahi's solitary confinement as "psychological persecution". He suggested that Megrahi should serve his sentence in a Moslem jail in Tunisia or Morocco. He went on to say that "fundamental principles of law" had ben ignored in thre trial. Because of the stature of Mandela, his comments received a lot of media coverage. But it is thought extremely unlikely that any changes to the present arrangements will be made.
Supermarket chains across Scotland have sparked a price war by cutting the cost of petrol by up to 25p a gallon, resulting in the lowest prices for some time. In recent months, petrol prices have been slowly rising, so this move by the supermarkets was welcomed by motorists. In some cases, though, customers have to spend large amounts in the store to obtain discount vouchers for petrol. A spokesman for the Petrol Retailers Association predicted that there would be a general price drop by the end of July from the current level of 74.9p a litre to 70p.
The UK postal service made a pre-tax loss of £1.1 billion last year. Increased postal charges are in the pipeline and a second delivery during each day is to be scrapped, but the company says that it must shed 17,000 jobs over the next three years - with around 1,500 job losses in Scotland. There are also plans to close around 3,000 urban post offices as part of a plan to make savings of £2.4 billion. Postal unions have threatened strike action if any of their members are made compulsorily redundant. The postal service changed its name from "Royal Mail" to "Consignia" 15 months ago - but is to change it again, back to Royal Mail.
Tam Dalyell, the Labour Member of Parliament for Linlithgow, has just celebrated 40 years in the House of Commons. The fiery MP is now the longest-serving member and, as such, is given the title of "Father of the House of Commons." Over the years, his outspoken criticisms of opposition politicians (he was a thorn in Margaret Thatcher's side for many years) but also of those in his own party, have earned him a reputation which has meant that he has never held ministerial office. He has been an opponent of devolution and was sacked as Labour's science spokesman after voting against retaking the Falklands after the Argentine invasion. And he is not slowing down now - he has made some very critical remarks about Prime Minister Tony Blair in recent weeks. The illustration is of a bust of Tam Dalyell in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
Plans have been announced for a drive-in cinema at Murrayfield stadium, the home of Scottish Rugby Union. Needless to say, the pitch is not being used - the screen is being set up in the adjacent coach park which will have space for up to 350 cars. It will only operate for for three evenings in August, once the sun has set. Movie-goers will pay £15 per car and the film's soundtrack will be vavailable on a special FM frequency on the car's own stereo radio. 
The £75 million Millennium Link Project, which reopens the Forth and Clyde and the Union Canals, now has its final link operational - and it is an engineering marvel. The Falkirk Wheel replaces a series of locks, which once connected the canal systems, with a 115 feet high rotating boat lift. This takes canal boats from one canal to the next in a few minutes. There are huge metal cogs which slowly rotate, taking two sections of the canal - and two canal boats - from one level to another. Visitors can experience the world's first and only rotating boatlift by boarding one of the canal boat trips which sail along the Union Canal towards Edinburgh. And now that this link is in place, it is possible for the first time since 1963 to sail across central Scotland from Glasgow to Edinburgh. See also 
The sale of exports of whisky last year exceeded one billion bottles for the first time, according to figures published by the Scotch Whisky Association. The previous peak was in 1997 when exports fell just short of the billion bottles mark. Whisky was exported to 200 countries around the world. France was the biggest market by volume (154 million bottles) followed by Spain (137 million), USA (110 million) and Japan (70 million bottles). But the higher value malt whisky which is exported to Spain makes it the largest market by value, followed by USA and then France.
The way in which many restaurants and hotels in Scotland fail to supply food at times customers want it, was highlighted last year when Prince William and some friends turned up one afternoon at the Waverley Hotel in Callander, Stirlingshire. He asked if there was the possibility of some food - even a toasted cheese sandwich. But he was told that there were no kitchen staff available. The Prince and his friends went across the road to a fish and chip shop for a "carry out". The hotelier, who was criticised for not making an effort to serve the Prince, has now introduced a new toasted sandwich, the "Bonnie Prince Wills - the toastie he never got", with double cheese and ham. A notice outside the hotel says "Toasties - By Royal (dis)Appointment". The hotelier says he is going to write to Prince William to come and sample his new toastie - so long as he comes when the kitchen is open. As for the rest of us who get turned away, we just have to put up with it. I was turned away this week at the Willow Tearoom in Buchanan Street in the centre of Glasgow at 4.27pm because "last orders" had been taken (it closes at 5pm). The next day, at least I was served at 4.58 in the Visitor Centre at Crieff - but as staff hovered around to clear the plates, we felt we had to eat and drink quickly!
Another damp week - Glasgow has had nearly 2.5 inches of rain in the last seven days. As always, there were exceptions - Lerwick had over 12 hours of sunshine on both Sunday and Wednesday and Aberdeen had a similar sunny day on Tuesday. Temperatures at the start of the week ranged from 18C (64F) in Glasgow to 13C (55F) in Aberdeen. As the week progressed, most areas became cooler, in the range 14/15C (57/59F) though Edinburgh reached 17C (63F) on Friday.
Scots have always understood that Daniel Defoe's inspiration for writing "Robinson Crusoe" was the Alexander Selkirk, from Lower Largo in Fife. Selkirk was abandoned on the island of Juan Fernandez, an island off the coast of Chile and survived for over four years. He told his story to officers who subsequently published an account of his adventures which were read by Defoe before writing his masterpiece. But now a travel writer, Tim Severin (who also wrote "In Search of Moby Dick") has written a book "Seeking Robinson Crusoe" in which he examines the likelihood of Selkirk - and a number of other candidates - being the source of the castaway. Severin is disdainful of Selkirk and his lack of achievements on his island. Instead, he proposes Henry Pitman, who was marooned on a tiny Caribbbean island of Salt Tortuga for three months - and wrote a 36 page pamphlet about his experiences. A number of descriptions in this document do match those in Defoe's book - including having a "Man Friday". Having visited Salt Tortuga, Severin is convinced that he has found the true source for Defoe's classic. Of course, it is possible that Defoe used more than one source? The Fife Tourist Board will certainly be hoping so! The illustration here is of a statue, representing Alexander Selkirk, perched on a house in Lower Largo.
The stunning gardens beneath the fairytale castle of Dunrobin are open to the public this month on June 15 - part of a nationwide charity fundraising campaign by Scotland's Garden Scheme. There are both beautiful gardens and woodland walks plus a new falconry display in the grounds. The Dunrobin Gardens were laid out in 1850 by the architect Sir Charles Barry, who was responsible for the Victorian extension to the Castle (and who also designed the Houses of Parliament). Inspiration for the formal parterres came from the gardens of Versailles and they have changed little from Barry's design. Despite its northerly location, the sheltered gardens are able to support a surprising range of plants, which provide the cut flowers for the displays throughout the castle. The Castle itself is the most northerly of Scotland's great houses and is the largest house in the Northern Highlands with 189 rooms. It is one of Britain's oldest continuously inhabited houses, dating, in part, from the early 1300s. 
The Salvation Army hostel in the centre of Aberdeen opened in 1896 and the building, known as the "Citadel", has dominated the skyline at Castlegate ever since. The landmark building is now lying empty and up for sale and over the last six months a group of local people have been researching the history of the imposing building and the Castlegate area. Close examination of the stones has suggested that some may have come from the original castle in Aberdeen which gave Castlegate its name. 
The plush Balmoral Hotel on Edinburgh's Princes Street is to host a Las Vegas-style song and dance show for three weeks at the time of the Edinburgh Festival as part of the hotel's centenary celebrations. The Sir Walter Scott Suite is to be transformed into a 300-seat theatre and the ornate chandeliered room will host big band sounds and the songs of the 1950s and 1960s. Edinburgh singer Craig McMurdo will be performing many of the hits of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Junior in a tribute to the "Rat Pack."
While writing this Newsletter, I frequently play the CD "Highland Heritage" which features the sensitive, tranquil, solo acoustic guitar playing of Christopher Dean. Now, Chris (who has Scottish roots but lives in Southern California) has produced another CD "The Gael" with a mixture of Scottish and Irish traditional and contemporary music, performed instrumentally on acoustic guitar. I've bought a copy and it is now on my "most often played" list. Some selections on the album include multiple guitars, percussion, bass and mandolin. Tunes include Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon, Star of the County Down - and The Ewie with the Crooked Horn! See 
The Glenturret Distillery near Crieff in Perthshire used to bask in the reflected glory of "Towser" - the distillery cat which is in the Guinness Book of Records for catching more mice (28,899 of them, during nearly 24 years) than any other cat in the world. Many of the souvenirs bore the imprint and picture of Towser, but the marketing men at Dewars who own the distillery, clearly thought that the facility needed to be updated. So they have created the "Famous Grouse Experience". The "biggest" attraction is an 18ft tall copper sculpture of a grouse - believed to be the largest grouse sculpture in the world. The distilery tour now uses Disney-style technology and interactive film to transport visitors on a simulated flight over Scotland - and into some of the wacky Famous Grouse television adverts. The visitor centre itself now looks like a modern bar with lots of bottles of various types of Famous Grouse whisky for sale. Much as I like whisky, I am sorry that "Towser" is no longer featured!
Author JK Rowling, has written hundreds of invitations for a black-tie charity ball next Halloween at Stirling Castle. The Great Hall in the castle is to be transformed for the occasion into a replica of Hogwarts, the school of magic attended by Rowling's creation, Harry Potter. Ms Rowling's invitation reads: "Are you planning to celebrate Halloween to turn off the lights in your house and hide from the hordes of trick-or-treating Harry Potter look-alikes banging at your front door? Or would you prefer to come to a stunning Celtic halloween Ball and allow me to apologise in person for inflicting so many plastic spectacles on the world? Allow yourself to be tempted by the prospect of a truly magical night, without a single badly-drawn lipstick lightning scar."
A Scottish biscuit maker is basking in the free publicity of Hollywood actress Andie MacDowell saying that she cannot get enough of the Lanarkshire-made Tunnock's Caramel Wafers. It was featured in her new comedy film "Crush" which was launched at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The firm's chocolate Snowballs were featured earlier this year in Cate Blanchett's box-office hit "Shipping News" earlier this year. 
The Bank of Scotland sponsored Scottish Premier League and Bell's Scottish Football League fixtures for the 2002-03 season were published this week. The season kicks off on August 3 - Rangers are away to Kilmarnock and Celtic are at home to Dunfermline that day. Last season's top two clubs (Celtic and Rangers) clash for the first time on Sunday, October 6, at Parkhead.
The sale of club shirts to supporters is an important element in the finances of many clubs, especially those such as Rangers who have a large following of fans prepared to pay the high prices being charged. And the new Rangers kit is even more important for the club as it marks a new era as the club takes control of sales, marketing and distribution of their products. But counterfeit copies are already being made - thousands of the club's orange "away" strip have been seized in Bankok, capital of Thailand.
When the Scottish Claymores went into their match against Berlin Thunder last Sunday they already knew that they would not be going to the "World Bowl", the climax of the European NFL American football season. Rhein Fire had already clinched their spot in the final with a 3-0 win over Frankfurt Galaxy. But on a damp, wet day, nothing seemed to go right for the Claymores. Quaterback Scott Dreisbach threw two interceptions, both of which resulted in touchdowns for Berlin. And running back Herbert Goodman, having beaten the Claymore's single-game rushing record with 178 yards had the honour snatched from him in the final stages of the game - with negative yardage. He ended up with 174 yards from 27 carries - a yard short of the record set in 1995. At the end of the third quarter, Claymores were winning 23-10 but two touchdowns, one from an interception, produced a final score-line of 24-23 in favour of Berlin Thunder.
The Brechin Tales are a series of illustrated children's stories featuring Hamish McMoosie, a loveable mouse from Scotland who has already "set the heather on fire" by having his own McMoosie clan tartan registered with the Scottish Tartans Authority. With titles such as "Hamish and the Marvellous Set of Bagpipes and "Hamish and the Quest for the New Spirtle" they not only entertain but also act as an introduction to Scottish culture - each tale has an accompanying Scottish recipe and a glossary of Scottish words.
