Billion Pounds for School Building Programme

In the week in which schools across the country closed for the summer holidays, Education Minister Cathy Jamieson announced a £1.15 billion package to build new schools with the latest facilities and revamp old ones. The cash will fund around 300 school building projects across Scotland, in addition to the 79 schools already being rebuilt or refurbished by Public Private Partnerships. This more than doubles the previously planned investment in school buildings. The Scottish Executive is also making £26.7 million available for immediate school repairs. Population centres such as Glasgow (£2.784m) and Edinburgh (£1.745m) will benefit most, but every council in Scotland will benefit from the School Building Improvement Fund.

Canal Floods Edinburgh

Millions of gallons of water gushed from the Union Canal in Edinburgh at 5am last Sunday, flooding homes and shops in the capital's west end. Over three feet of water was pouring down Fountainbridge Road, damaging the local Scottish Brewers plant as well as other property. British Waterways, who own the canal, could not pinpoint the cause of the major leakage but it is thought that the canal bottom may have become eroded. Over the last few years, the Union Canal and the Forth and Clyde Canal have both been reopened in a £75 million project to bring them back into use by pleasure craft.

No Tolls on Glasgow

The policy and resources committee of Glasgow City Council has decided that road tolls should not be introduced, believing that it will give Scotland's largest city another competitive edge over Edinburgh where tolls which will cost motorists £50 million a year are under consideration. The decision was condemned by sustainable transport campaigners as "short-sighted" but praised by motoring organisations. The Glasgow councillors believe that entry tolls would leave city shops and businesses at a disadvantage, with cars deserting the central area for out of town locations. Many years ago Glasgow constructed a multi-lane motorway into almost the centre of the city. This takes traffic from the east, over the river Clyde and out to the west. The city has lobbied hard for a similar system for the motorway from the south to be linked to that in the west. The go-ahead for that was given earlier this year.

5,000 Jobs Safeguarded

The ministry of Defence has confirmed that the new Astute class nuclear-powered submarines will be based at the Faslane naval base on the Gare Loch, safeguarding 5,000 jobs. The first two batches of the new class of submarines, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, will be based at the Clyde naval base, rather than at the English port of Plymouth. The first of the new subs, HMS Astute, is due to come into service in three years' time with others to follow. With a planned life of 25 years, the decision commits the navy to its historic presence on the Clyde until after 2030.

New Railway Line on Track

The project to restore the railway link between Edinburgh and Galashiels in the Scottish Borders moved a step forward this week with the publication of detailed proposals with indications of where the stations will be located. There was disappointment that the plans did not take the line further to Melrose at this stage. An application for parliamentary approval will be made to the Scottish Parliament next year. The line was closed in 1969 due to lack of passengers and mounting losses. The reinstatement will cost £75 million and is scheduled for completion in 2008. The ultimate objective is to extend the rail link to Carlisle in England but there is no timescale for that.

Mid-Air "Fire" Drama on Glasgow Flight

A plane, travelling from Glasgow to Amsterdam with more than 130 passengers on board, made a rapid descent and an emergency landing at Newcastle after cabin crew used fire extinguishers when they saw smoke coming from the galley. But when the plane landed, with nine fire engines and eight ambulances on the runway, it was found that the "smoke" was vapour from a dry ice container and that there was no fire. There had been some panic among passengers when the pilot announced that there was a fire on the easyJet Boeing 737, even though he assured them that the crew had dealt with the emergency. Dry ice is regularly used to keep food cool and is then dumped in the galley bin. On this flight, the air stewardess saw the mist, thought it was on fire and used the extinguisher. The pilot then followed standard emergency procedures.

Million Pounds for New Art

The Scottish Arts Council has announced a new £1 million fund to encourage "fresh art of innovation and originality". Prizes of up to £250,000 will be offered to organisations or groups of artists. The cash is coming from the council's National Lottery funds and will be allocated to Scottish artists creating work which will directly benefit Scottish audiences. The money could also be used by galleries to buy new work or by theatre and opera companies to design new shows. Most of the finance from the Scottish Arts Council goes to the 20 biggest arts organisations in Scotland and the new funding is intended to support new artistic endeavour and creativity.

Rolls Royce Win Factory Battle

Despite strenuous efforts by a technology firm next door to a planned £85 million industrial development by Rolls Royce at Inchinnan in Renfrewshire, the new aero engine factory has been approved by the local planning authority. Graham Technology has invested £7 million converting an important Art Deco building (pictured here) into a world HQ. The art deco frontage has been retained but a number of additions have been made including a futuristic extension at the rear, modelled on an airship gondola. Original features inside the building include an elegant staircase modelled on the entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamen and rich turquoise tiles reminiscent of opulent Roman palaces. Iain Graham, the chief executive claims that Scottish Enterprise had given him assurances that adjoining land would be used as a light industrial and intellectual property business park, not as a heavy industry zone. Both Graham Technology and Rolls Royce have threatened to leave Scotland if they lost the battle. The Scottish Executive now have 28 days to decide whether to approve the plans or launch a public enquiry.

Retail Stores Close Down

There was surprise and dismay amongst staff and customers this week when the House of Fraser retail department store chain announced that it was to close its outlets in Dundee, Perth and Aberdeen. Nearly 450 staff will lose their jobs but those in Perth will be re-employed by Debenhams, who are to take over the property there. Those in Aberdeen and Dundee will continue to be employed until the stores close after the January sales next year. The Dundee store was originally built in 1900 by DM Brown but was bought over by House of Fraser in 1926. It traded under the name of Arnotts, one of the brand names in the chain.

Go-Ahead for UK's First Inner City Science Park

Glasgow City Council approved plans this week for the CityScience project to be built on a five acre site, next door to Strathclyde University. In addition to creating the UK's first inner city science park as a base for hi-tech firms, there will be a 150-bedroom hotel, shops and restaurant as well as leisure facilities and landscaped areas. The £60 million cost of the development will be met from the private sector and is expected to employ 3,000 people in highly paid jobs. The first building, a software design centre, is expected to open by the end of this year. The development will be on derelict land which is currently used as a car park.

200 Multi-Millionaires Head for Scotland

The luxury ocean liner modestly named "The World" requires its residents to prove that they are worth at least $5 million before they are allowed to buy an apartment on the ship. It cruises the world and the passengers on board put a visit to Scotland high on the list of the ship's itinerary. The ship is scheduled to arrive in Orkney on July 17, to allow anyone on board to play a round of golf on the northern isle. If the on-board residents want to practice their golf beforehand, they can use the 700 square foot on-board putting green, complete with real grass, plus a driving range and resident professional. The liner then travels to Leith for a four-day stopover, berthed close to the former Royal Yacht Britannia. Passengers will be able to sample the delights of the Ocean Terminal in Leith or travel the short distance up Leith Walk to the centre of Edinburgh. With excellent timing, the floating home will also be in Leith during the final two days of the Open Golf Championship at Muirfield.

New Cocktail for Glasgow

The city of Glasgow has long been proud of its water supply. In the 1850s it established a 26-mile aqueduct to bring water from Loch Katrine (pictured here) in the Trossachs area on the edge of the Highlands. This forward-thinking Victorian project kept the growing city supplied with water well into the 20th century. When demand from a growing population and its industries eventually outgrew that source, a similar pipeline was built to transport water from Loch Lomond. But until now the two supplies went to different parts of the city (though few people could tell the difference). But now the two pipelines have been connected where they cross one another at Strathblane. The change will give the water authority more flexibility and use water treatment capacity more efficiently. But it is unlikely that any of the consumers will notice the new "cocktail".

Honour for Poet

A plaque, commemorating the link with the late Norman McCaig was unveiled last weekend at Kirkaig Bridge near Lochinver in Sutherland. McCaig, who died in 1996, was a contemporary of other Scottish poets such as Hugh MacDiarmid and Sidney Goodsir Smith. He spent the summer in the west of Sutherland for many years and regarded it as a "home from home." The plaque was unveiled by his granddaughter. It is engraved with an excerpt from the poem "Climbing Suilven", about the poet's trek up the mountain a few miles away. Although he never wrote any poetry while on his visits there, it is likely that he gained inspiration from the area.

Solicitors Challenge Estate Agents

The Edinburgh Solicitors' Property Centre (ESPC) was established many years ago in the capital by local solicitors, who saw the challenge of estate agents eroding their traditional role of not just completing the legal documentation on house sales, but also the lucrative fees associated with selling property. The ESPC soon dominated the market with a combination of good marketing, slick service and "one-stop-shop." In Glasgow , the solicitors were not so well organised and traditional estate agents (such as the one pictured here) dominate the buying and selling of houses with the conveyancing left to the law firms. Although a Glasgow Solicitors' Property Centre (GSPC) was established, it had an uphill struggle competing with the well-established estate agents. For a long time, it was definitely the poor relation compared with the Edinburgh operation. But now the GSPC has 180 members and has increased its market share from 4% in 1995 to 40% last year. In 2001 GSPC sold over 7,100 properties across Glasgow and the West of Scotland.

Hamish McMoosie in Library of Congress

The fame of Hamish McMoosie, the hero of the Brechin Tales stories such as "Hamish and the Marvellous Set of Bagpipes and "Hamish and the Quest for the New Spirtle," is apparently spreading around the world. Even the august Library of Congress in Washington DC has requested a copy for their collection, much to the delighted surprise of the author, Terry Isaac. Perhaps less surprising was an order from the community library in Brechin - except this was Brechin in Canada. If you want to read an excerpt from one of the Hamish McMoosie tales to see what is attracting all these readers, go to Brechin Tales

US Accepts Indian Molasses as "Whisky"

An American court has accepted an argument by a company based in India that its alcoholic drink distilled from syrup can be called "whisky", despite protests from the Scotch Whisky Association. European courts insist that molasses-based liquors must be called "distilled spirits" on this side of the Atlantic. But now the Indian company is negotiating to produce whisky in Scotland, made in the traditional way, which it will market across the Middle East and Europe.

Whisky Companies Argue Over Top Spot

Claims this week by whisky company Whyte and Mackay that they had become the "biggest-selling off-licence whisky," toppling Famous Grouse from the top spot, were immediately refuted by their rivals. Glasgow-based Whyte and Mackay claimed a 15.4% share of sales in licenced grocers and supermarkets, pipping Famous Grouse with 15.3%, as a result of a trade and consumer marketing campaign. But Famous Grouse described the figures as "misleading" as they have 34.7% of trade sales to bars and hotels, compared to Whyte's 18.2%. They say this makes Famous Grouse Scotland's most popular blended whisky by far. I'll drink to that!

£2 Billion a Year on Stress-related Alcohol Sales

A survey, by market analysts Datamonitor, suggests that Britons spend more on alcohol as a way of reducing stress than anywhere else in Europe. Stress-related drink sales in the UK last year were almost £21 billion (of which £2 billion were in Scotland) compared with just over £90 billion across Europe as a whole. That's not to say that more alcohol is consumed here, as more alcohol is drunk on the continent as a social pastime and with meals. When people in Britain say they want to wind down and reduce the stresses of modern life, they are more likely to turn to alcohol than any other type of product.

Teacher Training College Closes

St Andrew's College in Bearsden opened more than 30 years ago but closed this year following a merger with Glasgow University. Amongst the last students to graduate last week were two girls who were following in the footsteps of their mothers - who had graduated at St Andrew's more than 30 years ago. The future of the listed, but oddly shaped building is now uncertain.

Watching Whisky Mature

It's just like "Big Brother" - eight webcam devices running 24 hours a day, watching the workers at the award-winning Hebridean distillery of Bruichladdich on Islay. The company claims that hundreds of whisky buffs are logging on each day to see the "world's first non-stop whisky show." But visitors would do well to check on the local time in Scotland. The distillery has only 12 staff and they put the lights out when they leave in the evening. So surfers can't even watch the whisky safe to see whether the "angel's share" is evaporating. However, two of the cameras are positioned outside and there are views of east and West Loch Indaal in the long summer evenings. See www.bruichladdich.com/web_cam.htm if you want to have a look.

Spain Takes Over Deep Sea World

Deep Sea Leisure, the Fife-based aquariums operator, has been taken over after the company's former chief executive and founder sold his 19.6% stake to a Spanish-based rival. The board of Deep Sea were bemused by the move, particularly as they had been sold at less than the current market price. The Spanish company bought a further 2.1% from other shareholders to add to its existing holding, bringing it to a controlling 51.9% stake. The Spanish company will now offer the same price to other shareholders. Deep Sea World ran into financial difficulties in 2000 but was believed to have bounced back into profitability.

New Police Crime Prevention Tactics

People in Aberdeen who leave windows open or property lying around invitingly for thieves, have been given a rude awakening by an undercover crime blitz - plainclothes police in the city are taking away expensive, unattended bicycles and climbing into houses through open windows. The shock tactics have resulted in complaints - one householder was surprised to find a "burglar" in his bedroom, only to be told that it was a police officer. The policeman claimed that he had been suspicious and was checking for an intruder. Some Aberdonians are taking the point that it could have been a criminal - and taking more care of their property. But others are complaining about the high-handed, stress-producing actions.

Profits Bloom at Garden Centres

Dobbies, the Edinburgh-based garden centre chain, has grown its interim pre-tax profits by 152%, partly due to investment in two of their largest sites. The company downplayed the blossoming earnings, suggesting that the weather was even poorer in the same period last year and that the work involved in the upgrades last year may have depressed sales. Last year, there was one of the wettest springs on record followed by better weather in May and June. That has been reversed this year, with a good early spring and a dismal May and June.

Aliens Boldly Go to Bonnybridge

Figures published on June 24 (the anniversary of the sighting of mysterious disc-shaped objects over the Cascade mountains in the US which led to the term "flying saucer" being used for the first time) show that Scotland has the highest concentration of UFO sightings on the planet. About 300 sightings are made each year - 0.004 UFOs for every square kilometer of Scotland, higher than anywhere else. Although there are 2,000 sightings in the US, that's only 0.0002 sightings per square kilometer. The most popular spot for visiting aliens is Bonnybridge, 30 miles west of Edinburgh. A local council member has suggested that the town should be twinned with Roswell in New Mexico, the centre of US UFO activity.

Club Class Closes Doors

The august Caledonian Club at 32 Abercromby Place in Edinburgh's New Town is closing its doors. Members have decided to dissolve the club with immediate effect - after being in existence for 176 years. Once the haunt of Conservative grandees, judges, businessmen, prime ministers and cabinet ministers, the club now has only 200 members. It has struggled to attract new members and maintenance and investment has suffered as a result. Of course, the four-storey townhouse which has been home for the club is worth an estimated £1.5 million will be distributed amongst the present members which will perhaps allow them to join the New Club (established in 1787) on Princes Street or the Royal Scots Club (a late-comer, established in 1919) which is thriving with 1,200 members.

Fire Eater's Fingers Burned

An Alaskan who is cycling round the world with a traveling circus left her $1,800 bike leaning on a mannequin in a charity shop in Edinburgh while she went into the fitting room. When she came back, she found it had been sold - for £20. Emily Harris says she went into shock which was not improved when the staff apologised - but didn't even offer her the £20, far less the value of the bike. She is now hoping that publicity will mean that the person who bought it will bring it back to the British Heart Foundation shop so that she can continue her journey. She performs as a fire-eater, puppet-master and concertina-player but her star act consists of hypnotizing chickens and making them play the piano. (Honest, I don't make these stories up - this one came via Reuters).

Weather in Scotland This Week

Another blustery week with temperatures mainly a little above the average for May at around 16/17C (61/63F) although the central belt fell to 14/15C (57/59F) on Monday and Tuesday. While rainfall was largely light, there was heavier rain in the north on Monday and Tuesday. Sunshine was in short supply, though St Andrews proved once again that it has its own micro climate and had a total of 29 hours of sun from Tuesday to Thursday. The outlook? Continuing changeable.

This week's illustration of current flowers in Scotland is of a foxglove receiving the attentions of a busy bee. The photo was taken in suburban Glasgow.

John Prebble at Rest in Glencoe

The ashes of John Prebble were scattered in Glencoe last Sunday, 66 years after his first visit to the "glen of tears" made such an impression on him. He was born in England on 23 June 1915 but was educated in Saskatchewan, Canada, where he first heard of Scotland's history. He died in January last year. His wish to have his ashes scattered in Glencoe was frustrated last year because of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Britain. It was Prebble's account of the Massacre of Glencoe which did so much to put the tragedy before a modern audience. But he did not regard it as a gloomy place, saying "I do not share a common belief that its appearance is always hostile and mournful. One violent dawn in a long history is responsible for that melancholy view... The glen has a beauty which always catches my heart."

Titanic Exhibition for Dundee

McGonagall would surely have written an epic poem in its honour if he had still been alive. Dundee, the "City of Discovery", is staging a nine-day exhibition in August which will feature thousands of artefacts from the "Titanic" as well as costumes from the James Cameron Hollywood block-buster. Exhibits at the event at Victoria Dock will include sets depicting scenes from the ship, reproduction furnishings and items from the "Olympic", the sister ship of the "Titanic". 2002 is the 90th anniversary of the sinking of the "Titanic". For more information on the exhibition, see www.Titanic-in-Dundee.co.uk.

Dundee Recognises "World's Worst Poet"

If William Topaz McGonagall had written his poetry as humour and entertainment, he might have been successful and honoured. Instead, he took himself very seriously and considered himself a genius - even though people came to his public recitations in order to laugh. McGonagall died in 1902, but in recent years he has been getting the recognition and even affection which he thought he deserved. An American academic has even described McGonagall as the founding father of rap music because of his abuse of the rules of rythm. In 1877, McGonagall visited the US where he was unable to sell a single poem and had to appeal to a Dundee well-wisher to pay for his fare back to Scotland. A memorial was erected in 1999 in the Greyfriars Churchyard in Edinburgh. Now his adopted city of Dundee is to engrave one of his poems on a walkway beside the "Silvery Tay" which he immortalised. Not that McGonagall would have appreciated the reasons given by the director of the City of Discovery Campaign who is organising the inscription. "His poetry is so bad, it's memorable, and Dundee has recognized the need to honour McGonagall as somebody absolutely dedicated to the art of awful poetry." You can judge for yourself from these two examples:
       Famous Tay Whale
       Tay Bridge Disaster

Dark Age Citadel Found at Abbey Craig

A fort, from the times when the Picts, Scots, Britons and Angles dominated what is now Scotland, has been uncovered on the volcanic Abbey Craig, near Stirling. The crag is more often associated with William Wallace - his monument now stands on the top, overlooking the Forth valley. He is thought to have watched the advancing English from there before the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of stone ramparts laced with timber which has been radio-carbon dated to between 500 and 700AD. The fortification would have overlooked another significant battle in 843AD when the Scots king, Kenneth macAlpin, defeated the Picts to establish a combined kingdom north of the Forth and Clyde valleys. The site of that battle is now occupied by rugby pitches at Stirling University.

This Week in History

• June 30 1857 - Start of trial for murder of Madeleine Smith who was eventually found "Not Proven"
• July 1 1543 - Treaty of Greenwich, between Henry VIII and Earl of Arran, Regent of Scotland, agreeing betrothal of Mary Queen of Scots (aged 6 months) and Edward Prince of Wales (aged 6 years). The treaty was repudiated by the Scots Parliament.
• July 1 1782 - Proscription Act Repealed, thus allowing again the wearing of tartan and the carrying of weapons (banned as a result of the 1745 Uprising in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie).
• July 1 1824 - Lachlan Macquarrie, "Father of Australia" died in London.
• July 1 1940 - Birth of Craig Brown, former manager of the Scotland football (soccer) team.
• July 2 1266 - Treaty of Perth, Norway renounces claim on the Hebrides.
• July 2 1903 - Birth of Lord Home of the Hirsel, who became Foreign Secretary and UK Prime Minister.
• July 2 1971 - Erskine Bridge over the River Clyde opened.
• July 3 1728 - Architect Robert Adam born.
• July 3 1928 - John Logie Baird transmitted first colour television.
• July 5 1847 - Final run of the Edinburgh to London mail coach (trains had taken over).
• July 5 1940 - A convoy of gold bullion worth £1,800 million sails from the River Clyde.
• July 6 1747 - John Paul Jones, hero of the US Navy, born Kirkbean, Dumfries.
• July 6 1919 - Airship R34, constructed by Glasgow's Beardmore Engineering Co., landed Long Island, USA after the first Trans-Atlantic airship flight - from East Fortune, East Lothian.
• July 6 1988 - Explosion aboard North Sea oil rig Piper Alpha, 166 lives lost.

West End Festival Street Party

Last Saturday, a record number of 50,000 people turned out to attend the highlight of Glasgow's West End Festival - a carnival, funfair and farmer's market in Byres Road, which is normally a busy thoroughfare. A colourful procession weaved its way down road from the Botanic Gardens and along to Kelvingrove Park.

Glasgow International Jazz Festival

The UK's premier International Jazz Festival hits the theatres of Glasgow from June 28 to July 7. There is a line-up of more than 15 big name, local and international solo, ensemble and big-band acts as well as numerous performers in the accompanying Jazz Fringe Festival. Returning to the Festival are the ever popular BB King, the King of the Blues, and Tony Bennett. Others appearing include Niki King, Martin Kershaw, pianist David Berkman with his American group, the David Berkman Quartet, which will be appearing in Scotland for the first time. For more information visit the Glasgow Jazz Festival Web site.

Dynamic Earth Too Noisy

One of Edinburgh's top tourist attractions will face financial difficulties as a result of a decision by the local council. Following complaints from nearby residents, about late-night music at corporate entertainment functions, Dynamic Earth has been told to put a stop to the music after 11pm in the futuristic-looking building. Managers who had been proud of the way they had covered operational costs by using the facility out of hours for conference and banqueting functions, say that the decision will put the attraction "under threat". The £34 million Dynamic Earth opened in July 1999 and in its first seven months it hosted over 100 corporate events and conferences. But there has been a long-running battle about noise between the nearby residents and the facility.

Wildlife Photography in Focus

Dundee's McManus Galleries is staging a magnificent exhibition of award-winning wildlife photography from June 28 to September 22. The BG Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition is a collection of winning and commended photographs from the annual BG Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, organised by the BBC Wildlife Magazine and the Natural History Museum. The competition attracts amateurs and professionals, adults and juniors from 60 countries and aims to find the best wildlife pictures and emphasise through their imagery, the beauty, wonder and importance of the natural world.

Starring Role for Palace

Two film crews descended on Scone Palace in Perthshire this week as the stately home stars in two TV documentaries. The first crew was producing a new programme called "Beautiful Britain" which is setting out to explore the finest and most exquisite areas of Britain. They were followed by the crew for a popular Channel 4 series "Location, Location, Location". Last month, Grampian Television was at Scone Palace to feature the Earl of Mansfield (who owns Scone Palace) and his gardener, who is one of Britain's foremost authorities on orchids and who has helped to create the country's largest private orchid collection at Scone.

Racing from Uist to Barra

This 30-mile, six-hour sail, originally established in 1994, is now more of cruise than a race for locally owned cruising boats. They leave from Lochcarnan on South Uist and head for Castlebay on Barra, passing some of Scotland's most magnificent coastal scenery, from the dominating peak of Ben Mhor on Uist, to the mouth of Lochboisdale, to Eriskay Island and on to Gighay and Hellisay in the Sound of Barra. South Uist has more than 20 miles of brilliant white shell beaches running continuously down the west coast. Barra boasts over 1,000 different species of wild flower and some of the most stunning coastal scenery in Scotland. The Uist to Barra Yacht Race is on June 29.

Future Assured for King's Theatre

A deal was signed this week which will secure the future of the popular King's Theatre in the centre of Glasgow. London-based Ambassador Theatre Group will take over the management of the venue in a 21-year deal. The theatre will remain the property of Glasgow City Council but Ambassador will manage it from now on. The group will stage well-known musicals such as West Side Story, popular drama, variety, comedy, amateur productions and a traditional Scottish pantomime over the festive season.

Celtic Manager Tipped for Leeds

It may just be newspaper speculation, but as soon as Leeds United manager David O'Leary was sacked earlier this week, it was being suggested that Celtic Manager Martin O'Neill was a likely candidate for the job. However, it has been pointed out that O'Neill has a further year of his contract with Celtic to run. But then, managerial contracts always seem to be there just to be broken.

Dallas in World Cup Final

Well, a Scot has won through to the final of the football World Cup in Yokohama, Japan - as a referee. Hugh Dallas refereed the USA match against Germany and was criticised for refusing the Americans a penalty for a German hand-ball on the goal line and booking the wrong player (though that was due to a linesman's error). But he is to be the "fourth official" in the final between Germany and Brazil on Sunday. If Italy had reached the final, Dallas would have been the match referee as Italy's Pierluigi Collona, who will officiate on Sunday, would then have been ruled out.

Scotland Help for South Korea?

Clutching at straws, no less a person than Craig Brown, the former manager of the Scotland football team, which failed to get through the qualifying rounds to the World Cup, claims that Scotland may have helped the "Red Devils" to reach the semi-finals. In a friendly international before the tournament, South Korea beat Scotland 4-1. In that match they wore change kit of white shirts and decided for superstitious reasons not to go back to their traditional red tops. Glad to have helped...

Scotland and Brazil

Following the defeat of England by Brazil in the football World Cup, this picture has been circulating on the Internet. Enough said.

USA 23 Scotland 65

It is not often that Scotland (population 5 million) can decisively win an international sporting event against the USA (population over 240 million) so it took a rugby match to achieve this record-breaking performance. The 10 try victory was somewhat tarnished, however, by Nathan Hines becoming the first full Scotland international in over a century to be sent off. He threw a punch towards the end of the first half. Even so, after a defeat at the hands of Canada in the preceding match, there was much to admire in the performance of the Scots who managed to win by a larger margin than either South Africa or England had achieved last year. So the North American tour ended on a high - if they had managed to beat Canada they would have been the first-ever unbeaten Scotland touring rugby team.

Rent Arrears at Livingston

Livingston Football Club may have sold striker David Fernandez to Celtic last week for £1.25 million, but the club has run up arrears of rent for their stadium going as far back as 1998 and totalling £200,000. The building is owned by the local authority and is leased back to the club. There had been plans to allow the club to use the stadium rent free for the next five years but, because of the arrears, that plan has been scrapped and they will have to pay £140,000 at the start of this season, part of that being to pay some of the arrears. Livingston finished third in the Scottish Premier League last season and have qualified for the lucrative UEFA cup.

National Basketball Association Beckons Young Scot

22-year-old Robert Archibald is 6ft 11in tall, so it was natural that he should take up basketball. The fact that his father had been capped 96 times for the Scotland basketball team also pointed him in that direction. Five years ago he left Queen Anne High School in Dunfermline on a 12-month scholarship in Baltimore, which became an extended stay in the US when his father was offered a job in St Louis. Universities clamoured for him to sign up and he opted for the University of Illinois - his first game was in front of 40,000 people at Madison Square Gardens. In his final two years at Illinois, the team won their league and reached the final stages of the national championships. On Wednesday he reached another milestone - in an event televised across the US, he became the first Scot to be picked to play in the NBA. He was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies. Of course, he will now have to fight to win a contract in November to make the team roster.

1,600 on West Highland Way Charity Walk

Over 1,600 people took part in the State Street Caledonia Challenge last weekend, with teams of four people hiking 54 miles of the West Highland Way in 24 hours. Although the walkway runs for 96 miles from Oban on the west coast to Milngavie, on the outskirts of Glasgow, the event was over the 54 miles from the northern end at Oban to Ardlui on the shores of Loch Lomond. Last year's event raised over £860,000 and it is hoped to reach over £1 million this year. Despite atrocious weather conditions, with driving rain and high winds, the fastest finisher (for the third year in succession) was Peter Orr, a lawyer from Edinburgh with a time of 9 hours and 25 minutes. Karen Powell, a former Commonwealth Games triathlete smashed the women's record with a time of 10 hours and 20 minutes.

Carnoustie Signs Deal with China

Carnoustie Golf Club has signed a deal with Tiger Beach Golf Links, the only links course in China, to "enhance and develop co-operation" between the two clubs. Golf is expanding in China with the number of golfers in the country expected to double by 2006. The agreement will mean that the two clubs will promote interest in one another's courses and exchange information and experience in greenkeeping, course management, maintenance and staff development and training.