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.
Robert Tannahill was born in Paisley (there is a memorial plaque at his birthplace in Castle Street) and the Glennifer Braes are only a few miles south of there and his poetry was often inspired by the countryside around Paisley. Despite having a deformity in his right leg, he would go for long walks in the Gleniffer Braes above the town. The Braes o' Gleniffer is one of his best-known songs. The Braes o' Gleniffer
Keen blaws the wind o'er the Braes o' Gleniffer.
Then ilk thing around us was blithesome and cheery,
Yon cauld sleety cloud skiffs alang the bleak mountain,
Meaning of unusual words:
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Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
A major shake-up of Glasgow schools was announced this week which, if implemented, would see the closure of 38 primary and nursery schools and the construction of ten new schools in the city. The aim is to tackle the plunging school rolls and old, crumbling buildings. The plans would affect 4,400 pupils across Scotland's largest city. The proposals will now go out for consultation - and will no doubt be attacked by local groups who will not want to see "their" schools demolished, regardless of the declining numbers of pupils and the economics of the situation. Already, parents in some schools have staged protests against the plan.
Despite a multi-million pound TV, radio and newspaper campaign, the "Healthy Living" helpline aimed at giving advice to Scots on how to improve their eating habits, is said to be failing to get the message through. Scotland has a deplorable record of consuming unhealthy food - and the illnesses associated with that life-style. But experts say that advertising gets drowned out by the high level of hard-selling on junk food. Calls to the help line are now running at an average of 1,100 a week. A second phase of advertising has already begun with the Scottish Executive claiming that 73% of Scots are aware of the campaign and that half the callers to the help line are from target low income communities. 
Hailed as the "most significant piece of conservation legislation for 22 years", the Nature Conservation Bill has started its way through the Scottish Parliament. It will substantially strengthen support for all flora and fauna in Scotland and will improve protection for Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). These represent the country's most important wildlife sites and account for 12% of the Scottish countryside. Those who farm such areas will be paid to help to improve them. The Bill also clamps down on wildlife crime such as the theft of bird eggs and snaring animals. The Bill has been drawn up after extensive consultation with environment campaigners and landowners.
Some rail fares in Scotland will rise by 1% above inflation next January, meaning that season tickets and standard day returns on some routes will increase by 4%, so that they contribute more to network costs. Other tickets such as single fares and cheap day returns will be unchanged. Compared to fares in England, Scotrail fares have been relatively cheaper for a long time and the latest increase will only match the increases south of the Border.
Scottish arable farmers have enjoyed one of the easiest and earliest harvests for many years and a review of the quantity and quality of the grain, which was published this week says that it has been "fantastic" and ahead of the UK average. Yields of winter wheat were 12% higher than last year which means that total production is higher than 2002 despite a below normal acreage of planting. The Scottish barley crop is at its highest level for 15 years and yields were 16.9% up on last year and quality is also said to be "excellent". Oats have also produced good yields and the crop is the largest since 1994.
Budget Canadian carrier Zoom announced this week that it plans to start services in spring 2004, connecting Glasgow with a number of Canadian airports including Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax, Calgary and Vancouver. Fares will start at £89 for a one-way ticket to/from Calgary, with top prices between £150 and £160 for premium seats and free drinks. Air Canada, who fly the same route, charge £858 in summer. Despite the low cost, the airline claims that seats on their Boeing 767-300 aircraft will have more legroom than most other transatlantic carriers. The flights will operate throughout the year and will do so without a penny of subsidy from the government's route development fund - nearly all the new routes receiving financial support from the Scottish Executive are flying from Edinburgh. See 
Scotland's fastest growing airport - Prestwick International in Ayrshire - announced this week that passenger numbers grew by 37% in September, compared with the same month last year. The managing director predicts that Prestwick will reach a total of 2 million passengers this year and that it will overtake Aberdeen airport in passenger numbers either next year or in 2005. As a result of the cut-backs in the oil industry in the North Sea, Aberdeen's numbers have been on a downward trend - August's passenger numbers fell by 7%.
The water of life may be produced in this country, but thanks to hefty taxes it is certainly not cheap. While some countries in the world levy even higher duty on whisky than even the UK, this is not the case in Germany. Now Denmark has cut the tax on a bottle of whisky by 35 kroner (£3.25) to curb the volume of lost tax revenue caused by Danes going over the border to Germany. This reduction in duty has resulted in whisky costing less in Denmark than in Scotland. It is expected that this could have a domino effect as there is a bridge between Denmark and Sweden - the Swedes may be forced to cut their duty on whisky by as much as 50% if a sufficient number of people take advantage of the cost differential Meantime, there is a large flow of whisky passing under the English Channel. Shoppers use the Channel Tunnel to drive to shops in France where they can buy cases of whisky at well below UK prices and can bring it back so long as it is for "personal consumption".
Pollok Country Park has its own fold (herd) of Highland cattle but this weekend it will be playing host to 135 entries in the largest event of its kind in the world. A show devoted to this one breed of cattle was the idea of the city parks operation manager and entry to the event is free. But although the popular view of Highland cattle is of a wild, shaggy breed with long coats acting as protection against cold winters, those competing will have been shampooed and brushed and will have hairspray liberally applied to their fringe, nail polish on their hooves and baby oil brushed into their long horns. Unlike the public, who had to brave a number of showers during the afternoon, the stars were all kept sheltered under canvas.
It's enough to make Guy Fawkes turn in his grave. Generations of children have celebrated the Gunpowder Plot on 5 November, recalling the time in 1605 when Catholic Guy Fawkes was arrested under the Houses of Parliament with 20 barrels of gunpowder to blow up parliament and King James VI. Parliament declared 5 November a day of public thanksgiving. In recent years there has been a bonfire and a fireworks display on Glasgow Green, attended by around 90,000 people. But this year, Celtic are playing Belgian team Anderlecht that night - so Glasgow City Council has moved the goal posts, or rather, the fireworks display, to 6 November. 
Archaeologists digging in Burghead, on the Moray Firth, believe that they may have uncovered the ancient capital of the Picts - the earliest known inhabitants of Scotland. The Romans named them "Pictii" meaning "Painted" although later invaders from Ireland, the Scots, called them Cruithni. They left no written record apart from a large number of carved stones, many in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perthshire and Fife. Burghead was already known as the site of a large Pictish fort but the new ramparts which have been uncovered may predate that settlement. In pre-Roman times there were fortified sites in places such as modern day Edinburgh and Stirling Castles but the Burghead fort was larger than these. Pictish metalwork was found in the area in the 19th century. Earlier excavations at Burghead uncovered a wall eight metres thick and six metres high with a foundation of large boulders which may have been built around 400AD. Villagers in Burghead still celebrate the "Burning of the Clavie" on January 11, the Pagan New Year. The tradition is believed to date back to the times of the Picts and fire worship.
The Citizens Theatre in Glasgow was established in 1943 and this year it is celebrating 60 years of being the jewel in Glasgow's theatre crown. Named after a manifesto drawn up in 1909 to create a "Citizens theatre in every sense of the word" it was established by a group of like-minded men, led by James Bridie, Scotland's best-known playwright of the day. Originally based in the Athanaeum in Buchanan Street, its first production was one of Bridie's plays. But it moved to Gorbals Street, in the heart of one of the most run-down parts of the city, on September 11 1945. During the 1970s and 80s, the Citizens became regarded as one of the UKs leading theatres, under the initial direction of Giles Havergal.
An entry in the minutes of the kirk (church) session in Carstairs in Lanarkshire in 1628 reads "The minister has occasion to complain of the insolent behaviour of his parishioners, both men and women, in footballing instead of observing Sunday as a solemn day devoted to God." The entry is being quoted in new research to show that not only did Scotland "invent" the game of football but that it pioneered women playing the game nearly 400 years ago. According to the Statistical Account of Scotland, based on information provided by ministers across the country, the first recorded fixture between football teams composed entirely of women was in 1795, when married and unmarried fishwives of Fisherrow played each other in Inveresk, Midlothian. The same minister also observed women playing golf. The Stirling Smith Museum has an ancient battered football (seen in the picture here) which was uncovered in the rafters of Stirling Castle - it has been suggested that it comes from the days of Mary Queen of Scots in the 16th century.
The MTV Europe Music Video Awards, which are due to be held in Leith, Edinburgh, later this year, will be hosted by Christina Aguilera, and acts will include Kylie Minogue, Byonce Knowles and Travis. The MTV Europe Awards will provide a spectacle for a world-wide television audience and it will attract key players in the music industry, providing opportunities to highlight Scotland’s many talented musicians. With an expected TV audience of 1 billion viewers, it will also be an important platform to showcase Scotland as a tourism destination.
Robert Burns wrote a number of poems which drew heavily on the lore of witchcraft and Halloween - Tam o' Shanter is perhaps the best known. So it is not surprising that the Burns National Heritage Park should be organising a number of events to celebrate the time of "Brownyis and Bogillis" as part of a "Darkest Ayrshire" Hallowe'en Festival. The
Tam o'Shanter Experience building at Alloway is running a month-long market of unusual Hallowe'en and Day of the Dead gifts and novelties from the UK, USA and Mexico and a traditional Hallowe'en party, with food, fancy-dress competition, traditional games and spooky stories in a real haunted kirkyard on 29 October & 30 October. The Scottish Society for Psychic Research is organising a lecture, followed by a psychic investigation of Alloway by a recognised medium, and a ghost vigil in Alloway Kirk. See http:/www.burnsheritagepark.com/events.php for more information.
Rangers manager Alex McLeish complained about the short gap between the club's European Champions League clash on Thursday in Greece and Saturday's game against league rivals Celtic (a song previously sung by Celtic manager Martin O'Neil when the roles were reversed). Rangers certainly started with plenty of energy but it was a goal from Celtic's John Hartson which settled the first "Old Firm" match of the season. It means that Celtic leap-frog Rangers to the top of the Scottish Premier League, one point ahead of Rangers. Hearts are in third place - 7 points behind Rangers. At the foot of the SPL, Partick Thistle have only two points and Dundee United have 5.
French football (soccer) club Lyon knew that Henrik Larsson would be a danger man in the European Champions League clash at Parkhead, Glasgow, on Tuesday night and kept him under close guard whenever he came near the goal mouth. But they didn't realise that his accuracy at putting the ball in the net could also be used to cross the ball to allow team mates to score instead. And that is exactly what Larsson did - twice - in the second half. Which saved the blushes of Alan Thompson who failed to score from the penalty spot in the first half. The first goal was scored by young Liam Miller who had replaced John Hartson (who had played his heart out as usual). It came after a lengthy period of possession in which Celtic passed the ball to one another 20/30 times before that cross from Larsson. Chris Sutton scored a brilliant header eight minutes later to clinch a match in which Lyon kept pushing the home side hard. 