Queen to Open New Parliament Building on 9 October

The latest report on progress with the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh claims that the £430.6 million project will be completed by July - the much revised and delayed date. The programme remains tight and more overtime working by construction company staff will be required. But the Queen is now scheduled to open the building on 9 October - and she would not take kindly to having to wear a construction worker's "hard hat" on such an occasion. Plans for a "dignified" opening were announced by Presiding Officer George Reid this week. The budget for the event has been cut to a mere £210,000 - half of the original estimate after MSPs objected to a more lavish opening. There will be a morning meeting in Old Parliament Hall, a procession down the Royal Mile (a Scottish tradition dating back to 1639) and a formal opening in the chamber. The 129 MSPs will form only a part of the 450 people taking part in the procession.
The picture here shows the Queen opening the first session of the new Scottish Parliament on 1 July 1999. Photograph courtesy of the Scottish Parliament © Web site.

"Cut Price" Station Upgrade

The first phase of work to create much needed capacity at Waverley Station in Edinburgh was announced this week. The first phase will provide for an increase in the number of trains which Waverley can accommodate by the end of 2007; two new through platforms by Spring 2007; escalators, lifts and a protective canopy on Waverley Steps by 2007; and a new platform at Haymarket Station by Autumn 2006. The estimated cost of this Phase One development is £150 million. But the plans were immediately criticised as too little too late, as larger scale plans had been expected to be announced last summer. It is claimed that £500 million of finance is being poured into creating a rail link to Edinburgh Airport instead of mainstream services. However, there are expectations that the initial phase will be followed up by a second phase to create more platforms by 2010 at a cost of a further £500 million. It is claimed that the development will be the largest station overhaul in the UK over the next 15 years. The cost of the first phase will be split between the taxpayer and the Strategic Rail Authority, who manage the infrastructure. The additional platforms are essential if the station is to handle the additional train services planned over the next few years.

Review of Providing Scottish Culture

An independent commission will review all existing cultural provision in Scotland over the next 12 months and will make recommendations on the development of arts and culture, aiming to promote much wider access. The Commission will be chaired by James Boyle, presently chair of the Scottish Arts Council, who will resign that post to undertake the review. The Commission will sit for 12 months, starting on June 1, 2004, and will then make recommendations to Scottish Ministers. An interim report is expected in October.

Hospital Closure Criticised

Glasgow has a world class Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill which is co-located with the Queen Mother's maternity unit. This can often be a life-saver for babies born with conditions which require emergency medical attention. But the Greater Glasgow Health Board believe that with declining numbers of babies being born in the city, there is no longer justification for having three maternity units in Glasgow. It is also argued that maternity services need to be co-located with an acute adult hospital, such as the one at the Southern General. So they plan to close the Queen Mother's maternity unit and expand the facility at the site south of the river Clyde. But that will mean that in emergencies around 200 babies a year, needing the expertise of the Children's Hospital, will have to travel four miles by ambulance, including going through the Clyde Tunnel, which is often gridlocked with traffic. Despite a vociferous campaign not just by the media but by many doctors and consultants who described the move as "utmost folly", the Health Board announced this week that they were going ahead with the closure of the Queen Mother's maternity unit. The Health Board has now decided to also examine moving the Royal Hospital for Sick Children - despite saying during the recent consultation period that there were no plans to close the highly regarded unit over the next 15 years. It is now up to the government health minister, Malcolm Chisholm, to agree to the plan. If he does, it is expected to close within about a year.

Economic Growth "Strongest for Six Years"

The latest Scottish Index of Leading Economic Indicators. produced by the Bank of Scotland, is forecasting that growth in the economy will be the strongest for six years by the end of 2004. Even the manufacturing sector is showing positive signs, with the Confederation of British Industry's quarterly trends survey producing positive results for the first time since April 2002. New car registrations - a good reflection of consumer confidence - were up by 8.7% in the latest three month period and this was after buoyant growth last year.

National Geographic Vote Highlands into World Top Ten Destinations

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.

Scotch Whisky Exports Reach £2.7 Billion

For an industry which uses just water and barley as its main ingredients, the Scotch whisky industry makes up a significant part of Scotland's export trade. The Scotch Whisky Association's annual figures which were published this week show that the product reached a value of £2.7 billion last year, with significant growth in key markets such as the US (still the top importer), Spain (second top and surged 26% last year), eastern Europe (sales in Hungary were up 56%) and Taiwan (up 41%). Single malts have done particularly well, growing overall by 13%. The domestic market is not doing so well, however, with sales down by 1%. and sales in Japan fell by 35%.

French Company to Run Edinburgh's Tramway System

French transport giant Transdev, which operates the Porto Light Metro system in Portugal and Melbourne's tram system as well as those in Grenoble, Strasbourg, Orleans and Montpellier in France, has landed a multi-million pound contract to operate the proposed new tramway system in Scotland's capital. The decision is expected to be rubber-stamped by Edinburgh City Council next week. The network, which has been discussed and promoted for many years, is now expected to open in 2009. There will be two lines - one a circular route from the city centre to Leith and Granton and another connecting Haymarket on the main rail network to Edinburgh airport.

Scotland's Wealthiest Man

A survey of the 1,000 wealthiest people living in Britain has shown that 72 were born or now live in Scotland - which is a smaller percentage than the proportion of Scottish population in the UK (roughly 9%). The wealthiest Scot is Ayrshire-born entrepreneur Tom Hunter. However he is likely to slip down the wealthiest table soon as he is also Britain's most generous charitable donor. He is planning to donate £100 million (20% of his present fortune) to a charitable foundation to help to provide education for children on how to start their own business. Other wealthy Scots include David Murray, the chairman of Rangers Football Club (not that the club has been making him any money in recent years) and F1 racing driver David Coulthard - though he now lives in Monte Carlo.

Singing Butler Sells for £744,800

A painting by Scotland's most popular living artist was auctioned this week for a record-breaking £744,800. Over a million prints of the "Singing Butler" by Fife-born Jack Vettriano have been sold around the world, but when the original came up for sale it generated feverish bidding. It was eventually bought by a UK collector of major Scottish paintings in an auction held at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh but with telephone bids from US and the Middle East. Painted in 1991, it was last sold in 1998 - when the price was £32,000. In total, there were 14 Vettriano works in the auction, fetching £1,928,360 in all. The amount paid for the "Singing Butler" smashed the previous record price for a Scottish artist (£520,750 paid for Samuel Peploe's "The Black Bottle.").

Cairn Energy Gushes Again

Everything Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy touches seems to turn to black gold. After two successful major oil finds in Rajasthan in India - on sectors which had been rejected by oil giant Shell and sold for a knockdown price - Cairn have announced a third find of 400 million barrels. The independent company has seen its shares soar as a result and now there is talk of takeover bids. But with more exploration still to be done in the area, the chief executive who has been running the company for 15 years says that a knock-out price would be needed to persuade him to sell.

Botanic Garden Sows Seeds of New Visitor Centre

The Royal Botanic Garden at Inverleith in Edinburgh is already a popular visitor attraction with its flowers, trees and glass-houses. But it will become even more popular once a new £10 million visitor centre has been completed in 2007. The proposed facility will have a minimum impact on the lovely gardens as it will be "moulded" into the contours of the land and will be sympathetic to its surroundings. It will be an all-weather attraction but will also have a rooftop restaurant as well as space for permanent exhibitions. The Royal Botanic Garden was founded in the 18th century but moved to its present site in 1820. It covers 72 acres and is home to 15,500 plant species. The ilustration shows the existing glass-houses within the garden.

Financial Crisis for Scotsman Hotel Group?

The directors of the Scotsman Hotel Group have disclosed that the luxury hotel chain needs additional funding after losses deepened from £4 million to £12.6 million in the latest financial year. The company's flagship property, in the former premises of the Scotsman newspaper in the heart of Edinburgh, opened in 2001 and was immediately accorded a five-star rating. Other hotels in the group are The Calls in Leeds and Hotel de la Tremoille in Paris. The company believes that it will be able to agree a funding package with its bankers and that while trading in its early years was tough, conditions are now more positive. The Scotsman Hotel is consistently achieving an occupancy rate of over 80%.

Curry to Spice Up Church Attendance

A new Glasgow church adopted a novel way to win converts this week - it offered a free three-course Indian meal to passers-by in the centre of Glasgow. After the meal, the diners then were given a presentation urging them to join a course in Christianity run by the Hope Church. Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and ex-government minister Jonathan Aitken and TV presenter Sir David Frost are among the celebrities who have supported the project.

Casino Capital of Scotland?

Current legislation restricts casinos to large towns and cities and Glasgow already has five of the twelve casinos in Scotland. It seems that developers are considering adding many more to that figure and the new Glasgow Harbour development is being seen as a potential location for providing a "complete day or night-time experience for the people of Glasgow" according to the managing director of MGM Mirage for Europe. He believes that Glaswegians have a reputation for gambling - and having a good time (although these two activities don't always coincide). Sheldon G Adelson, one of America's richest men, recently expressed an interest in creating a Las Vegas-style casino at the Rangers football ground at Ibrox. The development plans for the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre also include 40,000 sq feet of gaming rooms as part of a 20-storey entertainment complex.

Pinstripe Kilt Auction

First Minister Jack McConnell was probably surprised at the ribald media reaction to his latest efforts to promote a modern Scotland when he wore a black and white, pinstripe kilt at the Tartan Day celebrations in New York earlier this month. He should probably have consigned it to the incinerator but, consummate politician that he is, it is being turned into some positive publicity. The company that supplied the kilt has agreed to donate it to a Cash for Kids auction in Glasgow next month. McConnell commented that "It has created so much attention and comment that I hope it can now be used to raise money for a very good cause." Described as a "frocky horror show" by the media, it will be a brave man who bids for this item, despite the good cause. Unless of course the highest bidder then consigns it to where it belongs....

New York - Most Popular Destination for Scots

According to a survey by online travel company Expedia, the number one destination from Scottish airports in the first quarter of 2004 was New York - replacing Amsterdam from the top spot. Of course, once the summer package tours take off, it will be the Mediterranean resorts and the Canary Islands which will head the list. But the favourable exchange rates (for Scots, at least) has meant that numbers flying to North America are returning to the numbers not seen since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The UK economy is also picking up, encouraging people to splash out on foreign travel. Orlando, Las Vegas and Boston are also proving to be popular destinations from Scottish airports. The ilustration shows a Continental Airways Boeing 767 at Glasgow airport prior to take-off for Newark, New Jersey.

Aberdeen to Hungary for Dental Treatment

With more and more dentists opting to leave the National Health Service (where there is no charge for treatment), it is becoming increasingly difficult in some parts of Scotland to avoid paying for private dentistry. But one Aberdeen resident, faced with a potential bill for £500, took the novel approach of driving to London and flying to Hungary where treatment was carried out immediately. Including the cost of travel, the total cost was just £300. But this was not a tight-fisted Aberdonian saving money - Zoltan Dragan runs a Hungarian restaurant in the Granite City and came to Scotland from Hungary in 1969.

Scottish Culture in Detroit and Michigan

A member of the St. Andrew's Society of Detroit is trying to create a directory of all things Scottish in the metro Detroit area, Windsor and throughout Michigan. He is looking for pipe bands, solo pipers, Scottish entertainers/entertainment, Scottish clubs, Highland games, Scottish food and retail stores, Scottish dancers, clothing/kilt makers etc. If you know of any Scottish-related organisations or companies in Michigan, please send the details to franklinpr@aol.com.

Weather in Scotland This Week

A continuing mixture of sunshine and April showers with temperatures ranging from a chilly 7C (45F) in Aberdeen on Sunday to a high of 15/16C (59/61F by the end of the week. Thursday proved to be the sunniest day of the week with Aberdeen topping the list with 11 hours and Edinburgh nearly 10 hours. The outlook over the next few days is for a reasonable amount of sunshine and temperatures rising to a maximum of 16/17C (61/63F).

The illustrations taken this week of flora and fauna in Scotland shows first of all (above) the arching flower spikes of a spirea arguta bush in the South Inch at Perth. Not surprisingly, this variety is called "Bridal Wreath". Below is illustrated a fully open tulip in Greenbank Garden, a National Trust property, south of Glasgow. Finally, the proud mum and dad of a young Highland calf in the grounds of Scone Palace in Perthshire

Hollywood Special Effects for Livingstone Memorial

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.

Boom Times Forecast for Museum of Flight

Its final journey was made at less than walking speed, but the last supersonic Concorde to be handed over to a museum has at last arrived at the Museum of Flight in East Fortune, east of Edinburgh. This particular aircraft flew the first scheduled Concorde flight (to Bahrain) on 21 January 1976. It is hoped that a special exhibition featuring the supersonic airliner will contribute to increased numbers at the largest air museum in Scotland. Visitor numbers are expected to increase from 60,000 per year to 100,000 or even 120,000, including 15,000 for the annual air show.

Next Week in History

• April 25 1058 - Malcolm III (Canmore) crowned.
• April 25 2001 - Motorola factory in Bathgate closes with the loss of 3,100 jobs.
• April 26 1711 - Philosopher David Hume born.
• April 26 1826 - Robert Adamson, who collaborated with D O Hill to produce early portrait photography, born.
• April 27 1650 - Battle of Carbisdale, Montrose's last battle.
• April 27 1296 - Scots defeated by Edward I at Battle of Dunbar.
• April 27 1794 - James Bruce, explorer and author of "Travels to Discover the Sources of the Nile" died.
• April 28 1742 - Henry Dundas, powerful politician, known as "Uncrowned King of Scotland, born.
• April 28 1898 - Poet William Soutar born in Perth.
• April 28 1988 - Glasgow Garden Festival opened by Prince Charles and the Princess of Wales.
• April 29 1977 - Scottish Aviation becomes part of British Aerospace.
• April 29 1988 - Actor Andrew Cruickshank (star of Dr Finlay's Case Book), died.
• April 29 1990 - Stephen Hendry, aged 21, becomes the youngest world snooker champion by beating Jimmy White 18-12 in the final.
• April 30 1728 - Royal Bank invents first overdraft, Wm Hogg overdraws by £1,000 (£66,000 at today's money).
• April 30 1891 - An Comunn Gaidhealach was formally instituted as a vehicle for the preservation and development of the Gaelic language.
• April 30 1940 - Free French Destroyer "Maillr Breze" explodes and sinks off Greenock.
• May 1 - Beltane's Day - ancient fire festival celebrating start of summer.
• May 1 1522 - England declared war on both Scotland and France.
• May 1 1690 - Battle of Cromdale, Jacobites defeated by government troops.
• May 1 1707 - Act of Union of English and Scottish parliaments proclaimed.
• May 1 1873 - Missionary and explorer David Livingstone died.
• May 1 1966 - First civil aircraft (a Handley-Page Herald which had left Renfrew airport six minutes earlier) landed at Glasgow airport at Abbotsinch, formerly HMS Sanderling, a Royal Naval Air Station.

Bidding Wars for Connery Memoirs

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 Tunes of Glory.

Talisker Skye & Lochalsh Food and Drink Festival

This is the sixth year in which this festival has taken place in the north-west of Scotland but the event has moved this year from September to Thursday 24th June to Sunday 27th 2004. The organisers say they have brought this yearıs Festival forward to June to take advantage of the abundance of fresh local produce available at this time. The aims of the Festival are to support the food and drink industry in Skye & Lochalsh and promote the area as a high quality food and drink destination. Activities planned for the Festival include special seafood lunches, guided walks, a Seafood Sea-fari, cookery demonstrations, whisky tastings, tours of various food producers and local farmers' markets. Famous Skye chef, Shirley Spears of the award winning "Three Chimneys Restaurant" will be in charge of the "Seven Courses of Skye", a dinner reflecting the best of local produce. Throughout the area local hotels, restaurants, bars and coffee shops will be offering visitors a special taste of Skye. See www.skyefood.co.uk for more details.

Experimental Music Festival

Triptych is the name of a contemporary music festival being held in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen from 28 April to 2 May. It is sponsored by Tennent's Lager and features Dr Robert Moog onstage with Jean Jacques Perrey. Legends like Andre Williams, T-Model Ford and Dr Alimantado will all grace triptych stages, many appearing for the first time ever in the UK. This is the fourth year of the festival which presents what is described as "challenging music." See www.triptych04.com/ for more details.

Entertainment Stars Head for Glasgow

The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow is a favourite venue for top entertainers and the next few weeks it will play host to Britney Spears (29 and 30 April), Roy "Chubby" Brown (5 and 6 May), James Last (7 May), Sting (9 May) and Cher's "Farewell Tour" (11 May). For more details, see www.secctickets.com

Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results

Aberdeen 0 Motherwell 2
Kilmarnock 0 Celtic 1
Celtic 1 Aberdeen 2
Inverness 2 Dunfermline 3 (Scottish Cup, semi-final replay)

Bank of Scotland Premier League Results - 24 April 2004

Dundee United 3 Rangers 3
Dunfermline 3 Motherwell 0
Kilmarnock 2 Aberdeen 0
Partick Thistle 0 Dundee 1

Scottish First Division Results - 24 April 2004

Ayr United 1 St Johnstone 1
Falkirk 1 St Mirren 0
Queen of the South 2 Brechin 2
Raith Rovers 0 Inverness 1
Ross County 0 Clyde 0

League Tables - 24 April 2004

Celtic clinched the Scottish Premier League title last Sunday by beating Kilmarnock in a scrappy 1-0 result. Unlike last year, when Rangers won the title race on goal difference on the final day, Celtic have the league championship wrapped up with five games still to play. But astonishingly Celtic then lost a few days later, with a 2-1 defeat by Aberdeen, who scored a last-minute winner. That ended a 77-game unbeaten home record for Celtic in domestic competitions and was their first defeat in the SPL this season. And for Aberdeen, it was their first win at Parkhead since September 1993. On Saturday, Partick Thistle's defeat ensured that they will be at the foot of the SPL at the end of the season.

The fight for promotion from the First Division got closer this weekend, with Clyde dropping two points and Inverness taking advantage of that with an away win. Clyde are now only 2 points ahead of Inverness. At the foot of the First Division, Brechin are three points behind Ayr United.

Dunfermline Win Through to Scottish Cup Final

It's 36 years since Dunfermline last won a Scottish Cup final (they beat Hearts 3-1) and after a lack-lustre performance against Inverness earlier this month, which ended 1-1, it had looked as though they might not even get the chance to play in the final this year. But after beating the northern club 3-2 in the replay, played at the Aberdeen ground at Pittodrie, they now face Celtic in the final. It is said that the players - all of whom have been forced to take significant pay cuts as a result of financial problems at the club - put in the extra effort this time to avoid another "roasting" my manager Jimmy Calderwood. Reaching the final will earn the club a place in the UEFA Cup competition next season. But for many of the players the Cup Final will be their final appearance for the club as they leave Dunfermline for better-paid jobs with other clubs.

Hibs Manager Heads for Plymouth

Hibernian's manager Bobby Williamson has been confirmed as the new manager of Plymouth Argyle. The club are currently leading the English Second Division and are expected to be promoted to the First Division next season. Williamson has been at Easter Road for 26 months. He signed a five-year contract but was forced to agree new terms, including a salary cut and a one-year rolling contract during the current season. Plymouth's previous manager, Paul Sturrock, had left to take over as manager of Southampton who are in the middle of the English Premier League. Despite eliminating both Rangers and Celtic in the Scottish Cup, Hibs were defeated in that tournament by Livingston and Hibs failed to get into the top half of the SPL for the third year running. Speculation is now feverish on who will replace Williamson in the hot seat at Hibernian.

Death of a Lisbon Lion

Ronnie Simpson, the goalkeeper in the Celtic team that became the first British team to win the European Cup (in Lisbon in 1967), died this week at the age of 73. He is the second member of the team known as the "Lisbon Lions" to pass away, the first being Bobby Murdoch in 2001. Celtic fans left scarves and shirts and other mementoes at Celtic Park, where Simpson was a player for six years. He also played for Queens Park, Third Lanark, Newcastle United and Hibernian.

St Mirren Stadium Move

Suggestions that a football (soccer) stadium, with all its memories of past glories, should be relocated usually gives rise to noisy and sometimes successful protests by fans. But the proposal to pull down Love Street in Paisley to allow for the creation of a supermarket and building a new stadium in the town seems to be making progress. The club is shortly to make a planning application for the twin developments and local politicians have already given the scheme their support.

Motherwell Emerge from Administration

According to Scottish Premier League rules, any club in administration will incur a ten point penalty at the start of the following season. So there was relief amongst Motherwell supporters this week when the club was discharged from insolvency and resumed trading as a limited company. The club has seen a transformation in its fortunes during the last two years. It had to sack ten players in April 2002 and only avoided relegation last year because First Division champions Falkirk did not have a stadium which met the SPL rules. But this year, manager Terry Butcher has moulded a young team into a formidable team which has secured a place in the top six of the SPL for the last five matches of the season.

Punters in the Picture at Perth?

Horse racing at the Perth course is run at a course which is next door to Scone Palace. So tourists who come to enjoy the peace and quiet of the rural parkland can be assailed by the loudspeakers blaring out the voice of an excited commentator. Unlike many race courses, the Perth circuit does not get TV coverage, but the owners are hoping that will soon be rectified. Every venue in the country has been invited to participate in a new "Attheraces" channel as part of a free-to-air project run by BSkyB and Arena Leisure. Perth held a three-day horse racing Festival this week, which included the Highland National race.

Ross County in Guinness Book of Records

It has taken nearly 40 years but the hat-trick scored by Ross County winger Tommy Ross on November 28, 1964, has been finally confirmed as the fastest three goals scored in the history of the game. He took just 90 seconds to put away the goals against Nairn County. Ross scored seven goals in that game in their 8-1 defeat of their northern rivals.