Killing the Golden Goose?

In his Pre-Budget Report delivered this week, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown gave an assessment of the UK economic scene and in particular how the government finances are doing. He is now predicting that growth will slump to a 12-year low of 1.75% - he had anticipated 3.5% back in March and was hoping for 2.5% only a few months ago. And government borrowing will be £5 billion higher than planned earlier. The Chancellor blamed world oil prices which were depressing the economy. To help to plug the shortfall, he is imposing an additional tax on the profits made by companies operating in the North Sea which will amount to around £6 billion over the next three years. Voters will breathe a sigh of relief that they are not directly having to pay more taxes and will have little sympathy for oil companies - who have been making sky-high profits as a result of soaring world oil prices. But the move is likely to have an impact on future development and the 265,000 jobs dependent on the North Sea oil industry, much of which is focused on the north-east of Scotland. The last time the government unexpectedly hiked up taxes on oil and gas production, there was an immediate down-turn in investment. The Chancellor will be calculating that even with the increased taxation, the oil companies will still go to the areas where maximum profits can be earned and that will continue to involve the North Sea. But it is being suggested that some oil fields there will be paying 75% tax overall and that the extra tax will be the "death knell" of marginal fields.

Time Runs Out for Truants

Just over 4% of the number of days that pupils should be at school are lost because of sickness, truancy, or parents taking their children on holidays during term time. While sickness accounts for much of the absenteeism, truancy rates amount to around 20% of the total overall, and in some schools even more than this. The Scottish Executive has been investing in schemes to try to reduce the level of truancy. For example, an experimental automated call system, which texts parents when their children don't show up at school, has reduced truancy rates by as much as 50%. It has also shown that 2% of truants account for 50% of truancy and 10% for 90% of all such absences. More and more schools are now installing the system and it is even being extended to inform parents when pupils arrive late for school.

Some Rail Fares to Rise Nearly 10%

A lot of rail fares in Scotland, including those on commuter routes, are regulated by the Scottish Executive. Increases by First ScotRail have been restricted to raising these by 3.9% from January next year. That's still 1% above the rate of inflation, but is in line with franchise commitment and Scottish Executive and Strategic Rail Authority's guidelines. However, other fares, such as off-peak cheap day-returns and longer distance routes are at the discretion of the rail company. First ScotRail has announced that some of these fares will go up by nearly 10% - the cheap day-return between Edinburgh and Stirling will rise 9.7% and the off-peak fare between Edinburgh and Bathgate will go up 9.5%. The cheap day return between Edinburgh and Glasgow will also rise, by 8.5%. While that may sound a lot, it is actually only from £8.20 to £8.90 for a journey covering some 45 miles. There were lots of criticism of the new fares, but First ScotRail point out that they have been hit by 20/30% increases in fuel costs. And the Edinburgh to Glasgow cheap day-returns have increased by 11% since 1997 - less than half the inflation rate over the period.

First New Railway Line for 25 Years

It is 25 years since a new railway line has been opened in Scotland. So the First Minister was on hand to hail the new track which has been laid in South Lanarkshire to link Larkhall with Hamilton, with intermediate stations at Merryton and Chatelherault. The trains then run on into the centre of Glasgow at Queen Street and then out to the north of the city at Milngavie. Service frequency on the already established route is being increased from every 30 minutes to every quarter hour. The new tracks are the first since the relaying of the Argyle line through Glasgow city centre in 1979 - though a few tracks, closed in the 1960s by the British Railways Board chairman Dr Richard Beeching, have been reopened in recent years.

Cold Weather Helps Retailers

Figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) suggest that the recent cold weather has boosted sales in the High Streets in November, with the cold snap helping to increase sales in clothing and food. Even so, it is clear that many retailers have already introduced discounting and sales goods early in December. In recent years the "January Sales" have been starting before Christmas, but this year has already seen multiples and chains in the main Scottish towns and cities plastering windows with notices about sale bargains. The Confederation of British Industry's survey of confidence amongst High Street retailers had fallen to its lowest level in at least 22 years. This year, retailers in Scotland have not suffered to quite the same extent as those down south. The illustration shows Buchanan Street, Glasgow.

Plastic Bag Tax Binned?

A Bill in the Scottish parliament, which would have seen the introduction of a tax of 10 pence on every plastic bag issued to customers by retailers, has been sent back to the Environment & Rural Development Committee to address concerns raised by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). They have been given until next August to respond to the issues raised - which looks like it is being kicked into the long grass. Issues include its economic impact and the potential for job losses. The bill was aimed at reducing the number of plastic bags sent to land-fill sites each year, produce additional finance for local "green" projects and also draw attention to the need to recycle more waste. But the Scottish Retail Consortium and the Carrier Bag Consortium argued that it would be an administrative nightmare and could actually increase waste as there would be an increase in the use of paper bags - which give off greenhouse gases while decomposing if sent to landfill. Some MSPs believe that it is just a "tax on little old ladies doing their shopping." The legislation is being pushed forward by the Liberal Democrats (with support from the Green party, of course) in the coalition government with the Labour party.

More Smokers Trying to Quit

It may be that the ban on smoking in all public buildings in Scotland (to come into effect on 26 March next year) is encouraging more smokers to try to beat their addiction. The Smokeline service, which aims to help smokers to kick the habit, reports that it has received 58,594 calls this year, compared to 55,651 in 2004. A recent survey conducted on behalf of the Scottish Executive suggests that the number of smokers who support the ban has gone up from 19% last May to 33% in August. One problem which the authorities are now wrestling with relates to the shelters outside buildings (see illustration) which are provided by many large organisations, including government agencies. Because they are an "enclosed space", they come under the ban on smoking in public buildings and may have to be removed - or at least half of the panes of glass will need to be removed.

Tilting Trains Up To Speed

When Richard Branson's VirginTrains "pendolinos" were introduced on the service from London to Glasgow, the tilting trains were supposed to be able to travel at 125mph from September 2002. But delays and financial constraints on the upgrade to the tracks has caused the giant £8 billion West Coast modernisation project to miss a number of target completion dates. But the trains have been given the go-ahead to operate at full speed from next week. That will mean that the London-Glasgow journey times will come down from five hours to four and a half hours. Network Rail, the company responsible for the infrastructure, is now working on further improvements on the line, to increase capacity and reduce journey times further by 2008.

More Air Routes from Scotland

The government-backed Route Development Fund has helped in establishing two new air services from Scotland. Centralwings, a subsidiary of Polish airline LOT, already operates a service between Edinburgh and Warsaw and is now to expand that to include direct flights from the Scottish capital to Gdansk and Katowice, both in Poland. The Route Development Fund supports new air links where airlines can demonstrate the services will have a direct economic benefit to Scotland. The flights must involve regularly scheduled services and must not undermine existing flights. Finance is aimed at assisting in the start-up and early stages of new routes when passenger numbers have not built up. Budget airline Ryanair has also unveiled new flights to Spain and France, with direct flights from Prestwick to Marseille and Reus, near Barcelona, starting in February next year. Ticket prices start from around £7 one way. Ryanair already flies to a number of European cities, including Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt and Oslo

"Genuine Trophy Asset" For Sale

The Glasgow-based Clydesdale Bank pulled off an amazing coup when they leased part of a prestigious new office building in the heart of Edinburgh's new financial centre. The bank paid for the naming rights to have it called "Clydesdale Bank Plaza" instead of its original name of Exchange Plaza. The bank was so pleased with their move, that they incorporated the building into a commemorative bank note marking the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Edinburgh in 1997. Now the building is up for sale and is being described as a "genuine trophy asset". In addition to Clydesdale Bank, the 100,000 square feet building houses the HQ of oil and gas explorer Cairn Energy, long established Edinburgh law firm Burness and some of the operations of financial services group State Street. Insurance giant Standard Life has its HQ on the opposite corner and Scottish Widow's life assurance company is not far away either.

English Whisky!

It does seem an unlikely (if not sacrilegious) combination - whisky made in England. Japan and India, perhaps, but surely not England? But Andrew Currie, a Scottish entrepreneur, who launched the Isle of Arran distillery at Lochranza ten years ago, has decided to build another plant at Stavely, near Kendal, in the English Lake District. It will be the first such distillery south of the border for at least 150 years. The water of (English) life could start to be flowing by next easter, reaching the market five years later. It will be labelled Lakeland Single Malt and will be made using the same methods as those in Scotland. Barley is even being sourced from Scotland, but the water will be from the river Kent, one of England's fastest flowing waterways. Production will amount to only 25,000 litres of whisky in the first year and will increase only slightly after that.

"Tam the Gun" Remembered

The memory of staff sergeant Thomas McKay MBE, who became famous as "Tam the Gun" as he fired the ceremonial gun at 1pm each day on the battlements of Edinburgh Castle for 26 years, is to live on as the name of a new GNER electric locomotive. Tam died last month after a short illness and Tam's wife Joyce performed the naming ceremony at Waverley Station, Edinburgh, this week. In addition to being Edinburgh's district gunner and an enthusiast for the One O'Clock Gun, Tam was also keen on railways, so it is appropriate that the specially-named train will keep his name alive as it speeds along the tracks between Scotland and England.

Jordanhill Campus to Close

Strathclyde University has confirmed that it is planning to close its teacher-training college at Jordanhill in the west-end of Glasgow by 2010 and centralise the department in a new building in its sprawling city-centre campus instead. Jordanhill is also the location of music, sports sciences and social work courses. Consideration had been given to refurbishing the ageing buildings, which were established in 1921. It is likely that the site will eventually be sold for house building - though local residents are likely to fight for at least the retention of the 15 acres of open spaces and playing fields.

End in Sight for West Highland Way

Tens of thousands of hill walkers, who have tramped along the 95-mile West Highland Way over the last 25 years from Milngavie, just to the north of Glasgow, to Lochaber near Fort William, have considered the end of their trek to be at Nevis Bridge, at the entrance to Glen Nevis. But that is almost a mile outside of Fort William, the "capital" of Lochaber. While many will have gone on into the town, local business people are trying to drum up support for a monument in the town itself to mark the official end of the walkway - just as there is in Milngavie. It does seem a logical move - most descriptions of the West Highland Way describe it as running to Fort William, not Nevis Bridge. But of course there will have to be lengthy discussions before any change is made.

Pipe Down!

In recent years, Anti-Social Behaviour Orders ( ASBO ) have been introduced. These allow the police and/or a local authority to stop a young person from behaving in a manner that causes distress or harassment in a neighbourhood. If they do not comply with the order, they can be prosecuted. Intended for rowdy or abusive youngsters, some local authorities have adopted the procedures enthusiastically. But this week Renfrewshire Council may have been surprised at the media publicity which arose when they applied an ASBO to stop a young musician from playing his bagpipes. Ironically, 13-year-old Andrew Caulfield is far from being a typical "yob". He has been involved in a national initiative to encourage youngsters to take up the pipes and regularly gives up his time to teach them how to play. He also played the pipes at the Paisley Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday and plays at retirement homes and other functions. But his neighbours in a well-to-do area complained to the council and they slapped the ASBO on him. He recently adopted a set of pipes that produce less sound, but the council had already taken their measurements of noise levels and would not reconsider.

Fire and Brimstone Alive and Well

In days gone by, the clergy used to keep their flock on the straight and narrow with the threat of fire and brimstone. In recent years, the threat of perdition was heard much less from the pulpit in many Christian denominations. But a recent survey, by a lecturer in practical theology at St Andrews University, has found that more than a third of Scotland's clergy still believe in the literal existence of Hades as a place where lost souls will still suffer mental anguish after death. But your chances of risking the everlasting bonfires does have an element of a postcode lottery - ministers who believe in eternal damnation are thicker on the ground in the Highlands and Islands and the west coast of Scotland - and much less so in the east and south of the country. The strong presence of Presbyterian groups in the Highlands and islands may well have influenced the statistics.

Chips and Cheese - a Hangover Cure?

Many Scots are always interested in hearing about cures for a hangover... Irn Bru, the locally produced fizzy drink, for example, became popular because it gained a reputation for being a useful pick-me-up on the morning after the night before. Now health experts in Grampian have pointed out that people who have been out drinking should make a point of eating while they are out drinking - and a portion of chips (French fries in more refined circles) with a sprinkling of cheese on top is recommended as a snack on the way home. The advice is being given in advance of the expected 20,000 revellers who will hit the centre of Aberdeen each weekend in the run-up to Christmas. The public health co-ordinator says that although it may sound unorthodox advice, the combination is the best way of absorbing alcohol. Whether it will replace deep-fried Mars bars remains to be seen... And while it may help to get the alcohol out of the system, it could also send cholesterol levels soaring, to the detriment of health.

Landowners are Wheelie Bin Laden

Scottish Borders Council has calculated that its refuse collection vehicles and staff travel an extra 12,000 miles a year to collect the rubbish put out by the landed gentry, lairds and lords in their area. For years, ordinary householders have had to haul their "wheelie bins" to the street so that their rubbish can be collected. Recently, we have been encouraged to lug large boxes of waste paper, glass, tin cans and plastic to the pavement as well, in order to save the planet. Meantime, it appears that the refuse lorries have been driving along the sometimes long carriageways from the main road to stately homes. But a council official accompanied the vehicles and was astonished to find how long it took to go up and down the driveways. So from next April, the bins will have to be left beside the sometimes impressive gateways of the private estates - saving the council taxpayers (it is estimated) £17,000 a year.

Weather in Scotland This Week

The start of the week saw average maximum temperatures for the time of year of around 7/8C (45/46F), but Tuesday was the only day with an appreciable amount of sunshine - Glasgow recorded 5.8 hours that day. On Wednesday and Thursday, however, the thermometer dipped to only 4/6 C at midday and there was a sharp overnight frost. Sunshine was again limited, with the east and north-east faring best. The cold spell did not last, however, as a band of rain and cloud came in from the Atlantic. Glasgow and Edinburgh reached 9C (48F) and the outlook is for even milder weather, with temperatures getting into double figures on the centigrade scale (low 50s in fahrenheit).

"Colour Supplement"

This week's online photographs taken in Scotland this week to show the current season and its flora and fauna include Castle Simple Loch just after the sunset, cotoneaster berries, an acrobatic grey squirrel, a male Goosander, Christmas festivities and Ferris Wheel in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh. See Colour Supplement.

Dunkeld Cathedral Recovers Priceless Artefacts

In May this year, thieves broke into Dunkeld Cathedral in Perthshire and stole a number of irreplaceable church artefacts from the Chapter House Museum. Items included a beadle's bell dated 1693 and communion flagons inscribed "Dunkeld 1745". The robbers must have used something like a pick-axe to break into the display case as it was made from toughened glass. There were fears that the historic items would never be seen again. However, following an anonymous tip-off this week, most of the hoard was found buried in a nearby field. The only damage appeared to be a slight dent on a pewter jug. Dunkeld has been the site of a church since 750AD when Culdee missionaries built the first monastery on the banks of the river Tay. The present cathedral was built between 1260 and 1501.

Closure of Historic Glasgow Landmark

The Yorkhill Basin on the river Clyde, where ships from around the world used to load and unload their cargos, is to be closed to all ships from next month. These days, it is only small boats, yachts and cruising vessels that moor there, but from 19 January they will have to go elsewhere on the river. The Yorkhill Basin was originally a shipyard before being transformed into a basin for cargo ships in 1910. During the first half of the 20th century, many families emigrating to North America embarked on ships at Yorkhill Basin. The SV Glenlee, marketed as the "Tall Ship" and which is the main attraction of the Maritime Museum at Yorkhill, is also having to move away from its home there. The reason for the upheaval is the creation of a huge new £40 million transport museum which is to be built on the site and is a key component of the £500 million Glasgow Harbour development, slightly further down the river. Although the Yorkhill Basin is being filled in, once the building works for the Transport Museum have been completed, the Glenlee sailing ship and visiting Royal Navy vessels will still be able to moor at Yorkhill Quay on the riverbank. There are also plans to have a berth there the paddle steamer "Waverley".

Next Week in Scottish History

• December 11 1781 - David Brewster, inventor of the kaleidoscope born.
• December 11 1928 - Architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh died.
• December 11 1712 - William Cullen, first professor of chemistry at Glasgow University, born.
• December 12 1574 - Anne of Denmark, wife of King James VI, born.
• December 13 1585 - William Drummond, poet, born.
• December 14 1542 - James V died at Falkland Palace. Mary Queen of Scots, six days old, succeeded him.
• December 14 1896 - Glasgow District Underground opened, powered by electricity.
• December 14 1947 - Will Fyfe, comedian, died.
• December 14 1967 - University of Stirling instituted by Royal charter.
• December 16 1653 - Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland.
• December 16 1838 - Thomas Blake Glover, founding father of Japan's industrialisation (including Mitsubishi) and Japanese Navy, born Fraserburgh.
• December 17 1502 - Marriage contract between James IV and Margaret Tudor signed by King James.
• December 17 1956 - Petrol rationing was imposed following the Suez crisis and the closure of the canal.

Edinburgh Castle to Rock Again

The Capital is about to rock again after the resolution of safety concerns which saw the big-name concerts on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle axed. The loss of the concerts were described as a bitter blow to Edinburgh's economy, but now organisers are again looking to engage world-class performers for the outdoor performances in 2006. Previous stars who have performed at Castle concerts include Rod Stewart, Elton John, Tom Jones and singing group Texas. A new queuing system is to be introduced, traffic allowed onto the esplanade will be minimised and new dressing room facilities are being created.

Elvis Impersonator "All Shook Up"

David Geddes, from Inverness, has been a fan of Elvis Presley since the age of twelve and as a loyal subject of The King for the last ten years he has developed a passion to impersonate his idol. Now the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) has given him a modest grant to pursue his dream to expand his career. In the past, he has played gigs at homes for the elderly and pubs and clubs. The grant from the SAC was for only £200 but the free publicity which he has received as a result of the award has been worth far more than that and new bookings are flooding in. So it looks as though David will not have a White Christmas, but a Blue Suede one instead.
The illustration is of a model of Elvis in a Glasgow art gallery.

Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results

Aberdeen 1 Celtic 3
Greenock Morton 2 Ayr United 1
Stirling Albion 0 Dumbarton 0
Rangers 1 Inter Milan 1 (European Champions League, Group stage)

Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 10 December 2005

Aberdeen 0 Dunfermline 0
Celtic 3 Hibernian 2
Falkirk 0 Motherwell 1
Heart of Midlothian 0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0
Livingston 1 Dundee United 0
Kilmarnock v Rangers will be played on Sunday.

Bell's Scottish Football League First Division Results - 10 December 2005

Brechin City 0 Hamilton 1
Dundee 4 St Mirren 0
Ross County 0 Clyde 1
St Johnstone 2 Queen of South 1
Stranraer 1 Airdrie United 1

Scottish League Cup - 10 December 2005

Alloa 1 Montrose 0
Arbroath 1 Dumbarton 0
Ayr United 3 Greenock Morton 2
East Fife 0 Peterhead 3
Gretna 6 Cove Rangers 1
Lossiemouth 0 Spartans 5
Queens Park 2 Raith Rovers 0
Stenhousemuir 1 Partick Thistle 4
Stirling Albion 1 Inverurie Locos 0
Threave Rovers 0 Forfar 4

BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 10 December 2005

Biggar 30 Stirling County 16
Boroughmuir 17 Ayr 19
Currie 34 Stewart's Melville 13
Glasgow Hawks 12 Watsonians 17
Hawick 13 Melrose 11
Heriots 47 Aberdeen 34

League Tables - 10 December 2005

In the Scottish Premierleague, Celtic have now moved further ahead, with 44 points, three more than Heart of Midlothian. Hibernian, too, lost ground on Saturday and are now 7 points adrift from Celtic. Kilmarnock are in fourth place, two points above Rangers (who are currently 20 points behind the SPL leader). But Kilmarnock and Rangers meet on Sunday, which should be an interesting confrontation. Dunfermline languish at the foot of the SPL with 9 points, 2 points behind Livingston.

In the First Division, St Mirren are well out in front with 39 points, despite losing on Saturday. They are 7 points in front of St Johnstone and Ross County. At the other end of the First Division table, Brechin City are 3 points adrift from Queen of the South. Since a number of Division 2 teams were involved in an early round of the Scottish Cup, there were no league matches this week. That leaves Gretna 8 points in front of Greenock Morton and 15 points ahead of Partick Thistle.

After a break due to the international match against the All Blacks at Murrayfield and the early stages of the Scottish Cup, the BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 resumed on Saturday. Glasgow Hawks suffered their first league defeat of the season on Saturday, but are still well out in front of BT Scotland Rugby Division 1.

The Agony and Eck-stasy

Rangers manager Alex McLeish had his job on the line, due to making history, by going eight games (and then nine) without a win, for the first time in the club's 132-year history. Rangers then made history again this week by becoming the first Scottish team ever to qualify for the knockout stage of the European Champions League. They are through to the last sixteen - an achievement that even Manchester United could not aspire to this year. Rangers' final game in the Group stage was against Inter Milan at Ibrox. The Italian team had already qualified for the next stage as winners of the section, so they perhaps did not have the same incentive as Rangers. But the Ibrox side gave a gutsy performance and came back from a goal down to score an equaliser. They then had to hang on to the end. There was then a tense few minutes until the news came through that Porto and Artmedia had finished in a goalless draw, thus leaving Rangers in second place and qualifying. To be sure, Rangers only managed to win one of their Group games and drew four of them., losing only to Inter Milan by 1-0 at an earlier stage. In addition to the prestige of qualifying, it will also be a money-spinner for the club - even if, as many expect, Rangers do not progress much further in the competition. Possible opponents to come out of the draw next February are AC Milan, Arsenal, Barcelona, Liverpool and Lyon.

Rangers Manager Keeps His Job

After a frenzy of media speculation over the last few weeks, Rangers chairman David Murray announced on Thursday - two days after the club had won through to the last 16 in the European Champions League - that manager Alex McLeish would remain in his post, at least until the end of the season. In his four years at Ibrox, Mcleish has guided Rangers to seven trophies - including winning the SPL and the League Cup last season. But this season the results have been "unacceptable" to the fans, who have booed the players at the end of some recent games. Rangers have won just 10 of their 26 games this season. In fifth place in the SPL and 17 points behind the leaders, they are closer in points to the foot of the table than the top. McLeish clearly wanted to stay - despite the job being one of the hottest in Scottish football. But the chairman commented that "We shouldn't be judging a manager over the matter of 10 weeks and Alex has delivered seven trophies to the club in the past four years.... I believe we will start climbing the league table again." McLeish will no doubt be relieved - and the sports journalists who have come up with at least half a dozen names as replacement manager, have egg on their faces.

Major Overhaul for Turnberry Golf Course

Last week, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club confirmed that The Open golf championship in 2009 would be held at Turnberry in Ayrshire. But advances in the game in recent years have meant that the Ailsa Course is now regarded as "too soft" for today's big hitters. The Open was last played there in 1994. Since then, golfers and their equipment have improved significantly. So plans were announced this week to toughen up the course, with the creation of 30 new bunkers - at distances that would test the accuracy of the top players. Even so, Turnberry will have one of the lowest number of bunkers of all the UK Open courses. Another 200 yards are also being added to its length, to bring it to 7,178 yards - though still a par 70 course. It will be the biggest single upgrade to any Open venue in recent times. One of the biggest changes is to be to the 10th - called "Dinna Fouter" - where a new tee will perch on a cliff top, with Ailsa Craig as a backdrop and with a 220-yard carry over the sea, down the fairway.

Monty Snatches Hong Kong Open

After finishing on nine-under-par, after a final round 70, in the Hong Kong Open, Colin Montgomerie was waiting in the clubhouse for James Kingston to complete his round, expecting the South African to win by one stroke. But instead, Kingston double-bogeyed the 18th and allowed Monty the win. The Scot was sympathetic and said every golfer feels for someone who doubles the last to lose. Monty admitted that he had not been looking forward to a play-off, if that had been the outcome, as he does not have a good record on these - he has won only one out of nine in his long career. The victory in Hong Kong also meant that Montgomerie was back in the world's top ten for the first time since January 2003. Achieving that had been one of his goals for next year, but reaching it earlier than that was no doubt welcome for the 42-year-old.

Game, Set and Match

Scottish tennis star Andy Murray was named player of the year this week by the Lawn Tennis Association, the London-based body which governs the sport in the UK. Then, a few days later, he was voted BBC Scotland's Sports Personality of the Year. He won by the biggest margin ever in the annual award, seeing off such famous names as golfer Colin Montgomerie and cyclist Chris Hoy. The 18-year-old has risen from above 400 in the world rankings to 63 this year. He was the youngest-ever British player in the Davis Cup and helped to secure a win over Israel. He performed well on his debut at Wimbledon, becoming the last British player to exit the men's singles and was defeated in a five-set thriller in the third round. He qualified for the US Open and gave a good account of himself, before moving on to his first ATP final in Bangkok, where we lost to the world Number 1, Roger Federer. Last week he led Scotland to victory against England in the inaugural Aberdeen Cup.

New Sports Centre for Aberdeen

A state-of-the-art new sport and fitness centre was unveiled this week at Aberdeen College by Scottish Executive Lifelong Learning Minister Nicol Stephen. The £2 million, 12,000 square metre purpose-built facility will provide sports and games facilities for the college's thousands of students. The cost of the facility was met from the college's own resources. It follows a major sports facility at Robert Gordon University in the Granite City. Students will be able to play indoor football, badminton, basketball and a host of other indoor sports and fitness activities. There are also modern changing rooms and a library and IT centre for the entire Gordon campus.

Scots Figureskaters Take British Title

John and Sinead Kerr, the brother and sister figureskaters from Livingstone, swept to their third British ice dance title in a row last weekend. But they have their eyes fixed firmly on the next Winter Olympics. They finished 12th in this year's World Championships in Moscow and their next competitive outing will be the European Figureskating Championships in Lyon in January. The music that they dance to is the lively ceilidh band, the Porridge Men.