Aircraft Carrier Deal Creates Thousands of Jobs

The rivers Clyde and Forth both benefitted this week after it was confirmed that a large part of the £2.9 billion order for two aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy would be built at the BAe shipyard at Govan on the Clyde and then assembled at Rosyth in Fife, on the shores of the Firth of Forth. Construction is expected to start in 2008 and will involve 20 million man hours - equivalent to around 20,000 jobs. The order secures the future of the yards for a number of years. In due course, Rosyth is expected to be involved in the future maintenance of the two warships. The two carriers will displace 65,000 tonnes and will be over 900 feet long. The individual sections to be built on the Clyde will be bigger than the type 45 destroyers which the yard has been producing in recent years.

Scotland's Children Overweight

Figures published this week in "Scottish Health Statistics" got UK-wide coverage as they revealed that children in Scotland are amongst the most overweight in the world. 20% of children were classed as obese - and that puts Scotland on a par with the USA. The published figures show that among Scottish children born in 2001, 20.7% were overweight by the time they were 3½ years old. 33% of Scots children are classed as overweight by the time they are teenagers, with 20% obese and 10% severely obese. Poor diet and lack of exercise are the main problems and there is a correlation between low income and poor food choices according to the experts.

Costs - and Benefits - of Hosting G8 Summit

There were claims and counter-claims this week about the costs and the benefits of Scotland hosting the G8 conference in July. The dispute got off the ground when it was revealed that the cost of policing the high-profile conference, which was a target for activists, amounted to £72 million - and that the government in London was only going to pay for £20 million of that total. The government calculated that spending by visiting world leaders and their staff, media representatives - and even protestors - amounted to almost £64 million. They further calculated that Scotland benefitted from the worldwide publicity surrounding the event to the tune of £66 million. Critics of these financial estimates asked whether coverage featuring police in riot gear clashing with anti-globalisation protesters really produced a positive effect. And not many of the protestors were likely to return to Scotland, having experienced the local "hospitality". Many retailers also had a dim view of the financial benefits. Those in Edinburgh and Auchterarder closed their doors on days when trouble was expected and many others saw their takings plummet, as resident Scots avoided city centres and cut down on visiting tourist spots during the week of the conference.

War and Peace on Expenses

In previous years, the annual report on the expenses incurred by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) ran to a total of 12 pages. But following the controversy over the claims by the former Conservative Party leader in the Scottish Parliament, this year's publication runs to 700 pages and provides an unprecedented level of detail. In all, MSP's allowances (which include staff costs), expenses, furniture and equipment for the 129 members increased to £9.5m over the last year. Deputy Finance Minister George Lyon claimed the highest overall sum - more than £67,000.

Quickie Divorces Just Got Quicker

This week, the Scottish Parliament passed the bill which makes divorces in Scotland easier and quicker. The Family Law Bill will cut the time needed for an uncontested divorce from two years to one year and for a contested divorce from five years to two. The bill also gives new parental rights to unmarried fathers who jointly register the child's birth and introduces legal safeguards for cohabiting couples. Advocates for the reduced time required for a divorce argued that where reconciliation is out of the question, the transition should be as painless as possible, particularly where children are involved. But many others, including the Roman Catholic Church, warned that the new law was attacking the family.

Scotland's Households Rising

Despite a slow decline in the total population, the number of individual dwellings in the country continues to rise. The number of households in Scotland has increased steadily since 1991, by between 0.5 and 1% each year. The government's "Household Estimates for 2005" published this week shows that the number of households increased by 1% last year, to 2.27 million. Of course, the size of the average household is shrinking, with fewer large households and more people living alone. Until 2003, the number of vacant dwellings and second homes in Scotland was increasing each year. That trend has reversed and there are now 2,300 fewer than one year ago. At this stage it is too early to be certain of the causes of this decrease. Aberdeenshire and Highland showed the largest percentage increase in the number of households over the past year (1.9%), due to a combination of more dwellings, and more of the existing dwellings being occupied.

Loch Lomond Speed Limit Plan Dropped

Officials at the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority have confirmed that they have dropped plans to impose a 7mph speed limit across the main body of the famous loch. The maximum speed will remain at 56mph, following a lengthy campaign by local businesses who argued that it would damage the local economy. So water skiers, jet skiers and high powered craft will be able to travel at high speed over most of the tranquil loch. The existing shoreline limit of 7mph (applied to 150 metres from the edge of the loch) is to be extended to the islands off Luss and a few other environmentally important areas. The original curb would have mirrored one imposed on Lake Windermere in the English Lake District - where a 10mph limit has been introduced and watersport enthusiasts were told to travel north to Loch Lomond instead. Fishermen complain that the noise of jet skis disturb fish and wildlife experts have warned that the number of birds on the loch has declined since high speed boats arrived a number of years ago.

North Sea Exploration Slashed After Tax Hike

When Gordon Brown, the Fife-born Chancellor of the Exchequer, recently announced a major increase in the tax paid by companies operating in the North Sea, concerns were expressed that this would impact on investment and jobs in the area - much of it involving Scotland. Two weeks later, the predictions appeared to be coming true faster than many had expected. Oil giant Shell has cut its exploration programme by a third following the tax hike. Instead of hiring three drilling rigs at a cost of $250,000 a day, there will now only be two rigs. The United Kingdom Offshore Operators' Association says that this is just the first tangible illustration of the impact of what they call an "ill-judged" move. The North Sea oil and gas industry supports over 260,000 jobs, the majority in Scotland. The last time the tax take jumped up, the number of exploration wells dropped by 25% in the following year. Half of the revenue earned by oil companies in the North Sea are now swallowed up in taxation. Ironically, the last time the tax levy was imposed, it resulted in lower tax revenues.

Aberdeen's FirstGroup Wins Franchises

The Aberdeen-based FirstGroup is the UK’s largest surface transportation company with a turnover of nearly £2.7 billion a year and some 67,000 employees across the UK and North America. This week it became Britain's biggest train operator by winning a £2 billion battle to secure the running of Greater Western and Thameslink/Greater Northern rail franchises. It will add another £1 billion to the company's revenues and is predicted to double its pre-tax rail profits next year. The news resulted in their shares jumping 3.8%. FirstGroup began in Aberdeen as a bus company and has expanded by leaps and bounds. It operates First Scotrail which runs the train services across much of Scotland.

Biggest Highland Fling for 20 Years

In global terms, the earthquake that shook the area around Fort William on the west coast of Scotland last Saturday night hardly registered in seismographs. But at 3.0 on the Richter scale, it was enough to alarm residents and rattle a few doors and windows. Police got a spate of phone calls from worried householders and the British Geological Survey seismologists confirmed that it was the biggest earthquake to hit the Highlands for 20 years. Apparently the north-west of Scotland is an active region for earthquakes as it sits on the Great Glen fault, which runs for 300 miles from the island of Colonsay in the south to Shetland in the far north.

Airport Authority Gives Windfarm Take-off Clearance

Plans for a massive windfarm took a step forward this week after the British Airports Authority (BAA) withdrew its objections. BAA had been concerned that the 140 tall turbines in the £150 million development, covering 21 square miles at Whitelee on Eaglesham Moor, would show up on radar screens at Glasgow Airport, six miles to the north, in the same way as aircraft. The project has been delayed for two years as a result. But now BAA is to install an additional radar system at Kincardine in Fife which will track aircraft flying above Whitelee. This will be merged with the existing radar displays to give controllers an acceptable picture. ScottishPower, who are masterminding the windfarm, claims that it will save about 650,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum (equivalent to the emissions from about 240,000 car). Because of the size of the project, final approval is required from the Scottish Executive, probably early next year.

Aberdeen's Prestigious New Hotel

A planning application is to be submitted to build a four-star 200-bedroom hotel next to the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC). Demand for accommodation in Aberdeen has soared in recent years, because of the large number of business travellers who descend on the city. The Hilton Group announced recently that it was to invest in its Aberdeen Treetops Hotel and might acquire a second site in the city. The AECC development should be open for business in time for the Offshore Europe oil and gas show in September 2007.

Rolls Royce Hillington Factory Closes

The factory making Rolls Royce aircraft engines at Hillington Industrial Estate in Glasgow opened in 1940, making the Merlin engines which powered the famous Spitfire, Hurricane and RAF Mustang fighters and Lancaster bomber. It continued to produce aircraft engines after the war, making Rolls Royce turbojets and engine components, including some for the most advanced engines made by Rolls Royce. But like many old factories, it was not well suited to modern production methods and in 2002 the company announced that it was to move to a new site at Inchinnan. The £85 million plant opened in October 2004 and the 1,000 staff have been moving to the new facility since then. Now, at a ceremony this week attended by many former employees, the Hillington factory was finally closed.

Leaning Towards Pisa

Scottish travellers who want to experience the delights of Tuscany in Italy (famous for the leaning tower of Pisa and a holiday haunt of Prime Minister Tony Blair) will soon be able to jet off to the sunshine there next year more easily. Budget airline Jet2.com has announced that it will fly passengers there for just £31 each way. The direct flights from Edinburgh will be launched on May 27 next year. The route is being started up in response to online requests which showed that the Tuscan city was by far the most popular new destination. Ryanair already has a service to Pisa, departing from Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire.
Picture via Jet2.com.

Aberdeen's Lord Provost Boldly Goes....

John Reynolds, the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, has a number of other honorary titles, including lord lieutenant of Aberdeen, lord high admiral of the Northern Seas and vice-admiral of the Coast of Great Britain and Ireland. But now he has boldly gone where no civic leader has gone before - he has been appointed honorary admiral of the local Star Trek Club. The provost revealed that he was a closet "trekkie" earlier this year, when he started a campaign to have a memorial erected in Aberdeen to the Star Trek engineer "Scotty". When actor James Doohan who played the part died in July this year, there was an unseemly scramble by a number of Scottish locations to be named as the birthplace of the fictional character. Elgin and Linlithgow vied with Aberdeen, each quoting verbal and written "evidence". In an episode called "Wolf in the Fold", Scotty recalled that he had been an "old Aberdeen pub crawler." Aberdeen is still steadily working towards recognising this - though maybe the contenders will just have to wait until "Scotty" is born (in 2222).

Tasty Apartments Above Former Burger Bar

Five two-bedroom apartments above a retail unit, which was until recently a Burger King outlet, are coming on the market with a sale price of over £1.5 million. These are not just any old apartments - they overlook Princes Street in the heart of Edinburgh and have an uninterrupted view of Edinburgh Castle from the corner of Castle Street - the illustration shows the property from the castle ramparts. Whoever buys the property will just get a shell for that price and will still have to divide it up and decorate the flats before they can sell them on - probably with a price tag of nearly £500,000 each.

Love It or Hate It

A poll published this week showed that the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh was amongst the top ten most hated structures in the UK and should be pulled down. 10,000 people surveyed by TV's Channel 4 ranked it the 8th worst on the list. Then, a few days later, the same building was voted into the top ten best-loved buildings in Britain by 2,000 people, again coming 8th and the only one in Scotland. These opposing views probably reflect the population at large, where some dislike the architecture intensely, while others admire it.

Santa Too Scary for Kids?

According to advice on a government website, children need to be protected from the "terrifying" appearance of Santa at school Christmas parties. And pantomimes should be regarded as psychological "scene of crime" sites, where nervous pupils should be seated next to the exits. Website www.teachernet.gov.uk is run by the communications unit of the Department for Education and Skills. Other education specialists went "Ho ho ho" at the advice, arguing that learning to cope with fear (if there was any) was a vital part of growing up. The howls of protest obviously got through and the advice to teachers on the web site was hurriedly removed, with a spokesperson for the department announcing "We fully support the traditional British Christmas." So come back Santa, all is forgiven...

Weather in Scotland This Week

The temperature in Scotland this week went on a roller-coaster, with clear skies causing thermometers to plunge while cloud and rain drove the mercury back up again on other days. The week started mild, for this time of year, reaching 13C (55F) on Sunday in Aberdeen but dropping the following day to 6C (43F) in Glasgow and Edinburgh and Aviemore struggling to reach 3C (37F). But that was immediately followed by another rise on Tuesday to 9/11C (48/52F). While that was associated with a lot of cloud, the sun did appear for a few pleasant hours on Wednesday. Friday, too, was bright in many parts but by that time the temperatures had dropped to 7C (45F) in central Scotland and only 3C (37F) once again in Aberdeen. On Saturday, those low temperatures and a northerly wind produced some snow in the north but most of the country was just cold but bright.

The picture here to illustrate the current week's seasonal weather is of the moon rising in a pinkish sky - created by the setting sun behind the camera.

"Colour Supplement"

This week's online photographs taken in Scotland this week to show the current season and its flora and fauna includes Venus at sunset, a nearly full moon, rhododendron flower, greenfinches, festive lights at the Gallery of Modern Art and George Square in Glasgow. See this week's Colour Supplement.

Reverend Walker for New York's Tartan Week

The painting of "The Reverend Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch" is one of twenty works being flown from the National Galleries of Scotland to New York for Tartan Week next April. The iconic image is certainly well identified with Edinburgh and Scotland, but the inclusion of this work has raised a few eyebrows. Earlier this year, doubt was cast on who had actually painted it. It had always been attributed to Sir Henry Raeburn, who was a portrait painter in Edinburgh in the early 19th century. But in response to claims that it was by a French artist, the Scottish National Gallery altered the label accompanying the picture to read "Recent research has suggested that the picture was actually painted....by Henri-Pierre Danloux". Many experts, however, are not convinced about the claims, and insist that it was indeed by Raeburn. New Yorkers will be able to judge for themselves next April.

Plaza Dance Hall to be Demolished

In the heyday of dance halls in Glasgow, the Plaza on Victoria Road was one of the most famous venues. Couples waltzed, tangoed and did the "Palais Glide". Many office dances - and romances - created fond memories to generations of Glaswegians. But it finally closed its doors ten years ago and now a planning application has been lodged to demolish the once popular venue and build housing instead. The plan includes retaining some of the memorable facade of a building which was one of the most popular of the city's 30 dance halls.

Secret Room Uncovered in Concert Hall

While renovations were underway in Glasgow City Halls in Candleriggs, a spectacular Victorian ceiling, which had lain hidden for decades, was uncovered by workmen. The ornate curved roof with iron beams and cornicing was in a room which had previously been used as a bar space. After renovation (which is nearing completion) it will be used as a Recital room, with a seating capacity of 100, to host small concerts and receptions. The City Halls and Fruitmarket building complex is being upgraded at a cost of £14 million. It is scheduled to be reopened next month when it becomes home for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a concert venue and a rehearsal studio. The buildings, which once housed the fruit, flower and cheese markets, were designed in 1882 by John Carrick. It was the first concert hall in Glasgow and novelist Charles Dickens appeared there.

Next Week in Scottish History

• December 18 1661 - Many Scottish historical records were lost when the ship Elizabeth of Burntisland sank off the English coast. The records had been taken to London by Oliver Cromwell and were being returned to Edinburgh.
• December 18 1780 - Society of Antiquaries founded.
• December 18 1870 - Birth of Hector Munro. He wrote short stories under the pseudonym "Saki".
• December 18 1969 - Death penalty for murder was formally abolished in Britain.
• December 19 1904 - The "Scotsman" newspaper moves to new offices at North Bridge in Edinburgh, remaining there until 1999.
• December 20 1560 - First General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
• December 21 1846 - Robert Liston, who was born in Linlithgow in 1794, performed the first operation in a British hospital using anaesthetic (ether).
• December 21 1988 - Pan Am 747 blew up and crashed at Lockerbie, Dumfries, killing 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents.
• December 22 1715 - James Stuart, the Old Pretender, arrived at Peterhead. He stayed for only a few weeks.
• December 22 1965 - Maximum speed limit of 70mph was imposed on all roads unless a lower limit was in place.
• December 22 2000 - Pop mega-star Madonna married movie-producer Guy Ritchie at Skibo Castle, putting Dornoch into the media spotlight.
• December 24 1165 - King William I (Lion) crowned at Scone.
• December 24 1650 - Edinburgh castle surrendered to Oliver Cromwell.
• December 24 1856 - Writer and geologist Hugh Miller died.

Glasgow Mackintosh Festival 2006

The official launch of this new festival was made this week at the replica of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's home, at the Hunterian Art Gallery in Glasgow. The festival is to run throughout the year, with a focus of programme highlights in September. It will showcase the unique riches of Glasgow’s extraordinary Mackintosh heritage, with an ambitious and wide-ranging series of events including exhibitions at Mackintosh venues, educational workshops, on-line resources, publications and a programme of activities celebrating Mackintosh and his contemporaries. Venues include the Glasgow School of Art (pictured here), Scotland Street School, the Mackintosh Church at Queen’s Cross and House for an Art Lover. One of the high spots will be the newly reopened Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (Summer 2006) incorporating a new gallery ‘Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style’ celebrating the life and work of one of the city’s most famous sons. It is claimed that the festival has the potential to bring an additional 150,000 visitors into the city.

Cinderella

It's not just the conventional pantomime version of Cinderella that is entertaining audiences in Glasgow. There is also a lavish new production by Scottish Ballet of Prokofiev's take on the traditional story. The magical score is played by 60 musicians and performed by a large cast of dancers in extravagant costumes at the Theatre Royal. The ballet is set in 18th century France and many of the costumes are adorned with Swarovski crystals, for an extra touch of elegance. Money for the costumes was contributed by donors who gave anything from £10 for a ballet shoe ribbon to £1,000 for Cinderella's stunning ballgown The show runs until 31 December.

Irn-Bru Christmas and New Year Carnival

Sponsored by Scotland's largest soft drink manufacturer, this year's carnival at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre is billed as Europe's largest indoor funfair. All the old favourites will be there from the Dodgems to the Waltzers and "Superspin" as well as the more sedate Merry-go-round. Though maybe the Crazy Cars, Chairplanes and Formula 200 rides will be more to the liking of today's kids.

Turbine Sculpture Branded a Wind Up

A two-year feasibility study, costing £50,000, has recommended that an artwork in ther form of a giant wind turbine should be erected close to the M77 motorway in Ayrshire, at a cost of £2.5 million. The sculpture, 300 feet high, would be illuminated and would be within a mile of the 140 turbines of a wind farm which is projected for Whitelee on the Eaglesham Moors. Advocates say that it would be a monument to renewable energy and have likened it to the "Angel of the North" outside Gateshead in England. They say that it would make people more positive about wind turbines. But anti-wind farm protestors described the proposal as "barmy". The work of art would be surrounded by walking trails, cycle paths and would emit "sound-scapes" mimicking wind power. Covered in a special paint which stores the sun's energy, it would radiate blue light at night.

Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results

Kilmarnock 2 Rangers 3
Ayr 2 Forfar 1

Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 17 December 2005

Falkirk 1 Kilmarnock 2
Hibernian 2 Motherwell 1
Livingston 0 Aberdeen 0
Rangers 1 Heart of Midlothian 0
Dundee v Dunfermline was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Celtic will be played on Sunday.

Bell's Scottish Football League First Division Results - 17 December 2005

Airdrie United 6 Brechin City 0
Clyde 1 Stranraer 0
Hamilton 2 Ross County 1
St Mirren 0 St Johnstone 0
Queen of the South v Dundee was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

Bell's Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 17 December 2005

Ayr United 2 Stirling Albion 5
Dumbarton 0 Gretna 1
Partick Thistle 4 Alloa 3
Peterhead 1 Greenock Morton 0
Forfar v Raith Rovers was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 17 December 2005

Ayr 6 Glasgow Hawks 8
Melrose 29 Currie 16
Stewart's Melville 20 Biggar 16
Stirling County 20 Boroughmuir 22
Watsonians 39 Heriots 21
Aberdeen v Hawick was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

League Tables

Celtic have the opportunity to go six points clear at the top of the SPL if they win their match against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Sunday. While Rangers narrowed the gap between them and Hearts (second in the table with 41 points) with their win on Saturday, Hibernian remain in third place with 37 points, 7 ahead of Rangers. Kilmarnock are still breathing down the necks of the Ibrox club with 29 points. At the foot of the SPL, Dunfermline are 3 points adrift from Livingston.

In the First Division, St Mirren remain out in front, despite the draw against St Johnstone. While that result kept the gap between the Perth club and St Mirren at 7 points, it also allowed Hamilton to leapfrog into second place with their win and Clyde now have the same number of points as St Johnstone. At the foot of the First Division, Brechin City are still 3 points behind Queen of the South.

Gretna got back to their winning ways on Saturday and are now 11 points ahead of Greenock Morton, with Partick Thistle another 4 points further back. Alloa have earned 10 points this season, but remain at the foot of the First Division, 6 points below Forfar.

In the BT Scotland Rugby Division 1, Glasgow Hawks recovered from their defeat last Saturday - but only just managed to defeat Ayr. Hawks are 8 points ahead of Watsonians. Stirling County did well against Boroughmuir on Saturday but still lost, leaving them at the foot of the table, 5 points behind Stewart's Melville.

Rangers Face Villarreal in European Champions League

Rangers, through to the last 16 in the European Champions League, have been drawn to play Spanish club Villarreal at home for the first leg on 22 February and travel to Spain on 7 March. Villarreal, currently 4th in La Liga, have a formidable record against British clubs. Two seasons ago, Villarreal pushed Celtic out of the Uefa Cup at the quarter-final stage, easing to a 2-0 win at their El Madrigal Stadium which has a capacity of only 26.000. Villarreal also held Manchester United 0-0 twice on their way to topping their group. But Rangers could have drawn even stiffer competition in the form of Arsenal, AC Milan, Barcelona or Juventus, so fans hope that the light blues have a chance of winning through to the last eight.

Celtic Sign Roy Keane

Manchester United and Northern Ireland international star Roy Keane, who parted company from manager Sir Alex Ferguson a few weeks ago, has signed an 18 month contract to play for Celtic. A number of other clubs were said to be eager to capture Keane, who has been with Manchester United for 12-and-a-half years, winning a room full of trophies with the club, including the European Champions League. But Keane is a very competitive and outspoken player - he fell out with the manager of the Northern Ireland international squad and his relations with Sir Alex ferguson have sometimes been stormy. While with Manchester United he was rumoured to be earning £90,000 a week. He is having to settle for a lot less at Celtic - said to be around £30,000. And the club's major shareholder, Dermot Desmond, is reportedly bankrolling a substantial part of that wage bill. Because of FIFA transfer regulations, Keane will not be eligible to play for Celtic until 1 January. But as the Scottish Premier League offices are closed on that day, he will miss the game against Heart of Midlothian on New Year's Day. So his first competitive match for Celtic is likely to be 14 January against Kilmarnock.

Premier League's Oldest Footballer

As he reached his 39th birthday this week, Craig Brewster, the player/manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, declared that he had no intention of hanging up his football boots just yet, despite being the oldest player in the Scottish Premier League. As manager of Inverness, he has to decide each week whether to pick himself for the team. As a leading scorer, however, he says he is feeling good and "making a contribution" after a playing career spanning over 20 years.

Starting Line for 2014 Commonwealth Games

The race to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014 got underway this week as officials signed the document that officially designates Glasgow as a candidate and lodged their bid with the Commonwealth Games Federation. But there is a marathon ahead for the countries competing for the honour. The final decision on the host of the 2014 Games will not be made until November 2007.

British Seniors Open at Muirfield

The Senior British Open will be staged for the first time at Muirfield, East Lothian, in 2007. Sponsored by Aberdeen Asset Management, the event will be staged on July 26-29, following the Open at Carnoustie. Golfing legends Nick Faldo from England and Seve Ballesteros from Spain will be eligible to play in the senior tournament for the first time that year. Faldo won The Open at Muirfield in 1987 and 1992. American Tom Watson won this year's Seniors event at Royal Aberdeen and it is being played at Turnberry in 2006.