So Who's In Charge?

On Wednesday this week, the Scottish Executive had stated that a decision on raising the tolls on the Forth Road Bridge between South Queensferry and Fife had been put on hold. The bridge authority had proposed increasing the charge from £1 to as high as £4 at peak times, so as to provide finance for repairs to the rusting cables and also reduce congestion at peak times. But Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony Blair's cabinet in London, pre-empted the decision by then issuing a statement - congratulating the Scottish Executive on abandoning the 400% increase. This "bounced" Jack McConnell into announcing that indeed the increase had been turned down, much to the astonishment of Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), including the Liberal Democrat Transport Minister in the Scottish Executive coalition. Opposition MSPs are convinced that the motivation for announcing the decision is a by-election in Dunfermline in Fife for a seat in the UK Parliament. Fife residents are understandably the most vocal in their opposition to the huge increases as many of them commute across the bridge to jobs in Edinburgh. Meantime, a decision on whether to abolish tolls on the Erskine bridge over the Clyde has been postponed. Of course, there are no by-elections in that part of Scotland.

Curtain Up on Future of Scottish Arts

Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson this week made the long-awaited announcement about the future structure and funding for the arts. This was the Scottish Executive's response to a report by the Cultural Commission, which had recommended ways to develop the nation's arts and culture. The main elements of the government's blueprint were:
~ The Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen to be scrapped and a new agency - Creative Scotland - set up.
~ Funding for Scottish Opera and National Theatre of Scotland will be direct from government rather than through an agency.
~ Many of the Cultural Commission's recommendations appeared to be dismissed as "unnecessary bureaucracy".
~ The Scottish Executive currently allocates 1% of its total budget to culture - that amounts to £187 million in the current year. Local authorities add to that sum significantly. By 2007-08, the Scottish Executive total budget will have increased, resulting in the amount allocated to the arts growing to £214 million, but it has been decided to provide an additional £20 million on top of that. Of course, that still leaves unanswered how that cake will be allocated amongst all the competing claims.

Schools Get Caned for Lack of Physical Exercise

The Scottish Executive has set a target for pupils at primary and secondary schools to get physical exercise for two hours a week. But the latest figures published this week show that only 5/6% of pupils achieve that target and in some schools 7% of younger children and 18% of older children get fewer than 45 minutes - despite concerns that youngsters are becoming increasingly overweight. Schools in Dundee, Aberdeenshire, Orkney, Western Isles and the Highlands fare particularly badly. A spokesman for the council claimed that physical exercise was going on in schools outwith formal lessons, which was not included in the data.

Scottish Retailers Outperform UK

The Scottish Retail Consortium revealed this week that like-for-like sales in Scotland in December rose by 3.8% - the biggest increase since last February and more than double the 1.6% jump seen in November. That compared with a UK-wide rise of 2.6% - though that was a better performance than November's increase of just 0.8%. Most of the increase in Scotland came from non-food sales, particularly clothing and footwear. Total sales (which include new outlets opened in the last year) north of the Border were up by 7.3%, compared with 6.2% across the UK.
The illustration above shows Edinburgh's main shopping area, Princes Street.

Smoking Stubbed Out in Scottish Parliament

When the country-wide ban on smoking in confined public spaces comes into force at the end of March, senior parliamentarians (known as the "corporate body") are recommending that the Scottish Parliament should set a good example. Unlike many companies and organisations, they will not create an outside smoking shelter to replace their current smoking room. Presiding Officer George Reid (himself a smoker) fully supports the decision, which will now be discussed with trade unions and business managers. But with only two months to go before the ban is in force, it would probably be impossible to construct a smoking shelter in time anyway.

Salmond's Surprise

Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and currently the Member of Parliament in London for Banff and Buchan, is to contest the Scottish Parliamentary constituency of Gordon at the next election. The present Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for that seat is Aberdeen-born Nora Radcliffe who won it for the Liberal_Democrats at the last election with a majority of 4,071. The SNP are aiming to win another 20 seats at the next election (in 2007) for the Scottish Parliament and they regard Buchan as the "18th most winnable." In the last race for Gordon, the SNP candidate finished third behind the Conservatives and a 7.7% swing would be needed in their favour to win the seat.

Scotland's Labour Market Continues to Shine

Unemployment in Scotland fell last month, which contrasted with a further rise in unemployment across the UK. On the claimant-count measure, unemployment in Scotland fell by a seasonally-adjusted 200 in December to 85,500. UK-wide, claimant-count unemployment rose by 7,200 to 909,100 last month - up 84,100 on a year earlier. On the International Labour Organisation measure, UK employment between September and November was down 22,000 on the previous three months at 28.76 million. In Scotland, employment was up 4,000 on this comparison at 2.469 million. It seems that a higher percentage of the potential labour force is now actively seeking employment or in employment in Scotland - National Statistics put the proportion of economically inactive at 21.4% UK-wide and at 20.2% in Scotland.

Bank Staff Pension Entitlement Cut

3,500 staff working for the Clydesdale Bank have been told that the terms of their pension scheme are to be reduced. The present arrangements, where pensions are calculated on the final salary being earned at the time of retiring or leaving the organisation (with increases in subsequent years at the rate of inflation) will be replaced by a less generous scheme from the end of March 2006. Many companies are facing a shortfall in funding for their pension schemes (having enjoyed reduced or zero contributions for many years, when the stock market was booming) and have closed final salary schemes to new employees. Clydesdale Bank, a subsidiary of the National Australian Banking Group, is going a step further and slashing benefits for existing staff, many of whom have worked for a lifetime with the prospect of an agreed pension when they retired.

Local Authority Staff to Work an Extra Five Years?

200,000 workers in local governments are to lose the right to claim a full pension at 60 if Scottish Executive plans announced this week are implemented. Staff would need to work to 65 to get the full pension (one sixtieth of final salary for each year of service, resulting in a pension of two-thirds of final salary for those working 40 years). The decision, which does not affect teachers and those working in the National Health Service, was slipped out as part of a parliamentary answer by the Finance Minister at the Scottish parliament this week. The Executive argue that the changes are needed to comply with European age discrimination legislation.

Capital's Tram Line Derailed

Soaring costs have led to Edinburgh City Council having to postpone the planned tramcar loop around the city centre, leaving just one route which will start in Leith, run through the city centre and then out to Edinburgh airport. Costs for the two routes had rocketed from £473 million to £714 million - incredibly, the original estimates had made no allowance for inflation and there was no contingency funding. The Scottish Executive has capped at £375 million the amount of Scottish taxpayers money that will be put into the scheme and any shortfall would have had to be made up by local Edinburgh taxpayers - who are already reeling from huge increases in recent years. The single route is now planned to be up and running by 2010. This "phase one" will save the council at least £200 million. One other side effect of the "postponement" of phase two is that the Roseburn Urban Wildlife Corridor - a picturesque area popular with cyclists and walkers - will be saved from trams for the time being.

Pensioners' Wealth Increased by £8 Billion Last Year

Rising property prices in the last year meant that property owned by retired home owners in Scotland rose in value by £8 billion in the last year. The total value now stands at nearly £61 billion for the 539,000 pensioners who own their own homes. Of course, for the majority of pensioners it is a paper profit only - and the benefit will be passed on to those who eventually inherit the houses.

Edinburgh Zoo Selling Land to Fund Redevelopment

It may be a bit like selling the family silver, but the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs Edinburgh Zoo, has struck a deal in principle with a development firm set up by the city council. 12 acres of land (out of the 90-acre site) have been earmarked as surplus to requirements and will be used to build housing. The £15 million from selling the land will go towards the £58 million cost of redeveloping the attraction. It is hoped to obtain funds also from the Scottish Executive, the National Lottery and the city council. The redevelopment is to be phased over the next twenty years

Increased Off-Licence Alcohol Sales?

The sale of alcohol at supermarkets and off-licence shops is expected to soar once the no-smoking ban in bars and restaurants comes into force at the end of March. Consumers who also smoke are thought likely to drink (and smoke) more at home - a similar pattern was reported in Ireland when a ban was introduced there, in March 2004. The change in the Republic of Ireland also resulted in more consumption of wine and a drop in beer sales. Overall, alcohol consumption is expected to increase as people tend to pour larger measures for themselves or finish a bottle. Last year, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue revealed that the typical fire victim was a male smoker, aged 50 or over, who lived alone. While the change in habits will lead to more passive smoking by children in the home, campaigners argue that a ban does more than any other initiative to encourage smokers to quit.

Adventure Sports Park for Midlothian

The Hillend Ski Slope in the Pentland Hills Regional Park in Midlothian, a few miles south of Edinburgh, is the largest dry ski slope in Europe. It attracts 140,000 visitors a year to ski or snowboard, plus another 220,000 who come to spectate, walk in the country park or take the chair lift to the viewpoint high in the hills. Now there are plans for the Midlothian Snowsports Centre to be transformed by a £13.5 million expansion, which would add an indoor ice climbing wall, complete with viewing gallery a curling rink, plus an indoor skateboard and wheeled sport facility. A series of graded mountain bike trails would be built as a year-round national training centre. Of course, all these wonderful ideas depend on obtaining finance and an application for National Lottery funding is in the pipeline.

TomTom Navigates to Edinburgh Software Company

Leading satellite navigation specialist TomTom has bought over Edinburgh software company Applied Generics. Founded seven years ago, Applied Generics has created software which calculates traffic congestion by reading the signals from mobile phones. Many mobile phone users (even those without "hands free" operation) make calls if they are held up in traffic. TomTom is one of the biggest names in the portable satellite navigation sector. All the major players are trying to incorporate live traffic data into their systems but Applied Technology's developments is ahead of the pack as it applies to secondary routes as well as main trunk roads.

Welcome to Braveheart Airport?

Scottish Socialist Member of the Scottish Parliament, Tommy Sheridan, has called on the Transport Minister to rename Glasgow Airport as "Glasgow William Wallace International Airport". He also gave support to a suggestion made some time ago that Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire (seen here) should be renamed Robert Burns International. He even joked that Edinburgh's hub should become Harry Potter Airport as author J K Rowling wrote the first books about the wizard in an Edinburgh cafe. British Airports Authority, who run the Glasgow and Edinburgh terminals, said they had no plans to change the names of their airports and there was no merit in altering names which had been in place for many decades.

New Hotel to Land at Aberdeen Airport?

Planning consent in principle has been given for the construction of a 120-room hotel on prime land next to Aberdeen Airport and a number of hotel operators are said to be interested in building there. Aberdeen Airport currently has two nearby hotels, the Airport Thistle and the Speedbird. The owners of the airport are progressing a £50million investment programme over the next decade to transform it into a world-class hub and cater for passenger growth (estimated to double by 2030) and international flights. The main runway is to be extended by 1000 feet to attract long-haul flights, and a new, high-quality hotel would be a major boost to the north-east's tourism industry as well as the airport.

Young Pretender Going Trendy?

Drambuie, an after-dinner liqueur, uses a recipe given to the MacKinnon family by Bonnie Prince Charlie for helping him escape to France after the failure of the Jacobite Uprising in 1745/46. It has long been popular as an after-dinner drink, particularly amongst the older generation. But sales have been slipping for the blend of whisky, heather honey and herbs and the Drambuie company has been making a loss in recent years. At its peak, it was selling 700,000 cases a year, but that figure has halved. Now it is being relaunched amongst the trendy young set as a cocktail, served with soda and a twist of lime - and well stirred to ensure the heavy liqueur does not sit at the foot of the glass. The new combination has been tried out by 3,000 young Americans in New York and Los Angeles and tasting is to be extended to 50 upmarket British bars in the spring, as part of a £1.2 million promotional campaign. An advertising campaign, using the slogan "Drambuie has been left on the shelf for years; now it has a new partner." The company claims that if Bonnie Prince Charlie (also known as the Young Pretender) were around now, he would approve as it would mean that his "spirit" lives on. Others might think that Charlie might ask for his recipe back....

Transformation Plan for Greenock Harbour

Victoria Harbour and East India Docks, a disused harbour area in Greenock, on the Firth of Clyde, is to be converted into a mixed-use development with a maritime focus. The £45 million plan will create a thriving residential, commercial and leisure facility in a semi-derelict area of the town. There will be 290 new homes and wide waterfront walkways. There will also be a 220-berth marina and space for events such as the Tall Ships extravaganza.

No Unlucky 13 for Edinburgh Tattoo Organiser

Brigadier Mel Jameson, who took over as organiser for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 1994, is to retire after this summer's event - his 12th. When he took over, 20% of the tickets were unsold by the opening night. Since then, he has created a spectacular success with tickets selling out well in advance of the event. Tickets for this year's show went on sale only four weeks ago and already 85% of the 217,000 tickets available have been snapped up. The last eight Tattoos have been a sell-out and this year will be no exception. So the 61-year-old Brigadier can retire, confident that his mission has been successfully completed.

Rabbie Goes Punjabi

Vegetarian haggis is now well known, but the latest addition to the celebration of Burns night includes green chilli and garam masala. The ladies of an Edinburgh community group working with the Sikh population in the capital came up with the idea of curried haggis while they were trying to find ways of making the traditionally high-fat Sikh diet healthier. An Edinburgh hotel was so impressed that it has decided to put it on their restaurant menu to tempt diners in the run-up to Burns Night. The Sikh Sanjog group has also created Haggis Pakora. They hope that the new varieties will not only convert the Asian community to haggis, but will appeal to Scots as well - many of whom are already keen on curries and other food from the Indian sub-continent.

Fake Tan Lessons for School Pupils

School teachers have become so concerned about the number of pupils using sunbeds at a local sun-tan parlour that they are arranging to give lessons on how to apply a fake tan out of a bottle instead. An expert from a Scots-based cosmetic company (called Fake Bake), is to run seminars at Thomas Muir High School in Bishopbriggs, Glasgow. They will also warn about the dangers of sunbeds and skin cancer. The number of deaths from skin cancer among Scots has steadily increased over the past 10 years, as more people try to achieve the bronze look which is so popular with many celebrities.

Climate Change Research for Scotland

Initial findings from research into the changes in climate over the last forty years in Scotland were released this week. The report shows that temperatures have increased in every season and in all parts of Scotland since 1961. The research will be used to produce a handbook of regional changes in Scotland's climate to be published in spring 2006. Key findings from the study include:
~ The period since 1961 has been the fastest period of warming identified in the analysed records (1914 to 2004).
~ Since 1961, daily maximum temperatures have been increasing at a faster rate than minimum temperatures. This is contrary to the trends seen since 1914 in Scotland (and globally) when minimum, or night time, temperatures increased at the faster rate.
~ Since 1961, Scotland has become wetter with an average increase of almost 60% in winter months in northern and western Scotland but in the majority of the country there has not been a large-scale significant change in rainfall in summer months. Contrary to the national trend, Aberdeenshire has seen little change in precipitation in winter months although this is compensated in this region by significant increase in precipitation in autumn (September to November).

Weather in Scotland This Week

In the early part of the week, temperatures were largely around 6/7C (43/45F) but on Wednesday and Thursday milder weather from the Atlantic came in, raising the maximum daily temperatures to around 11/12C (52/54F) although Aberdeen reached 13C (55F). The westerly winds also brought in cloud and rain, however. Over Thursday and Friday the main recording stations across Scotland registered only around five minutes of sunshine (at Aviemore) with the rest of the country not seeing a blink of sun. Rainfall in Glasgow over Thursday and Friday amounted to nearly an inch. The weather outlook is for temperatures to fall again as cold air comes in from the continent.
The picture of catkins shown here was taken on Friday and illustrates very well the advance towards spring.

"Colour Supplement"

This week's further online photographs taken in Scotland to show the current season and its flora and fauna include the Campsie Fells, Gadwall, Mallard with unusual colours, a swan in full threat pose and Greylag Goose. See Colour Supplement - 21 January 2006.

3D Comeback for Empire Exhibition

The British Empire Exhibition, held in Bellahouston Park in Glasgow in 1938, is to be "recreated" in 3D in an interactive model of the site which is to become available in the Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed "House for an Art Lover" which was built in Bellahouston Park in the early 1990s. Glasgow School of Art will use a team from its Digital Design Studio to allow visitors to take a virtual look at the event, selecting different 3D views. A grant of £146,963 has been allocated to the project by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and will be ready next spring. One great advantage of the technological presentation over the real thing will be that visitors will keep dry - the summer of 1938 was infamous for the high level of rainfall which descended on the spectators. At the time of the exhibition, Glasgow was the largest British city outside of London. The Palace of Art (pictured here) in Bellahouston Park is the only building to survive from the exhibition to the present day.

Pop Concert to Save Derelict Bandstand

Efforts to save the bandstand and amphitheatre in Kelvingrove Park have not made a lot of progress in recent years. Four years ago this newsletter reported that Glasgow City Council were understood to be drawing up plans to bring the 75-year-old band-stand back to life. Even then, the band-stand was in a bad state of repair - and it is even worse now. In 2003, it was agreed to lease it to a trust, supposedly opening the way to an application for National Lottery Heritage funding to help finance the estimated £400,000 to restore it to its former glory. Now, with even more tiles lost on the roof and more graffiti on its walls and repair costs now at £500,000, some of Scotland's biggest pop bands have offered to perform at a benefit concert to help to save the venue. Franz Ferdinand, Belle and Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub and Horse have all agreed to participate in a gig this summer. The bandstand was built in 1925 and can accommodate an audience of 3,000 seated or 7,000 standing. It hosted rock concerts in the 1980s and early 1990s, but stricter health and safety regulations forced it to close in 1996.

Next Week in Scottish History

• January 22 1788 - Robert Byron (later Lord Byron) born. He moved to Aberdeen at the age of four and attended Aberdeen Grammar School.
• January 23 1570 - James Stewart, the Regent Moray on the abdication of Mary Queen of Scots, murdered in Linlithgow, triggering civil war.
• January 24 76 - Birth of Publius Aelius Hadrianus, who built Hadrian's Wall to cut off Scotland from the rest of Britain.
• January 24 1890 - First train over Forth Rail Bridge.
• January 25 1759 - Robert Burns born Alloway.
• January 25 1817 - First edition of the Edinburgh-based "Scotsman" newspaper, published by its founders, Charles MacLaren, William Ritchie and John MacDiarmid.
• January 26 1861 - "One o'clock gun" fired for the first time from Edinburgh Castle.
• January 26 1878 - Kirkpatrick McMillan, inventor of the bicycle, died.
• January 26 1908 - The 1st Glasgow Scout troop was registered, the first to be formed.
• January 27 1783 - Glasgow Herald newspaper first published. It is the longest continuously published daily newspaper in Britain.
• January 27 1926 - First public demonstration of TV by John Logie Baird.
• January 28 1829 - William Burke, murderer and body snatcher of "Burke and Hare" fame, executed.
• January 28 1908 - Jimmy Shand, Scottish country dance band leader, born.

International Comedy Festival

The fourth Miller Glasgow International Comedy Festival, which runs from Thursday 9 March to Saturday 25 March, was formally launched this week by top Scottish comedienne Elaine C Smith. The festival involves 200 performers in 270 shows at 30 venues. Proving that big news can come in small packages, diminutive comedian Ronnie Corbett will be taking to the stage at The Theatre Royal while Jim Bowen regales with tales of the Golden Age of Northern Club Comics. The life and work of Scotland's popular comedy star, the Essential Chic Murray, is presented by his daughter, Annabelle Meredith. And former Stars In Their Eyes winner, Gary Moir, recalls Billy Connolly in his heyday in Big Yin Revisited. See www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com for all the programme details.

Celtic Journey

Previously in this Newsletter, I have written about a number of CDs I have enjoyed by Christopher Dean (who has Scottish roots but lives in Southern California). Chris specializes in performing traditional and contemporary Scottish and Irish Folk Music and he has just created his latest album - "Celtic Journey". It is full of gentle relaxing guitar music - just the thing to sooth any jangling nerves! It starts with "Ready for the Storm" (where the storm may rumble in the distance but never breaks out) plus the beautiful "Bonny at Morn" and "Foggy Dew". This Celtic Journey also takes in Skye (Boat Song) and Ye Bonnie Banks (of Loch Lomond). A change of pace is provided by tracks of jigs and reels where Highland pipes and Bohdran create a lively contrast. For more details, see www.cairneyhill.com.

Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby Film Premiere for Edinburgh

The premiere of "The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby" movie will take place on Tuesday February 7, 2006 at the Vue Edinburgh Omni Centre in central Edinburgh, with a post-premiere reception to be held at Edinburgh Castle. Members of the cast expected to attend include Christopher Lee, James Cosmo, Gina McKee, Sean Pertwee and not forgetting Bobby the dog with his trainer. The story of Bobby, the Skye terrier who refused to leave his master's grave in historic Greyfriar's churchyard, came to prominence in the 1890s when Eleanor Atkinson, an American, wrote a book about the dog which became a first reading book for a generation of many Americans. Locations showcased in the film include Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle and Holyrood Park. Edinburgh is the only city to have a dog, Greyfriars Bobby, on the list of citizens given the prestigious Freedom of the City Award.

Artist Celebrating 75 Years in Glasgow

Hannah Frank was born in 1908 and so is one of the last living links to the Art Nouveau period. Her black and white, Aubrey Beardsley-like drawings are familiar to Glaswegians who lived in the city in the 1960s - her art was often on show in the camera shop of Charles Frank Ltd in the city (as well as being exhibited in the Royal Glasgow Institute and the Royal Scottish Academy). Now, to celebrate her 75 years of working as an artist in the city, there is a rare opportunity to see the more personal, intimate side of the artist. A major retrospective of her drawings, sculpture and early family sketches is being held from January 28 to February 11 at the Royal Glasgow Institute Kelly Gallery, 188 Douglas Street, Glasgow. The exhibition includes family sketches which lay untouched in an old suitcase for 70 years and provide an fascinating contrast to her well-known Beardsleyesque black and white drawings, which intriguingly combine other-worldliness, poetic inspiration and austerity. There is also a series of talks and lunchtime events, including a presentation by her niece on Hannah Frank's life and work.

King Tut Takes a Bow

While lists of "the best" produced by magazines and other publications are sometimes questionable, they do mean additional free publicity for those locations that get into a "top ten". So nobody at the Glasgow music venue King Tut's Wah Wah Hut will be complaining about being one of the "World's Top Ten Places to Visit" published by the prestigious New York Magazine. The magazine's "Bliss List" for 2006, urged readers to "discover the new Franz Ferdinand" at the venue. Other locations highlighted by the magazine included skiing down an Icelandic glacier, fishing in the Yucatan in Mexico, travelling through Kerala, India in a houseboat and climbing Kilimanjaro. But the publicity paid off - media around the world reported the recommendations, including that for King Tut's.

Sunday and Midweek Football Results

Dundee United 2 Falkirk 1
Motherwell 0 Rangers 1
Ayr United 0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2 (Tennent's Scottish Cup third round replay)

Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 21 January 2006

Dundee United 1 Aberdeen 1
Falkirk 1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4
Hibernian 3 Dunfermline 1
Kilmarnock 1 Heart of Midlothian 0
Rangers 4 Livingston 1
Motherwell v Celtic will be played on Sunday.

Bell's Scottish Football League First Division Results - 21 January 2006

Airdrie United 1 Clyde 1
Brechin City 0 Dundee 3
Hamilton 0 St Mirren 0
Ross County 3 Queen of South 1
Stranraer 0 St Johnstone 2

Bell's Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 21 January 2006

Greenock Morton 4 Alloa 1
Gretna 6 Partick Thistle 1
Raith Rovers 1 Ayr United 1
Stirling Albion 2 Peterhead 1

BT Scotland Rugby Cup - 21 January 2006

Ardrossan Academicals 17 Kelso 40
Ayr 28 Selkirk 17
Berwick 16 Edinburgh Academicals 7
Cambuslang 8 Edinburgh University 24
Cartha Q P 34 Haddington 6
Currie 25 Glasgow Hawks 14
East Kilbride 13 Boroughmuir 33
Hillhead/Jordanhill 21 Murrayfield Wanderers 12
Kirkcaldy 21 Dundee HSFP 65
Livingston 20 Jed-Forest 16
Melrose 26 Biggar 16
Peebles 18 Heriots 28
Preston Lodge FP 11 Hawick 16
Stewarts Melville 19 GHA 34
Stirling County 28 Aberdeen 26
Watsonians 55 Gala 20

League Tables

Hearts' defeat by Kilmarnock meant that both Hibernian and Rangers narrowed the gap separating the top teams in the Scottish Premier League. Celtic play on Sunday but are currently 7 points ahead at the top of the SPL, with Sunday's game in hand. Livingston and Dunfermline continue to battle each other to avoid the threat of relegation at the end of the season - neither team gained a point this week.

In the First Division, St Mirren are still at the top, despite losing two points on Saturday. St Johnstone are in second place, ten points behind with both Hamilton and Ross County with one point less than St Johnstone. At the foot of the First Division, Brechin City are one point behind Queen of the South - both teams lost again on Saturday.
In the Second Division, Gretna remain out in front, by a margin of 5 points over Greenock Morton but also with a game in hand. Partick Thistle are in third place, 8 points behind Morton. Alloa are in solitary splendour at the foot of the Second Division - 11 points behind Dumbarton.

There were no Premier 1 rugby matches this week due to the Cup games being played on Saturday.

Tributes Pour In for Wallace Mercer

The former chairman of Heart of Midlothian Football Club, Wallace Mercer, died this week at the age of 59, after losing a brief battle with cancer. He will be best remembered as a colourful but controversial character who saved the club from bankruptcy - but then tried to take over rival Edinburgh side Hibernian in 1990 - though he called it a "merger." The plan was thwarted by Sir Tom Farmer, the owner of the Kwik-Fit car repair empire. Mercer was chairman for 14 years, having taken over in 1981. He had made his fortune as a property entrepreneur in the east of Scotland and continued in that line of business until his death. Mercer raised the standards and profile of the club while he was chairman, although it did not win any silverware (just missing out on more than one occasion). The Hearts family will be greatly saddened by his passing.

Spartans Fight for Home Advantage

Having surprisingly defeated Third Division side Queen's Park in the third round of the Scottish Cup, Edinburgh Spartans, from the minor East of Scotland League, were then drawn at home at City Park to play St Mirren in the fourth round. But the Paisley club raised concerns about many of their supporters travelling to the capital, even though few would have tickets for the small (and dilapidated) Spartan's ground. That led to the police refusing permission for the match to be played at City Park and insisting on another venue. That would have reduced the benefit of the Spartans players being on their own ground. Part of the charm of the Scottish Cup is that it gives an opportunity for smaller non-league clubs to battle to the later stages. Not allowing them to play at home in front of their own fans seemed contrary to the spirit of the competition. However, common sense has now prevailed and after a number of assurances were given about enhanced stewarding and perimeter fencing - and an increase in St Mirren's ticket allocation to 1,000 (out of the 3,000 capacity of the ground) - the police relented and the match will now go ahead at City Park on February 5 with a 12.30pm kick-off.

Scottish Striker Rejects English and Italian Offers

Scotland internationalist Kenny Milller, whose contract with Wolves in the English Premier League runs out in the summer, has turned down offers to sign for another English Premier or Italian Serie A club and is to return to Scotland. He says that his family comes before finance. But he surprised football commentators when he decided to sign a pre-contract deal with Celtic. Miller has previously played for Rangers and will be only the third player to turn out for both Old Firm clubs. Maurice Johnstone, who joined Rangers in 1989, suffered from sectarian abuse from some of the fans at that time. But Miller says that aspect doesn't worry him - he is just going to concentrate on playing football.

Scottish Horse Racing Attracts Bigger Attendances

Figures published this week show that Scotland's five racecourses are continuing to win larger attendances. The 90 meetings held north of the border in 2005 had average crowds of 3,483, an increase of 4% on the previous 12 months. Perth (illustrated here) was first past the post with 18% growth and Ayr had a winning streak of over 10% growth. This is the 6th time in seven years that average gates have gone up.

Norwich Union International Athletics

The curtain-raiser for this year's athletics season is at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall indoor arena next Saturday. Teams from Italy, Sweden, Russia and a Commonwealth Select Team will be competing against Great Britain & Northern Ireland.