The Rampant Scotland Newsletter - your weekly insight into what has been happening in Scotland, snipped from the Scottish media, for Scots in Scotland and abroad, bringing you news, events plus a Scottish magazine section. Printed with 100% recycled electrons.Previous editions of this Newsletter are available in the Archive> and the Index to the other pages of the Rampant Scotland site is available here>.
The Scottish Snippets Newsletter in its original format began in April 1997 and continued in an unbroken series for 591 issues. Although no longer produced in that format there is now a regular update on the new and updated pages on the Rampant Scotland site and also "Scottie's Diary" on an intermittent basis, To receive this, kust send an e-mail to Scottie with "Subscribe Newsletter" in the subject line.
Current Affairs
Historical Affairs - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
Entertainment
Sport
In the First Division, St Johnstone's 5-0 demolition of Queen of the South and Gretna's defeat allowed the Perth side to rise to the top - but only due to a better goal difference than Partick Thistle, who have the same number of points. But Gretna and Hamilton are only two pints below them. Queen of the South, on the other hand, are 5 points adrift from Airdrie at the other end of the table.
Greenock Morton are 9 points clear from Stirling Albion at the top of the Second Division, with Forfar bringing up the rear, 5 points away from Raith Rovers.
East Fife with 26 points, have established a 6 point lead from Berwick Rangers at the top of the Third Division, while Elgin have won only 3 points this season at the foot of the table.
Currie are one point ahead of Boroughmuir at the top of the Scottish Rugby Premiership, with Watsonians three points further back. Hawick are trailing at the foot of the league, but the club is only one point behind Aberdeen. After the poor start to their domestic campaign, Rangers fans were hoping for a better performance in the Uefa Cup - and were delighted when the club defeated Italian side Livorno 3-2. Football commentators were unanimous in saying that the victory was well deserved. Unbelievably (or is it?), Rangers became the first Scottish club to win a European tie in Italy. And they did it with some style, playing attractive football in driving rain. The score-line might have looked even better if the Italians had not scored a late goal in injury time.
Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Scotland's US Strategy
The Scottish Executive and public bodies this week declared seven objectives as Scotland's US Strategy. They include raising the profile and understanding of Scotland in the US; expanding connections between businesses in Scotland and the US; attracting skilled Americans to experience living and working in Scotland; increasing student flows between Scotland and the US; strengthening bilateral science links; and attracting increased US tourism to Scotland. First Minister Jack McConnell launched the strategy as he addressed a business audience at the UK Consul in Los Angeles during his US visit. The First Minister said the strategy would build on what has already been achieved in the US by the Scottish Affairs Office in Washington, which was established in 2001. The US is Scotland's most important inward investor. It is also our most important overseas tourism market and Scotland's second largest source of foreign students.
Jobless Total Still Falling
In the UK as a whole, the number of people out of work rose by 42,000 in the three months to August, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. A total of 1.7million people were jobless, that's 250,000 more than a year ago and the worst figure in six years. But in Scotland, the number out of work fell by a further 21,000 from the previous quarter, to 125,000. That was 10,000 below the same time last year, giving an employment rate of 4.8%. The number of people working Scotland was 2.467 million, 5,000 higher than at the same time last year. But according to the Bank of Scotland Labour Market Report, published this week, there has been a slow-down in the rate of jobs growth, partly due to a lack of suitable candidates. Engineering and construction sectors recorded the strongest growth among permanent employees, while nursing/medical-care was the area where there was most demand for temporary staff.
Fishing Fleet Face Another Battle
For many years now, fishery experts have recommended major cut-backs on the level of fishing in the North Sea. And every year, the fishing industry representatives have fought back, arguing that there are far more fish in the sea than the experts say, and convincing the bureaucrats in the European Union in Brussels that the cuts should not be as draconian as those initially suggested. It looks as though this year will be no different. The advisory committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) is recommending, for the fifth successive year, a moratorium on cod catches to save fragile stocks. Last year, despite a similar recommendation, the European fisheries minister, lobbied hard by the representatives of those countries with fishing fleets, agreed instead a quota of 26,500 tonnes. This year, fishermen are reporting "increased numbers of cod" in their North Sea fishing grounds. But ICES claims that there are still no clear signs of a recovery in depleted stocks. And sandeel stocks are also low - as many hungry seabirds can also testify. At least the experts are recommending increases in mackerel and herring landings - two of the mainstay catches of Scotland's white fish fleet.
Digital TV Switchover Plans Updated
Analogue TV transmissions in the UK are being phased out, with the final transmitter closing down in 2012. But the changeover to solely digital TV is being implemented on an area by area basis, with the Border TV region (which covers the Scottish borders as well as Cumbria and the Isle of Man) being the first to lose analogue TV entirely by the middle of 2009. Grampian and Scottish regions are due to switch in 2010. Although a growing number of viewers are buying TV sets capable of receiving digital signals, around 25% of households, many in the remoter parts of Scotland, cannot yet receive a digital signal using an aerial, although cable and satellite is often available - at a cost.
£5.6 Billion for Clyde Regeneration Projects
The international WaterfrontExpo 2006 conference is being held this week at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre on the banks of the river Clyde in Glasgow. The participants heard that a review of investment in the waterfront regeneration in Scotland's largest city is now calculated to have produced a total of £5.6 billion, from public and private projects. The building works will see the creation of 900,000 square metres (9,675,000 square feet) of office, retail, industrial and leisure space and over 23,000 new homes.
First Scotrail Congratulated on Improved Punctuality
Railway company managements have had to have thick skins in recent years as everybody attacked them for poor punctuality. So there must have been delight at First Scotrail this week when the government agency Transport Scotland actually congratulated them for achieving a 90% punctuality record over the last eight months. While that still means that nearly 10% of the trains are over ten minutes late, it is a service level that has not been seen in Scotland since 2000. In the recent National Transport Awards in London, Scotrail won the award of "Public Transport Operator of the Year." First Direct took over the rail franchise two years ago, with promises of improved reliability - in the mid-1990s, punctuality levels were around 95%. The company announced this week that it is to embark on a major refurbishment of train stations across the north-east of Scotland, including a major makeover of the main terminus in the city of Aberdeen. The number of rail passengers in Scotland is now at its highest level since 1960.
Scottish House Prices Continue to Rise
The gap between house prices in Scotland and England has been narrowing since 2003, as the average cost of a home keeps rising faster in Scotland than south of the border. The latest Bank of Scotland's quarterly house price index, for example, shows that prices are rising here by an average of 14% a year, which is nearly twice that of the UK as a whole. The "average" price of a house (whatever that means) being sold in Scotland is now £123,000. There are, of course, differences between different parts of Scotland (or within towns and cities), with Edinburgh reaching an average of £193,815 - but try and get a decent house in the city centre of the Capital or in affluent suburban Cramond!
Biofuel Plants for Grangemouth and Rosyth
Two biodiesel fuel refineries are to be built in Scotland. Chemicals company Ineos, which already operates a crude oil refinery at Grangemouth, is build a facility there to produce half a million tonnes of green fuel from vegetable oil and diesel. It is seen as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and will be in production by 2008. And on the other side of the river Forth at Rosyth, construction of an eco-friendly biodiesel plant has been given planning approval. DMF Biodiesel will produce 50 million litres of the biodegradable, non-toxic alternative to diesel using oilseed and other vegetable oils. It will create an additional demand for vegetable oils, which will b of benefit to local farmers. By 2010, UK legislation requires that 5% of all fuel sold on UK forecourts will be from a renewable source.
Hospital Superbug Wiped Out - By Garden Cleaner
MRSA - Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus - has become an increasing threat to hospital patients. Hospital acquired infection rates have been hard to bring down because the bug is resistant to many of the current disinfectants. The problem is blamed to a certain extent on cutting cleaning costs, although there have been some success stories in individual hospitals where hygiene has been made a priority. But part of the answer may be a chemical used to keep garden furniture free of mould. Tests carried out at Glasgow Royal Infirmary's vascular surgery unit tested the new cleaner, Byotrol. It was found that when surfaces which were frequently touched - such as door handles and bed rails - were cleaned with the new agent, they were still clear of the superbug weeks after the treatment. Fewer patients in the ward where the test was carried out developed MRSA. And because it was only applied to a reduced number of surfaces, it was regarded as far safer than conventional bacteria-killing chemicals. The Royal Infirmary was, of course, the site where the principle of disinfecting areas to prevent disease was first proved in experiments by the pioneering surgeon Joseph Lister.
Decline in University Students from Scotland
The latest figures from the government agency Universities Scotland show that the number of students at Scottish universities has declined from 35,959 last year to 35,354, a decrease of 1.7%. But the number of Scots going on to university has slumped by around 1,100, while the number from England has also dropped. Fortunately, from the university point of view, students from the European Union, outside of Britain, rose by 31%, from 1660 to 2179 and the increase from overseas was 21.6%, (from 2143 to 2606). English student numbers fell 14.5%, from 4289 in 2005 to 3668 this year - partly due to the turbulence caused by "top-up" fees in English institutions over the last few years. If it had not been for the growing number of students from abroad, student numbers in Scottish universities would have declined by around 1,600 as a result of a lower number of entrants from the UK.
Luxury Homes for University Campus
Following on from the University of Strathclyde's decision to close down its campus at Jordanhill and move all the teaching to their buildings in central Glasgow, university officials have drawn up plans to sell off more than half of the college land for the building of luxury homes. 20 acres of the 41-acre site will be developed with apartment blocks. The original main building, the majority of the existing lawns, mature trees, and playing fields used by neighbouring Jordanhill school, will be retained, however. An earlier plan by Strathclyde University to merge Anniesland College into the Jordanhill site was met by loud opposition and was abandoned. But local residents may not be pleased with "Plan B" either.
£18 Million to Make Gleneagles "Best of the Best"
The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire considers that the international attention arising from hosting the G8 summit conference last year produced a considerable benefit. The hotel management are now looking to reinforce that as a result of being the venue for the Ryder Cup in 2014. So they are undertaking an £18 million investment programme which will include room refurbishment, a new spa, restaurant and leisure facilities, and golf course and estate development. The aim is to make certain that Gleneagles is "the best of the best". But with the focus on that project and the development of Braid House and the Glenmor Seasonal Ownership project, the management has decided to withdraw from the proposed joint-venture with Ochil Developments. This would have created a five-star hotel, two golf courses and high value housing on a 600 acre site at Blackford, a project previously known as Gleneagles West. Perth and Kinross Council had already given unanimous backing to the development and, despite its size and being described as a "millionaires' playground", the Scottish Executive decided not to set up an inquiry into the plan.
Scotland's Roads - Worst in Britain for Potholes
A car warranty company has revealed that 23% of all claims by Scottish motorists in the last year were due to damage caused by potholes and poor road surfaces. That made Scotland the worst area in the UK, with an average of 350 claims a day. That percentage is twice as high as that for north-east England, East Anglia and north-west England. In the West Midlands, the figure fell to just 8%. Over many years, local authorities have just patched up road surfaces that are reported to be in a bad condition. But the "sticking plaster" approach means that the same bit of road often needs attention again within a couple of years. It has been estimated by the Society of Chief Officers for Transportation in Scotland that it would cost £1.5 billion to catch up on the backlog of repairs across Scotland. The government spending watchdog, Audit Scotland, recently suggested a figure of £2 billion "to provide Scotland with a roads network fit for the 21st century." Last year, the government allocated £458 million to local authorities to spend on transport, including roads, but there is no evidence that conditions are improving. This is partly because some local councils use the cash to fund other services as it is not "ring-fenced" for roads only.
Clackmannanshire Bridge?
Having fought a long battle to ensure that the northern end of the new bridge across the river Forth at Kincardine should actually be in the county of Clackmannan, the local council there are considering launching a bid to lobby Scottish Executive ministers to have it officially named as the "Clackmannanshire Bridge". Scotland's smallest unitary authority is big on ideas, claiming to have the fastest rate of housing growth in Scotland and the second highest rate of population growth. There are also fears that because it crosses the river diagonally, it could "suffer the same fate" as Glasgow's latest crossing over the river Clyde, which became known locally as the "Squinty Bridge". The authorities in Glasgow only announced its official name - Clyde Arc - as it was being opened. Of course, Falkirk Council at the southern end of the new bridge might have other ideas on the name? With a bit of bad luck, if they combined the names of the two authorities into the name of the bridge, Scotland's smallest county could have the longest bridge name in the country...
Fancy Playing 578 Scottish Golf Courses?
When golf mad Ernie Payne began his project to play on every 18 and 9-hole golf course in Scotland 23 years ago, he probably didn't realise it was going to take that long. He began as a "youngster" of 37 and is now a retired manager at the age of 60. He worked his way through the 563 courses registered with VisitScotland's "Golf in Scotland" but found a few extra ones along the way, bringing his tally to 578. His last course was the Kingsbarns Golf Links, near St Andrews this week - he must have kept a good one for the end (see illustration). VisitScotland are now busy updating their database - Mr Payne has a score card for every course he has played on. And his favourite? Based on layout, hole variation, features and level of difficulty it is also the most expensive course to play - Loch Lomond. His choice may have been influenced, though, by the private club waiving his £180 fee when they heard about his project.
Scotland Soar Up the World Football Rankings
When was the last time that anyone could write a headline like that? (This item should really be in the sports section - but here it is in case you don't get that far...) Former manager Berti Vogts left Scotland languishing at an all-time low of 88 in the world rankings just over eighteen months ago. But ever since Walter Smith arrived in March 2005, the side has indeed soared and this week they reached 25th place. They are now placed above World Cup qualifiers such as Poland, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago, Serbia, Japan, Australia, South Korea and, most remarkably of all, the United States (who were rated 4th as recently as April and are now 29th). Scotland's highest-ever ranking was 20th, back in May 2001, with Craig Brown as manager.
Scottish Borders from Above
After two years of work, a book of aerial photographs of the eastern Scottish Borders is being launched next month by a former head school teacher. "Scottish Borders from Above" has a mixture of black and white as well as colour photographs. It is largely composed of aerial shots of towns, villages, stately homes, monuments as well as natural features, but also has maps from the 1820s and 1850s of the larger towns. The photos have been gathered from a wide range of sources, including the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Scottish Cultural Resource Archive Network (Scran) and Scottish Borders Council. Originally the book was going to cover all the Borders area, but author Alastair Campbell found so much material, he decided to produce two books - another covering the western area of the Borders will be published later. The first book will be on sale on book shops in the Scottish Borders and also from Amazon UK.
Name That Curry
Glasgow has a renowned reputation for serving up curry and its Indian restaurants frequently win the title of "UK Curry Capital". So when National Curry Week comes along, many of the eating places there join in as this annual event encourages Indian restaurants throughout Britain to hold fundraisers in a bid to alleviate poverty and suffering in South Asia. India Quay, beside the new "Clyde Arc" bridge in Finnieston, is coincidentally celebrating its first year in business next week and so it is holding a lunchtime blind-folded taste test on Tuesday. Customers at India Quay will have their knowledge of Indian cuisine put to the test as they are asked to match each sample with the correct dish. The individual with the most correct answers will receive a complimentary meal for two with wine. Participants are encouraged to donate £1 which is passed on to the charity Oxfam. For more on India Quay, you can see my review of lunch there a few months ago at Great Places to Eat - India Quay.
Wildlife Conservation Project Completed
Over the last five years, the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) has spent £5.1 million on 95 of its 123 wildlife reserves, including the upgrading of three visitor centres, Montrose Basin, Loch of the Lowes and the Falls of Clyde at New Lanark, as well as constructing or improving pathways, building bridges, carrying out woodland improvement on 24 reserves, the publication of 14 leaflets as well as the production of a reserves guide and installation of signs, interpretation panels and way markers. The Heritage Lottery Fund provided £3.69 million of the total finance - the largest award by the fund to any UK wildlife trust. SWT has now completed the project and says it came in on time and on budget.
Aberdeen Monopoly Launched
At the last minute, the makers of the Monopoly board game published this week decided that the limited Aberdeen edition will not have the "Go to Jail" penalty square replaced with "Go to Dundee", after protests from the City of Discovery. Aberdonians were asked to vote for which prominent sites in the city should be on the board and Marischal College has scooped the coveted Mayfair slot. The football stadium at Pittodrie played hard to win that accolade and at one stage the company thought they might have to throw the dice to decide the winner. Other locations include Union Street (3rd), Duthie Park (4th), Aberdeen Art Gallery, Provost Skene's House, the Tolbooth and the Beach Ballroom.
Buckfast Tonic Wine Fights Back
Buckfast Tonic Wine (often known as simply Buckfast or "Buckie" in Scotland), is a tonic wine produced by Buckfast Abbey in Devon, south west England. It was first produced in 1890s by the Benedictine monks at Buckfast Abbey using a recipe brought over from France. It has achieved a surprising level of popularity within working class communities in certain parts of Scotland (and Ireland) and in some areas is known as "Coatbridge Table Wine" after the North Lanarkshire town where it is popular. It is often regarded as the "drink of choice" by underage and anti-social youngsters because it provides a strong alcoholic effect for a low cost. So it is perhaps not surprising that politicians should single it out for special attention. Health Minister Andy Kerr recently described it as "a seriously bad drink" and Justice Minister Cathie Jamieson was threatened with legal action when she encouraged its removal from the shelves in her constituency. But with half the sales Buckfast coming from Scotland, the distributor is fighting back, pointing out that it has a very small share of the total alcoholic drink market in Scotland - and that the Health Minister's comments had come just before the controversial announcement of the closure of the accident and emergency wards of Ayr Hospital.
Weather in Scotland This Week
A blanket of fog over the west of Scotland and other areas on Monday resulted in delays to early morning flights and on the roads. The rest of the week was unsettled, with showers and bright periods - no change there then... Temperatures continue to be above the October average. Though mainly around 13/14C (55/57F) in most areas, Glasgow reached 17C (63F) on Wednesday. Stornoway had the unusual situation on Wednesday of the thermometer dropping from 12C (54F) at 9am to 10C (50F) by lunchtime.
This Week's Colour Supplement
This week's online photographs taken in Scotland to show the current season and its flora and fauna include "Egbert", the Little Egret that over-winters at Loch Leven; the village of Scotlandwell, nestling under Bishop Hill, Perth and Kinross (see thumbnail here); a Mosaic Puff Ball Mushroom; red ivy; the historic Smithy at Gretna Green - in the rain. See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Lead Mining Museum Sinking?
The Scottish Lead Mining Museum at Wanlockhead, in Dumfries and Galloway. has been struggling to survive for a number of years. Now the lack of funds has forced the museum trustees to announce that when it closes for the winter at the end of October, it will not then re-open in March 2007. Wanlockhead is Scotland's highest village at 1531 feet (467 metres) above sea level. It owes its existence to the lead and other mineral deposits (gold from there is in the Scottish crown) which were first exploited by the Romans. The village was founded permanently in 1680 when the Duke of Buccleuch built a lead smelting plant and workers' cottages. Commercial production ceased in the 1950s. The museum opened in 1974, attracting as many as 30,000 visitors each year, but numbers have declined in recent times to about half that level. The trustees say that it could still open next year, but only if the new source of funding could be "fast-tracked".
The illustration of the hydraulic engine at Wanlockhead via Wikipedia.
Bamse the St Bernard Immortalised
A statue was unveiled in the Angus coastal town of Montrose this week, commemorating a St Bernard dog which became a hero and a mascot of the Free Norwegian Forces during World War II. Bamse (pronounced Bump-sa) was a St Bernard who earned the animal equivalent of the George Cross as a crew member on board the Norwegian minesweeper Thorudd which was stationed at Montrose and Dundee during the war. His exploits included saving a young lieutenant who was set upon by a man with a knife during a pub brawl and rescuing a sailor who fell overboard. Bamse had a personalised steel helmet and had his own bus pass which hung from his collar. Bus drivers stopped when they saw him and he went upstairs - dogs were not allowed on the lower deck. The St Bernard then went round the bars in Montrose and dragged the sailors back to the ship before curfew time. A delegation of naval officers from Norway and local school children attended the unveiling of the statue by Prince Andrew to this "war hero" .
Scotland's History: The Top Ten
What were the most important historical events to shape Scotland? Getting agreement on that is as likely as another Jacobite uprising, but that didn't stop an appeal by the presenter of a BBC TV series to ask for nominations. The request produced responses from thousands of viewers and now BBC2 is to broadcast a series of three TV programmes in November, which will highlight the 30 most nominated subjects. The last programme will be transmitted on the evening of 30 November, St Andrews Day. Each programme will include a leading historian who will "champion" one of the most nominated subjects - including the Wars of Independence (which saved the Scottish state) and Robert Burns - "worth a thousand Bannockburns" according to one historian. In the last programme, a panel of seven historians will select the "top 10" things from Scotland's history that people who live in Scotland really should know about. Viewers are being given the chance to vote on these and the top viewers' choice will be announced at the end of the programme. It sounds like an entertaining romp through the last thousand years, but hopefully might stimulate some much-needed interest in the subject.
Next Week in Scottish History
National Mod Returning To Its Roots
The Royal National Mod, which has been taking place this week in Dunoon, is to go back to its roots in 2009. It was agreed this week that it would be held in Oban that year - the Mod started in that Argyll town in 1892 and was last there in 2003. Next year it will be held in Lochaber and in 2008 the venue will be Falkirk in the central lowlands. The competitions are a major feature of the Mod and the prestigious gold medals were declared towards the end of the week. The winner of the women's medal was Kirsteen Macdonald, from Inverness, while Alasdair Whyte, of the Isle of Mull, took the men's award. The competitors had to sing two songs, with one prescribed and the other of their own choice.
Dressed to Kilt
The Los Angeles Fashion Week was launched last weekend with a galaxy of Scottish celebrities at the "Dressed to Kilt" event. Rod Stewart's daughter Kimberly raised eye-brows by wearing a mini-kilt with stockings and suspenders, while True Romance star Patricia Arquette was equally revealing in a low-cut dress designed by Vivienne Westwood. Also flying the flag were Scots rugby star Chris Cusiter, Sweet Sixteen actor Martin Compston and Ashley Jensen, from Extras. Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell, who is in the US to encourage Americans to visit - or indeed live and work - in Scotland, also attended. After his sensational pinstripe kilt at the 2004 Tartan Day celebrations in New York, Jack McConnell wore a more douce, traditional tartan kilt in LA.
Dynamic Improvements Increase Visitor Numbers
The Edinburgh visitor attraction Our Dynamic Earth has gone through some rocky periods since it opened in 1999. Visitor numbers did not meet the (probably optimistic) projections and income from corporate events in the evening was restricted when nearby residents complained about noise. The construction of the new Scottish Parliament building across the road also restricted road access.The Scottish Executive had to bail it out in 2003 with a £500,000 subsidy. But it seems that a recent major revamp, costing £2 million (largely funded again by the Millennium Commission of the National Lottery Fund), seems to have had a good impact on visitor numbers. In June and July, numbers were up by around 20% compared with the same months last year. There has also been a boom in corporate business (sound proofing solved the problem for its neighbours). The improved performance has now encouraged the attraction to go ahead with a £250,000 plan to refurbish its polar gallery, with finance provided this time by the Scottish Executive.
Festival of Froth
The beer festival run by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) is coming back to Aberdeen next month, from 2-4 November. During the three-day event, lovers of quality beer will be able to sample 72 cask beers from around the UK. Last year, the 3,500 enthusiasts drank the 19th Great Grampian Beer Festival dry, by consuming the equivalent of 14,000 pints, so the organisers are laying on an extra supply this year. The event is staging the inaugural Champion Winter Beer of Scotland contest. Judges will blind-taste a selection of Scottish stouts, porters, old ales, strong milds and barley wines, which have been highly rated over the past 12 months by Camra's trained tasting experts. Sponsorship is being provided by the Aviemore-based Cairngorm Brewery, winner of the Champion Beer of Scotland title in 2004 and 2005. See http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=209951
TV Focus on Donaldson's School for Deaf
A fly-on-the-wall documentary is to be filmed for television at the world-famous Donaldson's School for the Deaf in Edinburgh. It will cover the next 18 months at the school as it prepares to move from its present historic home to a new purpose built facility in Linlithgow. It will show what life is like for deaf school-age children and how the 150-year-old building, designed by the renowned architect Sir William Henry Playfair, is no longer appropriate for modern teaching methods and why it is moving. The TV show is being made for BBC Scotland by Edinburgh production company Hand Pict and will be shown early in 2008.
Last King of Scotland
A film entitled "The Last King of Scotland" about the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, had its Scottish premier at the Inverness Film Festival this week. Actor Forest Whitaker has been tipped for an Oscar for his role as the military leader, who styled himself King of Scotland (as well as Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular). Other films at the Inverness Film Festival included "The Flying Scotsman" about Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree. Another film, which had almost as eye-catching a title as "The Last King of Scotland" was a documentary following the Pamir Kirghiz tribe of Central Asia entitled "37 Uses for a Dead Sheep."
Picture (from a Ugandan banknote) via Wikipedia.
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
Hibernian 2 Heart of Midlothian 2
Celtic 3 Benfica (Portugal) 0 (European Champions League, Group F)
Livorno (Italy) 2 Rangers 3 (Uefa Cup, Group A)Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 21 October 2006
Aberdeen 3 Dundee United 1
Celtic 2 Motherwell 1
Heart of Midlothian 0 Kilmarnock 2
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3 Falkirk 2
St Mirren v Rangers will be played on Sunday and Dunfermline play Hibs on Monday.Scottish Football League First Division Results - 21 October 2006
Airdrie United 1 Partick Thistle 2
Dundee 1 Hamilton 1
Gretna 3 Clyde 3
Livingston 0 Ross County 0
St Johnstone 5 Queen of South 0Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 21 October 2006
Cowdenbeath 1 Ayr United 1
Forfar 1 Raith Rovers1
Greenock Morton 3 Stranraer 0
Peterhead 1 Alloa 2
Stirling Albion 2 Brechin City 1Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 21 October 2006
Berwick Rangers 3 Arbroath 2
East Fife 2 Albion Rovers 2
East Stirling 0 Dumbarton 2
Montrose 0 Stenhousemuir 1
Queens Park 3 Elgin 0BT Scotland Rugby Division 1 Results - 21 October 2006
Aberdeen 41 Boroughmuir 34
Glasgow Hawks 39 Melrose 10
Hawick 22 Dundee 23
Heriots 13 Ayr 6
Watsonians 5 Currie 22League Tables
Celtic increased their lead over Hearts at the top of the SPL to 8 points on Saturday, as a result of their own win and a surprising defeat of the Edinburgh club by Kilmarnock. That put the Ayrshire club into third position - though they could be overtaken by Rangers, who play St Mirren on Sunday. Rangers' 1-0 defeat last Saturday by Inverness Caledonian Thistle (wrongly typed in last week's edition of this newsletter as 0-0 - oops!) continued what had become the club's worst start to the season in 23 years, with only 15 points from 10 games. Perhaps the boost from that win in the Uefa Cup will provide the kick-start needed for the domestic competition. Dundee United and Dunfermline are trailing at the foot of the SPL table, two points behind Motherwell.
Clydesdale Bank Nets SPL Sponsorship
In March, Bank of Scotland announced that it was not renewing its sponsorship of the Scottish Premier League, after nine years of providing financial support. This week, the 12 SPL clubs unanimously agreed an £8 million, four-year sponsorship deal with Clydesdale Bank. It was claimed that there had been "strong competition" for the sponsorship but the Clydesdale Bank came out on top. Their chief executive is a football enthusiast and a Celtic supporter (who was turned down after a trial by one of the lesser Scottish football clubs when he was a teen-ager) and the Clydesdale's parent company, National Australia Group, is headed by a Scot, John Stewart.
Celtic and Rangers Excel in Europe
Celtic produced a sparkling result in their group match in the European Champions League at Parkhead against Benfica this week, defeating the Portuguese side in grand style by 3-0. It was described by some of the football pundits as the best performance by Celtic so far this season. Kenny Miller scored two goals and was involved in the third goal - finished by Stephen Pearson. The return match against Benfica is scheduled for November 1.
"Bitter Blow" of Rugby Sevens Decision
Although it was well trailed in advance, there was still disappointment in the Scottish Borders when it was confirmed this week that the IRB rugby sevens final will go to Edinburgh's Murrayfield stadium next year. But the Scottish Rugby Union has agreed a five-year deal with the IRB and so the door is still ajar for the event to be staged at Melrose, the spiritual home of sevens rugby, in 2008.
Andy Murray Stuns World #3
Scottish tennis star Andy Murray has gone through a bad patch, crashing out in the first round of his last two tournaments. But he bounced back at the Madrid Masters this week and reached the third round - after defeating the world number three, Ivan Ljubicic, with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win. Ljubicic is regarded as one of the best indoor players in the world and the win will have given Murray more confidence. But that was enough in the next round of the tournament. Having won through to the last 16 and winning the first set 6-1 and breaking his opponent's serve in the second, he then lost the next two sets 7-5 6-3 to Serbia's Novak Djokovic.
Pirates Marooned
The Paisley Pirates ice hockey team has been forced to leave their home rink at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in the town because the rink there is being closed for repairs. All the team's home fixtures have been cancelled but if a temporary home with a suitable surface cannot be found, the club will be forced to close. The Paisley Pirates were formed after World War II but folded after 25 years. The team was relaunched in 1992 when the Paisley Lagoon opened in the town. There is a rink at Braehead, only a few miles away, but the Pirates do not have the finances to pay for a commercial arena - they attract a "crowd" of around 350 for their Scottish National and Northern league games.