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.
The "Magazine" section includes songs/poems of Scotland, Scottish humour and brief descriptions of Scottish Culture items added recently to the Rampant Scotland Website - with a link to the page where you can find the full feature, if you find the subject of interest to you.
Kilspindie House, Aberlady, East Lothian
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Current Affairs
Scotland's Top Visitor Attraction - By a Mile
Before the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow closed for a major refurbishment in 2003, it regularly welcomed over a million visitors a year, making it the most popular, free tourist attraction in the country. Only Edinburgh Castle (which charges an entry fee) had more visitors, with 1.2 million last year. Usually when these projects are in the formative stages, optimistic estimates are given for what the new numbers through the doors will be - and the City of Glasgow seemed to be following the same route when it suggested they would double. But four months after the re-opening, a staggering 1.8 million people have toured the attraction and now the gallery management is talking of reaching nearly 4 million by the end of the first twelve months. The modernisation increased the public areas in the building by 35% and increased the number of items on display from 3,000 to 8,000. But it's not just these hard facts that are attracting folk to Kelvingrove. The slick presentation of exhibits and the buzz around the place (partly due of course to the large number of people milling around) make for an exciting experience - and not many museums and art galleries can achieve that.
Homicides in Scotland at Lowest Level for 15 years
There was a certain amount of surprise - and even scepticism - at National Statistics Office figures published this week. They claimed that the annual number of homicides in Scotland to March this year had fallen by 32%. The media focus on every such crime inevitably leads the public to think that it is an every-day occurrence. But there were 93 victims of homicide last year, 44 fewer than 2004/05 and the lowest figure since 1990-91. Of course, the 137 victims in the previous year was the highest ever recorded, which made the percentage reduction seem larger.. The number of offences in which a firearm was fired and killed or caused injury dropped by nearly 40 per cent from 342 to 197. Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said the fall was further evidence that Scotland is becoming a safer place to live and work - but warned that there was still a long way to go to achieve the kind of year-on-year reductions needed to turn around Scotland's 'booze and blades' culture. Most of the killings that took place were committed in Glasgow - where a knife was the most common weapon used. The Scottish Executive Justice Minister insisted, however, that serious violent crime was at its lowest level since 1999.
Toughest Anti-Smoking Laws in Europe?
It is being suggested that Scotland will have the toughest anti-smoking laws in Europe if a Scottish Executive proposal to raise the legal age for buying cigarettes from 16 to 18 goes ahead. Smoking in all public buildings came into force at the end of March this year in Scotland. The ban also applies to all enclosed workplaces, so commercial vehicles are included - though smoking van drivers may feel that the police have other issues to pursue. Anyone breaking the ban faces an immediate fine and premises that do not stop smoking going ahead are liable for even heavier financial penalties. The legislation in England and Wales on smoking in public buildings does not come into force until next summer. An expert group on smoking prevention in Scotland has recommended to the Health Minister a ban on tobacco sales to under-18s and a tough approach on vendors who sell tobacco products to under-age customers. However, surveys suggest that currently 5% of boys and 7% of girls are regular smokers by the age of 13, so raising the minimum age is likely to have only a marginal effect.
National Health Service Patients on Computer
The Scottish Executive Health Minister signed a £300million deal this week with a private consortium which plans to open a high security data centre in Livingston. This will hold the health details of every National Health Service (NHS) patient in Scotland on a new super-computer. The 11-year contract will convert existing paper records to electronic data for millions of NHS patients across the country. A similar scheme in England has been beset with major problems and soaring costs. But the Scottish Executive claims that they have "gone slowly and carefully" and that the Scottish system is now ahead of that in the south. The Scottish system will only have a brief electronic file for patients, with basic information that could be useful to doctors and nurses in an emergency. These give details of drugs that the patient has been prescribed and NHS staff must ask a patient for permission before accessing their file - unless the person is unconscious. If a patient does not want a summary, they can inform their GP. That should reassure Civil liberties organisations who have expressed concern about the implications about non-health professionals - or potential hackers - accessing the system.
Funding for Botanic Gardens Showcase
The project to create a state-of-the-art Gateway Visitor Centre at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh took a major step forward this week as the Scottish Executive allocated another £4 million towards the development. That brings the amount committed by the government, the Heritage Lottery Fund and private donations to £14.7 million. Another million pounds will allow construction to go ahead. The plan for the Gateway will allow two way communication between visitors and locations around the globe - meaning people can see sustainable working methods in Peru or an expedition to discover plants in South America or Japan.
Scotland's Most Ambitious Engineering Project for Generations.
The design plans for the rail link under the main runway of Edinburgh airport were published this week by the managers of the construction project. Two tunnels, each 1.5 kilometres long, will have their roofs 8 metres below the runway surface and part of the link will go under the river Almond. It has been described by the director of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link (Earl) project as "Scotland's most ambitious engineering project for generations." A team of world-class tunnelling engineers is being assembled to mastermind the design and construction. Preliminary work will start by the end of 2007 but the main boring for the tunnels will not go ahead until 2009. The estimated capital cost of the scheme is approximately £610 million, with the rail service targeted to commence operation in 2010/11. Most of the cost is being met by the Scottish Executive (in other words, the taxpayers).
Plan to Double Size of Shopping Mall
Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow already provides 600,000 square feet of retail floor space. But the management announced plans this week to increase that to nearly a million square feet. The adjacent space over the railway line into Queen Street station would be built over and the 2,000 space car park would be demolished to make way for more shops. A new, larger car park would then be built over Buchanan Street Bus Station, with a pedestrian bridge across Killermont Street to the shopping malls. The present Buchanan Galleries opened in 1999.
Redundancy Fears of ScottishPower Takeover
The £12 billion bid by Spanish utility giant Iberdola for ScottishPower has raised concerns amongst trade unions that it will lead to large-scale redundancies in the Scottish-based power supplier. Customer service staff based in Glasgow could be first to go as there are cheaper off-shore suppliers. Administration, finance and personnel functions are also under a potential threat. The takeover is still being negotiated, so both companies have to stay silent on such subjects at this stage. The takeover offer came a week after ScottishPower announced a 77% rise in pre-tax profits for six months to £483 million.
New Hospital Construction Starts
The Greater Glasgow and Clyde health service has begun work on a new Stobhill hospital, to replace the existing 102-year-old facility in the north of the city. The new building (see artist's impression) will serve patients from north and east Glasgow and East Dunbartonshire and will include a Marie Curie Hospice, an inpatient mental health service for young people and a new secure care centre. There will be a number of specialist health services such as cardiology, renal dialysis and gynaecology.
Online Exam Results for Students
Earlier this year, a pilot scheme allowed 400 Higher and Standard Grade Exam candidates to receive their results online, direct from the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA). The exercise proved to be a success and next year 170,000 exam candidates will have the option of having their results in electronic form, instead of waiting for the brown enevelope to be delivered by the postal service. Candidates are assigned unique codes and passwords so that they can log on to a secure SQA web server to view their results. They will even be sent a text message to their mobile phones to tell them when the results are available. The new system will appeal particularly to students who are away from home or on holiday abroad when the results come through the letter box.
Cancer Care Centre Wins Best Building Award
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has announced that this year's winner of the "Best Building in Scotland" is Maggie's Highland Cancer Care Centre in Inverness. This year there were 34 entries of new buildings - the largest ever - from all over Scotland. The short list included the Royal Bank of Scotland's HQ at Gogarburn, Perth Concert Hall, the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh and the Saltire Centre in Glasgow. But it was the striking new building in Inverness that came out on top with the judges. RIAS is the professional body for Scotland’s 3,000 chartered architects.
Scotland-Now E-magazine
Scotland-Now is the free, quarterly E-magazine targeted at the Scottish diaspora and all those with an interest in Scotland. The E-magazine contains interesting facts and features about what contemporary dynamic Scotland has to offer as a great place to visit, live, study, work, do business and invest. Scotland-Now aims to keep Scots around the world connected to modern Scotland. Look out for the special St Andrew's Day edition of Scotland-Now on 30 November. You can sign up to receive Scotland-Now at this address www.scotland-now.com.
House of Fraser Stag May be Culled
The department store chain House of Fraser was founded in 1849 in Glasgow and adopted its "prancing stag" logo in 1909. During the 1970s it took over a number of major retail outlets and now operates 61 department stores across the UK. But earlier this year it was taken over by Icelandic investment company Baugur, who promised to breath new life into the slumbering giant. There are media leaks (possibly to test reaction from the public) that the company logo will go as part of the modernisation strategy. The stores are in a mixture of city centre and regional shopping centre locations and are generally the largest or second largest department store in their local market.
Importance of Trump Golf Course
The chairman of the Scottish tourism agency, VisitScotland, has encouraged the north-east of Scotland to seize the potential benefits of the plans by the US tycoon Donald Trump to create "the world's greatest golf course" on the Aberdeenshire coast. Speaking after presenting the "Northern Lights" tourism awards, Peter Lederer said that when one of the world's most successful businessmen is looking to invest £300 million in tourism, then the community should work to accommodate him - and vice versa. The tourism chief also outlined the VisitScotland ambitious plans to expand Scotland's tourism by 50% in the next decade. Helped by the golf course plans, he predicted that the north-east could achieve that target in half the time. But he also warned that the region had to have the right infrastructure in place, with improvements to road, rail and air services.
Now - Single Malt Vodka!
Two Glasgow businessmen have come up with the latest drink sensation - the world's first single malt Scottish vodka. It may not (yet?) have the global sales of single malt whisky, but the production processes have been borrowed from the classic Scotch. It uses a batch distillation process using 100% Scottish malt barley, normally used in whisky distilling, plus soft Highland water from the River Spey. It is also distilled five times in traditional copper pot stills. Named "Valt", the new spirit goes on sale in the New Year. It is clearly targeted at the younger age-group and has a lion rampant on the front of the bottle.
Smokies Sniff Out Top Prize
Arbroath Smokies won over celebrity TV chef Gary Rhodes and a panel of judges who named Iain Spink Scotland's "Local Food Hero 2006" in a cook-off in Plymouth. Mr Spink surprised the judges by spurning the studio facilities - and cooked his smokies (fresh haddock smoked over a hardwood fire) in the traditional manner in a barrel in the grounds of the TV studio. The fish had been salted overnight before being tied in pairs before being smoked in a special barrel. Mr Spink is now through to the UK final. Hopefully it will be held in a TV studio with open ground outside...
Sea Eagle Numbers Soaring
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Scotland has proudly announced that Scotland's population of sea eagles is expanding, with 29 young birds flying from their nests this year. Ten of the chicks were reared on the Isle of Mull. White-tailed sea eagles were reintroduced to the island of Rum in 1975 and soon afterwards expanded to Mull and Skye, where there are now 33 breeding pairs - nearly two thirds of Scotland's entire population of these magnificent birds. The sea eagles on Mull are to feature in the BBC TV series "Saving Planet Earth " and also "Nature's Calendar".
Picture via Wikipedia.
Lazarus to Rise Again?
During his long and turbulent career in Glasgow politics, Pat Lally earned the nickname of "Lazarus" because of the number of times his political opponents (often within his own party) thought they had vanquished him and he then floated once more to the top. When Glasgow won the title of "European City of Culture" in 1990, Pat Lally as Lord Provost (roughly equivalent to Mayor), pushed through the building of the Royal Concert Hall. Because of his involvement, it is sometimes referred to as "Lally's Palais". He finally retired form local government politics in 1999 - although in 2005 he had an unsuccessful attempt to win a seat in a by-election for the Scottish Parliament. Now the 81-year-old has risen from the dead again, and is reported to be preparing to stand as a list candidate for the "Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party" at the Scottish Parliament next May. If he is elected, he would almost certainly be the oldest Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) - and would give many of the younger MSPs a run for their money!
Weather in Scotland This Week
Once again, Scotland experienced a lot of torrential rain and high winds this week. That resulted in a number of water-logged roads, with some becoming impassable. The worst hit areas were in the Highlands and the west of the country. Over an inch of rain fell last Sunday in parts of the Highlands and 50mph winds hit the Western Isles and the high winds reached inland to places such as Glasgow. On Monday, the river Nith in Dumfries burst its banks, creating some flood damage. Some areas had sunshine on Tuesday and Wednesday - before the rain and winds returned on Thursday and Friday. High winds on Thursday night ripped a huge advertising hoarding from the former Post Office building in George Square in Glasgow. That meant a road closure and the switching off of Christmas lights there. Maximum temperatures this week were largely 7/9C (45/48F) but the strong winds often made it feel colder than that. One quirk of the weather has been early snow in the Highlands, which has allowed the ski slope at Cairn Gorm to open this weekend.
The illustration shows the high water in the river Kelvin in Glasgow.
This Week's Colour Supplement
This week's large format photographs taken in Scotland to show the current season and its flora and fauna include a bleak-looking University of Glasgow from Kelvingrove Park (see thumbnail), a Grey Squirrel, pigeons, Stewart Fountain and a Monarch Airlines Airbus at Glasgow Airport. See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Historical Affairs - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
Fraser of Lovat Flag Mystery
Half of a flag bearing the crest of Fraser of Lovat, which is nearly 300 years old, has come to light and has been conserved by experts over the last twelve months. It is thought that it had been cut in half and given to two descendants in the 1820s. At first it was suggested that the flag had been carried at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. But it now seems more likely that it was even earlier and was a camp flag of Lord Lovat, in the Independent Highland Companies, also known as the Black Watch, either in 1715 or more likely, 1725. In addition to the mystery of the flag's history - and why it was cut into two - is the inclusion of the words "I am" in the crest. The Fraser of Lovat motto is normally "Je Suis Prest" or "I am Ready" in French. If it wasn't expressed in French it should be in Scots or Gaelic, not English. The owners of the flag are keen to find out if the other half of the flag exists and the editor of the Clan Fraser Society of Scotland and the UK is acting as an intermediary. If you have any information, he can be contacted via www.fraserclan.com.
Scottish Quest Relaunched
A new version of the history board game "Scottish Quest" has been launched, featuring National Trust for Scotland (NTS) properties. The game was first issued in 2004 and tested the knowledge of players with 2,400 questions about Scotland's culture, history and nature. The aim of the game is to travel the length and breadth of Scotland, answering multiple-choice questions and collecting letters for bonus points. The NTS version focuses on the 128 NTS sites, which include Culloden and Bannockburn battlefields.
Nuclear Power is History
Historic Scotland, the government agency responsible for looking after much of the nation's heritage, is considering granting "listed building" status to the nuclear power stations at Dounreay power station in Caithness, Chapelcross in Dumfriesshire and Hunterston B in Ayrshire. Their old nuclear generators are reaching the end of their useful lives and face demolition. But if they become listed by Historic Scotland, the distinctive buildings that house them could be preserved in perpetuity. Already, the decommissioning of Dounreay is under way and the UK Atomic Energy Authority has been in consultation with Historic Scotland, with a view to preserving its prominent dome. But it has emerged that the high cost of maintenance could be a stumbling block - it costs £150,000 each year to paint the dome. Who pays?
U-Boats From 1918 Discovered Off Orkney
Two German U-boats, reported missing in 1918, have been accidentally discovered during a routine sonar survey by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, 70 miles off Sanday Sound in Orkney. One of the submarines was commanded by the captain of the U-boat that had laid the mines that sank HMS Hampshire, drowning Lord Kitchener and many of its crew. Kitchener is perhaps best remembered for his moustached face in recruitment posters with the exhortation "Your country needs you". The two U-boats have been identified as U-103 and U-92. They too had probably been sunk by mines in the area.
Next Week in Scottish History
Entertainment
Five Stars for Science Centre
The process used by VisitScotland in rating the top tourism sites in the country is something of a mystery. Some locations, which seem to be a shoe-in, don't make the grade (such as Edinburgh Zoo with only four stars) or aren't even mentioned (like Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery). Whatever the methodology, the Glasgow Science Centre has now been presented with the top five-star grading - making it the second location in the city to gain that recognition. The other is the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden. The Science Centre has hundreds of interactive exhibits, a planetarium and an IMAX large screen cinema. It sometimes has the Glasgow Tower to get great views over the city - but regrettably that has been closed, because of technical problems, more than it has been opened.
Aberdeen Switched On
The Christmas lights in Aberdeen's Union Street were switched on last Tuesday by entertainer Michael Barrymore, who is appearing in the musical "Scrooge" at His Majesty's Theatre in the city. It marked the start of this year's "Festive Aberdeen" programme and the costumes worn by a variety of colourful carnival characters were said to highlight the vibrant tones used for the region’s new "branding" - Aberdeen City and Shire - a Brighter Outlook. Highlights of the programme include a German Christmas Market in the Castlegate, a Christmas tree donated by the Norwegian city of Stavanger and a Christmas carol concert at the Winter Gardens.
Kylie Minogue for Glasgow
The number of visitors to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum are already stratospheric and their latest acquisition should keep the place buzzing. 200 of pop princess Kylie Minogue's most outrageous outfits, which were gifted to the Melbourne Arts Centre, are to go on display at Kelvingrove next September. The outfits include those gold hotpants (reputedly bought at a London market for 50p) and her mini dress from the Royal Variety Performance in 2002. Not quite in the same class are her mechanic's overalls from playing Charlene in Neighbours.
Picture via Wikipedia.
St Andrew's Festival
A five-day St Andrew's Festival of Scottish music, song, dance and culture is being staged at St Andrew's in the Square, which has become a centre for Scottish culture in Glasgow. The building is also celebrating its 250th anniversary this year. The festival, which includes a ceilidh and a performance by the Capella Nova choir, runs from 29 November to 3 December.
Sport
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
Aberdeen 2 St Mirren 0
Heart of Midlothian 0 Rangers 1
Partick Thistle 1 Clyde 1
Ross County 2 St Johnstone 2
Celtic 1 Manchester United 0 (Champions League Group Stage)
Auxerre (France) 2 Rangers 2 (Uefa Cup, Group stage)Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 25 November 2006
Dunfermline 0 Aberdeen 3
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0 Heart of Midlothian 0
Motherwell 4 Falkirk 2
Dundee United v St Mirren, Hibernian v Celtic and Rangers v Kilmarnock are all being played on Sunday.Scottish Football League First Division Results - 25 November 2006
Clyde 4 Queen of South 0
Dundee 1 Airdrie United 0
Gretna 4 Partick Thistle 0
Hamilton 0 Ross County 0
St Johnstone 1 Livingston 2Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 25 November 2006
Alloa 2 Brechin City 2
Greenock Morton 1 Cowdenbeath 0
Peterhead 3 Ayr United 1
Raith Rovers 1 Stranraer 1Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 25 November 2006
Albion Rovers 1 Arbroath 3
Dumbarton 3 Elgin City 1
East Fife 2 Montrose 0
Queens Park 1 Stenhousemuir 1League Tables
The three games being played on Sunday make the SPL table even more fluid than usual. No matter what happens on Sunday, however, Celtic will remain well out in front 0 they are 12 points ahead of second place Aberdeen, with Sunday's game still to play. Rangers are currently a point behind Aberdeen, but have the game against Kilmarnock tomorrow. Hearts' draw against Inverness on Saturday puts them in 4th place, one point ahead of Hibs and Kilmarnock. At the foot of the SPL, Dunfermline's defeat by Aberdeen leaves them 2 points adrift from Dundee United.
Gretna are now three points ahead of Partick Thistle at the top if the First Division, with Hamilton 2 points further back. Airdrie are just one point below Queen of the South at the foot of the table.
Greenock Morton are well out in front in the Second Division, with 6 points more than Stirling Albion. Forfar continues to struggle at the foot of the division, with 9 points separating them from Raith Rovers.
East Fife are 6 points clear of Queens Park at the top of the Third Division. Elgin are six points behind East Stirling at the other end of that league.
Due to the Australia rugby international on Saturday, there were no Scottish Premiership rugby matches.
Scotland Outclassed by Australia
Scotland started the international rugby match at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, hoping to end the run of defeats by Australia and started well enough, scoring a penalty in the third minute and went further ahead when Simon Webster scored a try. But Australia soon asserted themselves and finished the game ahead by 44-15. The one-sided victory was the 16th consecutive win by Australia against the Scots.
Celtic Win Through
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan was clearly shell-shocked after the European Champions League group match win over Manchester United, which put the club through to the last 16 of the competition. The current English Premier League leaders and previous European Champions League winners had at times outclassed their opponents. But in the second half, after 81 minutes of play, Shunsuke Nakamura repeated the goal scoring from a free-kick that he had produced in the first leg (when Manchester United had won 3-2). The closing ten minutes were nerve wracking for the fans and when Manchester United were awarded a penalty, two minutes from time, it looked as though they would draw level. But Celtic's goalkeeper, Artur Boruc, tipped Louis Saha's shot over the bar to put Celtic in prime position to win not just the match but also their Group. If they do, they play a club that has come second in another group when the knock-out stage is reached and play the second leg at home. Celtic's remaining group match is against Copenhagen on 6 December.
And Rangers Make it a Double
Rangers had to come from behind twice in their Uefa Cup Group A match against French club Auxerre at Ibrox. But the 2-2 scoreline at the end meant that the club will still be playing in Europe after the New Year. Like Celtic, Rangers also have the chance of finishing at the top of their section and so being seeded in the next stage. It was Nacho Novo who scored the first goal for Rangers after poor defending had allowed the French team to go ahead first. Auxerre were keen to record their first Group A win, however and scored again. It took the magnificent poaching skills of Kris Boyd to bring Rangers level again. The excellent performances by both Celtic and Rangers will help Scottish clubs in the seeding system for European football in future years.
Hearts Manager Returning
Valdas Ivanauskas, the Heart of Midlothian head coach is to return to his duties at Tyncastle, after recuperating over the last four weeks from stress-related problems. He emphasised that he was now "feeling good and ready". He flew back from Lithuania with the club's owner, Vladimir Romanov. Club captain Steven Pressley has not featured in the last two games after expressing his concern at "significant unrest" in the Hearts dressing room. But he returned to captain the side on Saturday.
Financial Loss for Aberdeen
In the year to June 30, Aberdeen Football Club made an operating loss of £146,000 (compared with an operating profit of £130,000 in the previous year). While this is small beer, compared with some other clubs in the SPL, the overall loss was £1.5 million, mainly as a result of bringing in new players and replacing the pitch at Pittodrie. The club is having a good season on that new surface, but to the dismay of the management, support from fans in the stadium has been down on recent years.
Velodrome Approved
Glasgow City Council this week approved the plans for a 2,000-seat National Velodrome which will form part of the £70 million Scottish National Indoor Arena in the east end of the city. The facilities form an important part of Glasgow's bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
Scotland Curling Team Wins at Lucerne
The Scottish Curling team led by Tom Brewster swept to victory at the Lucerne Curling Trophy last weekend, winning the final 6-0 against Team Zryd from Switzerland - who had earlier knocked out the other Scotland team skipped by David Edwards. Brewster's team had reached the final with wins over Team Attinger and Team Schwaller, both from Switzerland. This was the third time that the team had won at Lucerne, having been successful in 2003 and 2004.
Scotland's Cricketers in Bangladesh
The Lloyds TSB Scotland cricket squad, captained by Craig Wright, will play their first-ever official ICC One-Day International matches on overseas soil in Bangladesh next month. The squad fly out from Glasgow to Dhaka on Sunday December 10, giving themselves four days in which to acclimatise to the conditions.
Magazine Section
Great Places to Stay in Scotland
This is a quaint and charming 3 AA star village inn and next door is the intimate Duck's Restaurant from where French windows lead outside to a pretty courtyard. This is undoubtedly a "Destination Restaurant," with city dining beside the seaside. Being so near the city makes this an ideal base to tour East Lothian, as well as sightseeing and shopping in Scotland's Capital. For an illustrated feature on this first class hostelry, see
