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
Scots Abroad
Sport
In the First Division, Gretna had another win which keeps them 10 points ahead of St Johnstone, who also won in convincing fashion against Hamilton. At the foot of the division, Queen of the South (24 points), Airdrie United (25 points) and Ross County (27 points) are all in the danger zone.
Greenock Morton are still well out in front of the Second Division, 10 points ahead of Stirling. There is a 9 point gap between bottom club Forfar and Stranraer.
Berwick Rangers kept their lead of 6 points over Queens Park on Saturday in the Third Division. Elgin's win on Saturday put them just one point behind East Stirling at the foot of the table. Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Green Light for Replacement Forth Road Bridge
Amazing how an impending election can focus minds and induce politicians to make decisions... In 1993, there were preliminary investigations into options for a new crossing and land was set aside for it. After 14 years of government prevarication and waiting for yet more reports, the Scottish Executive announced this week that it has agreed "in principle" to a replacement for the Forth Road Bridge. The present crossing is suffering from corrosion and may have to close to heavy commercial traffic in 2013 if remedial efforts to stop the rusting are not successful. Some campaigners for a second crossing say that it is already too late and that major disruptions to traffic are inevitable. At this stage, no decision has been made on whether it will be a bridge or a tunnel crossing the river but three possible crossing points have been identified. The cost will be at least a £1 billion - and could be a lot higher. It is worth noting that at this stage the Scottish Executive is talking about a "replacement" rather than an additional crossing.
Decline in North Sea Oil Investment Predicted
The UK Offshore Operators' Association (UKOOA) issued a warning this week that the North Sea oil and gas sector is in danger of becoming uncompetitive as rising costs damage profitability. After three years of steady growth, an annual survey of UKOOA members shows that investment is expected to drop by up to £1.5 billion this year. A drop of 250,000 barrel per day is expected in production over the next three years, although exploration is still strong in the area. Of course, the report is no doubt part of the shadow-boxing between the oil companies and the government on the tax and regulatory regime which is imposed in the coming years.
Photograph courtesy of the Scotavia> © Web site.
Scottish Shoppers Lead UK Again
The Scottish Retail Consortium and Royal Bank of Scotland monthly survey of retail activity shows that like-for-like sales in January in Scotland were 4.0% higher than in January 2006, the best performance since August and well above the 3.1% average for the fourth quarter of 2006. Scotland’s retail sales performance has been consistently outshining the UK overall - in January the UK saw only 3.1% like-for-like growth. But the report says that the growth came at the expense of margins, with much of it driven by big discounting and clearance sales. Achieving similar growth over the next few months will be harder. March and April last year were relatively good months and therefore will be much more difficult to better, especially as the full impact of recent interest rate hikes has yet to filter through and may give consumer confidence a knock. The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee left Base Interest Rates at 5.25% this month, but there are strong hints that a further in order to curb perceived inflationary pressures.
Commonwealth Games Village Unveiled
Glasgow's bid document to convince the Commonwealth Games decision makers to bring the event o the city in 2014 is now complete and the vision of the spectacular village to be built on a brownfield site in a deprived east-end area was previewed this week. With or without the games, Dalmarnock will be transformed with a major house-building programme, complimented by a new £70million National Sports Arena and Velodrome. The full presentation will be made to the Commonwealth Games Federation on May 9 in a 15 minute presentation. Abuja in Nigeria and Halifax in Canada are also competing to host the games. A decision will be announced on November 9 this year.
Decline in Number of Postgraduates
In the last few years, the number of Scottish students graduating from university has declined. The overall numbers are only slightly down (from 10,205 in 1999 to 9,640 in 2005.. But that masks the decline in engineering and technology, which fell 45%, computing science, down 42%, and chemistry and the physical sciences, which have both declined by 32%. During the same six years, the number of foreign students graduating has gone up from 6.090 to 9,685 - they now marginally outnumber Scottish students. While there is a financial benefit in the growing number of those coming from overseas, many will return to their countries of origin and the future of Scotland's own economy is more dependent on home-grown students. The number of school-leavers going to university has dropped in line with demographic changes and a declining birth rate for many decades.
Walk of Fame for Edinburgh Stars
Edinburgh already has a series of flagstones with carvings commemorating the literary giants of Scotland, in Makar's Court, outside the Writer's Museum. Now the Capital is planning to have a Hollywood-style walk of fame with the hand prints of the winners of the "Edinburgh Award". This is a new accolade for those who have brought honour to Edinburgh through outstanding achievement or been a "world-influencer" in the fields of science, technology, education, arts, business or charity. The trail of hand prints would be created in the historic quadrangle in front of the City Chambers, just off the Royal Mile. The idea for the special flagstones arose when city councillors were on a civic visit to Durban in South Africa - where Edinburgh-born Sean Connery's hand print is amongst those recorded for posterity.
£100 Million Investment by Whisky Group
Drinks company Diageo, which operates 27 malt distilleries in Scotland, has announced a £100 million investment plan to expand its operations to meet growing global demand for their products. That will be one of the biggest investments to be made in the industry and the largest in Scotland for 20 years. There will be a new malt distillery in the north to increase production of its single malts which include Talisker, Lagavulin and Dalwhinnie. The Cameronbridge grain distillery in Fife, which produces Johnnie Walker, J&B and Bell's is to be expanded. Bottling capacity at its plant in Glasgow is also to be enlarged. Markets in China, Brazil, Russia and India are expanding and new capacity is needed to meet the demand. The price of malt whisky has risen recently as a result of supplies being exported to China in particular. Diageo employs 4,000 staff in Scotland.
Threat to Al Fresco Culture Subsides
Maybe it's global warming. Maybe it's the smokers who are forced outside of bars and cafes. But there has been a growing move to an al fresco culture in Glasgow for many years, with continental-style pavement tables and chairs, where people can sit and drink, chat - and watch the passers-by. Any establishment wanting to implement such facilities on the pavement has to obtain planning permission from three separate authorities - planning, roads and finally the licensing board. But this week Glasgow City Council announced a clamp-down, with tougher compliance regulations - red tape in other words.. There was an immediate outcry, not just from the traders but also from the public who - despite the west of Scotland climate - appreciate having the option of out-door eating and drinking. Traders complain that the present regulations take six months to get approval and cost £2,500. Surprisingly (cynics might think the elections in May might have something to do with it) the council performed a U-turn within 48-hours, saying that they would "continue" a laissez-faire approach and would even look at ways of streamlining the approvals process. Oh, if only there was an election every year....
The illustration shows the open-air cafe at the Italian Centre in Glasgow.
450 Jobs Lost in Takeover
135 years of history - and 450 jobs - will end as a result of the planned takeover of Weir Pumps in Glasgow by Swiss rival Sulzer. Weir Pumps in Cathcart has been an important part of Scotland's industrial history. The Swiss company plans to retain a major part of the engineering, design and technical sales aspects of the company. But 450 jobs related to the manufacture of custom-engineered pumps are to go. The company had earlier warned staff that there would be job losses anyway as a result of the closure of the Cathcart factory as part of a move to consolidate at another plant in Cambuslang. But as always in these situations staff who have worked for decades for the company feel very let down and earlier pronouncements by senior management on "corporate social responsibility" ring hollow. From the shareholder point of view, the deal is being seen as "positive" as the selling price of £48 million equates to 12 times earnings for a part of the overall Weir Group that made a loss in 2005.
Hovercraft Trial on Firth of Forth
The transport company Stagecoach is planning to run a brief trial next month of the hovercraft which the company is planning to introduce on a service from Fife, across the Firth of Forth, to Leith/Edinburgh. There will be no passengers and the craft will be a type smaller than the one being proposed for the service. A further trial, this time with passengers on board, will be run in May. The company had hoped to run these trials last year, but has complained about the delays caused by environmental audits being conducted by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). They claim that the technology to be used is already proven in the UK and United States, with no impact on wildlife and the local environment and that progress has been "painfully slow". SNH deny that they are dragging their feet, protesting that they are only following their normal environmental checks, as required by law. The crossing time for the 35 knot craft from Kirkcaldy to a docking facility near Edinburgh would be 20 minutes. It is estimated that a two-craft service would transport about 9,000 passengers a week - which will not make much of a dent on the traffic volumes going over the Forth Road Bridge.
Low Cost Advanced Driving Course for Young Motorists
Sadly, many young motorists will have a road accident within the first few years of gaining their licence. For some, the consequences can be fatal for them - or for their young passengers or other road users. In an effort to reduce the number of these accidents, a pilot advanced driving training scheme is being introduced for those aged between 17 and 25 in the Moray, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire areas. Normally the course would cost £150, but as a result of Scottish Executive and local authority funding, the training will, be offered for only £15. To provide another incentive, insurance companies are being encouraged to give discounts to those who pass the course.
Tax Cut by Local Council
With those elections looming in May, local authorities currently in power, aided by additional finance from the Scottish Executive (with elections to the Scottish Parliament also scheduled for 3 May) have kept this year's increases in local taxation to a below-inflation average of around 1.9% (after many years of increases at around twice the rate of inflation). Some local councils have even managed to peg the local taxation at last year's levels. But only Inverclyde has actually reduced the tax burden for next year. True, the decrease is only 0.65%, amounting to a modest £8 on a Band D tax bill of £1,198. But it is the first time there has been a fall in local council tax since Dundee managed the trick back in 2001. Last year, Dundee had to revise its budget at the last minute to avoid the ignominy of succeeding Glasgow to the title of having the highest council tax in Scotland.
The illustration above is of Gourock in Inverclyde.
New Owner for Dundee's Airport
Dundee's Riverside Airport, which caters mainly for private flying, but with an air link to London City airport, is currently operated by the city council. But that costs the local taxpayers £1.5 million a year in subsidies and that cost will be "saved" by transferring the facility to Highlands and Islands Airport (HIAL) which already operates ten landing grounds across the north of Scotland. HIAL's main base is at Inverness. HIAL has taken over Dundee airport without paying a penny, under a 175-year lease.
Motherwell Makeover
CALA, the new owner of the shopping centre in Motherwell, is the first to admit that the property it has bought for £65 million is run-down and unattractive. Previously owned by two organisations, who often competed rather than co-operate, it has failed to keep up with modern standards. But now CALA, better-known for up-market luxury housing developments on prime sites, aims to invest a lot of money there, with the aim of increasing rental values and so making its purchase profitable. The company is planning to create much larger units, which are required by major retailers these days. It is thought that it could take twelve months to design, plan and obtain planning permission for their ideas. So watch this space!
Water Power for New Urban Village?
A draft planning brief was considered by Aberdeen city councillors which proposes the creation of a new sustainable urban village on a brown field site in Aberdeen. It is beside the river Don and the plans suggest that the water could be used to produce hydro-electric power for homes and businesses. Parks and open spaces would be created, with a new bridge across the Don for cyclists and pedestrians and a cycle-way along the river. 54 acres of the site, north of Muggiemoss Road, currently has industrial buildings and warehouses.
Brussels Sprouts New Air Link
The Scottish Executive's Route Development Fund (soon to be phased out) has encouraged Bmi Regional to start a new daily service between Aberdeen and Brussels, the capital of Belgium. There are now over 20 overseas destinations with direct flights from Aberdeen - and more are said to be in the pipeline.
Victory for Hedgehogs
Four years ago, when Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) first proposed a cull of hedgehogs in North and South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, there was an outcry from animal lovers across the country. SNH were trying to remove the threat to the eggs of wading birds on the islands and claimed that killing the mammals humanely was the only solution. But other wild life groups argued that relocation was a better answer. This had been rejected by SNH, who believed that the animals would not survive in a new environment. Since the cull began in 2003, only 690 hedgehogs have been killed at a cost of over £1,000 per animal. And breeding outstrips the number caught by a factor of 20 to 1. Meantime, Uist Hedgehog Rescue has caught and relocated 750 animals and radio-tracking of a selection of these has shown a high survival rate. Now SNH has at last accepted the data and suspended the cull and have agreed to consider relocation instead.
MacLeod Clan Chief Dies
John MacLeod of MacLeod, who controversially tried to sell off the Cuillin mountains in Skye to pay for essential repairs to Dunvegan castle (seen here), died in London this week after a battle against leukaemia. The 29th chief of the Clan MacLeod succeeded his grandmother Dame Flora MacLeod in 1976. It was in 2000 that MacLeod put the Cuillins on the market at £10 million. The land had been owned by the clan for over 800 years. No buyer came forward and he reluctantly agreed to transfer ownership of the mountains to public ownership and the castle to a charitable trust. An application for £25 million to the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the castle and develop the visitor centre was turned down last April. John MacLeod's son, Hugh Magnus, will be the new clan chief.
Busy Valentine's Day for Gretna Green
Half the marriages in Scotland where both bride and groom are non-residents take place in Gretna Green, the first town in Scotland on the old road from England. Gretna has long had a tradition of romantic weddings, ever since the days when parental consent for marriage was required in England until the age of 21 - and in Scotland, the age of consent was (and still is) 16. These days, around 5,000 weddings a year take place in the town - even though marriage over the blacksmith's anvil is no longer available. Valentine's Day is their busiest day of the year - 44 couples tied the knot there this year on that day.
Glasgow - Scotland with Manners?
The marketing folk in Glasgow were rubbing their hands (or was that their eyes) when a research report announced that the city had come out on the top of a survey on the best mannered cities in the UK. Infamous (in the past?) for its rough, tough, industrial image, Scotland's self-proclaimed capital of style turned out to be smiles better and shared the top spot with Sheffield. Liverpool and Birmingham were at the foot of the politeness index. There was no mention of Edinburgh in the report - is this significant? The researchers measured traditional acts of politeness of city dwellers on acts of politeness such as giving up their seats in public transport to expectant mums or an elderly person, punctuality and opening doors to others. There was no mention of whether anyone said "thank you" to someone holding open a door. My experience is that in Glasgow they don't (because they are so surprised at the gesture) and in Edinburgh they don't say "thank you" either- they just expect it to be held open for them...
Because You're Worth It
It's never likely to match North Sea Oil in terms of revenue, but the oil from a plant being cultivated in Argyll and the Spey Valley is being touted as a way of creating a new source of income for rural areas. It goes by the unlikely name of Bog Myrtle (myrica gale is its "proper" name) and it has been used for centuries in the Highlands to keep away midges, fleas and other biting insects. Researchers have now found that it can be effective in fighting acne and helping to keep skin young looking. Boots the chemist chain is planning to develop plantations across Scotland as it thrives best in higher altitudes on moors, bogs and at the edge of lochs. The harvest from bog myrtle is worth several hundred pounds per hectare, compared with just £17 per hectare from sheep farming. The chemist chain will be using just 15 kilos of the oil to launch the product, but they envisage that by 2016 they could be using over ten tons of the oil every year.
Picture via Wikipedia.
Weather in Scotland This Week
After a chilly start to the week with maximum day time temperatures of around 5/6C (41/43F) on Sunday, the weather turned milder again, with Edinburgh, for example, reaching 11C (52F) on Thursday. However, strong winds, gusting up to 50mph in places, made it feel a bit cooler than that. There was quite a lot of cloud around this week and some showers, but some sunshine too - Saturday proved to be the sunniest day of the week in the central Lowlands in particular.
The illustration of the crocus flower was taken on Saturday in my own garden.
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 camellia flower (yes, out of doors, in February - see thumbnail); winter flowering Jasmine; a young Herring Gull puzzled by a football; Black Headed Gull on Ice; and winter-flowering Rhododendrons. See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Campaign to Save Ugly Gasometer
The Granton area of Edinburgh forms part of the Capital's waterfront along the Firth of Forth, and is historically an industrial area. In the later part of the 20th century Granton became extensively derelict, leading to moves to redevelop the entire area. But in 1998 Historic Scotland designated one of the three huge disused gasholders there as a "listed building" and persuaded the developers to leave it sticking up into the air as a monument - presumably to the ugliness of aspects of industrialisation. The 106-year-old structure stands out prominently on the skyline and can be seen from many vantage points around the Capital - see illustration taken when there were three of them. Experts have now told Historic Scotland that it is badly corroded and they recommend demolition as the most practical plan as parts of it are impossible to repair. And even if carried out, at great expense (who pays?) the alterations would significantly affect its historic authenticity as a listed structure. But the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Lesley Hinds, is leading a campaign to have it preserved as a monument to Edinburgh's industrial past. An opinion poll of local residents shows that fewer than one in three want to save it.
Next Week in Scottish History
Biggest Art Fair Ever
A record number of galleries have applied for space to exhibit in the tented pavilions in George Square of the Glasgow Art Fair which takes place from April 19 to 22. A total of 43 galleries (including 11 from Glasgow) will have work from 1,000 artists on display. Last year, 16,000 visitors attended the event to admire the exhibits and to buy works ranging in price from just a few pounds to thousands. A total of £1.1 million was paid for 1,200 pieces of art, including five prints by Beatle John Lennon which sold for between £500 and £3,200. Advance entrance tickets are available via www.glasgowartfair.com.
Aye Write Tops Bestsellers List
The annual literary festival in Glasgow which goes by the name of "Aye Write!" has broken its previous records for ticket sales and expects to attract over 20,000 to events from Friday 16th to Sunday 27th February. This is the second time that the festival has been staged with a mix of events with big names and a full schools programme, which is completely booked out. There will be 120 sessions with some of Britain's leading writers and broadcasters, including Liz Lochhead, William McIlvanny and Alistair Gray and media celebrities such as Kate Adie and Michael Burke. There will also be a preview of Iain Banks' new novel "The Steep Approach".
NessFest
Fort Augustus on Loch Ness is to launch a music festival on the weekend of Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th August as its contribution to Highland 2007. Leading Celtic acts such as Wolfstone and Shooglenifty will be performing in the ground's of the former Benedictine Abbey in the village. The project is being organised by local arts group Feis Gleann Albainn and although it is part of this year's Highland 2007, it is hoped to make NessFest an annual event. The organisers say that it is not in competition with the two-day Rock Ness event in June, which was headlined last year by star DJ Fatboy Slim, or Runrig’s "Beat the Drum" concert at Drumnadrochit (scheduled for 17th August).
Scotland's Poetry Festival
The Stanza Poetry Festival takes place at venues across St Andrews in Fife from 14-18 March. It is the only regular festival dedicated to poetry in Scotland. Themes this year include Homeland & Exile and Poetry and the Moving Image (bringing film, dance and video projections to the festival). The organisers believe that this will be their first-ever gathering of 100 poets. Guests include John Hegley, Gwyneth Lewis, Michael Mara and Alastair Reid. There is a Dead Poets Session featuring works from Andrew Marvell to Sorley MacLean. For more information, see Stanza web site.
Scottish Culture Around the World
The main focus of the Scottish Snippets is news items, usually covering items from Scotland, but occasionally from overseas.. The news item below has prompted me to start a new "Scots Abroad" section, inviting readers to write to me about Scottish-related events in their part of the world. It would allow publicity for them and an appreciation by others of just how much Scottish culture is perpetuated in every corner of the globe. It would tie in neatly with the upcoming Tartan Day events in April - more on that soon!
St. Andrew-Caledonian Society of Calgary
The St. Andrew-Caledonian Society of Calgary held its 4th Annual Burns Dinner to feed the homeless on 22 January 2007 at the Calgary Drop-In Centre. The evening consisted of the Parade of the Haggis and its Address, followed by Scottish songs and piping. The company of 880 homeless were then served roast beef, mashed potatoes, bashed neeps, peas, gravy and - of course - haggis, all in 35 minutes. An additional 240 meals were sent out to satellite shelters. It would be encouraging to hear if any other groups deliver such a service, considering Burns' views on humanity - and the obvious benefits of a meal for a homeless person.
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
Kilmarnock 1 Rangers 3
Hapoel Tel-Aviv 2 Rangers 1 (Uefa Cup, last 32, first leg)
Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 17 February 2007
Aberdeen 1 Celtic 2
Dunfermline 1 Kilmarnock 1
Heart of Midlothian 1 St Mirren 1
Motherwell 1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0
Dundee United v Hibernian and Rangers v Falkirk will be played on Sunday.Scottish Football League First Division Results - 17 February 2007
Airdrie United 0 Queen of the South 3
Dundee 1 Clyde4
Gretna 4 Ross County 1
Livingston 0 Partick Thistle 1
St Johnstone 4 Hamilton 2Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 17 February 2007
Cowdenbeath 0 Brechin City 3
Forfar 0 Alloa 2
Greenock Morton 4 Ayr United 2
Peterhead 0 Raith Rovers 0
Stirling Albion 0 Stranraer 2Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 17 February 2007
Berwick Rangers 2 Stenhousemuir 1
East Fife 1 Arbroath 2
East Stirling 0 Albion Rovers 0
Montrose 0 Elgin 1
Queens Park 2 Dumbarton 0League Tables
Celtic continued on their steady progress at the top of the Scottish Premier League with a valuable win against Aberdeen. Rangers play Falkirk in Sunday and thus have the opportunity to cut Celtic's lead back to 19 points. Hearts were unable to capitalise on Aberdeen's defeat as they could only manage a draw against St Mirren (who are second from the bottom of the SPL). Hearts and Aberdeen each have 45 points but Aberdeen has played one game less. Meantime, Dunfermline at the foot of the table are still 8 points behind St Mirren.
Scotland in Top 20 in Football Rankings
In 2004, Scotland's football (soccer) team slid down the international table 32 places to 86th place, behind such footballing nations as Burkina Faso, Syria and United Arab Emirates. At that point Walter Smith took over from Berti Vogts and Scotland began the slow climb back up the FIFA rankings, reaching 60th by the end of 2005. Progress continued in 2006 and the latest table shows that they are up another six places to 20th. Italy has taken over top spot from Brazil (who had been there for over four years). England is ranked 6th.
Rangers Fail to Break Record
Rangers were not only looking to make progress in the Uefa Cup in the match against Hapoel Tel-Aviv this week, but also make some club history by playing 13 matches in Europe without defeat. The last time the team had gone 12 matches without loss had been in the heady days of 1992/93 when Ally McCoist had led the attack during Walter Smith's first spell in charge. Smith is of course back as manager, with McCoist now his assistant. But the previous winning combination failed to inspire a lack-lustre team that was admittedly short of many key players through injury. The Israeli side scored in the first half with a superb long-range free kick. Early in the second half a Barry Ferguson free kick was deflected and Nacho Novo followed up to score from close range. But Hapoel Tel-Aviv caught out the Rangers defence to finish 2-1 in the lead. The away goal by Rangers may yet prove invaluable in the return match.
Profits and Losses for Rangers and Celtic
The two largest football clubs in Scotland are having mixed fortunes these days and results on the field are being reflected in the financial accounts. In the six months to the end of 2005, Rangers had made a pre-tax profit of £6.2 million, but that has become a loss of £1.475 million in the same period in 2006. Lack of qualification in this season's European Champions league is being blamed as a major factor. Meantime, on the other side of Glasgow, Celtic posted a profit after interest and taxation for the second half of 2006 of £19 million; that compares with a loss of around £1 million in the same period in 2005. Operating profit in the second half of 2006 was £11.9 million, with gains on player transfers of £7.1 million. Last year, Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League in the second qualifying round but are still in the competition this season.
San Siro and Bari Confirmed by Italians
There has been a long period of uncertainty about the venues for Celtic's Champions League match against AC Milan and the Euro 2008 qualifying match against the national side. This followed a review of security measures in Italian football as a result of the death of a policeman during a game in Sicily. Now Uefa has confirmed that the Champions League match will go ahead as planned on 7 March at the San Siro Stadium in Milan after new security measures have been implemented and the number of spectators reduced. Likewise, the Euro 2008 qualifying match between Scotland and Italy will go ahead as scheduled at Bari's Stadio San Nicola on March 28.
Picture via Wikipedia.
Curtis Cup for Nairn
Nairn Golf Club will host the 2012 Curtis Cup, the biennial match between the top amateur women from the United States and those of Britain and Ireland. The course near Inverness in northern Scotland, which celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2012, is where the U.S. men experienced a Walker Cup defeat in 1999. Next year's Curtis Cup is at St. Andrew's in Scotland and the 2010 competition is at the Essex club in Massachusetts.