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 are now 7 points ahead of St Johnstone, thanks to the Perth team losing on Saturday. Airdrie United are just one point behind Ross County at the other end of the table.
In the Second Division, Greenock Morton are 4 points ahead of Stirling Albion at the top. Forfar are languishing 12 points behind Stranraer at the foot of the division.
In the Third Division, Berwick Rangers have a 4 point advantage over Arbroath at the top while the gap between bottom club East stirling and Elgin is also 4 points. Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Trump Golf Course Hits The Rough
The formal application, for the golf development at Menie on the Aberdeenshire coast by US entrepreneur Donald Trump, was lodged this week with Aberdeenshire Council. Estimated costs for the project range from £300 million to a billion pounds. Two championship golf courses, a five-star hotel and nearly 1,000 holiday homes are being proposed. It is estimated that it would create 6,000 jobs in the area and generate millions of pounds for the local economy. The scheme has a lot of support from business leaders and all the way to the Scottish First Minister in Edinburgh. But the submission includes an environmental assessment which states: "There will be significant adverse changes to the Foveran Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)and the coastal Site of Interest to Natural Science (SINS) on the development site, resulting in changes to the dune formation processes and losses of dune habitat with significant adverse effects on flora and fauna." The sky lark will experience a significant reduction in numbers and the waters off the Aberdeenshire coast also host thousands of seabirds, some of which come into the sand dunes. The submission suggests a number of measures to reduce the impact. These could include creating new habitats for breeding birds and moving habitat to new locations. The application will now follow the usual processes, with Scottish Natural Heritage and environmental groups lodging their own assessments and recommendations.
Green Light for Central Scotland Rail Link
A new rail link between Airdrie in North Lanarkshire and Bathgate in West Lothian has been approved by the Scottish Parliament, with cross-party support. Additional stations are to be built at Caldercruix and Armadale. The £300 million link will also provide four passenger services an hour between Edinburgh and Glasgow, using existing track at each end. The hope is that it will cut the volume of traffic on the already overloaded motorway link between the two cities and also reduce overcrowding on the existing rail link via Falkirk.
"Fame" Cuts Youth Crime By 30%
Free sports and leisure facilities in Shotts on Saturday evening in North Lanarkshire are claimed to have cut youth crime in the area by 30%. Nearly 1,000 young people took part in activities ranging from sumo wrestling and skateboarding to swimming and dancing. "Fame" - the acronym for "Fitness, Arts, Music, Entertainment" - also provides free health checks, access to IT equipment, as well as music and drama classes. The centre is staffed by fully qualified coaches and tutors. The success has meant that the scheme is now being extended to Airdrie and Cumbernauld.
Riverside Transport Link Moving
This week, Glasgow City Council, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire Councils all agreed to support plans for the futuristic tram-style buses to run from the city centre to the Braehead shopping precinct in Renfrew and to Clydebank, via Partick and Glasgow Harbour. It may also be extended as far as Glasgow airport. The "Fastlink" service will run partly on dedicated roadways as well as existing roads, using electrically powered vehicles.
Scots More Welcoming to Migrants
A new UK-wide report by the Commission for Racial Equality says that migrants arriving in Scotland get a far more welcoming reception than in the rest of the UK. The report suggests that Scots may be more friendly because of our strong sense of national identity. Of course, the numbers of new migrants has been lower than in England and Wales, relative to the size of the population. The Scottish Executive and the media have also highlighted the positive impact of immigration and the need for people to fill gaps in the labour market - ranging from dentists to building trade workers. The report goes on to say "There is a received wisdom that Scotland tends to be more welcoming to newcomers...Many said they had come to Scotland because informal networks of friends and peers already living in Scotland had told them that it was a friendly place."
AffinityScots - Homecoming Scotland
If you are reading this Newsletter, then you are probably an "AffinityScot" - someone with an affinity for the country in some way. Perhaps you - or an ancestor - lived here or you have family links. Or just visited here and fell in love with the place (many do!). The rich heritage, authentic character and renowned hospitality have helped Scotland capture the heart of an extensive community across the globe. And although Scotland is a small country, Scots and their descendants have made a big contribution to the world, leading the way in science, education and literature, to name just a few. Now "Homecoming Scotland 2009" is being organised as a year-long celebration of these Scottish achievements. More importantly, friends worldwide will be encouraged to travel to Scotland in 2009 and join the celebrations. So that appropriate events and activities can be developed to cater for those likely to attend, all those who have an affinity with Scotland are being asked to provide input, via a short on-line questionnaire. It only takes a few minutes - and will help the decision makers fine tune what is in the programme. So click on www.homecomingsurvey.com or copy the link into your browser.
Best Value Hotels in Britain
A survey, by a major accommodation booking service, has shown that the average price of an hotel room in Glasgow is £75, well below that of Aberdeen (£91) and Edinburgh (£95). That was slightly below the UK average of £98, however, with the highest prices in Bath in England with a cost of £114 per night. Of course, there are also many high quality hostels and "Bed & Breakfast" establishments in private houses that charge a lot less. Research by VisitScotland suggests, however, that quality and service are important to visitors to Scotland and that cost is not the only factor.
Sur Le Pont D'Avignon
Scots will soon be humming the tune "Sur Le Pont D'Avignon" as they jet off on direct flights to the French countryside in Provencal on a new service being initiated by budget airline Jet2.com. Tickets to Avignon start from just £14.99 (one way) excluding airport charges. Avignon is an elegant city, full of culture and fine architecture. And no doubt tourists will head for the "pont d'Avignon", the old bridge over the river Rhône, which was immortalised in that song.
£80 Million for New Fort William Waterfront
Plans for the major redevelopment of the waterfront of Fort William were published this week. Costing £80 million, the scheme would involve rerouting the main A82 road away from the town centre onto land reclaimed from the sea, creation of a new commercial area, a residential area with 348 new homes, a new hotel and supermarket and car parking. The Fort William Waterfront Ltd consortium has been formed by local businesses and their proposals were selected by the Highland Council's Resources Committee as preferred bidder for the waterfront redevelopment project.
"Road Map" to Promote Gaelic
A five-year "road map" has been produced by the Scottish Executive, setting out its vision for encouraging the greater use of Gaelic. The "National Plan for Gaelic" is targeted principally at government, councils and public bodies but also includes the private and voluntary sectors. It is hoped that it will be an "important building block for creating a sustainable future for Gaelic," according to Patricia Ferguson, the Culture Minister. Last week it was announced that Gaelic broadcasting is to receive an extra £3m of government funding every year, to help establish a Gaelic digital channel. That is on top of the £8.7m already given to the service annually.
"Wee Green Book" For Glasgow Green
A new book has been published to mark the end of the £15 million renovation of Glasgow Green, the oldest public park in Britain. It covers every aspect of Glasgow Green from its earliest beginnings (over 550 years ago) up to the present day. It has been the focus of the city for much of its existence and the book also covers its buildings, monuments, gateways and greenery. The book was launched in the Winter Gardens (pictured here), one of the magnificent Victorian edifices in the park. Much of the parkland has now been made suitable for staging large open-air events, from pop concerts to the World Bagpipe Championships. Visitors will soon be able to find out about the area and its history from touchscreen displays which are being erected around the park.
Kilt Contract for Scots Firm
Last year, the Ministry of Defence went out to competitive tender for new kilts, tartan trews and sporrans for the soldiers in the new Royal Regiment of Scotland. There were concerns at the time that the work might go to a manufacturer outside of Scotland, instead of to one of the traditional suppliers. So there was a mixed reaction this week when it was announced that the kilts would be made by Glenisla Kilts in Motherwell from material supplied by Robert Noble of Peebles. But a larger contract, for tartan trews and 5,000 sporrans, has gone two companies based in England, although the sporrans will actually be manufactured by a subsidiary in Perthshire.The Royal Regiment was created when five previous regiments were merged to form the new unit.
Screen Machine for Southern Scotland
Remote areas of the Highlands and Islands have been served for many years by two state of the art travelling cinemas. These show newly released movies in communities where there are little or no cinema provisions. The "Screen Machines" which can cater for audiences of up to 100, have proved to be very popular, even in this age of DVDs and satellite television. Now the Scottish Executive has allocated funding of £500,000 for another mobile cinema to operate in southern Scotland, so that the isolated areas of the Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway can also have access to the "cinema experience".
College of Piping Expanding
Work is starting soon on building a first-floor extension - on stilts - for the College of Piping in Glasgow's Otago Street. It will provide a new lecture hall and performance space. Residents in nearby properties are concerned that this will create more noise and additional chaos in parking in streets in the area. In the summer, when the windows are open, the noise can be intrusive. The college opened in 1944 in the city centre and is the world's oldest piping college. It moved to its present location in the West End of Glasgow in 1948. When the Piping College was first set up, there was a complaint from the madame of a brothel upstairs who said the noise was putting off her customers...
Investing in Tall Trees
Dawyck Botanic Gardens, near Peebles in the Scottish Borders, is home to some of the tallest trees in Britain, with a collection of rare and historic plants and lots of rhododendrons and other colourful flowers. It is one of the top attractions charging an entry fee in the Borders and yet the visitor centre is little more than a small wooden hut. The staff there manage wonderfully well, selling tickets and souvenirs as well as drinks and sandwiches. But now £1.3 million is to be invested to create a new visitor centre to enhance the experience for visitors. It will be able to display more information and provide more comfortable eating facilities.
Decline in Garden Visitors
The latest survey, by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds RSPB), of the number of birds seen in gardens across the country, has found blackbirds, song thrushes and robins at their lowest level for five years. But the RSPB claims that this is not because numbers are down overall. The charity suggests that the mild winter has meant that bumper fruit crops in woodlands and hedgerows in the countryside has meant that fewer birds are venturing into gardens. And many birds are not migrating as usual from continental Europe, as there is still food for them there too. 27,000 Scots took part in the survey in January and the analysis found that the most common visitor to Scottish gardens is the chaffinch (pictured here), with an average of between 5 and 6 of the birds per garden. The RSPB's "Big Garden Birdwatch" has been running since 1979.
Butterflies Moving North
Butterfly Conservation Scotland has reported that global warming is encouraging a number of UK species to move further north, into the Scottish Highlands. Reference books published in the 1990s gave Ayrshire as the most northerly place to see Orange Tip butterflies, for example. Now they are fairly common in spring across the central lowlands of Scotland are now being spotted in the far north. Its caterpillars feed on cuckoo flower and garlic mustard - plants which grow in damp areas. Their eggs pupate over winter and warmer weather may mean more are surviving. Other butterflies, such as the speckled wood and the ringlet, also seem to be benefitting from the warmer weather. The last major study of butterfly numbers was back in 1997
Toad Patrol for Holyrood Park
Frogs and toads are not the most intelligent of animals. They survive not by avoiding danger, but by sheer weight of numbers. Fortunately, they are distasteful to most potential predators. Even so, they can always do with a little help, especially when they migrate in spring from grass to get to ponds and lochs to lay the spawn for the next generation. This can often mean crossing busy roads - as in Holyrood Park near the centre of Edinburgh. In springtime, Historic Scotland rangers close one of the roads that runs round its edge each morning until about 10am while they collect the toads and carry them to Dunsapie Loch. They have asked members of the public to join them on Sunday to scour the hills around Arthur's Seat and collect as many toads as they can. Sometimes, toads are found with the male hitching a lift on the female's back on the last stage of the journey. Part of the courtship ritual, apparently.
Weather in Scotland This Week
Although there has been a fair amount of sunshine this week, with very little rain, winds have again been mainly from the colder east or north-east, instead of the more usual south-westerles. That brought mist and haze in from the North Sea, especially in the east. The wind, combined with clear skies overnight with temperatures heading towards freezing point, has meant that the reported maximum daytime temperatures of around 10/12C (50/54F) have felt a lot chillier than that. There have been exceptions. of course. On Monday and Tuesday, Ayrshire and parts of the south-west (sheltered from that easterly breeze) reached 15C (59F). On the other hand, Lossiemouth struggled to reach 7C (45F) on Thursday.
The sunshine has brought out some of the butterflies that have been hibernating over the winter. This is my first butterfly picture of 2007, taken earlier today (Saturday). Despite the sun, the temperature was not all that high and this Peacock was trying to get some warmth from the sun by resting, with its wings open, on a wall.
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 Loch Lomond in the "gloamin" (twilight); Redshanks and Eider Duck in the Firth of Forth; Rhododendron in Glenarn Garden in Helensburgh; the iridescent feathers of a drake Mallard; the University of Glasgow, with the river Kelvin below. See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Discovery Restoration Begins
Dundee markets itself these days as the "City of Discovery". While that has much to do with modern innovation and research, it arose also from the arrival of the Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott's sailing ship "Discovery". The ship and the exhibition at Discovery Point are important elements in Dundee's tourist trade. So there has been some concern that the wooden ship was rotting in the water and needed a major restoration. Thanks predominantly to the National Lottery fund, the two-year project has now got underway. Experts will replace one section of the hull and treat the remainder to help prevent the sea from getting into the ship. Discovery was built in Dundee and was launched in 1901. A lot of expertise had been built up in Dundee in creating strong, wooden whaling ships for the local whaling industry and the new ship was further strengthened to force her way through the ice. Although a sailing ship, Discovery was also fitted with a (coal fired) engine. Scott's ill-fated expedition is featured in the exhibition space at Discovery Point. For more on this tourist attraction, see Places to Visit - Discovery Point.
Next Week in Scottish History
Edinburgh Festival - A Sideshow?
Jonathan Mills, the new director of the Edinburgh International Festival, warned this week that unless funding is massively increased to support it, the event could become a "weekend sideshow" in 20 years time. Doubtless the comments (made in advance of the publication of this year's programme) were made to make those in charge of the purse strings sit up and take notice. Of course, Mills wants to make it bigger and better, not see it decline. It is estimated that each year the Edinburgh Festival attracts as many people as the Olympics and its economic benefit are huge. It has been calculated that it generates an income of £184 million for the Scottish economy.The new director aims to build the festival into Scotland's festival, not just Edinburgh's. This year, as a small gesture towards that, a selection of acts will tour other parts of Scotland.
T and Scones in the Park
The organisers of Scotland's largest annual pop and rock festival for young music fans, T in the Park at Balado near Kinross, are branching out. They are creating a new "grown-up" music festival in the grounds of Inveraray Castle in Argyll (see graphic. The three-day Connect Festival will feature US rappers the Beastie Boys on Friday night, followed by rockers Primal Scream on Saturday and Iceland's Bjork will close the festival on Sunday. Scots band Idlewild will also be performing and other acts will be announced in due course. The organisers say that there has been a gap in the market for a festival like this for some time. The up-market affair is being dubbed by the media "T and Scones in the Park".
Fonn's Duthchas
2007 is the Highland Year of Culture and "Fonn's Duthchas: Land and Legacy" is a touring exhibition celebrating the history, culture, music, language, geology and geography of Scotland’s Highlands and Islands. On display are iconic objects, paintings and manuscripts from the collections of National Museums Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland, and from important collections in Highlands and Islands museums. The exhibition has been at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery since January and is moving to Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery on 6 April. It will be there until June, when it relocates to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Its final venue will be the Museum nan Eilean (Museum of the Isles) in Stornoway from the end of September to 1 December. See also www.fonnisduthchas.com for many of the images from the exhibition.
Proclaimers Walk 500 Miles to Number 1
The 1988 hit song (I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles, by the Scottish duo The Proclaimers, has been highly successful and is a "must" at all their live concerts. But it never achieved #1 status on the pop charts. Now a new version, in which they are joined by UK comics Peter Kay and Matt Lucas has shot to the top of the singles chart this week. Of course, being part of the charity effort "Comic Relief" helped a lot. The BBC sponsored event is hugely popular - with over £40 million donated to humanitarian projects in less than 24 hours.
Rach-Fest
In amongst all the announcements of pop music events, it is easy to forget that there is a vibrant classical music and opera scene in Scotland. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is launching a nine-day programme of orchestral music in Glasgow in June, beginning with a "Rachmaninov Rach-Fest", followed by a diverse musical programme ranging from Mendelssohn, Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumble Bee" to the "Last Night at the Scottish Proms" featuring the delights of Highland Cathedral, Phil Cunningham's Cathcart, Highland Gathering, Auld Lang Syne and Eightsome Reels!
World Irish Dancing Championships
Understandably, the World Irish Dancing Championships is normally held in Ireland. But in 2002, they ventured across the sea to Scotland and held the event in Glasgow. Clearly they enjoyed the experience and are returning to the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall from 1-8 April. There are 4,000 competitors from fifteen countries and up to 12,000 supporters. While some will be locals, most will be from abroad. So quite apart from the enjoyment of the best Irish dancing in the world, there is a significant economic benefit too.
Scottish Culture Around the World
The main focus of the Scottish Snippets is news items, usually about Scotland but occasionally items from overseas are covered. The new "Scots Abroad" section, invites folk to write in about Scottish-related events in their part of the world. It allows publicity for them and an appreciation by others of just how much Scottish culture is perpetuated in every corner of the globe.
Clan MacLeod Society of South Australia 50th Anniversary
The Clan MacLeod Society of South Australia will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in October with a Kirkin' of the Tartan at St Augustine's Church Unley on October 7th. There will be various activities during the next week, including a piping competition on Friday Oct 12th and a Ceilidh on Sat 13th, Both events to be held at the Port Adelaide Caledonian Society Hall. The week's activities will be bought to a close by a Grand Luncheon on Sunday 14th. John MacLeod of Raasay will be present and possibly Donald MacLeod of The Lewes.
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
Partick Thistle 0 Airdrie United 1
Queen of the South 0 Clyde 0
St Johnstone 2 Dundee 0
Forfar 0 Greenock Morton 4
Stranraer 1 Cowdenbeath 6
Dumbarton 0 East Fife 2
Montrose 1 Berwick Rangers 2
Arbroath 3 East Stirling 2Bank of Scotland Premierleague Results - 31 March 2007
Dundee United 1 Celtic 1
Falkirk 2 St Mirren 0
Kilmarnock 1 Aberdeen 2
Motherwell 2 Dunfermline0
Rangers 1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1
Hibernian v Heart of Midlothian will be played on Sunday.Scottish Football League First Division Results - 31 March 2007
Clyde 0 Queen of the South, 1
Gretna 2 Partick Thistle 0
Hamilton 1 Ross County 0
St Johnstone 1 Livingston 2
Dundee v Airdrie United will be played on Sunday.Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 31 March 2007
Alloa 2 Brechin City 3
Forfar 0 Stirling Albion 2
Greenock Morton 3 Cowdenbeath 0
Peterhead 2 Ayr United 2
Raith Rovers 0 Stranraer 0Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 31 March 2007
Albion Rovers 0 Arbroath 3
Dumbarton 1 Elgin 0
East Fife 2 Montrose0
East Stirling 0 Berwick Rangers 3
Queens Park 1 Stenhousemuir 0League Tables
The Scottish Premier League title looked sewn up a few weeks ago, but then Celtic lost to Falkirk on 18 March and a last-minute goal by Dundee United this Saturday meant that they had dropped 5 points in two games. But Rangers couldn't capitalise on that, only managing a draw against Inverness. So Celtic are now 13 points ahead - with six games to play. Aberdeen are in third position, 5 points behind Rangers and 9 points ahead of Hearts.
Italy Stops Scotland's Winning Run
Alex McLeish, the manager of the Scotland football team was asked before the match what a draw - or even better - would mean and he jokingly replied: "I think I'd retire." Even with legendary managers such as Jock Stein at the helm, Scotland has never won or even drawn in the five previous games in Italy. That record was maintained as two headers by Luca Toni of Italy knocked Scotland off the top of their Euro 2008 group. But the fans, who had braved torrential rain - and a ban on alcohol - were not too disappointed. Captain Barry Ferguson described the result as "Just a wee setback." The top of Group B is looking somewhat crowded at the moment, with Ukraine in the lead by goal difference, followed by Scotland and France, all three with 12 points. But Scotland has played one more match than the others and Italy with 10 points could overtake Scotland in their next game. On the other hand, Scotland's next matches are against the Faroe Islands and Lithuania in June and September. There have been times when Scotland would struggle in such games. But at the moment there are hopes of a positive result, though whether they qualify for the finals of Euro 2008 will depend also on the outcomes in matches in the rest of the group.
Partick Thistle Management Changes
Partick Thistle, the third senior football team in Glasgow (Celtic and Rangers tend to hog the limelight) were relegated from the SPL in 2004 and, instead of bouncing back were relegated to the Second Division at the end of the following season. They gained promotion back to the First Division in 2006 but have struggled to make an impression. After losing five of the last six matches, manager Dick Campbell has left the club and assistant Jimmy Bone is now in temporary charge. Chief executive Gerry Carey is also to leave the club - as part of a cost-cutting move. Later in the week, it was announced that former Rangers legend Terry Butcher had joined the Partick Thistle training staff as Bone's assistant. Butcher is back in Scotland after being dismissed recently by Australian side Sydney FC.