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
Magazine Section
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Aircraft Carrier Order for Clyde Yards
After years of delays and lengthy negotiations, the Ministry of Defence at last confirmed the order this week for two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy. A major part of the construction work will be carried out at the BAE Systems shipbuilding yards at Govan and Scotstoun on the river Clyde in Glasgow and the ships (built in sections) will be assembled at Rosyth in Fife. The order will safeguard the jobs of 3,000 people employed in the Clyde shipyards. English companies at Portsmouth, Barrow and Surrey will share in the £3.8 billion order. The amount of the work being undertaken by the Clyde yards amounts to 25% of the massive project. The 65,000-tonne carriers will be the largest ships ever built for the Royal Navy and they will be named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. Each vessel will have a crew of 1,450 personnel and the flight decks will be the size of three football pitches, capable of handling 36 Joint Strike Fighters and four Airborne Early Warning aircraft. Even though design work is well advanced, the warships will not enter service until 2014 and 2016.
"Independence Plans in 14 Days"
The Scottish First Minister has revealed that a plan for holding a referendum on Scotland becoming independent and leaving the United Kingdom will be published in the next two weeks. That would fulfill one of the election pledges made by the Scottish National Party about what they would deliver in their first 100 days in office. The aim is for a consultation document on independence to serve as a basis for a national conversation with the people of Scotland about their constitutional future. Whether it will be a "conversation" or a shouting match shedding more heat than light on the subject remains to be seen. Certainly, opposition parties immediately condemned the announcement as a waste of time and money by government officials, arguing that opinion polls continue to show clearly that only a minority of people in Scotland are in favour of breaking away from the UK. The Scottish Executive were reminded that they have the support of less than 50 of the 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament on this issue. The First Minister acknowledged that he has "some persuading to do" to get a referendum bill through Holyrood. But of course, even if he fails this time, he will have a lot of opportunity to put the case and perhaps gain more support for the future.
Scottish Population Growing
For the first time for more than ten years, the number of births in Scotland has outnumbered deaths. In recent years, the decline in Scotland's population has been reversed, but only due to a greater number of immigrants than those leaving. After the last census in 2001, the official projection for 2006 was 5,032,000. But the latest population figures now show that there are 5,116,900 people living here. The number of deaths last year dropped slightly to 55,690, the lowest total since records began in 1855. The number of babies born last year (55,690) were 1,304 more than the previous year. But again the main population increase was due to immigration - a net gain of 8,900 from the rest of the UK and 12,700 from overseas. Although life expectancy is improving, it is almost one year lower than the EU average for Scottish men and two years for women. There were almost 1,000 fewer marriages in 2006 than in 2005, while the number of divorces increased by almost 20% (due to a change in the law which shortened the periods of separation before a couple can divorce).
Scottish Economy Growing
Some people's eyes glaze over as soon as the phrase "economic statistics" appear, but they are one of the best measures of how successful or otherwise a country is doing from the wealth creation point of view. Scotland has suffered for many years from the decline of many of its traditional industries and it has only been thanks to the huge growth in the service sector (financial services in particular) that the economy has shown any growth at all. Scotland's growth has consistently lagged that of the UK as a whole, not just London and the south east, but many other English regions too. The latest government figures follow a similar trend. The UK GDP (Gross Domestic Product) rose by 3.0% in the year to end March 2007 (3.7% growth in services and 0.2% rise in production and 1.8% increase in construction). Scotland's figures were 2.4% growth in overall GDP (2.9% in services, 0.8% reduction in production and 5.4% rise in construction).
Traffic Disruption Until 2011
Details were announced this week of the lengthy project to divert underground gas, electricity and water pipes and cables due to the start of the first phase of the project to bring back a tramway system to the streets of Edinburgh. Motorists were warned that Scotland's most extensive programme of roadworks ever seen, will cause traffic disruption until 2011. After the diversion of the pipes and cables, the roads will be dug again to allow for the laying of the tram lines. The 12-mile route takes in Princes Street in the city centre and will eventually run from Newhaven on the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh Airport.
Roadworks Misery for Dundee
When newspapers report on traffic problems, there is a tendency to concentrate on the main centres of population such as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. But other Scottish cities also have tales of woe due to roadworks and that is certainly the case just now in Dundee. The main route into the city and around the approaches to the Tay Bridge have a series of major road repairs, with no alternate roads to avoid the traffic jams. Some of the affected roads will be back to normal in a couple of weeks, but others will be like that for up to six weeks. Motorists describe negotiating the centre as a "nightmare" with queues and roadworks everywhere.
Forth Rail Bridge Closed For Seven Days
The many commuters and other travellers from Fife to Edinburgh face major disruption this week with the rail bridge over the river Forth closed to all trains. Although there is no work on the 117-year-old bridge itself, a major set of points is being replaced at Inverkeithing and drainage is being improved in the North Queensferry tunnel. Trains to and from Edinburgh connecting with Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen are being diverted via Stirling. Those to Fife are being replaced by buses running over the Forth road bridge. Traffic volumes are at their lightest due to the Fife trade holiday and the shutdown of Longannet Power station which depends on deliveries of coal by rail. The closure had also been timed to coincide with the hovercraft trial (see next item).
Success for Hovercraft
The likelihood of a hovercraft or ferry service across the Firth of Forth between Fife and Edinburgh looked more certain after the success of the two-week "Forthfast" trial. 25,000 passengers were carried and the number of commuters using the service doubled in the second week (due to the disruption to rail services noted above). The Stagecoach transport company, who have operated the service, wants to press ahead with a permanent link. But the company would prefer to run a high-speed catamaran, rather than the hovercraft. But a catamaran would require more mooring and infrastructure than the hovercraft and they have been unable to make progress on that front. Experts point out that worldwide there are over 1,000 catamaran ferry services - but only some 30 routes operating hovercraft.
Permanent Hovercraft Terminal at Portobello Makes Waves
Regeneration plans for the Edinburgh suburb of Portobello, which includes a permanent hovercraft terminal, has produced an angry reaction from many residents who see such a construction as destroying the beauty of the beach and local wildlife.The beach area of Portobello is run-down and neglected and there have been plans in the pipeline for some time to regenerate the area. The aim is to breathe new life into what has been called the "gateway to Portobello" with new shops, businesses and housing. Stagecoach are still not firm on what facilities would be needed - or even if Portobello will remain as the landing point for a permanent service across the Firth of Forth from Fife.
More Air Routes Take Off
Even with the carrot of Scottish Executive financial incentives now on the way out, the number of new air services linking Scotland with overseas destinations is continuing to expand rapidly. This week, budget airline Ryanair announced two new route from Prestwick. The first is to Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Another is to Kaunas, the second largest city in the Baltic state of Lithuania. The new routes brings the total destinations available from Ryanair at Prestwick to 25. Another low-cost airline, easyJet, also announced this week that it is to start flying between Edinburgh and Gdansk in Poland.
Movies Draw the Crowds
10% of the visitors who come to Scotland say that they were prompted to make the trip by seeing a film which features the country. That translates into tourism worth hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy, particularly in the areas featured by the movies. It's doubtful if the drugs and violence of "Trainspotting" did much for Edinburgh, but Braveheart, Hamish Macbeth, Highlander, Local Hero, Loch Ness, Rob Roy and many others have prompted those abroad - and many English people - to come to see the locations for themselves. In recent times, the Harry Potter movies have brought people to the romantic steam-driven train journey on the West Highland line, taking in the Glenfinnan Viaduct (ssen above), and the Da Vinci code has resulted in visitor numbers at Rosslyn Chapel soaring by over 30%. The next area to benefit could well be Skye, where a fantasy drama called Stardust was filmed. It stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert de Niro (as well as the local scenery, of course) and will have its premier at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival. And Stone of Destiny (about the seizure of the Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey in London, so that it could return to its rightful home in Scotland) is being filmed at Paisley Abbey. For a guide to locations used in a long list of movies, see www.scotlandthemovie.com.
Transplant Games
The Scottish Executive Secretary for Health added her name to the organ donation register as she met athletes participating this week in the British Transplant Games at Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh. All the athletes taking part have had organ transplants, including heart, liver and kidneys. Unlike some other countries, where consent is assumed when a person dies, the UK requires donors to register beforehand. Figures show that there were just 50 such donations in Scotland last year - with over 800 Scots on transplant waiting lists.
Development Delays at Perth City Hall
Plans by a regeneration company to transform the Edwardian Perth City Hall into a three-level development, with 12 retail units, a cafe and restaurant, have become bogged down. It is now thought unlikely that the new facility in the heart of Perth will be open by Christmas, as originally intended. There are even concerns that the developer is having second thoughts because of a lack of interest from potential occupants. Perth and Kinross planners have issued all the necessary consents, but so far work has not started. The City Hall became redundant following the opening of the £20 million Perth Concert Hall in 2005. There had been concerns that the B-listed building might be knocked down completely, but locals and architectural heritage organisations were keen for the original character of the building to be retained.
Selkirk Factory in the Soup?
A disused glass factory in Selkirk is being considered by the giant Baxters soup and jam company for conversion as a food outlet. Baxters is still a family run business, despite being a major supplier to supermarket chains across the UK. It is still based in the Spey-side village of Fochabers in Moray in the north of Scotland. But it has been expanding in recent years and a few years back opened a successful shop, restaurant and visitor centre in Blackford in Perthshire. The company wants to create another flagship food hall along with a restaurant in the prominent vacant unit in Selkirk.
Welcome to Scotland?
The company which holds the £81 million, five-year contract to maintain the main A1 artery between Scotland and England is being severely criticised for not replacing the "Welcome to Scotland" road sign at the border crossing from England. Travellers on the way north into Scotland have been unaware of the Scottish border crossing since March, when the previous sign was removed after being damaged. Many tourists used to stop to take photographs at the entry point to Scotland. Now there is little to show the significance of the crossing. The road maintenance company Bear say that it will be the end of August before a replacement can be erected - that will be as this year's main tourist season dies down.
The photo here is the welcome sign at the border further west, where the road crosses over from Northumberland. Even here, the signage on the English side is much more impressive!
Puffin Colony Recovers
Craigleith Island, off North Berwick, used to be used by 28,000 pairs of breeding puffins. Then, after 1999, numbers plummeted to just a few thousand last year. The problem was an invasion of tree mallow, a non-native species that grew over the entrances to the burrows where the birds nest. Hundreds of volunteers have been working to remove the obstructions and many more birds have returned this year. The speed of the recovery has surprised and pleased wild life experts. It almost looked as though the birds had been waiting for something to happen, rather than find alternative sites. Puffins are drawn instinctively to where they are born, hence the importance of getting the nesting sites back into use.
Weather in Scotland This Week
Another week of changeable weather, though at least some parts had good long spells of sunshine. Monday and Tuesday, in particular, were warm and sunny in most places except the north-east. Temperatures reached around 21C (70F). But on Wednesday, torrential rain at the morning rush-hour, created traffic disruption in the west of Scotland. Although no roads were closed, motorways were badly affected by surface water and spray. Commuters using the railway station at Airdrie faced flooding again - they had also returned the previous day to find cars parked nearby submerged in two feet of water due to drains being unable to cope. Sunny spells returned on Thursday and Friday, but strong winds made it feel cooler than the maximum temperatures of 18/19C (64/66F) recorded at the weather stations.
This week's picture shows two coot parents feeding their second brood of chicks. It is unusual for coots to manage to rear as many as three youngsters - but they are very attentive parents.
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 the distinctive markings of a Ringlet butterfly and the more subdued colours of a Meadow Brown butterfly; a Common Sandpiper wading at the side of a loch; the large, colourful trumpets of Lavatera - the tree mallow; an attractive Scops Owl (see thumbnail here); a hybrid falcon, half Peregrine Falcon and half Saker Falcon.
See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Highland Clearances Memorial
The Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, unveiled a statue this week at Helmsdale, north of Inverness, which commemorates the achievement and resilience of the many Scots who left the Highlands and Islands during the Highland Clearances. That was the time when landowners in both Highlands and Souther Uplands found that turning their land over to the rearing of sheep was more profitable than renting it out to subsistence farming crofters. As a result, many were ejected from their homes and were often left with emigration as the only way of surviving. The First Minister said: "This statue is a reminder of the men, women and children who left Scotland and took their skills, their strength and their stories across the seas and shared them around the world. While we deplore the clearances we can be proud of the contributions that those cleared have made to humanity." The statue was created by sculptor Gerald Laign, based in the Black Isle. The statue shows a family group in bronze. It is ten feet high and stands at the mouth of the Strath of Kildonan.
Culloden Re-Enactment on YouTube
A trailer for the film which has been created for the visitor centre which commemorates the Battle of Culloden in 1746, has been added to the YouTube site in order to reach a wider audience. The National Trust for Scotland is creating a much improved "visitor experience" at Culloden, the site of the last battle on British soil and the end of Bonnie Prince Charlie's bid to restore the Stuart monarchs to the UK throne. The video clip is not exactly high quality, but it does give some glimpses of the Highlanders charging the redcoated government line. The film is to be screened across four walls of a theatre in the new building and visitors will be in the middle - between the charging, claymore waving Highlanders and the lines of redcoats firing their muskets at them. If you want to see the trailer, search for "Culloden" at YouTube and look for a recently added clip.
Next Week in Scottish History
Piping Live
From August 6 to 12, thousands of top international pipers and drummers will be arriving in Glasgow for the annual "Piping Live" event. More than 200 bands and 8000 pipers and drummers will be travelling from as far afield as Eastern Europe, Australia, Canada, USA, Pakistan and New Zealand. They will join top Scottish bands and entertainment groups such as Wolfstone, Finlay MacDonald, Daimh, Bodega and the Peatbog Faeries to celebrate Scottish culture. There will be free performances in the city's George Square and a special mini performance of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The hub of the festival will be the National Piping Centre, which will be hosting daily "come and try sessions and workshops" as well as performances in the outdoor Street Café. Of course all these activities are just the prelude to the "main event" - the World Pipe Band Championships on Saturday, 11th August at Glasgow Green.
Exhibition on Life of Arts Impresario
A seven-part exhibition is to be held at the National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh to celebrate the life of arts impresario Richard Demarco. It will reflect some of the many aspects of Demarco's lifelong involvement with Edinburgh, its festival and the arts. The exhibition will include artworks from his own archive and photos and posters from the festival. There will also be a specially commissioned series of "moving image portraits" exploring Demarco's artistic expeditions to Poland and Romania. In addition, there will be special reference to figures in the arts and sciences such as Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott, Thomas Carlyle and James Watt. "Demarco's Festival" opens on July 28 at the National Portrait Gallery. It is being presented in parallel with "Festival Conversations," in which Demarco will be in conversation with those who share his festival memories and hopes for its future.
Return of Enchanted Forest
Perthshire’s renowned Enchanted Forest sound and light show is set to delight the senses when it returns to Faskally Wood near Pitlochry from 19th October to 4th November, with a brand new theme. The focus of this year’s event will be "Creation", with spectacular lighting effects being used to illustrate the earth’s history from its early volcanic state, the Ice Age and the Jurassic era, right through to modern times. At a special lochside viewing area, visitors will be treated to a spectacular 10 minute choreographed sound and light show which, with the help of high level aerial lighting effects, coloured water jets and smoke, will gradually reveal a scene of turmoil develop and the loch turn into a bubbling cauldron! More subdued lighting effects will follow and in the finale of the show the loch will take on the appearance of a modern day cityscape, with a series of artificial structures being created via solid blocks of light. The Enchanted Forest show was launched in 2002 and has been attracting bigger audiences each year for a spectacular walk that lasts for over an hour. For further information visit www.enchantedforest.org.uk.
UK's First Retrofest
The organisers of the UK's first "Retrofest" at Culzean Castle, Ayrshire (seen here), say they are happier than a pair of shoulder pads to announce the final line-up for the "more mature" music lovers who still prefer the "golden oldies." Included in the two-day event on 1/2 September will include Human League, Bananarama, ABC, Tony Hadley, Imagination, Go West, Belinda Carlisle, and Hue and Cry. It is claimed that if someone was being nostalgic and putting together a mixtape of the 80s, these are the bands they would have on it. Everyone coming along is going to hear all the hits and remember that top era. For more information, see www.retrofest.co.uk.
Scottish Culture Around the World
The main focus of the Scottish Snippets is news items, usually about Scotland. But the "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.
The Year of Scotland at Lorient 2007
The 37th Festival InterCeltique in Lorient, Brittany is expected to attract over 700,000 visitors from around the world to experience the best of Scottish culture. Visitors will be provided with a real taste of Scotland through music, dance, food and drink at the Scottish Pavilion which will be a focal point of the Festival. One of the most important Celtic festivals in the world, it has declared 2007 as "The Year of Scotland". The Scottish Executive has supported the event financially in order to showcase Scottish culture to a Breton, French and international audience through various Scottish acts, exhibitions and cuisine. And VisitScotland has also contributed to the Festival, working with the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society to choreograph a new Scottish country dance which will be performed for the first time at Lorient 2007. The event takes place from 3rd to 12th August. See also www.festival-interceltique.com.
Warringah Scottish Society
Warringah, New South Wales, Australia, is holding their annual Dinner Dance on Saturday 4th August 2007. Lots of Scottish, Old Time & Modern Dancing plus entertainment including Highland Dancing Display, Pipe Band & Gaelic Singers. The event is held in the Masonic Hall Pittwater Rd.Collaroy, between Fraser & Ramsay Streetss. Collaroy Beach is one of Sydney, Australia, Northern Beaches. Dress:- Highland or Evening Dress. See also scotsnorthside.tripod.com.
Pre-Season Friendly Football Matches
Chicago All Fire (US) 1 Celtic 1
Heart of Midlothian 0 Moroka Swallows (South Africa) 1
Falkirk 1 Rangers 1
Berwick Rangers 1 Hibernian 3
Motherwell 1 Millwall (England) 1
Partick Thistle 1 Ayr United 2
Gretna 2 Darlington (England) 0
Dumbarton 1 Dunfermline 5
Kilmarnock 1 Nottingham Forest (England) 3
Rangers 1 Ajax (Netherlands) 1
Berwick Rangers 2 Sunderland 3
Dundee 1 Motherwell 2
Dunfermline 2 Bristol Rovers (England) 2
Partick Thistle 0 Leicester City 2
Dundee United 0 Barcelona 1
Albion Rovers 0 Partick Thistle 2
Dumbarton 0 St Mirren 3
Dunfermline 2 Nottingham Forest (England) 1
Newcastle United (England) 4 Celtic 1Harrington Wins Open Championship
There was an exciting finish to this year's Open Championship at Carnoustie last Sunday. Spain's Sergio Garcia went into the last day with a three-stroke lead but saw his lead slip away as he completed a final round of two over par, missing a ten foot put on the final green to win the famous claret jug trophy. Meanwhile, 35-year-old Dubliner Padraig Harrington came from behind in the last round with four under par to tie the contest and go into a play-off. It took four more tense holes to resolve the contest in Harrington's favour.
French Football Star Debuts at Dundee United
International footballer Thierry Henri, who moved to Barcelona at the end of last season, had his first competitive match for the club this week when he played for the team in a pre-season game against Dundee United. He showed his class by scoring a late goal to deny the Tayside club what would otherwise have been a famous draw. The Spanish club were awarded a penalty and although the United keeper blocked the initial shot, Henri pounced on the rebound. Henri is one of the world's top strikers and helped Arsenal win two English Premier League titles and three FA Cups.
Open to Return to Carnoustie
Attendance at the recent Open Golf Championship was down on previous (record) years, leading to the suggestion that the organisers (the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) at St Andrews) might not want to return to the course in the near future. But those doubts have been hit into the long grass by the R&A's chief executive. He has confirmed that Carnoustie is firmly on the Open rota and it is one of their strongest venues. The R&A said that they were pleased with the crowds, given the poor weather on some of the days - something that can happen at any location.
Scot Competing on Roof of Europe
Ulric Jessop from Edinburgh was the only Scot amongst 30 competitors who set off this week from the Krippenstein Glacier in Austria at the start of a dangerous 530-mile journey on foot and by paraglider across the Alpine mountain range. There were clear blue skies and pristine mountains as athletes from 21 countries set off on their paragliders from an icy cornice perched above a sheer drop. Competitors paraglide, run and climb their way across the Alps. This year, for the first time, the slowest competitor will be pulled from the race every other day. They will race through the mountains of Switzerland, Italy and France, finishing on a floating platform in Monaco harbour.