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.
Ross County head the Division 2 table, but only due to a better goal difference over Raith Rovers. Berwick Rangers and Brechin City are propping up the Second Division, 6 points behind Cowdenbeath and Berwick Rangers.
East Fife have a 5 point margin over Stranraer at the top of the Third Division. Forfar are 3 points behind Albion Rovers at the foot of the table. Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Current Affairs
Postal Strikes to Cause Long Delays
Post Office workers are holding two 48-hour strikes, with one beginning on Thursday and another on Monday. The stoppages across the UK are expected to cause widespread disruption, with deliveries to homes or businesses are not expected until next Wednesday at the earliest. And the backlog is not likely to be cleared until the following week. Management say that the Royal Mail service is facing fundamental changes, now that it no longer enjoys a monopoly on mail deliveries. Competitors are eating away at its business, employing staff who are paid less than the traditional postal staff. Unions are unhappy at the latest pay offer from Royal Mail and proposed changes to work practices.
Stolen Leonardo Da Vinci Painting Recovered
Leonardo Da Vinci's painting "The Madonna With The Yarnwinder", valued variously between £25 to £35 million, was stolen from the Duke of Buccleuch's Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway in August 2003. The late Duke (who died last month) was most distressed at the loss, which occurred when two men dressed as tourists overpowered a guide and stole the painting. Now, four years later, four men appeared in Dumfries Sheriff Court in connection with the robbery and the painting has been recovered from a lawyer's office in Glasgow. The current Duke of Buccleuch is reported to be "overjoyed" at the prospect of the return of the masterpiece. But he said that his delight was "tinged by sadness" that his father did not live to see the precious artwork returned to Drumlanrig.
Recycling Reaches 30%
Data from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) show that more than 28.4% of household waste in Scotland is now recycled - 4% up on the previous year and 11% up on two years ago. Recycling hardly existed in Scotland five years ago. But with government (and European) encouragement, great strides have been made. Even so, Scotland (and the UK) is still far behind many other European countries, where 70% is being achieved in some parts. Efforts are being made to improve on the present level in Scotland. There is clearly plenty of room for improvement in some parts of the country - Glasgow, the largest of all the local authority councils, has only managed to reach 16.8% and is bottom of the league table. Clackmannanshire, the smallest county, has the highest recycling rate (43.6%).
Minimum Age for Buying Cigarettes Now 18
The legal age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products was raised from 16 to 18 from last Monday. It is hoped that raising the age to 18 will make it easier for shopkeepers to identify whether young people are old enough to buy cigarettes, through a passport, a driving licence or a proof-of-age card. A survey of young people has shown that 68% are in favour of raising the age for buying cigarettes. Traders have been warned that the authorities will be cracking down on anyone selling tobacco products to those who are under the minimum age - including sending under-age youngsters into shops to attempt to buy cigarettes.
Rail Link to Close for Nine Days
The rail service between Perth and Inverness is to close down for nine days from 10 November to allow for essential maintenance and track improvements. An alternative bus service will be provided instead. The suspension has been timed to avoid the tourist season, but still get the work done before the more severe winter weather. But the closure has highlighted again the need to upgrade the A9 road between Perth and Inverness to two lanes in each direction - there are long stretches where the busy road has only one lane. All it needs is a slow moving farm tractor or heavy truck to create long tail-backs.
"Hologram Tam" Was Too Good
When police in England came across £3 million of forged Bank of Scotland £20 notes, they noted that they didn't have any watermarks or holograms. As such, they would have fooled nobody, but clearly they were on their way to have these security markings added by an expert forger. The Scottish police were asked if they knew of anyone who might be good enough to do such a forgery. Thomas McAnea - known in the underworld and to the police as "Hologram Tam" was immediately a prime suspect. The police staked out McAnea's printing premises for four months - and saw members of a well-known crime syndicate calling there and they were clearly not ordering menus for a Chinese takeaway. When the police moved in last January, they found the master forger counting out half a million £20 notes (£10 million in total). If the little print shop had gone into full production, it could have churned out £1 billion a year in fake notes. Instead, McAnea was sentenced this week to six years and four months in jail.
Air Berlin Flies Away
Air Berlin is a large and popular budget airline which provides a regular twice-a-day service from Glasgow to the UK air hub at Stansted and on to seven destinations in Germany. But it is bringing the service to an end, blaming recent increases in air passenger duties. Because the tax is paid on each flight, passengers end up paying twice - once for the Stansted leg and once for the flight to Germany. So they pay £20 in tax - on a basic fare of £24 to £29. However, the service is well used, often by German holidaymakers and its loss will impact on Scotland's tourist trade. So talks are now taking place to see if the airline could operate a direct flight from perhaps one German city to Glasgow - which would attract a single levy of £10.
Western Isles Complain Most
You might have thought that with the slower pace of life and without the stresses and strains of city life, the residents of Scotland's Western Isles would be easy-going and wouldn't have much to complain about. But a report by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman this week reveals there were nearly twice the level of complaints per capita in the Outer Hebrides about local public services than the Scottish average. By contrast, people living in and around Aberdeen were least likely to complain. Based on the postcodes of people writing to the ombudsman, the Western Isles residents produced six complaints per 10,000 people, while Aberdonians produced just 2.4 - compared to a Scotland-wide total of 3.4. Edinburgh residents had an above average level of complaints of 4.1 per 10,000. There has been a major increase in recent years in the number of issues raised with the ombudsman about public service failures. But mainly because complainants had not first exhausted the complaints procedure with the public body they were complaining about, only 2% were fully upheld last year.
Great Glen House "Best UK Workplace"
Few Edinburgh staff working for Scottish Natural Heritage wanted to relocate to Inverness when the government forced the agency to move its HQ to the Highland capital. Moving government jobs out of the capital was a flagship policy of the previous Scottish administration - but caused a lot of controversy. But the new HQ building, named "Great Glen House", aimed to be as environmentally friendly as possible and it is now one of the biggest employers in the Highlands. Now the British Council for Offices has voted their building as the best workplace not just in Scotland but in the whole UK. Judges said the building met the aspirations of staff and was welcoming to the public. The building has already achieved the highest-ever environmental assessment rating, using recycled materials and locally sourced timber.
Scots Magazine Calendar 2008
With the end of the year fast approaching, it's time for many of us to start thinking about Christmas and sending gifts abroad. Calendars are always a popular item and the attractive Scots Magazine Calendar certainly fits the bill - either as a gift for a relative or friend - or for yourself! The large format pictures range from Devorgilla Bridge in Dumfries to the autumn colours of Loch Dunmore near Pitlochry and a snow-covered West Highland Way. Each month also has a light-hearted collection of facts and figures to educate and entertain. A bargain at two calendars for £10 (delivered to the same address). Browse the pictures and order the calendar at Scots Magazine Calendar 2008
One of Our Bombs is Missing...
The Royal Air Force (RAF) were embarrassed this week when they had to admit that a practice bomb had been accidentally dropped from a Tornado GR4 aircraft over Scotland - and they didn't know where they had lost it on the 90 minute flight. The aircraft was on a routine mission from its base at Lossiemouth in Moray. The RAF have warned the public not to touch it if it is found, even though it is unlikely to be a significant danger.
New Image for Edinburgh Castle
Historic Scotland has given Edinburgh Castle a new logo to be used in promotional material and has branded the tourist attraction "Defender of the Nation". A new visitor centre is opening next spring and the World Heritage site is the most visited property in Historic Scotland's portfolio. Each year, 1.2 million people visit the castle, which is perched on top of an extinct volcanic lava plug. The new logo is a mix of the castle itself and the royal symbol of the Lion Rampant.
Glaswegian Scrooge McDuck
"Research" by Glasgow City Council has shown that the Disney cartoon character Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck's skinflint uncle, came from Glasgow. You might think they would want to keep quiet about that fact, but instead he has been included in a list of the city's "great and good" which the Council has published. The discovery about his origins was made in a US comic called "The Life And Times Of Scrooge McDuck, published in 1996. He is shown becoming enraged after being paid a US dime for cleaning a pair of shoes. The coin inspires him to stow away on cattle ship sailing from the cLyde to the US. There he makes his fortune and becomes the richest duck in the world. He later buys a castle on "Dismal Downs" which is supposedly near Rannoch Moor. Now he is listed in a guide to Glasgow's "who's who" and rubs shoulders with architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Sir Alex Ferguson. For the full list, including Scrooge McDuck, see Glasgow City Council - Famous Glaswegians.
September Weather Review
The UK Meteorological Office has published its review of last month's weather and it highlights that it was the coldest September since 1994 and the dullest since 1992. Despite all those cloudy, overcast skies, rainfall was only 68% of the 1961-1990 average. Of course, global warming was still a factor and despite the cooler temperatures, September was still 0.2C degrees above the 1961-1990 average. During the month, Saughall in Strathclyde recorded a minimum temperature of -3.6C (25.5F) on 27 September. But Leuchars in Fife and Strathallan (Perthshire) reached a very warm and humid 24C (75F) on 5 September.
Weather in Scotland This Week
There was a good amount of sunshine this week in most parts of the country, with temperatures above average for the time of year - Edinburgh reached 18.5C (66F) on Monday and Aberdeen was close to that on Saturday. The exception to all this fine weather was on Wednesday when there was cloud and showers in most places.
The picture here is of Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies on a sedum "Autumn Joy".
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 Gare Loch and Garelochhead, Argyll; paddle steamer "Maid of the Loch" on Loch Lomond; Loch Lomond and the island of Inchmurrin; Pavement Cafe, Cochrane Street, Glasgow; Loch Long in Argyll and the sun was sparkling on its waters (see thumbnail here). See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Historical Affairs - Topical Items from Scotland's Past
Weaver's Cottage, Kilbarchan
Staff at an18th century worker's cottage in the Renfrewshire hamlet of Kilbarchan were last week celebrating 50 years since it was turned into a living museum by the National Trust for Scotland. Two weavers still work on the old hand loom in the cottage, the last of 800 that once worked in the area when weaving was a major industry across much of Scotland. The wool used at Kilbarchan is spun and dyed using natural colours obtained from plants and herbs grown in the cottage garden attached to the museum. They specialise in weaving tartan - taking three days to produce enough material for one kilt. The cottage was built in 1723 and it was adopted by the National Trust for Scotland in 1957. The museum is now closed for the winter and will reopen next April.
East Kilbride Archive Films on Web
South Lanarkshire Council is developing a special Internet television channel and is showing films created to mark the 60th anniversary of East Kilbride's launch as Scotland's first post-war "new town" in 1947. Four films charting the growth and development of the town will be shown at regular intervals throughout October. East Kilbride now has a population of over 70,000 and is roughly the size of Paisley - and still growing. See South Lanarkshire Council.
£2,000 For Victorian Banknote
The City of Glasgow Bank became bankrupt in 1879, one of only three large Scottish banks to ever fail. It had been established in 1829 and its "progressive and dynamic" outlook led to its fall after only 50 years. But when any of its banknotes come up for auction these days, there is usually a lot of interest from collectors. Three City of Glasgow banknotes are to be auctioned in London on Monday and one of them, bearing the portrait of Queen Victoria, is expected to sell for over £2,000. It is described by the auctioneers as "an attractive example, fresh, good, very fine and rare".
Next Week in Scottish History
Entertainment
Edinburgh's Hogmanay Focuses on Scotland
In recent years, Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations (which extend for several days before and after New Year's Eve) have had a central theme based on India, France, Spain's Catalonia and Germany. The organisers have faced mounting criticism that by creating a global feel to the festivities, it has lost touch with local people in the Capital and other parts of Scotland. But this year there is to be a strong Scottish element instead, as a Lowland climax to the "Highland 2007" celebrations that have been taking place all year in the north of Scotland, Some of Scotland's top traditional and contemporary Celtic music acts are expected to perform at the event, which will be billed as the "world's biggest ceilidh". The same theme is likely to be repeated the following year to herald the start of Scotland's Year of Homecoming - a major campaign to persuade people around the globe, with an affinity for Scotland, to pay a visit.
Superstar Conductor for Scottish Orchestra
Donald Runnicles, born in Edinburgh 52 years ago and currently the music director of San Francisco Opera and principal guest conductor at Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, is regarded as one of the world's leading orchestral conductors. Runnicles runs a prestigious festival in Wyoming, appears regularly at the Salzburg and Bayreuth festivals, and is in constant demand by the world's leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Vienna State Opera. So the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra has pulled off a great coup by attracting him back to Scotland as their new chief conductor from 2009. Runnicles performed with the BBC SSO at the Edinburgh Festival in 2001 and critics then were impressed by the performances and the "special chemistry" that became apparent. Educated at George Watson's in Edinburgh, he fell in love with opera after hearing the late Sir Alexander Gibson conducting Wagner's Ring in Glasgow in 1971.
New Museum for Leith
Items from a number of national collections which are not currently on display are likely to form the basis of a new Waterfront Centre in Edinburgh's Granton district on the Firth of Forth. Around 100,000 visitors a year are expected to visit the new attraction, which will display documents such as the 1707 Act of Union and items from the John Murray Archive, which includes 150,000 letters and manuscripts by writers such as Darwin, Byron and Sir Walter Scott. It is also expected to house items from the collections of the National Museums of Scotland, the National Archives of Scotland, the National Library and the Royal Commission.
Fundraising Appeal by Edinburgh Restaurant
Voujon, a popular Indian and Bengali Restaurant, located on Edinburgh’s Southside, has pledged to donate 100% of the proceeds of a fundraising evening to the relief effort currently in operation following the severe flooding in Bangladesh. Voujon are offering diners a set three course meal, including a bottle of wine, for £26 and all of the proceeds will be donated to the fundraising appeal. Relief workers in Bangladesh have said the region's seasonal monsoons and rains have brought the worst flooding in nearly a decade. Flooding has destroyed housing, cut off roads, food and medical supplies and contaminated water sources for millions of people. It is estimated that as a result of the floods across the Asian continent, nearly 3,000 people have lost their lives and as many as six million have been displaced. The fundraising evening will be held on Tuesday 16th October 2007. To book a table at Voujon please call 0131 667 5046, indicating you wish to have the set menu for the Floods Appeal. For a review of the restaurant see Great Places to Eat - Voujon.
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Click on the picture to see all 12 calendar views...
Scots Abroad
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.
International Clan Chisholm Gathering - 2008
This is an opportunity for members of Clan Chisholm to celebrate their Scottish roots by meeting in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. The dates are Friday, August 29 to Monday, September 1, 2008 (Labour Day Weekend) and will be held in conjunction with the Canmore Highland Games. The town of Canmore is just outside the East gate of the Banff National Park and the Gathering HQ will be the Radisson Hotel and Conference Centre in Canmore. The clan's chief, Hamish Chisholm of Chisholm and his family have been invited to attend. The sound of the pipes echoing along the Bow Valley with the majestic Three Sisters watching sedately overhead will be truly an exceptional experience, particularly with one of the bands dressed in the Chisholm tartan. See Clan Chisholm Society.
Sport
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
St Mirren 1 Heart of Midlothian 3
Lyon (France) 0 Rangers 3 (European Champions League, Group E)
Celtic 2 AC Milan (Italy) 1 (European Champions League, Group D)
Dnipro (Ukraine) 1 Aberdeen 1 (Uefa cup qualifier. Aberdeen win on away goal rule)Clydesdale Bank Premierleague Results - 6 October 2007
Dundee United 1 Motherwell 0
Heart of Midlothian 4 Falkirk 2
Kilmarnock 2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2
Rangers 0 Hibernian 1
Aberdeen v St Mirren and Gretna v Celtic will be played on Sunday.Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Results - 6 October 2007
Hamilton 2 Dundee 0
Livingston 0 St Johnstone 2
Greenock Morton 4 Partick Thistle 2
Queen of the South 0 Dunfermline 1
Stirling Albion 0 Clyde 2Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 6 October 2007
Airdrie United 0 Ayr 2
Berwick Rangers 0 Alloa 3
Peterhead 0 Raith Rovers1
Queens Park 0 Cowdenbeath 1
Ross County 2 Brechin City 1Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 6 October 2007
Dumbarton 0 Forfar 0
East Fife 4 Albion Rovers 0
Montrose 3 East Stirling 1
Stenhousemuir 2 Elgin 3
Stranraer 1 Arbroath 1Scottish Hydro Electric Rugby Division One Results - 6 October 2007
Dundee 19 Edinburgh Academicals 20
Glasgow Hutchesons 16 Ayr 16
Hawick 31 Currie 27
Heriots 17 Boroughmuir 35
Stirling County 19 Glasgow Hawks 20
Watsonians 16 Melrose 24League Tables
Hibernian's win over Rangers on Saturday propelled them to the top of the SPL. Their reign may be short-lived, however, as Celtic play this week's game against Gretna on Sunday, leaving rivals Rangers in third. At the foot of the SPL, Gretna are 3 points behind Inverness, Falkirk and St Mirren.
Hamilton increased their lead at the top of Division 1 by defeating second-placed Dundee on Saturday, creating a 4 point gap. Stirling are at the other end of the table, 3 points adrift from Queen of the South and Livingston.
Boroughmuir have a 5 point lead over Melrose at the top of the Scottish Hydro Electric Rugby Division One. Glasgow Hutcheson are just one point away from Dundee and Stirling at the foot of that league.
Treble Win for Scots in Europe
All three Scottish football teams playing in European competitions this week won their matches. Over the years, fans in Scotland have been used to their teams being described as "plucky losers" so they were delighted with the outcome against stiff opposition.
Lyon 0 Rangers 3
Rangers defeated Lyon, last year's French champions, 3-0 in a sensational match away from home in the group stage of the European Champions League. The Ibrox club now have six points from two games in Group E, having defeated the German champions Stuttgart in their first match. In Lyon, Lee McCulloch gave Rangers the lead from a DaMarcus Beasley corner in the 23rd minute. And early in the second half the French champions were stunned by two break-away goals with Daniel Cousin and Beasley providing the finishes. Rangers' defence came under a lot of pressure and Lyon hit the woodwork three times but the Ibrox club weathered the storm. Rangers will now face Barcelona in Glasgow on 23 October.
Celtic 2 AC Milan 1
Celtic faced the reigning European champions AC Milan at Parkhead in their European Champions League group match in Glasgow - and defeated them 2-1. Celtic's captain Stephen McManus scored first for the home side from a corner but Milan later scored from the penalty spot. Then Scott McDonald grabbed the winning goal in the 88th minute. The win ended on a sour note, however, when a fan ran onto the field and appeared to give a cheeky slap to the Milan goalkeeper's face. The goallie initially gave chase, then fell to the ground and had to be carried off. Celtic could end up being penalised for the incident.
Dnipro 1 Aberdeen 1
Aberdeen had only managed a 0-0 draw at home against Ukrainian side Dnipro in the first leg of their Uefa Cup qualifying match. Although the game in Ukraine ended in a 1-1 draw, thanks to a goal by Darren Mckie, Aberdeen go through to the group stage on the away-goal rule.
Rugby World Cup
The hard-fought win over Italy last Saturday in the Rugby World Cup, means that Scotland are now back in the top eight in the world rankings table. Scotland face Argentina in the quarter finals on Sunday. Argentina are ranked 4th in the rankings - but in the run-up to the game both teams were trying to convince the media that they were the "under-dogs".
Star-studded Event
The high profile Alfred Dunhill Links Championship being played this week at St Andrews has attracted a galaxy of professional golfers and amateur stars including Hugh Grant, Samuel L. Jackson, Ronan Keating, Boris Becker and UK sporting knights Sir Ian Botham, Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Steve Redgrave. The professional golfers they will be playing with include Ernie Els, Open champion Padraig Harrington, Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie, Michael Campbell, the 2005 US Open champion, Steve Elkington, winner of the 1995 US PGA championship, and UK Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo.
Andy Murray Reaches ATP Tour Final
Injury has meant that 2007 has been a bad year for Scots tennis star Andy Murray. But he reached his first ATP Tour semi-final since March with a 6-3 6-3 win over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Moselle Open at Metz in France. In the semi-final he again triumphed with a hard-fought 7-6, 6-4 win over Argentinean Guillermo Canas. After the match he commented: "This was a test. I now feel I'm getting close to my best level." He will play top seed Tommy Robredo from Spain in the final.
Magazine Section
