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
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Scots Abroad
Sport
In the First Division, Hamilton remain out in front, 4 points ahead of Dundee. While Stirling Albion sit at the foot of the division, Queen of the South and Livingston have only 2 points more than them.
In the Scottish Hydro Electric Rugby Division One, Saturday's results have placed Boroughmuir 9 points in front of Melrose. Glasgow Hutchesons pushed the division leaders on Saturday, but remain at the foot of the table, 4 points below Edinburgh Academicals.
Magazine Section
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Job Cuts at BBC Scotland
The BBC is largely funded by a licence fee paid by householders owning a TV or radio. The amount the BBC receives is decided by the UK government and in the last round of negotiations, the corporation came away with a funding shortfall of £2 billion over the next five years. That meant they had to make a 3% annual saving in each of those years. The BBC Board of Governors agreed this week how that the financial gap will be plugged. In the UK as a whole, there will be a reduction in staff of 2,500. Of these, 210 posts will be in Scotland and that will be on top of 32 jobs cuts previously announced as part of current "value for money" plans. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond described the cuts as "drastic" and the National Union of Journalists expressed shock at the scale of the cut-backs. The BBC Scotland senior management tried to put a positive spin on the situation, saying "At the end of the five-year period, BBC Scotland will be smaller, but more efficient." The impact north of the border is likely to be less than in the rest of the BBC network as new output for the corporation is to be commissioned in Scotland. Approval is expected for more regional news, expanded web content and the launch of a new Gaelic service. BBC Scotland hopes to attract new business to Glasgow - which has the largest studio in the UK outside London. The corporation recently moved into a new state-of-the-art regional headquarters at Pacific Quay in Glasgow.
Too Old at 66
Sir Menzies Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK resigned from the post this week, in the wake of corrosive media speculation and comment about his leadership and being "too old" at 66 to lead a major political party at the next general election, perhaps two years from now. The Member of Parliament for North-East Fife decided that it was in the interests of the LibDem Party to step down. His supporters said that he "was an honourable man doing the honourable thing." Sir Menzies (he used the traditional "Mingis" pronunciation for his name) had led the party for eighteen months and had a distinguished career first as an athlete, competing in the 1964 Olympics, then as a lawyer, becoming a Queen's Counsel in 1982. He was elected as Member of Parliament in 1987 and was respected for his insight on foreign affairs. He became leader of the LibDems in March 2006 - facing much younger men as leaders of the other main parties in UK politics. He argued that his age gave him experience and wisdom, but in the TV age of sound bites, he was accused of "lacking energy".
Scottish Unemployment Falls Once Again
Figures published this week show that unemployment continued to fall in Scotland last month. The total of those claiming the Jobseeker's Allowance, fell by 600 in September to 73,800, or 13,600 lower than in September last year. On the Government's preferred measure, the International Labour Office method, the total for the three months to August was 123,000, down slightly on the previous quarter and 2,000 lower than in the same quarter last year. The figures also show that the number in employment, at 2.534 million, was 6,000 lower than the previous three months, but 67,000 higher than a year ago. The numbers claiming support for being unemployed is now at its lowest level for over 30 years. The Scottish employment rate of 76.6% remains above that of the UK and almost all countries within the EU.
Grand Subway Plan Scaled Back
Earlier this year, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) announced that they were looking at ambitious plans to expand Glasgow's subway (underground) system. Currently its twin circular lines are just 6.5 miles (10.4 km) long and extend both north and south of the River Clyde. Opened in 1896, it is the third oldest subway system in the world. Although it has been modernised over the years, it has never been expanded. Now SPT has abandoned most of its earlier proposals for extending the network with many new routes and even introducing hi-tech maglev tracks. The scaled down plans aim to create a new single line from the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre on the river Clyde, west of the city centre, to Parkhead in the east end. This might be in place by 2014 - Glasgow is still hoping to host the Commonwealth Games in the city that year and a connection through to Parkhead would serve a proposed athletes village as well as the Celtic football ground. The estimated cost of the new route, which would have interchange stations at major transport hubs, would cost less that £600 million.
Household Transport Survey
The Scottish government's statistical service has carried out a survey of trends in the use of transport since 1999. The survey for 2006 has been published and it shows, for example, that 67% of commuters travel to work by car or van, 14% were able to walk to work and 12% travelled by bus while 3% went by train and just 2% cycled. 51% of pupils walk to school, 24% went by bus and 22% travelled by car. In recent years, walking to school has fallen and going by car has risen, despite exhortations by government for kids to get more exercise. 68% of households have at least one car and 24% had two or more. 66% of people aged 17 and over have a full driving licence. Since 1999, the number of women with a driving licence has risen from 52% to 58% of the population. 84% of adults aged 60 and over hold a concessionary travel pass which allows them free access to buses throughout the country.
Scottish Retail Sales Outperform UK
Like-for-like retail sales in Scotland in September were 3.3% higher than in September 2006, with total sales (which include new outlets) up 8.3% on a year ago. These figures outperformed the UK where like-for-like
growth was 3.0% and total sales were up by just 5.2%. Cold weather in September (the coldest since 1994) helped to boost clothing and footwear purchases. Flat-panel TVs and laptops continued to lead the way in electricals and sales of video games and consoles remained strong.
£1 Million Donation to Study Scots Around the World
Alan and Anne McFarlane's gift of £1 million to the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies is believed to be the largest-ever private donation to a history project at a British university. Mr McFarlane, who studied history at Edinburgh, is a leading international financier based in the city. The Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies is due to open next year under the auspices of the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at Edinburgh. It will be headed by the renowned Scottish historian Professor Tom Devine. The focus of the centre's work will be on examining how Scots shaped societies, economies and culture in countries around the world, particularly in North America, Australia and New Zealand.
North American Tourist Numbers Fall
Figures published this week show that there was a drop of 12% in the number of visitors to Scotland from the US and Canada in the first six months of this year. In the same period, the number of international travellers rose by 4%, with a 12% increase in the number of Europeans coming to Scotland in the first half of this year. 819,000 travellers came to Scotland from Europe during that time frame and 237,000 from North America. The weak US dollar and security concerns seems to have discouraged travel from there. 80% of Scotland's visitors still come from other parts of the UK, however.
Scottish & Newcastle Breweries Under Threat
Brewing giant Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) were facing a takeover battle as continental rivals Carlsberg and Heineken admitted that they were considering a joint bid for the company. Their plan would be for Danish firm Carlsberg to buy Edinburgh-based S&N's interests in France, Greece and eastern European drinks business BBH, while Heineken would take on the UK business and other European operations. S&N's shares jumped 15% following the news, with their stock value jumping to £7.1 billion. S&N, however, are getting ready to fight back, pointing out that they are now Scotland's biggest manufacturing company and that any takeover would inevitably mean the loss of the corporate HQ and many high-level jobs. S&N owns or co-owns three of the top ten beers in Europe - Baltika, Foster's and Kronenbourg 1664.
New Pipeline Link With Norway
Oil giants Shell UK and ExxonMobil have announced the completion of the new link between the Norwegian and UK gas pipeline networks, ensuring an important future supply of gas for the UK. The link will not only provide natural gas to supply homes and businesses, but will also carry "wet gas" which contains natural gas liquids, which are essential for the chemicals industry. The two oil companies operate the Mossmorran site outside Cowdenbeath in Fife. The plant opened in 1984 and was built to last around 20 years. But the new supply lines and a £350 million investment by Shell will prolong the life of the plant until at least 2021.
From Here to Eternity
Deborah Kerr (she pronounced it kar) the Hollywood actress who was born in Helensburgh in 1921, died this week in England, aged 86. She originally trained as ballet dancer before appearing in several British films. She signed for MGM in 1947. Despite her Scottish roots, she became known as Hollywood's quintessential English rose. But it was her role as Karen in "From Here to Eternity in 1953 that propelled her to box office fame. She then had a wide range of screen personas including a nun (Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison), an earthy shepherd's wife (The Sundowners) and a governess (The King and I). She was nominated for an Oscar on six occasions and was given an honorary award by the academy in 1994.
Picture via Wikipedia.
4,000 Poles Vote in Inverness
Even though they are working in Scotland, 4,000 Poles will able to vote in their home country's parliamentary election this weekend in a polling station in Inverness. The poll in the city's Spectrum Centre will run from 5.30am on Sunday until 4.30am on Monday. Similar arrangements are being made in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Tens of thousands of Poles have come to work in Scotland (and other parts of the UK) since their country joined the European Union in 2004.
Optimism in Textile Industry
Scotland's textile industry has gone through hard times, faced with competition from many countries where labour and other costs are far lower. The number of people employed has declined and a number of firms have been taken over by foreign entrepreneurs. But a recent survey has highlighted "very positive trends" for the industry. Today, there are 450 textile companies in Scotland, directly employing more than 17,000 people, with an annual turnover of £1 billion. Most of the firms are in the Scottish Borders with additional enclaves in East Ayrshire, Angus and Renfrewshire. The main findings of the Scottish Textile Industry Survey show that 40% of companies increased turnover last year and 90% remain Scottish owned. The biggest export markets are in USA, France, Germany, Italy and Japan and one third of companies made new capital investment in the last year. The emphasis in recent years has been to the production of higher value products, with more and more sales direct to consumers.
Feeding Parking Meters Via Mobile Phone
We all know the situation - after cruising round looking for an empty parking bay, you eventually find one only to realise you don't have any change for the meter. And by the time you find a shop which can give you the right coins, you've got a parking ticket from a zealous attendant. Surprisingly, despite its reputation for the most aggressive parking "enforcers" Edinburgh was the first city in the UK to offer drivers the ability to pay to park using their mobile phones. Initially, in 2003, there was a slow take-up of the system and only 1,200 drivers signed up for the service in the first year. But numbers have doubled each year since then and now one in 12 parking fees in the Capital is paid by drivers using their mobiles. A similar service is in use around the world, in cities such as Sydney, Las Vegas and Dusseldorf. So far, Glasgow has not followed in the Capital's footsteps on this - and neither has London. Motorists register for the system on the Web or via their mobile phone. Once they have found a parking space, drivers press a special button on the nearest pay-and-display machine and call the hotline number. Once they have indicated the length of their stay, the machine issues a ticket in the usual way and the motorist's account is charged for the amount payable.
Fastest and Slowest Motorways
Scotland has both the UK's fastest and slowest moving traffic on motorways, according to traffic monitoring firm Trafficmaster's 7,500 roadside sensors.. While many motorways in England have three lanes in each direction, much of Scotland's network is restricted to just two lanes. So when slow moving vehicles try to overtake even slower traffic, long tail-backs can easily build up. The M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow is the busiest in Scotland and because it has just two lanes it produces the slowest average speed in the whole UK network - just 52.7mph. But the M74, running south from Glasgow to England, has a number of stretches which have three lanes and the road is not so heavily used as the M8. So the average speed recorded is 71.5mph, which is actually above the legal speed limit of 70mph.
Weather in Scotland This Week
There was a good amount of sunshine again this week, although temperatures took a dip in the middle of the week. Aberdeen struggled to reach a maximum of 10C (50F) on Thursday and Edinburgh and Glasgow only reached a degree or two higher. Sunny intervals on Friday pushed the maximum temperature in Glasgow back up to between 15C and 16C (60F) and other parts of the country were only slightly lower. The outlook is for some rain on Monday but a return to sunshine thereafter.
The flower pictured here is a Cistus - also known as a Sun Rose.
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 "Seashells", one of the prettiest varieties of Cosmos flowers; Helichrysum, the so-called "Everlasting" flower with a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly; juicy red apples; Evergreen International Boeing 747 heading for Prestwick Airport; a heron hunched intently over a rock pool at Hogganfield Loch; bright, colourful chrysanthemums, photographed on a sunny day. See This Week's Colour Supplement.
Stevenson Model Lighthouse
The original scale model of the Bell Rock lighthouse which was created by engineer Robert Stevenson, is being sold at auction in London. Every lighthouse across the world that sits in the sea today has been built to Robert Stevenson’s design and specification. Bell Rock is the highest point of a dangerous reef which lies 11 miles off the coast of Angus. By the end of the 18th century, around six ships a year were being wrecked each winter on its rocks and Stevenson was given the task of erecting a lighthouse. Work began in 1807, but as the rock was only exposed for three hours a day at low water spring tides, it was not completed until 1811. The structure was made of interlocking blocks which were carved on the mainland and reassembled on the site. It remains the oldest rock lighthouse in existence in the British Isles today. Robert Stevenson went on to design a further 17 Scottish lighthouses before retiring in 1843. The tower of Robert Stevenson’s presentation scale model has been carved from a solid piece of red sandstone cut from the Bell Rock and is over 22 inches tall. It is expected to fetch between £1500 to £2000. Angus Council has refused to deny or confirm that it is going to bid for the model, which could be displayed at Arbroath’s Signal Tower Museum.
500 Year Tradition Broken
The Faculty of Advocates, to which the leading lawyers in Scotland belong, was founded in 1532 by an Act of the Parliament of Scotland. Although they can appear in courts across Scotland, they have always been based in Edinburgh. There are currently around 460 members of the Faculty and in recent years there have been moves to modernise their practices. Now, a group of 30 advocates are to relocate from Edinburgh and will be based in Glasgow instead. The group includes Donald Finlay, QC, Scotland's top-earning criminal lawyer. Those involved point to the large number of criminal cases being heard in Glasgow and argue that the move makes sound business sense. There are four to five jury trials there every day, plus specialist family and commercial courts covering not just Scotland's largest city, but a number of other towns in the surrounding area. There are also more than 500 solicitors' practice units based in the west and it is they who interface between the client and the advocates.
Next Week in Scottish History
Peter Pan in Scarlet
The author who has created "Peter Pan in Scarlet", a sequel to the original story of the boy who never grew up, paid a visit this week to Kirriemuir, the birthplace of J M Barrie, the creator of the first Peter Pan. Novelist Geraldine McCaughrean was selected to write an official sequel by Great Ormond Street Hospital, the owner of the rights to the character and original story. Ms McCaughrean arrived dressed as a pirate, to celebrate the launch of the paperback version of the sequel and gave readings from it to a group of children. The characters have grown up in the Scarlet novel, with Slightly Darling now the Honourable Slightly who plays the clarinet in a night club. The author was impressed by seeing a clarinet on the window sill of Barrie's cottage. She had made the clarinet a significant item in the sequel.
Travis Band for Aberdeen's Hogmanay
The popular Glasgow band Travis will headline Aberdeen's Hogmanay celebrations this year at the Castlegate. The free celebrations are organised and funded by Aberdeen City Council and staged by Northsound Radio. The band has twice won Album of the Year at the Brit Awards. Their fifth studio album, The Boy with No Name, was released in May.
Cinema Opens - 18 Months Late
The new £5 million 12-screen cinema at the Xscape leisure complex was hit by 18 months of delays after a ceiling collapsed in one of the auditoriums during construction. This sparked a major safety review and extensive remedial work has been carried out in the intervening months. It finally opened on Friday, with opening night attractions including Pixar's latest animated movie Ratatouille, Ben Stiller's The Heartbreak Kid and The Invasion, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. There are to be special screenings targeted at parents and cut-price offers for senior citizens each week. There will be one-off screenings of children's films every Saturday - available at "pocket money prices".
End of Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party?
There have been media reports that this year's Hogmanay street party in Edinburgh could be the last in the present format. The event has so far failed to attract a main sponsor and organisers are waiting to find out if the Scottish government will continue to help fund it. But Edinburgh City Council leaders have denied that it could mean the end of an event that attracts over 100,000 people each year, many from abroad. They say that it is "inconceivable" that the world famous celebrations would be scrapped.
Click on the picture to see all 12 calendar views...
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.
Clan MacLeod Society of South Australia's 50th Anniversary
The celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Clan MacLeod Society of South Australia earlier this month began with a Kirkin' O' The Tartan at St Augustine's Church at Unley, an inner-suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. During the following week there were a number of cultural activities, including a tour of the South Australia. Police Historical Museum and a tour of the Southern Vales which was hosted by Chief Roderick John, 18th of Raasay which highlighted some Raasay heritage sites in South Australia. The Piping Competition held at the Port Adelaide Caledonian Society on Friday 12th was organised by the R.U. Brown Pibroch Society and presented jointly by the Port Adelaide Caledonian Society and the Clan MacLeod Society of S.A. The winner was Kaz Takahara from Littlehampton. Kaz was presented with the beautiful trophy by Chief John MacLeod of Raasay - see graphic. Ruari Halford-Macleod gave a talk on the relationship between the MacLeods and the MaCrimmons and the history of piping. The ceilidh last Saturday was held at the Port Adelaide Caledonian Society Hall and entertainment included The Burnside Ceilidh Band, The P.A.C.S. Caledonian Choir, The P.A.C.S. Scottish Country Dancers and soloist Jeannie Kelso. The luncheon on Sunday included performances by Highland dancers and piping from Pipe Major Phil Wyld of the South Australian Pipes and Drums.
Clydesdale Bank Premierleague Results - 20 October 2007
Falkirk 1 Kilmarnock 1
Heart of Midlothian 1 Dundee United 3
Motherwell 2 Hibernian 1
Rangers 3 Celtic 0
St Mirren 1 Gretna 0
Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Aberdeen will be played on Sunday.Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Results - 20 October 2007
Clyde 0 Greenock Morton 1
Dundee 4 Livingston 1
Dunfermline 0 Hamilton 5
Partick 1 Stirling 1
St Johnstone 2 Queen of the South 0Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 20 October 2007
Alloa 2 Peterhead 0
Ayr United 1 Ross County 4
Brechin City 2 Queens Park 1
Cowdenbeath 3 Berwick Rangers 1
Raith Rovers 2 Airdrie United 1Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 20 October 2007
Albion Rovers 1 Montrose 3
Arbroath 2 Stenhousemuir 2
East Stirling 0 East Fife 2
Elgin 2 Dumbarton 1
Forfar 1 Stranraer 1Scottish Hydro Electric Rugby Division One Results - 20 October 2007
Ayr 17 Currie 3
Glasgow Hutchesons 18 Boroughmuir 24
Hawick 27 Melrose 22
Heriots 20 Glasgow Hawks 5
Stirling County 23 Edinburgh Academicals 21
Watsonians 23 Dundee 20League Tables
Rangers had a convincing win over Celtic in the first of this season's "Old Firm" clashes. During the game, 9 Celtic players were booked for fouls as they tried desperately to stem the tide. Hibernian had a chance of jumping back to the top of the SPL but lost to Motherwell. Consequently, Celtic still sit at the top of the SPL, but only by the slimmest of goal differences. Gretna still struggle to win the points at the foot of the SPL and still sit 3 points adrift from Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Ross County and Raith Rovers both have 21 points at the top of the Second Division, with the northern club ahead on goal difference. At the foot of the table, Berwick stand 3 points behind Brechin City.
In the Third Division, East Fife are 5 points clear of Montrose and Albion Rovers.
Euro 2008 Finals Slipping Away
Scotland's win against France in Paris in their Euro 2008 last month was the sixth international victory in a row, the first time that has been achieved since 1949. So there was a certain amount of confidence as Scotland travelled to Georgia for the penultimate game of qualifying campaign. Unfortunately, that optimism (shared by many fans as well as the players), proved to be misplaced and Georgia won 2-0. Admittedly, Scotland had a solid penalty claim dismissed, but the team just didn't play well enough to win on this occasion. Scotland now need to defeat Italy at Hampden to qualify for Euro 2008 - a tall order.
Andy Murray Pushes Rafael Nadal
Scots tennis star Andy Murray won through to the third round of the Madrid Master tournament and then came up against world number two Rafael Nadal. Murray missed some early break-point chances but eventually lost the first set 7-5 on a tie-break. In the first game of the second set, Murray broke Nadal's serve but the Spaniard levelled at 4-4 and broke again to seal a thrilling victory. Murray said afterwards that he had chances and didn't take them. He was disappointed to lose, but it was a good match from which he learned a great deal. Nadal commented that if Murray had not missed most of the summer with a wrist injury, the Scot would be in the world's top six.