Glasgow Wins Commonwealth Gold

There were wild scenes of celebration in Glasgow and Sri Lanka on Friday when the 71delegates from the British Commonwealth voted 47-24 that Glasgow should host the Commonwealth Games in 2014. Glasgow had been favourite to win the contest, but the Nigerian capital of Abuja had gained ground in recent days, arguing that the event had never been held in Africa. The Scottish team that had pulled the bid together and argued the case around the world for Glasgow to be selected, had been working for nearly two years presenting what had been described as a most professional case. A jubilant Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister, who was in Colombo for the vote, declared that "They will be our chance to show the whole world the very best of Scotland." Back in Glasgow, at concerts and ceilidhs laid on to greet the result, there was pandemonium as several thousand screaming school children joined in the celebrations. Former First Minister Jack McConnell, who had backed the bid from the beginning, spoke of his delight at the result. The victory will trigger an ambitious programme of urban regeneration in the city. Dalmarnock, in the east end of Glasgow, will be the site of a £246 million games village and velodrome project, built on derelict brownfield land and with a capacity for up to 8000 athletes and officials. Afterwards, the village will create a new neighbourhood for Glasgow, providing some 1200 houses for sale and up to 300 much-needed affordable social houses for rent. There will also be a major development of transport links and infrastructure.
Graphic courtesy of Designhive, Glasgow.

Petrol Cost Soars

Recently, there was a news programme on BBC TV that highlighted the complaints of motorists in the US where the cost of petrol (gas) had risen to an average of $3 per US gallon. Those of us watching in the UK could only dream of such a low price as taxation as well as soaring oil prices and exchange rates have continued to push the average price of unleaded petrol to just over £1 a litre. If that was the price in the US, it would be equivalent to US$7.86 per gallon, at current exchange rates. And that average price of £1 a litre goes even higher in the rural parts of Scotland where petrol stations do not have the higher turnover of those in the more populated central belt.

Media Hub for Creative Industries

Building work has begun on "The Hub" - a three-storey glass fronted building beside the Glasgow Science Centre, the new BBC Scotland studios and the STV (Scottish Television) headquarters on Pacific Quay. It is expected to house 50 small "creative industries" businesses within in the city's new media village by the Clyde. Glasgow School of Art's Digital Design Studio (DDS) has already signed a 15-year lease to become tenants and expects to accommodate 135 students and 40 staff there. The remaining space in the 73,000 square feet development will be rented out to dozens of small businesses supporting the work of the BBC and STV studios.

One of the World's Top Unspoilt Islands

522 sustainable tourism experts recently drew up a list of islands, for the National Geographic Traveller magazine, which have avoided tourism "overkill." They ranked the Shetlands as joint third in the world, behind the Faroe Islands and the Azores. One expert described Shetland as having "everything with bells on", praising the spectacular sea cliffs, pristine beaches, geology and wildlife. The survey was based on a number of different criteria, including the environmental and ecological quality, social and cultural integrity, the condition of historic buildings and archaeological sites, their aesthetic appeal, the quality of their tourism management and their outlook for the future. Despite the praise from the experts, however, Shetland is facing a major population crisis, with its working population predicted to drop by 20%. Numbers have only fallen by 3% in the last 20 years, to 21,880. But experts have forecast that in 20 years Shetland will have another 2,175 islanders aged 65 and over while the working-age population will plunge from 18,703 to 14,141 - a decrease of almost 21%. The biggest drift is expected to be from more remote rural island areas, to within a 20-minute travel distance of the capital of the island group in Lerwick.

A Touch of Glass?

The former Odeon cinema in Glasgow's Renfield Street has been lying empty for the last two years while developers formulated various plans to capitalise on the building with its distinctive Art Deco frontage. Now the city planners have agreed that all but that facade, which wraps round the corner of the building, will be demolished. In its place will be a huge 11-storey-high glass office block which will dwarf the original frontage. The £100 million building is to be known as "Paramount" after the original name for the cinema on the site. There will be 150,000sq ft of office space, 20,000sq ft of restaurants and 20,000sq ft of leisure area. City planners hope the new development will help to regenerate an area of the city centre which is currently badly run down.

Freedom of Aberdeen for Comedy Trio

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen has announced that the comedy trio of George Donald, Steven Robertson and Buff Hardie, are to receive the freedom of Aberdeen. They found worldwide fame with their long-running series of comedy sketches entitled "Scotland the What?" Their special brand of couthie, local north-east humour had audiences rolling ion the aisles, not just in Scotland but also around the world, when they took their show on tour. They described themselves at the outset as "three semi-literate Scots taking an irreverent look at their country's institutions," and for 26 years (from 1969 to 1995) they proceeded to do just that. The three performers were made MBEs in the Queen's Honours List in 1997, but it has taken Aberdeen City Council another ten years to recognise the contribution that the trio made to the Granite City and the north-east.

Birds Influence Wind Turbine Development

Seven whooper swans have being tracked by satellite by the BBC's Autumnwatch TV series as they flew from their summer breeding grounds in Iceland, on their 500-mile journey to the south-west of Scotland on the Solway Firth. Previously, only the start and end of the birds' migration had been known and not the path that they followed. It is hoped that the information can assist in deciding the location of wind turbine developments, to avoid creating an extra hazard for the birds. So far, there appear to be two main tracks - making landfall at Caithness and flying down through central Scotland and another coming down the Western Isles. Whooper swans travel in family parties with the cygnets born earlier in the year. The satellite tracking of one group found that the two adults and four of their cygnets arrived at the Solway Firth together - but another youngster was missing. It was thought it had perished along the way - until a whooper cygnet in Mull was spotted and its identification ring showed it was the missing bird. Although it is unlikely to be reunited with its family, it may latch on to other whooper swans as they pass over. Around 10,000 birds fly into Britain each winter, mainly from Iceland.

La Parmigiana Strikes Gold

La Parmigiana, the flagship restaurant of the Giovanazzi family, has been a landmark in Glasgow’s west end for almost 30 years, Refurbished in early 2006, the restaurant was given a chic and contemporary new look, but has maintained the authentic Italian cuisine for which it has become known and loved. Last week, it struck gold at one of the restaurant industry's prestigious awards ceremony, winning Gold in the category of Restaurant of the Year at the annual Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association Awards. This year was the first year of the Gold award, introduced as a result of the high standard of entries in the Restaurant of the Year category. Awarded in recognition of its high standard of fine dining, La Parmigiana was one of 9 UK restaurants to receive the industry accolade at the awards dinner and ceremony.

£100 Million Price Tag for Turnberry Golf Resort

The Ayrshire golf resort of Turnberry, which is to host the 2009 Open Championship, has been put up for sale for up to £100 million by its American owners. The 219-room, five-star hotel is run under the luxury Westin brand and its owners are looking for an investor to buy the property and fund a multimillion-pound development programme "to realise the potential" of the resort which has 300 acres of undeveloped land. The course has a picturesque coastal setting, with views of the Isle of Arran, Ailsa Craig and the Irish Sea. Westin's purchase of Turnberry in 1997 was followed by a £10 million investment programme, which the owners claim has now placed Turnberry among an elite handful of the best golf resorts in the world.

Don't Carry a Bow and Arrow in York...

A TV channel has drawn up a list of UK legislation which has never been repealed and now looks decidedly strange today. One of the laws permits the murder of any Scotsman carrying a bow and arrow within the city walls of York in northern England! Another bans eating mince pies on Christmas Day - legislation that dates back to the 17th century and was designed to outlaw gluttony. There is also a law that says that it is an act of treason to place a postage stamp upside-down on a letter, as all such stamps show the portrait of the British monarch. And in Scotland, there is a law which says that if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter. But perhaps the daftest legislation, which must have been crazy when it was passed, is one that makes it illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament in London. The news report didn't specify what the penalty was for breaking that rule...

First Minister Promotes Linlithgow

The historic town of Linlithgow, birthplace of King James V and Mary Queen of Scots, is a bustling place with a busy town centre. But a few yards away, is the tranquil parkland surrounding the royal palace. In recent years, the town's "Pride and Passion" tourism group has been working hard to build on these attractions and encourage even more tourists to visit and walk, run, stroll and cruise at various locations in the Royal Burgh, only 20 miles west of Edinburgh. One of the initiatives has been to produce a "Linlithgow - a Great Visit" Calendar for 2008, highlighting twelve different beauty spots in Linlithgow. And each monthly photo is accompanied by a "lets go and do that" caption. First Minister Alex Salmond has lent his support to the promotion, calling in at the Linlithgow Book Festival last weekend to open the event and receive an official copy of the calendar. For more on Linlithgow see www.linlithgow.com - and for its calendar, see tinyurl.com/2ah7lw.

You're Never Too Old....

When Bill Roger proposed marriage to his sweetheart after 11 years of "courting", his fiancée remarked afterwards that "Bill didn't get down on one knee or propose or he'd never have got up again." You see, Bill is 96 and his future wife, Liz Stewart, is 78. The couple from Perth got married this week, making Bill one of Scotland's oldest grooms. They had shared companionship, regular holidays to the sun and a passion for St Johnstone football club for many years. They had lived together for much of that time, prompting a question from one of Bill's great-grandchildren, who was unsure if Ms Stewart was their great-grandmother. The newspapers reported that there was a "rowdy stag night" for Bill and his bride threw a hen party at her village bowling club. The wedding ceremony took place at the couple's bungalow last Saturday - a day when St Johnstone was playing away from home, so that it didn't clash with the wedding plans.

October Weather Warmer and Sunnier

The data from the Scottish Meteorological Office on the weather for the whole of October shows that there was a bit of an "Indian Summer" here. Temperatures were 1.3C (2.3F) above average, there was only 58% of average rainfall and also 29% more sun than usual, with an average over the country of over 95 hours being recorded in the month. Clear skies meant that maximum and minimum temperatures fluctuated widely on occasions, from below freezing at night, up to 19/20C (66/68F) during the day. By the end of October, there had been some snow showers on the tops of some mountains in the Highlands.

Weather in Scotland This Week

There was a fair amount of sunshine this week, especially in the east, with only a few light showers. Daytime maximum temperatures were largely in the range 8/10C (46/50F) although Edinburgh and Glasgow did reach 13C (55F) on Wednesday. Even so, there were warnings of gale-force winds for Thursday and all the schools in Orkney remained closed that day because of safety fears. However, although winds did gust at over 60mph, the storm passed without any serious incidents. However, the Forth Bridge and Skye Bridge were closed to high-sided vehicles and some west coast ferry services were cancelled. The outlook for the next few days is for maximum daytime temperatures to be lower than of late, but with more sunshine.

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 flowers of Hypericum (also known as Rose of Sharon), Antirrhinum, Foxglove, Cistus and Fuchsia. See This Week's Colour Supplement.

History of Gordon Highlanders

The Gordon Highlanders regiment was raised in 1794 and recruited mainly from the north-east counties of Aberdeenshire, Moray and Nairn. So it was fitting that the first official concise regimental account should be launched this week in the regimental museum in Aberdeen. "The Gordon Highlanders, a Concise History" by author and historian Trevor Royle, is supported by the museum and is part of a series celebrating the legacy of Scots infantry regiments. The regiment was raised by the Duke of Gordon and his wife was said to have played a key role in attracting recruits - by riding through his estates, offering a guinea and a kiss to all who enlisted. One of the first Victoria Crosses was awarded to a Gordon Highlander, Private Thomas Beach, for rescuing an officer from three Russians in the Crimea in 1854. In 1994, The Gordon Highlanders amalgamated with the Queen's Own Highlanders to form The Highlanders and then in 2006 it became the 4th Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland. The book will be formally launched on November 15.

Greyfriars Bobby in "Walk of Fame"

Greyfriars Bobby, who gained fame for his loyalty by sitting beside his master's grave in Edinburgh's Greyfriars churchyard for 14 years, has been included in the world's first Walk of Fame for dogs. This has been created in London's Battersea Park as a canine equivalent of the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. The first canine stars to be honoured include Lassie, Gromit, Toto from the Wizard of Oz, Chance and Shadow from The Incredible Journey, Bullseye from Oliver! and Fang from the Harry Potter films. More dogs will be added each year. Every dog chosen to join the Walk of Fame will be honoured by a bench and a plaque - but no pawprints in cement.

Next Week in Scottish History

• November 11 1918 - Armistice Day - World War I ends on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
• November 12 - St Machar Day, patron saint of Aberdeen.
• November 13 1093 - King Malcolm III (Canmore), last of the Celtic kings was killed at the Battle of Alnwick. Succeeded by Donald III.
• November 13 1715 - Battle of Sheriffmuir in which a force of Jacobites led by John, 6th Earl of Mar, fought an inconclusive battle against a Hanoverian force led by John, 2nd Duke of Argyll.
• November 13 1850 - Novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson born Edinburgh.
• November 13 1939 - The first bombs dropped on British soil in the Second World War fell on the Shetland Islands.
• November 14 1770 - James Bruce discovered the source of the Blue Nile, Lake Tana in north-west Ethiopia.
• November 14 1896 - Speed limit for "horseless carriages" was raised from 4mph (2mph in towns) to 14mph.
• November 14 1916 - Author Hector Munro died in action in France. Some of his work was written under the pseudonym "Saki".
• November 15 1715 - The "Glasgow Courant", the city's first newspaper, appeared for the first time.
• November 15 1824 - Edinburgh's Great Fire began - and lasted until 17th November. It destroyed the High Street, Parliament Square and the Tron Kirk.
• November 15 1873 - Statue to Greyfriar's Bobby, who stayed by his master's grave for 14 years was unveiled.
• November 16 1891 - Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show opened in the East End Exhibition Buildings, Duke Street, Glasgow.
• November 17 1855 - David Livingstone reached Victoria Falls in Africa.
• November 17 1959 - Prestwick and Renfrew airports in Scotland became the first in the UK to offer duty free goods for sale.

Edinburgh Winter Festival 2007

It is estimated that 500,000 UK and international visitors make their way to Scotland's Capital between November and early January - and Edinburgh lays on a special programme to keep them all entertained. The Castle high up on the volcanic rock is the stunning fairytale backdrop for an outdoor Disney-style adventure playground for kids and adults in Princes Street Gardens. It all starts with Light Night, Thursday 22 November, when the lights on the giant Norwegian Christmas tree will be switched on. One of the Winter Wonderland highlights is the Big Wheel erected beside the Scott Monument - take a sky-high whirl, 108 feet up into the air for a bird`s eye view of the outdoor skating rink, funfair rides, carousel and the sparkling fairy lights in the trees. Browse around the traditional German Christmas market of wooden chalet stalls for gifts, chocolates, toys, candles and craftwork, and the Highland market selling quality Scottish food and drink. The four day New Year festival proper begins on 29 December with a Torchlight procession down the Royal Mile to Calton Hill. On the "Night Afore Fiesta (30th), join in a free carnival on George Street, with street theatre, music and dancing. On December 31st, Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party attracts 100,000 revellers every year from around the globe who love the celebratory atmosphere among a friendly Scottish and international crowd. And on 1 January, for the brave (or foolhardy), there's the "Looney Dook" swim in the river Forth at South Queensferry. For all the details, see www.edinburghschristmas.com.

Black Watch to Play Down Under

The National Theatre of Scotland hit production "Black Watch" which has been playing to sell-out audiences in New York, is to feature at the Sydney Festival and the prestigious Perth International Arts Festival next year. The play, drawn from interviews with Scottish soldiers returned from Iraq, will have three new Scottish actors for the tour, but the core of the original cast will remain.

Castle Wins Double Award

Glamis Castle in Angus is a popular tourist attraction with its magnificent building, stunning apartments full of period furniture and paintings, a long history which continued in the 20th century as the birthplace of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The estate also includes some glorious gardens and walks through the tall trees of the arboretum. In recent years Strathmore Estates has invested in additional facilities for visitors and extended the season into the winter months. All that effort has paid off this year with its elevation to VisitScotland’s exclusive five-star classification, which has been awarded to just over 40 locations across the country. In addition, Glamis also achieved remarkable success in the Green Tourism Business Scheme, going straight in at gold level this year.

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 Pipes of Christmas

The Clan Currie Society is returning to Summit, New Jersey, with their Celtic Christmas concert on December 15 and Madison Avenue, New York on 16 December. The concerts, in aid of the Society's scholarship programme, include pipes and drums, brass, strings and percussion as well as poetic and lyrical words that complement them. The program will feature the music of Christmas accompanied by a selection of readings taken from the Celtic literature of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Featured performers include Metropolitan Opera star Mark Delavan, the Scottish Country Dance trio Local Hero, the Solid Brass ensemble, Scottish harpist Jennifer Port, and the Kevin Ray Blandford Memorial Pipe Band of Redlands, CA. Last year's event was a sell-out, so anyone planning to go this year should book early! For all the details, see www.scottishamerican.org.

10th Scots Magazine Calendar

Just over six weeks to Christmas and even less for last posting dates from Scotland to places abroad. So if you are thinking of sending a present to friends or relatives across the globe, now is the time to get organised! That includes the Scots Magazine Calendar with twelve stunning Scottish scenes to conjure warm memories of a beautiful country, whether Scotland is your home, former home, a special connection or you have simply fallen in love with Scotland’s charm (as many do!) The calendar comes to you in an attractive ready-to-post sleeve, which can be sent anywhere in the world on your behalf. To see the calendar and place an order, see Scots Magazine Calendar.

Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results

Hibernian 1 Heart of Midlothian 1
Montrose 2 Stranraer 4
Barcelona 2 Rangers 0 (European Champions League, Group E)
Celtic 1 Benfica 0 (European Champions League, Group D)

Clydesdale Bank Premierleague Results - 10 November 2007

Dundee United 2 Kilmarnock 0 Gretna 0 Hibernian 1
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0 Motherwell 3
Heart of Midlothian v Aberdeen is scheduled for Sunday. Matches involving Celtic and Rangers have been postponed due to the number of their players involved in international duties next Saturday.

Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Results - 10 November 2007

Hamilton 2 Partick Thistle 0
Livingston 4 Stirling Albion 3
Queen of the South 1 Greenock Morton 3
St Johnstone 0 Dunfermline 0
Dundee v Clyde will be played on Sunday.

Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Second Division Results - 10 November 2007

Airdrie United 0 Ross County 1
Alloa 2 Ayr United 1
Berwick Rangers 1 Peterhead 2
Cowdenbeath 1 Brechin City 0
Raith Rovers 0 Queens Park 2

Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Third Division Results - 10 November 2007

Albion Rovers 2 Dumbarton 0
Arbroath 0 Montrose 0
East Stirling 1 Stenhousemuir 1
Elgin 2 Forfar 2
Stranraer 0 East Fife 2

Scottish Hydro Electric Rugby Division One Results - 10 November 2007

Dundee 12 Glasgow Hutchesons 29
Edinburgh Academicals 12 Boroughmuir 14
Glasgow Hawks 10 Ayr 13
Melrose 28 Currie 30
Stirling County 49 Hawick 6
Watsonians 16 Heriots 33

League Tables

Although Celtic and Rangers were not playing this weekend, they remain at the top of the SPL, with Celtic on 28 points and Rangers three points behind. At the foot of the SPL table, Gretna have won only 4 points, 6 fewer than Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Hamilton continue to dominate the First Division, 6 points ahead of Dundee. Clyde and Stirling Albion are at the other end of the table with only 11 points, two points fewer than Dunfermline.
In the Second Division, Ross County are out in front, 4 points ahead of Raith Rovers and Alloa. Berwick Rangers are 3 points adrift from Brechin City at the foot of the division.
East Fife are now ten points ahead of Montrose in the Third Division. Forfar are at the other end of the table, 6 points adrift from Stenhousemuir.

In the Scottish Hydro Electric Rugby Division One, Boroughmuir are ahead of Melrose by 13 points, while Glasgow Hutchesons trail Edinburgh Academicals at the foot of the division.

Mixed Fortunes Again in Europe

Scottish clubs playing in European competitions this week had mixed results. Celtic kept their enviable unbeaten home record in Europe with a 1-0 defeat of Portuguese club Benfica, the goal scored by 21-year-old Aidan McGeady, just before the end of the first half. But Celtic still have a mountain to climb to reach the knockout stage in the European Champions League. AC Milan comfortably lead the group and Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk take second place ahead of Celtic, with the same points but a better goal difference. Celtic will need to rely on their excellent home record as they play the Ukrainians at Parkhead on 28 November with their final match against AC Milan in Italy on 4 December.

Rangers were out-classed by Spanish club Barcelona, who not only won 2-0 but in so doing won their group and qualified for the knock-out stage of the European Champions League. But Rangers are still in second place in Group E and play Stuttgart (yet to score any points in the competition so far) in Germany on 27 November and are then at home to Lyon on 12 December. Rangers won away from home against the French side whose next match is a tough one against Barcelona - unless Barca decide to take it easy now.

Although Aberdeen managed a 1-1 draw against Lokomotiv Moscow in their Uefa Cup Group B match, that leaves the Dons struggling in 4th place out of five clubs.

Andy Murray Focuses on "Positive Year"

Scots tennis star Andy Murray lost in the quarter finals of the Paris Masters last weekend. That meant he failed in his bid to gain a place in the Masters Cup in Shanghai involving only the world top eight players. But considering that he was not playing in tournaments for several months after sustaining an injury in the spring, he did well to get so close to a top eight ranking at the end of the season. So he was bullish about the result, saying "I think it's been a really positive year and hopefully I can continue that into next season." Murray will be playing in the Australian Open in January.

The "Magazine" section includes songs/poems of Scotland, Scottish humour and brief descriptions of Scottish Culture items added recently to the Rampant Scotland Website - with a link to the page where you can find the full feature, if you find the subject of interest to you.

Scottish Inventions

Logarithms - John Napier (1550-1617)
Logarithms were first propounded in 1614, in a book entitled Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio, by John Napier. (Joost Bürgi in Switzerland independently discovered logarithms, but did not publish his discovery until four years after Napier). Before the invention of calculators and computers, they made difficult calculations more feasible, helping to advance astronomy, surveying, navigation and mathematics. Napier also used some of his mathematical talents in theology and believed that his book predicting the Apocalypse was his most important work. He was convinced the end of the world would be in 1688 or 1700 - but died in 1617, so was not around to find that he was wrong on that one!

Scottish Poetry and Song

Ebenezer Picken (1769-1816) was the only son of a silk-weaver in Paisley. He attended Glasgow University with the intention of eventually becoming a minister of the church - but spent too much time writing and performing poetry - and became a school teacher instead. He intended continuing his studies for the ministry - but marriage and a family put paid to that. "Woo Me Again" has a touch of humour about it, though it finishes with some useful advice about life and love.

Woo Me Again

Whan Jamie first woo'd me, he was but a youth:
   Frae his lips flow'd the strains o' persuasion and truth;
His suit I rejected wi' pride an' disdain,
   But, oh! wad he offer to woo me again!

He aft wad hae tauld me his love was sincere,
   And e'en wad hae ventured to ca' me his dear:
My heart to his tale was as hard as a stane;
   But, oh! wad he offer to woo me again!

He said that he hoped I would yield an' be kind,
   But I counted his proffers as light as the wind;
I laugh'd at his grief, whan I heard him complain;
   But, oh! wad he offer to woo me again!

He flatter'd my locks, that war black as a slae,
   And praised my fine shape, frae the tap to the tae;
I flate, an' desired he wad let me alane;
   But, oh! wad he offer to woo me again!

Repulsed, he forsook me, an' left me to grieve,
   An' mourn the sad hour that my swain took his leave;
Now, since I despised, an' was deaf to his maen,
   I fear he'll ne'er offer to woo me again!

Oh! wad he but now to his Jean be inclined,
   My heart in a moment wad yield to his mind;
But I fear wi' some ither my laddie is taen,
   An' sae he'll ne'er offer to woo me again.

Ye bonnie young lasses, be warn'd by my fate,
   Despise not the heart you may value too late;
Improve the sweet sunshine that now gilds the plain;
   With you it may never be sunshine again.

The simmer o' life, ah! it soon flits awa',
   An' the bloom on your cheek will soon dow in the snaw;
Oh! think, ere you treat a fond youth wi' disdain,
   That, in age, the sweet flower never blossoms again.

Meaning of unusual words:
wad = would
slae = blackthorn berry
flate = scolded
sae = so
dow = wither

Scottish Humour

Totally Teetotal
Jimmy McGorbals claimed that he never consumed alcohol. He said that at home it wasn't right to drink in front of his children. And when he was away from his wife and children, he didn't need to drink...

Lachlan's Laws - # 50
That great Highland philosopher, Lachlan McLachlan, propounded a number of irrefutable laws of life, the universe and everything, usually after a "bevvy" in the Auchenshuggle Arms on a Saturday night. Here is another example: "To be happy with a man you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman you must love her a lot and don't expect to understand her at all."

Origin of "Golf"
They say that golf got its name because all the other four-letter words were already being used...