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.
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Scotland "Independent in 10 Years"
On the day before the Scottish National Party (SNP) published its first budget and economic strategy, First Minister Alex Salmond boldly predicted that Scotland would be "independent in 10 years." Previously, he has been reluctant to put a time-scale on the nationalist aspiration for Scotland leaving the United Kingdom. His declaration comes not long after an opinion poll, organised by the Scottish Centre for Social Research, suggested that only 23% supported independence, its lowest point in 10 years. The bill bringing forward a referendum on independence is unlikely to be passed in the Scottish Parliament as Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats oppose it. But the SNP will be hoping to win more seats at the next elections in 2011 and would then be free to go ahead with a referendum. Whether there would be a majority of Scots voting for independence in such a poll at that time will depend on a lot of factors.
Government Spending for Next Three Years
Finance Secretary John Swinney this week set out the first SNP Scottish Budget which mapped out the Scottish Government's spending priorities for the next three years. It included an agreement with all of Scotland's local authorities to freeze local council taxes. The councils will have more freedom to allocate the central funding which they receive and will be able to retain all of any "efficiency savings" which they make in their operation. £1.47 billion will be invested in increasing Scotland's supply of social housing (to 35,000 a year) and £2.65 billion will be spent on Scotland's railways, with £740 million being invested in bus services. The pilot for free school meals for Primary 1-3 will be extended and nearly £100 million will be made available to phase out charges for medical prescriptions supplied under the National Health Service. Although the budget for Scotland's universities will increase by 11% over the next three years, the university authorities expressed concern that they will trail behind similar institutions in England, where students can be charged up to £3,000 a year in tuition fees, a method of funding that has been rejected in Scotland.
Scottish Politician of the Year
First Minister Alex Salmond was named this week as "Scottish Politician of the Year" in recognition of his work which led the SNP to its historic victory at the Scottish Parliament elections in May. The award ceremony was organised by the Herald newspaper at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh. That occasion was the second victory in one day for the First Minister as he had earlier been named "Parliamentarian of the Year" at a ceremony in London, organised by the Spectator magazine. The judges declared that it was "right to salute the man whose brilliant tactics in the Scottish Parliament laid the foundations for an extraordinary victory". Other awards made at the Edinburgh event went to Gordon Brown (named the "Best Scot at Westminster" after a year in which he succeeded Tony Blair as Prime Minister). The inaugural "International Scot Award" was given to entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter, who has used his fortune to establish The Hunter Foundation, which helps fund education projects for youngsters in the developing world. Independent MSP Margo MacDonald was awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award" for her work during a political career spanning 40 years.
Parliament Approves End of Bridge Tolls
Members of the Scottish Parliament this week backed the proposals to scrap the tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges. The removal of the £1 fee on the Forth bridge and 80p on the Tay crossing (pictured here) will cost the Scottish Government £87 million over the next four years. But concern was expressed about the potential for more congestion as additional traffic is expected to use the crossings, which are already overloaded at peak times. In response, Government Ministers have announced improvements to rail services in central Scotland and funding for bus and rail projects.
Accident and Emergency Units Saved?
Campaigners have argued against the decision of local regional health boards to close the Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments at Monklands General Hospital in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire and Ayr Hospital. Their efforts appear to have been vindicated by an independent report, commissioned by the Scottish Government, which describes the case for closure as "weak". It refuted arguments about the need to centralise the services into larger units made by NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Ayrshire & Arran. After the Scottish National Party formed the new Scottish Government in May this year, the new Health Secretary decided to reverse the decision of the previous administration and decided not to shut down the A&E services at Monklands and Ayr. The advisory panel set up by the Health Minister will publish a final report next year but it is widely expected to back the decision not to shut down A&E departments.
Recycling Target Met Ahead of Schedule
The slow speed with which the UK has implemented recycling of household waste has resulted in the country being dubbed the "dustbin of Europe". In 2001, we recycled just 5% of our municipal waste. But local authorities have been galvanised into action in recent years - the threat of European Union financial penalties providing a better motivation than thoughts of "saving the planet". Now, Scotland is already close to the 2008 target of recycling 30% of waste. Recycling figures for the latest quarter - April to June 2007 - reached 33.4 per cent. The area with the highest recycling rate in the most recent quarter was Moray, which recycled 46.6% of its waste but Glasgow recycled the least, at only 19.5%. Britain is still sending more waste to landfill than any other country in the European Union - some countries recycle twice as much as in the UK.
Subway Extension for 2014 Games
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport has firmly announced that the extension to Glasgow's Subway system to the east end of the city will be operational by the time the Commonwealth Games are staged in Glasgow in 2014. The 111-year-old system has been due for a major revamp for some time and the decision to bring the games to Glasgow is a major incentive - even a necessity - to improve the infrastructure. The extension will run from the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre to the west of the city centre, connecting with Argyle Street low level station and then on to Parkhead and Celtic stadium and the nearby National Indoor Arena. Other transport projects include the completion of the long-delayed M74 motorway which will connect Lanarkshire to the M8 west of the city centre - though the environmental lobby will continue to try to block this once again. Another major link is the extension of the railway to Glasgow Airport.
Campaign to Save Islands in Decline
Representatives from most of Scotland's 95 inhabited isles met on Mull this week to establish the "Scottish Islands Federation," to lobby for action on the problems facing these remote communities (where a total of around 100,000 people live). There was a call for the appointment of a government minister dedicated to promoting island interests and, if possible, a committee at Holyrood to monitor progress. A major concern is the long-running decline in the numbers living on the islands, with many young people leaving for jobs on the mainland, leaving behind aging communities hovering on the brink of extinction. The population of Lewis has fallen from 24,000 in 1961 to below 20,000 in 2001. However, other islands have seen an increase - Orkney has risen from 13,495 in 1961 to 15,315 in 2001 as a result of the oil boom. And Skye has seen its population go up from 7,478 in 1961 to 9, 232, much of it in recent years as a result of the Skye road bridge which removed the need for a ferry crossing.
Photo of Eriskay courtesy of Photonet>.
Doors Open for St Andrew's Day
Over 60 of Scotland's top visitor attractions will be making no entry charge on St Andrew's Day, 30 November. Castles, museums, gardens and abbeys from Orkney to Dumfries and Galloway will participate in the initiative, which is designed to encourage Scots and tourists to celebrate Scotland's heritage and culture. The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland and the Association of Visitor Attractions are all taking part, so locations such as Edinburgh Castle, Glasgow Cathedral, Linlithgow Palace, Glencoe Visitor Centre, Arbroath Abbey and Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness will all have open access.
Value of Gaelic TV Service Questioned
A report written for the BBC Trust, the body which governs the corporation, claims that current plans for the involvement of the BBC with the digital Gaelic TV channel are "not sufficient to conclude that the level of likely public value would be sufficient to justify the level of investment proposed." The report says that the BBC is already providing significant services to the Gaelic-speaking community with its existing programmes on radio, internet and TV, and that millions of pounds in increased expenditure could not be justified, if all the service achieved was better coverage for the existing audience. The new channel would cost £24.8 million a year, including £10.1m from the Gaelic Media Service and £14.7m from BBC Scotland, who are partners in the exercise. The new service is aimed at the roughly 68,000 people who speak Gaelic in Scotland but also English-speaking viewers who tune into current Gaelic shows by the BBC such as the current-affairs programme Eorpa. The new channel would broadcast for seven hours a day, with a variety of different programmes, including comedy and dramas, and with BBC news and weather in Gaelic. Ominously, the report states that if public value is not demonstrated, the trust would have to decline the plan.
Regeneration Plan for Brechin Town Centre
A £3 million project, to breathe much-needed new life into the historic centre of Brechin, was launched this week. It will focus on the extension of the Brechin Town House Museum, the A-listed Merchant's House in the High Street, and some early 19th-century buildings opposite the museum. Funding is being provided by Angus Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland. There will also be some funding for upgrading some public areas, for small repairs to the exterior of traditional buildings and for training in traditional skills. It is hoped that the launch of the townscape heritage initiative will transform some of the most important historic buildings in Brechin and Angus, and provide a boost to Brechin's regeneration and economic growth.
Scotland's First "Six Star" Hotel
Although there is no such official grade as "Six Star", the planned luxury Argyle International Hotel aims to create an establishment which offers more than other hostelries. Glasgow City Council planners gave the go-ahead this week for the £135 million development, which will boast 160 rooms, 68 serviced apartments, a roof-top sky-bar, a gourmet restaurant, two presidential suites, conference facilities and an "infinity" swimming pool. The 26-storey glass structure was described by planning officials as a "cutting edge, landmark development" which would act as a gateway to the redeveloped Broomielaw at a corner of Argyle Street, in the heart of the city's financial services district.
Glasgow Green Pleasure Beach?
Students at the Mackintosh School of Architecture were challenged to create their vision of Glasgow in 50 years time and their drawings are being displayed at the McLellan galleries in the city centre. They include one of a new wildlife and nature reserve in Clydeport in the west of the city, on the site of existing low density industrial units. Another student vision of the future is a new island created on the site of former shipbuilding docks, which would house a new BBC Scotland building and the National Theatre of Scotland. Consideration of the effects of global warming must have been in the mind of one budding architect, who imagined a "Glasgow Green Beach" showing the parkland at the edge of the river Clyde transformed into a sandy area with sunshades, deck chairs and Glaswegian locals getting a sun tan. Dream on!
Visitor Centre Takes the Biscuit
The first-ever visitor centre dedicated only to "shortbread" opened this week in Huntly in Aberdeenshire. Shortbread is a type of biscuit (cookie) which is traditionally made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three parts plain white flour. Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture (from an old meaning of the word short). The cause of this texture is its high fat content, provided by the butter. The new centre has been created by Dean's of Huntly, which began 30 years ago when Helen Dean began making shortbread to raise funds for Huntly Pipe Band. Now the firm is the number one Scottish retail brand of shortbread, employing more than 140 people, with a turnover approaching £7 million.
Picture of shortbread via Wikipedia.
Weather in Scotland This Week
Another changeable week, with sunshine and showers - and a lot of cloud too. Aberdeen and the east had the best of the sun. It was a cold start to the week with maximum temperatures no more than 5/6C (41/43F), with only the Western Isles slightly milder. Although the daytime maxima moved a bit higher during the week, it was only around 9/11C (48/52F) on Saturday.
The picture of the artificial snowman was taken at "Xscape" entertainment centre at Breahead, Renfrew.
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 a collection of birds at Hogganfield Loch in Glasgow, including a family of Whooper Swans, a sleek, streamlined Goosander, a Black-headed Gull and a Goldeneye; and a sunset, with the sun dipping towards the horizon and lighting up the clouds (see thumbnail). See This Week's Colour Supplement.
500th Anniversary of Sword of State
A reception was held in Edinburgh Castle on Tuesday to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Sword of State of Scotland. The sword was presented to King James IV in 1507 as a gift from Pope Julius II, and is one of the three elements of the Honours of Scotland - Scotland's Crown Jewels. The other elements are the Crown and the sceptre. In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell ordered that all regalia should be broken up. However, the Scottish Crown Jewels were hidden in Dunnottar Castle and successfully smuggled out to Kinneff Parish Church, when the castle was besieged. The jewels were again hidden after the Act of Union, when they were locked in a chest and lay forgotten in Edinburgh Castle. That was until 1819 when a group, which included Sir Walter Scott, set out to recover them. The Sword is now on permanent display in the Crown Room at Edinburgh Castle. It is 1.4 metres long with images of St. Peter and St. Paul etched into the blade. The silver gilt handle incorporates overlapping oak leaves and acorns taken from the Pope's coat of arms. The Scottish crown jewels are the oldest set of Crown Jewels in the British Isles and second oldest in Europe.
800 Years of Royal Burgh of Perth
Perth and Kinross Council is planning a series of events to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the town's granting of a charter by King William I in 1210. But the event is not just being used to mark a major historical anniversary and perhaps attract more visitors the Royal Burgh, but to press the case for Perth becoming a "city". It always rankles with many local people that Perth is not a city. Like a few other places in Scotland, Perth was Scotland's capital for a spell (in the 13th and early 14th centuries) and 19th century official documents such as the Acts of Parliament which were given Royal Assent have also constantly referred to Perth as a city. But in modern times, official city status can only be granted by the Monarch. Towns applying for city status must meet a list of criteria, including having regional, national and historical significance - surely Perth qualifies under these headings. As Inverness and Stirling have found in recent years, being designated as a city can have lasting economic and prestige benefits and Perth has its sights on joining them. There may be a further opportunity in 2012 - the date of the Queen's diamond jubilee. The 800th anniversary celebrations will consist of a year-long programme of commemorative events celebrating Perth and Kinross as a place to live, work, invest and visit.
Next Week in Scottish History
Helix Brings Kelpies to Falkirk
The landscape between Falkirk and Grangemouth is to be transformed into a new £49 million eco-park over the next five years, thanks to a £25 million award from the Big Lottery Fund Living Landmarks programme, the largest-ever made by this element of the national lottery. The new park is to be called the Helix, from the Greek word for a twisted shape like a spiral (correctly termed helical) staircase. The aim will be to create a thriving environmental community and a jewel in Scotland's tourism crown. It will also involve building a new stretch of canal over a mile long to reconnect Scotland's canal network to the Forth at Grangemouth, creating 300 hectares of new green space and woodland, planting 750,000 trees and constructing 21 miles of paths and cycleways. It is also expected to become home to a range of specialist businesses and a new marina. A centre-piece of the new park will be 100 feet high horse head sculptures, weighing several tons. Initially based on "kelpies" (mythical creatures which were said to have haunted the waters of Scotland's lochs), the artist says he was inspired more by the role of the heavy horse throughout Scottish history. The heads have been designed to rock back and forth slowly, to displace water from a lock chamber, allowing boats to move to and from Scotland's lowland canal network.
The graphic shows an artists's impression of the "Kelpie" sculpture.
Construction of New Transport Museum Begins
The Lord Provost of Glasgow cut the symbolic first turf at the site of the new £74 million Riverside Museum this week. Designed by the internationally renowned architect Zaha Hadid, it is being created on a site between the rivers Clyde and Kelvin. It will house the city’s transport and technology collections, currently held in part of the Kelvin Hall. The aim is to attract more than a million visitors a year to view a wide range of vehicles and models, ranging from tram cars to locomotives and aircraft. The museum is expected to open in early 2011.
Cuts in Usher Hall Revamp
The continuing financial problems of Edinburgh City Council have resulted in the work planned to refurbish the flagship Usher Hall having to be cut back by £2 million. Urgent savings had to be made when unforeseen complications in the building work were uncovered. Such projects always seem to incur additional costs, which overwhelm any amounts set aside for contingencies. Work on a major glass extension will not be completed until spring 2009. But the venue is an essential part of the Edinburgh International Festival but the City Council (who own the building) are still promising that it will be able to host full-scale concerts in August 2008. The council put a limit for the refurbishment of £19 million last October, after revealing that costs had soared by £6.5 million in the three-and-a-half years the project had been under consideration. Part of that increase was due to the delays in moving the development forward and the rise in the cost of building work during that time.
Another Delay for Culloden Visitor Centre
The Battle of Culloden in 1746 lasted for about an hour, but the recreation of the sights and sounds of the conflict in the new Culloden Visitor Centre has resulted in lengthy delays to the opening of the new facility. The National Trust for Scotland had originally planned to have the new state-of-the-art centre, beside the battlefield east of Inverness, open in April of this year, in time for the main tourist season. The replacement centre features the "ghosts" of more than 50 characters who witnessed events surrounding the 1746 battle in which the army of Prince Charles Edward Stuart was crushed by the Duke of Cumberland's government forces. Digitally-created images will guide visitors through the horror of 1746 by way of groundbreaking audio-visual technology, using a personally-controlled directional sight and sound system. It is this which has resulted in the opening being delayed "until August" and then "early November". The existing visitor centre closed last weekend and the new one is now expected to open its doors in "late November".
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.
St Andrew's Day Comes Early
In Fargo, North Dakota, USA the St. Andrew's Society of Fargo/Moorhead has an annual St. Andrew's dinner on the first Saturday of November - in the hope that they avoid blizzards which can sweep in by the end of the month. This year, in the after dinner program, they did a poll to determine what song the people there favoured as a national Scottish song. The local pipe band, Heather & Thistle Pipes and Drums, played Scots Wha Hae, Scotland the Brave and O Flower of Scotland. The voting was tallied and later the band played the most popular tune - Scotland the Brave, with 92%. O Flower of Scotland got only 5%, and Scots Wha Hae, 3%. Those results are clearly very different from polls taken in Scotland where Flower of Scotland usually wins out. The organisers also noted that in a poll taken in Scotland people also chose Highland Cathedral and A Man's a Man for A' That. The band plays Highland Cathedral at the Kirkin' O' the Tartan service on the Sunday following the dinner, and their pipe major plays A Man's a Man for A' That to pipe in the haggis. For more on the St. Andrew's Society of Fargo/Moorhead see St. Andrew's Society of Fargo/Moorhead.
Alabama Celtic Association
A group from the Alabama Celtic Association will be marching in the Trussville Christmas parade this year on Saturday December 1st. They are looking for members of the Celtic community to come out and join them for the parade. Bring your strollers, kids, dogs, and entire family. Wear your kilt, your dance school shirt or your favourite Christmas attire! See Alabama Celtic Association.
Sunday and Mid-Week Football Results
Heart of Midlothian 4 Aberdeen 1
Dundee 0 Clyde 1
Livingston 0 Partick Thistle 4
Arbroath 2 Stranraer 2Football Results - 17 November 2007
No Scottish Premier League or Irn-Bru Scottish Football League matches due to Scotland v Italy international.
So Near and Yet So Far
When Scotland began its Euro 2008 qualification campaign few in Scotland thought that they would be in contention. After all, football giants such as Italy (the current World Champions) and France were in the same group as Scotland - and Ukraine are no push-overs either. But as Scotland produced a series of good results, optimism rose. After 11 matches Scotland had won 8 and lost just 3 and had more points than Italy. This week there was mounting excitement as Scotland's final game on Saturday at Hampden approached. Scotland needed to defeat Italy to be sure of a place in the Euro 2008 finals - as did Italy. Scotland got off to the worst possible starts, losing a goal just 70 seconds after the start. But roared on by the home crowd, the Scots managed to hold on - and the stadium erupted when Scotland equalised later in the game. A draw would have meant relying on some improbable results in other matches in the group next week to qualify - but still a chance. But it was not to be. Italy scored again in the dying minutes of the game. After the match, the Scotland team were clearly disappointed but they were given a heroes welcome from the fans, who stayed behind in large numbers to celebrate a nonetheless brilliant campaign. To cheer up the Scotland fans just a tiny little bit, Scotland's efforts mean they should be one of the second seeds when the draw for the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign is made next week.
Additions to Football Hall of Fame
Nine additional players and managers were inducted into the Scottish Football Museum's Hall of Fame at a gala dinner last weekend. Established to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the game in Scotland, there are already over 40 individuals recorded there. The nine new inductees were Willie Bauld, Eric Caldow, Jimmy Cowan, Alan Hansen, Ally McCoist, Rose Reilly, Walter Smith, Gordon Strachan and Eddie Turnbull.