Current Affairs "A Moment Anchored in Scotland's History" The first democratically elected Parliament in Scotland's history (the Parliament which sat nearly 300 years ago was elected by an élite) was officially opened by the Queen on Thursday in a ceremony which managed to balance pageantry with modernity. For those of you unable to see the event on TV (technology has not yet advanced to allow an acceptable quality in online webcasts) here are some of the highlights: in a week of dreich, wet weather, the sun shone on this one day of the week the crown of Scotland, carried to the Parliament by the Duke of Hamilton, wearing the Douglas tartan kilt. He is the premier peer in Scotland and a descendant of King James IV. the Queen wore a green dress and a purple coat (alluding to the colours of the thistle). Donald Dewar, the First Minister, looked surprised when he entered the Chamber and was greeted by a spontaneous burst of applause from the other MSPs. Some of the press suggested this was D-Day (Donald's Day). David Steel concluded his welcome to the Queen with "we greet the monarch in the historic and constitutionally correct manner, with warmth and affection, as Queen of Scots." in her address to the Parliament the Queen said "Now you must make it work." the Queen, referring to the Scottish crown, noted that it had been passed from sovereign to sovereign at least since the coronation of Alexander III. (It was remodeled in 1540 for James V and was last used for the coronation of Charles II in 1651). the mace presented to the Parliament by the Queen was made of Scottish mined silver, with a gold band panned from Scottish rivers and is engraved with "There Shall Be a Scottish Parliament" (the opening sentence of the enabling Act of the Westminster Parliament) and the words "Wisdom, justice, compassion, integrity." the MSPs joined in the singing of the last verse of Burns' song "A Man's a Man for a' That". Donald Dewar said "The past is part of us, part of every one of us and we respect that. But today there is a new voice in the land, a voice for the future." He also commented that it was "a rare privilege, in an old nation, to open a new Parliament." the Nationalist MSPs wore a white rose; all the other MSPs wore a sprig of white heather. after the ceremony, the fly-past by a formation of the RAF Red Arrows display team was led by Concorde. Sean's Dress Sense I have had to reassure a Snippets reader from Canada that Sean Connery's wearing of the stocking flash on the inside rather than the outside of his socks at the opening of Parliament on 1 July was not a new dress standard which had somehow passed by all Scots in North America. I have it on good authority that Sean was in a hurry (after all, he was in Edinburgh to publicise his new film - the opening of Parliament had to fit in with that) and just got the tabs the wrong way round. For further evidence of his haste, witness the ice cream which he had spilt down his shirt and had not had time to clean up. At least, that's what it looked like, though others claimed it was a lace ruff. Duke of Hamilton and the Crown During the opening ceremony for the Scottish Parliament, on 1 July, the Crown of Scotland was carried by the Duke of Hamilton who this week wrote about the experience. He had originally hesitated about accepting the role - he is a socialist and has strong views about hereditary privileged - but he recalled that he was the only person with "job experience" for the task. He carried the crown in 1953 when it was presented to the Queen in her coronation year. But he was only too well aware that if he made any mistakes the incident would haunt him for the rest of his life. Sorry, We Blew Up Your Car With the Queen in Edinburgh police security was at a higher level than usual last week. So when a car, with Irish number plates, aroused suspicion in George Street, police were called in, the car cordoned off and explosives experts examined the car. Using a remote controlled device, they carried out three controlled explosions, which blew off the doors of the car. The owner of the car, an Irish woman who had gone shopping, was said to be "understanding". There is no truth in the rumour that this is a new tactic of Edinburgh Council to solve the city's parking and traffic problems... World's Longest Running Comic The Guiness Book of Records has been updated with the 3007th edition of "The Dandy" as the world's longest running comic. It first appeared on 4 December, 1937. In the 1950s the Dandy was selling two million copies a week but sales have fallen to around 130,000 in recent years. Characters such as Desperate Dan still grace its pages. Keep Left! In some parts of the Highlands and Islands almost one third of all road accidents involve foreign drivers and in the area as a whole the figure in the summer months is around 10%.. While some of this may be attributed to driving on unfamiliar roads, anyone who finds themselves driving on the "wrong" side of the road (whether tourists here or UK residents driving abroad) will know the difficulties involved. So from this week, a multi-lingual leaflet "Driving in Scotland" is being promoted at tourist outlets. Crashes and near misses often arise when drivers leave a stretch of Highland single track and fail to keep left. Starting out early in the morning, is another major cause of accidents and the leaflet incorporates a dashboard sticker reminding drivers to "keep left!" School Outing - For the Only Pupil Eileen Grant, the last and only pupil at Loch Choire Primary School in Sutherland was recently taken on an educational trip to London by her teacher, Mary Harris. Mrs Harris, who has taught Eileen for the last five years, described the trip as "a success but something of a culture shock". "Duty Free" Ends One of the "perks" of going abroad to Europe on holiday or business has been the ability to bring back alcohol, tobacco and other goods bought at the duty free shops at airports. Within the European Union, that system came to an end last week, despite a noisy campaign by the airport authorities and cross-channel ferry operators. However, the British Airports Authority have announced that they will absorb the taxes in the hope that they can create large-volume purchases. Passengers will be able to buy unlimited quantities of liquor and tobacco because the previous duty free limits no longer apply. The offer will be available at all BAA airports including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Whisky Flavoured Short Bread Surprisingly, it would appear that no-one has tried to make shortbread laced with whisky. But Walkers of Aberlour in Banffshire have now produced what they claim is the world's first malt whisky-flavoured (and champagne flavoured) shortbread. So when party-goers go "first footing" at Hogmanay they can leave the half-bottle of whisky at home? Virtual Tour of Glasgow Strathclyde University has produced a CD-ROM of the interiors of many of Glasgow's famous buildings, many using 360-degree panoramic views created from 24 high resolution photos stitched together. Buildings include Alexander "Greek" Thomson's St Vincent Street Church, the Willow Tearoom by Rennie Mackintosh, Kelvingrove Art Gallery, the art-deco interior of the Rogano restaurant and the opulent interior of the City Chambers. Some of the 42 buildings covered are not open to the public so a virtual tour like this is the only way to see them. Name for Next Decade A survey by a public relations company has been carried out to find out what the most popular "name" for the next decade should be. No-one had to think about what to call the 20s, 30s, 90s. But what do you call "00"? The most popular name was "the Zeroes" and the "Oh-Ohs" came second. Some more unusual suggestions included "The Naughties" and "the Earlies". Carnoustie Chippie With all the American golfers and their supporters in Carnoustie for the Open Golf Championship, the local fish and chip shop has been quoting its prices US dollars as well as local currency. In addition to selling the usual fried fish and french fries (and deep fried haggis in batter, far less deep fried Mars chocolate bars) the enterprising "Chippie" has added a deep fried salmon supper to his menu. Whether movie stars such as Bruce Willis and Michael Douglas will be attracted by the food - and the US flags draped around the shop - remains to be seen. Clockwork Orange Extends Hours The Underground train service in Glasgow (nicknamed the Clockwork Orange because of the colour of its livery) has extended its operating hours to 11.30pm, an hour later than before, in response to customer demand. Trains run every four minutes and the service is used by 14 million passengers a year. The Glasgow Underground opened in December 1896, powered by electricity, and it is the third oldest in the world. Bonnie Banks Get Stars The Bed and Breakfast establishments in the Loch Lomond area of Scotland have a higher percentage of three and four star gradings than any other part of the country. These days it is not just a question of sticking a notice in the window - owners offering B&B undertake training courses in cooking, hospitality, local knowledge, management skills and languages. And the training in Dunbartonshire is clearly paying off. Where Have All the Babies Gone? There were fewer children born in Scotland in 1998 than in any year since records began (in 1857). There were just over 57,000 births, 2000 less than in 1997. There was also a small decline in the number of deaths in 1998 but nevertheless there were 2,000 more deaths than births during the year. The expected life expectancy of babies born in Scotland in 1998 is 73 years for boys and 78 years for girls. Historical Affairs "Glenlee" Heads for Greenock The sailing ship "Glenlee" which has been undergoing renovation work at Yorkhill Quay in Glasgow, was towed slowly downriver this week to Greenock where she will be met by the sailing ships involved in the "Tall Ships Race" when they arrive there at the end of this month. The 102-year-old Glenlee is to go on display to the public at Yorkhill as centrepiece of the Clyde Maritime Heritage Centre. The graphic here is of the Glenlee at its berth at Yorkhill, Glasgow. Americans Demand Kilted Wallace A model maker who makes historically accurate, intricately carved, bronze and pewter models of Scotland's Wars of Independence hero Sir William Wallace says he is going to have to make them inaccurate for the American market. His models show the Braveheart hero in a suit of armour and wearing studded leather gloves. But the Mel Gibson movie "Braveheart" has made such an impression that agents for his products say that they would sell much better if he was wearing a kilt, as in the film. There is no historical evidence that Wallace (a Lowlander from Renfrewshire or Ayrshire) ever wore a kilt. He would more likely be dressed as a knight, not unlike his English opponents. Lakota Sioux Ghost Shirt Goes Home Next Thursday the Lakota Souix "Ghost Shirt" will leave the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, where it has been an exhibit for over 100 years, and will be returned to the Native American Indian nation to which it originally belonged. The shirt was given to the museum in 1891 by an Indian with the touring Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Last year, after an appeal by representatives of the Lakota Sioux, it was agreed that the shirt, a sacred object in Sioux culture, should be returned to them. It was taken in 1890 from a warrior after the battle of Wounded Knee. Entertainment Air Show Cancelled For the first time in over 50 years the Battle of Britain Air Show at Leuchars in Fife has had to be cancelled. Although the show continued despite wars in Korea, Aden, Falkland Islands and the Persian Gulf, the demands of the Kosovo crisis has so overstretched the RAF that they have been forced to call off the air display. All the NATO war planes which would have appeared at the show had already withdrawn because of their own operational commitments. Ten other air shows have been cancelled in other parts of Europe. Lighthouse Opens Glasgow's newest tourist attraction, the Lighthouse, was opened by the Queen this week. Originally a Charles Rennie Mackintosh building in the centre of the city it has been transformed into a centre for architecture and design at a cost of 13 million pounds (US$20 million). Due to concern about stone cleaning, the exterior does not look much different from before the renovation, with the grime of the last 100 years still there. Internally, there are currently exhibitions on Mackintosh and another Glasgow architect, Alexander "Greek" Thomson and a "Wee People's City", a representation of Glasgow in miniature. Having toured the building, I have to say that it was most disappointing and it is just as well that entrance is free (apart from the charge for the Mackintosh section). Access to the building, via a run-down alley, will also discourage some visitors. Unique Audience for Jimmy Shand The legendary Scottish country dance band leader Jimmy Shand had a different type of audience this week when he went to the Palace of Holyroodhouse to be knighted by the Prince of Wales for his services to the music to which he has dedicated his life. Now aged 91, Sir Jimmy said that he was thrilled by the honour. Great Scot, What a Finish - A Real Braveheart Wins the Open Paul Laurie, aged 30, from Aberdeen astonished everyone at the Open Golf Championship at Carnoustie last Sunday by coming from ten strokes behind the overnight leader to win the Championship in a three-way play-off. Ranked 159th in the world professional golf rankings (and the first player outside of the top 150 to win a major since the rankings were introduced 13 years ago), Laurie rose 111 places in the table as a result of the win - and won the first prize of 350,000 pounds (US$543,000) as well as the coveted claret jug trophy. The overnight leader, Frenchman Jean Van de Velde at one point took off his shoes and socks to stand in the Barry Burn before deciding he could not play from the water. Van de Velde went into the final round with a 5-stroke lead but, at the end of the round, tied with Laurie and American golfer Justin Leonard. In the four-hole play-off, Laurie finished one stroke ahead of the other two. The world press responded to the bizarre finale of the Championship with some memorable headlines such as "Frenchman meets his Waterloo" and "Lawrie's the toast of golf; Van de Velde is simply toast" and "French Disconnection". The last Scot to win the Open was Sandy Lyle in 1985 and the last time a Scot won the Open playing in Scotland was Tommy Armour in 1931. Scotland the What? Robert the Bruce Saved! The plan by Stirling Council to burn a 50-feet high papier-mâché model of the statue to Robert the Bruce on Stirling Castle esplanade on New Year's Eve as part of the town's Millennium celebrations, has been defeated. While burning effigies to mark the past and usher in a new era is said to be a Spanish custom, it smacked too much of burning Guy Fawkes on 5 November for the folk in Stirling. The local Stirling papers have been dominated for the last few weeks by letters from outraged citizens. There have been suggestions that as an alternative they should build a wicker man and fill it with local councillors. The illustration her is of the real Robert the Bruce monument in Stirling, not one made of papier-mâché. Parliament Opening The Toronto Star in Canada, reporting on some of the controversy and oversights as perceived by some regarding the opening of Parliament had the headline: "Scottish celebrations off-kilter". Ouch! Five-acre Saltire A farmer near Edinburgh Airport decided to mark the opening of the Scottish Parliament by planting one of his fields with blue and white linseed oil plants in the design of the saltire - Scotland's national flag. Designed also to remind the MSPs about the importance of agriculture in Scotland, the farmer was somewhat disappointed when none of his plants had flowered by 1 July. But a few weeks later, passengers flying into Edinburgh Airport are greeted by the huge blue and white St Andrew's Cross. It is expected to keep its colour for another two weeks.

Current Affairs Eclipsed Due to the vagaries of British weather, the eclipse of the sun on Wednesday was seen more clearly in many parts of Scotland than in the south of England. Of course, it was only a partial eclipse in Scotland, with 80/85% of the sun covered, but at least it was visible. Most of the million people who had travelled to Cornwall to see the total eclipse had total cloud cover and rain instead. The best views of all were on TV, using an RAF Hercules transport flying at 30,000 feet. "Tall Ships" Reach Shetland Having left Greenock and the Firth of Clyde, the sailing ships involved in the Cutty Sark "Tall Ships" race have now reached the Shetland Islands, far to the north of mainland Scotland. A web site with photographs taken by a local photographer in Shetland has been set up at a special Tall Ships site. The illustration here was taken as the sailing ships cruised down the Firth of Clyde - passed by the "Waverley", the last ocean going paddle steamer in the world. Edinburgh Fox Population "Explosion" Edinburgh Council's environmental committee has initiated an investigation into the large number of urban foxes being reported by residents. Local residents are growing concerned about the noise and danger to domestic pets. One resident claims to have seen ten foxes in her garden at one time. Stagecoach Buses Adopt "Scotland" Brand 100 of the express coaches operated by Stagecoach, the Perth-based transport giant, are to be branded with the "Scotland" logo which was developed by "Scotland the Brand" to be applied to high quality products. The logo has now been licensed to 123 organisations, who believe that the device yields commercial benefits. Although Stagecoach operates all over the UK and abroad (it took over Houston-based Coach USA earlier this year), it remains proud of its Scottish roots. Historical Affairs Mackintosh Art Exhibition for Japan During the closure of the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery for refurbishment in 2000/2001 the large Charles Rennie Mackintosh collection in the museum will be taken on a six-month tour to Japan. The possibility of other elements of the museum's collection going on tour is also being examined. The plans will not be able to be finalised until October when a decision on funding for the modernisation will be made by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Competition for World's Worst Poet It has long been accepted that the title of "Worst poet of the English Language" should be awarded to the Scottish poet William McGonagall. His contrived rhyming and confused scansion allied often to his overblown use of the English language still has a large cult following - but more with amusement and affection. The fact that McGonagall thought himself to be a world class poet and his bewilderment at the laughter he received adds to his reputation. But supporters of James McIntyre, another Scottish poet, who emigrated to Canada at the age of 14, are strenuously putting forward the "Canadian Chaucer of Cheese" for the title. To quote an expert on this bard, whose work often concentrated on the subject of cheese - "McIntyre plumbed the depths of literary form and his poetry transcends mere mediocrity, banality or doggerel, but instead descends into the realm of something truly dreadful." But a spokesman for Dundee, City of Discovery, claimed "McIntyre is just a mild cheddar compared to the full force of a McGonagall gorgonzola." Entertainment Billy Connolly Tickety-Boo Comedian Billy Connolly has launched his own brand of tea called "Tickety Boo Tea" (which is cheekily similar in name to a well known brand called "Typhoo"). The profits from the venture will raise money for Third World charities. The production costs for the quality blend will be paid for by a series of concerts given by the popular comedian in October when the brand becomes available. The shows, entitled "Erect for 30 Years" celebrate the Big Yins three decades as a stand-up comic. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman Back Dundee Theatre The Hollywood superstars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman have agreed to become patrons of Dundee Repertory Theatre. The brother of the theatre's artistic director appeared with Kidman in a recent play. Nicole Kidman started her acting career in the theatre in Australia and is keen to support live performances. Scotland the What? Water Authority's New Product - Whisky No, it's not going to come out of the taps, but West of Scotland Water the water utility company has decided to launch three single malt whiskies using water from Loch Katrine which supplies much of the water to the City of Glasgow. They have been named "Auld Steamer", "Loch Katrine" and "Loch Drunkie" (which, believe it or not, is actually a small loch not far from Loch Katrine). The whisky will be available for purchase on board the 99-year-old steamer Sir Walter Scott which provides cruises on the loch and at the visitor centre beside the loch. And what could be better than adding a bit of the local tap water to the malt? Generous Scots A survey by a marketing company shows that 56% of Scots contribute to charity appeals in the street compared with 36% in London. Scots were the most generous of all the areas in the UK. The most popular charities are Poppy Day Appeal (for ex-servicemen), Cancer Research, children's charities and animal welfare.

Current Affairs "No Smoking" Ban in Parliament The Scottish Parliament has confirmed its ban on smoking in the building and administration offices. They have decided also that they cannot justify the cost of creating a "smokers room" or shelter outside, as a number of companies have done. However, they have agreed to help staff give up smoking by paying half the cost of nicotine patches. MSPs, who are technically not employed by the Scottish Parliament would not be subsidised in this way. Scottish Executive Web Site Hacked Less than a week after officials had been warned about potential security weaknesses at the Scottish Parliament's Executive Website, "Hardcore Highland Haxxors" (see illustration) amended the opening page of the site. The photograph of the First Minister, Donald Dewar was replaced with that of the Scottish National Party leader, Alex Salmond and Scottish Executive changed to "Scottish H4ecutive". Text was replaced with a declaration of war (against Wales - for stealing sheep) and Donald Dewar's statement amended to "I am confident that this site, in conjunction with the Irn-Bru website, will become an established, useful and often laughed at resource". The site was taken down and a message posted saying that it was "currently being updated". A group which has been campaigning to encourage businesses to take greater security precautions on their Internet sites said that the Scottish Executive's site had been open for months to a simple hacking device. A solution had been known for this a year ago, but many organisations, including the one operating the site for the Scottish Executive, had failed to implement it. Tourism "Joy and Excitement" When the statement on the Government's tourism policy was being introduced by the Minister involved, Alasdair Morrison, he began by saying "If it is any help I will plough through this speech and not take any interventions" (For "interventions" read "Interruptions or questions..."). However, Sir David Steel, the Presiding Officer immediately commented "No, please do not plough Mr Morrison, this parliament is looking for joy and excitement." Official Video of Opening of Scottish Parliament Incorporating coverage from both BBC and ITV, including some previously unseen footage, the official video of the opening of the Scottish Parliament on July 1 went on sale at the Parliament's own shop in Edinburgh this week. The 65-minute long video goes on general release on September 27 and costs 13 pounds (US$21) in the local shops. Raising Kingston Bridge The Kingston bridge in the centre of Glasgow and which is used by 155,000 vehicles a day, is to close for three successive weekends to allow engineers to raise the bridge by three inches. The bridge, which was completed 30 years ago, has been slowly sinking and the engineering involved is the first time in the world that a bridge of this size has been raised. The dates of the closures were announced this week - the last three weekends in October, once the present repair work further down the river in the Clyde Tunnel, have been completed. Nevertheless, the closure is expected to cause traffic chaos. Fastest Swim on Loch Ness Australian Tammy Van Wisse broke the record for swimming the 23 mile length of Loch Ness, cutting 20 minutes off the previous fastest time to finish in nine hours and six minutes. She said it was the coldest swim of her life and at times she would have welcomed the Loch Ness monster coming along and eating her. Tammy was forced to abandon her attempt last year because of weather. She is used to long distance swimming - she was the first woman to swim the 60 miles from Australia to Tasmania and holds the record for swimming both ways between North and South New Zealand. She also won a race round New York's Manhattan Island. War in North Uist An all out war has been declared in the Outer Hebrides island of North Uist - to eradicate the mink that have arrived from the neighbouring island of Harris. The mink in Harris are well established, having escaped from mink farms on the island 30 years ago. They have decimated local bird populations and there is concern that they could do the same in North Uist. Hundreds of mink traps are being distributed and full time trappers have been employed. But the hundreds of miles of coastline, river banks and lochs on Uist will be an ideal habitat for the ferocious animals. 9999 For Gretna Weddings "999" is the telephone number for emergency services in the UK but the date 9/9/99 this week was not only a test for Millennium software compliance but proved to be a great attraction for couples getting married at Scotland's "wedding capital" at Gretna Green. In the days when the earliest age for getting married in Scotland was lower than that in England, young lovers came to Gretna Green, just over the border from England, to get legally married there, sometimes at the "blacksmith's anvil".. And the romantic notion of tying the knot there still persists - they still have over 4,000 weddings a year. And on 9/9/1999 there were 52 weddings of couples from Australia, USA, Germany and Holland at Gretna on a date that hopefully no groom will ever forget in the future. There was a similar rush at 8/8/88. How to Cut Ferry Fares A campaign has been launched to persuade ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne to cut the price of the journey for vehicles between Largs and Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde. It is claimed that "mile for mile it is more expensive than Concorde" and that regular ferry users remove the bumpers from their cars to save on fares which are based on the length of their vehicles. Campaigners believe that the ferry company is making a huge profit from the service and subsidising other island routes. The illustration here shows the ferry on its way out of Largs with the island of Cumbrae in the background. Bank of Scotland Takeover Bid Described by stunned analysts as "audacious" and "David and Goliath" the Bank of Scotland has launched a 21.85 billion pounds (US$35.6 billion) takeover bid for National Westminster Bank, one of London's "Big Four". If successful, the combined bank would be the third largest UK bank - but would still be managed from Edinburgh. The bid, which claims that Bank of Scotland could make efficiency gains (and run NatWest better than their current management) has been immediately rejected by the NatWest board. But Bank of Scotland's track record of profitability is better than that of NatWest and this may yet prove an attraction to their shareholders. NatWest has assets of 186 billion pounds, compared with Bank of Scotland's 60 billion pounds. But NatWest's profits are only twice those of Bank of Scotland. Growth in average operating profit of Bank of Scotland over the last five years has averaged 14%, compared to a NatWest growth of 6%. Historical Affairs Wallace's Well Facing Destruction The well in Robroyston on the outskirts of Glasgow, near where William Wallace was captured by the English in 1305, is facing destruction after losing its B-listed status as an ancient monument. " Wallace's Well" is close to the site of the barn where Wallace was said to be hiding before his betrayal by Sir John Menteith, the warden of Dumbarton Castle. Historic Scotland removed the B-listed status because they claim there is no proof that Wallace was indeed captured in Robroyston. But historian David Ross, author of "On the Trail of William Wallace" and historical adviser to the Society of William Wallace, says there is no doubt that the location is where Wallace was taken and that Wallace would have gone to the well nearby to drink. A monument to mark where the barn once stood was erected in 1900. Once a green field site, housing developments now surround the area. Mar Lodge Re-opens Mar Lodge, located in a 77,500 acre estate next door to Balmoral Castle on Royal Deeside, was originally built by the Earl of Fife in 1759. It was rebuilt in 1895 for Princess Louise, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. It was fashioned to meet the whims of the Princess with a granite exterior and an interior fitted with wood from the local Caledonian pine forest. The hammerbeam ceiling and walls of the stunning ball-room are decorated with the antlers of 3,000 red deer. The Lodge was gutted by fire in 1991 and has been restored and is open again to the public this month. Mar Lodge and the estate (which contains three of the five highest mountain peaks in the UK and many Sites of Special Scientific and Scenic Interest) are now owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Future of Iona Secured Historic Scotland, the government body which looks after many of Scotland's ancient monuments and sites, is to take over responsibility for Iona, thus ensuring that the abbey and the historic location will be preserved for the future. The Iona Cathedral Trust which had been running the property had found the burden of maintaining the abbey was increasing year by year and could no longer cope adequately. About 4 million pounds will be spent over the next ten years on repairs and conservation. Iona is a small island off the tip of Mull. It was the site where St Columba landed from Ireland in 563AD and established a monastery soon after. Four large stone crosses still survive from the 8/9th centuries. 48 Scottish, 8 Norwegian and 4 Irish kings are buried on Iona. Sale of Scottish Bank Notes A private collection of over 500 Scottish bank notes - some going back as far as the 18th century - were auctioned at Christie's in Glasgow this week. The collection had been made by who said he was attracted by their colourful designs. There were also a lot of different banks involved, though that was now much reduced as a result of amalgamation and takeover. The collection, sold in individual lots, was expected to fetch well in excess of 100,000 pounds (US$160,000). The note illustrated here is from the National Bank of Scotland (now part of the Royal Bank of Scotland), issued in 1918. Lord of the Isles Seen From Space A network of buried 12th century roads and evidence of mining for silver and lead has been discovered around Finlaggan Castle on Islay, the centre of power of the Lord of the Isles, using images provided by the Space Shuttle. The discovery was made by a former US Navy Research scientist at Nasa who was working with Edinburgh University. Work on the ground has confirmed the findings which will throw a new light on the economy of the powerful Lords of the Isles who controlled the west of Scotland and the Hebrides Islands until the 15th century. A new radar imaging system is scheduled to fly in the Shuttle in November and it is hoped that this will allow exploration in a detail not previously available. Entertainment Gaelic Mod in Largs in 2002 An Commun Gaidhealach, the organisers of the annual gathering of Gaelic singers and performers, announced at their annual meeting in Stirling this week that the Mod will be held in the Ayrshire town of Largs in 2002. The Mod in 2000 is to be held in Dunoon and Stornoway in 2001. Did Kilnockie Win the Cup? Nearly 30,000 people turned up at the National Stadium at Hampden Park, Glasgow last Sunday to see mighty Rangers play "Kilnockie" in the football (soccer) Cup Final (of the year 2000...) It was all part of Hollywood legend Robert Duval's efforts as director and performer to make his film about the fictitious football team from a small fishing village as authentic as possible. During the four hours of filming there were only around 30 minutes of actual playing time, including a final "penalty shoot-out" when, at "full time" the score was 1-1. So was there a happy Hollywood ending with Kilnockie being the giant killers? Did the American millionaire backer of Kilnockie (ex-Batman, Michael Keaton) get his wish? Nobody is saying. More penalties were taken that the normal rules would allow, and former Rangers's player Ally McCoist, who plays for Kilnockie did miss his penalty (that's the illustration on the right), to the delight of the spectators and "Rangers" players - but afterwards the actors were claiming that alternative endings were being shot and it had not yet been decided. So we will all have to wait for the release of the film next year... The Open Golf Championship Will Return to Carnoustie There were complaints from some of the competitors at this year's Open Golf Championship at Carnoustie that the course was "too difficult" and that the long rough was unplayable. Some of the competitors named it "Carnasty". Despite this, the new secretary of the Royal & Ancient golf club at St Andrews defended the course this week. He said he saw no reason why the Championship should not return to Carnoustie in the future. Scotland the What? Clumsy Scots! A survey by an insurance company has revealed that the Scots are a nation of butter-fingers. 45% of claims on house content insurance policies relate to accidents such as spilling red wine on light-coloured carpets or dropping things - often onto wash basins. And we lose keys and contact lenses as claims for these are rising too. But crime-related claims in Scotland are amongst the lowest in the UK. No Alcohol at the Millennium Speaking about the steps which could be taken to avoid undue strain on emergency services and hospital staff on Hogmanay at the end of this year, a member of the Highland Health Board said "If you can stop everyone in the Highlands having a drink at the Millennium, that would help enormously".

October 1999

Current Affairs Politician of the Year The National Museum of Scotland was the setting for the presentation of awards to Scottish politicians, sponsored by the Herald newspaper. Donald Dewar, the First Minister, was named "Politician of the Year" and the health minister, Susan Deacon, took the award for "Front-bencher of the Year." Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was "Best Scot at Westminster." Other awards went to Tricia Marwick (Scottish National Party) as "Politician to Watch" and Donald Gorrie (Liberal Democrat) as "Back-bencher of the Year." DNA Bank for Scotland Planning is underway to set up a DNA bank in Scotland - apparently the stable population and centralised medical and birth/marriage/death records (unlike in England where they are spread around the country) makes Scotland an ideal place to carry out a project to try to match people's genes with illnesses. This would be on a larger scale than the planned project for Iceland. The Scottish Community Genetics Centre will be the first in a UK-wide project to establish gene banks which will help to identify the illnesses that can affect many of us. Former Provost Pat Lally Hung at Last! The recently retired Lord Provost of Glasgow, Pat Lally, was in good form this week as his portrait by Peter Howson was unveiled in the City Chambers. Mindful perhaps that his nickname was "Lazarus" because of the many political comebacks he has made in his career, he told the audience: "This ceremony reminds me of the story about two people at the funeral of the movie mogul Sam Goldwyn. One mourner said to the other 'Sam was right you know'. 'How's that?' said the other. 'Sam always said if you give the people what they want, they will turn out.' So welcome to my hanging." Millennium Ice Cube The restoration project for the sailing ship "Discovery" which took Captain Robert Falcon Scott to the Antarctic has come up with a novel fundraising idea which is a "chip off the old block" (of ice). They have transported a cubic metre, 60lb block of 10,000 year-old ice from the Antarctic and are planning to auction it off to the highest bidder as the "ultimate party accessory" for a millennium party. They are sure that the ice cube will make a splash and have set up a telephone hot-line for bids. New York Swallows Irn-Bru The orange-coloured, carbonated drink "Irn-Bru" has gone on sale in 100 stores in the centre of New York City. Advertised as "Scotland's other national drink", the soft drink is said to be selling well. In Scotland it is regarded by some as a cure for a "hangover". 1.5 Million Pounds for Pedal Power It is estimated that 250 cyclists commute to work in Glasgow - and 1.5 million pounds (US$2.4 million) is being spent to establish 60 miles of cycle lanes over three years. This could be expanded to 234 miles in the next 7/10 years. Now businesses in Glasgow were complaining this week that they are paying thrice over for the creation of cycle lanes in the city - increased taxes to pay for the unused cycle lanes, disruptions caused by roadworks to create them and traffic congestion from the narrower roads left to the motorists. In some cases there are "bus only" lanes and "cycle only" lanes plus one ordinary traffic lane running along the same section of road. Hotline Melts Tickets for the Scotland v England football (soccer) match at Hampden Park, Glasgow on November 13 went on sale by a special telephone hotline on Friday. Millions of hopeful fans were expected to call in the hope of being able to obtain one of the 15,000 tickets available. 70 lines and 35 operators were organised to cope with the rush. The result? The system collapsed, with 17,000 calls at 9am. Two hours after the starting time only four lucky people had bought a ticket. Telephone services to many businesses in Glasgow had also been disrupted. In the six hours to 3pm, it was estimated that ten million attempted calls had been made to the hotline. The system was eventually repaired and all the tickets were sold by 7.15pm. Macallan "Taste of Scotland" Awards The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh (pictured here) was the venue for the presentation of the 1999 Macallan "Taste of Scotland" Awards - the "Oscars" of the Scottish hotel and restaurant establishments. The Overall Excellence Award ( a kind of "Lifetime Achievement Award") was won by the "Three Chimneys And the House Over-By" on the Isle of Skye. The top city restaurant was "Stravaigin" in Glasgow and the top Hotel dining room title was won by "No 1 Princes Street" at the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh. Historical Affairs The Scottish Nation - 1700 to 2000 A new history of Scotland for the last 300 years was published this week amongst a surprising amount of publisher and media hype for a history book. Parts of the book had been serialised earlier in the Herald newspaper, again an unusual event for an academic work. "The Scottish Nation - 1700 to 2000" is by Prof Tom Devine, who is reputed to be Scotland's highest paid academic working in the humanities. The 600+ pages of the hardback book has, of course, come in for criticism from other historians, not least for the omission of some aspects of the last 300 years. That is the nature of academics. On the other hand, it has also been described as "the finest of the new histories to have greeted the new Scotland." Birlinn Into Work Long-term unemployed workers in Govan have re-constructed a 12ft scale model Scottish galley called a "birlinn" which used to be used on the west coast of Scotland. They used timber gathered from fallen trees and started from scratch learning the skill required. The replica is on show at a new maritime museum "Clydebuilt" on the banks of the river Clyde, beside the Braehead shopping centre. The museum charts the development of Glasgow and its river from the 1700s. Recognition for "World's Worst Poet" Regular "Snippets" readers will recall that recently there was some slight controversy over who should have the "honour" of having the title of "World's Worst Poet" - William Topaz McGonagall or James McIntyre. Both were Scots (though McIntyre emigrated to Canada and wrote at length about cheese...) This week, on the eve of "National Poetry Day", a plaque was unveiled at McGonagall's burial place at Greyfriar's Churchyard in Edinburgh. McGonagall's great, great, grandson William and his great, great, great, granddaughter Mary Ross attended the ceremony. During the service, which was conducted in rhyme, some as excruciating as the poet's own, an actor dressed in period costume spoke in praise of the poet - in the declamatory style of McGonagall. The plaque included two lines from one of his poems: "I am, your gracious majesty, ever faithfull to thee William McGonagall, the poor poet, that lives in Dundee." The King's Head An exhibition opened this week at the Palace of Holyroodhouse showing the many faces of King Charles I in portraits from the Royal Collection. Charles was fond of having his portrait painted as part of his personal propaganda. Perhaps the most famous is one by Van Dyck showing three angles of the king's face on one painting (shown here). King Charles I was the last king to be born in Scotland and the collection includes an engraving of his coronation at Holyrood (seven years after being crowned at Westminster Abbey). Sterling Work at Stirling Castle The meticulous restoration of the Great Hall of Stirling Castle is now complete and visitors can now see it as originally designed 500 years ago. Historic Scotland have recreated an oak hammer-beam roof (seen here), using wood from 350 trees from Perthshire. Authentic wall hangings and stained glass windows have been reinstated. The project to restore the castle started in 1991 and will cost 22 million pounds (US$36). The new "king's gold" harling and limewash external walls (which are claimed to be how that part of the castle would have appeared in the 16th century) have aroused some controversy. It has been described as looking like a Mexican adobe church. The Hall was built mainly by James IV around 1500. The baptismal feast of Prince James, later James VI, was held in the Great Hall in 1566. England Expects That Every Man Will Do His Duty On the anniversary this week of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, in which Lord Nelson defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet without losing a single ship, the flags spelling out his famous message "England Expects That Every Man Will Do His Duty" were hoisted on Nelson's Monument on Calton Hill in Edinburgh. It is said that when one of the many Scottish sailors in the fleet saw the signal, one of them asked "Why has he only put in 'England expects?'" to which his friend responded "Och, he kens he can rely on us." Entertainment Record Breaking Pipe Band Organisers for the charity Marie Curie Cancer Care have started to make arrangements for a parade by 10,000 pipers and drummers along Princes Street in Edinburgh, next August. A similar event four years ago attracted 3,500 musicians but the charity hopes to break the record for the world's biggest pipe band. At the launch of the project this week, the family of Ewan McGregor took part. Ewan's mother said that he would be in Australia next August for the filming of the next episode of Star Wars but he would still try to attend the Edinburgh event.

November 1999

Current Affairs Scottish Parliament Debates Subjects discussed this week at the Scottish Parliament included: ~ a ban on smoking in public places has been ruled out as it is not considered justified. The government believes it should be left to pubs, restaurants and hotels to decide for themselves. ~ "concordats" governing the relationship between the Edinburgh and Westminster Parliaments on education, employment, agriculture and the Cabinet Office were published. ~ Henry McLeish, the enterprise minister, is to manage a nerve centre in Edinburgh to deal with any emergencies which might arise in relation to Y2K problems. John Swinney, the National Party deputy leader scornfully compared this to the TV programme "Dad's Army" (about a Home Guard unit during WW2) with Corporal Jones shouting his perennial "Don't panic" and Private Fraser proclaiming "Were aw' doomed!" Toll Tax Toppled Plans to introduce tolls on Scotland's existing motorways and trunk roads were abandoned by the Government this week. Lobbying by commerce and business has successfully persuaded the Scottish Executive and the Transport Minister, Sarah Boyack, to do a U-turn. However, proposals to introduce workplace parking charges or entry tolls to cities are still moving forward. The Minister also announced the go-ahead for the upgrading of five major trunk roads, including the A1 Haddington to Dunbar route, in East Lothian, and the A77 at Fenwick, in Ayrshire. The upgrade of the A77 to motorway standard may involve private funding, in which case tolls could still feature, either as direct charges to motorists or (as on the M74 road) "shadow tolls" with the government paying the builder according to traffic numbers. The last single track trunk route in Scotland, the A830 Arisaig to Kinsadel section of the Mallaig road - the Road to the Isles - will become two-way as a result of the spending plans announced this week. Red Card for Member of the Scottish Parliament Conservative MSPs, who held up a red card when the Nationalist spokesman on transport and the environment stood up in parliament this week, were rebuked by the presiding officer who said "I am the only person allowed to show a red card here." The bantering incident arose because last week Kenny MacAskill had been arrested (but subsequently not charged) for being drunk and disorderly before the Scotland v England football international in London. "All a misunderstanding" said MacAskill. However, he startled the other MSPs by saying "I am resigning with immediate effect...." But he then went on to say "..as bus convenor of the Tartan Army." Conference on Rail Services Delayed - The Trains Were Late The start of a major conference on improving rail services had to be delayed because a number of Members of the Scottish Parliament were delayed by late trains. The hold-up was caused by "wet leaves on the line" which caused the train wheels to lose traction. One of the MSPs described how at one point the Largs to Glasgow train had to reverse into a tunnel and take a run at a hill to get to the top. Some weeks ago, Railtrack announced that special "Leaf Buster" trains would travel over the lines and blast them with water, followed by a mixture of sand and iron filings to give the wheels grip. Back to the drawing board, guys. Christmas Stamps Issued The UK Post Office issued the stamps which will adorn many of the letters and parcels which will be posted over the festive season. They illustrate the influence of Christianity over the centuries. The first class stamp shows King Kames VI who encouraged the publication of the authorised version of the Bible, in 1611, and the 44p stamp (the denomination which is used on many airmail letters) celebrates the tradition of pilgrimages with an illustration of St Andrew's Cathedral in Fife. In the four weeks before Christmas the UK postal services will deliver 2.5 billion letters, cards and packages. Irn Bru - One of the World's Greatest Delicacies Generations of Scots who have regarded Irn Bru, a sweet, orange-colored, fizzy soft drink, as a useful pick-me-up to counteract a hangover, will be surprised to hear that it has now become part of the prestigious "Oxford Companion to Food" which covers such delicacies as caviar, quail and smoked salmon. The book describes Irn Bru as "one of Scotland's greatest inventions" and says it is "important for its symbolic value as well as its refreshing qualities." Irn Bru, which was first produced in 1901, has been marketed as "Scotland's other national drink".Originally named "Iron Brew" it changed its name in 1947 when it was realised that it was not "brewed" and did not contain at least 0.125g of iron to meet advertising legislation. Other Scottish delicacies included in the 900-page tome include Dundee cake, clootie dumpling, haggis and cullen skink. Historical Affairs Bribery in Caledonia Allegations of bribery and corruption in high places have emerged in the unlikely location of Elgin, in the north of Scotland. A hoard of silver coins has been uncovered which experts believe were used to persuade the local population to co-operate in a conquest. Of course, this took place 1800 years ago and the coins were Roman. They come from the time of the Emperor Severus who came to Britain to bring under control the unconquered tribes in the far north. But since the locals would not fight a pitched battle, but harried the Romans in a guerilla war, it appears that the Romans bought off the local Caledonii with the coins. They were uncovered by a local archaeologist with a metal detector and are now in the National Museum of Scotland. The illustration is of another collection of Roman coins, also displayed in the Museum of Scotland. Entertainment "Ae Fond Kiss" On Film Further details were announced this week about a film to be made about the love affair between Robert Burns and Agnes MacLehose, a married woman from Edinburgh's high society. They used the pen names pen names Sylvander and Clarinda. Burns wrote "Ae Fond Kiss" and many other songs and poems for her. Motorway Art While some people might regard it as distracting, a number of "art objects" have been erected along the side of the motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh over the last few years. There is a Clydesdale horse (made from wire) a horn (which is reputed to emit sounds, from time to time), a series of pyramids covered in grass (which most folk going past do not realise is actually "art"). The most recent addition to this motorway gallery is "Big Heids" by sculptor David Mach. They are three massive heads made of steel rods which have been formed in moulds. Coloured red, they sit on top of 20 foot high pedestals, watching the traffic flying past. So Near and Yet So Far - England 0 Scotland 1 After being beaten 2-0 last Saturday by England in the first leg of the play-off for a place in the Euro 2000 football (soccer) tournament, Scotland had a mountain to climb in the return match in London on Wednesday. Scoring in the first half brought them within sight of the summit, but as on so many occasions, it was not quite enough. A victory of 1-0 over the "auld enemy" is always something to celebrate (the last time was 18 years ago - but there have been few such matches in recent years). On this occasion, Scotland were the better team but failed to translate their advantage into enough goals and so go out of the competition 2-1 on aggregate. Craig Brown, the manager, had reminded commentators that during his time in charge of the team, they have never lost two consecutive matches. Skating in Princes Street The re-opening of the skating rink in Prince Street Gardens, Edinburgh, this week was marked by a skater dressing in 19th century clothes, recreating the Raeburn painting of "The Rev Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch". The ice rink, part of the series of events for Edinburgh's festive season, will remain open until 9 January. Last year, the mild weather initially caused problems, turning the ice to slush. The illustration is of the "original" Rev. Robert Walker Skating by Sir Henry Raeburn Scotland the What? Scots Football Fans Break Law Thousand of Scotland football supporters who attended the Scotland v England football international on Saturday were breaking the law - they were waving the Lion Rampant flag. Under a law dating from 1672, the Lion Rampant is the personal banner of the monarch. Nobody else should use it. Fortunately, the Lord Lyon King of Arms, Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight (that's not a typing error!) who is responsible for enforcing all things heraldic in Scotland, knows that any attempt to take the miscreants off to Edinburgh Castle is not likely to be popular. "A Wee Mindin' for the Heid Bummer" The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Sir David Steel, was presented with a special gilt-edged, leather-bound copy of the Concise Scottish Dictionary this week. The book was inscribed "A Wee Mindin' for the Heid Bummer" (a small memento for the top man). The dictionary will be placed in the Parliament's library. It was recently agreed that MSPs can take the oath in Scots (or in English or Gaelic) when they are sworn in. Some Scots words are used by Members but no-one there has yet become a fluent speaker in the language.

Current Affairs Parliament This Week ~ a proposal, the first to be submitted in Scots, was made to include a question in the 2001 census to establish the number of people speaking Scots. There is already a question to find the number of people who speak Gaelic (around 1%). ~ a case was put to the education, culture and sports committee to establish a national theatre in Scotland. ~ "Question Time" is to be extended to an hour each week to allow more time to quiz the First Minister, Donald Dewar. ~ the estimated cost of the new Parliament building at Holyrood has risen to 120 million pounds. This is likely to rise still further as additional space is being added to the building. While this may seem a large cost, the historic old Parliament House, now used as law courts, is being renovated at a cost not much less than that (see item below in "Historic Affairs"). Completion of the building was scheduled for autumn 2001 but this is likely to slip to early 2002. MSPs Allowed a "Wee Refreshment" The Standard's Committee of the Scottish Parliament has relaxed the rule which demanded that MSPs should abstain from alcohol while attending sittings of the house. So they can have a "wee refreshment" (the euphemistic name given in Scotland to an alcoholic drink) at lunchtime, so long as it doesn't go to their heads.... Mel's Lethal Weapon Causes Air Traffic Chaos Edinburgh Airport was disrupted, a railway line and a main road into Edinburgh closed during the early morning rush hour on Thursday. Handling staff at East Midlands airport had become suspicious after a package, which "looked like a bomb" had been unloaded from a cargo plane, which meantime was continuing its journey to Edinburgh. When the Airbus 300 freighter landed there, it taxied to a sealed-off area - causing the closure of the nearby road and rail links. Police, bomb disposal experts and sniffer dogs combed the plane and found nothing. Back at East Midlands, after a controlled explosion of the parcel, it was found to have been a fake explosive device being used as a prop in a new Mel Gibson movie! Scottish Power Lights Up The takeover of the US supply company PacifiCorp by Scottish Power has now cleared all the regulatory hurdles and the two companies have now merged. Although the process took nine months, this is regarded as quick - mergers between US power companies have sometimes taken two years to become finalised. Green Lights for Santa A legal move to stop a couple in Irvine, Ayrshire, covering their house in 8,500 lights over the Christmas period, has been defeated. Neighbours had complained about the number of cars coming into the quiet suburb to see the decorations which included a Christmas grotto, elves and laughing reindeer. But the owners of the house has collected 3,000 pounds for charity over the last three years as a result of their display. Scots Fly to New York for Christmas Shopping Last year, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh was castigated for saying that he and his wife went to New York to do their Christmas shopping "because it was cheaper." But travel agents are reporting that many more Scots think the same way and bookings for flights are up by 40%. The numbers flying direct from Scotland to New York in November was twice that of three years ago. Of course, favourable exchange rates and low winter fares help. The Sunday Times did a comparison of the prices of a "shopping basket" of goods (ranging from DVD discs to Levis and a PC) and concluded that the prices in New York were 30% lower than in Scotland. Scottish Banks Bid for National Westminster Bank The contest between Bank of Scotland and The Royal Bank of Scotland to take over National Westminster Bank, one of the largest English banks, took a step forward this week when the Department of Trade and Industry ruled that there were no anti-competitive issues involved in the Royal Bank's bid. Bank of Scotland had already received clearance. National WEstminster are still maintaining that any takeover would not be in the interests of shareholders. It will be up to the shareholders to decide. The clock is now ticking on the takeover bids. A survey of fund managers suggests that 50% believe that Royal Bank will be successful - and only 18% believe NatWest will remain independent. Prime Minister's Christmas Cheer for Alloa A small Alloa clothing manufacturer was delighted to find that one of their products was being worn by the UK Prime Minister's wife, Cherie Blair. They saw that she was wearing the designer jacket in a portrait of the PM and his wife which has been used on the Blair's Christmas card this year. The dark purple jacket is one of only 28 made in that colour and costs 640 pounds (US$1,000). Historical Affairs Scot of the Millennium Round the world, all sorts of organisations are running surveys to find "the best of the Millennium" in all sorts of categories. The Sunday Times has recently run a survey of "leading academics and opinion formers" to find the "Scot of the Millennium." Somewhat surprisingly, the 18th century philosopher David Hume came out on top, followed by Sir Alexander Fleming (discoverer of penicillin) and Robert Burns. It was argued that Hume's values of scepticism opened minds and his insistence on reason encouraged the development of scientific proofs. Another "Scot of the Millennium" The end of the this millennium is generating an industry of "best of" polls in all sorts of subjects. Recently, the philosopher David Hume was voted "Scot of the Millennium" by a group of academics. This week, another poll of a wider selection of 1,600 Scots who are listed in the present "Who's Who" has resulted in Robert Burns being accorded that title, followed by William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Sir Alexander Fleming who discovered penicillin was voted the greatest Scot of the 20th century, well ahead of John Logie Baird the pioneer of television. The illustration is of a bust of Robert Burns in the "Hall of the Heroes" in the Wallace National Monument near Stirling. Entertainment Edinburgh's Hogmanay on the Net Five computer controlled cameras will broadcast the scenes in the centre of Edinburgh at the end of the year. They will be functioning for five days to show the unfolding events, round the clock. The pictures are also to be taken by Earthcam, the US portal and beamed to crowds in Times Square, New York. Time in Edinburgh is five hours ahead of eastern USA. The webcam views will be available through Edinburgh's Hogmanay site (although the site makes no mention of it, so far). Ski Slopes Enjoy First Snow The slopes in Aberdeenshire at the Lecht and Cairngorm operated last weekend for the first time this winter. There was only a light covering but that was enough for enthusiastic skiers and snow-boarders. Maisie Lures Stanley from Retirement The comedian and entertainer Stanley Baxter, aged 73, has been persuaded to come out of retirement by Maisie - the Morningside cat. A new TV cartoon series is to be made, based on the 14 books about Maisie and her neighbour, Mrs McKitty, written by Aileen Paterson. Stanley will do 70 different voices for the various characters in the show which will run for 26 weeks. The first of the weekly episodes will be broadcast in January. Set in Edinburgh, the makers have tried to get the right atmosphere for Edinburgh and the high class are area of Morningside. Scotland Beat England Again There was some amusement this week when the seedings for the initial rounds of the World Cup were announced this week. As a result of Scotland's defeat of England in their last match, England were seeded 16th with Scotland above them at 13th. The other teams in Scotland's group are Belgium, Croatia, Latvia and San Marino. Belgium and Croatia are both teams to be reckoned with. But it is regarded as a better draw than that facing England, who face Germany in their group. The Scotland manager Craig Brown was present at the draw for the World Cup - he is one of the longest serving managers of an international football team. Scotland the What? Members of the Scottish Parliament Told to Stop Loitering A strongly worded memo has been circulated to MSPs telling them that there have been complaints from members of the public about some of them loitering. Not that business inside the Parliament has been slow - the loitering has been by those who smoke and stand outside the building for a quick puff at a cigarette. MSPs have been asked to at least remove their ID badges and move away from the main entrance. Some MSPs and their staff have also been ignoring the smoking ban inside the building - despite the terms of the lease of the Church of Scotland building banning smoking within the building. Orkney Women Demand Equality The traditional Orkney New Year "Ba' Game" is a hard fought contest fought on the streets of Kirkwall between the two teams, numbering a hundred strong, named the "Uppies" and the "Downies". It takes place on 1st January and can last for hours before a winning score is made. Its origins are disputed, but one legend says it started with the Vikings using the head of a slain Scottish warrior as the ball. There are few rules and so wrestling, kicking (ball or opponent, it's all the same) and trampling opponents under foot are all part of the "fun". And now a group of women in Orkney are demanding that they get a share of the action and have their own version of the game, possibly on Boxing Day. The men are horrified - and recall that during the war, when there were not enough men in Kirkwall to play the game, the women held a match to keep the tradition going. This was not a success (mainly because the men hid the Ba').

This Review of Scotland in 1999 does not contain the usual "magazine" section of the weekly Newsletter. However, if you wish to see the collection of many of these articles, you can do so via the links below.