This page contains extracts from the July to December editions in 2007 of the 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
The first part of this Scottish Review of 2007 was published on 22 December, 2007. The normal Newsletter of news, events and culture, resumes on 5 January 2008.
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.
.jpg "The Scotsman Calendar")
Click on the picture to see all 12 calendar views...
July 2007
|
August 2007
|
September 2007
|
October 2007
|
November 2007
|
December 2007
|
Culture MagazineThis Review of Scotland in 2007 does not contain the usual "magazine" section of the weekly Newsletter. However, if you wish to see the collection of many of the previous articles, you can do so via the Features Index.
Where else would you like to go in Scotland?
Princes Street used to be Scotland's premier shopping location, but in recent years it has declined and is now 25th in the UK's retail league - with upstarts like Buchanan Street in Glasgow out-ranking the Capital. The City Council (responsible over the years for the planning decisions that took the heart out of the up-market street), has frequently bewailed the decline and announced grandiose plans to revitalise it. Fortunately, projects such as building under Princes Street itself and creating a shopping mall to overlook Princes Street Gardens on the other side, have fallen by the wayside. But this week the City Council announced a "massive facelift" over the next ten years to bring the thoroughfare back to its former position and international reputation. The aim is to tackle one block of the street at a time, in a so-called "string of pearls" approach. The hope is to eventually transform the whole street with more public spaces, restaurants, hotels and more arcades linking through to Rose Street, which runs parallel to Princes Street, one block to the north. But the City Council does not own any of the buildings so it is a question of persuading landlords to invest in upgrading their properties. Inevitably, that could be a long haul.
Over three million people have visited Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum since it reopened after a major refurbishment twelve months ago. Kelvingrove had always been the most visited free visitor attraction in Scotland, with just over a million folk passing through its doors each year. When making an application for a National Heritage Lottery Grant, applicants often provide extravagant claims on what their projected footfall will be once building work has been completed. Glasgow City Council clearly got it wildly wrong - with a modest claim of a rise of 50%. But nobody (apart, maybe, from most Glaswegians) would have believed a nearly 300% estimate, but that is what has been achieved - with 3,209,825 visitors to be precise That was more than Edinburgh Castle, the National Museum of Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland combined. Only the National Gallery, Tate Modern and British Museum (all in London) attract more visitors in the UK. While many of those calling in to see what all the fuss is about may have been tourists from all parts of the world, there is no doubt that numbers have been swelled by the many repeat visits from Glaswegians themselves to "their" museum. 
Although the project began under the previous administration, it was perhaps appropriate that it was the Scottish Executive administered by the Scottish National Party which was able to commit this week to the creation of a National Register of Tartan to "protect, promote and preserve one of Scotland's most iconic and valuable assets". Enterprise Minister Jim Mather was on a visit to two of the leading textile companies in the Scottish Borders when he confirmed that he was working with Scottish Enterprise and the industry with the aim of having a National Register in place by next spring. Its aim will be to classify and authenticate tartans, with the Court of the Lord Lyon (responsible for all heraldic matters in Scotland) and the National Archives of Scotland playing a crucial role in setting up, operating, maintaining and facilitating access to the register. Scottish Enterprise recently reported on the significant contribution tartan makes to the economy. It is also important to Scottish culture and is an internationally recognised symbol of Scotland. 
After years of delays and lengthy negotiations, the Ministry of Defence at last confirmed the order this week for two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy. A major part of the construction work will be carried out at the BAE Systems shipbuilding yards at Govan and Scotstoun on the river Clyde in Glasgow and the ships (built in sections) will be assembled at Rosyth in Fife. The order will safeguard the jobs of 3,000 people employed in the Clyde shipyards. English companies at Portsmouth, Barrow and Surrey will share in the £3.8 billion order. The amount of the work being undertaken by the Clyde yards amounts to 25% of the massive project. The 65,000-tonne carriers will be the largest ships ever built for the Royal Navy and they will be named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. Each vessel will have a crew of 1,450 personnel and the flight decks will be the size of three football pitches, capable of handling 36 Joint Strike Fighters and four Airborne Early Warning aircraft. Even though design work is well advanced, the warships will not enter service until 2014 and 2016. 
With a fanfare of PR trumpets, transport company Stagecoach launched its trial of the new hovercraft service which will carry up to 130 passengers a time between Portobello in Edinburgh and Kirkcaldy in Fife. The two-week trial with fare-paying passengers starts on Monday. It was unfortunate that in the same week as the press launch, consultants working for Fife Council reported that "no business case would stack up" for the service. The experts say that it would attract few passengers and be more costly than a catamaran ferry between Burntisland in Fife and Granton in Edinburgh. Of course, Stagecoach say that they opted for the hovercraft route because of a total lack of progress in negotiations with the Forth Ports Authority in establishing a normal ferry service using high speed ships.
The Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, unveiled a statue this week at Helmsdale, north of Inverness, which commemorates the achievement and resilience of the many Scots who left the Highlands and Islands during the Highland Clearances. That was the time when landowners in both Highlands and Souther Uplands found that turning their land over to the rearing of sheep was more profitable than renting it out to subsistence farming crofters. As a result, many were ejected from their homes and were often left with emigration as the only way of surviving. The First Minister said: "This statue is a reminder of the men, women and children who left Scotland and took their skills, their strength and their stories across the seas and shared them around the world. While we deplore the clearances we can be proud of the contributions that those cleared have made to humanity." The statue was created by sculptor Gerald Laign, based in the Black Isle. The statue shows a family group in bronze. It is ten feet high and stands at the mouth of the Strath of Kildonan.
The great grandson of King Nzinga Nkuvu, who met explorer and missionary David Livingstone in the Congo, paid his respects to the Scottish doctor at the David Livingstone Memorial Centre in Blantyre, Lanarkshire this week. The king's descendant, Bafiba Zomba Clement-Patrice, is the vice-governor of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.He is among an African delegation touring recycling facilities in Scotland. David Livingstone is still highly regarded in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially as he fought for the abolition of slavery.
Regular attenders at the T in the Park pop festival at Balado near Kinross are well used to making sure that they come dressed for the Scottish summer weather - with wellington boots, raincoats and waterproof headgear. This weekend is no exception - as it proves to be one of the squelchiest for a while. Up to 80,000 fans will be turning up over the weekend, many of them camping out in the fields. On Friday, they found themselves stranded in long traffic queues as the car park turned into a mud bath. Eventually, after lengthy delays, as the car park was closed, they were being told to go away and come back by public transport the following day. Many just abandoned their cars at the side of the road and walked in the pouring rain to the festival. At least they shouldn't find it cold - temperatures are expected to reach 17/18C (63/64F) - and they may even need their sun glasses on Sunday.
There will be a star-studded line-up for this year's Edinburgh Film Festival with Bob Hoskins and Samantha Morton fronting the event. Other well known faces at the 61st festival will include Oscar winner Chris Cooper, "Trainspotting" author Irvine Welsh and "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Stellan Skarsgard. Films in the festival include UK premieres of Pixar animation "Ratatouille" and Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof." Closer to home, "Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle", the first-ever Scottish Gaelic feature film (see graphic here), will have a British gala presentation. 200,000 people are expected to attend the films and special question and answer sessions at the 12-day event which runs from August 15-26. For more details, see 
The biggest Highland Games ever staged in Scotland will be held at Holyrood Park (seen here) in Edinburgh in 2009. It will be part of a year of "Homecoming Scotland" events aimed at attracting people from around the world to visit or emigrate to Scotland. The games are being scheduled for the same weekend as a massive "gathering of the clans" when 7,500 clan members from around the world are expected to travel to the city for what is being billed as the world's biggest clan gathering. The Highland Games will have the traditional displays of piping, dancing, athletics and heavy events, featuring 2000 competitors and performers. Additionally, there will be a food and drink fair, live music and an exhibition allowing visitors to trace their ancestry. The event is being held on July 25 and 26, 2009. On the first day, all the clan members will take part in a parade up the Royal Mile from Holyrood Park to Edinburgh Castle. The seats in the arena for that year's Tattoo will be available for a huge pageant to be staged on the castle forecourt.
The merger between Paisley University and Bell College went ahead this week, creating a new institution with 18,000 students across campuses in Ayr, Dumfries, Hamilton and Paisley. For legal reasons, the combined body is initially being called the University of Paisley, but steps are being progressed to change of name to the University of the West of Scotland. More than 50% of students attend campuses outside of Paisley and it is argued that the name change is a sensible one. There are plans for an investment programme of more than £160 million and an expansion of degree and post-graduate courses.
The women's British Open golf championship was being played at the Old Course at St Andrews this week - the first time that the ladies have been allowed to compete on the hallowed ground and use the previously "men only" club house facilities. There were no doubt some old colonels who disapproved of the development - and they perhaps felt vindicated when it emerged that one of the lady players had changed her child's nappy (diaper) in the changing room. Janice Moodie, a Scot married to an American and based in Florida, admitted afterwards that it "was a particularly stinky one" but it was a choice between the club house and the car.... Although no record books were consulted, it is confidently being said that it is the first time such a task has been performed there in the 253-year history of the St Andrews club, which governs golf outside of the US and Mexico.
Aberdeen University has drawn up plans for a "library of the future" costing £57 million. The university says that it has outgrown the current Queen Mother Library, which was created when there were just 5,000 students on the campus. The new facility on the King's College campus will provide services for 14,000 students. It will also showcase the institution's 200,000-strong collection of historic books. It is hoped that the new building will become a focal point and symbolise the university's ambitions for the future. The university's principal and vice-chancellor, describing the plans, said "An international landmark, it will echo the impact of ideas from Aberdeen in distant places. It will represent our past, present and future, our continuing role as intellectual pioneers, here at the northern frontiers of Europe. It will be a cultural icon of which not only our scholars and students, but all of the people of Scotland can be proud."
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has granted permission for Loch Lomond Seaplanes to begin a Glasgow to Oban air service, using seaplanes landing and taking off from the river Clyde and the sea off Oban. The flights are scheduled to begin by the end of August. Regular routes from Glasgow to west coast destinations like Arran, Bute and Tobermory are also in the pipeline. Using a nine-seater Cessna seaplane, return flights from the Clyde at Glasgow Science Centre on the Clyde to Oban Bay are available from £149 return. The company says that the service puts Glasgow in the same league as other cities offering similar services such as Sydney and Vancouver - though it will be some time before Scotland can match the number of flights and destinations of these locations.
A "Mountain Class" railway steam engine, which was built in Polmadie in Glasgow in 1945 for the harsh conditions of South Africa, is to return to take pride of place in the new Riverside Transport Museum being built in the city of its birth. The engine pulled the renowned "Blue Train" from Johannesburg to Cape Town for over 40 years, until it was mothballed in 1988. The huge engine has made a 6,000 mile journey from South Africa and will be put on display in the city's George Square for a few days at the end of this month. It will then undergo a major restoration and will eventually be the largest exhibit in the new transport museum. It is regarded as one of the finest examples of British engineering, representing a culmination of 100 years of railway technology in the city. An appeal has been launched for public contributions to the Riverside Transport Museum - a similar appeal for the refurbishment of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum raised £13 million. For more details, see 
In recent years there have been a number of efforts to counter the portrayal of the Scottish King Macbeth as an evil murderer. It was Englishman William Shakespeare who wrote the play about Macbeth that did all the damage - and Shakespeare was trying to curry favour with King James VI of Scotland, who in 1603 had inherited the throne of England as well. This week, BBC Radio 4 explored the myths surrounding the 11th century Gaelic-speaking king. It is acknowledged that without Shakespeare, Macbeth would be largely unknown these days. The real Macbeth did kill Duncan - but in battle, and he brought peace and prosperity to Scotland. Macbeth ruled for 17 years from his stronghold in Morayshire. But he never lived in Cawdor Castle - it was built long after his reign. 
The Field Marshall Montgomery band from Lisburn, Northern Ireland won the World Pipe Band Championships last Saturday. The band has come out top on five previous occasions in the premier competition of the piping calendar (1992, 1993, 2002, 2004 and 2006). Second place went to the Simon Fraser University band from Vancouver in British Columbia and the highest-placed Scots were the House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead band in third place, followed by Strathclyde Police in fifth. Scottish Lion 78th Fraser Highlanders were fourth. Despite heavy rain, over 40,000 people turned up to watch 8,000 pipers and drummers from 240 bands around the world compete in the various grades. About 25% of the competitors came from abroad. Last year, the BBC broadcast a documentary about the championships and they are doing the same this year. There are mutterings that they should do more for such an important world championship. But much of the excitement of the event is created by the bands practising outside the many performance arenas. That is a chaotic process, with audience and performers in close proximity, making it hard for TV crews to do a professional job without considerable editing.
The National Museum of Flight's annual air show at East Fortune in East Lothian attracted a record crowd of nearly 14,000 last Saturday. Glorious sunshine (at least initially) helped, of course, and the crowds enjoyed the static display as well as a flypast by the RAF's new Eurofighter "Typhoon," daring acrobatics and an array of Second World War aircraft, such as a Catalina flying boat, a Spitfire, a Hurricane and a Lancaster bomber. The display ended with the exciting "Red Arrows" display team from the RAF - despite the weather breaking down near the end of the afternoon.
20,000 people are expected to descend on Dunoon on the Firth of Clyde this Saturday to enjoy Scotland's largest Highland games. This is the 113th year of the Cowal Highland Gathering and highlights include the Scottish Highland dancing competition, solo piping competitions and heavy athletics. The event takes place over Thursday to Saturday, with the hotly contested pipe band competition being staged on the last day. The weather was kind on the first two days and, after a cloudy start, brightened up also on Saturday.
When the Scottish Parliament was reconvened in 1999, the body which governed the country was named "Scottish Executive". It was argued that this would avoid any confusion with the UK-wide government in London. But since then, bodies such as the Welsh Assembly, which has far less powers than the equivalent in Scotland, has a "government". The term "Scottish Executive" is little understood by the "man (or woman) in the street" in Scotland and there have been suggestions in the past about abandoning it. Now, First Minister Alex Salmond has forged ahead and just changed the name to "Scottish Government". Of course, he would like to see that government in sole charge, but in the meantime will have to settle with the name change. But because the term "Scottish Executive" is enshrined in the Scotland act 1998, it will continue to be used in formal legal documents such as legislation and contracts. Opposition parties could find no reason (justified or otherwise) to object, and could only say that it was done unilaterally and without consultation - which was "inconsistent with a professed desire for consensus, conversation, and co-operation."
The Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) has often dismissed opinion polls which seek to measure how many Scots support independence from the UK. It is argued that the answer can often be swayed by the nature of the question being asked. So there was some interest in the latest opinion poll - which used the exact question floated in the SNP Executive's consultation on independence. It showed that 50% of respondents 50% disagreed with the proposition that a settlement should be negotiated with the government of the United Kingdom, so that Scotland becomes an independent state. 15% said they didn't know and 35% agreed that a settlement should be negotiated - which is in line with many other opinion polls in recent years. There was more support from the 18 to 24-year-olds, with 52% agreeing with the proposal, but the poll also showed that 63% of professional people were against the idea.
Around 15,000 Scottish football fans marched en masse through Paris to the Parc des Princes stadium for Wednesday's Euro 2008 qualifying match against France. The fans made a big impression, with their noisy but good-natured performance, and the Scottish team responded with a result that surprised many - especially the people of France. They were stunned when Scotland defeated the French team 1-0, with a magnificent long-range goal by James McFadden in the second half. Maybe it wasn't such a surprise though - Scotland had achieved the same result when they played France at Hampden Park earlier in the campaign. But to win away from home against one of the top footballing nations in the world, was a magnificent achievement. The result put Scotland at the top of their Euro 2008 qualifying group - and gave the whole of Scotland a tremendous boost. There are still three difficult games ahead - but the result in Paris will have given the team a renewed confidence.
Tens of thousands made the journey to Greenock to see the QE2. Some had been involved in her construction; others had not been born when she was launched. All were keen to see a vessel that epitomised the craftsmanship and traditions of Clyde shipbuilding. Traffic on the roads leading into and through the town slowed to a crawl but those who got there by 12.15pm were rewarded by an aerobatic tribute from the RAF "Red Arrows" display team. There were a number of pipe bands and activities for the kids in the afternoon. But it was just a great shame that the ship was berthed behind warehouses, large containers and cranes on the dockside. So many who had endured the long journey to Greenock only had a distant glimpse of the ship poking out from behind these obstructions. Those who stayed till the ship left at 6.15pm were able to see her in all her glory - Scotland's Saltire flags waving from the mast. And those with some local knowledge, went to the vantage point at Lyle Hill and got a grand view of the liner from there throughout the day.
Aberdeen lifted the top prize in the "City" category in the UK-wide Britain in Bloom competition, the results for which were announced this week in Dundee's Caird Hall. That was the 40th consecutive win for the Granite City in that category. The judges were impressed by Union Street and Union Terrace, with their bedding plants and use of hanging baskets and planters. There were also many fine examples of residential gardens, which add to the overall impact for a visitor. The judges also highlighted Aberdeen’s unstinting efforts to keep the streets clean. In some of the other categories, Perth took the large town award and the premier Rosebowl prize went to North Berwick. The best village trophy was again won by Falkland in Fife.
First Minister Alex Salmond was in Orkney this week to open a new testing facility at the European Marine Energy Centre. The centre offers developers the opportunity to test prototype devices in wave and tidal conditions and is believed to be the first of its kind in the world to provide purpose-built testing facilities. The aim is to make Scotland a world leader in such technology.
The Titan crane at the shipyard at Govan has been towering over the river Clyde since 1911. It has not been operational for many years - construction methods and the types of ships being built have moved on at the BAE yard. The management have wanted to demolish the structure in the past, but its importance as an A-listed building has stopped that. But they argued that it was going to impede work on the £4 billion aircraft carrier contract and would need £1.6 million to refurbish it. So, with Titans still standing at Finnieston, Scotstoun, Clydebank and Greenock, Historic Scotland has relented and granted permission for it to be dismantled. The 150 feet high cantilever crane, set on a lattice girder tower, will disappear from the skyline over the coming weeks. The metal will be recycled and the winding gear will be donated to the Scottish Maritime Museum. A detailed scale model of the crane is held by Glasgow Transport Museum.
It would be surprising if the Edinburgh Fringe Festival didn't report another record year - the arts festival has been doing that regularly for the last 60 years. So when the event came to an end and the organisers totted up all the ticket sales, it came to 1.7 million - another record. That was spread over 2,000 different shows, with 31,000 performances by 18,626 performers. Of course, many of the shows are small scale - the average attendance at each one was just 55 people. But the concert by the Foo Fighters was the biggest in the history of the Fringe, with 25,000 tickets sold. There are criticisms that the rapid expansion of the Fringe has meant that standards are slipping - but it is argued that the Fringe is a self-regulating festival, with audiences and artists dictating whether or not the open access event continues to grow.
50 years ago this week the first programmes televised by the commercial channel Scottish Television (STV), reached the small black and white TV screens available in those days. Scottish actor James Robertson Justice narrated the first programme - an hour-long account of travel, history and humour from around the country. The channel started production in the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, before moving to its permanent home not far away. This year, the company moved to custom-built, state-of-the-art studios at Glasgow's "media village", Pacific Quay. STV claims to be Scotland's most popular peak-time station. One of the station's most successful programmes has been Scotsport, which began in 1957 and eventually entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-running TV sports programme in the world. 
Post Office workers are holding two 48-hour strikes, with one beginning on Thursday and another on Monday. The stoppages across the UK are expected to cause widespread disruption, with deliveries to homes or businesses are not expected until next Wednesday at the earliest. And the backlog is not likely to be cleared until the following week. Management say that the Royal Mail service is facing fundamental changes, now that it no longer enjoys a monopoly on mail deliveries. Competitors are eating away at its business, employing staff who are paid less than the traditional postal staff. Unions are unhappy at the latest pay offer from Royal Mail and proposed changes to work practices. 
After a lengthy battle with English rival Barclays Bank, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and its partners (Dutch bank Fortis and Spain's Banco Santander) have been successful in their bid to buy the Dutch bank ABN Amro. 86% of the Dutch bank's shareholders have now accepted a 71 billion euro ($98.5 billion or £49 billion) offer to clinch Europe's biggest-ever banking takeover. The RBS offer was largely in cash, while the competing bid from Barclays was mainly in shares. These fell in value in recent weeks, as financial service stocks fell worldwide as a result of the recent market turbulence arising from concerns about losses from US "sub-prime" mortgage lending. ABN Amro has 4,500 branches in 53 countries and will now be broken up amongst the three partners in the deal. RBS is expected to take its wholesale and investment banking business and its Asian operations. 
The top international destination last month for international air travellers from Glasgow was Orlando - home of the Disney World theme park - with over 20,000 sunseekers jetting off to see Mickey Mouse and the many other attractions in the area. The lure of Arabian nights - and all those shops and clear blue skies - has made Dubai the fastest growing international destination, while other popular destinations were New York, Philadelphia and Vancouver. 
The Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship was won last Sunday by a guesthouse owner from Argyll. A dozen cooks from across the UK assembled at Carrbridge in Strathspey for the annual contest, now in its 14th year. Maria Soep, who runs the Roineabhal Country House at Kilchrenan in Lorn, near Loch Awe in Argyll, emerged victorious in a final three-way cook-off. Ms Soep said she had obtained an edge from the quality of her pinhead oatmeal from a health food shop in Oban, which had been soaked overnight with added salt and "good water". The winner of the "speciality" section featured porridge with stewed apple, cinnamon, raisins, whipped cream, chocolate and grape nuts. Who said porridge was "dull"?
Staff at an18th century worker's cottage in the Renfrewshire hamlet of Kilbarchan were last week celebrating 50 years since it was turned into a living museum by the National Trust for Scotland. Two weavers still work on the old hand loom in the cottage, the last of 800 that once worked in the area when weaving was a major industry across much of Scotland. The wool used at Kilbarchan is spun and dyed using natural colours obtained from plants and herbs grown in the cottage garden attached to the museum. They specialise in weaving tartan - taking three days to produce enough material for one kilt. The cottage was built in 1723 and it was adopted by the National Trust for Scotland in 1957. The museum is now closed for the winter and will reopen next April.
The City of Glasgow Bank became bankrupt in 1879, one of only three large Scottish banks to ever fail. It had been established in 1829 and its "progressive and dynamic" outlook led to its fall after only 50 years. But when any of its banknotes come up for auction these days, there is usually a lot of interest from collectors. Three City of Glasgow banknotes are to be auctioned in London on Monday and one of them, bearing the portrait of Queen Victoria, is expected to sell for over £2,000. It is described by the auctioneers as "an attractive example, fresh, good, very fine and rare".
Donald Runnicles, born in Edinburgh 52 years ago and currently the music director of San Francisco Opera and principal guest conductor at Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, is regarded as one of the world's leading orchestral conductors. Runnicles runs a prestigious festival in Wyoming, appears regularly at the Salzburg and Bayreuth festivals, and is in constant demand by the world's leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Vienna State Opera. So the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra has pulled off a great coup by attracting him back to Scotland as their new chief conductor from 2009. Runnicles performed with the BBC SSO at the Edinburgh Festival in 2001 and critics then were impressed by the performances and the "special chemistry" that became apparent. Educated at George Watson's in Edinburgh, he fell in love with opera after hearing the late Sir Alexander Gibson conducting Wagner's Ring in Glasgow in 1971.
Winterfest Glasgow, the city’s packed programme of festive celebrations, was unveiled this week. The Festival gets off to an illuminating start, with the Christmas Lights switch-on on Sunday, 18 November. Glaswegians and visitors to the city are set to experience a radical change to the design of Glasgow on Ice in George Square. For the first time ever, skaters will be able to glide on the new-style ice rink created around the base of the Sir Walter Scott column. Towering 80 foot above the revellers, Sir Walter will look down upon those celebrating the festive season on skates as they circle the base of the famous landmark in the heart of the city. Party goers are being invited to ring out the old and bring in the new with the best in Scottish music at Glasgow’s Hogmanay party. Following her huge success at T in the Park and on the back of a UK tour, Scotland’s very own Amy Macdonald will be joining the party and wowing the George Square crowd. See 
The legendary Dame Edna Everage was this week confirmed to headline next year's Magners Glasgow International Comedy Festival. Punters will have gladioli at the ready as the international megastar, housewife, swami and icon (her own description of herself) graces Scotland with her rare presence for the first time in over ten years. She (some have claimed it is an alter ego of Australian comedian Barry Humphries) will be holding court at the city's Clyde Auditorium on Friday 21st March. This is Dame Edna's only scheduled UK appearance in 2008, and marks something of coup for the festival organisers. Australia's self-styled First Lady says she can't wait to see her adoring crowds. In a proclamation, she said: "My Dear Glaswegian Possums! Can you believe it's been umpteen years since you flocked to the theatre to worship at my shrine? So wait no more my little McPossums! I'm coming back for one night only to spread my message of caring and sharing at that spooky yet strangely intimate Clyde Auditorium. Don't miss this seminal and pivotal life-enhancing experience. Buy now possums and laugh later!"
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. 
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.
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. 
Strathclyde Police's new chief constable took up his new post this week - and immediately warned that another terrorist attack in Scotland is almost inevitable. He said that his force will have to be constantly prepared to react to a similar attack to the one in which a car exploded in flames as it was rammed into Glasgow Airport in June this year. He had watched that incident from London and commented on how impressed he had been at the way it had been dealt with and the good relations which existed between the local police and minority groups. 
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.
The Clyde Arc bridge over the river Clyde (known locally as the Squinty Bridge because it crosses the water diagonally) opened in 2006 and has been praised for its attractive design (but slated for its confusing road markings and turning restrictions). Recently it was recognised by the Saltire Society which has given it a Civil Engineering Award. The society said the bridge was a state-of-the-art structure and an elegant addition to the skyline in Glasgow. The Saltire Society includes in its aims enhancing the quality of Scotland's contribution to all the arts and sciences by encouraging creativity, inventiveness, and the achievement of the highest standards of excellence in these fields. Other projects commended at the awards ceremony included BBC Scotland's headquarters at Pacific Quay (which was the catalyst for the Clyde Arc being built in the first place) and the Lairig Eilde Bridge replacement on the A82 road in Glencoe.
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, 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.
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.
Eden Court Theatre in Inverness is quite unlike any other venue in Scotland, serving an entire region not just a city and presenting an enormous variety of events, including music, drama, dance, comedy and cinema. It is also one of the busiest venues in Scotland, with ticket sales up by 40% in the last five years for 300 events a year. The building closed for a major redevelopment in 2005 and the work should have been completed earlier this year so that it could host events associated with the Highland 2007, a year-long celebration of local arts and culture. However, delays have meant that the official reopening was postponed until Saturday, 3 November. The stunning new venue looks as though it was worth the wait!
The award-winning National Theatre of Scotland's gritty production "Black Watch" has sold out in New York after rave reviews. The play, which focuses on Scots soldiers of the regiment in Iraq, did well when it was performed in Los Angeles, but there had been concerns that its Scottish accents - and occasional digs at the US military - might put off audiences in New York. Instead, the New York Times gave it top billing, describing it as "one of the most richly human works to have emerged from this war".
There was a flurry of activity this week following the decision in the preceding week by Aberdeenshire Council's infrastructure services committee to turn down the plans by US entrepreneur Donald Trump to create two championship golf courses. The plans also involved building a 450-room hotel, holiday homes and 500 private houses on the Menie Estate at Balmedie on the Aberdeenshire course. A spokesman for the Trump organisation said that they would "not appeal" - and was considering a move to Northern Ireland for the project. The infrastructure committee, however, had expected to "negotiate" on certain aspects of the plan which were deemed unacceptable. Then the Scottish Government took the wind out of everyone's sails by announcing that they were "calling in" the decision because of its "national importance". First Minister Alex Salmond, who is the Member of the Scottish Parliament for the constituency in which the billion pound golf complex would be built, has always been in support of the scheme. However, the decision will be made, at least in theory, by John Swinney as the minister responsible for Finance and Sustainable Growth. The move was welcomed by the Scottish Parliament's Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee. Its convener Tavish Scott (LibDem Shetland) described the Trump project as an "enormous development for Scotland" which had nationwide implications. But any joy that the Trump organisation might have felt about this development was somewhat tempered by the revelation that it could be next spring before any decision is announced. Donald Trump has always threatened to walk away from the project if there were any major delays.
When the UK's National Health Service was first unveiled in 1948, medicines and other items prescribed by doctors were supplied free of charge. As the cost of this soared, successive governments introduced a flat rate charge for each item (regardless of the actual cost of the medicine), with exemptions for children, pensioners and those on low incomes. The current charge is now £6.85 per item (roughly US$14). This week, Nicola Sturgeon, the Health Secretary, said the charges from April next year will be reduced to £5, with further phased reductions towards a total abolition of the charges in 2011. The changes apply only in Scotland, of course, with those in England continuing to pay the full charge.
5,000 schoolchildren travelled to the BAE Systems shipyard at Govan on Tuesday to witness the launch of HMS Diamond, the Royal Navy's third Type 45 destroyer to be built on the Clyde as part of a £6 billion programme to supply six of the warships. HMS Daring was launched in February 2006 and HMS Dauntless in January 2007. They will come into service in 2009 and 2010. The ships are fitted with state-of-the-art technology, including the Principal Anti-Air Missile System, which can provide airspace cover for hundreds of miles. The Clyde yards will also build HMS Defender, Dragon and Duncan.
When the original bridge across the river Forth at Kincardine-on-Forth in Fife was opened in 1936, there was probably no dispute about calling it the Kincardine Bridge. The second crossing, a short distance further up-river, is proving to be more problematic. After a lot of lobbying, the new bridge makes its northern landfall in Clackmannanshire, the smallest county in Scotland. The local council there naturally believe that the crossing should be named the "Clackmannan Bridge". Meantime, Fife councillors want it named after their area as "Kingdom Bridge". The county is often referred to as the "Kingdom of Fife" as it was at one time a Pictish Kingdom. Of course, Falkirk Council at the southern end of the bridge has had to enter the fray too. So the Transport Minister in Edinburgh is inviting people in the three counties to make their own suggestions. Already, some odd names have been put forward, such as "Bridge at Jones Diary" (If you don't know the book and "Bridget Jones's Diary" that one will go right over your head). Once names have been suggested, it will be up to the Transport Minister to use the judgement of Solomon (or political expediency) to make a decision. The new bridge won't be open till late 2008, so he has plenty of time.
The Calyx project to create a national gardening showpiece on the edge of Perth was launched in 1997. Since then, it has produced many grand plans for a £36 million project, built on a 60-acre site beside the existing 6 acre national heather collection at Cherrybank Garden. The aim is to create 30 themed gardens, 20 competition gardens and a sky walk through the treetops. And with Scotland's unreliable weather in mind and to create a year-round attraction, much of it will be covered by huge transparent domes. The Eden project in Cornwall showed how popular such a facility could be and the Calyx centre aims to be twice as large. This week there was a major set-back for the project when the Big Lottery Fund "Living Landmarks" programme turned down the application from Calyx. All other funding was conditional on getting National Lottery funding so unless another source can be found, the project will not now go ahead. The gardening proposal gets its name from the botanical term "calyx" which is the term for the petals that surround a developing bud.
Historic Scotland has recently completed a three-year programme of safety and conservation work at Auchindoun Castle, a medieval hill-top fortress near Dufftown, in Moray. The public have been unable to gain access to the building since the 1960s due to the danger of falling masonry. Skilled stone masons from Historic Scotland’s Monument Conservation Unit have consolidated the walls of the four-storey castle, using traditional materials and methods. The castle stands within the ramparts of an Iron Age hill fort and was built for John, earl of Mar, in the 15th century. But he was later murdered by his own brother, King James III. The castle then passed to Thomas Cochrane, one of the king’s favourites. He also came to an unpleasant end when he was hanged from Lauder Bridge in 1482 by jealous nobles led by Archibald "Bell-the-Cat" Douglas, earl of Angus. The castle later became a stronghold of the Gordons but was torched by the Mackintoshes in 1591. Although repaired, it was finally abandoned in the 18th century.
A campaign was launched this week to restore and repair the Black Watch Memorial at The Mound in Edinburgh. The monument depicts a Highland soldier with rifle and bayonet and displays the names of members of the regiment who fell during the Boer War. It was commissioned by the Black Watch on a site donated by Bank of Scotland in 1906. In addition to dealing with decades of weathering, the plan is to replace missing features such as the soldier's bayonet. The cost of the renovation work is a modest £15,000 and Bank of Scotland is contributing £5,000 to give the project a flying start. 
It used to be that tickets for Edinburgh's Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) street party were snapped up within days of becoming available. But demand for passes is believed to be well down on previous years, after two of the last four celebrations fell victim to poor weather conditions. Tickets for the main event on Princes Street are normally all snapped up by the end of October, but officials say there are still plenty available, just over a month before the festivities. Tickets for the Concert in the Gardens are also said to be moving sluggishly, despite the event boasting a strong line-up with Kasabian, Calvin Harris and Idlewild on the bill. Guesthouse operators and leading hotels in the city have said bookings are well down on last year. 
When the Royal Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh first opened its doors in 1886, it was the country's first national museum. In the intervening years only minor renovations to the displays have been carried out, however, with some now 75 years old. That situation was highlighted in 1998 when the new National Museum of Scotland opened next door. That was an exciting, modern building that demonstrated just how "tired" the original Victorian building had become. Plans for a major refurbishment have been in the pipeline for a number of years, while the necessary finance was raised. Now the £46.4 million renovation work will begin next May, when the Royal Museum will close for three years. That will allow the recreation of 16 of the 25 galleries, create two new entrances and a new floor of exhibition space at street level. It will double the amount of exhibits on display and the present giant entrance hall will be renamed the Grand Gallery. That area currently has large pools full of fish which are a firm favourite with visitors. These will, however, be removed to allow the hall to be used for major displays.
