Scotland Backdrop To Royal Engagement

Congratulations to Prince William and Kate Middleton following the announcement today of their engagement.

Now a royal wedding is likely either in the spring or summer of next year.

Expect wall-to-wall media coverage as the world watches the couple's every move.

I certainly don't envy them one little bit. It'll be tough going.

Hopefully, the pivotal role St Andrews in Scotland played in bringing the happy couple together won't be forgotten.

They met as students at the town's famous university in 2001.

The people of St Andrews are to be congratulated for allowing the couple the years of space in which their romance blossomed.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond was quick to offer his heartfelt congratulations following the announcement of the engagement.

The SNP leader said, "My warmest congratulations to Prince William and Kate Middleton on their wonderful news. Of course this was a match made in St Andrews, and everyone in Scotland will join with me in wishing the Prince and Ms Middleton every happiness as they look forward to their wedding day, and a long and fulfilling married life together."

Time To Apologise To Scottish Travellers

It's been in the news again this week.

Calls for an apology to Scottish Travellers for years of discrimination and ill-treatment.

The calls will not go away, so it's time to take the issue seriously - once and for all.

Maybe that'll happen thanks to the petition presented to the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions Committee.

Now the committee is to ask Scottish Government ministers to respond.

The petition was presented by Ken MacLennan, from Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, who outlined examples of mistreatment going back 500 years.

But the committee also asked him for more supportive evidence as it was not clear as to why the Scottish Government should apologise.

As well as seeking a response from ministers, the committee agreed to write to human rights groups to seek their input, too.

Mr MacLennan said afterwards such a move would be "helpful" and would also "open a few cans of worms".

There are a couple of recently written memoirs which give a real insight into the discrimination suffered by Scottish Travellers. The books are No Easy Road by Patsy Whyte, and Never To Return by Sandy Reid.

Both are highly recommended.  

No Minimum Pricing For Alcohol In Scotland

Alcohol minimum pricing.

Golden opportunity.

Gone.

Rejected by the Scottish Parliament.

Now we can look forward to more drink-related deaths, blighted streets, alcohol-fuelled crime and anti-social behaviour. We see the consequences of boozed-up Scotland every day.

The police made clear their support for alcohol minimum pricing. So did the medical profession and others. But the majority of MSPs chose to ignore calls for the move.

Arch-opponent Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour health spokesperson, claimed in parliament it was untried, possibly illegal and would put £140 million into the pockets of supermarkets.

She denied Labour opposed minimum pricing on political grounds. They opposed the move because they believed it wouldn't work.

Fair enough. But where's the evidence for such a belief? I've certainly not heard it uttered.

Little wonder the SNP government is accusing Labour of 'politicking'. What else are we to make of Labour's illogical stance?

The SNP government has vowed to continue the alcohol minimum pricing campaign.

Speaking in the parliamentary debate, SNP Health Secretary and Depute Leader Nicola Sturgeon said, "When we have the opportunity to save not just money but  lives, then we have a duty to listen and to act.

"That is exactly what people outside this parliament want us to do - people who know what they're talking about. Doctors, nurses, the police,  public health experts, children's charities, churches, key players in  the alcohol industry, and growing numbers in the population all believe that this is a policy whose time has come.

"And yet inside this parliament we have an obstinate refusal to listen - a mentality that says 'we are right and everyone else is wrong'.

"The truth is that, for Labour, this policy really only has one fatal flaw - and that is that it is proposed by the SNP. It is pathetic, and Labour - a party with such a proud record on public health - should be deeply ashamed of itself today."

I couldn't agree more.

GI Boost For Scotch

Scotch whisky is now officially recognised in China.

It's great news for Scotland's £multi-billion drinks industry.

And it'll help prevent many copycat fraudsters from muscling in and profiting from Scotland's world-famous tipple.

The Chinese announcement today in Beijing recognises Scotch whisky as a GI - a geographic indication. - the highest level of trademark protection.

The move follows a meeting between the UK government's business secretary Vince Cable and China's Zhi Shuping, minister for quality, supervision, inspection and quarantine.

Now only whisky produced in Scotland will be allowed to use the Scotch whisky name.

The Scotch Whisky Association says whisky exports to China are worth an estimated £80 million annually. Some 10 years ago, the figure was a mere £1.5 million.

Scotch whisky is worth around £3 billion annually to the Scottish economy - and growing every year.

Hit 'Em When They're Down!

Scotland's long-term unemployed 'opting' for a life on benefits are in for a hard time, it would seem.

For the UK's coalition government aims to target them with a choice - work for benefits or lose them for three months.

The scheme, to be unveiled this week, will involve benefit claimants from across the UK 'working' for charities or local councils.

Government ministers deny the scheme is designed to punish or humiliate.

The church is critical of the new scheme. So are the government's political opponents who say there are five people chasing every job in Britain.

It's a ridiculous scheme. From a government filled with millionaires.

It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'out of touch'.

Talk about hitting people when they're already down.

Give The Guy A Break!

You can't have failed to notice them, right? You know, the "things" that go boom, bang and whoosh in the night.

We're talking fireworks, of course, Guy Fawkes, bonfires and all manner of incendiary celebrations.

Look, it's 2010 and Mr Fawkes died in 1605 - more than 400 years ago.

Ain't it time to give this guy a break?

Please.

Think of the dogs and cats terrified, cowering in corners and under tables. They've never even heard of Guy Fawkes!

Give pets a break, too!

Let's not celebrate a gruesome death. Guy, or Guido, as he called himself was an extremely brave individual who was tortured without mercy until he broke.

Later, he and his co-conspirators were executed by being hung, drawn and quartered.

Do we really want to continue to celebrate such cruelty?

Surely not.

Labour Dumps Woolas

Labour Party worthies moved quickly today to distance themselves from former colleague Phil Woolas.

The one-time immigration minister was unceremoniously dumped by the party after an election court ruled he lied about an opponent during the general election campaign earlier this year.

It's the first time in nearly a century such a ruling has been made.

The ruling sends out a clear signal to all political candidates there is a line which must not be crossed. Otherwise there may be consequences.

Good news for politics in general and for Scotland in particular.

Political campaigns north of the border have been dogged by bitter rivalries in recent years, especially between the SNP and Labour.

Reasoned argument and debate has all but disappeared. Democracy deserves better.

So do the people of Scotland.

Edinburgh Trams "hell on wheels"

Oh dear me, Edinburgh's troubled trams project is...er...in trouble, yet again, it would appear. What a surprise. You couldn't make it up!

The latest setback involves the resignation of trams project chairman David Mackay.

In media interviews, Mr Mackay hits out at German contractors Bilfinger Berger and describes the project as "hell on wheels".

David Mackay. Photo:
 Edinburgh Trams

Now there are calls for trams project bosses to explain themselves to the Scottish Parliament.

Edinburgh MSP Shirley Anne Somerville said the latest developments confirmed the SNP's warning the tram project was being pushed for political and not practical reasons.

Ms Somerville added, "The SNP warned our political opponents that forcing the Scottish Government to implement this project would lead to funding problems and chaos for people in Edinburgh. It is deeply unfortunate that with David MacKay’s resignation we are seeing our worst fears realised."

In a resignation statement, published on Edinburgh Trams website, Mr Mackay makes no reference to the "hell on wheels" jibe widely reported in the media.

Instead, he describes the project as being "enormously absorbing", adding there was never going to be an entirely ideal time to step aside.

He says, "In the past few months I have been keen to see a number of milestones set in place and this I have now done. I believe that for every Chair there comes an important juncture when the most powerful action you can take is to pass the controls to a successor and to then watch that organisation develop further under a new champion.

“The last few years have been stimulating and challenging and I believe that considerable progress has been made across many fronts and particularly, on Trams, where our imperative to protect the public purse has been notably successful.

“The time has now come when it is appropriate for me to move on which should allow me to refocus my energies on to a better, and probably much overdue, calmer work/life balance.

“I would particularly like to pay tribute to the many colleagues and peers I have worked with and those at Edinburgh Trams in particular who have shown remarkable resilience and energy in the face of what has been at times, a very difficult and complex situation”.

Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, Councillor Jenny Dawe, says she is "obviously disappointed" to be losing the drive, commercial expertise and commitment which Mr Mackay brought to his chairmanship of Transport Edinburgh, Lothian Buses and TIE ( the council's Transport, Infrastructure and Environment committee).

She adds, "However, I would like to express my sincere thanks to David and pay tribute to the pivotal role he has played on this enormously important project for the city. I was aware that we were unlikely to retain David until full project delivery and fully appreciate his reasons for standing down at this point.

“Urgent steps will be taken to ensure that we build upon the very substantial foundation that David Mackay has built.”

No mention there of any "hell on wheels". Time for some real answers, surely. The people of Edinburgh deserve nothing less.

Mind Map Mind Game?

I'm not one for conspiracy theories. I want to make that clear right from the off. And I know next to nothing about map projections, except to say it's a complicated subject. Even after spending an hour or so reading up on map projections in Wikipedia, it's all still pretty much a mystery.

But my research, although superficial, left me in no doubt even the map makers themselves have problems drawing up a map. Maps, it would seem, are full of compromises. Here's a little quote from Wikipedia:

"Map projections are necessary for creating maps. All map projections distort the surface [of the earth] in some fashion. Depending on the purpose of the map, some distortions are acceptable and others are not; therefore different map projections exist in order to preserve some properties of the sphere-like body at the expense of other properties."

So what's all this mind map, mind game business? Perception, in a word. Let me explain.

Every night, after the main BBC national news, we get the UK weather forecast. And, of course, a map is used. No problems there. Or is there?

Notice how, when the weather man or woman zooms in for a more detailed close-up, Wales, for example, appears about the size of Scotland? And Devon and Cornwall almost completely fill the screen? London and the Home Counties appear gargantuan!

It's all down to the map's projection, I hear the BBC say. The map has built-in distortion, the sort you'd get if you were up in space and actually looking down on Britain at a lowish angle. Scotland, to the north, would appear smaller as it disappeared into the distance. And, of course, the BBC would be quite right.

But here's the rub. Imagine a viewer in London looking at the weather map day after day, for months, even years, on end. The south of Britain looms large. Scotland always appears much smaller than it actually is. And each time, the perception is reinforced that the one is 'greater' or 'more significant' than the other.

We're talking subliminal here, certainly subconscious, where the distortion becomes completely accepted as the true reflection of reality. Nobody gives it a second thought. The mind map becomes as fixed as the image of the Houses of Parliament or Buckingham Palace.

Trouble is, the subconscious can trickle through and affect the conscious mind in all sorts of ways, with all kinds of consequences real and imagined.

Mind game? I told you I didn't believe in conspiracy theories. The BBC could fix the problem in an instant given the talented software programmers and technicians it surely has.

So what would the satellite view look like from an Edinburgh perspective? Imagine a zoomed-in Fife filling the whole of the television screen, with London appearing no larger than a postage stamp!

I don't think so.

What A Bunch Of Softies!

It's autumn time, don't you know, season of mists and all that poetic romanticism. Most of us, I bet, don't even notice the kaleidoscope of colours all around. Breathtaking.

Instead, the usual reaction is to hit the central heating switch and turn the thermostat way up, too far up in most cases. I suppose I'm just as guilty.

But when the raw wind starts howling and the ice-cold rain stings the face, I don't just turn up the heating. I also remember. And for a brief moment or two I'm back in time, almost four decades, a Black Watch soldier once more.

The regiment was marching through the darkness and heading into the Scottish mountains on a military exercise. A full-blown gale drove sleet and snow horizontally into faces hour after hour, mile after mile. No one talked as the wind grew in strength with every passing step. No one had the strength to talk as we marched ever higher into the hills.

That night was the first time I ever saw grown men cry with the cold. By the early morning light, more than 20 had succumbed to hypothermia and had to be taken down from the hills.

But the rest of us had made it through sheer grit and determination. Now ahead of us lay three days of standing up to our knees in mud-filled trenches on snow-covered moorland.

Looking back on the experience so many times over the years has made me appreciate the toughness of the highland clansmen of old.

Edward Burt, author of Letters from a Gentleman in the North of Scotland, noted nearly three centuries ago how the highlander would sleep in the open air even in the severest winter.

“The highlanders were so accustomed to sleep in the open air, that the want of shelter was of little consequence to them. It was usual before they lay down to dip their plaids in water, by which the cloth was less pervious to the wind, and the heat of their bodies produced a warmth, which the woollen, if dry, could not afford."

Tough or what? What a bunch of softies we are today!

What happened in 1837?

Not the sort of question I normally ask myself.

Certainly not the kind of question anyone would ask themselves unless they were studying history, for example, or maybe researching their family tree.

William IV
1837 groat.

But it was a question I asked myself following the discovery of a tiny, almost insignificant silver coin, a fourpenny groat, dated 1837.

Let me explain. One of my hobbies is metal detecting. And there's nothing I enjoy more than walking the local stubble fields swinging my metal detector from side to side. The peace and quiet mixed with the warmth from an autumn sun is almost intoxicating.

History is all around me. I am so aware of it. The church in the distance goes back a thousand years. The field boundaries have barely changed for centuries. I'm walking on top of history with every step. Tiny blue-patterned remnants of plates and cups which once took pride of place in kitchens and living rooms of long ago now lie scattered across the field.

And underneath, buried and forgotten, who knows what is waiting to be discovered. Perhaps a fortune? Likely not. But that doesn't matter. There are so many other compensations.

So what did happen in 1837?

King William IV died childless and Victoria, his niece, ascended the British throne, ruling for 63 years. The Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist made its public début in serialized form in the literary magazine Bentley's Miscellany. In America, Michigan entered the Union as the twenty-sixth state. Martin Van Buren was inaugurated as the eighth president of the United States. Sir Isaac Pitman introduced the shorthand writing system which bears his name. English landscape painter John Constable died aged 60.

And someone lost a small silver coin which lay buried in a field for more than 170 years.

You Don't Get It Mr Gray!

We've heard it all before, a string of so-called 'promises' or 'pledges'. A grand 'to do' list to be delivered if Scottish Labour comes to power in Edinburgh.

But maybe you missed the key-note speech delivered by Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray? Hardly surprising. His speech at the party's Scottish conference in Oban was completely overshadowed by the "ginger rodent" jibe fired by Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman at Lib Dem Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

A media frenzy followed, as did a swift apology from Ms Harman. Much more entertaining and noteworthy as far as the rest of the UK is concerned.

Perhaps it was just as well. If anyone outside of the venue had bothered to take note of what Mr Gray had to say, they would have heard the same old and worn-out tactic.

Bash the SNP. Hit them at every opportunity. Belittle everything they've done in the past, are doing now, or will do in the future. Just for the sake of it.

Make sure, too, there's always a hint somewhere anyone supporting, or even contemplating the idea of Scottish independence is in need of some mild psychiatric counselling at the very least.

The poor so-and-so. Not quite the full shilling. Lost a marble or two. More to be pitied.

And promise the people the world without telling them how you're going to pay for it all.

You don't get it Mr Gray. We've heard it all before. And we're sick of it. It's time for some grown-up politics.

Scotland - Some Facts

I'm not one for huge numbers because, let's face it, they're really hard to visualise. I instinctively know what a hundred pencils looks like, even although I've never seen a hundred pencils all in one place.

When it comes to millions, well, I'm way out of my depth. The word billions just freezes the old grey matter and some kind of curtain of mist descends in front of my eyes. The numbers become meaningless.

I'm sure it's the same with you. But politicians? They're a totally different species of human being. They seem to revel in such numbers, using them to back this or that political point.

I am sure they, too, can't really visualise £2.6 billion, for example. But what they're skilled at is manipulation, using one set of mind-numbing figures to batter the opposition with, or to convince us they have the real handle on the economy, or whatever.

A fact or two...

Now don't switch off, although I wouldn't blame you if you did! By the way, many thanks to the General Register Office for Scotland, the University of Edinburgh, the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Scottish Development International, the British Council and others for the information.

Bagpipes and kilts and incredible scenery, all symbols
of Scotland. Photo: elainemac

Did you know Scotland's population reached the five million mark only in the 1950s? I didn't either. Scotland's population first hit the 2 million mark in 1821. In 1861 it was 3,062,294; and in 1891, 4,025,647. But it wasn't until 1951 that it reached over 5 million for the first time.

Scotland's population is 5,194,000 (according to the latest estimate in June 2009), an increase of some 25,000 over the previous year. The figure is the highest for 30 years. Scotland's population reached a recent low in 2002 of 5,054,800.

Let's take a look at Scotland's cities. And, yes, we don't have that many. Officially, Scotland has six cities; Glasgow (population 577,980), Edinburgh (446,110), Aberdeen (179,950), Dundee (141,930), Inverness (42,400), and Stirling (33,060).

Most Scots regard Perth as a 'city' but in actual fact it has no such official recognition. Other 'aspiring' cities include Ayr, Brechin and Paisley.

Scotland's industries

Is it surprising, given Scotland's scenery and history, tourism accounts for something like nine out of every 100 jobs? The actual figure is around 200,000 jobs and the sector is worth nearly £5 billion to the Scottish economy. There are an incredible 27,000 tourism businesses in Scotland.

Banks, these days, are hardly the flavour of the month. Yet 150,000 people are employed directly and indirectly in the financial services industry which brings in around £7 billion every year into the Scottish economy. However, I'm sure that figure will be reduced in forthcoming statistical offerings given the present financial climate.

Think of Scotland and whisky and Aberdeen Angus beef and Scottish lamb all spring to mind. The food and drink industry, which includes Scottish farming and fishing, is another big earner, with some 1,500 companies employing a total of 250,000 people. More than £7.5 billion is generated by this sector every year. Whisky exports alone amount to £3 billion annually.

Electronics is another major sector in Scotland employing in the region of 55,000 people. Education provides employment for 85,000, both directly and indirectly, while the aerospace industry generates over £2 billion and employs over 30,000 people.

More than £3 billion is generated by a chemical industry every year which employs over 13,000 people while life sciences generates a further £3 billion, employing around 30,000 people. The textile industry employs more than 20,000 and Scotland's 300 contact centres employ a further 60,000 people.

And finally...

Scotland covers an area of around 30,000 square miles. The coastline measures a little over 7,300 miles. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis, near Fort William, with a height of just over 4,400 feet. The River Tay is Scotland's longest river, running for some 120 miles.