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      Great Tapestry of Scotland on show at Stirling Castle

      A massive tapestry depicting millions of years of Scottish history has gone on show at Stirling Castle.

      The Great Tapestry of Scotland is officially the world's largest embroidered tapestry, at 469ft (143m) long.

      It uses 300 miles (483km) of yarn to show everything from the Battle of Bannockburn and the Act of Union to Andy Murray winning at Wimbledon.

      The tapestry is on show in the castle's Great Hall until 8 March.

      Stirling Castle is featured on a number of panels in the tapestry, including one of former resident Mary Queen of Scots.

      The castle's Great Hall of James IV is one of the few places where the enormous tapestry can be displayed in its entirety.

      Lorna Ewan, head of visitor experience, content and learning for Historic Scotland, which runs Stirling Castle, said: "To date more than 200,000 people have had the chance to view The Great Tapestry of Scotland on its national tour.

      "Now, through a carefully designed exhibition, the public will see the full extent of the tapestry - all 160 hand-embroidered panels - in the surroundings of Stirling Castle's Great Hall.

      "This exhibition will allow visitors to follow the journey of Scotland's history, and we look forward to welcoming people to Stirling Castle to view this impressive piece of art."

      Quelle: BBC


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Ice, snow, wind to blast much of Scotland

      The Met Office has issued a further warning of snow and ice covering much of Scotland from Saturday afternoon until noon on Sunday.

      Forecasters said southwest Scotland, the Borders, Lothian, Fife, central Scotland, Tayside, the northeast and the Highlands could be affected.

      They forecast that snow could lie even at lower levels.

      Northerly winds gusting 60-70 mph will give rise to drifting snow and blizzard conditions.

      The Met Office yellow warning said: "Conditions will improve slowly overnight, but further snow showers are likely, even on low ground.

      "Icy patches are likely throughout the warning area.

      "The public should be aware of the risk of disruption due to snow and ice."

      Quelle: BBC


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      William Wallace lookalike sick and tired of female tourists checking if he's a 'real Scotsman'



      A BRAVEHEART impersonator has launched a stinging attack on randy tourists – after revealing they put their hands up his kilt.

      Adam Watters – who performs as William Wallace for tourists’ pictures on the capital’s Royal Mile – has blasted the female tourists who cheekily attempt to check if he is a ‘true Scotsman’.

      Adam, from Prestonpans, East Lothian, said: “When a man looks at a woman any longer than a few seconds, he’s a perv. But when a woman drools at a man in a kilt, that’s OK? And when a man puts his hand on a woman [there is] hell to pay, but when a woman walks up in the street and grabs your kilt [there is] no respect for you, your costume or your cause.”

      A BRAVEHEART impersonator has launched a stinging attack on randy tourists – after revealing they put their hands up his kilt.

      Adam Watters – who performs as William Wallace for tourists’ pictures on the capital’s Royal Mile – has blasted the female tourists who cheekily attempt to check if he is a ‘true Scotsman’.

      Adam, from Prestonpans, East Lothian, said: “When a man looks at a woman any longer than a few seconds, he’s a perv. But when a woman drools at a man in a kilt, that’s OK? And when a man puts his hand on a woman [there is] hell to pay, but when a woman walks up in the street and grabs your kilt [there is] no respect for you, your costume or your cause.”

      Quelle: Daily Record


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Rangers team the worst in history': Ibrox legend Richard Gough says he fears for the future if Dave King fails to gain control

      THE nine-in-a-row skipper never shirked a challenge as a player and refused to hold back on his assessment on the players who are following in his footsteps.

      RICHARD GOUGH has labelled the current Rangers team the worst in history and fears for the very existence of the club if Dave King fails to
      gain control.

      The nine-in-a-row skipper never shirked a challenge as a player and refused to hold back on his assessment on the players who are following in his footsteps.

      His comments will make uncomfortable reading for close pal Ally McCoist, who has assembled the current group, although Gough suggested their shortcomings are being exposed by chaos behind the scenes as much as their own professional limitations.

      RICHARD GOUGH has labelled the current Rangers team the worst in history and fears for the very existence of the club if Dave King fails to
      gain control.

      The nine-in-a-row skipper never shirked a challenge as a player and refused to hold back on his assessment on the players who are following in his footsteps.

      His comments will make uncomfortable reading for close pal Ally McCoist, who has assembled the current group, although Gough suggested their shortcomings are being exposed by chaos behind the scenes as much as their own professional limitations.

      “I’ve watched Rangers since the late seventies and I know about the teams before then from my father and grandfather. This team at the moment is probably the worst Rangers team that’s ever played for the club.

      “It’s not their fault, it’s the circumstances at the club. It could also be the worst Celtic team I’ve ever seen, to be fair. That’s the standard right now.

      “I didn’t go to Hampden on Sunday. I didn’t want to. But what struck me from watching on TV was the Rangers support. They were unbelievable because they were watching a poor team being completely outplayed by Celtic, who were far better in every position. However, the Rangers fans remained very vocal in their support. That saddened me in a way because I knew if that had been our team who had been 2-0 down and were being played off the park by Celtic, we would have been hammered. The support would have walked out.

      “However, the supporters know the current team doesn’t have the necessary quality. I just hope Dave can gain control because it will be better for those supporters again

      “It’s going to be a long process, it’s not going to be a quick fix. What has happened in the last three years had drained the resources. By all accounts, Murray Park and Ibrox need £10million spent on them.

      “It will take a while to get the club back to how it should be. If Dave gets in and the Three Bears also invest, the club will be able to get other money from elsewhere, maybe from investors such as Robert Sarver.

      “For now, the worry is that the current team might not even get into the Premiership next season. I’ve watched every game and it looks as if Hearts will win the Championship. It’s not even a given Rangers would get through a play-off against Hibs.”

      Gough has not ruled out a return to Rangers if King takes control and decides his skills can be utilised in and around Murray Park, but for now he is happy to play a supporting role to the Johannesburg-based tycoon, a long time family friend.

      He also insists the SFA have been harsh enough on Rangers these last few years without denying King the opportunity to take up a position as director under their ‘fit and proper person’ guidelines.

      He added: “I would help the club in any way possible. If Dave wanted me to do something, I would do it. I just really hope he wins the day at the general meeting, then let’s take it from there.

      “The SFA should not put any blocks on Dave’s involvement. When I look at the SFA, I wonder if they could have done more to protect Rangers who, after all, are one of their main assets.

      “Rangers in the Third Division has had a huge effect on Scottish football over the last three years.

      “When Dave asked me to back him a while back, I thought it was the right thing to do. It’s pretty evident, with what has happened since then, that it is the right thing.

      “Dave and the people on board with him all have Rangers at heart. It’s pretty evident the people who have been in charge for the last few years have not been in it for Rangers.

      “The club is in as bad a state as I’ve ever seen it.

      “I’m not sure the supporters actually know how bad it is. It has changed, it’s unrecognisable from what it was 10 years ago.”

      Quelle: Daily Record


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Nicola Sturgeon: SNP MPs will vote on English issues, including the NHS and taxes

      One of the first tasks of a strong group of SNP MPs after the general election will be to “push back” against plans for English votes for English laws, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
      In a move designed to undermine the proposals put forward by William Hague last week, the First Minister said Nationalists would vote on English matters, including on taxes and the NHS.
      She described the “Evel” proposals outlined by the Leader of the House as an affront to the idea of the UK as a “partnership of equals”.
      Her comments follow similar remarks last month when she was accused of spouting “complete twaddle” and attempting to destroy the Union when she said the SNP would drop its self-denying ordinance not to vote on matters that do not affect Scotland.
      She also appeared to set herself up as a guardian of the English NHS, saying that a post-election bloc of SNP MPs would be “prepared to vote on the English NHS, to restore and protect it as a proper public service, rejecting the pernicious impact of privatisation and protecting Scotland’s budget in the process”.

      Ms Sturgeon added that Nationalist MPs would also vote on budgets and taxes when there was any potential impact north of the border.
      She said the SNP had a longstanding position of not voting on matters that only affected England, giving the single example of fox-hunting.

      Quelle: Telegraph


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Aberdeen councillors face referendum letter probe

      Seven Aberdeen councillors are set to face a Standards Commission hearing into a letter sent to residents ahead of the Scottish independence referendum.

      The letter was sent with council tax bills last year, urging people in the city to back a "No" vote.

      Five Labour and two Conservative councillors will face the hearing at Aberdeen Town House.

      The commission will examine whether the councillors broke its code of conduct.

      'Three days'
      They include council leader Jenny Laing and her predecessor Barney Crockett.

      The letter was sent out to council tax payers in Mr Crockett's name.

      It said the city would be stronger now and in the future as part of the UK.

      SNP politicians complained it was politically-motivated ahead of the independence referendum.

      The hearing could last three days.

      Quelle: BBC


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Glasgow social work chief suspended

      An investigation has been launched into complaints made about the conduct of Raymond Bell, a member of the senior social work management team at Glasgow City Council.

      The local authority declined to reveal what he had been suspended for, with a spokesman saying it was policy never to comment on internal personnel matters.

      Mr Bell is head of mental health and adult support and protection in the city and would have been expected to play a key role in the integration of health and social care under Glasgow's new Community Health Partnership.

      He has overseen the introduction of personalised budgets for social care, the closure of centres for people with learning disabilities and a series of mental health budget and service cuts.

      Susan Aitken, social care spokeswoman for the SNP opposition on the council, confirmed complaints about senior figures in the department had been brought to the attention of council bosses.

      She said: "Although it's obviously inappropriate to comment on any individual case before a final decision is made, the SNP group has previously raised concerns with the chief executive's office about reported incidents of overbearing and intimidatory behaviour by some senior social work staff towards service-users and carers who have disputed aspects of care assessments."

      "It is extremely important that any such reports are taken seriously and responded to swiftly. The principles of a person-centred service mean that the views and feelings of carers and service-users must always be treated with respect."

      Quelle: The Herald


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Sturgeon pitches SNP tent on Westminster's turf

      It has been easy of late to imagine what things must have been like 270 years ago when panic gripped the London political establishment as Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite and predominately Scottish, or at least Highland, army reached Derby.
      If only they’d kept going, says the myth, the Stewarts may well have recaptured the throne. But they didn’t; they turned back to ultimate, and perhaps inevitable, defeat.
      Whilst it’s going too far to liken the events of 1745 to those of 2015, the current frenzied Westminster mood at the prospect of some kind of Scottish nationalist domination of British politics is real enough. But is it massively overdone?

      Unlike Charles Edward Stewart, the SNP has no intention of beating a retreat. Nicola Sturgeon, who replaced Alex Salmond as First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party after the separatists’ defeat in last September’s referendum, pitched her tent firmly on Westminster’s turf yesterday.
      In an audacious move, she effectively summoned Ed Miliband and told him that she’d put him – and keep him – in 10 Downing Street even if his party finished second to the Tories in May’s general election but always providing he did what she told him.
      Putting into power a party that had lost the election would be a total repudiation of the elected will of the British people. But such principles matter not a jot to the SNP whose main objective is to try to retrieve some vestige of independence following last autumn’s defeat. Then they failed to break up Britain; now their aim is merely to destroy its democracy.
      Ms Sturgeon was perfectly frank in stating her objectives yesterday. All Mr Miliband has to do to earn her approval is to end Labour’s long-time support for the British independent deterrent and cancel Trident; that and pump an austerity-ending £180 billion into the British economy through a slow-down of the deficit reduction programme.
      That anyone at all is taking her as seriously as they appear to be is due to the Nats riding high in the opinion polls, with that from Lord Ashcroft last week suggesting that they might win 35 of Labour’s current 41seats. Perhaps as a result, the Unionist parties do seem to be giving them an unwarranted array of goodies that appears to be nothing more or less than an unnecessary attempt to sweeten the pill of that referendum defeat.
      As a survey, by Glasgow University, revealed yesterday, the so-called Vow, promising extra powers, had little impact on the referendum result a nd another poll, by TNS on Tuesday, suggested that the SNP lead, whilst still huge, had been halved to ten per cent.
      In terms of seats the Nat have won nothing yet which to my mind suggests that we should take La Sturgeon’s first venture into the macro-economic world, so beloved of her predecessor, with a giant pinch of salt. It’s an old political rule that the more we talk up a party’s chances, the better those chances become.
      The truth is that nationalists are hoping desperately for a Conservative victory on May 7 because they always do better with the Tories in power.
      Jim Murphy, the Scottish Labour leader, is shouting that a vote for the Nats in Scotland will lead to a Tory victory at Westminster but now Ms Sturgeon is trumping that by saying that in such a case she’ll rescue Labour by overriding the collective will of the British people and will allow Ed Miliband to form a minority government - just so long as he does what she says.
      If it wasn’t for the fact that such a scenario was being taken so seriously in London, it would all appear incredibly squalid; which, of course, is what it is.
      Oh yes, and whilst La Sturgeon was strutting her stuff on the UK stage two of her veteran councillors were resigning from the SNP amid accusations of fear and intimidation and possible dark deeds over candidate selection.
      In the medium term such internal dissent may well play a greater role in her party’s fortunes than yesterday’s attempt at big-time power-broking.

      Quelle: Telegraph


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Sturgeon: I'm going to spread progressive alternative gospel across England

      It is understood Ms Sturgeon will take part in speeches and events in London and other cities throughout the UK over the coming months.

      Polling has indicated that the SNP could hold the balance of power in the event of a hung Parliament.

      Ms Sturgeon has already ruled out any deals with the Conservatives, but has indicated her party could be prepared to help Ed Miliband into Downing Street.

      In an interview with the i newspaper during a visit to London earlier this week, the First Minister said: "One of the things where the SNP could really make a difference, if we are a force in the next Westminster Parliament, is to build alliances for some of the progressive changes we would like to see."

      Commenting on distrust of the SNP, she added: "Part of the reason I am spending time in London and will be spending time in other parts of England is to make the case that that's been misplaced."

      Ms Sturgeon has already indicated that a formal coalition with Labour at Westminster is unlikely.

      "I'm not ruling it out entirely. I think it's more likely if we were to be in this scenario, that the SNP would act in an issue-by-issue, confidence-and-supply arrangement," she told the newspaper.

      In a speech in London earlier this week, she said a Labour government would have to abandon "failed" austerity policies to win the support of SNP MPs.

      Scrapping the Trident nuclear programme would also be key in any potential deal with Labour after the election, Ms Sturgeon has said.

      Quelle: The Herald


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Flower of Scotland tops SFA anthem poll



      Scotland's football supporters have voted for Flower of Scotland to be officially recognised as the country's national anthem - but only just.

      The Scottish FA was asked by MSPs on the Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee to provide the view of fans.

      The poll was circulated to Tartan Army members and on Twitter and Facebook.

      The SFA said 56% wanted the anthem officially recognised, but while social media backed the move, the official supporters' club members were against.

      The poll was circulated to 35,000 Scottish Supporters Club members as well as through the SFA's Twitter account and the national team's Facebook page.

      It found 65% of the 23,000 responses on social media were in favour of the anthem but 60% of the 12,606 Tartan Army members who responded were not.

      The Scottish FA also gave fans the opportunity to suggest alternatives to Flower of Scotland.

      Caledonia, the Dougie MacLean classic, figured prominently along with Scotland the Brave as suggested alternatives.

      'Passion and engagement'

      The Proclaimers favourite 500 Miles was also often mentioned.

      The feedback will be submitted to the Petition Committee.

      A Scottish FA spokeswoman: "The response to the committee's inquiry has been incredible.

      "The easy option would have been to gauge the board's view but the wider consultation not only demonstrates the passion and engagement of our 35,000 supporters club members but also highlights the power of social media.

      "While the majority of responses were in favour of Flower of Scotland being officially recognised by the Scottish government, there is also plenty food for thought in the feedback analysis."

      She added: "There is clearly an appetite among a section of supporters to give consideration to a new anthem. Scotland the Brave retains an affinity among an element of the supporters with the popularity of The Proclaimers' crowd-pleaser endures."

      Quelle: BBC


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Unite warns of strike by North Sea oil contractors

      Offshore contractors are to be balloted on possible industrial action in a row over changes to working conditions.

      Unite members of the Offshore Contractor Association (OCA) failed to agree with employers on proposals to alter shift patterns and cut pensions.

      Several oil and gas firms operating in the North Sea have announced plans to axe jobs and reduce salaries.

      Unite said "knee jerk cuts to jobs and standards" would undermine "future prosperity and safety" in the industry.

      About 2,500 workers, including electricians, plumbers, mechanics and riggers, will be asked to consider a range of responses, including strike action.

      Unite industrial officer Tommy Campbell said: "The downturn in oil price has seen our members' terms and conditions under attack like never before and while the threat of severe cuts hangs over them, contractors are offering no safeguards in return.

      "What we want is for the OCA to work with us to preserve jobs, skills and sustain offshore safety rather than impose these opportunistic, unsustainable and unworkable changes to livelihoods.

      "Oil prices will recover but knee jerk cuts to jobs and standards will only undermine the future prosperity and safety of the industry in the long-term."

      Quelle: BBC


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Scottish holiday sites renamed by Chinese in new tourism campaign

      Alternative names for some of Scotland's most well-known places have been revealed following a tourism campaign in China.

      After 10 weeks of voting via Chinese social media, 23 places across Scotland were given new Mandarin names.

      Glencoe in the Highlands received the highest number of votes, with its new name translating as "splendid and beautiful valley".

      Other destinations on the list include the Cairngorms, which is named "snow mountains reaching into sky" and Glasgow's Willow Tea Rooms which has the meaning "always happy tea room".

      Tourism agency VisitBritain said its £1.6m campaign in China saw more than two million people visit the pages, with 13,000 new names suggested in categories including natural wonders, food and drink, events and history.

      Each of the 101 points of interest from across the UK has now been given their three most popular Chinese names.

      The Highland Games was the most common Scottish event to be given a new name, with a total of 235 suggestions, and one of the translations is "strong-man skirt party".

      Joss Croft, marketing director at VisitBritain said: "We want Britain to be the most attractive and welcoming destination for Chinese travellers in Europe.

      "The naming campaign has given these Scottish locations and landmarks huge exposure across China and created an affinity with potential tourists.

      "We hope the points of interest involved will embrace their new Mandarin name to help them compete for more high-spending tourists from the world's biggest outbound tourism market."

      Haggis also made it on to the list, with the translation being "baa-baa pudding", while the Loch Ness monster came in as "phantom of Loch Ness".

      Denise Hill, head of international marketing at VisitScotland added: "This campaign has thrown up some truly inspiring and engaging names for Scottish icons, with the Glenfinnan Viaduct described as 'Highland rainbow' and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park becoming 'Mountain lakes get you drunk on dreams' being particular highlights.

      "The Great Names campaign has proved a fun and entertaining way for us to engage with Scotland's Chinese market, which is growing year-on-year. These extraordinary new monikers will only serve to lend even more intrigue and romance to places throughout Scotland, which in turn will lead to further increases in visits from China."

      Quelle: STV News


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Scots hydro scheme first for green investment funding

      A new £8.5m hydro electric scheme is to be built to the north of Loch Lomond.

      The project at the River Allt Coire Chaorach, near Crianlarich, is the first to benefit from £60m of funding for green initiatives led by the UK Green Investment Bank.

      The two megawatt system will generate enough energy to power 1,900 homes.

      Business secretary Vince Cable said the project and others like it would "provide high-skilled jobs for rural communities in Scotland".

      The £60m funding package is aimed at "community-scale" developments of 2 megawatts or less, with up to 30 projects set for a share of the money.

      Of the total, £50m was put forward by the Green Investment Bank, while the Strathclyde Pension Fund committed £10m. The funding is being administered by Albion Community Power, which hopes to attract a further £40m of funding for small-scale projects.

      'Sustainable growth'
      The £8.5m Crianlarich project is the first to be funded by the venture. It will use the natural flow of the River Allt Coire Chaorach to generate up to eight gigawatt hours of electricity per year.

      Mr Cable said such projects would "create sustainable jobs and growth".

      He said: "Renewable energy is the future, and we must continue to use all of the new and established technologies at our disposal to power our homes and businesses in a way that doesn't damage the environment.

      "Hydro power has a vital role to play in this. The first project to be funded from a new investment by the Green Investment Bank will use the natural flow of Scotland's rivers to generate electricity.

      "This project, based in Crianlarich, will produce enough power for nearly 2,000 homes and provide high-skilled jobs for the rural communities in Scotland."

      Rural investment
      The Green Investment Bank estimates there is capacity for an additional 800 megawatts of new hydro-power projects across the UK - enough to power 500,000 homes with renewable energy - with about 80% of this capacity in Scotland.

      Lord Smith of Kelvin, the group's chairman, said: "The UK is in the process of transforming how it generates its power.

      "In future we will see less reliance on a small number of large power stations and more focus on a network of smaller, locally generated, renewable sources of power.

      "Hydro is one example of how we can do this and we are delighted to play our part in helping this market grow, bringing investment to rural communities along the way."

      Quelle: BBC


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Counter cultures: Gleneagles raises complaint over T in the Park

      But now the Gleneagles Hotel is on a collision course with one of the country's biggest and noisiest weekends after complaining that T in the Park will create an unwelcome disturbance for its guests if a proposed move to the nearby Strathallan Castle estate goes ahead.

      The music festival has left its home at Balado in Perth and Kinross and is seeking to set up home near Auchterarder in Perthshire.

      Billed as a more 'boutique' festival than the sprawling raves of years gone by, this year's bash swill be headlined by The Libertines and will attract tens of thousands of music fans in July.

      But the hotel management are concerned that their noisy neighbour will be bad for business and have called on Perth and Kinross Council to pull the plug on the event before the first guitar is strummed.

      A formal objection has been raised with planning officials who are currently considering the application to hold T in the Park at Strathallan by the events parent company DF concerts.

      It is one the country's most exclusive retreats, where the well heeled can relax and enjoy some quiet time with their golf clubs amid some of Scotland's most stunning scenery.

      In their letter to officials, Gleneagles lawyers Collier International say that noise from the concert could be heard on a clear day when it was staged 12 miles away in Balado, and raise concerns about the impact of moving it to a site just over a mile away.

      They also warn that loud music could disturb horses at the hotel's equestrian centre at Tullibardine Wood.

      Further objections are made to the amount of traffic T in the Park is likely to bring to the area, and the danger of unofficial "satellite" camp grounds being set up, saying "this is a regular occurrence at music festivals and the probability of it happening here should not be disregarded.

      "Such campsites typically fail to benefit from any kind of formal security or policing, therefore issues of noise, nuisance, pollution and safety are a genuine concern for residents and businesses alike."

      The hotel's letter comes after the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (sepa) withdrew its objection to plans for the flagship festival.

      The environment watchdog had listed several issues it wanted addressed, including possible flooding on the planned campsite, and warned that high rainfall "may place" revellers at flood risk.

      But organisers have since assured Sepa their concerns will be addressed and that no camping will be situated on ground at risk of flood.

      Organisers have also confirmed the road crossing at the ornamental lake will not be used by pedestrians.

      A spokeswoman for T in the Park said that the move to the new site, due to fears about the safety of a giant gas pipeline at Balado, was an ongoing process and that discussions were still underway.

      She said: "We're currently in the middle of the consultation period for the planning application to allow T in the Park to move to Strathallan Castle.

      "Any individual, organisation or group can give feedback - making this an extremely robust and open process. This is the norm for a planning process and we've always expected there would be questions, clarifications needed and conditions set along the way - it would be highly unusual for any application to be rubber stamped without this."

      She added that it was no anticipated that the festival would impinge on guests' holidaying at Gleneagles.

      She said: "We've been in regular dialogue with senior management at Gleneagles. We know that they are looking for further information and we're already in discussion to provide them with some clarification.

      "Their points are noted but we are confident that T in the Park will not impact on the day to day running of the hotel."

      Quelle: The Herald


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."

      Winter weather gave retailers difficult start to 2015

      Scottish retailers faced a difficult start to 2015, with poor weather pushing January shoppers online, a report suggests.

      Total sales dropped by 2.3% compared with the same month last year, with like-for-like sales, which strip out factors such as new store openings, decreasing 3.1%.

      Retail experts said the drop could be attributed to January being Scotland's fourth wettest since 1910, with customers opting to shop online instead of braving the high street.

      Food was the best-performing category during the month but sales were still down 1.4% on the same period last year when they had increased 1%, according to the latest Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC)-KPMG Scottish Retail Sales Monitor.

      Sales of non-food items dropped 3% on the previous year, when they had increased 7%.

      Adjusted for the estimated effect of online sales, total non-food sales decreased by 1.1%.

      David McCorquodale, head of retail at KPMG, said: "2015 got off to a difficult start for Scottish retailers as sales shrank by more than 2% against last year.

      "Whilst the decline may be partly explained by more inclement weather this year and January being a strong month for sales last year, it is clear that the considerable saving felt by consumers in petrol and fuel bills is not finding its way to the high street's tills.

      "The grocery sector was the best performer in Scotland: while sales are still declining, there is evidence that the rate of decline has reversed.

      "It may be some time till we herald growth again in this competitive market, which is also buffeted by price deflation, but the grocers will take heart that the worst may be in the past."

      SRC director David Lonsdale said: "The total value of Scottish retail sales slipped back last month, however this needs to be seen in the context of a bumper performance in the corresponding period last year.

      "While sales of food edged down, it was nonetheless the best-performing category — for the first time in four months — and recorded its best performance since last June.

      "Non-food related sales eased back after a stellar performance in the same period in 2014, making for a pretty flat past quarter in the category once inflation is taken into account.

      "Looking forward, retailers will be heartened by the Bank of England's predictions of continued low inflation being outstripped by average pay rises."

      Quelle: STV News


      “For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.”



      "I wanted ye from the first moment I saw ye. But I loved ye when ye wept in my arms that first night at Leoch. But now...I wake up every day, and I find that I love you more than I did the day before."