Home Page - The Committee of Scottish Bankers (CSCB) Scotch Myths | This myth is about telling Scots that as an independent nation, we would become non-entities on the global stage. No one would care what we think, and our concerns would be brushed to the side as the Big Boys took control. We would just have to shut up and take it. There are two major problems with the supposed truth of this myth: 1. we already hold no influence and 2. it is not influence that these people seek, but unearned authority. I’ll take the second point first, because I don’t like following convention. “Scotland deserves to know whether it is going to be part of making the world more secure or simply watching from the sidelines in the future.” Moore is not interested in “influencing” other countries. Unionists like Moore continue to think as if the British Empire still existed. Secondly, we already hold no influence in the world. Saying that Scotland would have no influence on the world implies that small countries have no influence. Scotch Myths is a series Doug Daniel.
Cowal Courier | Daily news for the Cowal Peninsula The SNP in Inverness – the Independence ball is now rolling | by Kevin Williamson Party conferences are usually of minor passing interest to anyone beyond the party faithful. The stage-managing is drearily transparent; the debates are anything but; the set piece speeches by the Great Leader & His Loyal Lieutenants are usually just a succession of sound bites tossed to the seagulls who follow such political trawlers; and everyone (who is on message) gets drunk, swaps email addresses and goes home happy… only to wake up and read the morning papers wondering why their elation, pride and backslapping hasn’t translated to newspaper headlines nor column inches. Should SNP delegates to Inverness feel any different? Possibly not. And yet, beyond the inevitable celebratory mood, and the legitimate gripes about fair coverage from the BBC, something significant happened in Inverness. Following the May election victory the conference in Inverness was as good a time as any to kick start a referendum campaign and up the Independence ante. Like this:
Historic Scotland Data Website The Historic Scotland Data Services website is a resource that provides information across a variety of sources, including access to our database of Scheduled Monuments and repository of GIS datasets. If you have any feedback or questions, please email us at hs.heritagemanagement@scotland.gsi.gov.uk . GIS Downloads Geographic Information Systems Download designation spatial datasets for GIS use, including shapefiles for Properties In Care, Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments and more. Please note: in order to use these datasets, you must agree to the terms and conditions of the One Scotland Mapping Agreement. GIS Downloads Listed Buildings Listed Buildings Search across approximately 50,000 Listed Buildings by address, area (Council/Parish/Burgh), category, dates listed, or for a keyword/phrase. Scheduled Monuments Scheduled Monuments Battlefields Battlefields Gardens & Designed Landscapes
Positivity | By Mike Small Pundits seem to be coalescing around the idea that a ‘positive message’ is an essential part of political campaigning (nothing new here, see Pat’s Juggernaut of Joy thesis). Whether it’s Obama’s upbeat derivative (but ultimately empty) Yes We Can, or, as critics had it, Salmond’s indy question (characterised by some as some sort of Derren Brown-style mass hypnosis), the idea of positivity is the key, or so we’re told. It’s simple: people who whinge and moan all day become a bit of a drain to be around. We naturally gravitate towards those who bring a bit of sunshine and light into our life. This presents the Unionists with a challenge. In this context stressing continuity has a hollow ring. This vision-failure isn’t just a problem for the parties political future. And this is a problem for the emerging Devo-Max contenders. This is the reality behind the sort of paranoia fostered by Tom Peterkin in The Scotsman today ‘Fears over pressure on ‘civic Scotland’ to back devo-max’.
Locations | Infinite Scotland Infinite Scotland Locations User Generated Locations Mankind has transformed the detail of the landscape, the dominant vegetation, and animal life down through millennia. A potent mix of agriculture and forestry; fishing and hunting; urban development, industrial development and mining; water; energy and transport – they have all been direct and indirect drivers on the way humans impact on the natural world they share with all other species of living things. Badenoch & Beyond Fresh and Wetland Cairngorms . Trossachs & Stirling Upland “Did the Earth shoogle for you?” Small Isles Marine Rum , Eigg , Canna , Muck . Orkney Lowland/Farming Take sand and mud by the mountain load. Edinburgh & The Lothians Woodland 'Auld Reekie': the old, smokey city; Edinburgh. Dumfries & Inner Solway Coastal ‘Till a’ the seas gang dry, my Dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun; And I will love thee still, my Dear, While the sands o’ life shall run.’
Scotch Myths 5: Countries Need to be Defined in Advance by Powerful men | By Robin McAlpine I might be alone in this but I am suddenly deeply drawn to the debate about the constitution of an independent Scotland. It is exciting, filled with possibilities, inspiring even. Pity it’s only in my head. Because what I hear from the outside world depresses me. I watch this with growing resentment. Let me be absolutely clear – I have no issue with politicians stating their favoured solutions to the many constitutional conundrums ahead. If there is one overwhelming reason for disillusionment with the British state (in my opinion) it is that over centuries it has developed the self-certainty that the big decisions must be made behind closed doors and the public kept at arms length at any cost. My hope for Scotland is that it is something more than this. And then (almost more objectionably) I hear Unionist Politician demand ‘and what rates of tax will people have to pay once Scotland starts on this social democratic route?’. So are we to be a proper country? Like this:
Scotch Myths 2 | Scotch Myths No. 2 of an occasional series…by Doug Daniel. MYTH #2: Scotland needs to be part of the massive UK economy. My next myth is about the economy, or more correctly, the size of the economy. Unionists often like to point out that the UK is the 6th biggest economy in the world, telling us that an independent Scotland wouldn’t come anywhere close. It’s true that the UK is the 6th biggest economy in the world. Look further down the list – Sweden at 22, Norway at 25, Denmark at 31, even Luxembourg at 69. The answer, of course, is that the size of a country’s economy tells you almost nothing about that country’s real wealth. So where is the UK in this list? So the next time a unionist tells you that the UK is the 6th biggest economy in the world and that Scotland couldn’t compete with that, try asking them how they compare to other nations in terms of GDP per capita.
Scotch Myths 3 – Devo Max | By Doug Daniel This wasn’t originally going to be the third in this series, but I felt the need to put it out there now, so here it is – Myth #3: The majority of Scots want Devolution Max. I know what you’re thinking – “all the opinion polls say it’s the most popular option” – but it isn’t; not really, anyway, and that’s why it’s a myth. Present people with two options out of the blue, and they’ll go for the one that is closest to the status quo. Present them with three, and they’ll go for the one in the middle. Staunch unionists vote to stay in the union, just as staunch nationalists vote for independence. So is this me laying down my guns (well, laptop) already? Now, this isn’t as Machiavellian as it sounds. This is even supposing a coherent vision of devo max comes out of the consultation process. “Defence?” “Yeah, but what about Trident? “Pensions and benefits?” “What about the DVLA?” And with this bet, everyone’s a winner. Like this: Like Loading... Categories: Uncategorized
Scotch Myths 4 – No Scottish Army | By Mike Small One of the most humorous myths peddled about Scottish independence is that it could not, and should not have a competent military structure. This week Lord Richard Dannatt even suggested that we would struggle to have recruits because it would be too ‘boring’ serving in a Scottish regiment. Presumably he was thinking of the fun enjoyed by Baba Moussa at British Army hands , or the recent case of soldiers in Kabul? Whatever he was thinking of, it should be remembered that it’s not actually a prerequisite of a nation to be armed to the teeth. The reality is that Scotland was exploited by the military during the Cold War and that situation remains. Just over 50 miles west of the range at Dundrennan, is the QinetiQ owned bombing range and weapons facility at West Freugh in Luce Bay. Like this: Like Loading... Categories: Alex Salmond Tags: Scotch Myths
Jim Sillars: Dancing Around Devolution | In an article first published in Holyrood magazine, SNP veteran and nationalist icon, Jim Sillars, questions the SNP leadership’s courting of the of the Devo Max brigade. by Jim Sillars It’s time the SNP membership woke up to smell the coffee. It is disingenuous to claim that if the Scots vote for devo-something-extra then they will be entitled to have it. That the SNP Government has encouraged these devo-something ploys is a matter for deep regret, because anything that implies we can have our cake and eat it over economic powers in devo-land, eats away at the case for independence. There will be those, many indeed, within the party who think that Alex is being very smart. A second devo-max question is an insurance policy if the independence question is lost. The SNP will, this thinking goes, claim to have won something extra for Scotland and, if Westminster does not implement it, then the SNP will campaign in 2016 on outrage at the denial of the people’s decision. Like this:
A Dysfunctional Union « By Andrew Anderson Gordon Brown was the last Scottish Prime Minister of the UK. Ever. Even if we do not win independence in 2014 there will never be another Scottish PM of the UK. It is inconceivable that an MP representing a Scottish constituency could lead a UK Government which mostly legislates on matters which do not effect Scotland. It is highly unlikely that someone perceived to be a Scot, even if they represented an English constituency, could aspire to the office. Our current Devolution settlement already makes this impossible. So what is Jim Murphy‘s ambition? It is probably unfair to pick on Jim Murphy but he is clearly an eloquent and skilled Labour politician. Scottish unionist politicians do not seem to have caught up with this fact. And whatever the sentiment of the London media the reality is that the UK constitution is no longer fit for purpose. The latest exercise in delusion are the proposals for reform of the House of Lords. Like this: Like Loading... Tags: Jim Murphy
Let’s Kick Ass « By Mark Millar I was torn about independence for a long time, but what finally swayed me was the blank piece of paper it offers us as a nation. As a writer, nothing excites me more than a blank page because the potential is enormous. It’s limitless. Every new sheet of paper could essentially be the biggest moment of our careers and starting a country from scratch has that same almost unquantifiable excitement. Think about what we’re being offered here. You can read Mark’s blog and visit Millarworld here. Like this: Like Loading... Categories: Commentary Tags: Indy Max, Mark Milar, Referendum on Independence for Scotland