The Scotsman

Body of Scots Nurse Found After Missing Her Birthday

A SCOTTISH nurse has been found strangled at her home in Merseyside after failing to reply to birthday messages from her family. Sandra Wilson's body is believed to have lain for several days after she was killed at her home in Newton-le-Willows. Brian Crosby, 30, has been has been charged with the murder of the 43-year-old from Edinburgh, who had been working at the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool. Crosby is due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on 29 January. Ms Wilson's famil...

Leader: Must Try Harder On Mccrone

EARLIER this month, HM Inspectorate of Education published an assessment of the performance of Scottish teaching in the wake of the so-called McCrone settlement, the productivity deal concluded between the Executive and the teaching profession in 2001. The key element of McCrone was a 23.5 per cent salary increase spread over three years. There was also a reduction in class contact time within the official 35-hour week - down to 22.5 from 25 hours in primary schools and to 23.5 hours in secon...

Why Mr Kitchin Is Over the Moon with His Star

I'M HALFWAY through a phone conversation with Tom Kitchin, chef, restaurateur and rising star of the Scottish food scene, when he interrupts me. "Hang on," he says. "Martin Wishart's on the other line."

Burns Museum: Best-Laid Schemes O' Mice An' Men Gang Agley to This Day

THE birthplace of Robert Burns is set for a GBP 17 million makeover, including a new museum housing the richest collection of Burns artefacts in the world. But planners face an almost impossible deadline to complete the Burns International Museum in time for the Scottish tourism drive planned around the bard's 250th birthday. They have barely 18 months to build the museum and prepare its exhibits by 25 January, 2009, the launch of the "Year of Homecoming".

Executive Is Accused of Anti-Gay Bias Over Adoption Opt-Out

SCOTTISH ministers were accused of discrimination yesterday for asking Westminster to permit Catholic adoption agencies to turn away gay couples. Just a month ago the Scottish Parliament passed legislation allowing gay couples to adopt for the first time.

Schools Forced to Replace Lessons with Assemblies

SCHOOLCHILDREN across Scotland are being taken out of class and put in assemblies instead as headteachers struggle to meet new working-time limits for staff. Primary-school heads in nearly half of Scotland's local authorities say they are having to resort to the measure to meet the conditions of the landmark McCrone pay deal, which reduced the amount of time teachers spend in front of a class to a maximum 22 and a half hours a week.

'Let's Be Out by October'

THE greatly anticipated Commons debate on Iraq ended amid scenes of farce and acrimony after MPs lost their chance to show their opposition to the war when an anticipated vote on the matter failed to happen. A Labour whip said the SNP had been confused by parliamentary procedure and bungled its opportunity.

Council Vows to Keep Tax Rise On Hold Once More

SCOTLAND'S largest local authority has pledged to freeze council tax for the second year running. Glasgow City Council yesterday insisted cuts to front-line services would not be required to fund the move.

Prisoner's Win Puts Scotland's Vote at Risk

LEGAL action which could stop the Scottish parliamentary elections in May is being prepared, after a judicial ruling yesterday declared that a ban on prisoner voting breaches European human rights laws. Last night, lawyers warned that the country's 7,000 prisoners would be entitled to a multi-million-pound damages claim over their loss of franchise.

Council's Tax Freeze Is Described As 'Election Stunt'

SCOTLAND'S largest local authority has pledged to freeze council tax for the second year running. Glasgow City Council yesterday insisted cuts to front-line services would not be required to fund the move.

Prisoner's Win Puts Scotland's Vote at Risk: Slopping-Out Claims Cost Public Gbp 58m

THE possibility of compensation claims over prisoner voting comes as the Executive is paying out over another breach of the ECHR - slopping-out. In January 2001 ministers were warned that a failure to tackle slopping-out in Scotland's jails would lead to multi-million pound claims, but

British Eateries Shine As 15 Join Elite List

THERE are more restaurants in Britain claiming Michelin star status than ever before, with 15 stars added this year. Some 122 establishments from the Channel Islands to Fort William now boast the top honour. In Scotland, the restaurant at Glenapp Castle in Ballantrae, Ayrshire, joins The Kitchin in Edinburgh as a recipient of a new Michelin single star.

Scotland 300: The Nationhood Debate: Home Is Where the Arran Heart Is - but Only If You Can Afford It: Road Trip Day 3: Shan Ross and Michael Howie in Brodick, Arran

IT IS described as "Scotland in miniature", with towering granite peaks overlooking mile upon mile of windswept coastline. While snowcapped mountains provide picture-postcard images in winter, the warm Gulf Stream creates an almost balmy climate in the summer months that attracts thousands of visitors. Scotland's most southerly island is famed for its wildlife, including deer, eagles, otter, seals and basking sharks, while mysterious Bronze Age stone circles create an ethereal otherworldlines...

Baxters Opens Polish Pickling Factory

BAXTERS Food Group has revealed a move into Polish processing with an onion pickling factory. Situated south of the city of Poznan near the German border, the 4,000 square metre factory was opened last month in a move to improve efficiency at the iconic Scottish food producer. Its Polish- grown onions had previously been pickled in Birmingham.

Need to Know: Palmaris Moves On Perseverance Stake

PALMARIS Capital, the mining investment company, is to distribute its 55 million shares in Australian gold mining company, Perseverance, in which it holds almost 10 per cent. The company warned its shares, unchanged on 13.5p yesterday, were likely to fall in line with the distribution, valued at around 38 per cent of the group. Palmaris said it believed shareholders would be better served by the company focusing on its other investment, an 18 per cent holding in privately-owned Scottish Coal....

Need to Know: Present From Spain

STAFF at high street bank Abbey are to share in a GBP 16 million birthday present from the group's Spanish owner, Santander. Some 17,000 workers based in the UK will receive free shares worth GBP 930 to mark the Spanish firm's 150th anniversary.

Need to Know: Second Five-Star Hotel for Macdonald

THE Macdonald Randolph Hotel in Oxford, which is operated by Bathgate-based Macdonald Hotels and Resorts, has been awarded five- star status, becoming the second five-star property in the Scottish group's portfolio. The award follows a GBP 160 million investment programme to refurbish existing Macdonald properties and create new facilities. Built in 1864, the Randolph is in the heart of Oxford opposite the renowned Ashmolean Museum.

Need to Know: Rogers Joins City Ethics Institute

THE Securities & Investment Institute, the City body for ethical and professional standards, yesterday announced the appointment of John Rogers, above, as its first international development director. Rogers was chief executive of the UK Society of Investment Professionals for four years. Previously at the National Association of Pension Funds, he built up its investment service for pension funds and established and developed its corporate governance profile.

Race On to Complete Gbp 17m Museum for Burns Anniversary

THE birthplace of Robert Burns is set for a GBP 17 million makeover, including a new museum housing the richest collection of Burns artefacts in the world. But planners face an almost impossible deadline to complete the Burns International Museum in time for the Scottish tourism drive planned around the bard's 250th birthday. They have barely 18 months to build the museum and prepare its exhibits by 25 January, 2009, the launch of the "Year of Homecoming".

Detective Jailed for Attacks On Wife

THE marriage and career of a detective lay in ruins last night after he was jailed for six months for two brutal attacks on his wife. Detective Constable Warren Wattie, 36, pinned his wife Jacqueline to the floor and tried to throttle her in front of their two young, frightened daughters during one of the vicious attacks.