Scotland Thread

[Julian2]

I've made two train tours of Scotland, both from Glasgow to the far north then down the east coast.

The highlight was always changing to the ferry at Mallaig to reconnect at Kyle of Lochaish.

I hired a car at Thurso to drive to Cape Wrath and visit the grave of a Scottish poet at Durness with the same family name as myself.

Turned out the fraud was only using it as a pen name.

[The_Munchmaster]

...I hired a car at Thurso to drive to Cape Wrath and visit the grave of a Scottish poet at Durness with the same family name as myself...

 

I used to spend a week in Thurso every summer when I was younger and fished for trout in Caithness's many lochs with my uncle.

 

Love the coastline from Thurso to Cape Wrath, especially when the Pentland Firth is a bit wild.

[The_Munchmaster]

Halle Berry in Glasgow to film Cloud Atlas

 

Berry was keeping warm with a hot water bottle between takes in Glasgow

 

Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry has arrived in Glasgow to film Cloud Atlas - the second Hollywood production to be shot in the city this year.

 

Filming takes place in city centre locations south of Blythswood Square and around Montrose Street from 16 to 18 September and on 26 September.

 

The film is based on David Mitchell's award-winning 2004 novel.

 

Its six related stories span from the 19th Century to a near dystopian and eventual post apocalyptic future.

 

Vintage cars

 

During filming on Friday, Berry was seen clutching a hot water bottle to keep her hands warm.

 

She wore blue jeans, a beige jacket and scarf. But, after "cut" was shouted on set in Douglas Street, the actress donned a long black overcoat.

 

Vintage American cars, including a Lincoln Continental Mark IV and a Packard Clipper Custom, were also parked in the street, with Revere Avenue and Kirkwood Avenue signs erected on the set.

 

The decision to bring Cloud Atlas to the city was taken after its production team met with Glasgow City Council Film Office.

 

Jennifer Reynolds, a film commissioner at the office, said: "It's a German production and they had been scouting areas in the UK because some of the script is set in the UK.

 

"So they were looking at areas in Scotland - I think Edinburgh and Glasgow - but one thing Glasgow had that worked for them was the geography of Glasgow - quite a few steep hills - and it could replicate San Francisco in the United States.

 

"So we managed to secure about three days' filming for a section of the book that is 1970s San Francisco. Another part of the story is set in modern-day London and we are also filming another day or two of that as well."

 

The streets of Glasgow are again doubling for a city in the US She added: "It is quite a substantial film so it's obviously going to bring a good economic benefit to the city and there's local crew being hired and used on it and local companies and their services as well as hotels and restaurants.

 

Cloud Atlas, which is due for release next year, is based on British author David Mitchell's best-selling 2004 novel, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

 

The unconventionally-structured novel of interlinking narratives charts the story of one soul across the centuries.

 

It also features Oscar winners Tom Hanks and Susan Sarandon and British actors Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess and The Hour's Ben Whishaw.

 

A number of partial and full road closures will be in place in Glasgow during filming.

 

Details of these are available on Glasgow City Council's website.

 

During August, the Brad Pitt Zombie film World War Z spent 17 days shooting scenes in George Square and surrounding streets, which were transformed to resemble Philadelphia.

 

The city has also hosted Peter Mullan's film Neds, Perfect Sense with Ewan McGregor and Eva Green, and The Decoy Bride starring David Tennant.

[Julian2]

I used to spend a week in Thurso every summer when I was younger and fished for trout in Caithness's many lochs with my uncle.

 

Love the coastline from Thurso to Cape Wrath, especially when the Pentland Firth is a bit wild.

I got into Thurso about 10pm on a midsummer eve and it was still broad daylight.

I booked into a B&B and was given the smallest room I've ever seen a double bed fitted into.

Breakfast the next morning was stunning, there must have been a pound of bacon on the plate with eggs, sausages, fried slice, you name it.

Coming back that night to wait for the train a hitch hiker I picked up took me to Thurso's grandest hotel for.... wait for it... high tea. A large meal served about 4 in the afternoon.

Also my first and last experience with black pudding.

[sayjann]

I used to spend a week in Thurso every summer when I was younger and fished for trout in Caithness's many lochs with my uncle.

 

Love the coastline from Thurso to Cape Wrath, especially when the Pentland Firth is a bit wild.

 

i remember driving from John 'o' Groats to Cape Wrath,well as near as you can get.

wonderful scenary and one of those roads you don't see another car/person for a long time.

i love the drive through Glencoe but the best road has to be from Edinburgh to Inverness....A9?

i always enjoyed cruising up the road at m leisure and met some interesting people.

i remember once seeing what i presumed was an RAF harrier flying around and kind of stalking me,coming up behind me and just following me and then peeling off.

i assumed the plane was on a training mission and practising locking onto a target.

certainly unnerved me for a while and i had to pull off the road.

but now i look back and find it rather funny.

 

went to Scotland for a week with my uncle and his american friend who beforehand had never seen the sea.

we hired a car and just drove all over the place but the american absolutely loved Plockton and the surroundin area.

i like Plockton and have spent many happy days there.

[The_Munchmaster]

Scottish independence: Michelle Mone threatens to leave Scotland

 

Scottish lingerie tycoon Michelle Mone has threatened to move to England if Scotland votes for independence.

 

 

Ms Mone said she would take her business to London in the event of a "Yes" vote in the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence.

 

She told the Sunday Times she feels Scotland could not survive on its own as "everything would go up".

 

First Minister Alex Salmond said that under independence business tax would be lowered.

 

He also pointed out to the BBC's Andrew Marr show that Ms Mone had made a similar threat before the 2007 Scottish elections.

 

Ms Mone, co-owner of MJM International and creator of lingerie brand Ultimo told the Sunday Times: "I will move my business and I will move personally.

 

"I don't think we can survive on our own and I think it would be really bad for business.

 

"Everything would go up and I really don't think we need it at the moment."

 

Ms Mone, from Glasgow, who was awarded an OBE in 2010, ranks among the UK's most successful businesswomen.

 

Her comments follow concerns raised by other Scottish business figures, including Boyd Tunnock, managing director of Tunnock's, that delay in posing the referendum question will harm the economy.

 

In his response, Mr Salmond said: "Michelle's concerns seem to be predicated on the idea that we'd put tax up.

 

"In fact, our strategy is to lower business tax which I think will be very helpful, not just at persuading Michelle Mone to stay but attracting lots of other businesses to Scotland."

 

When asked about whether Mr Salmond would want to see a second question on the ballot paper on whether there should be more powers for the Scottish Parliament, sometimes known as devolution max, he said he would "listen to the voices in Scotland".

 

"If the demand for fiscal autonomy is there it would only be democratic and fair to allow that question," he said.

 

He added that Prime Minister David Cameron "would do well to listen to the voice of the people".

 

When asked about the Royal Bank of Scotland awarding its chief executive Stephen Hester almost £1m as a bonus, Mr Salmond called for discipline on pay levels across the public sector, and blamed Labour and the Conservatives for not taking action.

[dean]

I haven't had any good feelings toward the RBS since they had a major role in the timeshare that I owned in Edinburgh going bankrupt. At least its former chief executive can't use the title of knighthood. Since only crooks are stripped of knighthood, he must be a crook: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16821650

[Flashermac]

'We'll fight to the bitter end for Las Malvinas': Meet the fanatics burning flags and calling Prince William a 'conquistador'

 

My link 

 

(This goes here because the Falklanders are mostly Scots.) 

 

 

[The_Munchmaster]

...(This goes here because the Falklanders are mostly Scots.) 

 

I didn't know that but, considering how tough you'd have to have been to settle there (or even get there), I'm not at all surprised.

[Flashermac]

The Falklands are cold, rugged and isolated. Just the place to warm a Scottish islanders heart.