Scotland Thread

[sayjann]

The Forth Bridge (rail bridge) is my favourite structure in the world but every time I've been home for the past ten years it's been covered in scaffolding and protective sheeting, like this

 

 

thus making taking pics of it fairly pointless, but now it's all over it will look like this again

 

 

so I'll be paying it a visit in the summer.

 

 

Forth Bridge painting completed

 

 

The painting of the Forth Bridge has finally been completed and the structure is now scaffold-free for the first time in a decade.

 

The repair and repainting project to paint the rail bridge took 10 years and cost £130m.

 

It has been claimed it will not now need another paint job for at least 25 years. New techniques and products have been are behind the project's success.

 

A 400-strong team applied a triple layer of new glass flake epoxy paint.

 

It creates a chemical bond to provide a virtually impenetrable layer to protect the bridge's steel work from the weather.

 

The project, delivered by Network Rail and main contractor Balfour Beatty Regional Civil Engineering, involved encasing the bridge in up to 4,000 tonnes of scaffolding, painting over 230,000sqm of steel and all 6.5 million rivets in the structure.

 

Over the life of the project more than 1,500 people worked on the structure, with up to 400 people a day on the bridge at the height of the refurbishment works.

 

A 400-strong team applied a triple layer of new glass flake epoxy paint David Simpson, Network Rail route managing director for Scotland, said: "The completion of this refurbishment will safeguard the future of one of the country's most famous landmarks.

 

 

"Repainting the bridge has long been considered one of the world's never-ending tasks, and the refurbishment programme we have just completed has been one of the biggest engineering challenges Network Rail has faced.

 

"Our staff and contractors can take real pride in their achievements on this project, not least in the fact that through their efforts this amazing structure will remain free of major maintenance work for at least two decades."

 

The bridge, which was built between 1883 and 1890, is 1.5 miles long.

 

The track is about 150ft (45m) above the water level and the bridge reaches 330ft (100m) at the tops of the towers.

 

The steel structure contains more than 6.5 million rivets.

 

i like the forth bridge.

have driven over it many times and crossed on the train bridge a couple of times.

i've always liked the scenary around the firth of forth and have spent a few balmy nights out in the queensferry inn?.

[The_Munchmaster]

i like the forth bridge.

have driven over it many times and crossed on the train bridge a couple of times.

i've always liked the scenary around the firth of forth and have spent a few balmy nights out in the queensferry inn?.

 

Sayjann, the Forth Bridge is the rail bridge whereas the one you drive over is called the Forth Road Bridge (which may have to be replaced).

 

The Queensferry Inn you refer to is I suspect The Hawes Inn which is the furthest away white building in the picture below. Had a few pints in there myself.

 

[The_Munchmaster]

Scotland women win the European Curling Championship

 

 

Scotland women gained revenge on Sweden for last year's final defeat by beating their opponents 8-2 to win the European Curling Championship in Moscow.

 

The Swedes had won all 10 of their matches in the tournament heading into the final but could not match the challenge by Eve Muirhead's rink.

 

And after last year's narrow loss, Muirhead was delighted to take gold.

 

"I wanted to go one better this year," the Scotland skip told Sport Nation on BBC Radio Scotland.

 

"We knew it was going to be a tough game. Sweden went into the match unbeaten whereas we had started quite slowly.

 

"But as the week has gone on we have got better and better."

 

Scotland started better, scoring singles in each of the first two ends for a 2-0 lead.

 

By the end of the fifth, Scotland had an unexpected 7-0 lead, with Sweden finally scoring in the sixth.

 

But Muirhead's charges added another score in the seventh and Sweden conceded defeat in the eighth.

 

"In the final we hardly missed anything. We fired on the pressure from the word go," Muirhead added.

 

"We seemed to be much more relaxed than them. The tension seemed to be on them from the start. The skip missed a couple of shots and we just fired the pressure on them and managed to get the victory.

 

"It's fantastic. It's been one of the medals I've wanted."

 

The victory for Muirhead's team of Anna Sloan, Vicki Adams, Claire Hamilton and Kay Adams secures Scotland's first European gold since 1975.

 

Russia beat Denmark 13-7 to take the bronze medal.

[sayjann]

Sayjann, the Forth Bridge is the rail bridge whereas the one you drive over is called the Forth Road Bridge (which may have to be replaced).

 

The Queensferry Inn you refer to is I suspect The Hawes Inn which is the furthest away white building in the picture below. Had a few pints in there myself.

 

 

yes i know the rail bridge is the FORTH bridge,but you know what i mean about my comments.

the pub i'm thinking of is probably the one you posted the photo of but i've never seen it from that view and it was normally dark when we got there.

it's many years since i've been there but i have a vague memory of it being associated to a scottish writer.

maybe RLS? and some of the writers most famous works were partly written there?.

or maybe a myth?.

[The_Munchmaster]

the pub i'm thinking of is probably the one you posted the photo of but i've never seen it from that view and it was normally dark when we got there. it's many years since i've been there but i have a vague memory of it being associated to a scottish writer.

maybe RLS? and some of the writers most famous works were partly written there?. or maybe a myth?.

 

No not a myth. The Hawes Inn, dating from the 17th century, features in Robert Louis Stevenson's book Kidnapped.

[sayjann]

No not a myth. The Hawes Inn, dating from the 17th century, features in Robert Louis Stevenson's book Kidnapped.

 

had a feeling it was R.L.Stevenson and i seem to remember much memrobilia in the pub.

i liked it there and a nice place for a pint in the evening..

[Flashermac]

McGonagall never wrote about it? I suppose he only liked disasters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The_Munchmaster]

Johann Lamont has just been elected leader of the Scottish Labour party (the opposition).

 

Before I post her picture I want to assure anyone thinking of travelling to Scotland that she is not representative of Scottish women generally (and neither is the woman sitting behind her!).

 

 

Of course any Germans who voted for Angela Merkel will probably thing that Johann is very attractive.

[Julian2]

Agreed, in the looks department they are definitely a class above the average Scots lass.

This explains the large number of cheerful Scotsmen to be found in places like Pattaya and Angeles city.

[sayjann]

Agreed, in the looks department they are definitely a class above the average Scots lass.

This explains the large number of cheerful Scotsmen to be found in places like Pattaya and Angeles city.

 

agreed,i've definately seen worse.....

 

sorry mr.munchmaster if the truth hurts