Scotland

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Loch Ness: An 80-Year-Old Conspiracy?

A Scottish academic trawls through 1,000 eye-witness accounts

(Newser) - Is the Loch Ness monster harmless folklore or a clever conspiracy to lure tourists? An academic may shed light on the question with his analysis of 1,000 eye-witness descriptions of the alleged creature, the BBC reports. Marine biologist Adrien Shine notes wryly that several spotters were proprietors in the...

Priests in Scotland 'Out of Control Sexually': Ex-Adviser

Alan Draper accuses Church of hiding sex crimes

(Newser) - More bad news for Catholics: A former child-abuse adviser for the Catholic Church in Scotland says its priests have been "out of control sexually" for decades, the Telegraph reports. Alan Draper, an ethics lecturer at Dundee University, says Church leaders were "unwilling" to reveal priests who led "...

$750K of Whisky Poured Down Drain

Mix-up at Chivas plant sent more than 4K gallons into sewers

(Newser) - Who knew the Pogues' "Streams of Whiskey" was more than just a metaphor? A mix-up at a Chivas Brothers plant in Scotland in the wee hours of Tuesday morning resulted in around 4,750 gallons of whisky—about $750,000 worth—getting flushed down the drain, reports the Scottish ...

Scotland's New Hero Is Man in Giraffe Suit

Armstrong Baillie does good deeds around country; got idea 'on the loo'

(Newser) - While sitting on the toilet, a jobless Scottish man had an idea: Why not dress as a giraffe and do good deeds for people? Now, Armstrong Baillie has developed a reputation as the Good Giraffe, and as said animal he's done kindnesses like cleaning beaches, giving runners bananas, and...

Scottish Independence Vote Set for 2014
 Scottish Independence 
 Vote Set for 2014 
UPDATED

Scottish Independence Vote Set for 2014

Cameron, Salmond announce deal for referendum

(Newser) - The countdown to Scotland's referendum on independence from the UK officially began today, as British Prime Minister David Cameron arrived in Edinburgh and signed an agreement with Scottish leader Alex Salmond, the BBC reports. The deal settles the terms of the 2014 referendum on whether to end the 305-year-old...

Experts 'Verify' New Loch Ness Monster Pic

Tour guide George Edwards snaps pic of 'creature'

(Newser) - Yet another hazy, distant photo has emerged of a creature swimming around Loch Ness. This one comes from a Nessie tour guide who apparently photographed the mythical, humped monster in Scotland's most popular freshwater loch. "It was slowly moving up the loch towards Urquhart Castle and it was...

Scotland to Legalize Gay Marriage

Even though a government survey finds widespread disapproval

(Newser) - The first legal gay marriages in Scotland are expected to take place in 2015 under new legislation being pushed by the government, reports the BBC . Barring any surprises, Scotland would be the first part of the UK to sanction same-sex weddings. The plan comes despite strong opposition from the Catholic...

Food Blogger, 9, Prompts School-Lunch Overhaul

Martha Payne's photos inspire better meals

(Newser) - She's only nine years old, but Martha Payne's reporting has already shaken things up at her school. The Scottish writer of the NeverSeconds blog posted reviews and camera-phone photos of some rather gross-looking cafeteria lunches; her work brought some 2 million visitors to her site. The attention prompted...

Scotland's Battle for Freedom Kicks Off

'Yes for Scotland' campaign targets 2014 vote

(Newser) - Supporters of Scottish independence are about to officially kick off their campaign to end the country's 305-year-old marriage to England and Wales. The "Yes for Scotland" drive is being spearheaded by Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond, whose party won a majority in Scottish elections last years, reports...

Donald Trump: Scottish Betrayed Me

'World-class expert in tourism' peeved about wind firm near golf course

(Newser) - Donald Trump was met by protesters and hecklers as he arrived at Scotland's parliament yesterday to complain about a proposed wind farm in sight of his new $1.2 billion golf resort. Scotland's tourist industry will be destroyed, and the country will go broke if it builds the...

Scottish Taste Testers Sample Gas Leak Fish

Declare them not tainted

(Newser) - Scotland has called in taste testers to sample the fish found near the site of a North Sea gas leak , an unusual gastronomic exercise intended to provide reassurance to Scottish seafood lovers. The government says specially trained "sensory testers" at the Aberdeen-based Marine Scotland Science organization sniffed and tasted...

Ancient Instrument Pushes Music History Back 1K Years

Archeologists find remains of lyre in Scottish cave

(Newser) - Turns out even ancient Europeans liked subtle and complex music. Archeologists have found part of a 2,300-year-old lyre—the oldest instrument ever discovered in western Europe—inside a Scottish cave, the Daily Mail reports. The broken and burnt piece of wood "pushes the history of complex music back...

Does Major Explosion Loom Off Scotland?

Workers evacuated from natural gas platform

(Newser) - A North Sea drilling platform is leaking natural gas, and experts fear the "well from hell" could cause a massive explosion, wreaking havoc on the environment. More than 200 workers have been evacuated from the platform off the Scottish coast; no one is allowed within 3 miles of the...

Cardinal: Gay Marriage as Bad as Slavery

Remarks widely condemned, called 'scare mongering'

(Newser) - The Catholic cardinal in charge of Scotland provoked stinging criticism over the weekend for calling gay marriage a "grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right," and saying it's as morally reprehensible as slavery, reports the Independent . "Imagine for a moment that the government had decided...

Scotland Schedules Independence Vote

Vote in 2014 could break apart United Kingdom

(Newser) - Scottish voters will finally get their chance to throw off the, er, iron hand of Queen Elizabeth in 2014, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has announced. Salmond's Scottish National Party has long argued that Scotland should seek independence from the UK , and Salmond wants a referendum on it held...

101 MPH Winds Rattle Scotland
 101mph Winds Rattle Scotland 

101mph Winds Rattle Scotland

But it was a cherry Christmas elsewhere in UK

(Newser) - It was a very airy Christmas in Scotland yesterday as winds topping 101 mph rattled the Shetland Islands. "Scotland's weather is notoriously unpredictable," the local transport minister noted in a display of understatement. A warning was issued to all travelers to take extra care. The rest of...

Teacher Accused of Firing Golf Balls, Rocks at Kids

Scottish students allege 15 charges of violence

(Newser) - Former students say he lined them up against a wall and fired golf balls at them. And then rocks. And tossed them in rivers. James McMenemy, a former teacher at the Kerelaw school for troubled kids in Scotland, is facing 15 charges of violence against students in a competency hearing,...

Woman Passes Driver's Test— During Labor

First trip is to the hospital

(Newser) - Contractions 10 minutes apart didn’t stop a woman in Scotland from getting her driver’s license—and then speeding off to the hospital to give birth. She’d woken that morning at 4am after her water broke, but ignored her family’s advice and went through with the test...

Scottish Whisky Ranks Best in World

Old Pulteney takes prize in industry 'bible'

(Newser) - A single-malt whisky brewed in Scotland knocked out 1,200 rivals to triumph as the World Whisky of the Year, according to the influential 2012 Whisky Bible. The Old Pulteney whisky, produced by the Pulteney distillery in Wick, northern Scotland, totaled 97.5 out of 100 points—tying the highest...

Glasgow All the Rage After Brad Pitt Stay

Zombie flick helps Glasgow edge out Edinburgh for top Scottish destination

(Newser) - What happens in Glasgow stays in Glasgow—except when Brad Pitt comes to town to film a potential zombie blockbuster, and the city transforms into Scotland's top destination spot so far this year. Calling it the "Brad Pitt effect," the Daily Mail notes that Scotland's No....

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