The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Thursday 7th September 2017

"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. Thursday a beautiful day, over Wednesday Hump day and only one more day to get through, until the week end’s here…and then, and then the week end.. time to spend with the children, go shopping, stand outside the woman’s store if you’re a guy… ummm… let’s look on the Brightside, another whole day until the week end…

SCOTLAND HAS BEEN VOTED THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD…. Scotland has been voted the most beautiful country in the world by a respected travel company. Rough Guides, the leading publisher of travel and reference guides, tasked its readers to choose the top 20 most beautiful countries in the world, and Scotland came out on top, ahead of Canada and New Zealand. The website said: “Who can deny that these wild beaches, deep lochs and craggy castles are some of the most wonderful and beautiful sights in the world?” The recognition was welcomed by VisitScotland who hope to welcome more tourists exploring the diversity the country offers. Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland said: “We are delighted that Scotland has received this remarkable accolade from Rough Guide readers, but of course it will not be a surprise to anyone who has encountered our wonderful country. From our awe-inspiring landscapes to our remarkable historic attractions, to our bustling but beautiful urban centres, Scotland takes people’s breaths away. “Our latest campaign, the Spirit of Scotland was based on feedback from visitors that they get a special feeling while in the country – whether it’s in the wilds of Glen Coe on a stormy day or taking part in a ceilidh on Burns’ Night – there is something different about Scotland that they can’t experience anywhere else in the world. “Of course with great beauty comes great responsibility and we urge both visitors and residents alike to respect Scotland’s natural assets to protect and preserve them for many generations to come. “Off the back of this accolade, we look forward to welcoming more visitors from across the world who want to encounter Scotland’s unique beauty and spirit.”

SPIDER SEASON IS HERE: HOW TO KEEP ARACHNIDS OUT OF YOUR HOME…. A cool August has seen spiders head indoors earlier than usual this year. The common British house spider is likely to be looking for a mate as the autumn breeding season approaches - which means they will be much more visible inside our homes. How can you keep spiders out of your home. Yet you don’t have to surrender your house to the eight-legged creatures - there are plenty of ways you can repel spiders. Keep your house clean and airy Spiders love dark, damp, cluttered places. Vacuum and dust regularly, and don’t allow clutter to build up. Store things in plastic lidded boxes rather than cardboard ones to prevent spiders gaining access. Keep your house filled with natural light - never leave blinds or curtains closed during the day or for prolonged periods of time if you’re away from home. READ MORE: Wet August to blame for early onset of ‘spider season’ Use essential oils Spiders ‘smell’ with their legs, so strong scents will deter them from leaving their nooks and crannies. Tea tree, rose, cinnamon, citrus, peppermint, citronella, lavender and eucalyptus can all work - make sure you spray corners, window sills and skirting boards, and replenish regularly. Borax This pest control product is designed to kill ants, but it also works with spiders. Sprinkle it in corners and along door frames to prevent webs. Seal cracks Grab your caulking gun and seal up spider access points in walls, floors and ceilings. Keep foliage away from your house Don’t allow plants next to your home to creep too close, as spiders will hide in them. Similarly, don’t allow leaf litter, woodpiles etc to accumulate, as they make great spider hiding places. Get a cat A feline will fearlessly chase spiders - although you can’t always guarantee a successful outcome! But don’t use conkers! There’s no evidence that they’re effective. Other strong aromas are likely to work better, such as garlic or vinegar.

POLICE FORCE GO VIRAL AFTER APPEAL FOR OWNER TO COLLECT DRUGS…. A post by a police body has won plaudits online after suitcase containing ￡6,500 worth of drugs has been handed in to police after someone picked it up by mistake on a bus. Officers in Dumfries have taken to social media urging the owner to “pop in, tell us what’s inside” and claim it. Police seized the drugs. However, their Facebook post warns “you will be arrested and will only get the empty case back after the court case”. The suitcase was picked up by mistake by a man in Dumfries when he got off a bus travelling between London and Belfast on Tuesday morning. When he got home, he realised it was not his and took it to the tourist information centre next to the bus stop. Staff there thought it had a funny smell and phoned police, who came to take it away. Officers at Dumfries police station discovered it contained a large quantity of drugs when they opened it to investigate. They are keen to trace a young man seen asking about his missing suitcase in the Whitesands area of the town on Tuesday morning. The police Facebook post has been liked more than 375 times. It says: “Were you a bit wasted last night? Did you misplace a suitcase with ￡6,500 worth of drugs in it ... Great news, it’s been found and we have it at Dumfries Police Station. “Just pop in, tell us what’s inside it, where you left it and we will be happy to return it to you!” The man police want to trace is described as being in his mid 20s with fair hair and was wearing jeans and a horizontally-striped fawn-coloured top. He spoke with a Scottish accent Constable Alistair Hope said: “We would like to identify this man in relation to this investigation. “Anyone who may have been in or around the Whitesands on Tuesday morning is asked to call us at Dumfries on the 101 number if they can help us identify this man.”

HUNDREDS GET MUDDY AT BIGGEST EVER BEAST RACE AT LOCH NESS…. SCOTLAND’S most brutal obstacle course race, the Prime Four Beast Race, saw hundreds of participants get down, dirty, wet and muddy at Loch Ness at the weekend, raising over ￡128,000 for charity. Nearly 1,800 participants took to the stunning course at Aldourie Castle by Loch Ness and faced an epic challenge, with obstacles taking advantage of the site’s awesome natural features. Getting muddy in the Prime Four Beast Race at Loch Ness. That number marks a 40% increase on the 2016 event. Now in its fifth year, Prime Four Beast Race at Loch Ness was bigger and bolder than ever before with a savage new 10km long route across the Aldourie Castle Estate. The new-look course also included more merciless obstacles for participants to overcome such as the icy cold Looney Dook and the perilous Black Hole. Prime Four Beast Race’s official charity partner is Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, for which over ￡128,000 has been raised so far by Beast Race participants. That number will significantly rise after all funds are totalled for this year’s race. Prime Four, an international business based on the outskirts of Aberdeen, is the event’s title sponsor. Developed by Drum Property Group, Prime Four is home to 12 major energy and service companies, with that number due to expand. As part of Prime Four’s sponsorship, colleagues at any of the companies who are located at the Kingswells site, have benefitted from a range of free activities including 3,000 hours of training across 600 classes including Boot Camp, Circuits, Yoga, Metafit, a JogScotland Running Group, and the Prime Four Bleep Test. This all fits within Prime Four’s principle objective which is to, “bring life to work.” Jono Buckland, director at organisers FireTrail Events, said: “Good grief, that was brutal. Our participants told us they wanted it to be tougher than ever before, so we ramped it up, and challenged them to try and break the beast.

SCOTTISH SCIENTISTS CREATE CAMERA TO SEE THROUGH HUMAN BODY…. A new camera which can see through the human body has been developed. The device is designed to help doctors track medical tools known as endoscopes, which are used to investigate a range of internal conditions. Until now, it has not been possible to track where the kit is without using X-rays or other expensive methods. The new camera can detect sources of light inside the body, such as the illuminated tip of the endoscope’s long flexible tube. Professor Kev Dhaliwal, of the University of Edinburgh, said: “It has immense potential for diverse applications such as the one described in this work. “The ability to see a device’s location is crucial for many applications in healthcare, as we move forwards with minimally invasive approaches to treating disease.” Early tests have shown the prototype device can track a point light source through 20 centimetres of tissue under normal conditions. Beams from the endoscope can pass through the body but usually scatter or bounce off tissues and organs rather than travelling straight through.

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today, 

Our look at Scotland today is of the Beast Race at Lock Ness.. and a Muddy Time was had by all.... the picture was taken by Paul Johnston 

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Thursday 7th September 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in 

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus