The Daily Thistle
The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland
Wednesday 20th September 2017
"Madainn Mhath” …Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. Wednesday, “Hump-Day” as our cousins across the pond say… Half way through the week, Dam! Time flies, and for me it’s even worse, as I have start collecting stories for The Thistle several days in advance, as with only five stories a day I can’t afford to let the good ones slip by.. but enough of that.. Bella and I had a great walk this morning up to the Hermitage and for a few moments I sat on a wall and watched the ships in the Mediterranean go about their business until the thought of fresh hot coffee waiting at home got the better of me….. Want a cup?
GIANT IGUANA FOUND IN BORDERS LAYBY…. A giant iguana is being cared for by the Scottish SPCA after being found in a layby in the Borders. The green lizard was spotted by a member of the public on the A72 near Broughton on Tuesday. Animal rescue officer Dawn-Vale Lowdon said: "Despite having a few bumps, he was alright once he had been warmed up. "He is now being cared for at our centre in Lanarkshire where he has been named Iggy." Chief Insp Fiona Henderson said: "Green iguanas are kept commonly as pets. "They require a lot of care as UV lights, heating and a big vivarium is needed to keep them comfortable. "Iggy's tail alone is at least 3ft so he's very large, although he is now an adult so shouldn't grow anymore." Anyone with any information should contact the Scottish SPCA.
BREWER INNIS & GUNN ACCEPTS ￡15M INVESTMENT…. Craft brewer Innis & Gunn will accept a ￡15m investment by a major US private equity investor in consumer goods and retail. L Catterton is investing the finance in exchange for a 28% stake in the Perth firm.
Shareholders have accepted the offer, which was tabled earlier this month, with 99% voting in favour. The finance helps the brewer accelerate its recent expansion, intended to double turnover between 2015 and 2018. The new investment values the brewer, formerly based in Edinburgh, at ￡58m. Its revenue grew by 22% last year to ￡14.3m. The company sold 27m bottles of beer, making it the second biggest off-trade craft beer producer in Britain. It became the top imported craft beer in Canada and number two in Sweden, while exporting to 28 countries. Last November, the company raised ￡2.4m in capital funding from crowdfunding, leaving it with 2,000 investors. Jean-Philippe Barade, a partner at Connecticut-headquartered L Catterton, said: "The craft beer category is booming globally and Innis & Gunn has established a leading position. "The potential for this brand and business is hugely exciting and it is in an exceptionally strong place to capitalise on the growth in consumer demand for craft beer."
CAN CELEBRATING SCOTLAND'S LAST WILD OYSTER FISHERY BOOST TOURISM IN STRANRAER?.... Stranraer, home to Scotland's only native oyster fishery, is holding a three-day festival of the wild shellfish in an effort to boost the local economy. For more than a century the town in the far south-west of Scotland was a busy ferry port for services to Northern Ireland but it suffered a setback in 2011 when it lost the Irish Sea ferries to neighbouring Cairnryan. The resulting decline in footfall has prompted local business owners to organise a celebration of their harbour's most unique selling point: Loch Ryan oysters - a prized delicacy only commercially available from Scotland's last wild, native oyster fishery. Once widespread around Britain's coasts, the native oyster is now a rarity and outnumbered by the farmed pacific oyster. The wild shellfish has been farmed by local fishermen Rab Lamont and John Mills, of the Loch Ryan Oyster Fishery, for more than a decade. The pair, who have known each other for more than 30 years, work seven days a week between September and April plying the icy beds of Loch Ryan from the Vital Spark - a 1970s Clyde-built prawn trawler.
CAIRNRYAN PORT PUPPY TRAFFICKING POWERS EXTENDED…. A 12-month extension has been agreed to powers which have seen dozens of puppies seized at the port of Cairnryan in a bid to tackle trafficking. The scheme started last year after concerns raised by the BBC Scotland programme The Dog Factory. Since it began, more than 170 puppies have been recovered from suspected traffickers and later rehomed. The scheme was due to end in November but Dumfries and Galloway Council has continued it for another year. The enforcement project involves the council's trading standards department working jointly with officers from the Scottish SPCA and the police. Trading standards manager Sandra Harkness said the scheme was having a real impact.
BEN NEVIS STONE GOES FROM HIGHEST TO LOWEST POINT IN RUBISLAW QUARRY…. A stone taken from the highest point in the UK has been submerged at what was once the lowest point of land in the country. The Ben Nevis stone was dropped to the bottom of Rubislaw Quarry in Aberdeen. It is part of an art project by artist Henry Castle. The stone from the mountain was attached to a flotation buoy and lowered into the 500ft deep hole. Now filled with water, the quarry closed in 1971. It is estimated about 6m tonnes of granite was excavated from the quarry. The grey rock is used in many of Aberdeen's buildings, hence the nickname The Granite City. There are now plans for a heritage centre at the site. The artist - who previously took a piece of Rubislaw Quarry stone to Ben Nevis - said: "I always remember as a child Rubislaw Quarry being spoken about. "It's amazing how it's almost been forgotten. It's an important, historic place for Aberdeen. It's something that should be iconic again. "It's about connecting the two places."
On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,
Our look at Scotland today is of an unusual find……… The stuff you find in a layby…..
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 Wednesday 20th 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