Madman on the Towpath

With trying to be a proper runner recently I log my mileage, and what should it stand at after my run on the 30th? Just over 1993km. So with nothing better to do this evening I put on the warm running gear and did 7km in the snow, mainly on the canal towpaths which are well trampled down by dog walkers. I did get a few strange looks from the few passers by.

Happy New Year

My dullest New Year since being ill in bed in 1990. A car spring broke as I drove Tracy and Barny to the station to get the train to Edinburgh to rendezvous with visitors, so I was stuck in a very snowy Inverness rather than driving to join them. The road conditions here were bad though so maybe I was lucky... if my rental car can get though tomorrow.

And what do I find as I'm stuck in front of the TV for the first time in 20 years? Well nothing changes on BBC Scotland, some good comedy followed by the obligatory awful Hogmanay show dripping with Scottish kitch. Music's OK though and I'm off to bed after the Bells.

Where is this, the US? part 2

In recent days we've had a spell of cold and snowy weather rather more reminiscent of our time in the northeast US than Scotland. We do get quite a bit of snow and cold here but not normally in December. It has made for a most scenic Xmas, despite the travel chaos that delayed our friends en route to visit us for the holidays. Of course this year much of the US got even more wintry weather in our abscence.

Riveting Sporting TV

I am sitting at home watching the TV while Tracy is out playing volleyball and what should come on the screen but that old "sporting" spectacle that was often televised by the BBC as I grew up: sheep dog trials. It is impressive watching a shepherd and dog herding sheep live when you come upon them while walking, but my idea of TV sport in 2009 it is not!

You Can Never Go Back...

I recently had the chance to reprise my daily commute from my student days in the mid-80s when I attended a dental meeting in Glasgow. Train from Bishopbriggs to Glasgow, then a walk up the hill westwards. And the experience soon reminded me why I moved to a small town all those years ago... a busy station, a crowded train and a dismal walk in the rain and dark. I'll stick with Inverness where I get a nice scenic walk along canal and river.

12 Minutes

A downside of moving back to Scotland, and one we knew would challenge us, is the short winter days. My memories of Glasgow winters include arriving at the Dental Hospital at 9am in the dark and rain, and leaving in more of the same. Well now we've arrived even further north the mornings have been a pleasant surprise, in theory being east of Glasgow we get 12 minutes more light at the beginning of the day, but the much clearer eastern skies mean that it is actually light before I leave the house at 8.15 and my walk to work is generally pleasant. Still dark before 3.30pm though!

Xmas

We seem to have things pretty well sorted for the holiday season: lights up outside the house (I brought over some of the large collection I'd accumulated in the US), tree up inside and plans made to host friends and my parents on the 25th. New Year we'll head to Edinburgh, then I'll travel home to cover the Inverness emergency dental service on the 2nd and 3rd (which should be interesting... how much damage can Scots do to their teeth during a couple of days worth of drinking?).

Back Online

I've had a great excuse for my lack of blog updates (like I need one...), no internet. It took an age for us to get hooked up at the new house but at long last we seem to have a stable and reasonably speedy service. And with the endless dark here right now I have plenty of long dark evenings to get online and post something.

Clach-na-harry

I have been spending time on the phone getting services hooked up and updating our address, usually with call centres in England. They ask for the Post Code and house number which reveals our address as Clachnaharry Road. This is where the fun starts as clearly they are all required to verify the address and have to work out the pronounciation quickly. I have grown use to a brief pause followed by some largely unrecognisable attempt to render Clachnaharry. It isn't that difficult if you take it slow!

Excuses etc

I have been slow updating the blog recently, mainly because we've been busy moving (and therefore offline for a while until internet is hooked up). Our new house is a fairly typical interwar (1933) Scottish stone house with three bedrooms and a very useful box-room which is now full of all the stuff we don't need in a furnished rental. The location is great, overlooking the Caledonian Canal and close to the sea and most importantly it has a great pub nearby. The interior decor is a bit "eclectic" but it has a good size garden that slopes steeply behind the house and has a deck with good views high above the house. Pictures soon.

The Summer

With the weather now turning autumnal (not that you can tell much difference temperature wise) it's time to review the weather over my first summer. And the verdict? Could have been worse. We really haven't had much warm weather (other than the weekend I ran a marathon in Edinburgh!), though Inverness topped out the UK's temperatures quite a few times in the 23-24°C region (73-75°F). Much of the pleasant weather has been a little cooler, but it has really not rained that many days (I walk to work every day and rarely need an umbrella. Other than a couple of major downpours in the last few weeks as a couple of hurrican remnants passed over.

I'm back

Been a little slow in updating the blog, maybe nothing seems novel after 6 months or more likely I forget what I intended to post before putting fingers to keyboard. The big news right now is that we are finally moving out of the house we've shared with one of the other dentists I work with and into our own rental place. A typical 1930s stone built Scottish semi-detached with 3 bedrooms. It is about 25 minutes walk from work and located right on the Caledonian canal and a short stroll from the sea.

Things I Can Do While the Wife Is Away (pt 2)

Tracy is back in the US to help a friend out, and that gave me an opportunity to finally get out on the golf course. I certainly got my money's worth, playing lots of shots in 18 holes. And I generously left a number of balls out there for other players to find.

Low Tech City

The lowest uptake of broadband in a UK city is in... Glasgow (at 39%). And this correlates with the lowest use of social networking websites in the country too. Not sure if this is a socio-economic phenomenon or whether the average Glaswegian still goes down the pub to socially network.

Circular Immigration

Apparently I'm among a growing number of people called "Circular Immigrants" who move from country to country, may come back home but may also leave again. This nugget was included in a survey of immigration patterns in the UK which explores the truth behind the conviction, beloved of the low-brow press, that loads of immigrants pile into the UK and never leave. An interesting read for we serial immigrants.

And by the way, the shorts mentioned below did not ward of the midgees!

Multi-purpose Clothing

I just bought a couple of pairs of shorts in a sale. Nothing surprising there as the summer is nearly over here at 57.5° north, but I was interested to note that they are advertised as "insect repellent". Given the voracious appetites of the local midgees (see previous posts) and clegs (horseflies) I will no doubt get to test them soon. Somehow I doubt they'll be so potent as to dissuade the bug population from chewing on my lower legs.

You Cannot Escape

There is the inevitable McDonalds "restaurant" a short distance from where I work. In a city where I suspect that McDonald is the commonest last name, what amuses me about it is the local colour added by having a Gaelic phrase on the sign by their front door. While I would love the phrase "Greasaidh Air Ais" to have been put their by a disgruntled employee and translate as "Greasy rubbish" or something similar, I asume it more likely renders as "I'm Loving It".

Bug Alert

I'm used to dealing with midgees in Scotland, but after running in the woods Monday I had to deal with a new infestation: deer ticks. While we are very careful of them in upstate New York where Lyme disease is relatively common I rarely actually encountered any. But Monday I brushed 8 off me after the run (with only one getting any purchase on me with its jaws), then found 5 the next day embedded in me, all tiny. Good thing bug bites get a good reaction out of my skin I guess, makes the little b****rds a bit easier to see.

Things I Can Do While the Wife Is Away

No, not those kind of things. Tracy is spending 3 weeks in Florida, what should I do?:

1. Race up mountains - see previous post.
2. Watch baseball - usually the TV is either occupied by Tracy or Andre, my boss who we are staying with for a few weeks. But he's away at his home base in England and I can check out ESPN America.
3. Watch cricket - not a sport people associate with the north of Scotland but the two teams in town were playing today at a quaint and traditional looking cricket field in town. Perfect excuse to sit out on a warn summers afternoon.
4. Check out history - I have more stamina for this than Tracy so enjoyed a day doing my own thing last Sunday after dispatching her to Glasgow with friends.

I will no doubt add to this list as the 3 weeks go on!

Because I Can

The weather has been great up here all week, and every day I see Ben Wyvis looming to the north as I walk in and out of work. So what better way to make use of the long evening (dark around 11pm) Friday than to climb the mountain? I debated the idea (and put my hiking gear out in case) but didn't decide to go for it until my last patient canceled and I was free at 4.40pm. A quick walk home,change, throw gear, water and snacks in the car and hit the road to miss the "rush hour" (it does actually back up getting out of the city, especially to the north.

4.58pm: On the road, the car thermometer reads 25°C (77°F) and after a brief delay at the roundabout south of the bridge I was free and clear for the scenic 30 miles to the base of the mountain, with the Wyvis massif visible for the later part of the journey.

5.40pm: The base car park is nicely developed by the forestry authorities with plenty of spaces and a well built path through young trees bringing walkers onto the lower slopes of the hill. Initially there are glimpses of the summit of An Cabar, the most prominent point of the massif from this direction, through the trees and the rest of the hill soon appears as the trees around are soon young and small. In the sun the upper slopes of the long ridge behind An Cabar shine brilliant green with their unique covering of moss.

6.10pm: I leave the wooded area (having passed 5 people walking down the hill) and now have uninterrupted views of the main hill with Little Wyvis also becoming more impressive on the right. It is possible to see the whole path up the slopes of An Cabar and a mighty steep 650m (2100ft) it looks. The path has been well made and a great deal of time and expense has gone into setting a line of small boulders for much of the way up to protect the surrounding flora and decrease erosion. I stop for a snack half way up the climb and admire the hazy view of mountains stretching west, with Little Wyvis dominating on the left, before resuming an immediately spotting two other hikers heading up just above me. I didn't expect to have company on the ascent this late! I soon pass them as they take a break, they decided to take a walk as the evening weather was so good. A bit more effort brings me to the summit of An Cabar, from where a distinct path leads across a long, relatively flat, mossy ridge to the actual summit.

7.00pm: The wind is blowing pretty hard from the east, and the views in that direction are fairly murky, but I enjoy the long easy walk on the ridge with views over a steep edge into a coire on my right before reaching the summit trig point and taking a rest in the shelter of a low wall built around the top. The wind is really howling now and the clouds are gathering around me, making it difficult to perch the camera for the obligatory summit shot, before heading back swiftly to warm up.

7.30pm: The wind is generating cloud as air is forced up over the lip of the Coire which makes for an unusual effect, while I get interesting views of a distant loch to the west reflecting the sun. As I near An Cabar again I see the other couple sheltering in the lee of the summit cairn, brewing tea on a camp stove, and I greet them again before hurrying down to pick up calmer conditions and the warmth of the sun.

7.50pm: It is warm again on the lower slopes of the mountain so I take the chance for a rest and to admire the beautiful hazy views of mountains to the west.

9.00pm: Back at the car. The walk down is pretty easy on the well made track and the evening sun makes for some good pictures looking back at the mountain. All in all a great way to spend the evening.

Midgees

Many places might be proud of the ferocity of their biting insects, or even the relentless annoyance of non-biting ones (Aussie flies!) but few in my experience can compare to the Scottish midgee (especially those resident in the west of the country) for driving you nuts. Similar to no-see-ums or sandflies in the US they thrive in the damp environment and cool humid weather that constitutes much of the Scottish summer.

We were reminded of this fact camping on the west coast on a cool damp weekend last week. Our run in the woods was going well Saturday until we stopped in the woods for a beer break... and a million midgees gatecrashed the party. Cue speedy bottle opening and drinking on the hoof. From then on all weekend we had several instances where the breeze dropped and the insects took over. Now we'll remember to bring repellent wherever we go.

As I knew from 20 plus years ago midge bites bring me out in large welts, but they only irritate a lot for maybe 30 minutes. Tracy, however, thought she was pretty immune, but was complaining of itchy legs a couple of days later. Don't underestimate the little b%&((*^%s.

Q: Why dont you kill a midgee?
A: Because another 10,000 will come to the funeral.

Where is this, the US?

I was driving on a highland road the other day and there was a dead deer on the road. A common enough sight in upstate New York (stinky rotting deer, bits of deer, exploded deer, explosions of deer blood etc etc) but not one you see much here. OK, it was a pretty small deer too, but there were a couple of locals checking out whether to pick it up... they didn't.

Real Ale

One positive feature of Scotland these days is the proliferation of excellent micro (and not so micro) breweries producing a great range of real ales and bottled beers. When I lived in Glasgow most of the beer was produced in industrial quantities by Scottish and Newcastle or Tennants breweries, with only a few outlets for something better (including of course the venerable and still excellent Bon Accord). But now just in this area we have the Black Isle Brewery to the north and Cairngorm Brewery to the south, while further south we've already visited the Bridge of Allan Brewery and will be at the Stewart's Brewery in Edinburgh at the weekend. Meanwhile an increasing number of pubs have at least one real ale on tap and we've found a couple of pubs nearby in Inverness with a great range. It could almost threaten the popularity of Scotch Whisky...

The Fickle Scottish Weather

Yes, after not posting for several weeks I come up with a subject that rivals Ursine Woodland Defecation and the Pope's Religion for obviousness... but I can't resist. First we see out the end of May with temperatures touching 26°C(80°F), which took in my 4th attempt at running a marathon (details here). Then just as we think the summer has arrived our camping weekend on 5th June begins with maximum temps of 12°C (54°F) and winds that threatened to flatten our New Zealand dome tent. Only anchoring it firmly to (and in the lee of) the car kept it from flying to distant parts.

At least the rest of the weekend was bright, even if the temperatures never rose...

Ben Nevis

I've never climbed Scotland's highest mountain, despite spending years hillwalking in my youth, but our friends Maura and Jerry visiting from Ireland wanted to hike up it and despite a poor weather forecast (is there ant other for this notoriously fickle mountain?!) we set out Saturday to attempt an ascent.

The clouds were actually quite high as we set out around 11.30am with at least the hint of brightness where the sun was lurking in the southern sky. The first stretch is a sustained climb on a well formed path from about 35m (115ft) (according to my GPS) to around 640m (2100ft). Here we split from the main "tourist path" to skirt Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe then follow the contours around the huge buttress of Carn Dearg round to the Mountain Rescue Hut below Coire Leis.

View of the buttresses of Carn Dearg at lunch

The ridge over 500m (1700ft) above us was still visible as we ate lunch in preparation for the long, sustained and tough climb on a rocky slope to reach it... but of course as we climbed the cloud dropped and we were greeted near the top by driving rain and a violent buffeting wind. At least making the ridge cheered our spirits and we soon arrived at the summit cairn of Carn Dearg Meadhonach. From here the ridge gets narrow and rocky and with the wind periodically doing its best to blow us into the valley far below it was a hairy traverse over Carn Mor Dearg... though most of the time we couldn't see the drop (which Tracy claims helps her vertigo!?). A couple of times the clouds did blow off for a few minutes giving us glimpses of the summit and the view east to the Aonachs... but I didn't dare a picture in the wind and rain.

Finally the ridge widened and after another tough slog up maybe 200m (650ft) with the wind at my back the slope suddenly flattened onto a snow field and the GPS revealed I was only meters below the summit. Backtracking to pass on the information I met three bedraggled figures very glad of good news. We were soon on the summit, (which Maura, who'd been up twice in summer, didn't recognise covered in several feet of snow) at around 6pm and after a brief snack (and zero view) we followed the requisite bearings to safely regain the tourist path down, again suffering driving rain for maybe 10 minutes until we suddenly emerged from the cloud for great views of Lock Linnhe and Loch Eil.

Our descent was pretty quick, past a surprising number of people making a late bid for the summit (there is plenty of daylight but some were not well equipped and looked miserable) and we were back at the car around 8pm, soaked and tired but happy that we'd met the challenge. Time to drive back to our hostel in Fort Augustus and hit the pub!

VT Number

Apparently to work in the NHS in Scotland I need a "VT Number". This is what you are issued after spending a post-graduation year in supervised practice as a Vocational Trainee, a scheme that barely existed when I graduated and didn't become compulsory for many years after.

But you say, they'll just grandfather in anyone graduating in pre-VT days. Well the answer is no. OK, but you should be able to present the fact that you spent years as a dentist in Britain after graduation and get a number issued. No again, you can only apply for a number when you go for an NHS job, and then you present evidence of what you have done in the last 5 years and a board decides if a number will be issued.

This may make sense as a way of regulating overseas dentists (who make up a significant proportion of the Scottish dental workforce these days), but is clearly ridiculous for someone like me who would have a VT number now except that I am too old! So I will have to work as an employee until such time (12 weeks they say) as the board make a decision.

Moving North

After multiple issues with getting relicensed (see the post above for a nice bit of bureaucracy) and a short job hunt we are moving north next week to Inverness. This is the major city in the north of Scotland and has grown enormously in the years since I left Scotland.

I'm going to work at a newly set up dental practice subsidised by the local health authority and set up to try and decrease the enormous waiting list for NHS treatment in the city and surrounding area. I'm starting with the understanding I'll interview for a job even further north (which seems to suit my experience very well) but will continue in the Inverness practice unless I get that post. It'll be good to get back into the swing of dentistry anyway.

More Critters

I'm writing this in Rogart, well to the north in Scotland, where I'm being watched by a grouse, with a rabbit hopping in the field nearby. However the most interesting animals today were a crowd of Common Seals basking on the sand bars in the shallow Loch Fleet. On a previous bike trip around the northwest and north coasts of the country we had many hours to gaze at the water without spotting any marine life... we were looking in the wrong place obviously. Didn't see any dolphins yesterday however, though they are often spotted in the inlets of the east coast.

Sonic Boom

One of the features of life in northern Scotland are Air Force planes from RAF Leuchars on training missions. While I've seen planes fly well below me as I've climbed mountains, been scared half to death as a plane flew right over my car in an isolated valley and seen them speeding low over the North Sea I'd never experienced a sonic boom created by the supersonic speeds of the aircraft. Yesterday we were watching a plane doing laps off the coast of Cromarty and several times the boom hit like a distant thunderclap as the plane flew northeast of us. Well, either it was a sonic boom or they were bombing Helmsdale...

Wildlife

That title in Glasgow might not immediately make you think of furry beasts, and I don't remember too many non domestic animals around when I was growing up but now the area around my parents' house boast a number of deer (who wander fearlessly around the neighbour's garden in the day) and several foxes which hang out after dark. There was even some roadkill (fox) on the main road when I was out running which is rather less common here than in the US.

The bird life on the other hand is somewhat diminished. Plenty of small birds, rooks, pigeons and magpies but few larger garden birds and no seagulls. The latter is likely because the rubbish dump a mile away is now closed... as our proximity to the sea hasn't changed (yet) despite the warnings of sea level rises.

Basketball in Bishopbriggs

Since I was last here the council has installed a fenced in basketball court in the park near my parents' home. Up until recently I've seen it used quite regularly... but only (as I might have predicted) to play football (soccer). But yesterday there was a group playing two on two basketball. While NBA scouts might not be queuing in the expectation of finding the next Robert Archibald it was an interesting development in a place where a round ball is generally only handled by a goalkeeper.

Well Behaved Dogs (shame about the people)

We've started exploring the area by bike in the last couple of weeks, using the Forth and Clyde Canal and a trail following the old railway line from Kirkintilloch to Strathblane. Both are extensively used by runners (inclding Tim on many occasions), dog walkers and pedestrians, and many dogs are off lead. In the US this would make me nervous (our dog would have been a menace if we were not paying attention) but here most dogs just wander on by oblivious, some halt at a word from their owners and the few that might be a problem due to youth or nature are held by the owner with most obviously being trained. Now we know we'll have to be good about training when we can finally get our own!

On the other hand the litter in many areas, even attractive rural ones is totally out of hand. There are not shortage of bins but a significant proportion of the people of Scotland seem to be unable to use them. Kudos to people who join the all to frequent (and much needed) clean up days in parks and on trails and waterways and shame on the litter louts.

Spring is Sprung (slowly)

After getting used to New York where winter usually ends in early April followed by mud season, a rapid increase in temperature and everything seeming to turn summer green in about a week it is interesting to be somewhere where everything seems to happen in slow motion. We have had spectacular daffodils for weeks now, each day over that period a few more bushes and latterly trees are beginning to green up and the sun is a little warmer but on the whole most days top out at 12°C and we get the usual cloudy days with periods of sun (though pretty dry this year).

Another big difference is the length of the days. It's less than 3 weeks since we changed to summer time and already it'll be light till 8.30 on a bright day.

Paperwork Plus

It feels like we have been singlehandedly saving the ailing Royal Mail, but finally we are crawling out from under the deluge of paper. I still don't have my UK registration finalised but I think it's nearly there, and I have a job interview for the most suitable post I've seen advertised given my odd (of course the resume says "varied and valuable") mix of experience. Meanwhile Tracy has sent off a mass of paper in an effort to prove she can qualify as a GP here and another pile to support getting her immigration status made permanent. But at least she now has the required National Insurance number for employment.

So we are still in limbo jobwise... but the sun is shining and our shipment arrived from the US so it's not all bad. Plus Tracy can now apply to do locum jobs in Ireland (in a much easier process than here in the UK due to recent legislation) to keep her skills up to date.

Wow, a Post

I have been a bit lax on this blog, blame the good weather this spring getting me out running or with the camera and the efforts to get all our paperwork squared away.

We finally hit the Scottish hills for a walk this week. OK it was only Earls Seat on the Campsies (a rather unimpressive 1800ft high point on the lumpy ridge of mountains that dominate the view north from Glasgow) but it was a 5 hour day and reminded me of a few things:

1. Scottish hills are wet. Even in a dry spring we were squelching through peat bog, regular bog, streams and saturated moss.

2. Never trust the weather. The forecast was good and we had a generally bright and warmish day, but the hills to the north were barely visible in grey cloud and the rain was pouring down over areas of eastern Glasgow much of the day.

3. The view is always worth the effort. We could see Glasgow in an interesting mix of sun and clouds all the way up and when we reached the summit Loch Lomond was looking good.

4. One day all this might be wind farm. There is a wind farm to the northeast and the flattish, windy, wide open and unproductive Campsies look like prime territory to me.

An Interesting Rule

Tracy and I were in Tesco (the UK's biggest supermarket) yesterday in Springburn, the area of Glasgow bordering Bishopbriggs. Deciding we needed a few pain killers to counteract exercise, old age, etc we tried to buy 2 packets of 16 Paracetemol (acetaminophen/ Tylenol for the Americans) tablets and 2 packets of 16 Ibuprofen caplets. Well apparently this is not allowed, even with two of us there we could only buy one packet of each. Now we could understand if there was some abuse or processing potential (the store is not in the classiest part of town)but there is not. Paracetemol can cause liver failure in large doses so there is an argument there, but there is no logic at all in the rule for Ibuprofen. Some stores in the US will sell you a bottle of 750!

Tracy Takes a Test

Since 2007 there has been a test for immigrants to Britain, which Tracy can take right away. Unlike the one I took for US citizenship (answer 10 questions the immigration official reads off the screen, most are of the "Who is the President" variety or not much tougher) this is taken at a testing centre and actually requires study. So far I've only chosen one right answer in five sample questions she has given me and that was to the essential knowledge of "How often do British children get their pocket money". Clearly living in Britain is tougher than it once was.

How to Make the Trains Run On Time

You can either institute a fascist dictatorship (a Mussolini joke for anyone who paid attention in the school history class) or timetable like First Scotrail, our local company. We live on the edge of the city and the journey is timetabled as 5 minutes pulling out of the city from Glasgow to Bishopbriggs, up a steep hill. Going downhill however every train is given 10-11 minutes to reach the end of the journey. Wonderful way to massage the figures.

Scottish Money

For those who haven't visited Scotland (why not), we have 3 different bank notes for each denomination. All of them different from the English ones in design, but worth the same amount. This dates from the days that private British banks could issue their own notes, and while the law in England and Wales eventually prevented the practice there, 3 Scottish and 4 Northern Irish Banks retain the right.

I always think this must confuse visitors, although the general colour scheme has been similar for each denomination across the 3 designs. But now there are a couple of new factors:

- The Bank of Scotland notes since 2007 are really different from what we are used to in the UK (more like Euros), so an assorted handful of Scottish currency looks even more varied than before.
- Two of the banks have been bailed out by the government in the recent banking crisis to stop them going bust. Good thing they print someone else's money, they don't have any of their own.

Avoid Dublin Airport

We were lucky our US flight arrived a little early. Once in the terminal transit passengers had to walk forever, queue in a regular line for passport control then walk through a series of passages, finally getting stuck in a narrow corridor waiting to join those flying from Dublin for the regular security check. Here a number of people were panicking about getting their onward flights, and we were pretty tight for time. We could easily have been kept separate on the air side and avoided the scrum for security, but this was clearly beyond the airport authority who no doubt prioritize developing another "retail opportunity". Once past security there was another considerable walk. Not good planning!

Lack of Customs and Immigration

We discovered an interesting loophole in border security coming into Scotland. We flew Aer Lingus to Dublin and then transferred to a small plane for the last leg into Glasgow, with our bags delivered all the way to our final destination. In Dublin we went through Immigration where we said we were in transit, Tim used his US passport (as that was the one I checked in with in New York), and the official gave us a transit stamp with barely a second look. We then headed for the UK flight.

Once in Glasgow we went straight to pick up our bags just like a domestic flight. No Customs, no Immigration. There was certainly no way to know that Tim was not some random american with no visa, as opposed to a dual citizen!

The Scottish Government are Stealing Our Ideas

We've been planning to return to Scotland at the beginning of 2009 since the summer of 2006 (we had some traveling to fit in first!). And what do we discover a few months ago? 2009 is apparently Scottish Homecoming Year. And no sign of either a subsidy for coming home or a licensing fee for our idea. Alex Salmond, you owe me at least a pint.