Standing Charges
An ancient Scottish standing stone has been sent an electric bill for £175. But miraculously the 23ft Sueno's Stone has already paid £230 into it's account. In what must be the ultimate attempt to get blood out of a stone, electricity board Hydro tried to get the monument to stump up for floodlighting. They sent a bill addressed to Suenos Stone, Findhorn Road, Forres, complete with postcode. A local postman dutifully tried to deliver the letter to the stone, inside an elaborate glass-encased building on the outskirts of the town. Getting nothing but a stony silence in return, he re-directed it to local council offices, who promised to send it on to the stone's custodians, Historic Scotland. The bill claims the 1100 year old monument is £55 in credit. Hydro spokesman Dennis Kirby said: "We have been happily sending out bills to Historic Scotland, but for some reason the billing address has been changed. "It looks like human error. Had the bills not been paid, I doubt we would have started legal proceedings, mainly because it is in credit. "It must have managed to get to the bank and pay something in." The monument is the largest surviving Pictish stone. Experts believe it dates from the 9th century. At might, drivers on the A96 road can see the stone lit up in all its glory.
Treasure Quest
The search to find treasure off the coast of Fraserburgh is to continue this year. Divers hoping to find the wreck of the Edward Bonaventure, which sank somewhere in Pitsligo Bay in 1556, will continue their quest this month with the help of new equipment. Manager of the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses in Fraserburgh, Jim Oliver, said: "The winter months do not provide good conditions for diving so the search has not been very active. The divers will now concentrate on a chart called a magnetometer. It sends out electronic impulses which chart where there is metal hidden in the silt. "The divers have found two areas on this chart which interest them. And when they get back to the search, they will also use the equipment which will pinpoint where metal is hidden." The search began when a cannon was dragged from the North Sea by the Ocean Reaper fishing boat in 1994. Mr Oliver and Malcolm McKillop from the Fraserburgh Heritage Centre contacted the diving unit at St Andrews University to try to find out the cannon's vintage and worth. The cannon is housed at the heritage centre.
Beauty Spot Bypassed
A group spearheading efforts to lure more visitors to the Dunnet Bay area are deploying hi-tec means to get across their message. A CD-ROM is being made to promote the attractions of the beauty spot regularly bypassed by tourist travelling to or returning from John O'Groats. The production is to feature the expansive sands, the nature haven of Dunnet Head, the local forest, together with information about the rich history of the area. The Dunnet Bay Initiative, which came up with the idea, had hoped the CD-ROM would be available last Autumn. But the launch date has been put back to Easter after it was decided to expand the subject matter to include the John O'Groats area and other attractions in Caithness. DBI chairman Will Menzies said: "The thing just grew and grew. It was decided to include other parts of the county, as you can't come to Caithness without, for example, visiting the Camster Cairns." The CD-ROM now features an area from Murkle right round the coast to Keiss. The project is being funded by Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise, with the work being carried out by Thurso based Caithness Multi Media.
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Scots to Get Slagged Off in London
A TV programme slagging off Scotland will not be screened north of the Border. The show claims the Scots are a nation of spongers and subsidy junkies. Producers for London's Granite Productions rolled out right wing journalist and broadcaster Richard Littlejohn, of the Sun, and Tory columnist Simon Heffer, of the Daily Mail, to get stuck into the Scots. Littlejohn, a self styled "man of the people" who earns an estimated £1 million a year, said Scotland should apologise to England for getting more than its share of the public purse. Littlejohn also asked why English taxpayers should pay for Scotland's appalling health record. And he cited the deep fried Mars Bar as damning evidence of the poor diet. Scotland's leading newspaper, the Daily Record, learned of the programme when its columnist Joan Burnie was invited to appear on the show to fight Scotland's corner. But Joan's defence of Scotland will not be seen outside of London when the show goes out next month. Producer Fiona Gregg, herself a Scot, said: "It's not having a go at Scotland, it's having a look at the Barnett Formula on regional budgeting by Westminster and where it stands now because of devolution. "London Chamber of Commerce is agitating because it thinks greater tax revenues come out of London and the south east, and more of that goes to Scotland than they think is fair."
 Nessie says: "If they're that worried we're taking a' their money why not just gie us our oil back and a' the 6,000 square miles of North Sea they took off us and then we'll go independent. More power to your elbow Joan, need any back-up, just gie's a shout."
Plenty to Offer
The National Trust for Scotland is keen to point out that many of its biggest attractions stay open all year round. More than 70 gardens, grounds and buildings stay open throughout the winter months, including the Culloden battlefield visitor centre. Other attractions include, The Hermitage, near Dunkeld, which over winter is a stark contrast to its summer self. Ben Notley, senior ranger at the Hermitage said: "Winter is an excellent time to take advantage of the trust's woodland, countryside and garden properties. "The trust has a great reputation for the cultural heritage within its care. We are the fourth largest landowner in Scotland and all of it is open to the public." Arduaine and Inverewe Gardens on the West Coast remain open all year, as do the gardens and grounds of all the trust's popular castles and houses. They include Crathes Castle, Brodie Castle, Castle Fraser, Craigievar Castle, Fyvie Castle, Haddo House and Mar Lodge.
Spring Festival Date Announced
Music lovers will be pleased to note that dates for the Loch Sheil Spring Festival have been announced. Set to become a fixture in the Scottish cultural landscape, this year's concert will run from May 21 to 29. This year the festival, now in its fifth year, plans to acquire a new piano to enhance the range of music on offer. The opening of the festival will, as usual, be kicked off with a cruise on Loch Shiel followed by a concert in Glenfinnan, the village at the end of the loch. Festival organiser Richard Stead hinted on what this year's festival might hold. He said: "During the week of the festival in 2000 there were 10 concerts so perhaps we might even manage one or two more in 2001 when plans are finalised. "So it is an exciting week for music lovers to note in their diaries."
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