Over-commercialisation, surly service, annoying neds - Welcome to Scotland

Like most people I don't pay attention to the tourist attractions near where I live and work. I walk along the Embankment at 5.30 every night and get grumpy with the tourists stopping to look at the big building across the river. Why are so many people interested in the Houses of Parliament? It was the same when I lived in Glasgow. A view of the Campsies from the living room window? Unimpressive. Less than an hour to Loch Lomond? Dull. When I was home for a few days last week we decided to be a bit touristy and go for a day out to Loch Lomond and Luss.

And we were faced with somewhere we wouldn't want to go back to. We got to Balloch and were faced by a hideous over-commercialisation of one of the most beautiful sites in Scotland. Noisy buskers, fairground rides, hot dog stands, a "petting zoo" (why show your children the nature in front of them when an animal in a cage will do?) and buildings along the shore spoiling the bloody view. We endured the spectacle of a sheepdog chasing a group of ducks around squealing children and a forest of mirrors.

The loch itself had rubbish floating in it and there were no walks signposted around the shore. I accept that there has to be some degree of commercialisation with gift shops/tea shops etc but it seems that the Loch has become the backdrop to a funfair rather than the main focus of the area.

So from a disappointing Balloch we moved onto Luss. Which was much nicer. Kind of. We went into the only pub in the village for lunch. Messy tables, scowling waitress, being told they couldn't make a cappuccino for us yet the people at the next table getting theirs and a half hour wait for a sandwich all made this a less than welcoming establishment. Although the food was really nice.

Then to a little walk along the pier, where a gang of neds were throwing each other around, drinking cheap lager, swearing loudly and slagging off the area. They weren't being aggressive to other pier users but their presence did make others feel uncomfortable and several people turned on their heels and left the pier. Couple this with the abuse that (another) gang of neds were shouting at a group of young asians Luss wasn't really that appealing either.

The tourism industry should be alive and vibrant in Scotland, but from what I saw our natural resources just aren't being cared for and developed properly. I hope that the powers that be aren't just relying on a good reputation. It won't last long.

Independence?

Over the past couple of years my political views have been going through a bit of a change. When I was a student I was a hang em, flog em, send em back where they came from type of Tory. And (to the eternal dismay of my daddy) a staunch Unionist. Now things are very different - I am now much more liberal than I was when I was younger. The thought of the death penalty for example now fills me with dread, I would rather go to prison than carry a compulsory ID card and I think the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in Britain in one of our nation's shame.

I still regard myself (mostly) as a Conservative but I have no problem whatsoever in not voting for any candidate that I regard to be sexist, racist or homophobic. I have no loyalty to the Conservative Party anymore but of the three main parties in England they are probably the one whose views are closest to my own.

And there's the rub - in England. I don't know how I would vote if in Scotland. I am still, mostly a Unionist, but not as staunch as I was a decade or so ago. I believe the Union has been good for both Scotland and England, fiscally and culturally and I think that a larger country will always carry more weight on the world stage than a smaller one and that Scotland benefits from this.

But, but, but.... Over the last couple of years I have started to question whether this is enough to base the Union on. I am fed up with the continual patronising of Scotland (and the people of Scotland) by politicians who claim that Scotland couldn't cope as an independent nation. Of course it could. Scotland, as with any nation, has the talent and ability to achieve great things. Or it has the capacity to elect dreadful politicians who mess up the economy. No-one can actually say for sure what will happen if/when Scotland becomes independent. But as part of the Union the same is absolutely true. Isn't that what happens in every country? And isn't that the decision of the Scottish electorate?

This is, of course, partly a result of devolution. I was, and still am, opposed to devolution, it's a ridiculous half-way house which does nothing to strengthen the union. And we now have a situation where the democratically elected government of Scotland in Edinburgh has to look to the other democratically elected government of Scotland in London for permission to do anything a wee bit off New Labour message. Or where the majority of Scottish elected representatives vote against Trident but it will still be partly funded by the Scottish tax-payer and based in Scotland. I was right about devolution - it was the first step to the break-up of the UK, just I think now that's not necessarily a bad thing.

So - why shouldn't Scotland be independent? I really don't know.

Rise of the SNP blogger

The best political bloggers in the UK have typically come from the right wing with a few honourable mentions from the left - Paul and Kerron for example.

However the up-coming Scottish elections seem to have spurred on a bit of a rise in the SNP blogger.

I first read Grant Thoms (the Tartan Hero), but there's plenty more - Anne McLaughlin (no relation), Alison Thewliss, Lachie McNeill, Jamie Hepburn, Julie Hepburn, Chris for Pollok, Davie Hutchison and Richard Thomson to name a few. The quality varies a bit but there are a couple which I will now visit regularly - especially the Glasgow Springburn and Shettleston ones.

Interestingly, many of the posts across the board are quite similar. With many of the same graphics. I wonder if this is a deliberate campaign being supported (and possibly encouraged) by Nat High Command. Well done if it is. Many voters will be finding their SNP candidates with blogs which are (shockingly for political candidates) on-message. The SNP, unlike the Conservatives, seem to have taken the hint that public statements diametrically opposed to the Party line don't actually help. Still, hopefully after the elections the blogs will keep going and be slightly more open to varied topics rather than just party policy.

Stating the Obvious

Top story on BBC Scotland - Rangers Boss is a Unionist.

And in the next journalistic breakthrough - Pope in Catholic shocker....