Above is a computer generated image and a post construction photograph of Zone Architects’s Queensferry Addition. This zinc clad addition to one of a series of grand villas lining the edge of the Firth of Forth is a rare change to the usual sandstone structures erected in the city whilst also solving the issues of poor kitchen and service facilities and lack of connection to the garden. The real success though is the framed view of the Forth Railway Bridge, a beautiful cantilevered bridge which connects the City of Edinburgh with neighboring Fife.

I was employed by Zone Architects 01/2008 – 09/2008. During this period I worked on this project, including producing the computer generated image.

 Edinburgh’s top chefs may be salivating over the return of oysters to the Firth of Forth, but local people hope there are bigger fish to fry.

Local historian, George Hackland, says the real benefit will be in the re-generation of his town and the return of prosperity to Newhaven.

Newhaven used to be Scotland’s oyster capital and the town flourished a century ago as over 30 million oysters were landed each year.

Mr Hackland, of the Newhaven Community History Group hopes for a return to those abundant times.

He said: “Oysters used to be so plentiful that rich and poor alike ate them and the town prospered.

“It may be years before we see any wide-scale harvesting but in time oysters could hold great benefits for Newhaven Fish Market and the town itself.”

He added: “It would certainly benefit again from the sale of oysters to Britain and abroad.”

The oysters were discovered recently by a Dr Elizabeth Ashton of Stirling University. Her find scuppers two earlier studies, carried out in 1957 and 1996, that indicated they were extinct.

Over-fishing and pollution may have taken them to the brink of extinction but it is now evident that some survived and may now thrive due to the improved quality of the water.

The loss of the herring industry in the late 19th century and the gradual decline in Forth oysters saw the town sink into a slow but inexorable descent into mediocrity from being the pearl in Scotland’s oyster crown.

At its peak the fishmarket was the nucleus of Scotland’s oyster industry but today most of it has been converted into a restaurant and museum. Gone are the many generations who worked and prospered there.

But George Hackland is optimistic about the future.

He said: “The town has lost the herring but it is encouraging to see the return of the oysters and this would be great for Newhaven in years to come.”

Local chef Tom Kitchin, of the Kitchin Restaurant in Leith, said: “We would definately sell them. Our customers would love them and they would have a unique selling point.”

'Over the Firth to Kirkcaldy,' as the song goes

News has come out that Edinburgh council is putting out a tender for a hovercraft service to link the city’s Portobello beach with Kirkcaldy.

To be fair the plan might benefit those who need to travel between the two, and would probably help, to a small extent, with the massive congestion on the Forth Road Bridge.

A spokesman for Stagecoach, who piloted a scheme in 2007, said: “The beauty of a hovercraft is that there are very limited facilities that are required in terms of infrastructure.

“Don’t forget that the route from Fife to Edinburgh across the Forth Road Bridge is one of the most congested routes in Scotland so its only going to get worse.”

He added: “We think that by offering an alternative sustainable public transport option, we have a big opportunity to get people to switch from the car to the hovercraft.”

However, the Romantic in me can’t help but feel that the idea of ferrying, however excitingly via hovercraft, from Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy doesn’t sound that interesting, I suspect there won’t be much tourist traffic.

August 10, 2003

Considering how late we were up last night, we got a pretty early start this morning.  Had to: needed to catch a taxi to South Queensferry.  This is an incredibly picturesque little village on the south side of the Firth of Forth bridge.  Very quiet coastal village, though perhaps that’s due to it being fairly early in the morning.  Without having explored the village at all, I fell in love with it.  In fact, if we come up to Edinburgh again, we should think about staying here rather than in Edinburgh.

So…  the Firth of Forth bridge.  This is supposedly a very famous bridge and some sort of architectural /engineering masterpiece.  Before leaving on this trip, everyone told us, “Oh, if you’re going to Scotland, you have to see the Firth of Forth bridge!”

Hmm…  ok.  Looks like your standard bridge.  Now, I’m no architect or engineer, so maybe I’m missing something, but all I could think was: What the fuck is so fascinating about it?

Anyway, we didn’t come out here for the bridge.  At the village pier we got ferry tickets and wandered around until the boat showed up.  While we waited, I tried feeding some seagulls pieces of some weird pastry I bought earlier.  They wouldn’t touch it.  Fucking seagulls will eat anything…  but not this?  Damn.  I’d already eaten most of it, but the rest went in the trash.

The ferry ride out to Inchcolm Island was nice, smooth, and only about 30 minutes.  I caught a few glimpses of seals in the water as we passed an oil platform.  This caught me off guard — I had no idea there were seals around here.

Inchcolm Island is very small; you could probably walk the perimeter of the island in under 20 minutes.  The main reason for coming was to see Inchcolm Abbey.  Well, the ruins of the Abbey.  The ruins are about as old as Fountains Abbey, but Inchcolm is much, much smaller.  It’s also much more intact than Fountains.

We went straight for the ruins and commenced exploring.  There are lots of small stairways, nooks, and crannies to investigate.  I love this stuff.  Even though it’s fairly small, we didn’t explore all the ruins — we’re on somewhat of a tight schedule since the ferry comes back in just a few hours.  I’d like to come back here and spend more time checking out just the abbey ruins.

Soon, we headed off to have a look-see at the rest of the island.  Walking around we came across a number of WWI and WWII bunkers and buildings.  Great.  Now we’ll need to look this stuff up, too, if we come back here.  There’s got to be an interesting story associated with this “outpost”.

According to the signage, there are supposed to be puffins that nest here, but they must all be gone for the season.  I had a particular interest in seeing them because I have a distinct memory from when I was very young of looking through an encyclopedia and seeing a picture of a puffin bird.  For some reason, I remember calling it a “pancake bird”.  For the life of me, I can’t remember why.

Well, there are no puffins on the island.  No seals, either.  However, there is an absolute shit-load of seagulls.  Fuckers were everywhere; had to be careful walking around or you’d step on one the stupid bastards.  Not to mention all the crap and feathers (but those were unavoidable and soon caked the bottoms of our shoes).  The unnerving thing is, they all watched us intently.  I’m sure it was just to see if we’d drop food, but damn if it didn’t freak us out a little.  My wife commented that she felt like she was in Hitchcock’s movie The Birds.

After the ferry ride back to the village, we walked around in search of a bus stop.  We figured we’d be better off paying £4 for the bus rather than £40 for a taxi.  The rest of the afternoon we spent on the Royal Mile.  Lunch was at an Italian place called Bella’s, which had an entire floor for non-smokers (I predict we’ll be back there).  Ducked in and out of shops for a few hours; my psychotic wife kept trying on wool sweaters.  Sweaters?! In this heat?  Bought some goofy “Jimmy” hats (no, not condoms), and ended up walking way down to the end of the Mile to a bagpipe shop.  Which was closed, dammit.

We were getting a bit footsore, so we went back to the hotel to rest for a while before the ghost tour.  Around 11:30pm we took off for St Giles church where we were to meet up with the tour guide.  All told, about 30 people showed up for the tour, several of whom were seriously on the piss.

There was some interesting information on the tour — mostly about Edinburgh’s medieval history — but it was a little hokey and disappointing.  The guide was really trying, but it just wasn’t happening.  The most promising bit was when we went to the cemetery and we all crowded into MacKenzie’s tomb.  We were told it is very haunted and the guide went on about some crack-pot theory that it wasn’t necessarily a ghost, but rather a mass of “fear pheromones” that attacked people.

Riiiight…

So anyway, supposedly after around ten minutes of hanging out in the tomb at night, something usually happens.  We all got quiet and looked around expectantly.  Right then, some guy dressed in a black cloak jumped into the doorway and yelled, “RRRUUUUUAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!”

Scared the holy-fucking-hell out of every single one of us.  I distinctly remember thinking, as it was happening, that it was just some jackass in a cloak; none-the-less, I still screamed like a little girl.  Don’t judge me…  everyone screamed.  In fact, one of the drunk guys in the back passed out.  I have to admit, it was pretty fucking funny.

There was a bad part to this cheap scare, though.  As the crowd heaved back in fright, an old couple in the front stumbled.  Actually, the man sort of knocked his wife back and she fell on her butt.  No injuries other than pride, but the old bastard leapt at the guide, grabbed her neck, screamed at her, and took a swing at her.  Now, this old dude was stocky, and the tour guide was probably 20 years old and couldn’t have weighed more than 100 pounds.  Fortunately, there were a couple of guys standing right next to her that pulled the old coot off and kept him back.

The guide was pretty shaken up, but she did a good job of keeping her composure as she told the guy to leave or she’d call the police.  I think the rest of us felt like chiming in that if he didn’t leave we’d put our collective foot up his ass.  That was pretty much the end of the tour, and it seemed that everyone felt a bit awkward leaving.  My wife and I gave the guide a hefty tip (no one else did, so I don’t think tipping tour guides here is customary).  It felt like a pity tip, but really it wasn’t.  That last bit in the tomb with the guy jumping out at us was so goddamn funny, it was worth double the price of the ticket.

It was well after 2am by the time we got back to the hotel.  Still didn’t need a jacket, either.  I’m not complaining, but that is some fucked-up weather.

By Leroy Carter

Edinburgh’s top chefs may be salivating over the return of oysters to the Firth of Forth, but local people hope there are bigger fish to fry.

Local historian, George Hackland, says the real benefit will be in the re-generation of his town and the return of prosperity to Newhaven.

Newhaven used to be Scotland’s oyster capital and the town flourished a century ago as over 30 million oysters were landed each year.

Mr Hackland, of the Newhaven Community History Group hopes for a return to those abundant times.

He said: “Oysters used to be so plentiful that rich and poor alike ate them and the town prospered.

“It may be years before we see any wide-scale harvesting but in time oysters could hold great benefits for Newhaven Fish Market and the town itself.”

He added: “It would certainly benefit again from the sale of oysters to Britain and abroad.”

The oysters were discovered recently by a Dr Elizabeth Ashton of Stirling University. Her find scuppers two earlier studies, carried out in 1957 and 1996, that indicated they were extinct.

Over-fishing and pollution may have taken them to the brink of extinction but it is now evident that some survived and may now thrive due to the improved quality of the water.

The loss of the herring industry in the late 19th century and the gradual decline in Forth oysters saw the town sink into a slow but inexorable descent into mediocrity from being the pearl in Scotland’s oyster crown.

At its peak the fishmarket was the nucleus of Scotland’s oyster industry but today most of it has been converted into a restaurant and museum. Gone are the many generations who worked and prospered there.

But George Hackland is optimistic about the future.

He said: “The town has lost the herring but it is encouraging to see the return of the oysters and this would be great for Newhaven in years to come.”

Local chef Tom Kitchin, of the Kitchin Restaurant in Leith, said: “We would definately sell them. Our customers would love them and they would have a unique selling point.”

By Lauren Gelling

The Scottish Parliament is set to investigate the proposed £2 billion cost of the new Forth Road Bridge.

The transport and  finance committees will both look into why Transport Scotland have estimated such high amount for the structure, which is officially named the ‘Forth Replacement Crossing’.

 The average cost of major road bridges around the world is less than £200,000 per metre, according to a recent survey.  The cost of the new bridge, which will link Edinburgh to Fife, is valued at £750,ooo a metre, making it one of the world’s most expensive bridges.

A spokesman for Transport Scotland said: “The main contract to build the bridge and the associated motorway connecting roads will be issued to tender next month. We expect the cost of that contract to be between £900m and £1.2bn when it is returned in 2010.  Of that construction cost, we expect the cost of building the bridge to account for around 70 per cent. The estimated cost of the new bridge has been benchmarked against international comparisons and compares favourably with other similar structures around the world.”

Edinburgh’s Transport Convener, Gordon Mackenzie, said:  “The fact that these committees want to look at the Forth Replacement Crossing is unsurprising given the recent history of difficulties experienced by high profile public construction projects e.g. Scottish Parliament and Edinburgh Trams.  Equally, there has to be proper scrutiny of such a major spending commitment. We have to examine the assumptions behind the existing figures. I’m no expert but there are major differences between the costs of construction in Hong Kong and Scotland. Whether these justify the level of costs estimates is something for industry experts to comment on.

“However, leaving aside the cost issue, I believe there are significant flaws in the current proposals. As proposed, the new bridge will largely replicate the traffic problems we experience with the current bridge.  Edinburgh, Fife, West Lothian and Midlothian Councils + SESTrans will shortly be issuing a joint press statement calling for the package to include funding for key elements of the public transport alternatives to be funded and will lobby for those to be included in the Bill as it goes through parliament.”

By Rory Reynolds

ROYAL Navy bomb experts have blown up a live Second World War mine after it was caught up in the nets of a fishing boat on Sunday night.

Fishing trawler The Reward dragged the explosive device towards Port Seton in East Lothian, after it was snared in the boat’s nets six miles off shore in the Firth of Forth.

The crew left the object sitting around seven meters underwater after alerting Forth Coastguard of the situation.

Divers from Faslane Naval base on the Clyde swam down and attached an explosive device to the mine.

They then move clear to a safe distance before detonating the bulky device causing an underwater explosion in the Forth.A spokesman for Forth Coastguard said: “The fishing boat was about six miles out when it caught onto their nets and they dragged it in.

“I don’t know if they knew what it was but they knew they had something caught on their nets.

“The usually do detonate these devices, just so it’s dealt with and no longer a danger.”

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

AN UNUSUALLY shaped hotel is to help kick-start the regeneration surrounding Edinburgh’s historic Leith Harbour.

The striking triangle-fronted, nine-storey, 25-bedroomed building is to built close to Ocean Terminal and has been specifically designed to fit the irregular shape of the site.

The as-yet unnamed hotel would be the first of five hotels expected to be built in the area as part of a £700 million redevelopment package.

Included in the plans are a bar and a restaurant which will boast stunning views over the Firth of Forth as well being positioned just yards from the newly-constructed tram line.

A spokesman for AWG, who represent developers Ocean Points Development Limited, said: “The hotel has been designed to complement the developments in the area and would be ideally placed close by to the proposed tram stop.

“We are in talks with various operators, although no detailed decisions will be made until planning consent has been approved.”

New transport links

The hotel’s ground floor reception will face the Ocean Terminal complex and the proposed Tram Plaza, while conference facilities will be incorporated into the first floor.

The tram service will provide direct public transport links to the city centre, Edinburgh Airport and train station.

A spokesman for Forth Ports said: “This marks another step forward in the waterfront development at Leith.

“This is a long-term project over 20-30 years and we look forward to seeing its progress.”

Major plans for the regeneration of the historic port are said to include a new marina, hundreds of new homes and a permanent new home for the Royal Yacht Britannia.

The first work will begin later this year with the expansion of Ocean terminal and the completion of the tram plaza.

Other developments thought to be in the pipeline include the construction of public areas including a civic square.

Bondwoman and I cycled out to Crammond the other evening to catch the sunset; the plan was to be out on Crammond Island, but we left it just a bit too late. We did, however, catch the sunset, so here, in chronological order, are the best of the series:-

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Photo 5

Photo 6

Photo 7

Photographed by law_keven

Sunset – Forth Road Bridge – Edinburgh, Scotland – Monday November 3rd 2008.
Click here to see the Larger image

Click here to see My most interesting images

I took 500 shots of this Sunset, so my ol Chum Linda can get excited by them in Ooooooo June next year probably…lol…:O))))
I also have the actual sun setting, I just thought I would start with this one first, as my other chum…the Pink one who must be obeyed was whinging about the lack of pink….so here my friend is a lil bit of Pink……Hope you all like it…:O)))

The Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge in east central Scotland. The bridge, built in 1964, spans the Firth of Forth, connecting the capital city Edinburgh at South Queensferry to Fife at North Queensferry. The bridge replaced a centuries-old ferry service to carry vehicular traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians across the Forth; rail crossings are made by the adjacent and historic Forth Bridge.

Issues regarding the continued tolling of the bridge, and those over its deteriorating condition and proposals to have it replaced or supplemented by an additional crossing, have caused it to become something of a political football for the Scottish Parliament, which eventually voted to scrap tolls on the bridge with effect from 11 February 2008.
History ~ The first crossing at what is now the site of the bridge was established in the 11th century by Margaret, queen consort of King Malcolm III, who founded a ferry service to transport religious pilgrims from Edinburgh to Dunfermline Abbey and St Andrews.[1] Its creation gave rise to the port towns which remain to this day, and the service remained in uninterrupted use as a passenger ferry for over eight hundred years. As early as the 1740s there were proposals for a road crossing at the site, although their viability was only considered following the construction of the first Forth bridge in 1890.

The importance of the crossing to vehicular traffic was underpinned when the Great Britain road numbering scheme was drawn up in the 1920s. The planners wished the arterial A9 road to be routed across the Forth here, although the unwillingness to have a ferry crossing as part of this route led to the A90 number being assigned instead.

There was a period of renewed lobbying for a road crossing in the 1920s and 1930s, at which time the only vehicle crossing was a single passenger and vehicle ferry. Sir William Denny championed the expansion of that service in the 1930s, providing and operating two additional ferries on behalf of the London and North Eastern Railway that aimed to supplement the services of the adjacent railway bridge. Their success allowed for the addition of two more craft in the 1940s and 1950s, by which time the ferries were making 40,000 crossings, carrying 1.5 million passengers and 800,000 vehicles annually.
With the then-newest and nearest bridge spanning the Forth (the Kincardine Bridge, built in 1936) still around 15 miles (24 km) upstream, the upsurge in demand for a road crossing between Edinburgh and Fife prompted the UK government to establish the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board by Act of Parliament in 1947 to oversee the implementation of a new bridge to replace the ferry service. The final construction plan was accepted in February 1958 and work began in September of that year.
Mott, Hay and Anderson and Freeman Fox & Partners carried out the design work and Sir William Arrol & Co. constructed the bridge at a cost of £11.5 million, while the total cost of the project including road connections and realignments was £19.5 million. Seven lives were lost during construction before the bridge was opened by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on 4 September 1964.[6] The ferry service was discontinued as of that date. The bridge’s management was delegated to the FRBJB, and remained so until 2002 when its operation was transferred to a new body with a wider remit, the Forth Estuary Transport Authority.

Statistics ~ The bridge’s central main span is 1,006 m (3,298 ft) long, its two side spans are each 408 m (1338 ft) long, and the approach viaducts are 252 m (827 ft) on the north side and 438 m (1,437 ft) on the south side; at a total length of 2,512 m (8,242 ft), it was the longest suspension bridge outside the United States and the fourth-largest in the world at the time of its construction. The bridge comprises 39,000 tons of steel and 115,000 cubic metres of concrete. Its width comprises a dual carriageway road with two lanes in each direction bounded by cycle/footpaths on each side. The main strung cables are 590 mm in diameter and each carries 13,800 tonnes of the bridge’s load by suspending 11,618 5 mm diameter high tensile wires.
The bridge forms a crucial part of the corridor between south-east and north-east Scotland, linking Edinburgh to Perth, Dundee and Aberdeen by the A90 road and its sister M90 motorway which begins a few miles north of the bridge’s northern terminus. The bridge carried around 2.5 million vehicles in its first year but the annual figure has risen steadily over time to around 11.8 million vehicles in 2004 alone. The bridge carried its 250 millionth vehicle in 2002.
It was awarded Historic Scotland’s Category A listed structure status in 2001.

Tolling issues ~ On 11 February 2008 tolls were abolished on the bridge.
Initially, it was suggested that tolling would cease once the original cost of construction plus interest accrued had been repaid – this was done in 1993 and tolls were planned for removal by May 1995. However, the legislation enabling the levying of tolls has instead been renewed by Parliament (originally that of the UK but now the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament) on three separate occasions in 1998, 2003 and 2006.

Originally, a toll was paid for each direction of travel with sets of toll booths on both carriageways. In 1997, a decision was made to double the northbound toll (then 40p, to 80p) and remove the southbound toll. The belief was that almost all traffic makes a return journey across the bridge, resulting in a reduction of congestion for southbound traffic without reducing overall toll revenues.

The Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) has justified the continued use of tolls by suggesting they are necessary to fund maintenance and improvement works. These include the construction of defences around the submerged piers forming the bases of the main towers in the event of collision in the Firth. The main towers have also been strengthened with internal steel columns (the original tower structure having been hollow) and had hydraulic rams jack up these sections to transfer a portion of the load to the new steelwork. Also, the vertical cables suspending the deck have had their bolts replaced after a single detected failure. A new paint system required development for the bridge (the original having been phased out due to environmental concerns) and the toll plaza and booths have been replaced allowing more comfort for toll-collection staff and the introduction of electronic tolling.

– License

Two of North Berwick’s beaches Milsey Bay & West Beach won Seaside Awards for 2009, Milsey Bay picking up its eleventh straight award. Nearby beaches Belhaven Bay, Gullane Bents and Yellowcraig also gained awards.

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

A SCOTS artist once considered one of the country’s finest post-war landscape artists has left his entire £3million fortune to his wife.

But John Houston OBE plans for organizations supporting artists to eventually benefit from his works.

Mr Houston, who was born in the small Fife town of Buckhaven and was once capped for the Scottish international U-21 football team, passed away aged 78 last September.

Included in his legacy is his share of the family home in Edinburgh valued at an estimated £750,000, cash, shares and investments worth over £1 million, as well as his prized Mercedes Benz motorcar.

Throughout his life he continually championed art in his home country, collected scores of awards and titles, and was known for his intense, atmospheric landscapes exploring the dramatic effects of weather and light.

Houston’s work is characteristic of modern Scottish painting, and although his remarkable paintings of the Bass Rock in the River Forth have become a theme for his art, he is also recognised for his exciting studies of flowers.

The philanthropic artist’s bequest reveals he has left his entire fortune to his wife Dame Elizabeth Blackadder DBE - herself a respected artist, and the first woman to be elected to both the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Academy.

Donating all his work

But his will also stipulated that if Ms Blackadder had predeceased him, the bulk of his estate would go to various art organisations, including The Society of Scottish Artists and The Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours in Scotland.

Eventually, Mr Houston wants the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh to receive his and his wife’s entire collection of artwork, which includes hundreds of paintings, watercolours, sketches and sketchbooks.

His estate also revealed the artist was a keen investor, and one who kept a close eye on the markets.

His portfolio included shares in blue chip companies such as pharmaceutical conglomerate GlaxoSmithKline, communications company Vodafone, retail giant Sainsbury’s and energy company Shell.

Born in Buckhaven, Fife, but brought up in nearby Windygates, John Houston studied at Edinburgh College of Art between 1948 and 1954, and took up a travelling scholarship to Italy before returning to teach at the college.

His father owned the local shop in the small Fife town and, among other things, dealt in the sale of horses. Houston would ride for his father at race meetings throughout the country including the course at Musselburgh.

At Buckhaven High School, he was successful both academically and at sport, especially football, which was to play a large part in his early life.

He won an under-21 international cap, playing for Scotland against England as an outside-left, and went on to play as a part-time professional with Dundee United while at art school.

A serious injury to his knee put a stop to any thoughts of a football career, and a subsequent eye injury excused him from national service.

He then spent five years at the Edinburgh College of Art, leaving in 1953 with a postgraduate travel scholarship, which took him to Italy for the first time.

The young Elizabeth Blackadder was a near-contemporary, though it was not until towards the end of his time at Edinburgh that they became close.

The pair were to prove inseparable and were married in Edinburgh in 1956.

They both began teaching at the art college, and among Houston’s students was a young John Bellany CBE, who himself would go onto world-renown as a talented figurative painter.

Sad loss for Scottish art

Alistair Hamilton, 65, owner of the Harbour Gallery, Port Seton, East Lothian, was also in the same Houston-taught class as Bellany.

He said: “I remember John Houston very well even though we haven’t spoken for many years. He was one of the finest tutors we had and was such an amiable man.

“He always encouraged you in whatever field it was you were interested in, and always had time to chat and look over your work.

“John was extremely talented and his skyscapes and Bass Rock paintings are among the best I’ve ever seen.

“It was a sad loss, not only for Scottish art, but for art in general, when he passed away last year.

“I’m sure he will be fondly remembered by everyone who came into contact with him.”

And Professor Karen Forbes Visser, Edinburgh College of Arts’ Head of School of Drawing and Painting, said: “As two young artists Houston and Blackadder met during their studies at Edinburgh College of Art and have pursued individual artistic practices as husband and wife ever since, working alongside each other in many different countries, sharing a deep appreciation of their explorations and travels together.

“Painting was the vocabulary through which John articulated his passion for land and sea.”

Generous host

Houston and Blackadder travelled extensively on working trips abroad – latterly to Japan, France, and Italy, and especially to their much-loved Venice.

He was regarded by his close friends to be a most generous host, dangerously so when it came to his beloved malts and Burgundies.

At times he was said to be gruff and outspoken, but was also considered genial and sympathetic.

Mr Houston was appointed OBE in 1990.

John Houston O.B.E., R.S.A. was born on April 1, 1930 and passed away on September 27, 2008 leaving £2,858,676.93 in his estate.

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

MAJOR REPAIR work to Scotland’s lighthouses is to begin with the oldest rock-based structure in the British Isles later this year.

The Northern Lighthouse Board is seeking contractors with a head for heights to carry out work on some the country’s most remote buildings.

And the first lighthouse to be given a makeover is the 200 year-old Bell Rock, situated 12 miles off the Angus coast.

The work will pose many challenges for tradesmen because of its, remote location, dangerous tidal conditions and isolation.

Designed by celebrated Scottish engineer Robert Stevenson, the 133-foot lighthouse is considered to be one of Scotland’s greatest engineering feats of the early 19th century.

Tradesmen hunted

Urgent repairs needed to the lonely building include metalwork repairs, replacing the anti-bird netting around the lantern and building an extension to the entrance platform.

The work is expected to get underway in August or September.

The NLB are also hunting for painters, steeplejacks and electricians to revamp some of the country’s other structures, with some only accessible by helicopter.

Some 17 lighthouses have been earmarked for repairs according to the authority, which looks after 209 lighthouses in Scotland and the Isle of Man.

And along with the Bell Rock, which has been described as one of the Seven Wonders of the industrial world, a further five have been put on a priority list.

The other un-manned buildings are Elie Ness, Fidra Island and Inchkeith in the Firth of Forth, Crammag Head at Drunmore and Corran Narrows on Loch Linnhe.

Depending on how many structures are finally given the go-ahead, the work will cost between £1 million and £5 million and the tradesmen’s contracts will cover everything from painting to the installation of solar panels.

Formal tender to be announced soon

The job advert on the NLB website states: “The successful contractor(s) will be required to carry out multi-disciplined works and will need to be able to cover all trades in accordance with accepted industry standards.

“The works will include the following bit not limited to concrete works, installation of solar array frameworks, install new GRP battery room, install new aluminium floor and to repaint cast iron lightroom.”

A Northern Lighthouse Board spokeswoman said: “We have had a very positive response from companies expressing a formal interest in carrying out refurbishment work at some of Scotland’s lights, which includes the famous Bell Rock.

“The completed pre-qualification questionnaires will now be evaluated before a formal invitation to tender is issued to companies.”

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

A HERO lifeboat man has been banned from the high seas after bosses ruled his new home is too far away for its rule book – at less than half a mile away.

Michael McErlane, 40, has been on the crew for almost 24 years and served on around 500 lifesaving rescues, personally saving 13 people and been presented with a bravery award from the Queen.

But now he has been told his services are no longer required after he moved his family to a larger house which falls just 0.2m outside the approved catchment area – or just a four minute drive to the boathouse.

Mr McErlane, a helmsman at the Kinghorn station, has been grounded for the past three weeks after the RNLI stuck by its decision that only residents of Kinghorn can serve on the boats.

He only moved his family to a new, larger house in Kirkcaldy last month because they were upsizing thanks to the birth of his newly-born daughter Rebecca.

Barmy ruling

The dedicated lifesaver has spent all of his adult life helping to keep the waters safe around Kinghorn, Fife.

But now he’s desperately disappointed with the official RNLI decision and he claims lives could be lost because of the “barmy ruling”.

As recently as April 9 the Kinghorn lifeboat was unable to scramble to an emergency call about “something” floating in the water because the stand-in helmsman did not respond quickly enough.

Luckily, a nearby crew from Queensferry responded to the call, although the incident turned out to be just a piece of floating wood.

Mr McErlane said: “I’ve been volunteering for the lifeboats for almost 25 years and have put my life on the line countless times.

“At first I was really angry, but now I’m just disappointed with the decision, which when you think about it is a barmy ruling.

“All I’ve done is move house to give my family a better standard of living, and this is how they treat me.

“It’s not as if I’ve moved miles away – in fact, as the crow flies, I’m actually less than half a mile outside the catchment area.

“It’s a crazy situation because I should still be leading my team out there helping to save lives instead of sitting here twiddling my thumbs.

“And as the incident last week proved, the RNLI’s decision could well come back to haunt them.”

Long-standing policy

Charlie Tulloch, lifeboat operations manager at Kinghorn, claimed the ruling that bans Mr McErlane from the seas would apply to anyone wanting to join the service.

He said: “The problem is that Michael has moved out of the Kinghorn area. We have a clear policy, and for some reason Michael seems to think it doesn’t apply to him.

“The fact is that ever since the station was set up we have had restricted recruitment. I have turned down dozens of requests from outside the area.”

A spokesperson for the RNLI said: “Kinghorn RNLI lifeboat station has a long-standing policy of only recruiting lifeboat crew from a set catchment area.

“These operational arrangements have been agreed with the Divisional Inspector and are deemed to be in the interest of the safety of the volunteers responding to an emergency as well as the stations overall efficiency. 

Log in water

“When such arrangements are in place they are usually a response to local conditions such as traffic, travel constraints and accessibility, which has to be considered for the safety of the public and our volunteers.

“Michael McErlane has been a long time valued member of the Kinghorn RNLI lifeboat crew and we would welcome his continued involvement with the RNLI in another capacity.

“Kinghorn RNLI lifeboat was tasked to investigate something floating in the Firth of Forth on Thursday 9 April.

“South Queensferry who were in contact with the Coastguard were paged shortly after Kinghorn and confirmed a full crew was available.

“South Queensferry RNLI lifeboat launched to investigate and found a log to be the object in question.”

Published Date: 12 February 2009
CELEBRITY spoon bender Uri Geller will visit an uninhabited island he has bought in the Firth of Forth as soon as possible – even though there is nowhere to land on it.
The star psychic paid £30,000 for The Lamb because of its links to ancient mythology.

He said he was “thrilled” with the purchase and despite the tiny rocky outcrop having no landing facilities, he can’t wait to set foot on it.

The Lamb, or Lamb Island, is one of three islands – along with Craigleith and Fidra – whose layout mirrors that of the Egyptian pyramids at Giza, earning them the title “Great Pyramids of Scotland”.

The islands are recorded in folklore and are said to have links to King Arthur, Robert the Bruce and to the ancient Kings of Ireland.

Mr Geller bought the island from internet entrepreneur Camilo Agasim-Pereira.

He said: “I am fascinated by the connection between the pyramids and these islands.

“So when I heard Lamb Island was for sale, I felt a strong instinctive urge to buy it.”

The full article contains 183 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

* Last Updated: 12 February 2009 10:44 AM
* Source: Edinburgh Evening News
* Location: Edinburgh

Walking to Cramond Island at low tide.

Lamb island

By Cara Sulieman
CELEBRITY spoon-bender Uri Gellar will get free lifts by boat to his new island after scrapping plans to use his helicopter.

Geller bought Lamb Island in the Firth of Forth last week, and has since promised that he will do his best to take care of the birds that live there.

But he put a cat among the pigeons by announcing that he planned to fly by helicopter to land on the island.

Worried conservationists feared the island’s protected birds would be terrified by the noisy aircraft and abandon their nests.

But Geller changed his mind when Lynda Dalgleish from the Scottish Seabird Centre said they will to help him visit his £30,000 island investment.

She said: “We would certainly have advised him not to land his helicopter on Lamb. Apart from anything else it’s far too small and uneven.

“But also it would disturb the wildlife on the island, especially during the spring and summer when the birds come back.”

Although his reasons for purchasing the island off Edinburgh were more spiritual, the TV presenter has vowed to help the more earthly plight of the seabird.

Geller believes there is a spiritual connection between the island and the Egyptian pyramids.

When it was announced that he had bought the island, he said that he was “fascinated by the connection between the pyramids and these islands.”

But it is his commitment to the seabird community on Lamb that has local conservationists excited.

After initially worrying local bird charities by saying that he would have to use his helicopter to reach the remote spot, it is now clear that the magician intends to visit his new purchase by water.

Protecting wildlife

The spoon-bender has now vowed to do everything he can to protect the island and its inhabitants.

He said: “I am proud to have this opportunity to preserve it, not just for its mythological and historical connections but for its conservation value – Lamb Island is part of a Sight of Special Scientific Interest.

“I can’t build there, of course, but it is home to countless seabirds, and perhaps seals too.”

And Geller has also given a £1,000 donation to the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick, who offered to take him across to the island he owns.

Tom Brock, the centre’s director, said: “We are delighted that someone who has bought the island recognises the importance of the wildlife and that the seabird centre has a new friend.

“Uri Geller was very interested in the seabird centre and is quite keen to support us. We have offered to take him out in a boat to view his new island in the spring.”

By Alexander Lawrie

A REAL-LIFE ‘Spiderman’ who caused traffic mayhem after climbing almost 400 feet up the Forth Road Bridge has been jailed.

Ross Wilson, 22, took a taxi from his Edinburgh home to the world-famous landmark especially to climb it.

But stunned staff called in the cops after he told them he had a drink problem before leaping the fence, clambering up wire cables and perching himself on the North Tower – 500ft above the Firth of Forth.

The crossing was closed for over an hour – causing massive tailbacks – before he was eventually coaxed down and arrested.

Wilson pleaded guilty to culpable and reckless behaviour at Dunfermline Sheriff Court and yesterday a sheriff labelled his antics as a “mass inconvenience”.

The court previously heard how the boozed-up plumber had taken a taxi from his home in the Portobello area of Edinburgh on January 8 after making plans to climb the bridge.

He was dropped off at the north end of the bridge and was questioned by concerned staff over his erratic behaviour as he stood on the path.

But staff were stunned when he complained “I have a drink problem and no-one can help me” before jumping the fence and scampering up to the North Tower.

Wilson even had to scale a 50ft metal fence above the carriageway – which was designed to stop similar daredevil stunts – in his dangerous ascent.

Police were alerted around 11pm and Wilson’s antics closed the bridge for more than an hour before he miraculously made his own way down unharmed.

After climbing down from the bridge Wilson proceeded to run along the carriageway before police caught up with him and arrested him.

Yesterday, Wilson’s solicitor Chris Sneddon told the court that his client had recently been paid off,  and that he had no intentions of harming himself.

He said the episode was a “cry for help” rather than an attempt to take his own life.

But Sheriff Craig McSherry was unsympathetic and told Wilson he had no option but to jail him.

“This was a very serious breach of the peace and this court has to take into account public safety. It was an ongoing incident where you deliberately chose to behave as you did. Given the mass inconvenience you caused, I must impose a custodial sentence of seven months.”

 A spokesperson for the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) said: “This young man put his own life in danger and caused a great deal of disruption to others. It was only thanks to the vigilance of bridge staff and the prompt action of police that nobody was killed or seriously injured.

“We welcome the firm line that has been taken – this sentence will hopefully serve as a deterrent to others.”

Outside court, Wilson’s friend Paul Robinson said: “I think the sentence was very harsh. He’s a nice guy who has just had a few problems recently. He really didn’t deserve this.”