News.Scotland.Org

It has been learned that more than 20% of Scots who travel to different places or vacation do not buy insurance. A recent study shows that 40% of the Scottish travellers has suffered holiday upset owing to lost of luggage, cancellations of flight or for other reason.

All those who reported their woes had never bothered to shield themselves by getting enough insurance for the traveling venture. Of lately it was also noted that more 30% Scott travelers willing to travel this year again has not taken any insurance for their upcoming vacations.

Even Motorists are seem to be lagging behind in availing insurance cover, and many have suffered for not having control after they were found stranded on highways waiting for assistance.

Same goes with insuring their mobile phones, which is either replaced or broken since it does not covers insurance. The research found that nearly £190 million has been spent for mending or replacing lost mobile phones that does not cover by insurance.

This shows that most of the Scotts do no understand the importance of insurance and the ordeal of getting the lost baggage.

Have you ever fancied to go for that dream drive on the one of the most picturesque routes in Scotland? If yes, then get ready for a dream run on the ten-mile stretch of the A817 from Loch Lomond to Garelochhead which has been voted as the most scenic stretch in Scotland. This beautiful stretch which extends up through the Glen Fruin was recently voted the most scenic stretch in a poll of motorist conducted to find Britains best drives.

This pleasant stretch has been known for its splendid views, thanks to the Loch Lomond and The Trossach National Park which adds charm to the place. Meanwhile, last year A87 was voted the best stretch, but this new found stretch from Loch Lomond to Grelochhead is also among the top five UK’s best drives. Been built for transporting military supplies, today this spectacular stretch stands out to be one of the most idyllic and beautiful stretch of Scotland.

Driving on this stretch resembles as if you are riding on a rollercoaster, with the nature of the road rising 1000ft above Glen Fruin and dropping hundred of feet, driving on it remains special. Being the top favourite among riders and motorists, this beautiful stretch has always attracted many motorists to experience a memorable drive on this ten-mile road.

As part of the Scottish beaver Trial (SBT), the first beavers of the wild in Scotland dating back to 400 years have been released to a designated trial area in Mid Argyll for a time period of five years. Since being hunted to extinction in UK in the 16th century, this marks the first ever formal reintroduction of the native mammal into the wild in the UK, after years of lobbying from conservation experts and ecologists who believes that it was a missing part in the Scotland’s wetland ecosystem.

Beaver facts:

Originally from Norway, beavers were hunted to extinction in Scotland because they were very valuable. Highly prized, their soft, thick and waterproof fur was very fashionable and it was also highly sought after for its secretion castoreum that contains salicylic acid which was produced in a gland below the tail and was an active ingredient of aspirin. In some areas, they were an important part of the diet and they were a substitute for fish by the Roman Catholics on Fridays.

Chairman of the Scottish wildlfe trust, Allan Bantick said:

“Today, we take one more step towards rebuilding the natural biodiversity of Scotland. Beavers are known to bring a vast number of benefits to other native Scottish wildlife as well as wetland and waterside habitats. Our reintroduction follows in the footsteps of 24 other European countries, who have already reintroduced beavers to over 150 different sites.”

As the beavers settle into their new purpose built artificial lodges, the real work of the SBT begins. The trial is all about a scientific study on how the beavers cope naturally in the Scottish environment and what the various effects they have upon it are… To help inform the independent scientific monitoring coordinated by the Scottish Natural Heritage, they will be closely watched and data will be collected over the next five years.

Visitors will be allowed to see the trial site over time but first the beavers need to settle down. By timing, early morning or early evening will be the right time to spot these intriguing animals in the wild.

John Shepherd-Barron , the father of the modern automated teller machine, passed away at the age of 84 at a hospital in Inverness, Scotland.

I would always take money out of my bank on a Saturday morning. However, one Saturday I was one minute late and it was closed,” he told the London Guardian in 2007. “That night I started thinking there must be a better way to get cash when I wanted it.

The innovative thought of a workable cash vending machine struck him while taking a bath! He modeled his dream machine on a  chocolate vending machine which dispenses bar chocolates when money is put. After two years his idea took shape when the first ATM devised by him was installed at a branch  of Barclays in a north London suburb on June 27, 1967. As plastic bank cards had not been invented then,  special chemically coded checks were used in this machine. Customers needed to place the checks in a drawer and on  entering a personal identification number, a 10 Pound note would come out of a second drawer.

It is interesting to note that though Mr. Shepherd-Barron had originally planned to have a six digit personal identification number, it was cut short to 4 digit after his wife, Caroline, complained that she was finding it difficult to remember six digits.

According to the London Daily Telegraph, Mr. Shepherd-Barron did not patent his system and did not profited from his path breaking invention. However in the year 2004, he was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire decoration for his services to banking. At present there are over 1.7 million ATMs around the world, which has made banking services a lot more simpler and enjoyable to millions of customers all over the world.

Every corner of Edinburgh has its own story or legend waiting to be untold. With a distinctive and unique skyline that follows closely with that of Venice and makes for fantastic photographs, this place is the most beautiful capitals in Europe. Known to be the ‘Athens of the North’, it is a great base from which you can explore the rest of Scotland. Enriched in its own culture, Edinburgh continues to draw crowds of vacation goers and backpackers from around the globe.

A town intimately entwined with its landscapes, with many buildings and monuments perched atop crags and overshadowed by cliffs, it holds an abundance of sights.

Edinburgh Castle

A remarkable fortress and former royal residence, this oldest building not only offers historical interest but also offers a splendid panoramic view that surrounds the city. A rich mix of architectural style reflects the Castle’s complex history and role as both stronghold and seat of kings. Towering at the edge of the city’s cobblestone streets, this majestic landmark is well worth a visit.

The Museum of Scotland

Talked about since 1780, The Museum of Scotland is most striking with exterior walls of sandstone which is quarried in Elgin. Get to know more about Scotland through the many galleries and displays which provide information from beginning to the present day. Wander through the halls and wonder at the fossils, artifacts and ancient jewelery. So much to see and admire, don’t forget to photograph some of the majestic views when you are on the rooftop. Admission is absolutely free!

Arthur’s Seat

Known as the Lion’s head, it is the highest of a series of peaks which takes in the form of a crouched lion. The only way to reach the top of the Arthur’s seat, an extinct volcano that erupted around 340 millions ago, is by hiking, so make sure you are packed with comfortable stuff and great shoes for the journey.

House price in Scotland has shown a drop with prices fell over 3.3% over the year, but it all came amidst a rose in the last quarter by 0.7%, said Lloyds TSB Scotland. It is felt that the sales was comparatively slow in the second month of the year with later a jump in the sale in March. If we look at the figures we can clearly find that, sale of houses were down by 19% which was far low than that of the previous quarter.

At large, it was Dundee and Aberdeen who showed a good recovery with decent rates, but Glasgow still remained down by 8%. All this showed that the price rate of the houses in Scotland has been volatile in the last quarter. Meanwhile, Prof. Donald MacRae, chief economist of Lloyds Banking Group Scotland said,  “The level of mortgage availability including for first-time buyers has increased while the cost of borrowing remains low for many mortgage holders.

This trend in the fall of prices of the houses in Scotland has indicated a change in the mindset of the buyers and also raised a concern over the present trend. But it is seen that slowly the sale is picking up and it is felt that it will further improve with the months to come.

The second time Ash from the Iceland volcano is here and likely to force airport closures across Europe and parts of UK, which includes Scotland, Liverpool and  Manchester. So this latest development follows more closure of airports and flight diversion on cards and it seems the summer vacation goers are likely to get hit.

Some Airports in the Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man have had to shut down. It is more likely to be decided on which way the wind blows, but it is expected that there will be more closure in Britain. This latest volcano ash comes in at a time when flights are grounded and striking employee. So economically this is going to hurt the flight companies and to those travelers who would like to have a break. The tourist industry too will face the wrath if the airport are closed.

Passengers are advised to confirm with their travel agents or airline company website before they plan to leave home for vacation or trip. Iceland airport was shut down on Friday which caught some passenger wondering. As said above tourist-centric business in Europe and in the UK will have to keep their fingers crossed as this could effect their business.

Scotland is about to lose over 1200 health staffs, including nursing and midwifery with the aforesaid cut in the number of medical staffs by NHS . This decision came as a shocker for all, and also raised a concern over the treatment and care of the patients. It was told that no compulsory redundancies will be done and the slash in jobs will be done through natural wastage. Though this job cut is seen as a risk factor for the patients but,  NHS GGC says, this reduction in staffing reduction is part of the efforts to modernize and redesign our services.

Looking at the figures we can see that during 2009 and 2012 they have spent £350m on modernising the hospitals and providing new facilities,equipments and other services. This cut will even be bringing more fund to better the facilities and treatments but will also raise a question on the care of the patients.

Noman Provan, Associate director for the union for employment relation condemns this new policy and said, the decision which was announced triggers a fear and if implemented will put patients safety at risk. He further added that it is simply not possible to cut the number of nursing and other posts without the patients care and safety being affected.

Now it has to seen what will be the fate of the innocent patients by these cuts, and how will the hospitals will cope up with the rising needs of quality health and care of patients.

Glasgow  became a perfect hostess to scores of travel agents from around the world who had assembled here to promote Scotland tourism all over the world. The best part is that  generated  a  staggering £1.7 million for the city as they took a glance at the  city’s sights and booked with some the 250 exhibitors at the SECC event.

Over 800 travel agents and  tour operators  from 30 different countries including the USA, Japan, China and Australia attended the Visit Scotland Tourism Expo where they forged  tie ups  and made deals with various Scottish companies. Glasgow has once again proved the most popular place for the agents to take tours and get informed about the city.

The rich culture and history of Glasgow was showcased at  Braehead’s Xscape centre,Clyde Waterfront and a host of hotels, as well as many attractions from the surrounding countryside, including the Glengoyne Distillery north of the city. For most of the buyers it was their first visit to Scotland and the national tourism organisation, provided introductory tours around the city and the country to give them a glimpse of the tourist potential of Glasgow. The tour operators were upbeat and confident that they would be able to bring in more tourists to Glasgow from many far off countries like India and China despite the geography.

Tourism in Scotland employs 200,000 people and  generates more than £4 billion for the national economy each year. The recently concluded tourism expo likely to add up to the tourism revenue and popularity of Glasgow, well known for its culture, festival, sporting events and topography.

To improve the quality of care in the hospitals, a new strategy has been delivered by the National Health services(NHS) in Scotland- Scots nurses are entitled to spend more time with the patients.  With this scheme rolled out to all health boards known as RTC- Releasing Time to Care, it will be seen that nurses would be spending more time with the patients rather than doing other tasks like searching for equipments.

The new strategy will act in accordance with the patients views as to how they were treated by the nurses. Hospitals which have piloted this scheme earlier had seen 40 per cent increase in the time nurses were involved in direct patient care. Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:

“This programme is improving patient and staff experience, as well as efficiency and productivity. The Quality Strategy will put patients at the heart of everything the NHS does and give people a new confidence in the health service.”

This strategy however has brought about some concern for NHS; dearth of finances for what they want to deliver- safety, quality and efficiency of NHS care. Health boards will have to make savings of about £270 million this year, with putting projects on hold and some proposing job cuts.

Though the strategy recognizes the various challenges that has to be faced by NHS in the coming years, including obesity, ageing population, alcohol abuse and increased intelligence among the patients who then demand certain treatments; it also gives examples as to the possible savings for NHS. These includes reducing the use of agency nurses, bank and locum doctors and also stopping the use of various drugs and treatments that is considered low value when it comes to the benefits to patients.

A tremendous challenge taken by NHS, we hope that it lasts for long and achieve concrete benefits for patients who are surviving in such a difficult environment.