scotlandmysweetloveforever

By IAIN MORRISON
at José Amalfitani Stadium
Forward line excels as powerful Pumas can't break down Scotland's commanding lead

SCOTLAND were defending a 19-0 advantage going into the final quarter and looked comfortable when the entire match was turned on its head. The Argentine lock Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe scored a try in his final appearance in a Pumas shirt. Federico ToADVERTISEMENTdeschini found his range for the first time, the home side sensed that they might yet pull this one out of the fire and the crowd came to life, roaring their support and rocking the old stadium to its very roots.

Forced into increasingly desperate defence, the Scots were saved when last week's villain turned hero for the day. Dan Parks had only recently been thrown into the fray when the Aussie fly-half intercepted a pass on his own 22 and ran most of the length of the field before feeding Graeme Morrison for a try under the sticks that made certain a victory that was as deserved as it was unlikely.

With Chris Paterson's conversion, the Scots now had a 19-point lead and just seven minutes in which to defend it. The men in dark blue could not prevent a Horacio Agulla consolation try but Todeschini's conversion proved the last kick of the match and the tourists had a famous victory to savour on the long flight home. It was Scotland's first ever Test win on Argentine soil and meant the series is tied 1-1, following last week's 21-15 defeat in Rosario.

All the tourists played their part but the forwards were exceptional, standing toe to toe with the Puma big men and winning the battle. They were light years better than last week, all piss and vinegar, and if anyone one player deserves special praise then John Barclay is that man. The flanker was immense throughout and he had a good supporting cast. Ross Ford probably had his best game in a Scotland shirt and Matt Mustchin also proved his worth, getting through a stack of dogged hard graft.

Given an opportunity to make a victory speech, Frank Hadden was not going to underplay his hand and the Scotland coach even took a metaphorical swing at one Argentine journalist whose tone he labelled "disrespectful". Some things never change.

"Obviously we're delighted to have turned the frustration of last week into winning this match," said Hadden. "It is testimony to the confidence and self-belief of both the management and the very young players, and this is a very young side who pulled off a special win today.

"It is important not to underestimate the size of the achievement. We were the only Northern Hemisphere team to beat a Southern Hemisphere team today and that was against the third best team in the world."

The game was dominated by the wind with the Scots getting the first use of it to race into a 19-0 lead with 16 of those points coming with the wind at their backs. Chris Paterson grabbed 16 points with four penalties and two conversions, stretching his points record to 687 on the day he broke Scott Murray's caps record, yesterday marking his 88th appearance.

The Scots were helped when Argentina's backline was disrupted after they lost last week's try-scoring hero Gonzalo Tiesi to injury after just 12 minutes. His replacement had hardly got his gum shield in properly when he was pole-axed by Simon Webster, who came off his right wing to make a try-saving tackle. It looked perfectly legitimate from the back of the press box but linesman Alan Lewis thought differently. Justice was done with Todeschini missing a simple penalty.

The efforts of Scotland's big men won a penalty for Paterson to double their score after Mr Reliable has opened the scoring, and a little later Ford burrowed his way over the Argentine line after Lucas Borges made the mistake of attempting to run the ball out of his own dead ball area.

The Pumas' winger was tackled 15 yards out and the ball squirted from the side of the ruck. Mike Blair exchanged passes with Ben Cairns and when that pair were halted short, the Scotland hooker was on hand to finish off the move. Paterson made good the conversion and Scotland led 13-0.

The Argentine response was as predictable as it was brutal. Playing into the wind, the Pumas went back to doing what they do best – bullying the opposition into submission. It didn't work and the Scots even manufactured a golden chance for a second try when they attacked from their own 22 with turnover ball. Mustchin was involved more than once, Cairns, Paterson and Phil Godman all combined beautifully up the left flank but the move broke down when the last pass went forward.

Still the Scots were awarded another penalty for what looked like foul play and they took a 16-0 lead into the half time break.

Facing the breeze meant that the second half was always going to be a backs-to-the-wall affair and so it proved, with the visitors only rarely making brief sorties into the Argentine half of the field. At least the Scots got a double boost when Todeschini pulled a penalty on 45 minutes and Paterson showed him how it was done a little later, kicking his fourth penalty to give his side a 19-point advantage. The Scots looked out of sight when Fernandez Lobbe threw the Pumas a lifeline.

With seven points on the board, the Pumas piled on the pressure and thought they had grabbed a second score in exactly the same place before the TMO ruled against it. Just minutes later the Argentine forwards muscled their way over the Scots try line again, only for referee Alain Rolland to signal that the ball had been held up. It was nerve-wrecking stuff.

The siege was lifted only when Parks popped up with his trademark interception and Morrison, with blood trickling out his nose, was on hand to finish set the seal on a famous victory.

Argentina: B Stortoni, L Borges, G Tiesi (F Aramburu 12 min), F Contepomi, H Agulla; F Todeschini, N Veragallo; M Ayerza, A Tejeda, S Bonorino (J Gomez 45 min), I Fernandez Lobbe, E Lozada (J Stuart 60 min), M Durand (A Galindo 60 min), J Fernandez Lobbe, J M Leguizamon.

Scotland: H Southwell, S Webster, B Cairns, G Morrison, C Paterson; P Godman (D Parks 65 min), M Blair; A Jacobsen, R Ford (D Hall 75 min), E Murray, M Mustchin, S MacLeod (A Kellock 60 min)A Strokosch, J Barclay, A Hogg (K Brown 69 min).

Scorers: Argentina – Try: I Fernandez Lobbe, Agulla Conv: Todeschini (2). Scotland – Try: Ford, Morrison Conv: Paterson (2) Pen: Paterson (4)

Referee: A Rolland.

THE SCOTSMAN

By CLAIRE SMITH
IT WAS developed 150 years ago by a Scot and marketed to the Victorians as a health food. Now a survey has named the McVities chocolate digestive the nation's favourite biscuit.

It was closely followed by the chocolate HobNob and another Scottish classic treat – Walkers shortbread.

The history of the digestive began in 1892 in Queensferry Street in Edinburgh, when young Alexander Grant, who worked alongside Robert McVitie in his biscuit emporium hit on the idea of using bicarbonate of soda as a raising agent.

He mistakenly believed the use of the ingredient would aid digestion – not realising that bicarbonate of soda loses its stomach soothing properties when baked.

The new type of biscuit was a huge success – and Mr Grant closely guarded his secret recipe. Chocolate was eventually added in 1925.

According to industry legend Mr Grant insisted on mixing the ingredients himself and when he went on business trips the mixing machines had to wait for him to get off the train from London to Edinburgh.

Later Mr Grant passed the recipe to his daughter Elizabeth, who continued to work in the McVitie's St Andrew's biscuit factory in Edinburgh.

Today Britons munches their way through 60 million digestives a year and the market for digestives and Hobnobs is worth £250m a year.

Chocolate varieties dominate the top ten with Chocolate Chip Cookies, Bourbon Creams and Chocolate Fingers all scoring highly.

Old-fashioned recipes are also popular, with Custard Creams coming in at No 5 and Jammie Dodgers taking eighth place.

Stuart Payne, founder of nicecupofteaandasitdown.com and author of a book on tea and biscuits, said people still believe the digestive is a 'healthier option.' He said: "It has always outsold all the other biscuits by a mile.

" It has got a lot going for it. People tend to think it is quite a healthy biscuit because it has that nice crumbly texture.

"In fact it is very high in fat – people just like to kid themselves that some biscuits are healthier than others."

Mr Payne said the notion that the digestive was invented by a Scottish doctor as an aid to digestion was a recurring myth.

"There were a lot of Victorian doctors who had a sideline inventing biscuits. The Abernethy biscuit was invented by a Scottish doctor and the Bath Oliver was invented by a doctor from Bath to be eaten when people were taking the waters.

"The idea that the chocolate digestive was invented by a doctor is a myth."

Mr Payne, who has spent years researching the subject, has also discovered a rival Scottish inventor – who also claims to have invented the digestive. Rumours persist that the true inventor was Robert Middlemass, who had his own bakery on Causewayside in the south of the city.

The OnePoll survey revealed 60 per cent of people enjoy dipping their biscuits into tea or coffee, with Rich Tea the preferred dunking biscuit.

The survey proved that once we have chosen our favourites we tend to stick with them – over 16 per cent have been buying the same biscuits for 20 years.

A third of people enjoy biscuits as a mid morning snack but 39 per cent say their favourite moment to eat biscuits is in the evening when watching the television.

John Sewell, of OnePoll.com, said: "When it comes to the crunch the chocolate digestive is the clear favourite. The biscuit has been filling the nation's biscuit barrels for 83 years now.

TOP TEN

1. CHOCOLATE DIGESTIVE: Britain's favourite biscuit and top of the charts since 1925.

2. CHOCOLATE HOBNOB: An instant crumbly classic first seen in 1985.

3. SHORTBREAD: The classiest choice – all-butter shortbread is seen on the finest tables.

4. CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE: An American usurper – but one which has many fans.

5. CUSTARD CREAM: A touch of luxury which you can buy for pennies.

6. BOURBON CREAM: A hint of sophistication with a name which evokes the lost French monarchy.

7. HOBNOB: Crunchy, crumbly, nobbly and delicious.

8. JAMMIE DODGER: A silly biscuit with a silly name. Nonetheless these jammie treats are a favourite.

9. PLAIN DIGESTIVES: The supposed health-giving properties were a myth – but the wholesome image lives on.

10. CHOCOLATE FINGERS: Melting chocolate fingers are a nostalgic choice – whisking you back to childhood parties.

THE SCOTSMAN

I can wait another day until I call you
Youve only got my heart on a string and everything a flutter
But another lonley night (and another, and another)
Might take forever(and another, and another)
Weve only got each other to blame
Its all the same to me love
cause I know what I feel to be right
No more lonely nights
No more lonely nights
Youre my guiding light
Day or night Im always there

May I never miss the thrill of being near you
And if it takes a couple of years
To turn your tears to laughter
I will do what I feel to be right

No more lonely nights
Never be another
No more lonely nights
Youre my guiding light
Day or night Im always there
And I wont go away until you tell me so
No Ill never go away

Yes I know what I feel to be right
No more lonely nights
Never be another
No more lonely nights
Youre my guiding light
Day or night Im always there
And I wont go away until you tell me so
No Ill never go away
I wont go away until you tell me so
No Ill never go away
No more lonely nights, no no ...

By Jenny Haworth
Environment Correspondent
TINY sap-sucking bugs from Japan might be let out into the wild in this country to wage war on a devastating weed that is growing out of control.

Japanese knotweed is wreaking havoc across Scotland and the rest of the UK.

It damages buildings, smothers train tracks and clogs up riverbanks and habitats, costing millions of pounds each year to control. In its native country, knotweed is kept in check by insects that feed on it, but none of these exist in the UK.

They act like vampires, sucking the sap from the knotweed and hampering its ability to spread.

Dr Dick Shaw, the principal investigator at environmental research body CABI Europe, who led the research, said the weed had the "biodiversity value of concrete". He added: "The trouble is, this weed has lost its natural enemies."

The challenge was to find an insect that could keep Japanese knotweed under control, but that did not itself cause havoc to Britain's native species.

Following strict quarantine measures to make sure that none of the bugs escaped, Dr Shaw and his team have spent the past four years studying the insects to find out how they behave around species native to the UK.

He thinks that the risk of the psyllids themselves disrupting Britain's ecosystem is low because the bugs have evolved over centuries to feed specifically on Japanese knotweed.

"It has taken millennia to become a specialist on knotweed, so the chances of it changing to something else is very unlikely," Dr Shaw said.

He said that the nymphs would not kill the knotweed, but just control its spread. "If it killed all the knotweed, it would die out itself," he explained. "So you usually end up with an equilibrium."

If the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) decides to release the bug, it would be the first time a foreign insect has been introduced to the UK to tackle an invasive weed.

The £440,000 research has been part-funded by Network Rail, which is desperate to find a way to control Japanese knot-weed on its tracks.

Scientists at CABI Europe, a not-for-profit research organisation, will next week go to India to find insects that act as natural enemies to the plant.

They will spend a week in the Himalayas collecting bugs found on the weed in its native environment.

A selection of insects will be brought back to the UK and a lengthy research process will begin to find out how they interact with our native species.

Like Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam is an invasive plant that has spread out of control and has no natural predators in the UK.

It is such a problem that the Scottish Government is helping to fund CABI's research, along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency.

Himalayan balsam was introduced to Britain in 1839 as a garden plant. Within a few decades it had escaped into the wild. It causes erosion of riverbanks as it leaves bare patches of soil when it dies in the autumn which are then easily washed away by rain.

Defra will assess the research, and there will be a public consultation before ministers decide whether to let foreign insects into the wild in the UK.

THE SCOTSMAN

By GEMMA FRASER
Education Reporter

A SECONDARY school has become the first in Edinburgh to be powered by wind energy after a new turbine was installed.

Currie Community High School will use the renewable energy as an alternative source of power to run electrical systems such as heating its swimming pool and will help the council meet its carbon emissions targets.

The school is one of just six inADVERTISEMENTScotland to have been involved in the Secondary Schools Partnership Project, which promotes renewable energy technology in schools.

The wind turbine was officially unveiled yesterday, alongside Currie's new sports hall.

Woodlands – a new £5 million school for youngsters with learning difficulties – was also opened yesterday by education leader Councillor Marilyne MacLaren.

As Currie high school's neighbours, its 80 pupils, who have amalgamated from Kingsinch and St Nicholas schools, will share the new £2m sports facilities.

The school has specialist areas for science, home economics, craft, design and technology, music, art, and drama.

Pupils also have an independent living skills room to help them cope with living on their own in the future.

The turbine was funded by the council's sustainable development unit with a grant from the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative, and Energy Savings Trust Initiative.

Councillor Robert Aldridge, the city's environment leader, believes that initiatives like this will help the council achieve its green goals.

He said: "The installation of the wind turbine and the solar panels will help the council towards meeting its carbon targets as well as having a real benefit for Currie Community High school in energy savings such as heating the school's swimming pool."

The new sports hall – which received a £500,000 grant from sportscotland – will be marked out for a range of sports such as five-a-side football, badminton, hockey, volleyball and basketball.

Stewart Harris, chief executive of sportscotland, said: "The new hall will be a great addition to the existing sports facilities at the school and will allow it to continue to provide its pupils with a superb curricular provision of PE and a wide variety of additional after-school sports activities and clubs.

"The hall will be a real asset to the local community and will also benefit pupils at the new Woodlands School, encouraging them all to adopt healthy lifestyles and make sport and physical activity part of their daily lives."

The Scotsman

Los duendes suelen aparecer en numerosas baladas de origen inglés y escocés, así como en cuentos populares, incluyendo muchos viajes a Elphame o Tierra de los Duendes (el Álfheim de la mitología de los nórdicos).

Se trata de un reino místico, misterioso y desagradable. El duende es retratado a veces como portador de una luz positiva, tal como la reina de Elphame en la balada de “Thomas the Rhymer”. Sin embargo, también existen duendes de carácter siniestro, inclinados con frecuencia a la violación y el asesinato, como sucede en el cuento de “Childe Rowland” o en la balada de la lady Isabel y el Duende Caballero. En esta última historia, el Duende Caballero intenta asesinar a una mujer.

En la mayoría de los casos, los duendes de las baladas son criaturas de sexo masculino. El único duende femenino comúnmente mencionado es la Reina de la Tierra de los Duendes, que aparece en “Thomas the Rhymer”, así como la Reina de Nourice, en cuya ciudad secuestran a una mujer para ser la enfermera del bebé de la citada reina, prometiéndole que podrá volver a su casa una vez el infante se destetara.

Los duendes no suelen ser malvados pero sí molestan a los seres humanos o interfieren en sus asuntos. Se cree que son invisibles. En la tradición anglosajona, los duendes llegaron a ser más o menos sinónimos de las hadas, que se originaron de la mitología nativa británica.

Sucesivamente, la palabra “duende” -así como el término literario “hada”- se acuñó para denotar a los varios espíritus de la naturaleza como el pwcca, hobgoblin o el brownie los escoceses.

En la Inglaterra isabelina, William Shakespeare imaginaba a los duendes como gente pequeña. Este escritor, al parecer, consideraba que los duendes y las hadas eran de la misma raza. En su drama Enrique IV hace que Falstaff califique al príncipe Enrique de la siguiente manera: “usted, ambicioso, tiene una piel de duende”. Y en la comedia “Sueño de una noche de verano” los duendes son casi tan pequeños como insectos.

Por otra parte, Edmund Spenser presenta a los duendes como seres del mismo tamaño en La Reina de las hadas. La influencia de Shakespeare y de Michael Drayton logró que la imagen popular de los duendes y de las hadas fuera reconocida como la de seres muy pequeños. Por ejemplo, en la literatura victoriana los duendes aparecen generalmente ilustrados como hombres y mujeres minúsculos, con los orejas puntiagudas y usando graciosos gorros.

Un ejemplo es la Princesa Nobody (1884) del cuento de hadas de Andrew Lang, ilustrado por Richard Doyle, donde las hadas son criaturas minúsculas con alas de mariposa y los duendes son individuos pequeñísimos con gorras rojas. Sin embargo, había excepciones a esta regla: por ejemplo, los duendes que aparecen en Lord Dunsan y la hija del Rey de la Tierra de los Duendes.

http://www.linkmesh.com/

By GABRIEL BATALLA
FLANKER Allister Hogg admits Scotland will need to be more aggressive to square their Test series against Argentina this weekend.

The Scots face the Pumas in Buenos Aires on Saturday looking to avenge their 21-15 loss in Rosario three days ago.

Frank Hadden's side had led for most of the second half in that game but were undone late on by a Federico Todeschini penalty and a ADVERTISEMENTtry from Gonzalo Tiesi.

Edinburgh star Hogg feels it was not so much ability, but inexperience, which cost the Scots.

He said: "When we were 15-10 ahead, we were expected to keep doing it and sealing it – that is something to focus thinking on this week, to have the mentality not to lose the advantage.

"It is a young squad. I am not using that as an excuse, but when we had the lead, we needed to kick it to the corners and we didn't.

"I think it is a mentality issue to know what to do at the right time and doing it.

"We have to be a bit more aggressive. We just need to keep the pressure on and especially in defence and playing more rugby."

Coach Hadden has named an unchanged 30-man squad despite concerns over winger Simon Danielli (knee), fly-half Dan Parks (ankle) and lock Scott MacLeod (thigh).

The three were due to be examined by team doctor James Robson before today's training session but both he and Hadden were confident they will be fit to play at Velez Sarsfield. Kicking coach Duncan Hodge believes the Scotland side is in good shape and wins should follow once they put a few minor details right.

"We looked at what went right in the game and that was a lot," he said. "The major aspects of the game were good.

"In international rugby, little things can turn a game over – someone making the wrong decision.

"There were a lot of little details just combined that all of sudden took us out of our winning position.

"The home team wanted the victory and the crowd got behind them.

"Maybe, subconsciously, some of our players felt a bit more pressure.

"During this last 15 minutes we made some errors, physical or mental, and then we were chasing the game, which is never what you want when you are playing away from home."

Argentina boss Santiago Phelan has added wingers Horacio Agulla and Lucas Borges, centre Federico Martin Aramburu and flanker Alvaro Galindo to his squad.

in Rosario
ARGENTINA duly claimed their seventh consecutive victory over Scotland in Rosario yesterday evening although they needed an injury-time try from centre Gonzalo Tiesi to make sure of it.
The Scots were always in this game and actually led their hosts for the vast majority of the second half. They will feel that this was one that got away from them and it may be a long time before a Scotland XV gets a better chance to claim that first Test victory in Argentina.

Admittedly the men in blue never really threatened the Pumas' try line, but they displayed great spirit and determination in defence. The forwards competed manfully against their bigger opponents but the quality of the ball they provided to a lively Scottish back line was poor in comparison to the Pumas' possession and Mike Blair was scragged more than once at the base of the breakdown.

The match was a little light on quality but utterly enthralling for all that. The lead changed hands several times as the pendulum swung first one way then the other and the contest was finely balanced right up until that late touchdown by Tiesi, who took advantage of a turnover to sprint to the line with Chris Paterson trailing in his wake.

Not for the first time, the Scotland fullback kicked all his team's points with five penalties from six attempts, but even his heroics could not give the Scots a morale-boosting win. For all his success, the full-back will rue the one he missed; after 36 consecutive successes for Scotland in front of the posts, the world's most reliable goal-kicker finally fluffed one in the first half.

Understandably enough there were a few nerves displayed by both sides in the opening exchanges with Federico Todeschini and Felipe Contepomi both putting a little too much heat on their kicks to touch while for his part Dan Parks twice picked out an opposition player with pinpoint accuracy.

The Scots were happy enough with their start. An early penalty allowed Parks to stick the ball into the corner, Scott MacLeod stole the first opposition throw at the sidelines and Matt Mustchin ran straight and hard on his debut.

It was the Scots who opened the scoring. A clever move at the back of the lineout saw Blair and Mustchin send Ally Hogg into the heart of the Pumas' defence and when the home bodies killed the ball at the breakdown the Scotland fullback kicked his team into a 3-0 lead.

The Argentines took this as a personal affront and mounted a strong series of attacks that only ended when Mustchin was penalised for slapping down a pass. Todeschini made no mistake and the scores were level after 15 minutes.

Worryingly for the Scots, they were turned over at the very next scrum and the home side had obviously done their homework in open play by targeting the slighter bodies manning the Scots defensive line.

The Argentine pressure eventually paid off when hooker Alvaro Tejeda was driven over after the Pumas worked the blindside beautifully. Todeschini, left winger Tomas De Vedia, lock Esteban Lozada and Contepomi were all involved and the move was finished superbly when the debutant number two drove low over the Scots line with a little help from his friends.

Todeschini converted but Paterson kicked his second and third penalties shortly after to keep the Scots in the match as the home side appeared to be tightening their grip on proceedings. The match was see-sawing one way and then the other with the visitors enjoying the best of the play before half time and the Scots dominating the third quarter.

Thom Evans made one good kick to the corner and then the winger combined beautifully with Paterson up the left flank only for Bernard Stortoni to charge down the full-back's attempted chip.

With eight minutes of the first half still to play the unthinkable happened. Paterson lined up his fourth penalty of the day from wide on the left after the Pumas had been penalised at a set scrum and… missed!

After 36 consecutive successful strikes at goal for Scotland, the Gala man finally showed his mortality by pushing one just wide. At least he took some solace when Todeschini promptly followed suit at the other end of the field and Parks pushed a snap drop goal just wide of the posts with the last kick of the half and the home side took a narrow one point lead into the break.

The second half started much as the first had with Paterson kicking Scotland back into the lead with his fourth penalty after Ally Hogg did wonderfully well to catch Todeschini in possession. Regaining the lead put a spring back in their steps and the Scots forward seven managed to nudge a rolling maul forward for the first time in the match, giving the Pumas a taste of their own medicine.

Blair made a neat break from another scrappy lineout and the restless Argentine crowd expressed their frustration with a slow handclap; music to the Scots' ears especially when Paterson kicked his fifth penalty of the afternoon when Alan Lewis again found fault with the Pumas' set scrum.

There was some consolation for Chris Paterson, who scored his 668th point for Scotland and broke Gavin Hastings' previous record

The Irish referee then courted the wrath of the crowd even more by penalising the home side in the shadow of the Scottish posts and then wiping off a try by Bernard Stortoni after the TMO judged that the Glasgow full-back had hit the corner flag.

Todeschini slotted one penalty on 56 minutes to narrow the gap to just three points and the same man struck again, giving his side a one point advantage with five minutes left on the clock. The Scots threw everything at the opposition but they were having to attack from far too deep inside their own half and Tiesi's late touchdown extinguished what hopes they harboured of pulling this one out of the fire.

Argentina: B Stortoni, J Piossek, G Tiesi, F Contepomi, T De Vedia; F Todeschini, N Vergallo; M Ayerza, A Tejeda, S Bonorino, Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, Esteban Lobada, M Durand, Juan Fernandez Lobbe, Juan Martin Leguiaman.

Scotland: C Paterson, S Danielli, B Cairns, G Morrison, T Evans (S Webster 68 min); D Parks, M Blair (R Lawson 73 min); A Jacobsen (A Dickinson 68 min), R Ford, E Murray, M Mustchin, Scott MacLeod (A Kellock 68 min), A Strokosch, A Hogg, J Beattie (Brown 55 min).

Scorers: Argentina – Try: Tejeda. Tiesi Conv: Todeschini Pen: Todeschini (3). Scotland – Try: Conv: Pen: Paterson (5).

Referee: Alan Lewis (Ireland).

SCOTSMAN

Hark when the night is falling
Hear! hear the pipes are calling,
Loudly and proudly calling,
Down thro' the glen.
There where the hills are sleeping,
Now feel the blood a-leaping,
High as the spirits of the old Highland men.
Chorus:
Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland my mountain hame,
High may your proud
standards gloriously wave,
Land of my high endeavour,
[ Letras de Canciones encontraron en es.mp3lyrics.org/dkP ]
Land of the shining river,
Land of my heart for ever,
Scotland the brave.
High in the misty Highlands,
Out by the purple islands,
Brave are the hearts that beat
Beneath Scottish skies.
Wild are the winds to meet you,
Staunch are the friends that greet you,
Kind as the love that shines
from fair maiden's eyes.
(chorus)
Far off in sunlit places,
Sad are the Scottish faces,
Yearning to feel the kiss
Of sweet Scottish rain.
Where tropic skies are beaming,
Love sets the heart a-dreaming,
Longing and dreaming for the homeland again.
(chorus)
Origins: Ancient pipe tune

A GENETIC link between dinosaurs and humans could provide the key to developing a treatment for depression, according to Scots scientists.

Experts have discovered that the component in human DNA which triggers depression also existed in prehistoric beasts – and would have helped determine their moods.

Using cutting-edge technology, scientists at Aberdeen University have identified the genetic "switches" they believe turn off and on genes that control our behaviour and moods.

The switches, also known as "enhancers", have remained unchanged in human genes for hundreds of millions of years. Scientist were able to make the link between humans and dinosaurs by examining the DNA structures of other species of animals and birds.

Scots scientists have found that dinosaurs and humans share a genetic ‘switch’ which they believe controls mood. Picture: TSPL

They believe the enhancers may hold the key to unlocking the causes of depression and explain why some people develop the illness while others, with a similar genetic make-up, do not.

Although the enhancers are found in every animal alive today, their location has remained a mystery until now.

Dr Alasdair MacKenzie, senior lecturer at Aberdeen University, who is leading the study, said: "It appears the switch that drives the gene (which causes depression] seems to have controlled feelings of fear and anxiety in our ancestors 300 million years ago.

"The difference is that, originally, it was part of our survival system. The pathology of this gene now is people suffer these same feelings of fear and anxiety when they don't need them."

The cells containing these genes are found in the amygdala – located deep within the human brain – the primary role of which is in the processing and recall of emotional reactions.

Dr MacKenzie said the breakthrough was in focusing on the switches that drive the genes rather than the genes themselves.

He likened it to "moving from looking at a car to examining its engine" and said the distances between the switch and the part of the brain they affected were "as surprising as having a light bulb in London with the switch for controlling it in Liverpool".

Researchers will now team up with Liverpool University and King's College London to launch a £1 million research programme in the hope of finding a cure for the debilitating condition.

They will work with people who have depression to examine their DNA and look for common changes in their genetic switches. This could lead to drug treatments which will target the cause of depression and not just its symptoms.

Professor Darren Monckton, a genetic expert at Glasgow University said identifying the switches could be one of the biggest challenges for scientists.

He said: "Normally, when you looking for a disease-causing mutation, it's inside the DNA, but in a linear form it can be distant from the gene it is affecting."

The full article contains 458 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.

The Scotsman