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Jill Stephenson and Andrew Hook
I have read Kenneth Roy’s article (19 February) on Dunragit. I find it unacceptable that Historic Scotland can be so dismissive and unwilling to explain how they can so easily change their minds over what would appear to be a very valuable archaeological site. A large site cannot be properly excavated in a couple of months. We are seriously dropping standards. ‘How do we know where we’re going if we don’t know where we’ve been?’
I have a recent example, also archaeological. I have been working for several years trying to understand and develop a presentable hypothesis on the Scottish Neolithic carved stone balls of which there are over 400 known. I wrote to the National Museums of Scotland asking if someone would read my piece. I’m sure that this piece hasn’t been done before. I got a reply, a real brush off, from the senior curator who, suggesting I ask someone else, said in the last line of his letter: ‘I think he would be a better bet for someone to read your paper than anyone here at NMS’ (National Museums of Scotland). It is difficult to accept that.
Ian Begg
David McVey’s piece (19 February) on ‘The shabby disgrace of Scotland’s magical railway line’ rang a number of bells for me, as I’m sure it did for many others. I particularly remember years ago travelling with some friends early in the morning to Corrour, when the friendly ‘revenue protection officer’ (or no doubt he was still the guard) used his wholehearted imagination in providing us with extremely tolerable tickets that enabled us to return two days later from Dalwhinnie to Glasgow. He followed that up by asking if we would like him to wire ahead to Crianlarich for bacon rolls (crisp rolls, grilled bacon and not a microwave in sight).
He waxed un-lyrical on the SuperSprinter (‘couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding’) and gave us some colourful advice on alternative uses for the shunting pole. As I remember, he was an Englishman – whether settler or colonist I am unable to say. Yes, this magical railway deserves better stewardship.
Dave Harvie
I thought I might give some comments on Rose Galt’s article (21 February). While it is right in the observations it makes, it
misses the perhaps interesting point that the change now being made to the Public Order Act 1986 (the title is wrong in the article) only relates to England and Wales. The offence in section 5 of that Act does not apply in Scotland. Broadly speaking, mere ‘insult’ is not criminal under statute law in Scotland. In Scotland, there is the new offence of threatening or abusive behaviour created in section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010. I think I am right in recalling that this difference between England and Scotland was one of the arguments used by the campaigners for the change to the 1986 Act. There may be Guardian articles bearing this out.
Max McGill
David McGill
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