THOSE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR . . .
Hangover time is here again — as if it ever left — and what better way to set those brain cells working again than to get out of doors and onto the hills? The best out-of-town walks are not easily accessible by public transport. so be prepared to hi-jack a car-driving friend for a day's excursion. When the weather is really bad. good places to walk can always be found on Forestry Commission property. Enjoy it before it gets sold off!
Numerous books have been written about walking in Scotland. from glossy coffee-table tomes to flimsy pocket guides. Somewhere between the two extremes lie two excellent books by John Chalmers: [00 Hill Walks Around Edinburgh and I 00 Hill Walks Around Glasgow (both Mainstream £6.99). Basic but comprehensible line-drawn maps give a good indication of the route, but you would probably be wise to take note of the references to Ordnance Survey maps given for all the walks. The walks vary from gentle ambles along relatively flat routes to hard climbs up Munros. so there should be something to suit most legs — and momings-after-the-night-beforel
Staying in town need not be boring as Ed Wilkes's Glasgow is Pathways (Mainstream £6.99) readily demonstrates. This is a comprehensive guide to the off-road walks of Strathclyde. covering everything from cycle paths to parks and canal and river bank walkways, with interesting notes about the sites you will see on the way. For Edinburgh there are several books about the various river walks and Spokes Cycle Map gives a good indication of the maintained pathways.
lfyou are going to head for the hills don‘t forget the basic rules: Tell someone where you are going and the route you are going to take.
Expect the worst in weather terms. Take a compass. whistle. torch. first-aid kit. water and basic food in case you get lost.
Have a change of clothes — or at least a dry pair of socks!
Go with other people and stick together on remote walks.
Weather Lines (calls cost 36p per tninute cheap rate and 48p per tninutc at all other times).
Dumfries and Galloway: 0891 500 420. Strathclyde: 089] 500 42 l.
Lothians and Forth Valley: 089! 500 422.
Fife and Tayside: ()89l 500 423.
model village created by ‘enlightened' mill owner Robert Owen at the beginning of the last century. The visitor centre offers a Disney-style ride through a recreated village complete with special effects. Also a period village store. wool shop and nature trail to the Falls of Clyde. I STRATHCLYOE COUNTRY PARK Park open daily. Visitors‘ amenities closed Sat 25. Sun 26 and Sat 1. Sun 2. Strathclyde Country Park. Hamilton Road. Motherwell. 0698 266l55. Free. Phone for details of costs for pitches. sailing etc. Extensive walks. ambles. jogs and runs through this large park on Clyde.
I SUMMERLEE HERITAGE TRUST Daily. lOam—Spm. Closed Sat 25. Sun 26 and Sat 1. Sun 2. West Canal Street. Coatbridge. 0236 43l26l. Free. Industrial museum on a twenty-acre site with massive exhibition hall housing displays of social and industrial history. Look out for the Calum Stirling sculptures at the Ironworks Gallery (closed Thurs. Sun). featuring recent works by the former artist-in-residence at Summerlee. Tearoom open lOam—4.30 m.
I TIME CAPSII. Daily. lOam—IOpm; Fri 24 and Fri 31. 10am—5pm. Closed Christmas Day and New Year‘s Day. The Time Capsule Monklands. Buchanan Street. Coatbridge. 0236 449572. Swimming and skating £3.35 (£2.60) each or £4.35 (£3.10) combined. Health Suite £5.50. This is technology. not archaeology. with oodles of themed things to do in the water or on the ice. Saunas. water chutes. a rubber ring ride. curling. a frozen loch and a glacier run are just a few or the wild mix of attractions packed into the building. Minimum session is two
i l
hours and five minutes. On Mon 27 and Mon 3 there are Ice Discos noon—4pm and 7-lOpm. ‘The most fun you can have with
3 your clothes off?‘ Perhaps.
i I WINTER WILOFOWI. Sun 9. 2pm.
3 Drumpellier Country Park. Townhead 2 Road. Coatbrige. Free. Meet at the
visitors’ centre. Further details 0236 422257. A chance to get to know the rare — and not so rare — birds which winter on
the park's two lochs. Bring binoculars or
telescope if you have them. The Country
= Park is a good bet for winter walks. with woodland and nature trails and a kids’
3 play area. The visitors‘ centre is likely to 9 be closed for refurbishment during
January.
BOOK REVIEW
3 I SCOTLAND THE REST! (Mainstream £9.99) No list of things to do can hope to
be comprehensive. but has to pick and choose from the events on offer. So if you‘re still stuck for ideas. a good place to start your further reading is Peter Irvine's new edition of Scotland The Best!. From the best ice-cream parlours (yes. both Luca‘s in Musselburgh and Mancini’s in Ayr get their glowing testimonies) to the best markets (Edinburgh: trains to Glasgow and The Barrows leave every
. half hour). the reports are pithy. witty and.
on the whole. accurate. What’s more. they are compiled into a series of startlingly sensible. eclectic and comprehensive categories. A bit too big for anything smaller than a Barbour jacket pocket. but should fit nicely into the glove compartment of the car. If you can bear to put it down. that is. (Thom Dibdin)
Events are listed alphabetically by sport. then by day. Sport listings compiled by Toni lappin.
FOOTBALL
Saturday 18
PREMIER lEACUE
I Aberdeen v Kilmarnock Pittodrie Stadium. Aberdeen. 3pm.
I Celtic V Ribs Celtic Park. Glasgow. 3pm.
I Dundee v Motherwell Dens Park. Dundee. 3pm.
I Hearts v Raith Rovers Tynecastle Park. Edinburgh. 3pm.
I Particlt Thistle v Dundee United Firhill Park. Glasgow. 3pm.
I St Johnstone v Rangers McDiarmid Park. Perth. 3pm.
FIRST DIVISION
I Airdrie V Clyde Broomfteld Park. Airdrie. 3pm.
I Dumbarton v Drechin Boghead Park. Dumbarton. 3pm.
I Dunlermline v St Mirren East End Park. Dunfemiline. 3pm.
I Ilarnilton v Clydebanlt Douglas Park. Hamilton. 3pm.
I Morton v Stirling Albion Cappielow Park. Greenock. 3pm.
SECOND DIVISION
I East Stirling v Stenhousemuir Firs Park. Falkirk. 3pm.
I Meadowbank v Cowdenbeath Meadowbank Stadium. Edinburgh. 3pm.
Monday 27
PREMIER lEACUE
I Dundee Utd v Aberdeen Tannadice Park. Tannadice Street. Dundee. 3pm. I Hibs V Particlt Thistle Easter Road Stadium. Albion Road. Edinburgh. 3pm. I Ililrnarnoclt v Dundee Rugby Park. Kilmamock. 3pm.
I Mothenvell v Celtic Fir Park. Motherwell. 3pm.
I Raith Rovers v St Johnstone Stark's Park. Pratt Street. Kirkcaldy. 3pm.
I Rangers V Hearts Ibrox Stadium. Glasgow. 3pm.
FIRST DIVISION i I Clyde v Morton Douglas- Park.
Hamilton. 3pm.
1 I CIydebanIt v Ayr United Kilbowic Park. ‘ Clydebank. 3pm.
I Falkirlt v Dunlermline Brockville Park. Falkirk. 3pm.
I St Mirren v Airdrie Love Street. Paisley 3pm. I Stirling Albion v Dumbarton Annficld. Stirling. 3pm.
SECOND DIVISIDII
I Albion Rovers v Montrose Cliftonhill. Coatbridge. 3pm.
I Cowdenbeath v Fortar Central Park. Cowdenbeath. 3pm.
I Queen’s Park v Alloa Hampden Park. Glasgow. 3pm.
Saturday 1
PREMIER lEACUE
I Celtic v Rangers Celtic Park. Glasgow. 3pm. I Dundee v Aberdeen Dens Park. Dundee. 3pm.
I Hearts V Ilibs Tynecastle Park. Edinburgh. 3pm.
I IIIIntarnocIt V Mothenvell Rugby Park. Kilmamock. 3pm.
I Raith Rovers v Particlt thistle Stark's Park. Pratt Street. Kirkcaldy. 3pm.
I St Johnstone v Dundee United McDiarmid Park. Perth. 3pm.
FIRST DIVISION
I Airdrie V Hamilton Broomfield Park. Airdrie. 3pm.
I Clyde v Ayr United Douglas Park. Hamilton. 3pm.
I Dumbarton v Clydebanlt Boghead Park. Dumbarton. 3pm.
I Falkirlt V Stirling Albion Brockville Park. Falkirk. 3pm.
I St Mirren v Morton Love Street. Paisley. 3pm.
SECOND DIVISION
I East Stirling v Alloa Firs Park. Falkirk. 3pm.
I Queen’s Park v Albion Rovers Hampden Park. Glasgow. 3pm.
Saturday 8
PREMIER lEACUE
I Aberdeen v St Johnstone Pittodrie Stadium. Aberdeen. 3pm.
I Dundee Utd V Hearts Tannadice Park. Tannadice Street. Dundee. 3pm.
I Ribs V Dundee Easter Road Stadium. Albion Road. Edinburgh. 3pm.
I Motherwell v Raith Rovers Fir Park. Mothcrwell. 3pm.
I Particlt Thistle V Celtic Firhill Park. Glasgow. 3pm.
I Rangers v Kilmarnoclt lbrox Stadium. Glasgow. 3pm.
FIRST DIVISION
I Ayr V Dumbarton Somerset Park. Ayr. 3pm.
I Clydebanlr v Clyde Kilbowie Park. Clydebank. 3pm.
I Duniermline v Airdrie East End Park. Dunfermline. 3pm.
I Hamilton V FalklI‘It Douglas Park. Hamilton. 3pm.
I Morton v Brechin Cappielow Park. Greenock. 3pm.
I Stirling Albion v St Mirren Annfield. Stirling. 3pm.
SCOTTISH CUP SECOND ROUND
I East Stirling v Cove Rangers Firs Park. Falkirk. 3pm.
I Meadowbank v Montrose Meadowbank Stadium. Edinburgh. 3pm.
Monday 20
I Edinburgh Races Musselburgh Racecourse. Linklield Road. Musselburgh. First race I2. I5pm. National Hunt racing over the wind-swept fences at Musselburgh.
Monday 27
I Ayr Races Ayr Racecourse. 2 Whitletts Road. Ayr. First race l2.40pm. National Hunt racing frotn Scotland’s premier track.
Monday 3
I Ayr Races Ayr Racecourse. 2 Whitletts Road. Ayr. First race I2.50pm. National Hunt racing.
Friday 7
I Edinburgh Races Musselburgh Racecourse. Linkfteld Road. Musselburgh. First race l2.30pm. National Hunt racing.
The List l7 December l993—I3 January I994 73