LONDON, Oct 10, 2007 (AFP) - US tycoon Donald Trump is a man who usually gets what he wants, but a Scottish salmon fisherman is standing firm against his plans to build the a luxury golf course resort.

Trump wants to build two championship courses, a 450-bedroom hotel and 950 holiday homes on land near Balmedie, just north of the city of Aberdeen, in northeast Scotland.

But Michael Forbe's ramshackle farm lies slap bang in the middle of the proposed second hole and the site of a planned eight-storey five-star hotel -- and the 55-year-old is refusing to be bought out.

LONDON, Sept 28, 2007 (AFP) - A 157-year-old whisky was sold for more than 29,000 pounds (41,500 euros/59,200 dollars) Friday, setting what is thought to be a world record auction price for a bottle of Scotch.

The Bowmore single malt, which was bottled in 1850, was sold at McTear's auctioneers in Glasgow for 29,400 pounds to an anonymous telephone bidder, beating the distillery itself.

The price, which included buyer's premium, comfortably beat the pre-sale estimate of between 15,000 and 20,000 pounds.

LONDON, Sept 10, 2007 (AFP) - The number of people admitted to hospital with heart attacks dropped 17 percent after smoking was banned in public places in Scotland in March 2006, authorities said Monday.

The figures compare with an annual reduction of only three percent for the 10 years before the ban was introduced, the Scottish Government said on its website.

Research led by Glasgow University showed there were 3,235 people admitted to hospital with heart attacks in the 10 months before the ban took effect, a government spokeswoman said.

LONDON, Aug 21, 2007 (AFP) - Britain's governing Labour Party is to get its first female leader in Scotland after no other potential candidate came forward to challenge her, the party said Tuesday.

Wendy Alexander was confirmed as the only candidate for the post with 41 nominations -- almost a clean sweep as Scottish Labour has a total of 46 members of the 129-seat Scottish Parliament (MSPs) in Edinburgh.

LONDON, Aug 21, 2007 (AFP) - Organisers of a duathlon in Scotland have taken out a one-million-pound (1.46-million-euro, 1.97-million-dollar) insurance policy against attack by or sighting of the fabled Loch Ness monster.

First Monster Duathlon race director Malcolm Sutherland said they were planning for all eventualities.

Jon Woodman, trading director at R and SA said: 'This is one of our more unusual requests but it certainly gave our team something to get their teeth into.'

LONDON, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - The leader of the Scottish Labour Party Jack McConnell resigned Wednesday, triggering the centre-left party's search for a fourth head in less than 10 years.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown Brown's office said later that McConnell had accepted an invitation from the prime minister to be Britain's next high commissioner in Malawi, once its current holder steps down.

LONDON, Aug 14, 2007 (AFP) - A 66-year-old woman has died and her 72-year-old husband is seriously ill in hospital after an E.coli outbreak that is believed to be linked to two Scottish supermarkets, officials said Tuesday.

Three women aged 23, 45 and 86 are recovering at home while a 71-year-old woman is also in hospital after contracting E.coli 0157, the National Health Service of Greater Glasgow and Clyde said.

LONDON, Aug 14, 2007 (AFP) - A 66-year-old woman has died and her 72-year-old husband is seriously ill in hospital after an E.coli outbreak that is believed to be linked to two Scottish supermarkets, officials said Tuesday.

Three women aged 23, 45 and 86 are recovering at home while a 71-year-old woman is also in hospital after contracting E.coli 0157, the National Health Service of Greater Glasgow and Clyde said.

EDINBURGH, Aug 14, 2007 (AFP) - The pro-independence nationalist government in the Scottish parliament Tuesday set out plans for a vote on the potential break-up of the United Kingdom, despite majority public opposition to the idea.

Alex Salmond, whose Scottish National Party (SNP) won the May 3 elections by just one vote, said he was committed to delivering a 'new chapter' in the country's politics as he launched the draft legislation.

LONDON, Aug 12, 2007 (AFP) - Elvis Presley's family heritage is getting people all shook up in north-east Scotland, as fans across the world prepare to mark the 30th anniversary of his death.

Although the singer's distant Scottish heritage is generally accepted, 91-year-old Jack Pressley, from Fraserburgh, north of Aberdeen, believes genealogists have got it wrong.

LONDON, Aug 10, 2007 (AFP) - Authorities in a west of Scotland town have been forced to take drastic measures to stop green traffic lights being vandalised, The Herald newspaper said Friday, suggesting religion was to blame.

The municipal council has put protective wire grilles over every green light in Larkhall, near Glasgow, because vandals have smashed 205 lights and caused 17,000-pounds (25,000-euros, 34,000-dollars) worth of damage since 2004.

LONDON, Aug 7, 2007 (AFP) - Scotland is set to relax restrictions on the movement of animals imposed after an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in southern England, a Scottish minister said Tuesday.

Animals will be allowed to be moved solely from Scottish farms to Scottish slaughterhouses under strictly controlled conditions, said Scottish environment minister Richard Lochhead.

'That's a relaxation in limited circumstances that will allow the meat industry to get up and running again,' he said, adding that a national ban on all other animal movements remains in place.

LONDON, Aug 5, 2007 (AFP) - One of the world's largest arts events, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, began Sunday, with 2,000 shows and 31,000 performances expected over the course of the next three weeks.

Known for its satirical and often eccentric, close-to-the-knuckle flavour, the Fringe is the unofficial, but now more well known, version of the Edinburgh International Festival, which runs from August 10 to September 2.

LONDON, Aug 3, 2007 (AFP) - A girl died Friday after a boat carrying children capsized on a loch on an island off northwest Scotland, police said.

'One female who was reported missing from the party was recovered and flown to Western Isles Hospital,' Northern Constabulary said in a statement. 'The female was pronounced deceased shortly after her arrival at hospital.'

The incident took place on Loch Carnan on South Uist, in the Western Isles. A helicopter and coastguards with a lifeboat were involved in the search.

LONDON, Aug 3, 2007 (AFP) - A search operation began Friday and one person was reported missing after a boat carrying children capsized on a loch on an island in northwest Scotland, coastguards and police said.

The incident took place on Loch Carnan on South Uist, in the Western Isles. A helicopter and coastguards with a lifeboat were involved in the search, the Northern Constabulary said in a statement.

LONDON, Aug 3, 2007 (AFP) - A search operation was launched Friday after a boat carrying 13 children and an instructor capsized on a loch on an island in northwest Scotland, coastguards and police said.

The incident took place on the Loch Carnan on South Uist, in the Western Isles. A helicopter and coastguards with a boat were involved in the search, although it was not immediately clear if anyone was unaccounted for.

LONDON, July 29, 2007 (AFP) - Prime Minister Gordon Brown's plans to have Britain's national flag flying above every public building in the country will not apply to Scotland, a spokesman for the Scottish National Party, the biggest party in the regional parliament, said Sunday.

About three weeks ago, Brown tore up what he described as a 'ridiculous' rule, and ordered the flag to be flown above all government buildings year-round, and eventually above police stations and hospitals. At present, it is only flown on 18 days a year.