Readers' Letters: Here's how Scotland could manage as an independent state

I’m sure we can agree that fundamental change will take time, whether that be through independence or some form of federalism.

Rather than repeat the detailed Scottish government Independent Scotland reports on Currency and EU Membership (which perhaps all who have similar questions should read) I would offer the following summaries.

Initially the pound sterling would be retained but as soon as practicable there would be a transition to an independent “Scottish pound” managed by a newly established Scottish Central Bank. My personal hope is that following negotiations with rUK the transition will be capped off with an “Independence Day”.

An immediate application to join the EU would be submitted but should the transition period be protracted then it would appear logical to join thhe European Free Trade Association (EFTA), or the European Economic Area (EEA), with such membership sustained in the seemingly unlikely event that negotiations to join the EU were not to prove more advantageous.

With regard to borders, it has already been demonstrated by Northern Ireland that differing trading relationships can be managed without halting cross-border trade, and I’m sure Mr Millar is already aware that most of Scotland’s trade with England (resorting to the slur implied via “nasty England” association does not advance his argument) is in services rather than goods. Certainly more direct connections to Europe will promote Scotland’s economic growth, whether for shipping Scotland’s wide variety of exports or for supplying electricity via direct interconnectors.

No “circumnavigation”, no “bluster”, so perhaps now Mr Millar can reveal his plan for saving Britain, whether via constitutional change (other than independence) or by fundamentally reforming the “United Kingdom”?

Stan Grodynski, Longniddry, East Lothian

Yacht nonsense

“Russian warship opens fire in the Channel” (the Guardian), “Putin opens fire in the Channel” (the Daily Mail), “Vlad fires on Brit OAPs in the Channel” (the Sun). What actually happened? The BBC gets the story straight.

Officers on the bridge of a Russian frigate in international waters warned a yacht that it was straying into its path by sounding five blasts on its horn, repeating this, then firing flares and then shooting rifles into the air. It did not “open fire”.

The English Channel is the world's busiest seaway, with more than 500 ships passing though it a day; collisions between large vessels and pleasure craft have happened and if the frigate had ran down the yacht it could have resulted in fatalities. Then what would have happened?

It seems that we are moving further along the road to war with Russia every day. Sloppy reporting doesn't help.

William Loneskie, Oxton, Lauder, Berwickshire

Fission trip

Hugh Pennington (Letters, 17 June) must face the fact that nuclear fission is the most expensive and dangerous way to produce electricity when all of its costs down the years are added together: even my local Torness Nuclear Power Station fails to earn more than its costs when all the latter are considered.

And it's not those of us who use the power, but our descendants, who will have to cover those downstream expenses.

I have shown there are many other ways of making electricity, although not all are yet ready to come to market, and some may never be. Globally, most electricity is still produced by finite fossil fuels, the sadly far-from-obsolete coal being the major source.

The planet provides quite enough safe, renewable and “free” energy (wind, tide, current, hydro,solar, etc) for all our needs. It would be far cheaper to invest our research and development into these.

I rest my case and will take up no more valuable space in The Scotsman on the matter.

Tim Flinn, Morningside, Edinburgh

Coal hole

The coal fireplaces that have heated Parliament Hall in Edinburgh through winters since 1639 will be left unlit amid concern over their impact on the environment (your report, 15 June).

Up pops Fraser Sutherland, coalition manager at Stop Climate Chaos Scotland to welcome this, saying: “Today we also know that emissions from burning fossil fuels are the key cause of climate change.”

He really should get out more and see how inconsequential the UK, and especially Scotland, is. Does he not know that China, Hungary, the US, Russia, India and Japan have a total of 5,113 coal-fired electricity plants churning out electricity far cheaper than UK wind and solar? Does he not know that the FIFA World Cup will attract 6 million spectators and they will create 7.8-9 million tonnes of additional emissions? Does he not know that sporting and music events create far more emissions than many countries? Does he not know that in the last 12 months wind and solar could only provide 42 per cent of our UK electricity? The other 58 per cent came from gas, wood burning at Drax, nuclear and the Interconnector from Europe.

It is no use building more wind turbines since if the wind doesn't blow, there is no power.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian

True portrait

The death of the artist David Hockney, at the age of 88, has prompted some remarkable tributes. I was pleased to hear Radio 4’s Today programme describe him on Saturday as a “homosexual”. Many sources have, rightly, referred to him as having been a “gay man”.

As ordinarily understood, and contrary to what some would have us believe nowadays, these descriptions are not free-floating identity labels up for grabs, but rooted in material reality: a man – a biological male – whose sexual orientation is towards the same sex.

Hockney lived that reality openly, at a time when male homosexuality carried serious consequences. It is sad, therefore, that this same reality now has to be defended from being blurred into a collection of self-conceptions and metaphysical beliefs.

I’m grateful Hockney has been spared the indignity of being repackaged as an “LGBTQ+ person”. One wonders how old a homosexual man must be before, even in death, he is allowed to be recognised simply as same-sex attracted.

Brian Forsyth, Edinburgh

Tartan Army trade

There is little doubt Scottish football supporters are having a fabulous time in America but they are also doing a great job promoting Scotland as a warm friendly country where people have a love for their sport. The rest of the world is also looking on and I would anticipate a big surge in Scotland’s tourist trade over the next few years as a direct response to the great message the Scottish supporters are sending out to the world.

Dennis Forbes Grattan, Bucksburn, Aberdeen

Airport failure

I was recently charged the full Edinburgh Airport drop-off fee (£8.50) despite previously being registered for the resident discount scheme. Only after contacting the airport was I told that the discount now expires annually and requires renewal.

The problem is that I received no notification that my registration was due to expire, nor any communication that the rules had changed.

Having never needed to renew previously, I had no reason to think my discount was no longer valid.

Despite this, the airport refused even a partial refund as a gesture of goodwill. It leaves the impression that this is less about supporting local residents and more about generating additional revenue from those who are unaware their discount has lapsed. A simple reminder email would have avoided the issue entirely.

Stewart Walker, Edinburgh

Grave matter

A few days ago my wife and I took a Canadian friend on a sightseeing tour of Edinburgh. We went into the historic Greyfriars Kirkyard to visit the grave of one of Scotland’s really great men, James Hutton, the “father of geology” and a towering genius, whose tercentenary is currently being celebrated (“Father of modern geology hailed on 300th anniversary of birth”, Perspective, 31 May).

At the locked and chained gate to the so called “Covenanter’s Prison”, where the grave is situated, we were approached by a council employee who, astonishingly, almost laughably, demanded to know if I had permission to guide people there.

He informed us that the cemetery was council-owned and that a private company had bought the sole right to guide people. He also told us that if an Edinburgh, or indeed any other, citizen wished to visit Hutton’s grave, they can only do so by joining, and of course paying for, an organised ghost/Harry Potter Tour. Greyfriars Kirk itself has absolutely no control over the cemetery.

The privatisation of public spaces for entertainment and financial gain is quite disgraceful, especially so in sacred places.

Philip Mackenzie, Marchmont, Edinburgh

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