Golf widowed

Golf widowed

A NEW chapter was opened in the history of the David Hume Institute last week with the appointment of former Scottish Financial Enterprise chief executive Ray Perman as director.

When, in 1983, professor Sir Alan Peacock proposed the establishment of the institute, as a non-metropolitan counterweight to the profusion of London think tanks, he warned of the challenges of attracting heavyweight contributors.

He wrote in a paper: "To arrest the attention of busy professional people as well as students and scholars is not easy, particularly in a town such as Edinburgh which (on a rough count) has 25 golf courses within its own boundaries."

The right direction

MICHAEL Craig, the Singapore-based Scot behind EEW Energy, ruminated on the finer points of Scottish geography as he discussed the firm's deal to supply an offshore platform in Indonesia.

Mr Craig said the first supplies would begin making their way to Indonesia "once they've found out where Grangemouth is!"

Keeper of the quaich

THE boss of software analytics firm SAS Jim Goodnight was hopeful history might repeat itself when offered a gift by Scottish Development International head Anne MacColl.

At the formal launch of the company's new research and development centre in Glasgow this week Mr Goodnight said: "The last Scottish development officer gave me a bottle of Scotch."

But the 71-year-old billionaire kept a smile on his face when the package was revealed to be a quaich.

Marathon debate

AS a Scot who lives, EEW Energy boss Michael Craig does not qualify for a vote in the independence referendum.

But that doesn't stop him having a view on it.

Mr Craig, a keen runner, has agreed to embark on a long run with an English neighbour to thrash out the pros and cons of the constitutional conundrum.

We suspect a re-run will be needed to tackle all the issues.