IT is pleasing to note that the whisky sector appears to be in robust health and that the world continues to enjoy consumption of our national drink.

Whisky production is growing and is supporting employment in many rural Scottish communities.

However welcome its contribution to the Scottish economy however, it will never be the panacea that, along with the oil sector, was predicted by the SNP at referendum time to underpin the economic wellbeing of an independent Scotland. The main reason for this is that just two companies of any real substance (Edrington and William Grant) are actually based in Scotland ("From Thailand to Bermuda ... who owns our distilleries?", The Herald, February 2). Whilst all distilleries create employment and wealth, the vast majority pay tax to the domiciled country of their parent companies, whether the UK (that is, London) or abroad.

It is in every Scot's best interest to have strong iconic products performing well on the world stage (whether whisky, golf, tourism, or teacakes), but we must have a sense of realism about what they can actually bring to the economic table.

In the global world of today, every country is greatly affected by the influence of others; consider the international forces that have driven down the price of oil to under $50 per barrel, for example.

International ownership of our major whisky brands may not change their fundamental Scottishness, but it certainly does diminish their ability to deliver wealth to the nation in a way that supports the population as a whole.

Derek Miller,

Westbank, West Balgrochan Road, Torrance.

THE UK is virtually self-sufficient in oil and the industry currently employs well over 300,000 directly and indirectly over the UK.

Yet here we are seriously contemplating its demise in favour of importing shale gas from the US and cheap crude from the Middle East.

We have been here before. Over recent decades the UK has destroyed its own industrial base and replaced it with a paper economy based in London. Here is the headquarters of financial capitalism which has emasculated the sovereignty of Nations and undermined democracy.

The G20 Heads of State repeatedly fail to agree upon financial reform, so if we are to respond rationally then sovereign governments must legislate unilaterally. That may run against the dominant paradigm but going with the flow is what lemmings do.

RF Morrison,

Millig, 29 Colquhoun Street, Helensburgh.