EDINBURGH'S pandas are still a big talking point.

We cannot guarantee the veracity of the claim that one Edinburgh chap who saw the pandas arriving at Edinburgh Airport responded: "Goodness, they're really jet-lagged. Did you see the dark circles under their eyes?"

And one Labour Party member in Partick cheerfully proclaimed: "Isn't it great living in a country that has more pandas than Tory MPs?"

Boxing clever?

A RECRUITMENT consultant in Strathaven tells us he was pleased that a CV from a young chap included the fact he had achieved a Duke of Edinburgh Award as it showed his commitment. The consultant's enthusiasm was only tempered by the fact that the chap had written it as "Juke".

Ruff justice

AH, the romantic nature of the Glaswegian. A Stirlingshire reader taking the train from Glasgow to Ardrossan, en route to a weekend on Arran, clambered on board the train at Glasgow's Central Station with her excitable dog which was watched by a young Glasgow couple munching crisps. "Ah didnae know they let dugs on trains," the young lady opined.

"They let you on, didn't they," replied her beau.

Did earth move for them?

THOM Cross was in a Lanarkshire pub where the abandonment of the Motherwell-Hibernian game, because of a fire in the floodlights, with Hibs one-nil up, was being discussed.

One toper chipped in that there had been a game in Turkey, with the home team also being beaten, which was halted because of a mild earthquake. A Motherwell fan in the crowd earnestly asked: "How do you organise an earthquake?"

Home delivery?

THE stunning rise of internet shopping was brought home to Priscilla Douglas in Killearn when she was listening to a BBC report on how it was affecting stores. One woman declared to the BBC reporter: "I buy lots of things on-line. I've a new-born baby ."

"Whatever next" wonders Priscilla.

Knock-on effect

LAID-BACK Highlanders continued. Martin Morrison in Assynt says one of the locals was collared, for the umpteenth time, denting somebody's car bumper and attempting to drive off without acknowledgement. "What are you bothered about? " he declared. "Why do you think it's called a bumper?"

Playing the game

JAMES Thomson in Avoch, Ross-shire, tells us that Brazilians appear to have a greater affinity with Scotland than just being great whisky importers.

A fellow Black Isler was on holiday in Brazil where he entered a local bar that usually showed football on its TV, but this day was showing baseball which was being watched by two visiting Americans.

Says James: "The TV was immediately switched to football. The surprised Americans were informed that the Scotsman preferred football."