There's a moose loose...

EARLIER this year, Unspun brought news of the "Holyrood Mouse", which after being spotted in the parliament's media tower quickly acquired cult status and a spoof Twitter account.

It seems it was just the tip of the miceberg. New figures show "rodent sightings" in parliament leapt from 12 to 29 in the year to October. So on the night before Christmas, Holyrood's security watch should expect not so much a stirring, as a stampede of the wee beasties.

Supreme accolade

THE Scottish Parliamentary Journalists' Association presented their annual award this week to the member who wrote the most spectacularly incorrect story of the year.

The SPJA's strict code of omerta prevents us from revealing the name of the winner.

However, we can reveal that the rules had to be changed to allow a story produced last year - but confirmed as thunderously incorrect this year - to be thus honoured.

To compound the winner's misery, the rumour is that the Holyrood hacks are already planning to reverse their rule change at next year's awards.

Eternal optimist

THE HUNT is on for the punter whose bet of £5500 on a Yes vote, the second such stake, has shifted the odds at William Hill from 9/2 to 7/2 in favour of independence.

"A customer in his sixties, thought to be connected with the Yes campaign, placed the £5500 wager in a Hill's betting shop in Selkirkshire in the Scottish Borders area and will collect £32,500 if his hunch proves to be correct," said a spokesman.

Can we be the first to point out that Alex Salmond is still in his fifties?

Festive tidings

UNSPUN will be back on January 12 after our tribunes have returned to Holyrood for their year of destiny. Have a happy Christmas and a Guid New Year.