SIR, – Aberdeen City Council has had a great deal of bad press with its budgetary problems; it is due to vote on August 1 as to whether or not to allow Scotland's largest rare breeds farm to survive.
A group called the Friends of Doonies have collected thousands of petition signatures, created a business plan, and have legal, accounting, architectural, veterinary and other professionals generously donating their time to ensure this important farm continues. There is even a promise to supply animal feed.
The business plan is sound, and businesses and private individuals are standing by to make donations, once the council makes its decision.
The Rare Breeds Trust identifies dozens of animals at Doonies which are on its “watch” list; these animals are crucial to biodiversity in farming and are increasingly scarce.
The farm is on greenbelt, and it supports rare plants and wild animals and birds.
I would urge Aberdeen City Council to vote in favour of allowing the Friends of Doonies to take over the running of the farm, and I urge anyone sharing my concern to contact the council.
The Friends can be contacted through me.
Please help save this important farm for future generations.
Suzanne Kelly,
204 Victoria Road,
Aberdeen.
SIR, – The greatness or otherwise of William E. Gladstone (the Press and Journal, July 25) is a matter of opinion. However, those of us who are both Scottish Presbyterians and Liberals would have many reservations, given, for example, his involvement in bringing about the Disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843 and his ambiguous attitude to the formation of the Liberal Party – uniting Whigs, Radicals and Peelites (Tory free traders such as W.E. Gladstone) – in 1859.
Further, regarding the auction sale in Montrose on July 26 of the books from Fasque House, Fettercairn, it is unlikely that many such books came from W.E. Gladstone’s collection. Fasque was bought by John Gladstone (1st Baronet from 1846) in late 1829 when W.E. Gladstone, a younger son, was 20. After his marriage in 1839, he was seldom at Fasque and, given an estrangement from his elder brother, who succeeded as 2nd Baronet in 1851, he was never again at Fasque until much later in life and his descendants did not inherit Fasque until 1926.
The bulk of W.E. Gladstone’s collection of some 20,000 books are in St Deniol’s Residential Library, Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales. The Hawarden Estate was inherited from his wife’s family in 1874 and he founded and endowed the library in 1895. The library and its contents are now the responsibility of independent trustees.
Alexander S. Waugh,
1 Pantoch Gardens,
Banchory.
SIR, – The letter (the Press and Journal, July 23) from James Stewart headed “Inspiration behind Dracula” reminded my husband and me of a conversation we had with a Cruden Bay resident over 20 years ago.
His grandparents remembered Dracula author Bram Stoker, who made regular visits to the area. Stoker was referred to (not unkindly) by the locals as the “mad Englishman”, due to his nocturnal routine of striding across the cliffs, cloak slung over his shoulder, while muttering to himself.
They also described the scenes at Slains Castle, this once-magnificent building which, in its heyday, ablaze with lights and resounding to the sound of laughter and music, was a grand party venue for affluent Victorians.
One has only to hear the sea crashing against the rocks and imagine the clouds scudding over the moon on a windy night against the skeletal background of the once-beautiful castle to be left in no doubt that this was, indeed, where Bram Stoker got his inspiration for Dracula.
Maida H. Pirie,
11 Devanha Gardens South,
Aberdeen.
SIR, – I cannot understand why Alex Salmond should want Gordon Brown to either change his policy or change his job.
Surely the interests of the Scottish National Party are best served by the Labour Party continuing with its current policies, which are driving thousands of its former supporters to seek salvation in the SNP.
And who better to oversee Labour’s policies than the dogmatic Gordon Brown?
Brian Wilkinson,
4 Westburn Court,
Buckie.
SIR, – You carried a story (the Press and Journal, July 23) about a meeting between Islamic leaders and police to discuss “stop and search" procedures at Glasgow Airport.
You quoted the chairman of the Scottish Moslem Police Association as saying: “The more we encourage this (dialogue), the even better relationship I can see the force having with Scotland's largest faith community."
I am one who would want to support such dialogue wholeheartedly, but, in terms of accuracy, the 2001 Census gave the relevant figures for religious affiliation as Christian 65% and Moslem 1%.
Just in case folk get the wrong picture.
Rev Bob Jones,
13 Gordon Terrace,
Inverurie.