18/10/2012 Reporting Scotland

Welcome to Reporting Scotland. Tonight: all smiles for Alex

Salmond as he tells his conference independence is closer than ever.

But what of his controversial plans to stick with NATO? How Scotland's

high street is changing with the closure of one shop every day.

economy is very bad right now. I can really afford to shore as much

as I did last year. And under pressure - Craig Levein was on

holiday with no decision on his future. And the Scots film-maker

risking his life to bring dangerous Alex Salmond has opened his party

conference in Perth telling delegates that the nonsense will

end in 2014. He said only independence will protect country's

social fabric, under attack from Westminster. But there is a

controversial change to their NATO policy of the party. This, from our

The foreign ministers enter the auditorium to sign it be an

Then, as now, an attack on one member of Malawi is an attack on

all. But most of the 28 members have no capacity of their own. --

an attack on one member of the NATO. Within the SNP, supporters of NATO

say it offers a defensive shield, reassume so. They are adamant an

independent Scotland will only join if Trident goes. Critics say that

is hypocrisy. Banishing Trident yet continuing to shelter under the

nuclear umbrella of NATO. The Cold War is over. What is it for? It is

a fair question to pose. The answer is, it does not have a core purpose.

In fact, it could potentially be destabilising. Faez Lane was chosen

because it is secluded with fast access to the North Atlantic. But

SNP leaders insist that they remain fervently anti- nuclear. They say

and you Scottish constitution would ban Trident. -- a new Scottish

constitution. This way we can literally get the best of both

worlds. Be armed yet be a good neighbour and ally. The SNP's eyes

are forced on a bigger prize. -- forecasts. Not just over the years

of our history as a party, but the last 300 years, change awaits the

people of Scotland in two years time. SNP leaders say the country

can build on the demolition to create further powers for

independence, including defence. -- As ever, or the SNP, everything is

seen through the prism of the forthcoming independence referendum.

And a proposal for same-sex marriage endorsed by the Government

was the topic of a fringe meeting. Gordon Wilson, the former party

leader said he believed it was a blunder from the party and would be

damaging in the independence referendum. He called same-sex

marriage a nonsense. -- the policy of same-sex marriage. But ministers

believe it is a matter of justice and will be seen as the right

One shop every day closes for good on Scottish high streets. One of

the pack is retail centres outside of London is seen the largest

number of closures. But is that down to the recession or online

shopping? To let. An increasingly familiar sign. In Glasgow, you see

more than most. Over 100 shops closing between January and August.

Glasgow clearly has more to lose in terms of the effect on retail.

Looking at some of those retailers who have closed their doors, they

have multiple units within Glasgow. That has led to a negative effect

on the city. 250 shops disappear, or only 175 Open. Of course, on any

high street, there are winners and losers. Retailers who thrive on

theft are bucking the trend. -- thrive on thrift. There should be

more help for shop's. Councils should cut their rates. The economy

is very bad and I cannot afford to shop as much as I did last year.

am a nurse with a two-year pay freeze. I have to watch my pennies.

The style of shopping is changing. The way people shop is changing and

will continue to do so. High streets must reinvent themselves.

We must look at community functions, coffee shops, the arts. It is not

the end of October and already retailers are thinking about

Christmas and hoping for an end-of- year flurry. But with a hike in

energy prices and the continuing increase in the cost of food, that

You are watching Reporting Scotland, still to come: the film heading for

the Highlands and the Abbey more climbing instructor who made it.

And a waiting game, as the future of Craig Levein hangs in the

balance. As for the women, things look a bit more relaxed as they

prepare for a crunch European tie The radical shake-up of the college

sector has been challenged by Audit Scotland. They want government

ministers to clarify exactly what the exercise will achieve and how

it will be paid for. Ross Turnbull from Edinburgh is working towards a

graphic communication Diploma. White 300,000 other Scots he hopes

it will lead to a job and a future. But cuts have led to concerns over

part-time courses and more. You can hardly get a job these days. We are

just trying and her best. We just hope that funding keeps coming.

Otherwise, what future have I got? Revenue cut by 24%, capital

building costs, by 46%. All of this, in the space of just three years.

Rapid and radical restructuring - for Edinburgh colleges merging into

one. -- four Edinburgh colleges. Seismic changes are underway. The

watchdog is concerned that colleges are so tied up with the changes

that they lose sight of their other agenda, which is making sure that

courses are consistently good. Like this course in the railway

Engineering, they should be about the skills employers want. But

there is a fear that changes will shock change the students. There

could be less contact time with lecturers, the Education Quality

could suffer. Never fear, say ministers. We recognise the need

for a strategic grip of colleges. We want to make sure the case is

well argued, are well understood. The message needed soon is what the

revolution will deliver and how it Lord Bell has instructed a

fundamental review of the policy a television cameras in Scottish

courts. Since 1992 applications have been allowed, no further ones

will be considered whilst the Police patrols have been stepped up

in Perth after a 23-year-old was a walk in by an intruder who

threatened her with violence before sexually assaulting her. The attack

followed a robbery near by on the previous night when a 68-year-old

woman was also attacked and her Most Scottish Premier League clubs

expect to lose money during the season according to accountants, P

K if. They claim that most are dependent on their main shareholder

to recover losses. The cost of the cheapest ticket ranges from just

over 20 per ounce at Inverness to more than �30 at Celtic Park. That

his weighing on the minds of football club finance directors. In

debt discussions with six SPL clubs as well as many more in England

showed that the gulf between the two countries is widening. Mainly

because a player wages. The top concerns of money men? Falling gate

receipts and difficulty in attracting sponsors. Only one club

said her finances were healthy and four out of six expect to shrink

their playing squad this season. Rangers are running into trouble is

seen as worrying because it can be too sudden financial upheaval and

uncertainty for the game as a whole. Relegation of the Ibrox team to the

First Division however should tell the finances of smaller clubs.

Production has ended at the Remploy factory in Aberdeen. Workers downed

tools for the last time this afternoon. 14 disabled people are

losing their jobs. A new law on human trafficking is to be

introduced. Ministers hope it will highlight the problem and bring

more prosecutions. We are suggesting a statutory aggravation

so people can be prosecuted by the Measures to ease travel disruption

caused by roadworks on the A9 at the Kessock Bridge will include

junction upgrades and extra seats on public transport. Resurfacing

The most recent addition to the Knapdale Beaver family has been

given a health check. The first confirmed female kit was given the

Management of the Solway cockle fishery is to be discussed tonight

in Dumfries. The talks follow concern about illegal cockling in

A virus affecting cattle and sheep has been detected in Orkney. A ram

transported from Shropshire tested positive for the SBV virus, which

causes fever in cattle and The Mod's organisers are

criticising the government agency Creative Scotland for turning down

several funding applications. Organisers were awarded financial

support for only one concert this We are all looking for a form of a

lasting support that will guarantee that our event will continue on a

sound financial basis for the Footage of an unidentified flying

object hovering in the Aberdeenshire skies shows lights

spotted near Fraserburgh for several hours on Saturday. No-one

has been able to offer any And there's more from your area -

and all the latest news, 24 hours a He is one of the world's top

wildlife cameraman and in the BBC's Frozen Planet series, the Scot Doug

Allan has filmed some of the most memorable scenes. Our reporter Rob

Flett has been talking to him about his career as he embarks on a

nationwide lecture tour. Normally, it would not be as easy

as this. Doug Allan's big break was filming penguins in Antarctica.

Normally, we would not be like this. Since then, not all his animal

encounters had been this friendly. This there is much too close for

comfort. He is a big boy. A chance meeting with David Attenborough up

convinced Doug Allan he wanted to make nature films. We had to got

out in some pretty heavy ice in order to follow those or car Wales.

-- Orca whales. Just to see all that complicated behaviour going on

up front of your eyes, it was like a dream come true. Fantastic.

a career which has taken him all over the world. On a land and

underwater. Is it want main tip for photographing animals? Be patient.

Do not expect to go out one afternoon and come back with high

into stuff. With these programmes, if you give me main ideas about in

the field, I will give you one minute for the screen. -- 9 of days.

Up in the Arctic, there is a will cord and are all -- a whale called

a narwhal, and that is my dream. Four weeks I have been waiting to

get this one a opportunity. Then he hopes he will be back somewhere

cold and inhospitable doing the job he loves.

Now, before the sport, an update on a story we brought you last night.

Royal Navy divers from Faslane has successfully recovered the last

remaining Scottish boat involved in the Dunkirk landings. Skylark 9

helped save more than 600 troops during Operation Dynamo in May 1940.

It sank in the River Leven near Balloch two years ago.

Jonathan Sutherland is here with sports news.

Craig Levein's future as Scotland manager will not be discussed until

he returns from a week long holiday. It is understood the SFA will

review the World Cup campaign with him on his return. Pressure is

mounting on Levein after defeats to Wales and Belgium, but the Scotland

boss has been getting some support from a colleague at the SFA.

The Scotland stars of the future. The next generation are overseen by

SFA performance directors. While at the 23rd -- while at the World Cup

dream of 2014 is over, there is always the future. It is important

to have continuity. In professional football, the manager is always

responsible, but you have to reflect why results are not so good.

Scottish fans might just have to accept that other nations are just

better. We are not better than Belgium, Croatia are a decent side.

Currently, the hopes and dreams of Scotland fans outstrip the

realities on the pitch. For now, the waiting game over Craig

Levein's future continues. Scotland's women will get to play

at Hamdpen for the very first time this Saturday as they face Spain in

the first leg of their Euro 2013 play-off. Manager Anna Signeul says

reaching the tournament next summer would be massive for the women's

game, and for sport as a whole in Scotland. Jane Lewis has spent some

time with the squad as they prepre for the tie.

Scotland's women are aiming to reach their first ever major finals

and today's training sessions attracted some interested

spectators. How is everyone ahead of Saturday?

Everyone is fit and excited. It was good to get training today, to look

at Spain and see what they are going to be like against us on

Saturday. We are just working on our shape. But yes, a good session.

We are excited for Saturday. After training, it was back to the team

hotel and lunch. What is it like spending time in the will tell with

the girls? He it is good. It is good to come together and prepare a

proper live. Everyone gets on well together. It is a good team spirit.

In the afternoon, while some headed for the treatment table, others

find time to relax. No such luxury for the women up trying to

mastermind a win over Spain. This is the room per you will be giving

your team talk. What will you be telling your players about Spain?

We will say that Spain is a very skilful team. They want to keep the

ball. They are very technical. We will tell them as much as we think

the players should know, sometimes we do not tell them everything.

no doubt, she will be telling her players that the team can win this

one as the women's team look to make history.

Glasgow Warriors winger Tommy Seymour will miss his club's

Heineken Cup match against Ulster tomorrow night. Seymour has been

handed a one week ban after committing a dangerous tackle

against Northampton's Vasily Artemyev. Glasgow lost against the

English side last week and need a win to kick start their Heineken

Cup campaign. Here's our rugby reporter Jim Mason.

Preparations are underway for tomorrow one night's much. Warriors

it lost last week and need to win against also. It is the Pinnacle of

professional probably. -- at Rugby. You have to win your home games.

And that is something that we need to do on the Park this week. This

will be Glasgow's first Heineken Cup match here at Scotstoun stadium

in Glasgow. The Warriors hope that a capacity crowd will cheer them on.

It is always good to play in front of your home fans. It adds to the

occasion. We were disappointed last week against Northampton. We are

looking to put things right against Ulster. These stands will be full

tomorrow right. Glasgow's fans hoping that the European dream

remains intact. BBC Scotland are looking to reward

those who make sport happen for Thank you.

A horror film has been shot for the first time in Antarctica, and a

Highland climbing instructor plays a major role. Kirk Watson from

Aviemore made the movie South of Sanity while working for British

Antarctic Survey and the cast and crew were made up of his fellow

workers. Jackie O'Brien reports. Antarctica in winter can be a

desolate place. To pass the long, dark nights while stationed there,

people generally take up the guitar or even would work. -- woodwork.

But Kirk Watson decided to make a horror movie after seeing a script

written by a doctor. He knows what the injuries would look like, what

their blood would look like. We were looking with children's body

paint is set. We managed to get some good effects in the end.

Of Sanity follows of 14 workers in the Antarctic as they are stalked

by a killer. The cast and crew were made up of BA's staff. But not

everyone was able to get a part. -- based staff. We had 21 people, and

that would be too many dying with them back the space of there Film

so we cut it down to 14. The sub- zero temperatures helped actor's

get into their parts. Some of them got mild hypothermia during filming.

It made them grumpier, make them act there are parts a bit better.

Often, they had to be antagonistic towards each other. South Of Sanity

world premier is in Aviemore on Halloween night. It contains strong,

The weather is looking pretty wild tonight. It was at the of cloud and

some of us saw some heavy rain as well. -- looking pretty mild. That

area of low pressure is moving over Scotland overnight tonight. That

band of showery rain will stay with us for the next hour or so. North-

west of the great them a, -- the great men, it will be generally

actually. But for much of that Millard, reasonably mild. Tomorrow,

a dry, cloudy start. There will be these outbreaks of white drizzly

rain on a door. The best of the conditions will be to the north-

west of the Great Glen. By afternoon, across the south,

temperatures up to 10 or 11 at Celsius. Generally cloudy was some

outbreaks of rain. The north-west is where the bulk of the sunshine

will be. In mud across the Highlands, a pretty pleasant

afternoon. -- inland. Overnight, the removal drift northwards. It is

not looking too bad for Saturday. Generally dry and bright with their

cloud thinning and brightness coming through. That is because of

this ridge of high pressure. It is the kind of autumn whether that

most of us might, dry and bright. But of course, the rate will return,

probably for Monday. Thank you. The SNP leader, Alex

Salmond has opened his party's conference in Perth telling

delegates only independence could protect the social fabric of

Scotland. Tomorrow the conference debates abandoning the party's