:00:00. > :00:16.itself. Thank you. That is all
:00:17. > :00:21.Tonight, on Reporting Scotland... The great festive getaway - as
:00:22. > :00:28.thousands take to the trains, roads and air, travel warnings of storm
:00:29. > :00:33.force winds and disruption. I am only Anine, where snow made
:00:34. > :00:36.driving difficult today but it could be worse tomorrow.
:00:37. > :00:39.Also on the programme... Tributes to two teenage footballers
:00:40. > :00:42.who both died suddenly at the weekend.
:00:43. > :00:46.Calls for Holyrood to mirror Westminster and offer free school
:00:47. > :00:50.meals for primaries one to three. And a political heavyweight no more
:00:51. > :00:52.- we look at the celebrity diet that means we're seeing less of the First
:00:53. > :01:03.Minister. Good evening. The Christmas getaway
:01:04. > :01:07.has begun. Weather conditions are making it more difficult journey for
:01:08. > :01:13.many people. High winds have caused ferries and flights to be disruption
:01:14. > :01:16.-- destructed. Some roads have been closed by snow and high winds have
:01:17. > :01:19.caused problems on the railway network. We will get the latest from
:01:20. > :01:26.Andrew Anderson and Katrina Renton. First, Katrina reports on today's
:01:27. > :01:31.Christmas journeys. Whether it was last-minute shoppers
:01:32. > :01:35.or weary travellers making their way home for Christmas, Glasgow putt
:01:36. > :01:43.Central Station was bustling earlier today. Ice Glasgow's centrals
:01:44. > :01:49.nation. We watched as the London trains came in and out as the stormy
:01:50. > :01:55.weather down south brought advice passengers making a journey south of
:01:56. > :01:59.the border should leave early. We had to get an early 20 London.
:02:00. > :02:02.Was that retain you planned? Yes, but I don't know if it was for
:02:03. > :02:06.everyone because there were people standing on the train to try and get
:02:07. > :02:09.there on time. We got there early, they were
:02:10. > :02:12.accepting the tickets so we jumped on.
:02:13. > :02:15.We looked at the National Rail website and decided we could go
:02:16. > :02:19.early, they are letting people on with the same ticket 's and you can
:02:20. > :02:25.go at any point over the next day or tomorrow.
:02:26. > :02:31.So, yes, we were able to hop on a train and come up straightaway. With
:02:32. > :02:35.weather warnings for Christmas Eve heralding and tidings of stormy and
:02:36. > :02:40.wintry weather, the advice wherever you may be heading on the trains is
:02:41. > :02:44.to keep checking the website. If you are travelling in the
:02:45. > :02:46.morning, you should check before you leave, make sure there is no
:02:47. > :02:50.disruption on your line and that if you are coming into town you know
:02:51. > :02:53.the time of the last trains. Especially on Christmas Eve, some
:02:54. > :02:57.services finish earlier than they do during the week. If you are
:02:58. > :03:02.travelling, leave plenty of time for your journey and check before you
:03:03. > :03:07.leave. On the roads in Inverness this
:03:08. > :03:10.afternoon, the A9, the main route between the north and south of
:03:11. > :03:15.Scotland, saw difficult driving conditions as the weather turned to
:03:16. > :03:19.snow. And it was a similar story for motorists across the central
:03:20. > :03:22.highlands, in Perthshire, Aberdeenshire and Stirling Shire.
:03:23. > :03:28.And with a drop in temperature expected overnight, ice on the roads
:03:29. > :03:32.across the country will be a hazard to watch out for.
:03:33. > :03:36.In Shetland, the ferry for Aberdeen left at noon today, five and a half
:03:37. > :03:39.hours ahead of schedule, in an attempt to miss the worst of the
:03:40. > :03:44.gathering storm. And as the day went on some other
:03:45. > :03:46.services were disrupted, as were some flights from the mainland to
:03:47. > :03:52.the islands, too. The storm force gusts predicted for
:03:53. > :03:55.Christmas Eve could make for some unpleasant journeys. But when you
:03:56. > :04:01.reach your destination, perhaps this will make you appreciate it all the
:04:02. > :04:04.more. Let us go to Katrina now, just
:04:05. > :04:09.outside Glasgow Central Station. Give us an update.
:04:10. > :04:16.Well, it is very busy here this evening, but these are people
:04:17. > :04:20.hanging around because of delays, people arriving and departing.
:04:21. > :04:25.There are some delays on the West Coast line we were talking about
:04:26. > :04:29.earlier from year to London. That is both on arrivals and departures, but
:04:30. > :04:32.it is only about 30 minutes of delay, and a lot of people have been
:04:33. > :04:39.heeding the warnings about travelling early. That will probably
:04:40. > :04:42.avoid them being involved in those storms that are predicted for
:04:43. > :04:50.tomorrow. Both Network Rail and Scott worked as Mike Ross got real
:04:51. > :04:53.are monitoring -- ScotRail are monitoring the situation. You will
:04:54. > :04:57.be able to get advice on bulletins on radio Scotland in the morning and
:04:58. > :05:01.hopefully everyone travelling on Christmas Eve will make it home in
:05:02. > :05:05.time to have a very happy Christmas. That is the way it is looking on the
:05:06. > :05:10.rail network, let's turn our attention to the roads and crossed
:05:11. > :05:15.as Michael Cross to play our full in Perthshire. Andrew, you have already
:05:16. > :05:20.had some disruption on the roads. As Michael Blair Atholl.
:05:21. > :05:23.Yes, but the good news is the A9 is fully open but because of this know
:05:24. > :05:25.it is only possible with care in some places.
:05:26. > :05:31.Earlier today, the snow gates were closed today at where our full and
:05:32. > :05:41.another -- a number of other points. -- the gates were closed
:05:42. > :05:45.today at Blair Atholl. Many of us will be wanting to be out
:05:46. > :05:50.on the roads to model to get to our Christmas Day destinations and there
:05:51. > :05:53.is a warning of more snow tomorrow, forecasting storm force winds to hit
:05:54. > :05:59.parts of Scotland. The police advise if you are setting out on the roads
:06:00. > :06:04.to be fully prepared. Take warm clothing, make sure that is 90 of
:06:05. > :06:07.fuel in the car, take food and hot drinks, have your mobile phone fully
:06:08. > :06:12.charged, check the weather forecast and road reports regularly, plan
:06:13. > :06:16.your journey accordingly and make sure you leave plenty of time to get
:06:17. > :06:20.to your destination safely. Well, if you are still to head home
:06:21. > :06:26.for Christmas, we were joined earlier in the studio by whether
:06:27. > :06:27.presenter Christopher Blanchett. What is coming and why is it so
:06:28. > :06:32.severe? Let's look at the eastern seaboard
:06:33. > :06:36.of America. You can see the warm colours there,
:06:37. > :06:41.it was 21 Celsius in New York on Saturday, but in Montreal it was
:06:42. > :06:48.minus seven Celsius. That difference is giving power to the Jetstream, a
:06:49. > :06:52.fast-moving ribbon of air up in the atmosphere skipping across the
:06:53. > :06:57.Atlantic at around 280 mph at the minute. That is going across the top
:06:58. > :07:01.of the low pressure system that normally develops in the Atlantic,
:07:02. > :07:05.but it is so fast it is sucking the air word of it quicker than it can
:07:06. > :07:08.be replaced, so the low pressure is deepening rapidly, and explosive
:07:09. > :07:14.low, so it is very powerful indeed. It will continue to work across
:07:15. > :07:17.towards the UK. You can start to see this swirl of cloud developing which
:07:18. > :07:22.is the low-pressure centre heading towards Scotland. That is producing
:07:23. > :07:27.a deep area of low pressure, high winds and some heavy rain to contend
:07:28. > :07:29.with throughout tomorrow. The sort of conditions this will
:07:30. > :07:34.cause - pretty nasty, really? Very much so.
:07:35. > :07:38.We have a blanket yellow warning across Scotland for winds up to 70
:07:39. > :07:47.mph, but across the West Coast and the Hebrides in particular, and
:07:48. > :07:51.Amber warning, gusts up to 90 mph, potentially reaching 100 mph. These
:07:52. > :07:54.are damaging winds, significant disruption to be expected and
:07:55. > :07:57.potentially power cuts. There is a real threat that some communities
:07:58. > :08:02.could be without power on Christmas Day.
:08:03. > :08:05.Thank you, we will see you later. Tonight's other news. Tributes have
:08:06. > :08:09.been paid to two young footballers who died suddenly.
:08:10. > :08:15.13-year-old Jamie Skinner collapsed during an under 14th match in
:08:16. > :08:20.Edinburgh -- under 14s, and Hibs youth player David Paul died
:08:21. > :08:23.yesterday, he was 17. Jamie Skinner was described as a
:08:24. > :08:29.talented and athletic footballer. He was playing an under 14s match
:08:30. > :08:33.for Tynecastle football club when he collapsed on the pitch. Despite
:08:34. > :08:37.efforts to save him he passed away. It is very rare, that is why I
:08:38. > :08:42.suppose it is even more shocking for all of those around yesterday and
:08:43. > :08:46.all of us involved that no Jamie. 13-year-olds should not have their
:08:47. > :08:51.life tragically taken away from them. You had recently moved to
:08:52. > :08:55.Tynecastle foot ball club from Hearts under 14 is where his loss is
:08:56. > :08:58.also being felt. Was a great athlete, very, very
:08:59. > :09:03.quick. He was a great lad around the park,
:09:04. > :09:08.wanted to learn, a bubbly character and the boys loved him. On the other
:09:09. > :09:12.side of the city, there was grieving for another young player,
:09:13. > :09:15.18-year-old David Paul who played for Hibs youth team.
:09:16. > :09:19.He died in the early hours of Sunday at his home in a number.
:09:20. > :09:24.Something none of us were ready for. It is important now that we stick
:09:25. > :09:28.together. -- died at his home in Edinburgh.
:09:29. > :09:32.There were first-team players, especially, that were there for the
:09:33. > :09:38.younger boys, who lived and played with David day in day out. We spoke
:09:39. > :09:43.a lot about the Bernie and family and it is important that family
:09:44. > :09:50.comes together now. -- the attorney and family. Football fans also
:09:51. > :09:53.expressed grief at the death. It is tragic. You just can't take it
:09:54. > :09:58.in, it is so sad, especially at this time of year. They were fit, at two
:09:59. > :10:02.boys, and it shows, it doesn't matter how fit you are, these things
:10:03. > :10:06.can happen. It is devastating, terrible, my
:10:07. > :10:10.thoughts are with their families. The football community has been
:10:11. > :10:14.saddened and shocked by the sudden loss of the teenagers.
:10:15. > :10:16.Both young men were described as promising and talented players who
:10:17. > :10:20.could have had a bright future in the game.
:10:21. > :10:27.Still to come on the programme before 7pm...
:10:28. > :10:30.Restoring the final resting place of generations of one of Scotland's
:10:31. > :10:35.most influential families. And in sport, as Edinburgh and
:10:36. > :10:38.Glasgow you up for rugby's festive derby double-header, is the tide
:10:39. > :10:42.about to turn? And how is this for sisterly love,
:10:43. > :10:48.we go shopping with the siblings Eileen Commonwealth glory.
:10:49. > :10:54.Scotland's largest teachers union is calling on the government to fund
:10:55. > :10:57.free school meals for all infants. The EIS says this could tackle
:10:58. > :11:01.poverty. The government says it will look it the issue in the New Year.
:11:02. > :11:08.Our correspondent reports. Around one in five primary school
:11:09. > :11:12.children in Scotland get free school dinners. Most parents pay. But in
:11:13. > :11:16.England things are changing. From next to come all children in the
:11:17. > :11:20.first three years of school will be entitled to free meals. Scotland's
:11:21. > :11:25.largest teachers union wants the same thing to happen here. The
:11:26. > :11:26.research is clear, young people who are hungry or not good learners in
:11:27. > :11:33.school. We note that these are austere times
:11:34. > :11:39.for people and this would be a major step forward for tackling poverty in
:11:40. > :11:44.schools. But it would not be cheap. If every child at primary one, two
:11:45. > :11:48.or three got a free dinner, it may cost around ?50 million more per
:11:49. > :11:51.year. Westminster says there is money for
:11:52. > :11:55.Hollywood to do this, but the Scottish government says this cache
:11:56. > :11:59.does not balance out other cuts. The extra money that has been provided
:12:00. > :12:03.through the budget statement at UK level is something we will have to
:12:04. > :12:06.consider in the New Year. There are competing claims for that
:12:07. > :12:11.money, obviously, people have called for this money to be used for a
:12:12. > :12:14.number of things. But who would gain the most from extending free meals?
:12:15. > :12:19.Supporters said it would end any risk of a stigma for children who
:12:20. > :12:24.get free meals now, but they claim others could benefit, too.
:12:25. > :12:29.A healthy end of day meal -- mid-day meal might help your stories --
:12:30. > :12:34.youngsters concentrate and cut the risk of obesity, but critics argue
:12:35. > :12:38.free school meals for all would be a so-called middle-class benefits.
:12:39. > :12:41.What do they think of these ice this relatively at -- in this relatively
:12:42. > :12:45.affluent town? I think parents can afford to pay
:12:46. > :12:50.for school meals and it is better for the ones who cannot afford it to
:12:51. > :12:54.get the free school meals. It is sort of causing an imbalance,
:12:55. > :12:58.so I think if you see every school child should get free school meals
:12:59. > :13:08.that would work. The Scottish government is expected to reach a
:13:09. > :13:14.decision in the New Year. A man has been charged with attempted murder
:13:15. > :13:27.linked to an incident in Fraserburgh.
:13:28. > :13:36.Earlier -year-old man was not -- was named.
:13:37. > :13:45.Care services are improving at the Private home in Edinburgh but that
:13:46. > :13:52.is still looking at complaints. The latest report into the quality
:13:53. > :13:58.of care shows that services are improving but more needs to be
:13:59. > :14:04.done. The care Inspectorate says it is not yet operating at the standard
:14:05. > :14:11.that requires but there is evidence of improvement. That improvement is
:14:12. > :14:16.in its early stages and needs to be sustained. Last month inspectors
:14:17. > :14:24.warned that the home could face closure of things did not improve.
:14:25. > :14:33.Police are still investigating for deaths which happened here. The
:14:34. > :14:36.Inspectorate is looking into other complaints not related to the police
:14:37. > :14:43.enquiry. The final decision into the future of this home will be made in
:14:44. > :14:52.the New Year. 2014 is going to be a big year for
:14:53. > :14:57.the first Alastair. -- the first Minister. We seem to have been
:14:58. > :15:02.seeing less of him recently. That is because he has taken up a diet. Is
:15:03. > :15:26.it the healthiest approach? It is not often Beyonce and Alex
:15:27. > :15:37.Salmond I mentioned in the same sentence. But they have something in
:15:38. > :15:49.common. Alex Salmond is on the same diet as Beyonce.
:15:50. > :15:59.Alex Salmond has lost two stones by following the diet.
:16:00. > :16:10.It is the diet everyone is talking about. On five days of the meat you
:16:11. > :16:18.eat normally. On two days of the week you fast. For a woman that
:16:19. > :16:22.means no more than 500 calories. But Alex Salmond will half to address
:16:23. > :16:29.more than just his diet if you want to stay slim and healthy.
:16:30. > :16:35.This person used to be 27 stone. He had a gastric band fitted but also
:16:36. > :16:44.to cap cycling. He says Alex Salmond will need to make changes. He will
:16:45. > :16:53.need to think about how he will keep the weight off. Many diets fail in
:16:54. > :16:56.the long-term. This man is now chairman of a
:16:57. > :17:17.cycling to link club. Time to catch up with other stories
:17:18. > :17:21.from around the country. Dundee Airport's only scheduled passenger
:17:22. > :17:24.service is to end in the new year. CityJet are pulling out of the route
:17:25. > :17:27.between Dundee and London City. Highlands and Islands Airports says
:17:28. > :17:30.it's working with the Scottish Government and Dundee City Council
:17:31. > :17:34.to safeguard the air link between the two cities.
:17:35. > :17:38.The police have released the name of a man whose body was found on
:17:39. > :17:41.Portobello Beach in Edinburgh at the weekend. He was 53-year-old Mark
:17:42. > :17:45.Fraser, from Coillesdene Grove in Joppa. Police believe he fell down
:17:46. > :17:47.steep concrete steps leading to the beach.
:17:48. > :17:51.Telecomunications giant BT has signed a ?27 million pound contract
:17:52. > :17:55.to lay subsea cables to boost broadband services in the Western
:17:56. > :18:01.Isles. It's the biggest subsea project carried out by the company
:18:02. > :18:05.in UK waters. The longest cable will run for almost 50 miles under the
:18:06. > :18:08.Minch from Ullapool to Stornoway. Two paintings by the artist JD
:18:09. > :18:11.Fergusson have been removed from display at the Scottish National
:18:12. > :18:16.Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, following a leak in the roof. The
:18:17. > :18:19.gallery is currently hosting an exhibition by the Edinburgh-born
:18:20. > :18:25.artist. It's being claimed that Orkney has
:18:26. > :18:28.the best quality of life in the UK. A poll carried out by the Halifax
:18:29. > :18:31.Bank found that the islands excelled in a number of areas - including
:18:32. > :18:35.health, life expectancy, low crime rates and personal wellbeing.
:18:36. > :18:39.Orcadians came out on top as amongst the happiest in the country.
:18:40. > :18:46.And there are more stories from your area - and all the latest news, on
:18:47. > :18:50.BBC Scotland's website. A million pound project is underway
:18:51. > :18:55.to restore the final resting place of generations of one of Scotland's
:18:56. > :18:58.most influential families. The chiefs of the Clan Campbell have
:18:59. > :19:07.been buried at the Argyll mausoleum in Kilmun for centuries. Laura
:19:08. > :19:12.Maxwell has the story. Sitting above the holy Loch there
:19:13. > :19:19.has been a Church graveyard here for hundreds of years. The early Dukes
:19:20. > :19:28.of Argyll even built a private mausoleum. You can see through of
:19:29. > :19:32.the scaffolding and netting the vast cast Iron Dome. It was forged in the
:19:33. > :19:38.Glasgow shipyards in the late 1800 but was never placed correctly. It
:19:39. > :19:42.has been meeting ever since. That is why all this work has been carried
:19:43. > :19:49.out. After a long campaign by locals it is being restored. The quality of
:19:50. > :19:52.the stonework and the decorative features in the mausoleum at
:19:53. > :20:00.exquisite. We have just finished a project at Rosslyn Chapel, on a
:20:01. > :20:07.building that is 550 years old. This building is over 200 years old. The
:20:08. > :20:14.common factor is that the stonework was carved with the same amount of
:20:15. > :20:21.passion. Archaeological work has revealed more details about the
:20:22. > :20:25.site's eider significance. This is one of the most important sites in
:20:26. > :20:29.the West of Scotland. We have had a Christian presence here probably
:20:30. > :20:33.since the time of St Columba. We are beginning to find other evidence to
:20:34. > :20:39.prove there has been a continuous Christian presence from that time.
:20:40. > :20:42.It is hoped the restoration work and a new information centre will
:20:43. > :20:50.attract thousands of visitors every year.
:20:51. > :20:53.And Jane has tonight's sport for us. The Edinburgh rugby coach Alan
:20:54. > :20:57.Solomons maintains Glasgow should be considered favourites when the sides
:20:58. > :21:01.meet twice over the festive period. The first part of the two legged
:21:02. > :21:06.1872 Cup is on Boxing Day, with the return on New Year's Day. Glasgow
:21:07. > :21:09.have dominated the fixture recently, but current form suggests that could
:21:10. > :21:23.be about to change, as Alasdair Lamont reports.
:21:24. > :21:27.A win over the defending champions Leinster underlined Edinburgh Zoo
:21:28. > :21:39.recent revival. They are the form team. -- underlined Edinburgh's
:21:40. > :21:48.rugby revival. We go into this game on the back of two very hard games.
:21:49. > :21:59.That would make Glasgow the favourites. Glasgow have tolerated
:22:00. > :22:15.this fixture lately. -- Glasgow have dominated this fixture lately. They
:22:16. > :22:18.were close games last year. If an overdue derby victory is not
:22:19. > :22:26.motivation enough for Edinburgh, the chance to move above their closest
:22:27. > :22:36.rivals surely is. Here is a look at what else is
:22:37. > :22:41.happening across Scottish sport. Fans will now be able to take
:22:42. > :22:46.banners to McDiarmid Park. St Johnstone had initially announced a
:22:47. > :22:55.ban to prevent them being used to let off smoke bombs.
:22:56. > :22:59.Now the squeamish among you may want to look away now. Aberdeen are
:23:00. > :23:01.hopeful that Mark Reynolds will recover from a facial injury for
:23:02. > :23:05.their match against Motherwell on Boxing Day. That was the incident -
:23:06. > :23:08.the defender then tweeted before and after shots. Ouch!
:23:09. > :23:10.Hannah Miley admits it will be ''really hard'' defending her 400
:23:11. > :23:13.metres Individual Medley Commonwealth Title. Miley was part
:23:14. > :23:17.of the European Team who lost by a single point to the USA during the
:23:18. > :23:20.weekend's Duel in the Pool in Tollcross in Glasgow, the same venue
:23:21. > :23:25.for next summer's Games. There are a lot of youngsters nipping at my
:23:26. > :23:30.heels. This season has highlighted that to me. I will stay positive and
:23:31. > :23:33.focused. And Scottish show-jumper Scott Brash
:23:34. > :23:37.has kept his world number one status, even though he failed to win
:23:38. > :23:39.a medal at last night's Grand Prix finale at Olympia.
:23:40. > :23:43.And there are more sports stories - plus the build up to the festive
:23:44. > :23:51.fixture list on BBC Sport Scotland's website.
:23:52. > :23:56.Further confusion on the banner story. Police have just told me that
:23:57. > :24:05.the ban on taking banners and flags into McDiarmid Park still stands
:24:06. > :24:07.despite the statement from Celtic. Scotland's athletes are already
:24:08. > :24:16.preparing for next year's Commonwealth Games. Our reporter has
:24:17. > :24:22.been to meet two wrestlers training for glory.
:24:23. > :24:38.Meet Fiona and Donna Robertson. Twin sisters from Glasgow. They are not
:24:39. > :24:50.quite what they seem. I think there is only one way to
:24:51. > :24:58.settle this. These judo veterans are now
:24:59. > :25:07.wrestlers. We normally give each other some
:25:08. > :25:11.space. Just a few minutes. We have to drive home together. Sometimes
:25:12. > :25:22.the journey can be quiet. They are targeting success. We do not get
:25:23. > :25:30.asked our age very much. We do not think about age as being a
:25:31. > :25:41.limitation. There's the gene to be standing on the podium? -- is the
:25:42. > :25:46.dream to be standing on the podium. You have to imagine what that is
:25:47. > :25:55.like. These twins are ready to fight for
:25:56. > :25:57.glory in Glasgow 2014. Now back to the weather and
:25:58. > :26:03.Christopher has the latest forecast. Now back to the weather and
:26:04. > :26:12.Christopher has the latest Some severe weather heading our way.
:26:13. > :26:17.Tonight our concern is for ice. I'm yellow warning is in force across
:26:18. > :26:22.the country. There will be more rain this evening. It will clear by
:26:23. > :26:31.midnight. Where the ground is wet it will be icy. The wind is starting to
:26:32. > :26:39.strengthen, particularly on the West Coast and the Hebrides. A winter
:26:40. > :26:44.storm is coming our way. Heavy rain, high winds, and for some,
:26:45. > :26:56.heavy snowfall. Disruption is likely and should be expected. Warnings of
:26:57. > :27:12.60 mph winds. A lot of rain and snow as well. Severe conditions on the
:27:13. > :27:21.higher road routes. Wendy on the East coast as well as on the West
:27:22. > :27:34.Coast. -- windy on the East Coast. We have an upgraded amber warning,
:27:35. > :27:44.which means to be prepared. The wind is strong enough to cause some
:27:45. > :27:48.disruption to travellers. Christmas Day will be windy and wet in the
:27:49. > :27:52.Northwest. A white Christmas for some. For most it will not be. It
:27:53. > :27:59.will be dry and much calmer. Boxing Day will be the best day of the
:28:00. > :28:04.week. If you are planning to travel tomorrow check the latest conditions
:28:05. > :28:11.before setting off. I will be back with the late
:28:12. > :28:18.bulletin. Until then, goodbye.