:00:00. > :00:00.heading our way and wet and windy again. That is all from us,
:00:00. > :00:12.Tonight, on Reporting Scotland. A bitter battle over the pound. The
:00:13. > :00:16.Chancellor says he won't let an independent Scotland join a currency
:00:17. > :00:20.union with the rest of the UK. Nationalists say Westminster parties
:00:21. > :00:23.are bullying Scotland. We'll be asking what it means for the pound
:00:24. > :00:28.and the referendum. Also on the programme: A doctor says
:00:29. > :00:31.a driver who killed two students would have been suspended from
:00:32. > :00:36.driving if he'd told the DVLA about his blackouts.
:00:37. > :00:38.Do you feel like having some guests in your house during the
:00:39. > :00:44.Commonwealth Games? Why Glasgow 2014 need your spare room.
:00:45. > :00:50.And the ferry man whose hitting the decks in his quest to run all 125
:00:51. > :01:03.miles round the Isle of Skye. -- who is.
:01:04. > :01:07.Good evening. In the most dramatic intervention in
:01:08. > :01:10.the referendum campaign so far, the three main parties at Westminster
:01:11. > :01:15.are ruling out an independent Scotland sharing the pound with the
:01:16. > :01:17.rest of the UK. The Chancellor George Osborne will make his
:01:18. > :01:21.announcement in a speech tomorrow, and the Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls
:01:22. > :01:25.and the Lib Dem's Danny Alexander will, effectively, back him up. The
:01:26. > :01:29.Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accused Westminster of
:01:30. > :01:37."bullying and intimidation". From there our correspondent Tim Reid
:01:38. > :01:41.reports. To keep the pound or not keep the
:01:42. > :01:49.pound? The question voters may have to ask themselves. Tomorrow, his
:01:50. > :01:53.speech, the Chancellor will rule out a formal currency union, a central
:01:54. > :01:59.theme of the White Paper. In a noisy debate, anger and
:02:00. > :02:04.questions. The proposal for a currency union
:02:05. > :02:11.without fiscal or political integration lacks any credibility.
:02:12. > :02:13.It doesn't make -- it does make one wonder whether the Scottish Cup and
:02:14. > :02:19.understands what the word independence means. They cannot have
:02:20. > :02:26.it both ways. They cannot expect Scots to take on liabilities while
:02:27. > :02:33.refusing to even negotiate. Surely as a reasonable person, she would
:02:34. > :02:40.agree. It was the Bank of England's governors words that proposed...
:02:41. > :02:48.I will be setting out my views tomorrow. The First Minister of
:02:49. > :02:52.Wales set the ball rolling saying he would veto a currency union. it
:02:53. > :02:59.affects Wales as well. It is important that we are able to
:03:00. > :03:06.express Wales' view. To my mind, it would be tremendous uncertainty.
:03:07. > :03:12.Those seeking a yes vote disagree and dismiss Mr Osborne's move. There
:03:13. > :03:20.best absent has look at the opinion polls and thinks it is losing the
:03:21. > :03:28.argument. In a few days, we have gone from loved ones to stink bombs.
:03:29. > :03:31.It is mixed messages. It smacks of an attempt to bully and intimidate
:03:32. > :03:37.people in Scotland and I don't think that will go down well. Back many
:03:38. > :03:40.Scots wants to keep the pound. -- many Scots.
:03:41. > :03:43.And it's there we stay and join our political correspondent, David
:03:44. > :03:50.Porter. What's reaction been to this political alliance over the pound?
:03:51. > :03:54.What we are seeing tonight is both sides in the independence argument
:03:55. > :04:01.staking their ground in the most dramatic of fashions. What would be
:04:02. > :04:05.the currency in an independent Scotland? Normally, the Chancellor
:04:06. > :04:09.and his shadow do not agree, if you ask them the time of day you would
:04:10. > :04:14.get a different answer. But on this issue about the future of Scotland
:04:15. > :04:18.they are at one. They are saying that if, however get into Government
:04:19. > :04:24.after the 2015 general election, they will not agree a deal with a
:04:25. > :04:27.Government in Scotland, if there is independence, that Scotland would be
:04:28. > :04:32.allowed to use the pound. For their part, the SNP are saying it is a
:04:33. > :04:36.case of bullying and intimidation. They say that they believe it is
:04:37. > :04:38.just a bluff. So if Scotland votes for
:04:39. > :04:44.independence, and there is no agreement over a formal currency
:04:45. > :04:48.union, where would that leave us? Well, we could have an informal
:04:49. > :04:51.union. That means keeping the pound without the consent of the rest of
:04:52. > :04:55.the UK. Alternatively, Scotland could also set up its own new
:04:56. > :05:02.currency with its own name and own central bank. Or we could apply to
:05:03. > :05:05.join the Euro. In a moment, we'll speak to our
:05:06. > :05:15.Business Economy Editor Douglas Fraser, but first our Referendum
:05:16. > :05:20.Correspondent Laura Bicker reports. An icy blast from the south is
:05:21. > :05:25.battering our shores. Recent showers of affection are now replaced by
:05:26. > :05:29.warring shots. This town which used to trade in linoleum sheltered the
:05:30. > :05:32.man most regard as the father of modern economics. All money is a
:05:33. > :05:44.matter of belief, said Adam Smith. But voters aren't sure what to
:05:45. > :05:48.believe. Even sceptics of independence feared the Chancellor
:05:49. > :05:54.may be throwing his toys out of the pram. I don't think he has the right
:05:55. > :05:58.to say hands. It is a decision that has to be made post-referendum for
:05:59. > :06:02.Scotland. It should be once we have made up our mind, it should be down
:06:03. > :06:10.to everybody to make the decision, not just him to say yes or no. It is
:06:11. > :06:16.just the benefits. It is just another scaremongering tactic. This
:06:17. > :06:21.mother and daughter cannot agree. They will pull out all the stops.
:06:22. > :06:28.England will be worse off without us. But we will be worse off without
:06:29. > :06:31.them. The owner of this business believes George Osborne is at least
:06:32. > :06:37.being clear. I think somebody needs to speak up. I don't think there's
:06:38. > :06:42.anybody in charge who can say yes or no, but we need to hear opinion on
:06:43. > :06:46.why it will happen, the pros and the cons. Somebody needs to take
:06:47. > :06:50.responsibility, so good on him for letting us know where we stand.
:06:51. > :06:57.Voters know what -- would like to know what notes and coins would fill
:06:58. > :07:00.our tails. Adam Smith was the first ever Scot to appear on a Bank of
:07:01. > :07:02.England banknote. The question is whether he could be
:07:03. > :07:05.the last? And Douglas Fraser joins us now.
:07:06. > :07:09.Douglas, I've been looking through the White Paper. It's quite clear
:07:10. > :07:15.that an independent Scotland wouldn't use the Euro. We'd use the
:07:16. > :07:22.pound and that the Scottish Government wants formal input into
:07:23. > :07:29.the governance of the pound. Where does the Chancellor's intervention
:07:30. > :07:31.leave us then? Italy is the SNP with a couple of challenges. -- it
:07:32. > :07:47.leaves. They are also still trying to make
:07:48. > :07:52.the case that it would be in the interests of the UK to do this deal,
:07:53. > :07:56.just as it would be in the interests of Scotland. That economic case can
:07:57. > :08:01.be made, but this is clearly also about politics. It is about the
:08:02. > :08:06.interests of the rest of the UK asserting themselves against a
:08:07. > :08:11.potential independent Scotland. That is why this is significant.
:08:12. > :08:17.Unstoppable force meets immovable object. If there is to be no deal on
:08:18. > :08:23.currency, if no means no as we are being told tomorrow, the SNP does
:08:24. > :08:28.now have to come up with a plan B. Using a pound with no deal and no
:08:29. > :08:32.controls would be very difficult. Using the euro would be unpopular at
:08:33. > :08:37.the moment, potentially setting up a Scottish currency carries
:08:38. > :08:40.faculties. Scots will clearly wants to know what currency they will be
:08:41. > :08:45.using for their earnings, their borrowings, their savings and their
:08:46. > :08:49.pensions. And also on what conditions. There is no easy answer
:08:50. > :08:52.to that. Of course, there's more analysis
:08:53. > :08:55.online looking at currency in an independent Scotland, and we'll have
:08:56. > :08:57.more coverage tomorrow when the Chancellor is here in Scotland.
:08:58. > :09:02.You're watching Reporting Scotland from the BBC. Still to come on
:09:03. > :09:10.tonight's programme: We will have the latest on the wrapper as snow
:09:11. > :09:14.shuts the a nine. In sport: Joy and despair at the Ice
:09:15. > :09:18.Cube - news of Team GB's curlers at the Winter Olympics, and one of the
:09:19. > :09:20.country's top football refs tells us why one law is proving so
:09:21. > :09:29.controversial. -- latest on the weather as the A9 is shut.
:09:30. > :09:32.A doctor says a driver who killed two students would have been
:09:33. > :09:35.suspended from driving at the time of the accident if he'd told the
:09:36. > :09:39.DVLA about his blackouts. A Fatal Accident Inquiry has been hearing
:09:40. > :09:42.how William Payne had visited his GP and hospital several times about his
:09:43. > :09:51.condition, but didn't tell the DVLA when he applied for an HGV license.
:09:52. > :09:55.This woman and her friend were walking to Glasgow city centre when
:09:56. > :10:01.out of nowhere a 4x4 drove into them, killing them both. Shortly
:10:02. > :10:05.after the accident, the car's driver told police that he no recollection
:10:06. > :10:10.of what happened. His medical records showed he had suffered from
:10:11. > :10:14.at least four blackout in the previous three years and no cause
:10:15. > :10:17.had been found. Today's fatal accident inquiry heard from Doctor
:10:18. > :10:24.Gordon Duff who carried out a medical on Mr pain when he applied
:10:25. > :10:27.for an HGV licence. He said he had asked William pain if he had ever
:10:28. > :10:36.suffered from blackouts or fates. But he said no. The QC asked Doctor
:10:37. > :10:44.Duff is the DVLA had known about Mr pain's backout, would he been
:10:45. > :10:46.allowed to dry out the time when he hit the Barry and Laura. Doctor Duff
:10:47. > :10:56.replied no. There were gasps from members of the
:10:57. > :10:59.girls' family. Many were visibly upset when this evidence was
:11:00. > :11:02.presented to the inquiry. The hearing continues.
:11:03. > :11:09.Boxing promoter Barry Hughes has admitted a ?1.2 million mortgage
:11:10. > :11:12.fraud. Hughes also admitted at Glasgow Sheriff Court to money
:11:13. > :11:20.laundering and using some of the cash to buy a ?30,000 Rolex watch.
:11:21. > :11:24.Sentence was deferred. We've all seen the effects of the
:11:25. > :11:27.flooding and high winds in England. Well, the bad weather down south
:11:28. > :11:30.means that the west coast rail mainline is to close this evening
:11:31. > :11:43.between 7pm and 9pm between Preston and Carlisle. Virgin Trains has...
:11:44. > :11:46.Passages are being advised to contact Virgin Trains for updates.
:11:47. > :11:49.-- passengers. Meanwhile, on the roads there are
:11:50. > :11:51.difficult driving conditions for many people this evening. It's
:11:52. > :11:54.particularly treacherous in the north of Scotland following heavy
:11:55. > :12:05.snowfall. Craig Anderson joins us now and can bring us news on the A9.
:12:06. > :12:09.Yes. Here on the A9 nothing is going anywhere at the moment and that has
:12:10. > :12:14.been the case for the last four hours since accident closed the road
:12:15. > :12:20.at about 2:30pm. A lorry and a van were in a collision and two people,
:12:21. > :12:24.as we understand it, were injured. One person had to be cut free from
:12:25. > :12:29.the wreckage. The problem was that it was very snowy at the time. The
:12:30. > :12:33.police have closed the road on both sides of the accidents. The problem
:12:34. > :12:37.they are trying to avoid is long lines of stationary traffic with
:12:38. > :12:41.heavy snow, getting stuck in the snow, and stopping the gritters and
:12:42. > :12:47.snowploughs clearing the road after the debris is clear. Here we
:12:48. > :12:52.understand that the recovery vehicles are at the scene and they
:12:53. > :12:57.hope to get the road reopened at a short time from now. The road on the
:12:58. > :13:02.A9 is closed after Spittal of Glenshee and was close at the 8082
:13:03. > :13:05.earlier. Conditions are bad. If you have two travel, take extra care.
:13:06. > :13:09.An improvement notice has been served on an Aberdeen private school
:13:10. > :13:12.at the centre of complaints over the quality of care given to children
:13:13. > :13:15.there. The Care Inspectorate has taken the action at The Hamilton
:13:16. > :13:18.School Nursery. It sets out actions the nursery must take to safeguard
:13:19. > :13:21.the health, safety and wellbeing of children, following what are
:13:22. > :13:27.described as "serious concerns about medication and nutrition".
:13:28. > :13:30.One of the most frightening things about contracting bacterial
:13:31. > :13:34.meningitis is the speed at which it can develop. But now scientists at
:13:35. > :13:37.Strathclyde University have developed a test to speed up the
:13:38. > :13:41.diagnosis, which will hopefully lead to faster, targeted treatment.
:13:42. > :13:48.Here's our science correspondent Kenneth Macdonald.
:13:49. > :13:56.This little girl lost her hand the mac to bacterial meningitis. It can
:13:57. > :13:58.cause brain damage or death. A major challenge for doctors is to find
:13:59. > :14:12.what kind of bacteria is responsible. They were taken lumbar
:14:13. > :14:17.puncture, which is painful, but if you're ticking from children or
:14:18. > :14:20.babies, the sample you will collect is very small. And you don't want to
:14:21. > :14:28.take another lumbar puncture. You want to get it right. At the moment,
:14:29. > :14:34.I am getting some buffer and then I will bet DNA. First, the DNAs
:14:35. > :14:40.amplified. Then the new test takes over. What you do is you shine a
:14:41. > :14:45.laser beam at the molecule and then you measure the weight flank from
:14:46. > :14:51.the laser that you interrogated with. Jamaica test more sensitive,
:14:52. > :14:55.it is and mixed with silver nano particles.
:14:56. > :15:04.You can see that the laser is hitting the sample. We just run the
:15:05. > :15:09.sample and hopefully you can see. Wet track on the screen, three peaks
:15:10. > :15:14.because the test can find the fingerprints of more than one
:15:15. > :15:20.bacteria at a time. The sample size is small, C wants to detect as many
:15:21. > :15:24.things as possible. The technique we use have the ability to detect more
:15:25. > :15:29.in one sample. The researchers say this could be applied to any kind of
:15:30. > :15:37.pathogen that contains DNA, like the guy or viruses. This is just the
:15:38. > :15:43.beginning. -- Fundy. Now, some other stories from across
:15:44. > :15:47.the country. Part of a busy Aberdeen road is due to close for four
:15:48. > :15:50.months, prompting a warning of traffic delays. The section of
:15:51. > :15:54.Mugiemoss Road will close in March for work on a new housing
:15:55. > :15:58.development. The authority says the decision to close the road has not
:15:59. > :16:02.been taken lightly. The closure is expected to have a knock-on effect
:16:03. > :16:09.on the already congested Parkway area of the city. Maternity and
:16:10. > :16:15.object tricks services at Caithness General may have to be scaled back
:16:16. > :16:19.due to a staffing crisis. NHS Island has a long-term problem with
:16:20. > :16:22.recruiting specialist staff to work. Bosses say these have been
:16:23. > :16:29.compounded by the death of a locum who had been appointed to take over
:16:30. > :16:36.a vacancy at the hospital. A Western Isles ferry has crashed into a
:16:37. > :16:39.pier. The Clipper Ranger was withdrawn from service, and its
:16:40. > :16:46.replacement is also now undergoing repairs. Crippling housing debt run
:16:47. > :16:48.up by Shetland Islands Council in the 1970s has been slashed, thanks
:16:49. > :16:53.to contributions from the Westminster and Holyrood
:16:54. > :17:01.governments. The outstanding debt of 36 William pounds has been cut to
:17:02. > :17:03.?16 million. The building of the Glasgow Sheriff Court has been given
:17:04. > :17:10.a Grade B listing by Historic Scotland. The 3-storey structure,
:17:11. > :17:16.opened by the Queen in 1986, is one of 256 listed post-war buildings in
:17:17. > :17:19.Scotland. Plans to mark the 700th anniversary of the Battle of
:17:20. > :17:27.Bannockburn have been dealt another blow. It has emerged that the
:17:28. > :17:31.creative director of Stirling 2014, Iona Crawford, has left her post.
:17:32. > :17:37.She had been hired to plan the celebrations. The Church of Scotland
:17:38. > :17:41.has unveiled new ceremonial jewellery, to replace items which
:17:42. > :17:45.went missing at Edinburgh airport last year. The original chain, cross
:17:46. > :17:51.and rain have never been found, despite a substantial reward. It is
:17:52. > :17:55.lovely, it shows the fishes. It has got Scottish gold in it. I will
:17:56. > :18:05.cherish it in the time that I have it and I will make sure that I look
:18:06. > :18:11.after it. An endurance athlete is bidding to become the first person
:18:12. > :18:20.to run around his home island of Skye. He is hoping to do it in 35
:18:21. > :18:25.hours. Eilidh MacLeod reports. The tattoo is a constant reminder of the
:18:26. > :18:33.goal Ally Macpherson has set himself. 120 miles around his native
:18:34. > :18:36.island, ready much nonstop. The 35-year-old took up distance running
:18:37. > :18:41.again only three years ago, having done it his youth. I was a heavy
:18:42. > :18:45.smoker, and I hardly drink now. Trying to say that with a straight
:18:46. > :18:50.face, but... Compared with what I used to drink, and at the moment, no
:18:51. > :18:54.alcohol at all. I am a lot healthier, enjoying life a lot more.
:18:55. > :19:00.Two months before his big challenge, and he is running around 100 miles a
:19:01. > :19:06.week. He even manages to keep up his training when the boat is tied up
:19:07. > :19:10.for the night. Seven and a half times around the ferry is the
:19:11. > :19:20.equivalent of a mile. I try to run a mile and then just keep it going.
:19:21. > :19:22.Back on fairly dry land, he and fellow running club members are
:19:23. > :19:28.warning up for a ten mile run through the forest. Some of them do
:19:29. > :19:31.not know yet, some of the members of the running club, but some of them
:19:32. > :19:36.have come out to volunteer to Hockney. We will try and make it
:19:37. > :19:41.fun, as much as we can, along the way. Really looking forward to it.
:19:42. > :19:45.Ally Macpherson wheel set out on the morning of the 11th of April,
:19:46. > :19:51.collecting money for charity along the way, and with the challenge of
:19:52. > :19:55.completing it by nine o'clock on Saturday night. Good luck to him.
:19:56. > :20:00.Let's turn our attention is to other sport now. Good evening. We will
:20:01. > :20:05.have news from the Winter Olympics later. But let me start with this.
:20:06. > :20:10.Football referees and controversy go together, but this season, it is the
:20:11. > :20:14.application of the law on handball which has got managers and fans hot
:20:15. > :20:18.under the collar. Now, one of the top referees in the country says he
:20:19. > :20:21.understands why. I caught up with him at the launch of a drive to
:20:22. > :20:44.recruit and train young match officials. Every season seems to
:20:45. > :20:47.throw up a different subject which seems to be quite topical for that
:20:48. > :20:51.particular year. This year, it is handball. So, when is handball a
:20:52. > :21:01.handball, and when is it not? That is the question. And Stephen McClain
:21:02. > :21:10.can answer it, because he is the Scottish FA's education manager.
:21:11. > :21:13.Here is his hands-on guide. The guidelines have given us different
:21:14. > :21:22.leaders, which allow us to make sense of certain situations. As the
:21:23. > :21:26.player had the opportunity to take his hand out of the way, or has he
:21:27. > :21:33.left it there deliberately? Is it in a natural or in an unnatural
:21:34. > :21:37.position? When the arm starts to come out into a higher position, is
:21:38. > :21:41.making his body bigger, so that would be an unnatural position, and
:21:42. > :21:49.we would interpret that as deliberate handball. It is a
:21:50. > :21:53.difficult law to understand, because there is a grey area, there is a
:21:54. > :21:57.degree of interpretation. I would like to ask you about offside, but I
:21:58. > :22:03.think my brain would explode. Thank you very much! Now, for a look at
:22:04. > :22:06.some more sport stories today. The continuation of top-class European
:22:07. > :22:13.rugby next season for Glasgow and ended breath -- Glasgow and
:22:14. > :22:17.Edinburgh seems closer. Andy Murray is in action at a world tennis event
:22:18. > :22:22.in Rotterdam tonight. If he beats his French opponent, he will be
:22:23. > :22:27.through to round two, against an Austrian. Michael Moffett has had a
:22:28. > :22:31.suspension for breaching football betting rules reduced on appeal. He
:22:32. > :22:36.will sit out for games, instead of six. David Smith will be out for up
:22:37. > :22:40.to six weeks because of a hairline fracture in his knee. He has
:22:41. > :22:44.featured regularly for Hearts this season, scoring in the Edinburgh
:22:45. > :22:50.derby in January. And there are more sport stories, plus all the latest
:22:51. > :22:56.news, on the website. Now, as promised, the Winter
:22:57. > :23:01.Olympics, saving the best till last. The curling centre was the place to
:23:02. > :23:04.be for those following Scots at the Winter Olympics today. Great
:23:05. > :23:11.Britain's men and women both in action. They enjoyed mixed fortunes.
:23:12. > :23:18.With their teams among the world's finest, the Canadians certainly
:23:19. > :23:21.enjoy their curling. But for four ends, Team GB were their equals,
:23:22. > :23:28.until this fine shot but Canada ahead. The Brits fought back, but
:23:29. > :23:35.with the possibility of a triple of their own, and unfortunate clip
:23:36. > :23:40.yielded only a single. This gamble to win outright rather than force
:23:41. > :23:45.the extra end did not pay off, Canada winning 9-6. It is
:23:46. > :23:51.frustrating, but it was always going to be tough. Yes, we did not manage
:23:52. > :23:56.to win, but there is a long way to go. If we can play like that against
:23:57. > :23:59.a lot of the teams here, it will be good. There are a lot of positives
:24:00. > :24:05.to take. We cannot get down about it. Having played and lost to the
:24:06. > :24:09.top two nations, they have played three, won just one. The next
:24:10. > :24:12.challenge for the men is the European champions. With
:24:13. > :24:20.Switzerland's credentials perhaps in mind, GB were adopting a cautious
:24:21. > :24:25.approach. The Swiss pulled it back to 3-2, but David Murdoch was in
:24:26. > :24:29.control for the final end. We really wanted to come out with a lot of
:24:30. > :24:34.intensity and focus, and you saw that in our game. We were a lot more
:24:35. > :24:37.clinical, we put our shots where we wanted. We have a lot more fire in
:24:38. > :24:43.the stomach today. We were going hard for everything just we bossed
:24:44. > :24:49.the game. So, they will try again for a double win tomorrow. And that
:24:50. > :24:54.is the sport tonight. Well, so many weather problems down
:24:55. > :25:01.south, and also the snow up here. A busy one for you. Absolutely. More
:25:02. > :25:05.wintry weather on the way tonight, and very windy conditions to come.
:25:06. > :25:10.To the point where the Met Office has issued an amber warning, to be
:25:11. > :25:15.prepared, primarily for the far south of Scotland, this evening,
:25:16. > :25:19.where the winds will be gusting in excess of 80mph. Going through the
:25:20. > :25:26.night, the strong winds will tend to transfer slightly further
:25:27. > :25:29.north-eastwards, and accompanying the windy conditions, we will have
:25:30. > :25:33.some snow showers feeding in across many parts of the country. That will
:25:34. > :25:37.be primarily over the high ground, although there could be some snow at
:25:38. > :25:40.low levels as well across parts of the South. This is all leading to
:25:41. > :25:49.very, very hazardous driving conditions, with drifting and
:25:50. > :25:52.blizzard conditions likely. For parts of the central Highlands,
:25:53. > :25:56.where the winds will be lighter, we will have clearing skies in between
:25:57. > :26:02.the showers, so there is a risk of ice on untreated roads and services.
:26:03. > :26:06.Looking ahead to tomorrow, this area of low pressure continues to pull
:26:07. > :26:11.away to the north. We start the day on a wintry note, and they windy
:26:12. > :26:14.note. The snow showers continue, specially over the high ground of
:26:15. > :26:19.the north-west Highlands. But it becomes dry elsewhere, for the
:26:20. > :26:23.arrival of more showers into the south during the afternoon. Taking a
:26:24. > :26:28.closer look tomorrow afternoon, these showers will be affecting
:26:29. > :26:32.southern areas, primarily falling as rain, perhaps some snow on the very
:26:33. > :26:37.highest levels. There will be a lot of dry, bright weather in Argyll,
:26:38. > :26:45.the central belt and into the north-east. Holding onto the showers
:26:46. > :26:48.inland. The winds will gradually be easing down during the course of the
:26:49. > :26:55.day, although it will stay fairly breezy. Into the evening period, we
:26:56. > :26:58.will continue to see some showers. They will tend to be easing off,
:26:59. > :27:09.with a widespread frost, and Friday is looking the best day of the week.
:27:10. > :27:13.Now, a reminder of tonight's main news... The Deputy First Minister,
:27:14. > :27:19.Nicola Sturgeon, has accused Westminster of "bullying and
:27:20. > :27:21.intimidation". It follows the revelation that Chancellor George
:27:22. > :27:25.Osborne is to rule out an independent Scotland sharing the
:27:26. > :27:28.pound with the rest of the UK. Hurricane force winds have been
:27:29. > :27:32.battering the west of England and Wales. It follows a red warning from
:27:33. > :27:36.the Met Office - the first this winter - meaning there is a risk to
:27:37. > :27:39.life and widespread damage expected. And that's Reporting Scotland. I'll
:27:40. > :27:44.be back with the headlines at eight and the late bulletin just after the
:27:45. > :27:45.ten o'clock news. Until then, from everyone on the team right across