This thesis examines the growth of commercial lobbying in Scotland with the devolution of political power to Edinburgh in 1999. The study analyses the nascent public affairs community in Edinburgh in the lead up to, and during, the first session of the Scottish Parliament. This period covers the public debate at Holyrood over the registration and regulation of outside interests, and examines both the public and private political communication of those actors involved. The evidence base for this thesis is drawn from archival and documentary research, extended observational fieldwork in Edinburgh, and in depth interviews with informants from lobbying consultancies, corporations, voluntary sector organisations, elected representatives and public servants. A key focus of this study is the role of commercial and corporate lobbyists in Scottish public affairs and the Scottish public sphere. The analysis concludes that the Scottish Parliament's founding principles of openness, equality and accountability could be served through the regulation of lobbying.

Growth, mortality, production, spat collection, seasonal cycles of condition index, biochemical composition, carrying capacity of commercial raft culture systems and population genetic characteristics of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) were studied at different sites in Loch Etive and Loch Kishorn on the west coast of Scotland between May 1993 and May 1995. The main objective of the study was to evaluate current suspended mussel culture production in raft systems and to obtain basic information on the biology and the genetic structure of the two mussel populations in the lochs. There were some water quality differences between the sites in relation to seston, salinity and transparency but not to temperature, particulate organic matter and chlorophylla. When food is available (as particulate organic matter and chlorophyll-a), there was a clear seasonal cycle in mussel somatic growth and shell growth. Mussel growth was relatively high from mid-spring until late autumn, but very slow during the rest of the year. The spring-summer period of rapid shell length and somatic growth coincided with relatively optimum environmental conditions and positive relationships were indicated between growth rates, temperature and salinity, indicating the limiting effect of these two primary factors on growth from late-autumn to mid-spring when there is also a lack of available food. Mussel growth was higher at 2m depth on the raft-rope systems, but in lantern nets experimental growth did not show differences between depths. Growth was found to be similar in the lantern nets and on culture ropes in the two lochs in the first year of experiments (from May 1993 to May 1994). Overall, mean length increments were 31.01mm in Loch Etive and 28.75mm in Loch Kishorn over a 15 month period. The mussels reached marketable size (>50mm) in two years from the known time of spat settlement. A cross-transplantation experiment showed that site rather than stock is the main factor explaining differences in mussel growth in Loch Etive and Loch Kishorn. The position of the mussels within a raft has a significant effect on their growth; mussels at the inflow of a raft have a better growth than those near the outflow (p<0.05) due to greater availability of food. Mean mussel biomass was higher in Loch Kishorn while production was higher in Loch Etive, but there were seasonal and monthly fluctuations in both biomass and production at both sites. Biochemical composition and energy content were similar in both sites, while mussel meat yield and condition indices were significantly higher in Loch Kishom than Loch Etive. Meat content, condition index and carbohydrate values were high during the summer and low from autumn to spring, reaching minimum values in March and April at the time of spawning. Spat settlement occurred in June-July in Loch Etive and June-December in Loch Kishorn. Sea squirt, starfish and eider duck are problems effecting spat collection at the Loch Kishorn site, whereas spat collection in Loch Etive is unaffected by these pests/predators. The carrying capacities for cultured mussels were found to be about 24 metric tons per raft for Loch Etive and 38 metric tons per raft for Loch Kishorn using a particulate organic matter based model; these are reasonable estimates in comparison to the known mussel production levels reported by producers. However, a seston-based model gave an overestimate of carrying capacity for both sites. Cross-transplantation of mussels, electrophoresis and shell morphological measurements showed significant differences between the Loch Etive and Loch Kishorn mussel populations. Mortality rates were higher in transplanted mussels than in the native mussels (p<0.001).

This thesis is an examination of the belief and practice of popular magic, specifically related to charmers, in the presbyteries of Haddington and Stirling between the years 1603 and 1688. It is the first study of either locality which concentrates on identifying the difference between charmers and witches, and considers the practice of the former in the broader context of seventeenth-century attitudes towards health and disease of both orthodox medical practitioners and the wider population. The thesis examines charmers and their healing practice in reference to theories of power, popular and elite culture, the church and gender, and reveals new information about seventeenth-century society. The principles and practice of charmers are then compared to orthodox medicine and popular magic, and the recorded healing treatments and rituals have been examined and analysed in close detail. A comparative analysis has been made of the two localities which assesses and contrasts patterns of witchcraft and charming accusation on a parish level. By using evidence contained in kirk records, supplemented by secular court material, it has been shown that all levels of society identified differences between the practice and intent of charmers and witches. Accusation and prosecution of witches was influenced more by local elites, and by elite demonological theories, than accusations of charming. Importantly, the devil was not a feature of charming accusations. Due to the overt nature of charming, differences in its perception and acceptability were highlighted by the less severe penalties which were ordered by the kirk. The dilemma for the church and society was that the church had, to an extent, surrendered its practical healing role with the abandonment of pre-Reformation ritual. The emphasis on personal piety and prayer for the relief of mental and physical suffering did not appear to offer sufficient comfort for the rest of society.

Scotland in the early modern period was an overwhelmingly rural society, made of largely self-sufficient communities based on the unit of the estate. This society had a legal system which was decentralised, had a large non-state sector, depended in the first instance upon individual initiative and had no clear distinction between criminal and civil actions. Its main purpose was the maintenance of order through the settling of conflicts, the punishment and removal from society of the incorrigible and perpetrators of atrocious crimes and the granting of redress to injured parties. The courts making up the system were of three sorts church, royal and local courts. The church courts were an active judiciary which regulated the moral life of communities by punishing acts which violated Christian morality, which were flagrant and open or were likely to lead to conflict. The punishments used and the act of prosecution were designed to lead to a 'moral reformation' of both the guilty party and society in general. In this they were partially successful by circa 1720. They were also an investigative branch of the entire system collecting information for other courts. The local courts provided a legal service for those who wished to use it rather than acting as an enforcing judicature. The central courts had a specialised role, trying serious crimes and cases which had wide implications. They depended upon the local community for support and for the 'supply' of cases through the dittay system. Changes in the structure of society and the political order led to change. Between 1651 and 1660 a thoroughgoing reform was imposed by Cromwell. The system was restored in 1660 but further reforms were made. The 1688 revolution and the crisis of the 1690s led to the Union and sweeping changes which transformed the system into a modern one and altered the nature of the law, its enforcement and the concept and pattern of crime.

This thesis examines landscape diversity within alluvial valley floors using the case study of a Scottish wandering gravel-bed river. The thesis aims are two-fold; firstly to investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of valley floor landscape diversity within semi-natural environments, and secondly to develop a methodology for quantifying alluvial valley floor landscape diversity in space and time. The diversity analysis involves quantifying the spatial patterns of geo-, pedo- and biodiversity (flora) within floodplain zones which have been exposed to approximately 100 years of recovery since flood embankment abandonment along the most active reaches of the river. In addition historical records including aerial photographs, maps and narrative accounts were used to assess the temporal patterns of the diversity of landscape patches and how they have changed through time using a series of landscape indices. The analysis thus accounts for the role of river channel change in producing a complex mosaic of land cover types within alluvial valley floors. The spatial analysis revealed that landscape diversity tends to be greater in the perpendicular orientation to the main channel, i.e. along an aquatic-to-terrestrial environmental gradient. The temporal analysis results revealed that the landscape over the last 50 years has changed from being dominated by few relatively large isodiametric patches to a landscape dominated by small irregular shaped patches. Thus although landscape patch richness has increased along with an increase in land cover types through time, the landscape patches have also become more fragmented. The major outcomes of the research are the deriving of quantitative results of the spatial and temporal patterns of floodplain landscape diversity, an evaluation of the role of channel dynamics in creating the diverse mosaic of land cover types, the identification of the environmental controls and supporting floodplain habitats of a number of rare species and a proposed methodology for assessing landscape diversity to be validated on other river systems.

This research is an exploration of constructions of ability, especially 'greater ability' within four Maintained and Independent case study schools in Scotland, from a variety of group perspectives. It seeks to illuminate the commonalties and differences between and within schools in individuals' implicit theories of ability and explores the possible implications of such constructs. An analysis of policy and political debate provided the starting point for this research. This led into the empirical work in four case study schools. Data were gathered from semi structured interviews with headteachers, principal teachers of English, Maths, Art and music, class teachers, parents and pupils. In addition, non-participant observation took place for each subject area and class. Multiple perspectives helped to create meaningful layers of perceptions of ability while also making it possible to analyse the complexity of values and beliefs within each class and school. The research found that there were distinctions to be made between schools in both sectors which reflected contrasting viewpoints, echoing 'communitarian concerns' and the 'culture of self interest' (Ball, 1997). However, the experiences, judgements and choices of individuals presented a more complex pattern in which contradictory beliefs could lead to experiences of dissonance in maintained schools and highlighted the importance of the negotiated ability constructs being brought to bear by individuals within institutions.

This dissertation examines the success of the National Health Service in Scotland in achieving the goal of regional equality. An historical analysis provides some indication that regional disparities have characterised the Scottish Health Service in the twentieth century. The data from 1951 to 1976 demonstrate the failure of the SHS to meet the policy objective in the recent past. An output policy model is developed to facilitate an explanation of persistent regional variation. The government structure, socio-economic and health status variables successfully explain a large percentage of the variation which exists between Health Board Regions. The most powerful of the independent variables is the nature of the policy process. The evidence presented in the thesis indicates clearly that the predominant policy process in existence within the SHS over time is incrementalism.

Fens are increasingly recognised as important habitats in terms of biodiversity, and this has been formalised in recent legislation (EC Habitats Directive, 92/43/EEC). The influence of groundwater and surface water inputs on the fen habitat increases its vulnerability to water pollution, particularly from nutrients. Despite the conservation importance and potential vulnerability of the habitat, fens have not been widely studied in Scotland, in terms of extent, location, sensitivity to increased nutrient inputs, or in comparison to similar European sites. This study found that fens were widespread throughout mainland Scotland, and that basin fens were the most commonly occurring fen type, representing 43% of the 355 sites assessed. A survey of 18 basin fens found that 72% were potentially vulnerable to elevated nutrient inputs, being surrounded by improved/modified land. Despite this, only four sites showed greater nutrient concentrations in sub-surface water samples or water inputs. There was, however, a significant amount of variation in hydrochemistry between the sites. Detailed studies further assessed spatial and temporal variations in hydrochemistry, and associated hydrologic regimes on two similar basin fens, one in an agricultural catchment, the other surrounded by unimproved grassland. Spatial patterning of vegetation was associated with both base-richness and nutrient concentrations of subsurface water, and the frequency of water inundation. General relationships between the six fen vegetation types and the observed hydrological and hydrochemical variation were presented.

No description available.

An Investigation Into the ecology of benthic macro-invertebrates in earthen ponds subjected to intensive trout (Salmo trutta L.) culture practices at Howletoun, Central Scotland, was conducted between May 1984 and January 1986. Soil and water quality, seasonal changes in benthos, its role in the trout diet and the Interaction between fish and benthos were studied. Pond benthos mainly comprised 6 major groups including Oligochaeta. (10 species), Chironomldae (18 species), Molluscs and Hirudinea (2 species each) and an asellid and a sialid species. Oligochaeta formed 78 to 90% of benthic fauna, dominated by Tubifex tubifex. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, L. udekemianus and Psammoryctides barbatus, with an average population density of 68,400 - 191,200 worms mˉ², and exhibited peaks in summer and late autumn corresponding to two major breeding periods. The principal species of Chironomidae were Chironomus spp., Procladius spp. and Prodiamesa olivacea, with a population density of 5,400 to 14,900 ind. mˉ² and forming 7 to 13% of the total benthos with peaks in spring and autumn. Dry biomass of total benthos varied from 24-59 g mˉ² in the cultured ponds with oligochaetes accounting for 14-49 g mˉ² and chironomids 4-7 g mˉ². The mean annual dry weight production of total benthos varied from 130-215 g mˉ² in the cultured ponds, with oligochaete production of 94-160 g mˉ² and chironomid production of 20.6-33.5 g mˉ². An investigation into the ecology of benthic macro-invertebrates in earthen ponds subjected to intensive trout (Salmo trutta L.) culture practices at Howietoun, Central Scotland, was conducted between May 1984 and January 1986. Soil and water quality, seasonal changes in benthos, its role in the trout diet and the interaction between fish and benthos were studied. Pond benthos mainly comprised 6 major groups including Oligochaeta (10 species), Chironomidae (I8 species), Mollusca and Hirudinea (2 species each) and an asellid and a sialid species. Oligochaeta formed 78 to 90% of benthic fauna, dominated by Tubifex tubifex. Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, L. udekemianus and Psammoryctides barbatus, with an average population density of 68,400 - 191,200 worms mˉ², and exhibited peaks in summer and late autumn corresponding to two major breeding periods. The principal species of Chironomidae were Chironomus spp., Procladius spp. and Prodiamesa olivacea, with a population density of 5,400 to 14,900 ind. mˉ² and forming 7 to 13% of the total benthos with peaks in spring and autumn. Dry biomass of total benthos varied from 24-59 g mˉ² in the cultured ponds with oligochaetes accounting for 14-49 g mˉ² and chironomids 4-7 g mˉ². The mean annual dry weight production of total benthos varied from 130-215 g mˉ² in the cultured ponds, with oligochaete production of 94-160 g mˉ² and chironomid production of 20.6-33.5 g mˉ². In an unstocked control pond the total production was 55 g mˉ², 35 g mˉ² of which was accounted for by oligochaetes and 8.06 g mˉ² by chironomids. Analyses of gut contents of the farmed trout showed that 12% of the diet by volume consisted of natural food, mainly benthos. Fish selectively fed on chironomid larvae, Mollusca, Asellus aquaticus and Sialis lutaria. Fish took maximum natural food in the morning and evening. Experimental enclosures to exclude fish from selected areas of the ponds demonstrated that number of species increased outside the enclosures but, except for chironomids, population density, biomass and production generally increased inside the enclosure. The possibility of explaining this result in terms of differential predation is discussed.