The present work is the fruit of seven years' research into the history of the earldoms of Orkney and Caithness. No excuse of birth or long acquaintance with northern Scotland can be offered as a reason for the choice of this research topic. An intellectual explanation for the study of the history of these two earldoms in the Middle Ages is that a peculiar problem is provided by their political situation. They were divided between two kingdoms, and the earl of Orkney and Caithness owed dual allegiance, a position which became increasingly anomalous as the Middle Ages advanced. The problems which this situation posed for the earls provide an intellectual rationale for the study of these earldoms during this period. But this is an explanation which can only be offered now after several years' research work and an increasing understanding of northern history. The original reasons for the choice of topic were more empirical and dictated by circumstances and the limitations imposed by academic requirements.

The applications of multispectral and morphometric image analysis to soil thin section descriptions is examined. It is shown that unsupervised classification and contrast stretching can be used to enhance and label features of interest. Morphometric measurements, allow the shape and abundance of features in thin sections to be compared and statistical relationships established. This method of analysis offers a precision beyond that which is possible using a qualitative approach. Using soil micromorphology as the main analytical technique a case study was carried out to evaluate the applicability of image analysis to an investigation of an archaeological site at Lairg in northern Scotland. The interactions of anthropogenic activity and pedogenesis since the Bronze Age is examined. The condition of the soils prior to the Bronze Age is not known because no buried soils predated this period. Evidence suggests that in freely draining situations complete podzols might have formed by this time. During the Bronze and Iron Age intensive cultivation of soils occurred with associated erosion. In areas of the site, where human activity is dated to the Post Medieval period, deepening of A horizons is apparent and the soils are maintained as Brown Podzols. In many areas where human activity stops stagnopodzols are the dominant soil type. The potential of image analysis to aid soil micromorphological descriptions is demonstrated. Contrast stretching aided a qualitative subdivision of thin section slides during the case study. Morphometric analysis confirmed a relationship between shape of voids and c/f ratios in an Iron Age buried A horizon, A PM buried A horizon and an undated deep topsoil. It is concluded that the full benefits of image analysis, when used as a routine tool to aid thin section descriptions, will only be realised when procedures become more interactive and processes can be speeded up.

Zooplankton assemblages were examined from waters off the west coast of Scotland encompassing the Firths of Lorn and Clyde, the North Channel, and the Malin Shelf. Size fractionated samples (coarse, >1000μm; medium, 1000μm-330μm; fine, 330μm-180μm) were collected with a submersible pump from 10m and 30m depth in March (1987) and May (1986) providing a composite picture of the fauna in early and late spring conditions, respectively. The feasibility of using image analysis as a method for processing zooplankton samples was examined. Although a programme was successfully operated to obtain individual measurement data, much work is still required before a fully automated programme for routine use by planktologists is available. Total zooplankton numbers and biomass, and species distributions and relative abundances were examined. Species assemblages were identified using multivariate analyses. Biomass and abundance spectra by size were examined for the major station groupings. In general, meroplankton dominated the fauna in the Firth of Lorn while large numbers of Calanus spp. occurred in the Firth of Clyde. Small copepods such as Oithona spp. were characteristic of the assemblage on the Malin Shelf. Salinity, followed by temperature, showed the strongest association with the observed station clusters. Chlorophyll a and depth did not generally appear to influence station groupings. The potential for the mixing and exchange of zooplankton between the regions of the study area was evaluated. The results suggest that zooplankton may be entrained from the Firth of Clyde by the Scottish Coastal Current during the spring period. The Malin Shelf may also be an important source of zooplankton for the Firth of Lorn during winter months when an onshore flow of Atlantic water occurs.

Beavers have been described as a “keystone species” and “ecosystem engineers”, and in this dual role have great potential to physically modify their environment through tree-felling, foraging and construction activities. The resultant change in habitat heterogeneity can affect the flora and fauna that share the habitat with them. There has been recent interest in reintroducing the Eurasian beaver to the United Kingdom after an absence of over 400 years. To date, no research (aside from this thesis) has focussed on beaver ecology and behaviour in Scotland. This study has investigated the ecological effects of a small number of beavers in two enclosed but semi-natural Scottish sites at Bamff in Perthshire. The research conducted over a three-year period, with particular emphasis on the effects of tree-felling, foraging and construction activities. Trees were felled for both dietary and construction purposes, with felling rates being influenced by habitat availability, quality and the degree of habitat modification required. Highest rates were evident during the initial colonisation period of marginal sites (c. >300 trees / beaver / calendar year), and lowest rates in later years of occupation of more optimal sites (c. 55 – 70 trees / beaver / calendar year). Preferences were generally for willow and aspen trees, with conifers almost entirely avoided, and smaller trees preferred over larger ones. Proximity of trees to waterbodies was also an important factor, with nearer trees favoured, and generally most felling occurred within 50 m of water. Such behaviour followed the principles of optimal central place foraging. These preferences were less predictable however when intense construction activity was undertaken, with larger trees preferred and generic preferences for deciduous trees apparently invalid. In such cases, close proximity to the construction site was of prime importance. Increased cover of herbaceous plant species was observed in beaver-created canopy gaps in riparian woodland, whilst macrophyte diversity within waterbodies increased slightly in areas of herbaceous grazing. The diversity of terrestrial ground invertebrates was highest in areas of heavy tree-felling, and invertebrate richness and abundance was greatest in areas of herbaceous grazing under an intact tree-canopy. Furthermore, the abundance, diversity and richness of macroinvertebrate communities were increased by beaver-generated woody debris in ponds and streams. Overall, 30% of all macroinvertebrate species collected were found only in beaver-affected areas, due to the refugia and food supply provided by beaver dams, caches and lodges, as well as hydrological effects of these structures. These results are discussed with reference to future plans to return the beaver to Scotland. The habitat usage and modification of riparian ecosystems in northern Britain is likely to be similar to that found in this study, and the results are believed to be relevant, applicable and transferable to many areas of Scotland.

The creation of devolved institutions in Scotland and Wales in 1999 provided nationalist parties in both the opportunity to act within an institution solely within their nation’s territorial boundaries. In 2007, they entered government for the first time. In so doing, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru embarked upon public engagement strategies in office which were designed to build support for their constitutional ambitions – namely, independence for Scotland and (in the short-term) full legislative powers for the National Assembly for Wales, as outlined in the Government of Wales Act 2006. This thesis explores the public engagement strategy of both parties, focusing on the respective consultations of the parties in government – A National Conversation and the All Wales Convention¬ – and the following campaign for (in Scotland) and at (in Wales) a referendum intended to deliver their preferred outcome. The aim of this thesis is to consider why public engagement strategies were considered the best vehicle to take forward the respective parties’ constitutional goals and to evaluate the success each party achieved in relation to these objectives. This thesis argues that, while both the SNP and Plaid Cymru have achieved some success with regard to their constitutional objectives, this success can be measured differently depending whether short-term or long-term goals are the defining standard. In Wales, Plaid Cymru’s constitutional consultation found limited engagement with the wider Welsh population, and though the referendum succeeded in securing legislative powers for the National Assembly for Wales, public engagement with the constitutional debate in Wales continues to lack enthusiasm. By contrast, the SNP’s National Conversation saw more enthusiastic engagement, but without a referendum at the end of the process, a clear lack of a tangible short-term outcome. However, the SNP in government did succeed in moving the constitutional debate firmly onto the political agenda, and engagement in this debate is now widespread in Scottish society, particularly in the wake of an agreement to hold an independence referendum in autumn 2014.

The use of adaptive feeding systems to deliver feed remotely to Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) cages has the potential to improve the localised environment through a reduction in particulate waste. This can be achieved through improved growth and lower Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR). The aim of this project was to assess whether adaptive feeding systems confer any environmental benefit at salmon farms through by comparing two fish farm sites, one that uses a Computer Aided System (CAS) adaptive feeding system (AKVAsmart UK limited, Inverness, Scotland) (Portavaide fish farm) and one using hand feeding (Rubha Stillaig). This investigation comprised of 3 elements: 1) a comparative assessment of the quantity and nutrient composition of particulate waste material emanating from the cages; 2) collection of benthic samples plus a video survey along transects at each site including a reference station, with an analysis of differences in benthic fauna, sediment grain size and sediment nutrient composition; and 3) comparison of the distribution of waste under each feeding regime using a GIS-based modelling approach. Particulate waste was collected via sediment traps. Uneaten feed was caught in only 3 out of 184 separate collections and thus no estimate of feed loss for each feeding system could be made. Samples were analyzed for total solids (TS), faecal solids (FS), faecal carbon (FC), faecal nitrogen (FN) content and faecal sedimentation rate (FSR). The highest deposition occurred under the cages and decreased with increased distance from the cage centre. Maximal deposition of TS at Portavadie was higher than at Rubha Stillaig when feed was included, although average TS, FS, Fe and FN per tonne of production did not significantly vary between sites. Carbon sedimentation rate was analyzed using regression analysis and a General Linear Model Factorial ANOVA on faecal waste only and showed no significant differences between sites and, therefore, no difference between feeding methods . There were no differences observed in the diversity and abundance of benthic species under the two feeding systems. By the end of the production period all stations out to 25m from the cage edge were dominated by Capitella capitata at both sites, this species proving a useful indicator of the impact of nutrient deposition. The analysis suggested that Heteromastus filiformis and Corophium sp. provided useful indicators of the onset of nutrient enrichment. Measurement of carbon and nitrogen levels and particle size in sediment showed no difference between sites. Variations between sites in species abundance and diversity and sediment carbon and nitrogen levels reflected the different sediment conditions prevalent at the start of the sampling period. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed there was no difference in species diversity and abundance between the sites as a result of using adaptive feeding systems. Horizontal cage movement, measured at up to 10m, reduced the predicted settlement under the cage by 23% and 11 % for feed and faecal distribution respectively. There was no significant difference in the predicted settlement of waste particulates under adaptive and hand feeding. The GIS model prediction of carbon flux (g C m-2 15-days-1) was validated for faecal settlement using sediment trap data where predictions agreed well with observations from Portavadie fish farm, with an accuracy of ± 53.1 % when all stations were included, improving to ± 27.6% when deposition under the cage was excluded. Overall, the approaches used did not identify specific differences between sites that used adaptive feeding and hand feeding methods. The growth period using the adaptive feeding system was approximately nine weeks shorter than under hand feeding, however, which could be used constructively to increase the fallowing period whilst maintaining current levels of production. This would benefit the localised benthos by increasing the time available for recovery before further production takes place and thus the CAS Adaptive Feeding System could be used as part of a broader sustainable farming strategy for fish culture.

This thesis explores the experience of young people on the Isle of Mull and whether and how institutional innovation could help to alleviate housing market constraint for young people living in rural areas. The research identified that young people were particularly constrained in housing markets due to lack of finance and being in the early stages of employment with difficulty accessing housing compounded by the 2007/08 economic downturn. A review of the literature on rural housing markets revealed that challenging supply and demand issues impacted upon the development of housing and constrained rural markets restricted the housing market for young people, limiting choice. The research explored the agency of young people in rural areas and the structure of the housing market, specifically the institutional actors involved in rural housing markets including, but not limited to, the construction industry, land owners, planners, government and third sector organisations. The research focused on the Isle of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland, to explore the experiences of young people living in a remote rural environment and the problems associated with rural housing markets. Questionnaires were completed by young people who were at school on the Isle of Mull and thirty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with institutional actors involved in rural housing markets and young people living on the Isle of Mull. The research adopted Clapham's (2005) housing pathways approach to explore the choices of young people in the rural housing market, and Williamson's (2000; 1998) New Institutional Economics framework (Economics of Institutions) to examine the structure of the housing market on the Isle of Mull. The research highlighted that third-sector organisations could help to bring institutional actors together in the rural housing market and therefore help to alleviate housing constraint for young people on the Isle of Mull.

As a contribution towards the UN Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004), this qualitative, comparative policy study investigated the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) within the Scottish and Canadian educational systems. The researcher adopted an inductive, grounded methodology which is argued to be most congruent when building theory is the chief aim (Glaser and Strauss, 1967; Glaser, 2005). During 20 months of fieldwork, 50 key informant interviews were obtained in Geneva, New York, Scotland and Canada. The author contends that postmodern thinking has contributed much towards contemporary childhood research, yet an underlying deconstruction of the CRC constrains theoretical development. To address this breakdown of overarching leitmotifs within the social sciences (Esping-Andersen, 2000), the sociology of human rights is utilised as a conceptual framework (Luhmann, 1965, 1982, 1997; Q'Byrne, 2003; Verschraegen, 2002). Furthermore, through the integration of grounded and autopoietic coding (Glaser, 2005), the interview texts revealed six thematic categories that contradict dominant theoretical approaches in the child rights literature. While descriptive and comparative analyses revealed the study's core category of participation, an interpretive analysis further yielded its core distinction of power. The author argues that Scottish efforts to implement the CRC within educational policies are more widespread than any of those currently underway within Canadian jurisdictions (Mitchell, 2002, 2003a, b). Finally, a grounded systemic child rights model developed from the study's methodological and epistemological integration illustrates how CRC knowledge and power are balanced within and across educational systems (Mitchell, 2005).

This thesis analyses the legal status and the importance of short titles in the legislative processes of the Westminster Parliament, the Scottish Parliament, and the US Congress. Through a large quantitative survey of US short titles that spanned over 30 years and 18 Congresses, it was demonstrated that there has been a paradigm shift in the way the US Congress titles its bills, in which it transitioned from a largely descriptive, technical style to a wider range of styles, among which a more explicitly evocative style became both acceptable and frequently used. Such titles are permeating the legislative process and the US statute book with what I argue is overly political language, and are blurring the lines between proselytizing and what has historically been regarded as a formally descriptive (not political) element of legislative drafting. Conversely, save for a few choice titles, the Westminster Parliament and Scottish Parliament continue to employ mostly descriptive short titles, similar to the previously innocuous style of the US Congress. From a contemporary and historical perspective in all three jurisdictions, the short titles of bills have been viewed as relatively insignificant reference points for those engaged and/or interacting with legislation from a drafting, legislative process or larger legal or political perspective, and have subsequently received little attention in the academic community. By employing a comparative research approach primarily focused on a cross-disciplinary literature review and hypothesis testing through three empirical projects, this thesis draws upon both qualitative and quantitative methods of research to answer the primary research questions. The main empirical method used was a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with lawmakers, staffers, bill drafters, government officials and media members from all three jurisdictions. Although the legal status of short bill titles in each jurisdiction differed, many individuals from each jurisdiction viewed short bill titles as a considerably important part of the lawmaking process. Also, to varying degrees in each jurisdiction, interviewees repeatedly offered the opinion that short titles: may affect a bill’s chances of becoming law; are at times misleading; serve as more than referential points; at times may pressure legislators to vote for a bill; may be used as framing devices; and sometimes employ language that is not justified during the legislative process. These support the proposition that short titles have legislative process and political implications. The interviews support the legislative process analysis of the three jurisdictions that Chapter IV discusses, which is that the Scottish Parliament operates with the strictest regulations in regards to short title accuracy. In addition to being the only jurisdiction studied that openly endorses a ‘proper form’ in which bills must be drafted (which explicitly mentions short titles), many Scottish interviewees stated that such titles were important in the legislative process for different reasons than US and Westminster interviewees, stressing descriptive legal accuracy and taking care in regard to bill scope, among other concerns. The thesis’ quantitative survey portion includes separate surveys and sample populations from the US and Scotland. Though data collection was marred by an error in the US, thus hindering the analysis of such data, the Scottish results suggested that short bill titles may have psychological effects when analysing the favourability of proposals: all four evocative naming types produced higher favourability ratings than bland titles, and some results were statistically significant. However, the naming types were not statistically significant in assessing why the measure was supported or whether participants desired more information on bills. In response to the absence of short bill title standards in the US Congress and Westminster Parliament, and with the aim of describing how the Scottish Parliament standards might be made more thorough, the thesis provides short title recommendations that are suitable for all three jurisdictions. These recommendations largely accentuate proper form for language and processes in order to ensure short title accuracy, and have the potential, if applied consistently, to significantly reduce the chances of overtly political or evocative language entering the country’s legislative processes or statute books. While acknowledging that in all three institutions studied short bill titling may be in many respects a small aspect of the monumental and lengthy policy process, this thesis advances the proposition that it is considerably important to those who interact with and encounter legislation frequently, and that preventing evocative language from entering short bill titles is a benefit for the legislative processes of all three jurisdictions.

Snowbed vegetation contains both vascular plants and bryophytes. The latest snowbeds cover areas that are of predominantly, if not exclusively, bryophyte flora while the vascular plants are generally confined to the periphery of such late snowbeds. It is hypothesised that the exclusion of vascular flora from the snowbed core is the result of the shortened growing season generated by late-lying snow, which the bryophyte flora is better able to tolerate. The snowbed bryophytes cannot, however, tolerate the competition offered by the vascular flora in the peripheral areas from which they are absent. Data indicate that some of the bryophyte snowbed species are inhabiting optimal conditions in the snowbed core, rather than tolerating sub-optimal conditions. Adaptation and acclimation responses observed in peripheral vascular species indicate that these are inhabiting sub-optimal conditions in the snowbed periphery. The relationship between snow-lie and climate is examined, with to the construction and examination of a second hypothesis that snowbed loyalty in the Scottish Highlands is high, while duration of snow cover is variable. Snow-lie loyalty is the product of prevailing wind conditions, which are persistent and consistent in Scotland leading to consistency in late snowbed location, while the occurrence of mid-winter thaws at all altitudes makes duration of snow cover through accumulated snow depth much more variable. Increased zonal flow in winter has affected snow-lie in the Scottish Highlands, with a slight decrease in snow-lie duration in recent years. It is not clear whether this pattern applies to all altitudes and accumulations at higher levels, especially in the western Highlands, may be increasing as a result of steeper winter-time lapse rates. With late snowbed location varying very little, it is possible that the consequences of global warming may not necessarily mean an extinction of the late snowbed bryophytes in Scotland, which constitute an important part of Britain's montane flora.