Wednesday notes

Another grey day in Stornoway, but at least it's dry today and no wind. The sea is as smooth as a mirror.

Over in France, the situation has eased somewhat, with only relatively minor disturbances. It is always worrisome when reports say 'only a few police officers were hurt, and only 20 cars were torched'. A judicial review has been promised to the relatives of the two young men who died in a road traffic accident, involving their motorbike and a police patrol vehicle. It was this incident that sparked off three nights of violence across France.

Up here in the north of Scotland, our main trunk road, the A9 between Perth and Inverness, is a source of frustration and accidents. It was suggested last month that it be turned into a dual carriageway along its entire 110 mile length. Costs of that project are put at £600 million ($1.2bn), and may not start for another 3 years, in April 2011. The (devolved) Scottish Government has reiterated its pledge to improve safety on the A9, which has claimed 80 lives in the past 5 years.