James McMenemy, a former teacher at the Kerelaw school for troubled kids in Scotland has been brought up on 15 charges for violence against students.

In a competency hearing staged against the teacher he has been accused of lining students against a wall and then firing golf balls and rocks at them before throwing them in a nearby river.

A former student spoke with the Daily Mail and revealed:

“I had cuts and burns from where I was dragged to the floor.”

The student went on to note:

“There was no point complaining because this happened all the time.” and ”It wasn’t just McMenemy, but a lot of them.”

The acts of violence against students was also witnessed by a Glasgow city counselor who says:

“There was an air in the senior management of ‘This is Kerelaw, we do things our own way.’ They covered for each other.”

That counselor says they also witnessed an inappropriate amount of force being used against students.

Thankfully Kerelaw school closed in 2006 but not until nearly 400 allegations of teacher bullying and outright child abuse were reported. A former art teacher has already been sentences to 10 years in prison for the physical assault and sexual abuse of various students.

Do you think officials should have acted more quickly in closing the school and bringing charges against it’s various power abusing teachers?

Scottish Teacher Accused Of Throwing Kids In River, Hitting Golf Balls At Students is a post from: The Inquisitr

Archaeologists announced on Tuesday the remains of a Viking chief buried in a boat along with his sword, axe, and spear were discovered in Scotland, the first of its kind to be spotted intact on the British mainland.

The Viking burial site, believed to be around 1,000 years old, was found in the Scottish Highlands on Ardnamurchan peninsula.

“We had been investigating the area since 2006, and most of our work had been concentrated on a different area,” said archaeologist Helena Gray. “We had noticed a small, very low mound in the ground and decided to investigate. We didn’t have any idea that it was going to be such an important find.”

Hannah Cobb, the dig project’s co-director, explains how the Viking funeral, apparently for an important figure, would have went down.

“The Vikings would have dug a boat shaped hole and then they would have dragged the boat up from the sea and put the boat into the hole and laid all his possessions around him,” she said.

“His shield would have been laid on his chest and his sword was at his side and then they filled up the boat with stones and that’s exactly what we found when we came to excavate it.”

via Associated Press

Viking burial site discovered in Scotland is a post from: The Inquisitr

Private Kevin Elliott, 24, a Black Watch soldier, was killed in Afghanistan on August 31st.

Elliott and his best mate, Barry Delaney, had a pact. Whichever one survived the other would attend his friend’s funeral in drag. And true to his word, Delaney showed up to the fallen soldier’s burial in shocking neon drag. A heartbreaking picture (above) shows Delaney mourning at Elliott’s graveside. Delaney said:

“Kev was like my brother – we would have done anything for each other.

“I received a letter from him two days before he died and it’s a bit smudged from my tears, as I’ve been re-reading it that often.

“We loved to go out and party but we were stone-cold sober when we made the promise to each other.

“We said that whoever died first, the other one had to wear a pink dress with green spots to the funeral – and we shook on it. It was mainly his idea and the more I think about it, I’m sure Kevin knew something was going to happen.

“I looked for the exact dress but couldn’t find one anywhere.

“I eventually picked up the green one in Primark and bought the pink pop-socks to make it look even sillier.

“It’s what Kev would have wanted.” He added: “Kev told his whole family about the pact, so I couldn’t back out.

“I had a word with him at the graveside and asked if he liked the colour.

“I’m sure I could hear laughing coming out of the ground.”

A month before his tragic death in Afghanistan, Private Elliott spent what would be his last two weeks leave at Delaney’s flat in Dundee. Over 1,000 people attended his funeral, and as Delaney approached his friend’s graveside, mourners clapped and cheered at his colorful tribute. Elliott leaves behind two brothers, two sisters, his mother- and one very loyal best friend.

[Source: The Daily Record via snopes]

Soldier’s best friend honors his wish, shows up to funeral in neon drag is a post from: The Inquisitr

A worker at the National Library of Scotland has been reprimanded for displaying the Scottish national flag on his desk on the basis that the display maybe be considered racist.

The unnamed worker had customized his workspace with three flags and a red tartan before being made to remove the items. An email sent to all staff at the library noted that management “was very disappointed to see that (staff] continue to have inappropriate material bedecking their workstation. This includes several saltires and a lion rampant, and the personalisation of a chair with red tartan.”

According to the Scotsman, the email concluded by reminding employees of the policy of not having anything on desks which could be regarded as “sexist or racist”.

What would William Wallace think?

Displaying the Scottish flag in Scotland is now considered racist is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ever seen a cat climb a vertical wall? neither had I until I saw this video.

Dubbed “spider cat” by the UK media, Charlie the cat climbs a two story wall. “If no one hears him miaowing to come in at the front door, Charlie just wanders round to the back and climbs up to the balcony to get in that way” said the cat’s owner.

Not sure what else I can say other than this isn’t something you see every day.

Spider cat can climb walls is a post from: The Inquisitr

Meet Ross from Scotland. Ross does something that makes him stand out from his fellow pale skinned countrymen: he paints himself orange.

Ross is the Scottish version of a Guido, and has appointed himself the No. 1 male Barbie in Scotland (because Barbies are orange…well, maybe in Scotland.) Ross tells a television crew that he believes you can never be too orange, and that you can never wear enough fake gold jewelry.

If this was Ireland we’d say leprechaun, but we’re going with Oompa Loompa instead. Here’s Ross the Scottish Guido:

Real life Oompa Loompa spotted in Scotland is a post from: The Inquisitr