The great thing about blogs is that they can shed light on all sorts of things. From carpentry to cats, snowballs to sarsaparilla, you can find a blogpost about almost any subject that will explain matters quickly and concisely.

This week’s batch of Scottish blogs have only one thing in common: they all offer us an interesting nugget of insight. We start with Open Justice, which previews a week-long project, beginning tomorrow, which aims to shed light on Scottish justice issues which normally go unreported. They plan to use social media to discuss legal points in a way that is accessible to all of us, and jolly good luck to them.

Also expounding on generally unnoticed matters is Tony Boaks, who gives us a somewhat eccentric tour of his recent blog comments, including a rather uncomplimentary one about Elvis’ manager.

Taking an altogether more serious approach is Dan at Liberal Sellout, who’s been looking at electoral figures in Edinburgh to work out where Tory voters are most likely to put their second vote. He concludes, rather intriguingly, that Lib Dem candidates would be better off trying to secure Conservative second choice votes than trying to get their own voters to support them. Ah, politics, it’s a fickle mistress…

The redoubtable Burdz Eye View is also thinking about Edinburgh politics, and wondering why the capital’s councillors felt it necessary to dream up an extra £26 million of expenditure at a time when we’re all supposed to be skint. She concludes, shockingly, that it may have something to do with an upcoming election. Surely not?!

Scottish Mum is pondering a different type of legalities, wondering whether a contract between the nation’s parents is feasible. She promises to hide her dishes in the oven, as long as her fellow parents eat plenty of sausage rolls. Sounds fair.

And we finish with the most endearing post I’ve read all week, in which Susan K Mann provides a series of unbearably cute pictures of her wee boy in a furry pig costume. It’s as cheering as it sounds.

So, that’s all for this week: I trust you feel suitably enlightened. Have a good week, and remember to nominate your favourite blogs for next Sunday. Pip pip!

The schools were out this week and both Holyrood and Westminster Parliaments were in recess. There has, however, been no holiday for bloggers who have written on all sorts of subjects this week.

First of all, there was Valentine’s Day. Audrey Birt doesn’t do the commercial side of it but her touching post shows that there’s plenty love in her house. Love was all around us in Edinburgh, too, as 1000 people gathered to march on Holyrood to tell MSPs that they wanted marriage to be open to all couples, regardless of their gender. It was a pity most MSPs were away, but I took my camera to record the event for them.

There was no time for romance at Ibrox, though. The administrators came to call over an enormous tax bill. As one of my friends said on Facebook, nobody’s talking of this as yet another example of irresponsibility with money. A lot of the media comment has been about how the club could emerge unscathed without paying their taxes. How many doctors, nurses, teachers could you get for their tax bill?  Left back in the changing room, however, talks about what Rangers means to him and wants them to be the great club of his childhood again. If you are completely bamboozled by what exactly developments mean for the club, Paul McConville, over at Random Thoughts re Scots Law, has the answer to virtually any question you could imagine. Jeff at Better Nation ponders the benefits of Celtic coming to Rangers’ rescue while Love and Garbage’s talent for painfully accurate satire is clear. Fan with a laptop questions the inaction by the sport’s governing bodies.

Love of a different sort, and loss, featured, too. Sean McP has fond memories of his best friend’s dad while a tv clip of David Cameron being interviewed in South Queensferry made me remember the Scottish blogosphere’s Andrew Reeves in the week of what would have been his 44th birthday.

The Prime Minister, of course came north to meet Alex Salmond on Thursday. I had to laugh at the SNP’s Stephen Noon’s criticism that it was all fluff with no real substance. You would think he’d never read any of the First Minister’s speeches. Bright Green Scotland finds flaws in his speech, while Nicola Prigg wants more from all the parties who don’t want independence. Free Advice for Unionists talks about identity while Lallands Peat Worrier tells us why the nitty gritty of process is so important. Meanwhile, Hughtrowsers has some theories as to why Scottish Labour is anti independence and Dispatches from Paisley wants Labour to stop carping from the sidelines.

While independence dominates the news agenda, there are, as ever, many other, arguably more important issues worthy of comment. The Burd saw worrying trends for women in this week’s unemployment figures and the Shoogly Peg delves deeper into the budgets on offer for Glasgow, asking whether the SNP has damaged its vote there. Michael Forsyth’s comments on Scottish education put him in line for a skelping. Kelvin Holdsworth wasn’t too impressed with the Queen’s comments about the Church of England. Autistic Dad is conflicted by reports that people with Autism can recover as they get older. Brian Pope takes on Donald Trump over wind farms.

Abyssinia, Henry sends a harrowing report from a protest at the Syrian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

In a Bun Dance writes about a trip to Scotland’s creepiest building. You may want to read that one from behind a pillow. She also writes of her astonishment at being expected to mind that her son had been dressing up in a pink tutu.

On my last Roundup, I asked if anyone could help Is there a Plan B on her quest to find the perfect flapjack. It now seems that she has found it by means of oats harvested at moonlight by fairies, perhaps.

And finally, we offer congratulations to Islay Blog on their 200th Roundup.

As ever, the secret of a good Roundup is receiving nominations from lots of different people, so thanks to everyone who has contributed this week. If there’s a post that you think should be included for next week, tweet us at @scottishroundup, fill in the nomination form on the right of this page or e-mail us at scottishroundup@gmail.com.

When it comes to any future referendum, Jeff warns that “…meek conformity will be a factor”. Robin McAlpine makes an argument for a crowd sourced constitution for a new independent Scotland…

And if it comes to it, John Kay advises people to think carefully before considering the set up of a separate Scottish currency, even, and maybe especially, one that it is pegged to the English pound…

On Bright Green Scotland, Adam Ramsey warns against the danger social media facilitating a radical clique rather actual social action…

And Guesting on the same blog, Dr Paul Cairney examines a new Lord Ashcroft funded poll that show different forms of questions on any future independence can make a difference of up to 8%…

In her podcast, Leslie Riddoch talks about social action in Barra…

Guesting at the Caledonian Mercury, Blair Jenkins, a Fellow of the Dunfermline based Carnegie Trust argues that “charitable foundations and civil society associations find a way to invest in support of honest and high-quality news media”.

Madly social points out that for all the bad press we get, bloggers are still being sought out for their, erm, audience and credibility…

Gordon Darroch too has a bone to pick with the media, over the Andrew Wakefield MMR  and the crude and continuous misreporting for well over a decade and a half… and on the subject of anti science, Jim Sillars is taking some flak from Scots Renewables for a recent column in the Scotsman (presumably following another column in the Hollyrood Magazine)…

And if anyone thought Belfast and/or Israel/Palestine has the premium on fences, Wulf has news for you:

Greece is pittin up a fence on its Turkish border – short notandum here. The EU isnae pleased (nae surprise there than) – the apparachniks will ay be howpin tae mak Turkey pairt of the EU, ower the deid body o democracy if necessar.

Kerry has some great pics from the recent Celtic Connections 2012 in Glasgow recently…

Misssy M is worried about some highly undemocratic plans to take the Victorian gentility of Aberdeen’s Union terrace and turn it into something altogether less sedate. But never mind, here comes Donald Trump to save Scotland… or he could if it wasn’t for those damned offshore wind farms…

And shock, horror, Brian Taylor reports that the Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick has banned singing at Holyrood…

Labour MP David Lammy made some controversial comments about smacking this week. Kirsty at Better Nation takes him to task. But this has been a week which has seen high profile figures take other forms of punishment. Mr Goodwin lost his knighthood. Again at Better Nation, Aidan argues that he’s the scapegoat for much wider failings. Ben Lomond Free Press, however, found humour in a Telegraph typo in an article about the former RBS head.

Chris Huhne has yet to face the courts, innocent until proven guilty and all that, but he’s already paid a huge price. A Scottish Liberal looks at what his resignation means for the Liberal Democrats.

I wrote that the gagging order on Tommy Sheridan on him being sent to complete his sentence at home was a punishment too far.

Moving on, Jonathan Kent at Bright Green talks about his university days in a Green pressure group with new Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey.

The Burd warns us that we really should be paying more attention to the Budget that’s sweeping its way through Holyrood with precious little scrutiny.

It’s been National Library Day this week, so Bear Bahoochie tells us about a day in her life. I want her job. Also with a literary theme, Islay Blog writes about the new book festival on Colonsay. Tory Hoose argues that Scotland’s national bard was a unionist Eurosceptic while The Landlocked Seal muses on celestial independence.

Tuesday saw a glittering and packed reception at Holyrood run by the Equality Network and the Equal Marriage Campaign.  Kelvin reports on the night’s speeches and the growing consensus for change.

Letters from your mum reflects on what life was like before smartphones. How did we ever cope?

How to feel a right tit is the title of In a Bun Dance’s post about the importance of being breast aware. Read it – it could save your life.

Do you have the knowledge that could save Is there a Plan B’s flapjacks? Sticking with food, My Monkfish points to some retro pictures that those of us of a certain age will love.

If you didn’t see it earlier this week, have a read of Ellen’s post telling you how you can help Scottish Roundup improve and expand.

I couldn’t let the week in which The Simpsons character Groundskeeper Willie was revealed to be a son of Kirkwall go by without a mention, but the blogosphere has been very quiet on the subject. It’s left to the Orcadian to report local MSP Liam McArthur’s efforts to make sure false claims to Willie are eradicated.  My view – if Linlithgow can honour Scotty from Star Trek, then Orkney should take full advantage of their fictional son.

And, finally, while we are all snuggled up by our fires during the cold snap, Mountain and Sea Scotland went on a 3 day kayaking trip this week and took some lovely photos.

Do you enjoy the Scottish Roundup or does it annoy you because something has been left out?

Either way, it might be time to step forward and have a go at putting together the roundup one week.

The Scottish Roundup is put together by a team of volunteers and we know there’s no way we can ever get round even a fraction of the thousands of posts produced by talented Scottish bloggers every week. That’s why a variety of people bringing their voice and view of the blogosphere is vital.

It’s not a huge job and we’ll hold your hand throughout. We have a very helpful guide for editors that we send you that tells you everything you need to know. Then on a Friday and Saturday we send you nominations that have come in via Twitter or via the website or via e-mail. You add in some of your own from your own reading and weave them into a blog post for Sunday’s Roundup. When you write it is up to you. Some people do it on Saturday late afternoon or evening, others get up with the lark on a Sunday and do it then. I’ve done both. Generally we like it to appear around 10 or 11 on a Sunday morning.

Typically it takes one to two hours to roundup the Roundup. Having said that I often get sidetracked by the range of blogs I discover.

If you’d like to have a go, drop us a comment here or a tweet (@scottishroundup) and we can fit you into the rota. If you’ve done it before, don’t wait to be asked, we’d love to have you back.

If you have any other suggestions for how we could improve Roundup, please also let us know.