Surely, the biggest fear for anyone entrusted with taking a shot at compiling the weekly Scottish blogs runaround, is that nothing of any note whatsoever will happen on your watch. I’m now on my second outing, but with a bank holiday weekend of glorious weather being thrown into the mix, I began to worry that for the rest of the week, everyone would be so mellowed out and full of the milk of human kindness that nothing interesting would happen, and that no-one would be prompted to opine about anything very much.

Thank goodness, then, for the BBC’s Glen Campbell and his interview with Wendy Alexander – an event which gave rise to a story so big it survived the bank holiday Monday, still managed to appear on the radar screens of the London networks and commentators, and even became the main issue of the Brown/Cameron exchanges at PMQs. ‘Bring it on’, she said, to a referendum on Scottish independence, and fellow keyboard bashers, you didn’t disappoint.

One of the first out of the blocks was former Labour Leader of Edinburgh Council, the Rev Ewan Aitken, who was unbridled in his enthusiasm for the gambit. He wasted no time in suggesting that in not taking up the challenge, the First Minister was somewhat deficient in the respective departments of bravery and bottle. Similarly, New Saltire saw it as a way to attack the very soul of the SNP. More wary was Aitken’s council colleague, Elizabeth Maginnis, who was clearly less than convinced by the gambit. Elsewhere in the City Chambers, Cllr Andrew Burns (who in 1999 had the temerity to beat me in a local election!), adopted a tone of weary resignation about the whole thing.

But if you thought Gordon Brown was surprised, it was nothing compared to the serried ranks of ‘Nat Pack’ bloggers. Julie Hepburn admitted as much here, as did Cllr Allison Thewliss. Other gasts evidently flabbered were those of Anseo, as well as Lib Dem Bernard Salmon. Stephen Glenn thought the move was the right one, but charitably, linked to some other Lib Dems with alternative views on the subject. Marco Biagi seemed happy, offering some (perhaps unwelcome) cross party support for Wendy to carry on her good works, while Alex Massie played it straight. Meanwhile, the wonderful Clairwil, as ever, managed to inject a dose of sanity to the topic, together with a side helping of amused incredulity.

Even Labour spinner Kez Dugdale seemed a little taken aback, before embarking on a philosophical meander through the differences between the general concept of ‘independence’ (good) and ‘seperatism’ (bad). Looking to the future, Kevin Willliamson believes it’s ‘game on’ on the constitution, even if it might be ‘game over’ for Wendy herself. Scottish Tory Boy took delight in being amongst the first to point out that even if she wanted to bring forward her own referendum bill, the standing orders of the Scottish Parliament wouldn’t allow it. Meanwhile, Jeff of SNP Tactical Voting was positively straining at the leash, hoping that Alex Salmond would go ahead and call what he saw as Labour’s bluff.

Wither the Prime Minister, though, after the pounding of last week’s electoral contests? Love and Garbage took a sideways look at the much lauded individual talents of ‘Team Brown’, and in best Lord Gnome style, concluded that the people had been misled previously. Shuggy also cast a weary eye over the present malaise. Meanwhile, the peerless Mr Eugenides mined the dark, dank, dripping recesses of his imagination to share with us the disappointment a prominent Guardian columnist may be feeling with the Brown premiership. Those under 18, or of a squeamish or nervous disposition, should skip straight to the next item – don’t say you weren’t warned…

Turning to a very different ‘Polly’, there’s a new political podcast out there called ‘PollyOdd‘. I haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet myself, but your regular genial host, DoctorVee, seems very excited by the whole shebang. In my relatively limited blogging career to date, it’s been a source of amusement and, if I’m being honest, occasional frustration, that some great ‘Scottish’ blogging can go almost completely unnoticed in the Anglosphere, while some very ordinary but harder to pigeonhole content can find itself with (in comparison) astronomical exposure. If we don’t shout about ourselves, no-one else will do it for us, so do please give it a listen and lend it your support.

To other matters, and Richard Havers has what sounds like a well-deserved go at a website – booksfromscotland.com – set up to promote and sell the work of Scottish writers. A laudable aim, but is the product or the measurable end result all that they both ought to be? Here, Bishop Hill throws a sharp kitchen knife at Gordon Ramsay for suggesting that restaurants should be fined for serving out of season veg. Will Ramsay be too worried? Probably not – a whole lot of controversy and meeja appearances coming just one week before his new series appears on our screens – give the man’s agent a pay rise!

Elsewhere, Silversprite, the librarian at the end of the world, continues a riff about astronomical fuel prices, in the process making me feel guilty for complaining the other day about having to pay £50 to fill up my small hatch with diesel at £1.16/litre. In the Uists, with the price at £1.36/litre, it would have cost me £60. Ouch, ouch, ouch. Meanwhile, Almax has a look at the reclassification of cannabis and concludes that with the latest move to return it from Class ‘C’ to Class ‘B’, people will just be more confused than ever about its legal status.

So, after a short, if tumultous working week, it’s time to reflect on the bank holiday that was. Auld Reekie Rants, sadly, had to spend his convalescing from man flu – I’m sure I speak for everyone in wishing him the speediest of recoveries. Groanin Jock recounts an all too familiar experience resulting from the rare encounters which take place between the Scottish male and strong sunshine. Meanwhile, Angus Nicolson regales us with a picture of the barbecue which Carlsberg would make, if they did that sort of thing. The question is, with fuel so expensive in the Western Isles, how on earth can he afford to run something like that?

And that’s your lot for this week. Remember, posts can be nominated for next week’s roundup by using the form on the right hand side of the page (even for viewers in black and white), or by email using scottishroundup@gmail.com.

With both Holyrood and Westminster now in recess, the silly season is officially upon us. As if on cue, the week started with a minor stushie over which flag should take precedence on our public buildings. Both Kevin Williamson and Joe Middleton concentrated on what they saw as the less savoury associations of the Union Flag, while Kezia Dugdale placed it all in the wider context of the constitutional debate, remarking in the process on the sea of Saltires which she says now fly over Edinburgh following May’s elections.

However, as Jeff asks in the comments, if this really is all about the SNP politicising the Saltire, then what then are we to make of the veritable blanket of red, white and blue over Gordon Brown’s Whitehall right now? What indeed. David Farrer took a stab at explaining over at Freedom and Whisky, as did BBC Scotland’s Brian Taylor, who de-constructed matters for us thusly.

As the week progressed, though, there was very little unanimity when it came to blogging topics, with some very different issues exercising bloggers. Mr Eugenides, sunning himself currently in Greece, chose to take a potshot at Home Office proposals to gather DNA samples from those guilty of ‘non-recordable’ offences. Continuing in a libertarian vein, there was also a call here from Mushkush for all drugs to be legalised.

Another blogger sticking a firework under a cosy ideological consensus this week was Adam Smith Was A Socialist, who made the unfashionable claim that the problem with election turnouts is that they’re not low enough. Making a welcome return to his keyboard was Jamie Hepburn, who contrasted the proposed reduction in the number of Scottish MEPs with the treatment accorded to the smaller accession states to the EU. Tartan Hero was mildly disturbed to find himself in agreement with Lord George Foulkes over the issue of the charitable status of private schools. Will Patterson, meanwhile, used the parliamentary recesses as an opportunity to assess the performance of the parties at Holyrood, based on some markers he set down back in January.

Angus Nicolson gave a cautious welcome to the announcement of the start date for the new Gaelic TV channel. However, with just £16-£17m to play with, he also wondered what sort of output viewers would actually get for their money. And would it be TV produced in the Gaidhealtachd, or simply more of the same from the meeja luvvies of Byres Road? Staying on a media theme, Craigblog considered the recent brouhaha over ‘rigged’ TV programmes, very sensibly wondering what the fuss was all about. This post from Whoopdedoo, as well as this one from doctorvee, would have made less pleasant reading for the BBC, however, as both got stuck into the failings of the Corporation’s new iPlayer.

Away from politics, I will admit to being guilty of the occasional lapse into good taste over at my own blog. However, it’s with particular glee that I point you in the direction of this post from Bellgrove Belle, who seemingly inspired by one of my efforts, chose to share with us all a picture of her arse. Before you get too excited, though, I should point out that she picked this one up on her holidays and it comes in a bottle…

Adelaide Green Porridge Cafe penned a poignant cri-de-coeur for William Topaz McGonagall to finally have a statue of his own in his adopted city of Dundee. Moving seamlessly from the ridiculous to the sublime, though, he also offered us this gem of a photograph. I think we’ve probably all worked with folk like that at one point or another!

Remaining on a Dundonian theme, both Holyrood Chronicles and Whoopdedoo mourn the passing of an old favourite. The Dandy, it seems, has fallen prey to the notion that it needs to fit into the ‘lifestyle’ of its young readers, who apparently are now too busy watching DVDs and texting their friends to bother about something as juvenile as being amused by a comic. How sad. After all, what could have been more ‘Xtreme’ than seeing Minnie the Minx putting in her neighbours’ windows with a catapult?

Nostalgia just ain’t what it used to be right enough. And with that tap on the dashboard, I’ll bring this week’s edition of the roundup to a safe and controlled stop. All suggestions for inclusion next week can be sent to Duncan and his compilers using the form on the right, or by good old fashioned email via scottishroundup@gmail.com. Enjoy the weather if you get the chance, and have a good week.