9am Briefing: Edinburgh braced for massive disruption during Pope visit

A massive security operation is being put in place, with up to 700 police officers to be on duty in the city.

And people were being warned to be ready for serious disruption to traffic, including bus services.

Reports today claimed only 65,000 people will attend the open-air mass in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park - well down on the 100,000 originally expected and the 250,000 who were there when John Paul II came to Scotland in 1982.

Festival Group in asset sale

THE chain behind some of Edinburgh's best known bars is carrying out a huge asset sale to cut its debts.

Festival Group, headed by tycoon Kenny Waugh, plans to raise 41 million from assets after registering a 11.4m pre tax loss, up from 6m the preceding year, it was reported today.

Properties on the sell-off list are reported to include Biblos wine bar and the Links Hotel.

The high-profile chain also owns venues including the Three Sisters in Cowgate and Biddy Mulligans in Grassmarket.

Sales on the rise

SALES in Scotland rose for the first time in several months, new figures revealed today.

The year-on-year increase in August was the first since March but retail chiefs warned it may only be a "temporary reprieve".

Overall like-for-like figures showed that sales last month were 0.1 per cent higher than in August last year according to Scottish Retail Consortium KPMG Scottish Retail Sales Monitor.

Tennant filming in Scotland

FORMER Doctor Who star David Tennant has returned to Scotland for the filming of his latest drama.

The Bathgate-born actor spent time in Glasgow during the making of the new BBC Scotland series Single Father, in which he plays a widowed father-of-four.

He went out and about in the city with his on-screen children to get to know them better, going bowling and playing football in the park.