Talk of the Town: Rebus author Ian has a taste for danger

The Rebus author revealed that he had held a script meeting in Moo Cafe in Canonmills, the scene of a knife-point robbery just hours earlier.

And according to his latest post on Twitter, he is thinking of going for a drink at the Jock's Lodge pub, scene of an alleged shooting and stabbing on Sunday.

Rugby fans scrum on down to pick up Scots packs

PORRIDGE is causing a ruck among Scotland's rugby internationals, with three star players competing to see whose face can sell the most oats.

Chris Paterson, Thom Evans and Ross Ford currently feature on packets of Scott's Porage Oats and the battle to see which pack is most popular with punters is apparently the source of some rivalry.

The company says rugby fans are following their club loyalties and buying the packet which features their local hero on the front. So, Paterson has sold the most in the Capital, with Ford leading the pack in his hometown of Kelso and Evans outselling his rivals in Glasgow.

Making a name for himself

FRED Mackintosh, the Lib Dems' candidate in Edinburgh South at the general election, is still basking in the glory of a namecheck in the leader's keynote speech to the party conference at the weekend.

Mr Mackintosh seems to have acquired a reputation for giving everyone good advice whether they ask for it or not.

So when Nick Clegg referred to him and his prospects of winning the target seat, he could not resist adding: "Fred will be rich in advice when he comes down to Westminster." Then, in case anyone was in any doubt, he added: "It's advice I look forward to."

Actors on the slide

ACTORS Gary Lewis, Kathleen McDermott and Ford Kiernan will be putting more than their careers on the line when they take part in a charity event.

The brave fundraisers will hurtle down from the Forth Bridge hanging on a zip line.

The Scots stars will be joining radio DJs Romeo and Suzie McGuire and hundreds of volunteers on Saturday, 27 March in order to raise money for the charity Revive MS Support.

They will zip from the bridge over the so-called Black Lagoon, situated in a quarry next to Deep Sea World in North Queensferry.

Bafta award winner McDermott, who has appeared in Casualty and Happy Hollidays, said: "So many people are affected by MS. The work the centre does is fantastic. It's a local charity and it relies almost solely on what people donate.