Wasted effort

If only the determination and effort that the SNP put into attempting to "retrieve" the William Wallace letter (your report 14 June), or the "Lewis" Chessmen could be used elsewhere. We wait now for an official First Ministerial mission to London to press the latest claims, in the same way as we had the embarrassing trips to Copenhagen, the Maldives and China, where we paid through the nose for Mr Salmond to be fobbed off by some minor official.

If only the SNP could direct this energy and expense into the good governance of Scotland.

ALEXANDER McKAY

New Cut Rigg

Edinburgh