Why Scotty's Trek starts in Linlithgow

ALTHOUGH he has thousands of fans all over the world, he doesn't exist - yet - although who's to say what will happen in just over 200 years' time?

But at the moment, Scotty remains in the world of science fiction, as one of the best-known Star Trek characters.

After the recent death of Scotty's alter ego, Canadian actor James Doohan, West Lothian Council is embarking on a mission - which hopefully won't take five years - to boldly erect some sort of fitting memorial to the USS Enterprise's chief engineer Montgomery Scott.

But it seems West Lothian has entered into something of a space race. After we announced our idea, three other places have made their own attempts to cling on to our coat-tails.

Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Elgin are also claiming Scotty as one of their own citizens.

But I believe we have the best claim to support Linlithgow as the birthplace of Scotty and the place most worthy of a suitable memorial honouring his future birth.

Not only does a Star Trek website list Linlithgow as Montgomery Scott's birthplace in 2222, but we have now discovered one of the original Star Trek scriptwriters says Scotty comes from the town. In her book Vulcan's Glory, Dorothy DC Fontana refers to Scotty's mother's house in Linlithgow, West Lothian.

She wrote: "Lieutenant Montgomery Scott had no trouble finding his quarters either. He not only knew the blueprints of the ship intimately, but he had built an exact cutaway scale replica of the Enterprise as soon as he learned of his assignment to her.

"Her corridors and decks and service tunnels were already as familiar to him as his mother's house in Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland."

Definitive proof, I'm sure you'll agree.

So what of those other claims? Aberdeen's bid rests on a reference Scotty made himself in an episode of the cult TV show to being a pub-crawler in the city. Firstly, he would hardly do this as an infant, so this in no way negates our claim to Scotty's birthplace.

And secondly, there is nothing to stop West Lothian folk drinking in the pubs of other towns - it's a fine tradition which has gone on for many years, with drinkers travelling as far afield as Edinburgh, Glasgow, and, yes, Aberdeen to partake of their hospitality. It's good to know this will continue far into the future.

Elgin seems to be claiming a reference to Scotty coming from "Elgin, near Aberdeen".

Here again he could have moved north from Linlithgow - those born in West Lothian have moved on before, taking their rich cultural heritage with them.

There is apparently one reference to Scotty's birthplace as Edinburgh, Earth, on the Scifi.com website.

But this is a very flimsy claim by our near neighbour - I feel sure this entry was merely Scotty taking into account there would be a few ignorant corners of the universe which hadn't heard of West Lothian and mentioned Edinburgh in order to give those poor souls a geographical grip on his origins.

We are confident enough in our claims to be pushing ahead seriously with this idea. West Lothian, particularly Linlithgow, has a fine tradition of producing prominent people - Scotland's favourite heroine Mary, Queen of Scots, was born here at the magnificent palace.

Every year thousands of visitors come to see her birthplace - and with so many Star Trek fans around the world, I am sure many will be tempted to come and see Scotty's home town.

Already there has been tremendous interest worldwide in our proposed Star Trek memorial. I have taken part in television and radio broadcasts with companies in Scotland, England, Ireland, Canada and Germany.

Items have been posted on a host of websites and our idea has been picked up by newspapers all over the world.

A report is now being prepared for my committee on the possibility of a Scotty memorial at Linlithgow.

We have just launched a new tourism partnership agreement for West Lothian with VisitScotland and I was delighted with the amount of support expressed for our project. The general view was that it is a great idea.

I think we can come up with something different, something exciting and something imaginative which will have Star Trek enthusiasts charging their dilithium crystals and warping into West Lothian from all over the world.

And we will not be phased by any other counter-claims. Perhaps we should agree to meet up to celebrate Scotty's birth in 2222 and see who was right.

In the meantime, live long and prosper.

Councillor Willie Dunn is convener of West Lothian Council's Enterprise and Development Committee