Fast repast

At last, an insight into what sets the Scots apart from other European nations - they eat faster than anyone else. The discovery was made by a multicultural group of student teachers from universities in Portugal, Germany, Holland and Sweden who were visiting the Northern College in Aberdeen and Dundee. Group spokesman Victor Ferraz of Coimbra University in Portugal said: "The Scottish people are being wonderful to us and we are learning so much about your country.

"The biggest difference is that you eat very quickly. We finally offered to wash up our own plates after meals because we all eat more slowly than the Scots, and the staff were having to stay behind after everyone else was finished, just to clear away our plates."