ANGELA Constance, SNP MSP for Livingston, sent her apologies for missing the conference, explaining she has just given birth to baby Cyrus. She said: "Like the Scottish Parliament, Cyrus was conceived under Labour rule, and after a period of difficulty, he has been delivered under an SNP government." Another gain from Labour, quipped Moray MP Angus Robertson.

Usually one to address conference as representative of the rank and file of Tartan Army squaddies, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill was showing delegates his new perspective on Scotland as a minister when invited to see Scotland play at Murrayfield. "From the SRU's royal box," he said, "the situation does not appear so bleak."

With more than 1000 members in Aviemore, there is much head-shaking about how much the SNP conference has grown. One old hand recalls the 1959 conference, when only 25 people came. There was a proposal to increase the size of the party executive from three to eight, but it was lost, because there might not be enough people to fill the posts.

Alyn Smith, one of two SNP MEPs, was explaining at the weekend that he had to spend part of the Aviemore conference "sheep-dogging". Ribald responses resulted, until it was explained that this is the term used for being given responsibility for steering visiting dignitaries, ambassadors, high commissioners and consuls round the Nationalist proceedings.