Mystery over Scottish rock carving found 5,500 miles away in China: Eight-foot rock with name of historic whisky distillery chiselled into it is found on Chinese building site

Mystery over Scottish rock carving found 5,500 miles away in China: Eight-foot rock with name of historic whisky distillery chiselled into it is found on Chinese building site
Discovery made during recent work on resort at Moganshan near Shanghai
Rock was engraved with word 'Glenturret' - a distillery in Crieff, Perthshire
Developers know property used to belong to a Scottish missionary doctot
But they remain puzzled about connection to Glenturret, 5,500 miles away
http://dollars-vedioonline.blogspot.com/2016/02/mystery-over-scottish-rock-carving.html


Mystery surrounds the discover by construction workers in China of a giant piece of rock engraved with the word Glenturret - the name of a Scottish whisky distillery 5,500 miles away.
The discovery came during a recent excavation for a resort at Moganshan, a holiday destination in China two hours from Shanghai.
Developers of the Chinese resort and staff at the historic Glenturret distillery in Crieff in Perthshire, Scotland, remain baffled over the link between the two sites.

Mystery surrounds the discover by construction workers in China of a giant piece of rock engraved with the word Glenturret - the name of a Scottish whisky distillery 5,500 miles away
One avenue of investigation has emerged after it was revealed some of the China property used to belong to Dr. Duncan Main, a Scottish missionary doctor who dedicated 45 years of his life to working in China in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
But developers are still puzzled about the connection to Glenturret.
Staff at the distillery are baffled too and called on the public to help them solve the last pieces of an intriguing mystery, one that gives a new twist to UK-China trade relations.


Grant Horsfield, founder of 'naked Retreats', which operates a luxury eco-resort in the area and is working on opening more properties, said: 'We know Dr. Duncan Main, one of the most famous missionaries in China at the time, had a castle on the property and that it was used as a summer retreat by him and his hospital staff.

'It was built in 1910 as a sanitorium and known simply as £1 Moganshan. We also know it passed into the hands of the government of Zhejiang for a short time during China's nationalisation and then was handed back to Dr. Main's son, S. Duncan Main.

Mystery surrounds the discover by construction workers in China of a giant piece of rock engraved with the word Glenturret - the name of a Scottish whisky distillery 5,500 miles away
One avenue of investigation has emerged after it was revealed some of the China property used to belong to Dr. Duncan Main, a Scottish missionary doctor who dedicated 45 years of his life to working in China in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
But developers are still puzzled about the connection to Glenturret.
Staff at the distillery are baffled too and called on the public to help them solve the last pieces of an intriguing mystery, one that gives a new twist to UK-China trade relations.

One avenue of investigation has emerged after it was revealed some of the China property used to belong to Dr. Duncan Main, a Scottish missionary doctor who dedicated 45 years of his life to working in China in the late 1800s and early 1900s

'We have yet to find a link between Dr. Main and our own region of Crieff, which is some distance away at the foot of the Scottish Highlands.

'We're wondering if perhaps Dr. Main was such a fan of his native drink that he was one of the first importers of Glenturret whisky to China. Another possibility is that the rock has uncovered a link not to Glenturret Distillery but to a British steamship called Glenturret that we also know existed.

'What is clear is that Glenturret made its mark, literally, halfway around the world. We'd love to have someone come forward to shed some more light on what is truly a fascinating story and a very colourful cast of characters.

'Otherwise, for us, it may not be so much the Year of the Monkey as the Year of the Whisky as we try to clear the whole mystery up.'

Europe prepares to scrap the €500 note, saying the large bills help fund terrorism - and most of the denominations are kept in Russia

Europe prepares to scrap the €500 note, saying the large bills help fund terrorism - and most of the denominations are kept in Russia
European bank bosses are planning to scrap the high-value 500 euro note
They say it has become the 'currency of choice' for criminals and terrorists
Financial officers also believe most of the notes are being kept in Russia
The note's purchasing power and convertibility makes it ideal for criminals
http://dollars-vedioonline.blogspot.com/2016/02/europe-prepares-to-scrap-500-note.html


Europe is likely to scrap the 500 euro note following a realisation the majority of those in circulation are being hoarded in Russia and have become the 'currency of choice' for criminals and terrorists.
Admitting the note is almost never used by normal people to 'get a bite to eat', European Central Bank bosses say it is likely to be scrapped.
The rarely-seen purple bill is one of the highest-value notes of any currency across the world and offers a rare concentration of purchasing power and global convertibility.

Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, said law-abiding savers would not be penalised and could use the 200 euro note (£155) instead to hold their cash.
'People will continue saving the 200 euro notes. The 500 euro note is being viewed increasingly as an instrument for illegal activities. It has nothing to do with reducing cash.'


Rob Wainwright, director of Interpol, said the 500 euro note (£390) was the 'currency of choice' for criminals, while Mr Draghi added there was 'increasing conviction' the notes were used by fraudsters, FT reported.
The review comes as European lawmakers look at ways to cut off terrorist financing in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris that left 130 dead.
Michel Sapin, France's finance minister, said the denomination was 'more used to facilitate dishonest activities than by people like you and me to get a bite to eat'.
Although European finance officials complain most the notes actually reside in Russia, the amount of cash in the euro zone rose to more than 1 trillion euros last year, with almost 30 percent of it hoarded in 500 euro notes.
Germany was one of the early champions of the 500 euro note to match the value of its old 1,000 mark note and cater to Germans' traditional preference for cash over electronic money.
Cash hoarding has become more prominent throughout the years of crisis.
Capital controls prohibit large withdrawals in Greece, where savers have hoarded tens of billions, after big depositors lost money in the country's financial bailout.

The move comes less than a month after the head of the EU's anti-fraud body recommended the note is banned due to its use as a vehicle of big-money corruption.
Giovanni Kessler, head of the European Anti-Fraud Office, said: 'I wonder if there is still a need for high denomination bills, such as the 500 euro bill, especially bearing in mind that these can make the life of fraudsters much easier.'
Kessler is charged with investigating fraudulent use of EU funds and wrongdoing within EU institutions. In 2014, OLAF unveiled frauds for about 900 million euros.
Formerly a prosecutor against the Italian mafia, Kessler argued that smaller denominations and a more widespread use of electronic money would help investigators.
'Traceability is paramount in fighting corruption and fraud,' he warned.
Interestingly, Britain, outside the euro zone, has prohibited exchange offices from selling 500 euro notes since 2010 over crime fears. The biggest sterling note is 50 pounds, worth 65 euros.