LOCH MONSTER

Black Heather Club: As Idi Amin lies critically ill in hospital, author Giles Foden examines the former Ugandan tyrant's obsession with bagpipes, kilts and Scottish independence (Giles Foden, 27 July 2003, Sunday Herald)

Always there, in the background, was his strange affinity for all things Caledonian.

It began when he was commissioned into the King's African Rifles and fell under the spell of a group of Scottish officers. He rose quickly through the ranks and their approval for this resourceful, tough character grew. Plaudits flowed to the young orphan: Amin was the product of an intertribal marriage that went wrong, his father disappearing, his mother becoming a camp follower at the barracks. [...]

In whatever dark star hung above Idi's head (he was keen on witchcraft), it was written that he should do some of his military
training in Stirling. After his coup d'etat, one of his first requests to the British government (which had given tacit assent for the coup) was that he have the opportunity to return to Scotland. "He'll need a special bed," warned British intelligence, knowing that Idi's enormous frame would prove too much for ordinary beds.

The highlight of the tour, which included bathing in the sea and shopping on Princes Street, was a military ceremony at Holyrood. This
was July 1971. Within just a few years, Amin's connections to Scotland were of a very different kind. As he fell out of favour with Westminster, he became a vocal supporter of Scottish self-determination, at one point even offering to be the country's "king"; thus the title of my novel.

Perhaps the most fitting end for him then would be that he die as William Wallace did? Posted by Orrin Judd at August 1, 2003 9:33 AM