Modern Scot - 22/10/2026

Aberdeen City  ·  21 October 2026

Jackdaw Cleared to Produce Gas Off Scotland After Fresh Climate Assessment

First gas is expected within weeks from the North Sea development. Its Scottish connections run through offshore jobs, engineering suppliers and St Fergus, while the government's assessment accepts significant climate effects and expects no material reduction in household bills. Jackdaw…

Economy  ·  21 October 2026

Scotland’s Factory Shuffle: Who’s Packing Up and Who’s Moving In?

New factories are opening in Scotland as established manufacturers close or transfer production. New investment spans from Japanese cable-making to Scottish food businesses and university spinouts, with public money backing some of the largest projects. A £350 million factory has…

Scottish Healthcare  ·  19 October 2026

Scotland’s NHS West Would Inherit 74% of the Most Deprived Neighbourhoods

If the existing planning boundaries become the map for two replacement health boards, the West would contain 55.3% of Scotland’s population and 73.8% of its most deprived neighbourhoods. The proposal raises questions about funding, Highland services, patient travel and who…

Economy  ·  19 October 2026

Microsoft Quits UK Data Centre Over Grid Delays as Scotland Faces Its Own 9.7GW AI Power Queue

Microsoft has withdrawn from a major British artificial intelligence data-centre agreement after electricity connection delays reportedly pushed the site's expected power supply into the 2030s. The decision comes as Scotland exports substantial quantities of electricity, Britain's electricity system operator recommends…

Infrastructure  ·  21 October 2026

Scotland’s Care Alarm Upgrade Turns to Buildings Still Using Analogue Phone Lines

Council and health-partnership services for alarms in individual homes had reached 97 per cent digital connectivity by August. Housing presents a more complicated task, involving warden-call equipment, lift alarms, fire systems and the records needed to establish what remains connected.…

Energy  ·  21 October 2026

Scotland’s Certified Heat-Pump Retrofits Fell 29% in First Half of 2026

Government figures show a sharper fall than across the UK, while Scotland’s grant and loan programme reports increased completions over a different period. Scotland recorded 2,064 certified heat-pump installations in existing homes in the first half of 2026, down from…

Transport  ·  21 October 2026

The Unfinished Boarding Lift for Scotland’s Island Flights

The Islander serves publicly supported routes connecting 16 airports and airstrips. Short runways restrict alternatives, while boarding arrangements can prevent some passengers with reduced mobility from using the service. A project to improve access to Scotland’s island aircraft was seeking…

Transport  ·  21 October 2026

Scotland’s Plan to Bring Hospital Evidence Into Road Safety Has Entered a Second Year

Police casualty returns and hospital admissions capture different parts of road injury. Successive delivery plans and newly published minutes show the work under way to bring fuller evidence into prevention. A plan to strengthen the health evidence used in Scotland’s…

Environment  ·  21 October 2026

Scotland’s Landfill Ban Meets the Limits of Ferries and Incinerators

Temporary arrangements have kept landfill sites on Mull and Islay operating. Council papers and a revised national capacity assessment show the transport, treatment and planning problems still being worked through as Scotland moves away from burying biodegradable waste. Landfill sites…

Environment  ·  21 October 2026

Scotland’s Seabird Rescue Confronts Gaps in Island Protection

Scotland’s first annual seabird review records progress but warns about sustained funding. Earlier records identify uneven island surveillance, while a months-long operation on Rousay shows the work involved. The Scottish Government report, published on 21 October 2026, records 20 remote…

Policy and Government  ·  19 October 2026

Police Assess Election Spending Records of Nine Reform UK Candidates as Party Admits Errors

Police Scotland is assessing possible breaches of election spending rules involving nine Reform UK candidates who stood in May's Scottish Parliament election. Four reportedly failed to submit constituency spending returns, while five others did not provide the required declarations. Reform…

Community  ·  19 October 2026

Underwater Search for Two Missing Lewis Fishermen Paused Due to Sea Conditions

Police Scotland says attempts to examine an area of interest off the Isle of Lewis were interrupted on Sunday. The fishing vessel Kilda remains missing, one crew member has died, and two others have not been found. Police Scotland has…

Community  ·  20 October 2026

ScotWire Beta Version 2: Scotland’s Public Service Updates, Closer To Hand

Built by volunteers, our free dashboard brings selected official updates and useful service links together for people who live in Scotland and those visiting it. The Modern Scot is introducing Beta Version 2 of ScotWire, our public information dashboard for…

The Dented Kettle  ·  19 October 2026

Dundee Sunshine Cake

A golden apricot and Dundee marmalade cake, made for a proper cup of tea (or coffee if you're American).Some cakes are made for birthdays, some for celebrations, and others simply because the kettle is going on and there ought to…

Policy and Government  ·  17 October 2026

From Wireless to Wi-Fi: Scotland’s Century of BBC Licence Fees as Westminster Considers Charging More Streaming Households

A parliamentary committee wants the television licence extended beyond traditional broadcasting as the £180 annual charge enters its second century. Historical records reveal decades of Scottish complaints about unequal reception, broadcasting decisions and funding, while new research raises questions about…

Aberdeenshire  ·  16 October 2026

Starlink’s Treatment of Scotland: Good Enough to Pay, Not Important Enough to Locate

More than 15,000 Scottish customers have signed up to Starlink satellite broadband, including thousands in communities where conventional internet infrastructure is inadequate. Yet Starlink's published IP geolocation records identify its UK address ranges with London, with no corresponding entry for…

Community  ·  19 October 2026

Two Killed in Plane Crash Near Loch Lomond as Air Accident Investigators Begin Inquiry

A 16-year-old boy and an 80-year-old man have died following a light aircraft crash near Drymen in Stirlingshire. Air accident investigators have begun examining the circumstances, while temporary airspace restrictions, including restrictions on drones, remain in place. The Air Accidents…

Scottish Healthcare  ·  19 October 2026

Scotland’s NHS Overhaul: Secret Planning, Sweeping Changes and No Published Price Tag

John Swinney's government plans to replace Scotland's 14 territorial NHS boards with two strategic authorities, but has yet to publish the cost of the restructuring or the savings it expects to achieve. Previously withheld government briefings reveal that east–west NHS…

Heritage and Arts  ·  22 October 2026

The Iona Press That Sold Gaelic Poetry and Seaweed to Summer Visitors

An 1891 seaweed album added to Scotland’s national collection leads back to a workshop behind an island hotel, where quarrymen, women colourists and a future Gaelic novelist helped make books for the tourist trade. An 1891 album containing six pressed…

Heritage and Arts  ·  22 October 2026

Clay Fragments May Link Two Scottish Hoards to the Same Bronze Age Makers

The Blyth find combines clay mould remains with a copper ingot and axeheads. Conservation of the neighbouring Peebles Hoard has revealed tin-rich, silver-coloured surfaces on its bronze objects. Clay fragments excavated in the Scottish Borders may have been used to…

Scottish Websites We Love  ·  22 October 2026

Hebridean Connections

A surname, a croft number or the name of a fishing boat can all open a route into Hebridean Connections. This website brings together thousands of records from the Outer Hebrides, allowing readers to follow the people, places and working…

Tea With Gunns  ·  22 October 2026

France, Fish and the Social Art of Knowing Nothing

I was in the fish shop yesterday when Jean looked up from wrapping a haddock and said, quite casually, “France has gone off again.” Nobody asked what she meant. This is because France has a reputation. If somebody announced that…