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13.3K views

A Country Without Tellers: How Scotland Lost Its Banks

13 August 2026
In little more than a decade, Scotland has watched a familiar piece of civic life disappear from hundreds of communities. The story begins with quiet rationalisation, passes through mass closures and parliamentary revolt, and ends (for now) with a new

Policy & Government

Clear reporting and explanation of Scottish Government, councils, public bodies, FOI releases, public policy and institutional decision making.
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Energy

Coverage of Scotland’s energy system, including renewables, grid infrastructure, oil and gas transition, energy policy and energy security.
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Infrastructure

Reporting on the physical systems Scotland depends on, including water, roads, ports, public buildings, grid, broadband, construction and civic facilities.
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18.9K views

The Two Water Systems Of Scotland

3 August 2026
Thousands of people in rural Scotland rely on private water supplies, but ministers have never assessed how their costs and responsibilities compare with those of households connected to the public network. A

Transport

Coverage of Scotland’s roads, rail, ferries, buses, airports, ports, active travel and transport infrastructure.
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Economy

Reporting and analysis on Scotland’s businesses, industries, investment, employment, manufacturing, rural economy and commercial life.
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Environment

Reporting on Scotland’s land, water, climate, biodiversity, conservation, pollution, agriculture and natural heritage.
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Heritage & Arts

Coverage of Scotland’s historic buildings, museums, archives, archaeology, language, culture, landscapes and public memory.
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Community

Local and national stories about Scottish communities, public life, voluntary work, social change and everyday civic issues.
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12.9K views

American Coffee and Other Emergencies

I was back at the wee fish shop somewhere between Thurso and Scrabster last Thursday, minding my own business, as I generally am when other people happen to be speaking loudly enough for me to hear them. Effie was standing by the haddock having a very quiet conversation with Elspeth. It was one of those conversations conducted at precisely the volume required to make every woman within twelve feet immediately interested. They both stopped talking when they saw me coming. I looked at Effie. I looked at Elspeth. “Well, spit it out,” I said. “What’s the matter?” Effie sighed. “Elspeth

Scotland In Focus

The Working Gardens of Scotland

27.2K views
There is a particular dignity in the working gardens of Scotland, one that has nothing to do with ornament and everything to do with endurance. It was never designed to impress. It was arranged to feed. In the crofts of the Highlands, the small plots of the Lowlands, and the narrow strips behind cottages and tenements, a quiet system took shape over generations — one that understood climate, season, and necessity with remarkable precision. These were gardens of function, where potatoes, cabbages, carrots, onions, and beans formed the backbone of daily life. Each plant was chosen not for novelty, but

Clothes Don’t Make The Woman

19.1K views
I had finished afternoon tea at a lovely establishment in the Highlands and was sitting on a bench outside, waiting for Mr Gunn. It had been a very satisfactory afternoon tea. The sandwiches had been small enough to suggest refinement, the cakes had been large enough to restore confidence, and the bill had been folded discreetly inside a little leather wallet so that one could discover the consequences in private. Mr Gunn had gone to fetch the car. This sounds like a simple undertaking, but Mr Gunn does not merely fetch a car. He checks it. He walks around it.
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Scotland’s Lost Country Houses

161.4K views
Have you ever taken a drive through the Scottish countryside and come upon a dilapidated structure and wondered what led to its demise? Or have you heard tales about demolished historical estates and want to know where they once stood? There are many reasons Scottish estates have fallen to ruin during the 20th century, and Dr. Alastair Disley has been researching them since 2002. He opened his Scotland’s Lost Country Houses website in 2006 and since then he has been managing this fabulous non-commercial resource without any assistance from the public body. The result is nothing short of a gift