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 Scotland. It gives residents and visitors one place to read collected updates, find relevant services and follow links to the organisations responsible for the information.
A journey can involve checking the weather, a train operator and a ferry company. A problem at home might mean finding an electricity network, Scottish Water or the right council contact. ScotWire brings those starting points together, reducing the number of separate websites people need to remember.
Read the updates or go straight to the source
ScotWire offers two ways to find information. Its update thread collects notices from supported public feeds, while its service directory provides named links to official websites. You can browse the thread, go directly to a service or use both.
The collected sources include Met Office warnings for six Scottish regions, ScotRail JourneyCheck notices, Food Standards Agency food notices, medicine and medical device notices from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, and product safety notices from the Office for Product Safety and Standards. Regional air quality measurements are available separately from the warning categories.
The directory extends the range of information you can reach, with 64 service destinations covering weather, flooding, transport, utilities, health, public safety, consumer information and community support. It also provides support and contact links for all 32 Scottish councils.
Some information, including ferry status, road incidents and utility problems, is reached through the provider’s own website. A service appearing in the directory does not mean all its updates are automatically reproduced in the thread.
A useful starting point for visitors
Visitors may know where they are staying without knowing which organisation to check when plans change. ScotWire helps make those services easier to find before and during a trip.
Someone planning an island journey can review weather notices, then open CalMac, NorthLink or the relevant local ferry operator to check a sailing. Drivers can reach Traffic Scotland and SEPA’s flood information. Visitors using public transport can find rail, bus, tram and subway information, while those arriving or leaving by air can follow links to airport and airline updates.
The page also provides routes to NHS inform and NHS 24 guidance for people away from home. Accommodation providers and tourism businesses can share the ScotWire link with guests as a practical addition to arrival information.
Useful for everyday life in Scotland
For residents, the benefit is a familiar place to begin checking information that would otherwise sit across different websites. A commuter can review available travel notices and open the relevant operator’s updates. A household dealing with a supply problem can find water, electricity or gas services from the same directory.
Food recalls and product safety notices may matter even when there is no disruption to a journey. The community section also provides links to advice about money, food, fuel and housing, alongside council contacts. Readers should open the full notice or service page to check the details relevant to their circumstances.
Bookmark it or add it to your phone
A bookmark keeps ScotWire in your browser’s saved pages. Adding it to your phone’s Home Screen puts a ScotWire icon alongside your other apps, opening the dashboard directly when you tap it.
Beta Version 2 restores the original ScotWire branding and includes an **Add ScotWire to your phone** section at the top of the dashboard, with separate Android and iPhone instructions.
Android: Open ScotWire in Chrome, tap the menu with three dots and choose **Install and create shortcut**, then **Install**. If Chrome offers a shortcut instead, choose **Create shortcut** and confirm with **Add**. Some versions use wording such as **Add to Home screen**. A direct installation button also appears on the dashboard when the browser makes that option available.
iPhone: Open ScotWire in Safari and select **Share**, using Safari’s Page Menu if necessary. Choose **Add to Home Screen**, turn on **Open as Web App** if shown, then tap **Add**.
The icon opens the online service, so current updates require an internet connection. This beta does not send background push notifications. Open the dashboard when you want to check it.
A public service project in development
ScotWire is an independent project, built by volunteers as a public service. Beta Version 2 remains a development release, and we welcome reports of broken links, display problems and useful official sources that could improve its coverage.
Updates can be delayed, incomplete or unavailable. Check the dates and source information shown, and follow the issuing organisation’s current advice. An empty thread should never be treated as confirmation that there are no problems. ScotWire supports access to public information; it does not replace emergency services or official emergency alerts.
Visit ScotWire at modern.scot/wire to explore the dashboard and save it to your browser or phone.
