Sun, 23rd March 2025

The pilot scheme was hailed by the Scottish Government as a way of helping victims of rape and serious sexual assault with their recovery. Picture: PA

Exclusive Rape survivors condemn 'shoddy' transcript pilot scheme
Calls for independent external evaluation of scheme extended by ministers until 2026

The Wyndford towers in Maryhill, Glasgow are demolished to make way for 386 affordable homes which will be part of a £100m regeneration plan for North Glasgow

Watch as Glasgow's Wyndford Road flats are demolished

Here's how we rated each Scotland player's performance out of 10 in the Nations League playoff clash with Greece. Cr: SNS Group.

How Scotland's players rated in the sore defeat by Greece

Don't Miss

Former first minister Humza Yousaf, former first minister Nicola Sturgeon and Finance Secretary Shona Robison.

Why are so many MSPs resigning at the 2026 Holyrood election?

Nicola Sturgeon and Val McDermid hosting their Books & Banter show during Glasgow International Comedy Festival at King's Theatre, Glasgow. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Sturgeon thanks supporters in comedy debut after being cleared

Stirling University

University boss called for top staff to be 'rewarded' before pay rise

The plays have been created by five female writers.

The five 'forgotten' women who shaped Scotland

Biggest threat to safety of trans people comes from loudest champions Euan McColm

Nigel Farage remains a good trusted friend and listener - a dedicated people and country first politician who unfortunately could walk away in concluding things are too obtuse and cannot be fixed for the greater good, writes David McNarry

Listen to the BBC and don't get carried away with Reform poll success Adam Morris

The UK needs to increase its defence capabilities, but it's wrong to cut benefits to do so (Picture: Leon Neal)

German example shows UK didn't have to cut benefits to boost defence Stephen Gethins

Adolescence is essential viewing

Adolescence is essential viewing, but manosphere crisis is not new Alexander Brown

44 Scotland Street

44 Scotland Street

Scotland Street Volume 18, Chapter 35: Olive olivissima

44 Scotland Street

Scotland Street Volume 18, Chapter 34: A place of greater safety

44 Scotland Street

Scotland Street Volume 18, Chapter 33: Don Pasquale

Scotsman Video

Scotsman Video

The latest video from The Scotsman

Featured Videos

Ruth Gipps

Watch: The SCO Digital Season Part Three: Ruth Gipps, Seascape

Janice Forsyth

Janice Forsyth on why she's smiling after her Alzheimer's diagnosis

James McAvoy at Glasgow Film Festival.

McAvoy: Growing up on estate 'wasn’t always hard - it was brilliant'

Scottish Opera has created a 14 minute animated opera.

Award-winning Scottish Opera animation to be screened in Edinburgh

Puzzles

Quick CrosswordTo test and hone your word skills

SudokuThe ultimate logic-based numbers game

WordwheelPit yourself against the clock with our simple anagram game

Highlights

Lorraine McIntosh and Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue. Thanks to Cafe Gandolfi, Glasgow.

Deacon Blue on celebrating 40 years and hitting the road in Edinburgh

Five-star Crossbasket Castle has unveiled its new hotel and entertainment-led restaurant

The luxury Scottish castle that’s been transformed after £20m makeover

Through the Shortbread Tin: Dramatising Scotland's great literary hoax

I went to the newest shop on Edinburgh's Princes Street

Glasgow Tenement Apartments On a Leafy Street

You can buy an Edinburgh hovel for the same price as a Glasgow palace Gaby Soutar

Charles Palmer competes at the first Coe Cup in 2012

Skiing: A bold new plan for the Scottish Freedom Series

The Darkness

The Darkness, Edinburgh review: 'pop rocket fuel'

Sport

The Scotland players look on crestfallen after the loss at Hampden.

Clarke addresses Scotland 'bump in road', McGinn comment and fan boos

Scotland boss dissects result and performance after sore loss to Greece

Scotland ambushed by a snow leopard and his cub on poignant evening

Scotland are back in Nations League B as Greece show their danger

Here's how we rated each Scotland player's performance out of 10 in the Nations League playoff clash with Greece. Cr: SNS Group.

How Scotland's players rated in the sore defeat by Greece

Here’s how The Scotsman rated the Scotland players out of 10 in the Nations League playoff defeat by Greece at Hampden Park.

Fraser Brown: If you replace Townsend, you must appoint someone better Fraser Brown

Fraser Brown

String-puller Russell shines on Bath return in tasty derby win

Fly-half is at creative best as Bath keep pace at top of Gallagher Premiership

Scotland land Denmark in World Cup group after Ronaldo-fuelled drama

World Cup Group C confirmed as Scotland head to Copenhagen

Get The Scotsman app for mobile and tablet

The Scotsman app brings you exclusive, quality news and analysis from The Scotsman, Scotland’s National Newspaper.

Scotsman Sessions

Just a few of the artists who have performed Scotsman Sessions

The Scotsman Sessions: links to numbers 1-400

Kevin Lennon and Molly Innes

The Scotsman Sessions #430: Kevin Lennon and Molly Innes

Constant Vigier

The Scotsman Sessions #429: Constant Vigier

Jennie Lee: Tomorrow is a New Day

The Scotsman Sessions #428: Kit Laveri, George Docherty & Trish Mullin

Business

Who is Scotland's highest paid player in 2025? Cr: SNS Group.

Here are Scotland's 15 highest paid players in 2025

Don't overpack and you can save money on airline luggage fees (Picture: Adobe)

Here’s how to avoid disaster when you travel

Politics

Keir Starmer shakes hands with new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at a meeting in Downing Street (Picture: Jordan Pettitt/WPA pool)

Why Starmer can't sit on fence over Trump's attacks on Canada
Canada needs all the friends it can get but so do other countries if they are to stand up to the bully in the White House
Dr Graeme Young

Exclusive SNP minister: More needed to support young mothers in politics

Another government office, St. Andrew's House sits to the east of Princes Street. One of Scotland's most interesting buildings, there are many Art Deco influences in its monolithic, symmetrical facade and it is noted for being sensitively designed.

Exclusive SNP building closure savings branded 'tiny drop in the ocean'

Elon Musk wields a chainsaw while give a 'Doge update' at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference last month (Picture: Saul Loeb)

Holyrood needs to be more efficient, but must shun Musk's chainsaw Scotsman comment

In the 1980s, Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government was desperate to keep unemployment below three million, so encouraged people to claim disability benefit instead (Picture: Tim Graham)

Disability culture began when Thatcher tried to rig jobless figures Brian Wilson

Gregor Poynton MP in the House of Commons

Whole generation of men could be lost to toxic influencers, MP warns

Aberdeen

Exclusive GB Energy can turn Scottish Labour’s polling around - minister

Given the seriousness of our times, it may not be possible to retain the RAF Red Arrows display team, seen performing over Athens last year (Picture: Theophile Bloudanis)

Best in the world? Why the British Army makes US officials want to cry Stephen Jardine

Opinion

A fire rages at the Hayes electricity substation near Heathrow (Picture: London Fire Brigade)

Heathrow shutdown shows how vulnerable UK is to an array of threats Scotsman comment

Russian President Vladimir Putin would like the EU to break up, but his war on Ukraine is pushing the UK back towards Brussels (Picture: Maxim Shemetov/pool)

How Brexit fan Putin is pushing the UK and EU closer together Stuart Nicolson

Scotland were fortunate to come away with a win against Greece (Picture: Menelaos Myrillas)

Tartan Army must not linger in Greece. Hampden Roar needs them all Scotsman comment

As the SNP prevaricates, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has already acted on some of the recommendations made by an independent review into the recording of sex data by public bodies (Picture: James Manning)

Why gender ideology could have ‘fatal consequences’ for trans people Susan Dalgety

Heritage and Retro

The glorious five-star Scottish castle hotel that's had £20m glow up

Barnton Bunker in Corstorphine Hill, Clermiston, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Cold War nuclear bunker in Scotland that 'could be used' by army

A mourning ring engraved with 19th Century Scottish geologist Hugh Miller's name and the date of his birth and death

19th century ring linked to Scottish geologist found on African beach

In the present day, Halloween is largely used as an excuse to whip out your best fancy dress costume and eat lots of sweets. However, in ancient Scotland the festival represented not only a significant milestone in the year relating to the harvest but also the time of year when the veil between the world of the living and the world of spirits such as demons, spirits and witches was at its thinnest. As such, this was when the Celts would take action to ward off the evil which threatened them and their land.

Story of Scotland's 'witches' revealed in book by pair who won pardon

The romantic Scottish riverside hotel opening after £2.5m makeover

Drumsheugh Baths in Dean Village is one of the buildings chosen by architecture critic Robin Ward in his new book, The Pocket Guide to Edinburgh's Best Buildings.

11 of Edinburgh's lesser-seen architectural gems, as chosen by critic

The fallen Aberlemno III stone surrounded by its protective box

The Picts: Call for 'full and open' investigation into toppled stone

Arts and Culture

Ava Hickey as Flora in The Kelton Hill Fair

Wonder Fools explore Traveller history in The Kelton Hill Fair

Lauren Mayberry

Lauren Mayberry, Glasgow review: 'power pop'

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, is based in Sleat, on the Isle of Skye

Scotland's first-ever Gaelic poetry path around most visited island

Nikita Naumov

SCO, Richard Egarr & Nikita Naumov, Edinburgh review: 'theatrical'

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is among the festivals represented in the new group led by the Scottish Government.

Exclusive Working group to create 'shared vision' for Edinburgh's festivals

Cal Halbert, Glasgow Comedy Festival review: 'something for everyone'

Deacon Blue

Album reviews: Deacon Blue, Alison Krauss & Union Station & more

Education

Maggie Chapman MSP

Greens MSP announced as rector of crisis-hit university

This comes after the announcement that 632 jobs are to be axed at the university to plug a £35m deficit.

Rachel Amery

Students sit an exam. Picture: John Devlin

Exams to be scrapped for pupils taking 3 subjects in Scottish schools

The University of Dundee

Exclusive Inside story of the moment a Scottish university plunged into crisis

New Scottish university facing strike action over 'alarming' cutbacks Calum Ross

Calum Ross

Hay's Way

Weather conditions in spring can lead to the outbreak of wildfires across Scotland.

Landowners 'should consider muirburn' as wildfire season unfolds

Fallen trees across the country are still blocking paths

Scotland's stunning forest walks still closed due to storm damage

More than £200m has been spent by the Scottish government on external consultants to help run a subsidy system for farmers

'Astonishing' £200m used to spend on consultants for farming policy

Health

The Duke of Wellington statue outside the Gallery of Modern Art wears a face mask.

15 era-defining moments from Covid lockdown, five years later

The arrival of bird flu on a farm results in a mass cull of the animals and stringent controls to prevent any further spread of the disease(Picture: Matt Cardy)

Why the threat posed by bird flu is a ticking timebomb for humanity Philip Lymbery

User (UGC) Submitted

World Oral Health Day: A quarter of parents ‘forget’ to brush their kids teeth

There are calls for cat cafes to be 'phased out'

Cat cafes should be 'phased out', as charities raise welfare concerns

Greyfriars Bobby joins in with the mask wearing.

Remembering Lockdown: 25 pictures of Scotland in the pandemic

Dr Clara Doran has turned the personal challenges we into a business opportunity

How a doctor turned brain fog into a business with a simple supplement

Women with early stage cervical cancer can end up waiting years to get a hysterectomy (Picture: Christopher Furlong)

Told she may have cancer, Jenny had to wait nearly a year to find out Jackie Baillie

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6 annoying habits you're doing that is driving your hairdresser crazy - you’ve probably done all of them

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The creator of the world’s most popular wearable-blanket just reinvented pyjamas.

Oodie just reinvented pyjamas - here's why you need them in your life!

Save up to 54% on kids garden toys - keep them entertained throughout the holidays

5 Fun and engaging garden toys for kids to enjoy

Gtech CLM50 Cordless Lawnmower

Gtech launches rare spring sale: 20% off gadgets with code SPRING20

Sport Opinion

James McFadden celebrates after scoring against France at the Parc De Princes stadium in Paris in 2007 (Picture: Franck Fife)

Scotland can beat France if they show some James McFadden-style gallus
Finn Russell should take heart from James McFadden’s 2007 wonder goal against France
Scotsman comment

Scotland struggled in the final quarter against Wales, conceding three tries.

I have concerns about the Scotland bench but pressure is on France

King Charles with Sir Chris Hoy during the launch of the Commonwealth Sport King's Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace on Monday (Picture: Jonathan Brady)

Why it's important to send small piece of Scotland to the Commonwealth Scotsman comment

Cyriel Dessers celebrates his goal against Fenerbahce for Rangers.

We owe apologies to Rangers' headwrecker - although that could change

Obituaries

Celebrate your loved one with GUESTPIX – The thoughtful way to cherish memories

Celebrate your loved one with a thoughtful way to cherish memories

The estimable Wendy Jones as captured by talented artist Verna Bond

Scotsman Obituaries: Wendy Jones, Scotsman Publicity department legend

Rugby Union

Scotland's Lisa Thomson in action in the Women's Six Nations opener against Wales at The Hive Stadium. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)

Gritty Scotland claim 20-year first in Women's Six Nations opener

Edinburgh's Mosese Tuipulotu was red carded with five minutes remaining in the defeat to Benetton in Treviso. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Edinburgh rue red card as last-minute try secures victory for Benetton

Sean Everitt's Edinburgh Rugby side suffered another sore defeat against Benetton.

Edinburgh Rugby continue to vex fans but Everitt stays positive

Warriors' Nathan McBeth (R) score his side's fourth and decisive try to secure victory over Munster at Scotstoun. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Franco Smith makes 'own enemies' admission as Glasgow stage late rally

Scotland Under 20 full-back Jack Brown is set to be handed his Edinburgh Rugby debut in Italy this weekend. (Photo by Ewan Bootman / SNS Group)

Edinburgh return to scene of crime as Under 20 starlet set for debut

Franco Smith during a Glasgow Warriors training session at Scotstoun Stadium.

Franco Smith addresses his Glasgow budget amid flurry of departures

Scotland's Blair Kinghorn (left) and Huw Jones are included in the Six Nations team of the championship. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

2 Scots in Six Nations team of tournament as England outnumber France

France's Peato Mauvaka is sent to the sin bin during the Guinness Men's Six Nations match against Scotland at Stade de France.

Retrospective ban for France hooker is of little use to Scotland

Bristol Bears’ Hollie Cunningham will make her Scotland debut against Wales at lock. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)

Scotland reward form over legacy as team named for Women's Six Nations opener

Cars

Raffle House's bonus prize is a £65,000 Maserati - or the cash alternative

Just days left to win a £2.8 million house with a bonus prize

In the right colour, from the right angle, the Junior is very attractive

Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica review: Italian flair with a sensible side

Steven Chisholm with the Mazda CX-80 in Limekilns, Fife

Mazda CX-80 PHEV review: 7-seat Mazda impresses despite one flaw

The Garmin Mini 3 has all the features you'd need, and hides away so discreetly

Garmin Dash Cam Mini 3 review: Good things do come in small packages

The AMG 63S Convertible is a gorgeous car from any angle

Someone will win this £48,000 convertible V8 Mercedes for just 6p

Car batteries can be one of the most expensive parts to change in your car - so it's worth shopping sensibly, and there’s a price-matching scheme that can save a lot of money

Need a new car battery? Here's how to get one fitted cheaply

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Edinburgh ranked as the most sustainable UK city

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