Whatever befalls Scotland, it will always have this place of solace – leader comment

The spread of charging points for electric vehicles – even to scenic parts of the UK like Glencoe and the Lake District – is a further demonstration of how quickly the world is turning.

An electric car charging point at Glencoe Mountain Sports at Kingshouse, Ballachulish (Picture: SWNS)

The pace of technological change seems to be gaining speed with every passing year. Electric cars are just one part of a wider transformation of our economies and societies that has been dubbed the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Much of the change is being driven by the need to confront climate change, but market forces are also beginning to push in the direction of a zero-carbon economy, of which electric cars are a key part. And this process is happening amid ongoing, stunning advances in artificial intelligence and computing.

Such profound, all-encompassing changes may seem hugely exciting to some, scary to others and, in truth, there will be winners and losers. It will require careful, intelligent and kind leadership from our politicians.

But, whatever the future holds – to quote the title of a 2018 book by self-described “mountain bum” Cameron McNeish – “There’s Always the Hills”.