News

Fins like Leena and Bo Stahl are particularly fond of warming saunas (Picture: Olivier Morin/AFP via Getty Images)

Do you hate cold mornings as much as I do? Maybe Finland has the answer

Finland’s saunas appear to help them find their inner ‘sisu’ to keep winter chills at bay

SNP politicians are job hunting as party prepares to go down without a fight

Despite Humza Yousaf’s personal qualities, he can only play the hand he’s been dealt – and it’s a ba...

Jason Barrett has been appointed chief executive of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Picture: Ian Georgeson

The ex-US marine aiming to take the Edinburgh Tattoo into a new era

Jason Barrett has taken charge of world-famous event

SNP MPs thinks Michael Matheson should have resigned and warn ‘damage is done’Alexander Brown

Alexander Brown

COP28 climate summit risks a descent into farcical greenwashing

As tens of thousands of delegates arrive in Dubai, COP28 may result in the production of a large amo...

Whisky 2023: We explore eight consumer trends

As championed by the likes of Johnnie Walker, Sam Heughan and Chivas Brothers...

Health Secretary Michael Matheson must resign over his £11,000 expenses claim for an iPad data roaming bill run up during a week-long holiday in Morocco (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Even SNP supporters realise Michael Matheson must resign

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt leaves Downing Street on his way to present the autumn statement to the Commons (Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Ruinous public service cuts or toxic tax rises? The future looks bleak

Humza Yousaf visits Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert, to mark the 75th anniversary of the NHS in July (Picture: Lesley Martin/pool/Getty Images)

Embattled leadership of health board criticised by governance review

Smartphones are set to be banned in schools in New Zealand.

Which nations have imposed a smartphone ban in schools and will Scotland follow?

Scottish farmland makes up large chunk of overall land sales in Scotland in the last three years (pic: Caron Munro)

Scottish farmland makes up large chunk of £1.3bn land sales in last three years

Amanda Croft, interim chief executive of NHS Forth Valley, and Janie McCusker, chair of NHS Forth Valley, ahead of the the public session. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

'Ageing population' contributing to issues at 'stage four' health board

Baron of Selkirk James Douglas-Hamilton inspects the Guard of Honour 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh in 2013. Picture: David Cheskin/PA Wire

Tributes paid to ‘true gentleman’ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Future Scotland

Braincube says its manufacturing data software platform with specialist industrial applications is used across 35 countries. Picture: contributed.

Scottish Equity Partners leads investment of £70m-plus in French software firm

Tom Walker is head of wind at renewables multinational Statkraft, which operates several onshore wind and solar assets in Scotland and the UK has recently opened a new headquarters in Glasgow

How wind sector deal will help meet an era-defining challenge

Arran Dewar, executive director of SIS Ventures, says: 'I am particularly pleased with the steps taken by our investee companies towards commercial growth and progress on delivery of impact.' Picture: Stewart Attwood.

In depth: key Scottish impact investment vehicle reveals positive impact to date

Transport

A SRPS first class compartment which seeks to convey the golden age of rail travel. (Photo by SRPS)

Rail operator forced to halt most historic tours for £500,000 safety upgrade

We're sleepwalking to climate Armageddon – Alastair Dalton Alastair Dalton

Sam Garthwaite negotiating a waterfall on the River Etive in Glencoe. (Photo by Jake Garthwaite)

Stand-up white water paddle boarding to star at Fort William Mountain Festival

First Glasgow, which has ordered dozens of electric buses, said capping fares at £2 would mean passengers paying more for shorter journeys. Picture: First Glasgow

Bus fares could change during day – First Glasgow

France-based Midnight Trains plans flat bed "pods" for the first of a planned network of sleeper services from December 2024 (Photo by Midnight Trains)

Airline-style lie-flat beds planned for sleeper trains

Trying to sleep in an ordinary train carriage is a challenge for many people (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Airline-style train seats that convert into a bed can't come soon enough

Exclusive Pavement parking ban Scotland: Fears of buses blocked by vehicles on streets

Crime

The trafficking of women for sex is a major problem in the UK and the rest of the world (Picture: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP via Getty Images)

Pimping websites that advertise trafficked women for rape must be prosecuted

West cannot keep ignoring Iran's state piracy, warmongering and kidnappings Struan Stevenson

Homicides in Scotland have fallen dramatically and Police Scotland almost always catch the people responsible (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Police Scotland has solved every single homicide case in ten years, except one

The High Court in Edinburgh. Lord Justice Clerk Lady Dorrian insisted planned legal reforms could be a 'constitutional threat' to the judiciary

Senior judge voices 'grave concerns' over Scottish Government legal reforms

Weather

Snow is expected to fall in Scotland this week.

First Scottish snow of winter 2023 and white Christmas odds

A hydrogen filled balloon is used to replicate the sun

Why low-carbon 'blue' hydrogen could solve decarbonisation dilemmas

There are cold days ahead.

Here's when it's offically winter - and when spring finally arrives

National Trust for Scotland ranger David Allsop captured the broken spectre – a rare mountaintop weather phenomenon which sees a person's shadow greatly magnified and projected onto low-lying blankets of mist and illuminated by the sun behind them – on Ben Lomond, one of the country's most popular Munros

Ghostly apparition appears in the mist on famous Scottish mountain

Politics

US President Joe Biden has described Maga Trumpism as 'semi-fascist' (Picture: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

As Tories move towards far-right, it's time to talk about fascism

Finance Secretary Shona Robison, seen with Humza Yousaf, faces 'difficult decisions' as she prepares the Scottish Budget (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Tax avoidance does not mean government must cut public spending

Rishi Sunak meets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G20 Summit last year (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Rishi Sunak goes all Alan Partridge over 'Elgin Marbles'

Douglas Ross helped expose Matheson scandal, but it won't halt Tories' decline Euan McColm

Much more work needs to be done to ensure a 'just transition' for workers when the Grangemouth oil refinery closes (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Grangemouth closure plan no surprise, so lack of just transition is worrying

Michael Matheson

Matheson accused of 'degrading' politics as majority say he should resign

First Minister Humza Yousaf. Image: Lesley Martin/Press Association.

What is Humza Yousaf doing at COP28?

Coronavirus

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan departs following his appearance at the UK Covid inquiry. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Khan tells UK Covid inquiry 'lives could have been saved' amid Cobra snub

Solicitor Aamer Anwar with Caroleanne Stewart (left) and Pamela Thomas (right) and relatives of the bereaved from the Scottish Covid Bereaved group. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Ambulance drove off leaving Covid patient 'slumped' over gate, inquiry told

Former chief medical officer Chris Whitty attends the UK Covid-19 inquiry in London. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Johnson's Government would have paid more attention if terrorism threat: Whitty

Opinion

Homelessness has hit the highest level since records began (Picture: Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Private rented sector can help tackle homelessness – if rents are affordable

Humza Yousaf visits Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert, to mark the 75th anniversary of the NHS in July (Picture: Lesley Martin/pool/Getty Images)

Time to face reality as the NHS crisis deepens

In 2021 Nicola Sturgeon vowed to abolish all NHS dentistry charges if the SNP was re-elected; this month the Scottish Government halved the number of check-ups to which patients are entitled, while hiking treatment costs (Picture: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Readers' Letters: NHS Scotland dental check-up cuts are a pain in the wallet

Charles White Thomson, CEO at Saxo UK

Impact of wrecking ball on economy will last for years - Charles White Thomson

Police warnings about budget freeze must be taken seriously Scotsman comment

People

Chigs Parmar, Crystelle Pereira and Giuseppe Dell'Anno all competed during series 12 of The Great British Bake Off. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Every winner of The Great British Bake Off including 2023

Proposed view of the wind farm from Banchory.

Plans submitted for Hill of Fare Wind Farm

Braemar Co-op Store Manager, Chris Booth with the leaders and members of Braemar 1st Scouts group.

Ballater and Braemar community groups celebrate funding support

Try the museum shop for great present ideas.

Fill up on Christmas cheer at Grampian Transport Museum

The Park Authority is setting out three potential options regarding fire management byelaws

Park Authority to consult on introduction of fire byelaws

Damian Barr took part in an in-converation event with Sir Ian Rankin at the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Picture: Stewart Attwood

Writer Damian Barr on protecting bookshops, libraries and arts funding

Taylor Swift is the top artist of 2023. Image: Getty.

Taylor Swift has become Spotify's Global Top Artist of 2023

Obituaries

Manager Terry Venables at a training session of the England national football team in 1996 (Picture: Phil Cole/Getty Images)

Scotsman Obituaries: Terry Venables, English football player turned manager

Joss Ackland poses during a portrait session in 2007 (Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Scotsman Obituaries: Joss Ackland, screen star who honed skills at Pitlochry

Anna Scher poses with her MBE after a Buckingham Palace Investiture ceremony in October 2013 (Picture: Sean Dempsey - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Scotsman Obituaries: Anna Scher, drama teacher who trained Kathy Burke

Environment

Cerulean Winds has signed three floating wind Exclusivity Agreements as part of Crown Estate Scotland’s INTOG leasing round. Picture: contributed.

Deals signed for trio of wind farms helping decarbonise North Sea oil and gas

Scottish Greens co-leader and Scottish net zero buildings minister Patrick Harvie has outlined proposals for a new Heat in Buildings Bill, which it is hoped will be passed in 2025. Picture: Jane Barlow/Getty Images

All properties to start move from oil and gas boilers to green systems in 2028

Floods, droughts and wildfires are a growing problem for many parts of the world (Picture: Rizwan Tabassum/AFP via Getty Images)

Is COP28 climate change summit turning into an oil industry trade fair?

The Grassland Geladas by Marco Gaiotti, Italy, of Gelada monkeys in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia, which has been shortlisted for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award.

Photography fans given chance to vote for favourite wildlife image

As wildfires and other symptoms of global warming become an increasing problem, the next international summit on the issue, COP28, will be run by an oil industry executive. Picture: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP via Getty Images

COP28 : Call for urgent probe into ‘backroom oil deals’ by summit host UAE

Sunak needs to realise how important post offices truly are Christine Jardine

Wood burners and open fires are the second biggest source of small particle air pollution in the UK. Photo: Adobe

Calls to ban wood burner fuels in bid to prevent pollution-related diseases

UK News

Rescue workers at the Clutha Bar in Glasgow after a Police Scotland helicopter crashed, killing all three crew and seven pub patrons. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

Clutha survivors recall helicopter crash on tenth anniversary of tragedy

Amateur detectives in the Nicola Bulley case are still not satisfied Aidan Smith

Eilean Musdile lighthouse on the isle of Lismore in the Inner Hebrides. The only shop and post office on the island - which has a population of around 160 - has been saved after the community bought out the store. PIC: Eugene Birchall /geograph.org.

How the only shop on a Scottish island was saved with help of second home owners

Plans to close the Grangemouth oil refinery, possibly by spring 2025, demonstrate how difficult the transition to net zero could be for Scotland's economy (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

With SNP-Green coalition in charge, net zero may not be in safe hands

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson has been visiting a number of Chinese cities (Picture: Scottish Parliament/PA Wire)

Scotland should not get too cosy with Communist China as others ‘de-risk’

UK may have ditched its right-winger with bad hair but terrible policies remain Joyce McMillan

World

US president Joe Biden sid in a tweet that violence 'would give Hamas what they seek'. Picture: Getty Images

Is Joe Biden warning Israel not to re-start its bombing campaign on Gaza?

After 30 years in the anchor's chair, Kirsty Wark is leaving Newsnight after the next election

BBC's Newsnight cut to 30 minutes under £500m savings plan

The attaches at the Port of Leith Distillery

How Government attaches are promoting Scotch across emerging markets

Protesters wave Israeli flags and hold photos of people held hostage by Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, during a demonstration outside Downing Street last week. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Gaza: temporary truce holds as Irish-Israeli girl, 9, among hostages released

An image from a handout video released by the Hamas Media Office showing members of its Al-Qassam Brigades leading hostages over to officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza on Friday. Picture: Hamas Media Office/AFP via Getty Images

Gaza: Hostage release delay as Hamas accuses Israel of breaking truce

A SNP MSP has warned about Scotland deepening economic ties with China. Picture: Getty Images

SNP MSP says Scotland deepening ties with China not in 'national interest'

Read This

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Royal Mail Christmas posting dates 2023 confirmed

Will Jamie Lynn Spears still get paid if she quits I’m A Celeb? (ITV)

Jamie-Lynn Spears leaves I'm A Celebrity jungle on medical grounds

Full calendar of celestial events to look out for in 2024