Economist magazine criticised over “Skintland” front cover

THE Economist magazine has been criticised after it featured a front page with a map of Scotland portraying the country as “Skintland” in an attack on Scottish independence.

An article in the weekly magazine said that Scottish independence would “come at a high price” and renamed parts of Scotland in the mocked up map by referring to the Highlands as the “loan lands”.

Westminster SNP leader Angus Robertson described the piece as “patronising, metropolitan claptrap”.

Mr Robertson said: “This puerile and offensive front page is insulting to literally every single community in Scotland.

“It is patronising, metropolitan claptrap - the Bullingdon Club attitude to Scotland - which lays bare the true nature of Unionism: utterly negative.

“For a pro-Union, London-based magazine to portray Scotland and our communities in this patronising way is a disaster for the anti-independence parties.”