Ishan Crawford

Tweed, once seen as an old-fashioned relic of Scotland’s past, is getting a fresh burst of energy. On the remote islands of Lewis and Harris, a new generation of weavers is reviving Harris Tweed — blending tradition with modern flair, and catching the eye of luxury brands worldwide. From Banker to Weaver: A Personal Tale of Heritage and Craft Alexander MacLeod’s story isn’t your typical career path. At 38, he swapped the city suits and spreadsheets for handlooms and wool threads. “When you see tweed on the runway, you don’t expect it to come from here,” he chuckled, setting up…

In a grassy, windswept field in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, a silent anomaly is being recorded—a pulse that has baffled scientists for over half a century. Known as Earth’s “heartbeat,” the phenomenon is a subtle seismic signal that pulses every 26 seconds like clockwork. And it’s been doing so since at least the 1960s. First detected by seismologists decades ago, the 26-second microseism remains unexplained. Now, researchers at the University of Aberdeen are using one of the UK's most advanced monitoring devices to probe the phenomenon—and its mysterious electromagnetic cousin. A Pulse Felt but Not Heard The so-called heartbeat is not a…

The Highlands and north-east councils are plugging into a greener future, with the region set for a transformative EV boost — the biggest of its kind in Scotland. A £300 million electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure contract has been secured by councils across the north of Scotland in what officials are calling a “historic collaboration.” The 20-year deal, led by Highland Council and involving EasyGo, aims to radically expand charging access across some of the UK’s most remote communities. A First for Scotland — And a Big One This isn't just another green infrastructure project. It's Scotland’s first inter-council EV…

Scotland’s oil and gas sector is teetering on the edge of a mass employment crisis, with trade union Unite warning of an “avalanche” of job losses cascading through the industry. Hundreds of skilled contractors at key sites like Grangemouth and Mossmorran are facing redundancy in the coming weeks, in what could be the early stages of a far deeper collapse across the sector. The immediate trigger: cost-cutting by oil giants like ExxonMobil and a steady downturn in operations — but underlying the turmoil is what some now call a failure of transition planning. Mossmorran: First Domino Falls At the Fife…

A long-standing Dundee-based coach company, Fishers Tours, has collapsed into liquidation, ceasing all operations and leaving 27 staff without work. The company, a key player in school transport and group travel in Tayside for over 20 years, has shut down amid soaring operating costs and inflexible contract prices. Sudden Closure Hits Community Hard The abrupt closure, confirmed on Monday 2 June, has already disrupted services across Dundee and Angus, where local councils are now scrambling to plug the gaps left in school transport routes. Joint provisional liquidators James Dewar and Alistair McAlinden from restructuring specialists Interpath Advisory have been appointed…

Warsaw, Poland — In a surprising twist to the story of Europe’s early medieval rulers, new genetic research suggests that Poland’s first royal dynasty, the Piasts, may trace their origins not to Slavic tribes but to the ancient Picts of Scotland. A New Genetic Link to Scotland The Piast dynasty, which laid the foundations of the Polish state from the 10th to the 14th century, has long been seen as a symbol of Polish identity. Under their leadership, disparate tribes united, and ruler Mieszko I’s conversion to Christianity in 966 is remembered as the Baptism of Poland — the formal…

New cross-sector group led by ScottishPower’s Hazel Gulliver aims to drive infrastructure reform and support Scotland’s net zero ambitions GLASGOW — The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Scotland has established a new Infrastructure Working Group, uniting businesses across sectors to push forward the infrastructure reforms vital to Scotland’s economic resilience and environmental goals. The group convened for the first time earlier this month, marking a coordinated effort to influence policy amid key government initiatives such as the UK Planning & Infrastructure Bill and Scotland’s Programme for Government, both focused on expediting infrastructure development. Leadership with Energy Sector Expertise Hazel Gulliver,…

£9M grant unlocks green manufacturing investment, 350 jobs, and Scotland’s role in zero-emission flight revolution RENFREWSHIRE | May 21, 2025 — Aviation decarbonisation pioneer ZeroAvia has announced it will build a major hydrogen-electric manufacturing facility in Renfrewshire, near Glasgow Airport, solidifying Scotland’s place at the heart of the next wave of green aerospace innovation. The facility, to be located within the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS), will become ZeroAvia’s Hydrogen Centre of Excellence, focused on building and testing zero-emission powertrains and advanced high-temperature PEM (HTPEM) fuel cell stacks. The development is expected to create 350 highly skilled jobs and…

Scotland is facing an escalating water scarcity crisis, with river levels plunging across large parts of the country after weeks of dry weather and little relief in sight. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) confirmed in its latest Water Situation Report, published on 22 May, that six more river catchments have deteriorated to the "Moderate Scarcity" category. This now brings the total to 17 catchments across Scotland experiencing moderate water stress, stretching from Aberdeenshire on the east coast down through the Scottish Borders and further west across Dumfries & Galloway. Rivers at Historic Low Levels While rain is forecast over…