Ishan Crawford

Ireland’s beloved Omniplex chain is fast becoming a household name across England and Scotland, bringing its family‑run flair and multiplex magic north of the Irish Sea. After six decades as a top Irish exhibitor, the Anderson family is rolling out its signature cinema experience in the U.K., betting that community ties and innovative offerings will win over British audiences as they have back home. A Third‑Generation Story of Screens and Showmanship Omniplex’s journey began in post‑war Dublin. Kevin Anderson, the family patriarch, cut his teeth distributing films in the late 1940s—long before home video was even a twinkle in anyone’s…

Summer’s early thunderstorms brought hope, but key Scottish river systems remain under significant stress, raising alarms for ecosystems, farmers, and communities alike. When April showers failed to materialize and May delivered record lows, many in Scotland pinned their hopes on late-May and early-June rainfall to reset the balance. But the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) cautions that brief wet spells are not enough to erase months of drought. Eight major catchments remain at Moderate Scarcity, and another seven sit at Alert levels—all based on real-time river flow data rather than seasonal forecasts. Rain Isn’t Enough to Reverse a Dry Trend…

A steep decline in breeding flocks has rattled Scotland’s rural heartlands, with upland farms squeezed by climate policy, land use shifts, and rising costs. Sheep numbers in Scotland have dropped to the lowest level ever recorded, sparking urgent warnings from farming leaders. Below 2.5 million breeding sheep remain across the country – a fall that’s hitting the hills and uplands the hardest. Many say this isn’t just a farming issue. It’s a cultural crisis. And the people left on the land are starting to feel like relics of a system that policymakers have quietly moved on from. Upland farms under…

The Scottish Government has launched a wide-reaching consultation aimed at reshaping how offshore wind is developed in its waters—balancing clean energy targets with the protection of marine ecosystems, fishing grounds and local communities. It’s not just a technical exercise. With global eyes on Scotland’s renewables push, what comes out of this updated marine plan could change how the next decade of energy looks—not just in Scotland, but well beyond. Government Looks to Fine-Tune Its Offshore Strategy This isn't Scotland's first go at mapping out where wind farms should go. But this time, they're trying to get it right in a…

The UK Government has officially pledged £200 million (US$271 million) to the Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) cluster in Scotland, a long-anticipated move hailed as a critical step toward establishing a national carbon storage infrastructure and delivering a just transition for industrial regions facing fossil fuel phaseouts. The announcement, made in the wake of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ first spending review, forms part of a broader £9.4 billion CCS investment package and confirms the full sum requested by the Acorn consortium. The funding will be used to prepare the project for delivery, subject to final business case approval, with a…

The UK Government has announced a major funding boost for one of its flagship climate ventures, pledging $272 million (approximately £200 million) to Scotland’s Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project, a move it says is critical to achieving its net-zero emissions goal by 2050. The investment, unveiled on June 12, provides concrete backing for a CCS technology previously referenced in the UK’s spending review on June 11, underscoring the growing urgency of decarbonising heavy industry. Acorn Project: Capturing Carbon in the North Sea Located at St Fergus in northeast Scotland, the Acorn CCS project is a joint venture involving…

In the dim, silvery light of early morning, a bogha-frois — Gaelic for rainbow — arced across a brooding Hebridean sky, its bands of colour gently illuminating the stony silhouette of a ruined hilltop temple. For many in Scotland, a rainbow signals hope or good fortune. For this traveller, it felt like a blessing at the start of a remarkable journey. This wasn't just any cycling holiday. It was Wilderness Scotland’s seven-day e-bike tour of the Outer Hebrides, one of the most remote and visually stunning corners of Western Europe. As the only guided, small-group e-bike tour available in the…

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has raised the alarm after new data showed parts of the country’s river network are under serious pressure — even after recent rainfall. One northern river has already crossed a key environmental threshold, signalling deepening drought concerns. One River Hits 'Significant Water Scarcity' It’s official: the River Helmsdale in Sutherland has now entered Significant Water Scarcity, SEPA confirmed this week. That’s not just a bureaucratic label — it means that river flows have dropped below a recognised low-flow level for 30 straight days. The benchmark here is known as Q95 — the level that’s exceeded…

The UK Government has delivered its first Spending Review since 2021, setting firm departmental spending limits through the end of the decade and sharpening the fiscal outlook for devolved administrations—Scotland included. Covering day-to-day (resource) spending through 2028–29 and capital (investment) spending to 2029–30, the review provides a long-overdue map of how Westminster plans to allocate public funds in a constrained economic environment. While no seismic changes were unveiled, the Spending Review formalizes key trends that will directly influence Scotland’s block grant via the Barnett Formula—especially in light of the UK Government’s renewed focus on fiscal discipline and value for money.…

GLASGOW — In 1945, Clement Attlee challenged a battered post-war Britain to imagine something better. His manifesto, Let Us Face the Future, offered a bold, moral vision. It wasn’t just a campaign slogan—it became the blueprint for the NHS, the welfare state, and the notion that government could be a force for good. Eighty years on, Scotland finds itself in another defining moment. But this time, there's no post-war consensus or political courage fuelling a great national renewal. Instead, we're gripped by drift. And today’s young workers? Many feel betrayed. A Generation Let Down This isn’t just about economic mismanagement…