Ishan Crawford

A massive overnight fire at the derelict Balhousie Primary School rocked the Perth community, with eyewitnesses describing the flames as a “tornado of fire and smoke.” A teenager has been arrested following a dramatic fire that tore through the old Balhousie Primary School in Perth just after midnight on Sunday. The 18-year-old is suspected of deliberately starting the blaze that sent orange smoke spiralling into the night sky and forced nearby families to evacuate their homes. The building, long out of use but still a familiar fixture to locals, quickly became the epicentre of chaos. Emergency services raced to the…

White turbines rise like ghostly sentinels over the waves of the North Sea, blades silently spinning in Scotland’s stiff maritime breeze. From the deck of a fishing boat or the shores of East Lothian, these structures may appear graceful — even elegant. But behind them, a fierce debate is playing out. Do we really need more? That’s the question increasingly being asked by campaigners, local residents, and some conservationists as Scotland forges ahead with what may become one of the most expansive offshore wind programs in the world. Critics argue the country already produces far more electricity than it consumes…

In a hidden fold of the Scottish Highlands, where mist weaves through glens and red deer roam freely, the Alladale Wilderness Reserve offers something quietly radical: a retreat into rewilding—and yourself. It was here, deep within a glen north of Inverness, that I found myself seated alone at a lunch table draped in white linen and flanked by the steady call of a cuckoo. A tartan blanket was folded neatly across the seat, and delicate flowers sat in a jam jar, swaying in the breeze. There was no phone signal, no Wi-Fi, and no one else around. Just stillness. A…

National coalition of charities, churches, and unions calls for bold political action to tackle poverty and inequality ahead of October march. In a bold call for systemic change, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland has joined a powerful coalition of charities, trade unions, and civic groups to launch the ‘Scotland Demands Better’ campaign—a nationwide movement urging politicians to take decisive action to create a fairer, more compassionate society. The campaign, coordinated by The Poverty Alliance and endorsed by the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly, was formally launched this week and will culminate in a family-friendly mass march in Edinburgh…

A mottled stag standing his ground in the Highlands. A trail of fuzzy cygnets gliding through a loch. Wildflowers tangled in lochweed. If there’s a heartbeat to Scotland’s summer, it pulses loudest in the quietest corners — and locals have been there, lens in hand, to catch it. Between 13 and 20 June, Scots from across the country sent in snapshots of nature unfolding at its own pace. Some framed moments feel centuries old. Others shimmer with pure serendipity. But together, they stitch a vivid patchwork of what life outside the cities really looks like right now. Stillness and Stags…

A new study has raised concerns that human recreation along Scotland’s scenic coastlines — including activities like kayaking and paddleboarding — is unintentionally disturbing whales, dolphins, and seals. Even silent glides across the water can unsettle marine life. Study Reveals Dozens of Disruption Cases in Key Scottish Waters Researchers from Heriot-Watt University, backed by Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), spent over 400 hours observing from land across five critical coastal zones — the Clyde, Forth and Tay, Moray Firth, Orkney, and Shetland. Their findings? Human-powered and small motorised crafts were linked to hundreds of marine mammal disturbances. The sightings were…

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…