Ishan Crawford

Art. Food. Music. And the kind of human connection you don’t see every day. Refugee Festival Scotland just wrapped up its 25th year—and this one was its biggest yet. Over ten packed days from June 13 to June 22, more than 160 events unfolded across Scotland, reaching from the Borders to the Highlands. It was more than a party. It was a countrywide celebration of culture, community, and the power of belonging. A Silver Anniversary Full of Colour and Heart It’s not every day a festival hits 25 years. And Refugee Festival Scotland didn’t waste the chance to go all…

Tucked away on the Orkney Islands, long before the pyramids and far from the crowds at Stonehenge, stand the quiet, wind-beaten Stones of Stenness—arguably the oldest stone circle in Britain. At around 5,000 years old, these towering monoliths are thought to predate Stonehenge by several centuries, reshaping how we see the Neolithic past—not as a southern English affair, but as a deeply northern one too. Ancient Stones, Modern Attention You’d be forgiven for not knowing about the Stones of Stenness. They don’t make front pages. They’re not plastered across postcards. And they certainly don’t draw in the busloads of tourists…

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…