Axel Piper

Who’d have guessed that the rugged Scottish Highlands and Jeju’s legendary women divers would share a cultural thread? Yet that’s exactly what Pernod Ricard Korea’s CEO says lies at the heart of a fresh strategy to bring Scotch whisky into Korean homes — and hearts. For Frantz Hotton, boss of the spirits giant’s Korean arm, selling Aberlour isn’t just about bottle displays and glossy ads. It’s about connecting stories — and finding respect for traditions that span continents. Scotch Makers and Sea Women: A Surprising Cultural Echo Aberlour might be more than a century old, but its spirit is far…

True crime fans in Scotland have something gripping on the horizon. BBC Scotland has officially ordered another series of its acclaimed documentary ‘Murder Case’ — promising an unflinching look at two devastating cases that shook communities to their core. The new three-part series, landing this autumn on BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer, will delve deep into the tragic stories of charity cyclist Tony Parsons and mother-of-two Lucretia ‘Kiesha’ Donaghy. The Vanishing Cyclist: Tony Parsons’ Haunting Disappearance One evening in September 2017, 63-year-old Tony Parsons set out on a 104-mile charity cycle. He never made it home. A grandfather from Tillicoultry,…

It’s not every day you see a river so famous for its salmon fighting to keep even a handful of them alive. But that’s exactly what’s happening on the River Dee in Aberdeenshire — once a world-class fishing spot that brought in millions and taught even royalty to cast a line. Now, salmon numbers are plummeting, the climate is warming, and a controversial plan to plant trees might just be the last, best hope to cool the waters and save a species on the edge. A River That Once Teemed With Life Edwin Third stands on the bank of the…

A sudden shift in weather is adding fresh worry to parts of northern Scotland already hit hard by raging wildfires. Emergency services are now racing to handle the threat of flooding on top of smouldering hillsides and scorched countryside. Wildfires Stretch Resources Thin In Moray, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) confirmed six appliances have been tackling a major blaze near Forres. Fire crews, already exhausted after days of dry conditions, now face the risk of heavy rain washing ash and debris into local streams and roads. One sentence. A separate wildfire near Carrbridge in the Highlands has kept…

Fire crews in the Scottish Highlands are battling relentless wildfires for a third straight day — a crisis some locals are calling the worst in living memory. Blazes Stretch Firefighters to the Limit Early Saturday morning, crews rushed to tackle a fast-spreading fire near Carrbridge. By Monday evening, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said multiple wildfire incidents were still raging across the region. A spokesperson put it bluntly: “Our firefighters continue to work tirelessly to tackle several wildfire incidents from Carrbridge in Highland to Dallas, outside Forres in Moray.” They urged locals to keep doors and windows closed…

More American students than ever are choosing the University of St Andrews — and while royal connections help, there’s a lot more to the story. The Prince and Princess Effect You’d be hard-pressed to find a modern fairy tale quite like Prince William meeting Kate Middleton at St Andrews.That single chapter in the university’s 600-year-old history holds real sway. Americans — and not just the ones obsessed with The Crown — find the idea of studying where royalty once strolled downright irresistible. The result? Nearly 20% of St Andrews’ student body now comes from the U.S., the biggest share of…

Firefighters in the Scottish Highlands are facing another tense night as they work to contain wildfires that have scorched miles of woodland near Grantown-on-Spey. Alarm Bells And Abandoned Camp Chairs It all began just before six on Saturday evening. In the quiet woods near Loch Allan, someone spotted flames crackling through dry underbrush. Within hours, the fire grew into a massive front, devouring trees and brush, sending plumes of smoke billowing skyward. One local who tried to snuff out the first sparks told BBC Scotland News that the fire’s heart was a simple ring of stones — evidence of a…

Scotland is betting big on hydrogen. But it’s not just about clean fuel — it’s about future-proofing an entire economy. As net zero deadlines loom, the country is eyeing green hydrogen as both a climate solution and industrial revival. Grangemouth in the Spotlight The Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee has been holding hearings in May 2025 focused on the industrial powerhouse of Grangemouth — a critical site for both current hydrogen production and future ambitions. Grangemouth is already home to hydrogen manufacturing via steam methane reforming (SMR) — a carbon-intensive process classified as grey hydrogen. But policymakers…

A new chapter is about to begin for Scotland’s most remote island link. The Shetland Islands Council has officially awarded a £5.6 million construction contract to Parkol Marine Engineering to build a replacement ferry for the Good Shepherd IV, the lifeline vessel that’s served Fair Isle since 1986. It’s taken years of planning, lobbying, and a sizable chunk of "levelling up" cash from Westminster — but locals are finally getting the green light on a more modern, more resilient connection to the mainland. A Long-Awaited Lifeline for Fair Isle Let’s be honest — the Good Shepherd IV has had a…

Scotland’s biggest local authority has been hit hard by a cyber attack that’s left digital services in tatters and sparked serious fears about the security of citizen data. Glasgow City Council confirmed the breach late Thursday, triggering a multi-agency probe and pushing critical online systems offline for tens of thousands of users. The council’s public-facing services ground to a halt, residents were redirected to jammed phone lines, and the full scale of potential data theft remains unclear. Major services grind to a halt, phones overwhelmed It wasn’t just a blip. The cyber hit on Glasgow City Council appears both targeted…