Axel Piper

A widening gap in dental care access between Scotland’s richest and poorest communities has come under fire, with fresh figures revealing disparities as wide as 21%. The statistics have reignited debate over the state of NHS dentistry and put the Scottish Government under renewed political pressure. Stark Divide Between Deprived and Wealthy Communities The latest data, obtained by The Herald, shows that people living in Scotland’s most deprived areas are significantly less likely to access dental care than those in more affluent regions. The access gap ranges between 17% and 21% depending on the local authority. That’s not a small…

From a breathtaking sunrise over Aberdeen to a split-second duck photo-bombing a rainbow, Scots with cameras captured nature in all its unpredictable glory this week — and one couple's boat ride turned into a full-blown orca encounter. Scotland, in all its untamed charm, once again proved why it's a magnet for wildlife lovers and photography buffs alike. This week’s public submissions show that even in ordinary places — a beach, a park, a patch of seaweed — there’s a story waiting to be frozen in time. A Surprise at Sea: Orcas Steal the Show It started out as a humble…

Edinburgh’s Filmhouse, long a cornerstone of the UK’s independent cinema scene, is set to reopen its doors later this month after a dramatic three-year closure—and it’s not coming back quietly. Instead of chasing the digital future, the new Filmhouse is leaning into the past. With plans to screen 70mm versions of Oppenheimer and The Brutalist, the cinema’s new leadership is wagering on a rising wave of interest in celluloid—a medium once all but abandoned in an era of streaming and 4K projectors. Film-on-Film: More Than Nostalgia “There’s something unique about watching film on film,” said Andrew Simpson, the Filmhouse’s newly…

HAMILTON, Scotland — It’s polling day in the constituency of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse — and while the morning air is calm, the stakes feel anything but routine. Following the death of veteran SNP MSP Christina McKelvie earlier this year, voters are now choosing who will carry the baton into what remains of this Parliament term. The by-election — the first of its kind in Scotland in more than five years — has become a local event with national resonance. Ballot boxes opened at 7 a.m. and will close by 10 p.m., with results expected in the small hours of…

In the far reaches of the Scottish Highlands, where the land opens into sky and the weather changes faster than you can lace a boot, stone-strewn trails curve quietly through heathered hills. They cut across empty glens, skirt lochs black as ink, and climb into wind-scoured passes that few cross today. These are coffin roads — paths of the dead — once trodden by mourners carrying the weight of the departed over many miles to reach sacred burial grounds. Long before paved roads, hearses, or highways, communities in remote corners of Scotland had only their feet and faith to guide…

In a major move to tackle fraud and reshape digital trust, FinTech Scotland and TSB Labs have joined forces once again — this time, with a bold new initiative aimed at securing the future of online banking. The partnership is opening its doors to fintech innovators from across the world, inviting real-time solutions that could be tested directly in a live retail banking environment. The goal? Better security, smoother user experiences, and fewer customers falling victim to scams. Innovation With Purpose, Not Just Buzzwords This isn’t a flashy tech tie-up meant to grab headlines. There’s real work behind this. The…

Get ready, motorsport fans — entries are officially open for EcoRally Scotland, the eighth round of the 2025 Bridgestone FIA EcoRally Cup. This event invites teams to compete with electric and hybrid vehicles on a scenic two-day journey through Tayside, starting in Dundee. The rally combines traditional racing with a fresh twist, rewarding precision and energy efficiency rather than just speed. A Rally Focused on Precision and Efficiency EcoRally Scotland isn’t your typical race. Instead of flat-out speed, drivers and navigators must carefully stick to a regularity system. That means they need to hit checkpoints at precise times and maintain…

Move signals a 15-year digital transformation plan across HR, payroll, finance, and procurement systems A £206 million plan to overhaul NHS Scotland’s internal digital infrastructure has gone live with the publication of a major procurement tender, marking a significant step forward in modernising the nation’s public healthcare system. The ambitious strategy, announced by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) on behalf of the country’s health boards, seeks to bring cloud-based efficiencies to critical backend functions such as finance, human resources, payroll, and procurement—through a long-term Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) approach. According to the official tender, NHS Scotland is now inviting joint bids from…

A trio of ospreys nesting in the Scottish Borders has stunned researchers and bird lovers alike, offering a rare glimpse into an avian love triangle that’s unfolding live on camera. Perched high above Glentress Forest near Peebles, the nest hosts an uncommon arrangement: two females and one male living—and breeding—together in apparent harmony. The nest, monitored by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) as part of the long-running Tweed Valley Osprey Project (TVOP), is now drawing international attention for what could be a scientific first. “This is very rare behaviour,” said Diane Bennett, TVOP’s project coordinator. “We’ve never had this kind…

Police Scotland confirmed it does not have a fixed policy to record the biological sex of transgender individuals accused of rape or sexual assault, even when DNA evidence is available. This decision comes amid rising debates on how sex and gender data are handled in criminal investigations. What Police Scotland Says About Sex and Gender Data In response to a Freedom of Information request, Police Scotland revealed that it lacks a formal policy on documenting the sex and gender of suspects who are transgender. This means that, by default, the force may not register the biological sex of a suspect…