Axel Piper

In a sweeping Spending Review that could shape Scotland’s economic and strategic landscape for years to come, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has outlined significant funding allocations targeting defence, technology, and climate infrastructure—positioning Scotland as a critical node in the UK’s future-facing investment strategy. Among the headline figures: £250 million for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine base at HMNB Clyde in Faslane £750 million to establish the UK’s most powerful supercomputer in Edinburgh New support for the Acorn carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in St Fergus, Aberdeenshire Together, these projects form a central part of Labour’s “growth-first” approach—aiming not only…

In a case that has stirred debate across Scottish classrooms and social media platforms, a former physics teacher who branded herself online as a “good teacher gone bad” has been struck off the teaching register after sexually explicit images from her OnlyFans profile were viewed by senior pupils at her school. Kirsty Buchan, 34, from Coatbridge in North Lanarkshire, taught at Bannerman High School in Glasgow’s east end. She had been operating a paid-for OnlyFans account under the pseudonym Jessica Jackrabbit, which she also advertised through Instagram — an account visible to pupils. Last week, the General Teaching Council for…

A merger between two of Scotland’s biggest farming co-operatives could reshape the agricultural landscape for over 4,000 farmers and crofters, creating one of the largest machinery rings in the UK with a turnover topping £100 million. If approved next month, Laurencekirk-based Ringlink Scotland Ltd and Highland Business Services Ltd (HBS) will unite under a single name, bringing together decades of resource-pooling expertise across the Highlands, Argyll, Angus, and Fife. For farmers facing rising costs and labour shortages, this could be a timely shift. Why this merger matters now Machinery rings aren’t new in Scotland. But this proposed merger feels like…

A group of respected leaders from across Scotland’s health and care sectors have issued a striking open letter calling for urgent reform, cross-party collaboration, and a whole-of-society rethink of how health is created—not just delivered—in the country. Cracks in the System Are No Longer Deniable Scotland’s health service is in trouble. That’s the core message delivered by 13 senior professionals from medicine, public health, academia, charities, and social care. Their open letter, published in The Scotsman on 10 June, paints a sobering picture: dedicated NHS staff continue to do extraordinary work, but the system they operate in is stretched, clunky,…

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…