Chris Muir

With over 60,000 daily drivers at risk of being stranded, a brewing pay dispute could bring one of Scotland’s busiest arteries to a halt — and signal wider unrest across the country’s public sector. The lifeline linking north and south Glasgow may soon grind to a standstill. That’s the warning from GMB Scotland, the union representing key control room staff at the Clyde Tunnel, who say strike action is now all but inevitable after rejecting a below-inflation pay offer from Glasgow City Council. The potential shutdown of the tunnel — used daily by tens of thousands of cars, trucks, and…

The stunning Isle of Arran, often referred to as "Scotland in miniature," has been awarded UNESCO Global Geopark Status, a prestigious recognition that highlights its outstanding geological heritage, biodiversity, and sustainable development efforts. Arran, located off Scotland’s west coast, has long been a popular destination for visitors and now joins a select group of 229 UNESCO Global Geoparks worldwide. A Living Example of Earth’s Geological History Arran’s new UNESCO status emphasizes its role as a living classroom for geology enthusiasts and researchers. According to geologists, the island is a geological treasure trove, with both terrestrial and marine zones that document…

New initiative aims to support rural and brownfield development amid steep decline in SME housing market share Scotland’s small and medium-sized homebuilders have long been the unsung heroes of local housing development. But with their market share sliced in half since 2017, industry body Homes for Scotland (HFS) is turning to collaboration to help reverse the trend. On April 22, HFS announced a new partnership with roof window manufacturer VELUX to provide strategic support for SME builders, many of whom are struggling under the weight of financial, regulatory, and planning challenges. SME Sector in Crisis: Market Share Halved in Six…

Armed police have raided a property in the Oxgangs area of Edinburgh as part of an ongoing crackdown on a violent gangland feud that has engulfed both the Scottish capital and Glasgow. The targeted operation unfolded on Firhill Drive on Saturday, with Police Scotland confirming that a warrant was executed and that inquiries remain ongoing. The raid is the latest in a string of heavily armed police actions linked to a spiralling conflict between rival organised crime groups, which has sparked firebombings, assaults, and shootings since March. Cross-City Turf War The gang feud, believed to centre on drug and firearm…

A new report aims to give Scotland's independence movement a clear stance on currency — and end years of confusion, infighting, and political hesitancy. The Scottish Currency Group (SCG) has tapped a respected European economist to lead a deep analysis into Scotland’s post-independence currency options. The move is being framed as a serious bid to unite the Yes movement and confront what’s long been one of the trickiest issues in the push for independence: what currency would Scotland actually use? French Economist, Danish Base, Scottish Focus At the centre of this initiative is Dr Thibault Laurentjoye — a French economist…

Lomond School, a leading independent school in Scotland, will become the first educational institution in the UK to accept Bitcoin for tuition payments, starting with the Autumn 2025 semester, the school confirmed this week. The Helensburgh-based school described the move as part of a broader initiative to modernise its educational and financial infrastructure, aligning with the Austrian School of Economics—a theoretical framework that promotes decentralisation, individual autonomy, and sound money principles. “This is about preparing students for an uncertain future,” the school said in a statement. “Bitcoin is more democratic and inclusive, especially for people in developing countries who lack…

Scotland’s only high-security psychiatric facility is facing mounting criticism over plans to increase the number of autistic and learning-disabled individuals it detains — a move that has reignited accusations of government backsliding on disability rights. New job listings reveal that the State Hospital in Carstairs, Lanarkshire, is actively recruiting staff with experience in learning disabilities, ahead of the opening of a new women’s unit later this year. The revelation comes despite repeated assurances from SNP ministers that autistic individuals would be moved out of clinical environments and into community care. A Contradiction in Policy The job adverts, posted on Talent.com…

In the heart of Perthshire, just a few kilometres from the site where ancient Scottish kings were once crowned, a sacred sandstone slab is drawing fresh attention — and not just from history buffs or nationalist romantics. New research suggests that the Stone of Destiny, Scotland’s most venerated royal relic, is even more fragmented — and storied — than previously known. Once spirited away by King Edward I, blown up by suffragettes, and broken during a nationalist heist, the 150kg block has become not just a symbol of Scotland’s ancient monarchy, but also a complex touchstone in Britain’s centuries-old tussle…

In Aberdeen’s industrial docks, where the North Sea oil and gas legacy blends with the ambitions of a green energy future, business leaders are sounding a familiar alarm: they can’t find the workers they need. The problem isn’t ambition — it’s immigration. A recent article in Global Underwater Hub Magazine by Director Kelly Hardman has thrust the issue back into the spotlight. In it, Hardman argues that regional approaches to immigration — akin to models used in Canada and Australia — could help Scotland unlock stalled economic potential by directly addressing labour shortages in key sectors like energy, renewables, and…

They rise like relics of a forgotten era—rows of crumbling tenement blocks, boarded windows, graffiti-tagged walls, and overgrown closes. For decades, the Clune Park estate in Port Glasgow has been compared to the abandoned Ukrainian city of Pripyat. Now, after years of legal wrangling and decay, demolition crews are finally preparing to flatten parts of what’s long been dubbed “Scotland’s Chernobyl.” A Legacy of Shipyards and Sandstone Built in the aftermath of World War I by shipbuilding giant Lithgows, Clune Park once stood as a proud symbol of Scotland’s industrial might. At its peak, the estate provided tightly packed housing…