Chris Muir

Glasgow’s planning officials have given the green light to the controversial redevelopment of the fire-damaged O2 ABC music venue, paving the way for a student accommodation and public food hall complex — despite opposition from conservation bodies and the nearby Glasgow School of Art. The new scheme, spearheaded by Vita Group, includes the construction of 356 student beds, a publicly-accessible food hall, and a flexible events space, as well as a central courtyard. Dubbed the "House of Social", the development aims to regenerate the Sauchiehall Street site that has lain vacant since the 2018 fire at the adjacent Mackintosh Building.…

Scotland’s future offshore wind landscape is up for debate—and everyone’s invited to the table. The Scottish Government has kicked off a public consultation on its updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (SMP-OWE), with proposals designed to balance energy ambitions with local environments and communities. It’s not just another bureaucratic document—this plan will shape where, how, and how much offshore wind power Scotland builds in the coming years. A new blueprint with old lessons The 2025 draft plan builds on the 2020 version, but this isn’t a quick refresh. It's a much deeper rethink of how offshore wind should…

Two major solar farms are on the table in Fife and Angus, and if approved, they could power tens of thousands of homes—while bringing over £1.3 million to local communities. Perthshire-based BLC Energy, in partnership with TRIO Power, has filed official planning applications for a pair of large-scale solar and battery storage developments. One near Cupar, the other outside Forfar. If the numbers hold, together they could generate 100MW of clean electricity and store just as much. Sun, Storage, and Community Cash These aren’t your average solar fields. Both sites—West Springfield Solar and BESS in Fife and Cossans Solar and…

EDINBURGH — A major Canadian space technology company has announced it is expanding operations in Scotland, opening a new office in Edinburgh as part of its growing European footprint. PCI Geomatics, known globally for its advanced Earth Observation (EO) solutions and operating under its brand Catalyst, has selected the Futures Institute in Edinburgh as the base for its latest venture. The move marks a significant milestone in the firm’s international expansion and reinforces its commitment to the UK’s fast-growing space sector. Strengthening Ties with the UK’s Space Ecosystem With a 40-year legacy of developing image processing technologies for satellite data,…

For centuries, Poland’s Piast dynasty stood as a national cornerstone — homegrown rulers said to have emerged from the soil of Slavic ancestry. But a recent series of scientific breakthroughs has delivered a jolt to that story: Poland’s founding kings may not have been Polish at all. In fact, their bloodline might trace to the rugged shores of early medieval Scotland. That’s the stunning implication of genetic research led by molecular biologist Marek Figlerowicz and his team at Poznań University of Technology. Their DNA study, which involved exhuming bones from over a dozen medieval crypts, has introduced a new and…

For more than a decade, Breastfeeding Buddies offered struggling new mothers a lifeline in some of Scotland’s busiest maternity wards. But this week, that lifeline was abruptly cut. Run by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and operating in five hospitals and seven community settings across Greater Glasgow and Lothian, the peer support service closed its doors on June 6, following a decision by the Scottish Government to withdraw direct funding. The closure has sparked widespread concern among mothers, midwives, volunteers, and health campaigners—many of whom say the existing NHS staff are already too stretched to fill the gap. ‘It’s quite…

Scotland is set to become the epicentre of Britain’s artificial intelligence (AI) revolution as Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirms a £750 million investment to build the UK’s new national supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh. The announcement comes hot on the heels of London Tech Week, where Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer unveiled a £1 billion initiative to turbocharge the UK’s compute power by a factor of 20. Combined, the moves mark a seismic shift in Britain’s digital infrastructure—and a moment of redefinition for Edinburgh as it transitions from academic hub to AI nerve centre. Why Edinburgh? The capital of Scotland…

They call themselves the Steely Striders — and on Sunday 1st June, under sun, rain, and even a near-miss with hail, ten members of KR Group Scotland’s extended team walked 18 miles across Aberdeenshire for a cause close to home. The company — a specialist in steel fabrication, cladding, and project management services — took part in the Aberdeen Kiltwalk 2025, raising £1,855 for Men in Mind, a local mental health charity offering peer support groups across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. This effort brings KR Group Scotland’s 2025 fundraising total to nearly £4,000 — a sum that speaks volumes about the…

A political storm is brewing between Holyrood and Westminster after a dramatic U-turn on winter fuel payments by the UK government left Scottish ministers scrambling to assess its impact — and potentially forced to revisit their own devolved policy. Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said Scottish ministers were not consulted on the announcement by new Chancellor Rachel Reeves, which will restore annual payments of up to £300 for pensioner households in England and Wales — a reversal of an earlier Labour cost-cutting plan that sparked heavy backlash. Now, there are growing fears that Scottish pensioners — particularly those with modest…

From the gothic arches of Glasgow Cathedral to the raw windswept cliffs of Skye, Scotland’s natural and urban scenery has shaped some of cinema’s most unforgettable moments. Whether you're a fan of Hollywood blockbusters, haunting folk horror, or working-class realism, this country offers a film set come to life. Here’s your curated cinematic itinerary through Scotland—where every loch, lane and castle has a story to tell. Edinburgh: Grit, Glory, and Gothic Shadows Key Films: Trainspotting (1996), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)Must-Visit Spots: Princes Street, Calton Road, the Royal Mile, Greyfriars Kirk Scotland’s capital is…