Chris Muir

A major leap in how people across Scotland connect with healthcare services is officially underway — and it begins in Lanarkshire. NHS Scotland has teamed up with IT giant CGI to roll out a new digital platform that could eventually redefine access to the country’s entire health and care system. The so-called “Digital Front Door” — a project years in the making — will first launch in select NHS Lanarkshire outpatient specialties, with dermatology among the first areas to go live. If it works as planned, the rest of Scotland won’t be far behind. One platform, many doors This isn’t…

Scotland has issued official slaughter guidelines to ensure more humane treatment of farmed salmon, aiming to eliminate pain and distress during slaughter and related activities. The new framework mandates measures like stunning, CCTV monitoring, trained personnel, and legal compliance. Released under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act, the guidance is stirring debate among charities, industry groups, and government agencies. Welfare Laws Meet Fish Farming Three key facts, laid out fast: The guidance is issued under Section 38 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. It covers the lawful requirement to spare farmed fish from avoidable pain at slaughter The Times+5Scottish…

284-year-old Dunphail kirk on the market for £40,000 — but potential buyers face tricky restrictions and zero loos A centuries-old stone church nestled in the Moray countryside is now looking for a new owner, as the Church of Scotland continues its widespread sell-off of underused buildings. Edinkillie Church, built in 1741 and perched by the River Divie, has been listed for sale with an asking price of just £40,000. That price, though, doesn’t tell the full story. From sacred space to something else entirely This isn’t just any old village kirk. The B-listed Edinkillie Church comes packed with 284 years…

HGTV star Erin Napier is back in the U.S. after a whirlwind trip to Scotland with her family, and she's got plenty to say about it—from midges and missing ranch dressing to magical Highland resorts and the mystery of Nessie. In a candid Instagram post on July 18, Napier offered a refreshingly honest take on international travel. Equal parts funny, heartfelt, and slightly delirious from jet lag, her reflections resonated with fans who know that traveling abroad—especially with kids—is no joke. An Honest Take on Jet Lag and Transatlantic Travel Right out the gate, Napier didn’t sugarcoat how she was…

Everyday life in Scotland turned stunning this past week—as locals from Stirling to Bute shared a handful of candid, heartfelt moments. Nature, family, and sheer serendipity all collided in frames that speak louder than words. No filters. No fuss. Just the raw charm of a Scottish summer caught on camera. Dolphins at Kilchattan Bay Chris Bowen wasn’t planning a wildlife shoot. He was just enjoying a sunny day at Kilchattan Bay on the Isle of Bute when something sleek cut through the water—a dolphin. A few seconds later, another surfaced. With perfect timing and a bit of luck, he snapped…

TORONTO —In a powerful signal of growing global urgency, Canada has entered into a strategic alliance with the United States, Greece, Australia, and Scotland to combat one of the world’s fastest-growing threats: wildfires. The announcement, made Saturday morning, marks the most internationally coordinated wildfire prevention strategy in recent history. The partnership is rooted in shared investments, cross-border knowledge exchange, and a renewed focus on both Indigenous-led practices and cutting-edge technologies like AI risk mapping and drone-based surveillance. For travelers and tourism operators alike, the message is clear: fire-resilient infrastructure and smarter risk management are no longer optional luxuries—they are the…

A technical fault led to the deletion of more than 115,000 recorded calls to Police Scotland’s 101 non-emergency line, BBC Scotland has learned. The issue—undisclosed until now—was discovered in February 2025, when it became clear that a full month’s worth of recorded conversations had not been archived as intended. The affected calls were deleted after four weeks, as per retention policy, but due to the archiving failure, they were lost permanently. Despite the scale of the deletion, police stress that public safety was never compromised, and 999 emergency calls were not affected. What went wrong? Between January and November 2024,…

Fresh figures reveal assaults and threats at Scotland’s bus stations have jumped dramatically, raising concerns about youth violence and how the Scottish Government plans to get a grip on it before more lives are put at risk. Glasgow Sees Sharpest Rise Glasgow’s Buchanan Bus Station has become the epicentre for this worrying trend.In just a year, police call outs for assaults there rose by a staggering 85% — from 20 in 2023-24 to 37 in 2024-25. One line: Threats also went up by half in the city. The numbers were obtained by the Scottish Conservatives through freedom of information laws.…

After a scorcher of a weekend that pushed Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to their hottest day of the year, the UK’s third heatwave of 2025 is now giving way to grey skies and heavy downpours — and for many, that’s frankly a bit of a relief. Temperatures Tumble After 33C Highs Saturday saw temperatures spike to a blistering 33 degrees in some areas, with crowds at outdoor events like Glasgow’s TRNSMT festival being sprayed down with water to stay cool.In parts of Wales and Northern Ireland, families flocked to beaches and parks, trying to make the most of the…

On South Uist, a breathtaking stretch of the Outer Hebrides off Scotland’s rugged northwest coast, patience is wearing thin — and so are the ferries. Getting on or off this remote island has always required a little faith in the weather and the aging fleet that connects these communities to the mainland. But after years of delays, breakdowns, and cancellations, islanders and visitors alike are now describing it as “travel roulette.” A Cancelled Crossing — Again This summer, the familiar ping of a text message from the ferry company has become a sound many dread. For one recent traveler, the…