Chris Muir

Scotland’s ferry procurement agency has confirmed that no social value scoring was included in the recent £160 million contract award for seven new CalMac ferries—despite mounting political pressure and questions over support for domestic shipbuilding. Ferguson Loses Out on Price—Not Performance The state-owned Ferguson Marine shipyard in Port Glasgow lost the bid to Polish yard Remontowa, which undercut rivals with an offer of just over £21 million per vessel. BBC Scotland understands Ferguson performed well on technical criteria but fell short on cost, which accounted for 35% of the evaluation. The result dealt a blow to Ferguson’s hopes of securing…

The final turbine has been successfully installed at the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm off the coast of Scotland, marking a significant milestone in the 450-megawatt project’s development. The last turbine was erected on Monday morning, according to an announcement posted on the project’s official social media account. Jointly owned by a subsidiary of EDF Renewables and Irish utility ESB, the NnG wind farm is now entering the final stages of commissioning and is expected to become fully operational by summer 2025. Positioned in the North Sea, Built for Impact Located 15.5 kilometres (9.6 miles) off the coast…

GLASGOW – Claire Nelson’s message is simple but bold: if Scotland wants to become a global leader in economic growth and innovation, it must unlock the full potential of its women. And the country, she argues, is still falling short. From boardrooms to business networks, and startup incubators to sports arenas, Nelson—a mother of four, entrepreneur, and prominent advocate for women in leadership—is calling for coordinated national action to create a business ecosystem where women don’t just survive but thrive. The Business Case for Inclusion In her address ahead of the Scottish Growth Summit in Glasgow this month—a business forum…

An ambitious £450 million upgrade to the electricity network in the north of Scotland is set to power more than just homes—it’s lighting up the job market too, with over 300 new roles expected to be created in the coming years. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution announced the massive investment, describing it as a crucial step in making the region’s power grid fit for a low-carbon future. Powering the Highlands, Islands, and Everything In Between The north of Scotland is home to some of the most beautiful—and challenging—terrain in the UK. From rugged coastal villages to the remote…

A wildfire raging in Galloway Forest Park has continued for more than 24 hours, prompting landowners to deploy a helicopter to dump water over the remote hills of Dumfries and Galloway. Emergency crews remain at the scene near Newton Stewart as firefighters battle to contain the blaze in increasingly dry and volatile conditions. It's the latest in a growing series of wildfire incidents plaguing Scotland as fire risks climb to “extreme” levels across the country. Fire continues to burn on Craiglee hill after 24 hours The fire first broke out around 4:14pm on Thursday afternoon. It’s now been burning for…

UK energy provider secures four-year contract with Vodafone to overhaul operational telecoms infrastructure using fixed, mobile, and satellite technology SP Energy Networks (SPEN), the utility arm of ScottishPower, has signed a four-year strategic agreement with Vodafone to modernise its operational telecoms network across Scotland. The move aims to enhance resilience, accelerate fault detection, and lay the groundwork for increased clean energy integration. Grid of the Future As part of one of the UK’s most ambitious energy transition initiatives, SPEN manages electricity distribution and transmission for more than 3.5 million customers across Central and Southern Scotland, North Wales, Merseyside, Cheshire, and…

Scotland's top prison official has told the families of two young people who died by suicide in custody that she supports removing Crown immunity, a legal shield preventing the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) from facing criminal prosecution over deaths in custody. Families Demand Justice for Young Lives Lost The parents of Katie Allan, 21, and William Brown, 16, have fought for years to hold authorities accountable for their children's deaths at Polmont Young Offenders Institution in 2018. In a significant shift, Teresa Medhurst, the head of Scotland's prison service, acknowledged their concerns in a meeting and agreed that SPS should…

Newly identified dinosaur footprints on Scotland's Isle of Skye suggest that massive plant-eating sauropods and their carnivorous predators, megalosaurs, frequented the same lagoon for water. The discovery provides a rare glimpse into the Middle Jurassic period, a time when dinosaurs were evolving in ways that would shape the future of the prehistoric world. A Rare Window Into the Middle Jurassic Dinosaur fossils from the Middle Jurassic period are notoriously scarce, making the recent discovery on the Trotternish Peninsula an extraordinary find. The footprints, meticulously studied by a research team from the University of Edinburgh, date back 167 million years and…

Canadian renewable energy company Boralex Inc. has officially started operations at its first wind farm in the United Kingdom. The Limekiln Wind Farm, located near Thurso in northern Scotland, boasts an installed capacity of 106 megawatts. The facility, backed by a 15-year public contract and a power purchase agreement, solidifies Boralex's expansion into the UK market. A Milestone for Boralex in the UK This project is a significant step for Boralex as it establishes its footprint in the UK’s renewable energy sector. The wind farm consists of 24 Vestas V136-4.5MW turbines, each standing 150 metres tall at the blade tip.…