Dayna Bass

Scotland’s digital health ambitions came under fresh fire this week as Westminster’s Scottish secretary branded First Minister John Swinney “an analogue leader in a digital world”. At the heart of the row? The glaring gap between England’s fully operational NHS app and Scotland’s delayed rollout. NHS Tech Divide: Six Years Behind Standing in the Usher Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Ian Murray didn’t mince his words. He told Holyrood magazine that Scotland’s “analogue” leadership had left patients and GPs frustrated while their neighbours to the south book appointments, manage prescriptions, and check records with a few taps. One short…

A new plan could see centuries-old hydro power stations in Scotland’s south-west get a sunny upgrade. Renewable energy giant Drax says it’s looking at adding hundreds of solar panels to its historic sites in Galloway and Lanark — some of which have been powering Scottish homes for nearly a hundred years. If the scheme goes ahead, the panels would help supply vital back-up power on site, slashing reliance on the local grid and boosting the overall resilience of these much-loved hydro landmarks. Nearly a Century On: Hydropower Still Pulling Its Weight It’s easy to forget just how far back Scotland’s…

The morning mist clings to the breakwaters of Johnshaven like an old cloak, and you can almost taste the salt drifting in from the North Sea. Here, in this pocket-sized Aberdeenshire village with just 664 residents, tradition breathes through every weathered stone cottage and rusty lobster pot. For more than 300 years, Johnshaven’s harbor has sent its prized lobsters across the Channel, landing on the white-linen tables of Parisian brasseries and Michelin-starred kitchens in Barcelona and Copenhagen. Not bad for a village you could stroll across in ten minutes. A Legacy Built on 26 Boats Locals say it started with…

Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, says he wants to deliver what he’s calling a once-in-a-generation overhaul of how public services support families — promising real improvements that people can see and feel in their daily lives. A New Era for Public Services? In an exclusive piece for The Herald, Swinney — newly at the helm of the SNP — says he gets it: Scots are fed up with overstretched services and want more for their taxes. Standing at Glasgow’s Oakwood Medical Centre, he struck a note of realism but also hope. One sentence. “People expect their public services to be…

Facial recognition might soon be in your local shop — and your local police force — if Scotland’s crime trends keep heading north. Shoplifting Spike Puts Tech in the Spotlight Across Scotland, retailers say they’re drowning in theft. Official stats show shoplifting is up 16% this year — a jump that’s left small businesses, big chains, and the cops scrambling for answers. One line: And for many, the answer looks like a camera. Nathalie Fullarton, who runs a corner shop in Partick, says the theft got so bad she turned to Facewatch — a live facial recognition system now used…

When Scotland’s national poet sat down for a pint in Sanquhar, it was Whigham’s Inn that won his heart — and a line in his verse. Decades later, the old watering hole’s faded sign and peeling paint whisper stories of a livelier time. Now, the locals want those stories to echo once more. The Sanquhar Enterprise Company (SEC) has bought the derelict pub for £30,000. Their hope? To turn this dusty shell back into a community hub that would make Robert Burns proud. A Building Steeped in History It’s not just another abandoned building. Whigham’s Inn was once the social…

Scotland’s pledge to tackle soaring NHS waiting lists with new surgery hubs hangs in limbo — and frustrated patients are stuck in queues that keep getting longer. A Backlog Piled High Across the country, almost 560,000 people are now waiting for their first outpatient appointment. Some have waited more than two years. That’s a record. So when ministers promised a chain of National Treatment Centres (NTCs) to handle extra hip replacements, knee ops, cataract surgery and more, it sounded like relief. But half of those centres still haven’t been built. Five Projects Frozen Back in February last year, five treatment…

Scotland’s property tax system is running on numbers more than three decades out of date — and one senior minister just reignited the fire under it. But within hours, that spark was quickly doused by the Scottish Government. Ivan McKee Says What Others Won’t Speaking to BBC Scotland News, Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said a full revaluation of council tax bands was “absolutely needed” and plans were already being worked on behind the scenes. The comment sent ripples through Holyrood and beyond — particularly because any revaluation would hit some households hard, moving them into higher tax bands based…

Greenergy is making big moves in Scotland. The UK-based energy supplier has struck a long-term deal to expand its operations at the Exolum terminal in Grangemouth — a move that promises to reinforce fuel supply across the region. It’s not just about bigger tanks or more trucks. It’s a strategic push to shore up Scotland’s energy resilience and offer more choice in a landscape still adjusting to geopolitical shocks and tightening emissions rules. A Quiet Giant in the Fuel Game If you’ve never heard of Greenergy, that’s kind of the point. They don’t run filling stations or sell their name…

Ajay Devgn is back as the lovable, loud, and wildly unpredictable Jassi. And this time, he's brought the whole crew — and their madness — to the Scottish highlands. The teaser for Son of Sardaar 2, released online on Thursday, is pure chaos in the best way possible. It's got kilts, it’s got bagpipes, it’s got brawls on cobblestone streets — all layered with Punjabi energy and that signature Ajay Devgn smirk. Welcome to Son of Sardaar 2 — the sequel nobody saw coming, but everyone’s now watching. Scotland Becomes Sardaar Territory It’s official. From glens to graveyards, Scotland is…