Zane Lee

Scotland has recorded a significant drop in child poverty since embedding legal targets into law — a stark contrast to rising figures across the rest of the UK, new analysis shows. 21,000 Fewer Children in Poverty in Scotland Since 2017 Since the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 came into effect, the number of children living in relative poverty has fallen by 12%, equivalent to around 21,000 fewer children affected. That’s no small feat. Over the same time period, England and Wales saw a 15% rise in child poverty, according to new research published by the Big Issue. The findings paint…

You might not know it, but your face could already be in a database the moment you walk into your neighbourhood shop. A growing number of retailers across Scotland are using facial recognition technology to spot repeat offenders and deter theft. While some store owners call it a game-changer, privacy campaigners see something darker: a surveillance state creeping in through the back door. Theft Is Rising — and Shops Say They're On Their Own Shoplifting across Scotland is up. A 16% year-on-year increase, according to the latest crime figures, has retailers scrambling for solutions. Many complain that police can’t —…

Scotland’s tourism sector is roaring back to life. After years of travel disruption, the latest stats from VisitScotland confirm what locals have been noticing for months—crowds are back, languages from every continent fill city streets, and visitor spend is spiking. International arrivals are booming. And the numbers don’t lie. Post-COVID Recovery Turns into Full-Blown Tourism Bounce The new data, published in the latest Great Britain Tourism Survey and shared by VisitScotland, shows that overseas visitor numbers rose significantly in 2024 compared to the previous year. That’s not just recovery—it’s acceleration. While full-year figures are still being finalised, the provisional estimates…

Forget celebrity red carpets—tonight in Glasgow, it’s the everyday heroes getting a standing ovation. The Pride of Scotland Awards 2025 are set to honour 12 remarkable people whose quiet courage and tireless kindness are anything but ordinary. Dubbed the “People’s Oscars,” this year’s ceremony is packed with emotion, surprise reunions, and stories that will stick with you long after the lights go down. Not Just Another Awards Night—It’s Scotland at Its Best Held at the Hilton Hotel and co-hosted by comedy greats Elaine C Smith and Sanjeev Kohli, the event blends glitz with grit. Yes, there’s a red carpet. But…

A sweeping new landfill ban will kick in on December 31. But with no clear plan for where all the rubbish will go, Scotland may be forced to export its waste — by the truckload. Scotland is staring down a garbage dilemma that’s fast approaching a national embarrassment. In just over six months, the country will outlaw the dumping of household and commercial “black bag” waste in landfills. But there’s a snag — there’s nowhere near enough incinerators or recycling infrastructure ready to deal with the fallout. And that means Scotland could be sending up to 100 trucks of waste…

In the early 1980s, Scottish music found itself at a crossroads. The punk momentum had waned, many post-punk trailblazers were decamping to London, and what remained was a vacuum — raw, uncertain, and wide open for reinvention. What happened next is the focus of Postcards From Scotland, a new book by filmmaker and cultural historian Grant McPhee, released this week to critical acclaim. Spanning the pivotal years between 1983 and 1995, Postcards From Scotland is an oral history told not by critics or industry suits, but by the musicians, label founders, fanzine writers, and gig-goers who lived it — and…

The Port of Aberdeen has officially launched Scotland’s largest maritime decarbonisation initiative, a £4 million investment that is already being hailed as a landmark step in the country’s transition to net-zero. The project, titled ‘Shore Power in Operation’, brings shore power capability to eight berths in the port’s bustling North Harbour. With the flip of a switch, vessels docking at the port can now plug into land-based electricity—sourced from renewables—instead of running their diesel-powered auxiliary engines while moored. Shore Power: A Cleaner Future for Scottish Shipping This innovation aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions, airborne pollutants, and noise levels in…

Devastated relatives call for overhaul of hospital complaints system after traumatic end-of-life care experiences Three families in Fife are demanding answers and reform after alleging that severe failings in NHS care robbed them of precious final moments with terminally ill loved ones. The families—who have shared their stories with Scotland Tonight—describe harrowing experiences in NHS Fife facilities, claiming they were dismissed, traumatised, and neglected as their partners and parents neared death. Despite formal apologies from NHS Fife, the families say trust has been broken beyond repair. Among them is Trish Nolan, whose husband John Nolan, a retired teacher, died in…

From Aberdeen to Loch Ness, Scots ditch jackets and flock outdoors as temperatures soar far above seasonal norms. Suncream, sunglasses, and stunned silence — that’s what much of Scotland looked like on June 20 as the mercury shot up to 28.9°C in Drumnadrochit, marking the country’s hottest day of the year so far. Normally, the average for this time in June hovers around a mellow 17°C. This? This was sweltering. By late afternoon, nearly the whole country was basking (or melting) in sunshine. Aboyne hit 28.7°C. So did Charterhall. Edinburgh reached 28.4°C, while Glasgow simmered at 27.3°C — only a…

Dozens of families gathered outside the Scottish Parliament this week, not in celebration or protest for political points — but in desperation. They were sold homes that are now structurally unsound, potentially unsafe, and entirely unaided by the system. “We Were Never Told”: Homeowners in Crisis Over RAAC On a grey Wednesday morning in Edinburgh, the voices of homeowners from across Scotland echoed off the stone walls of Holyrood. From West Lothian to Dundee, they carried signs, photos of cracked ceilings, and tales of betrayal. At the heart of it all: RAAC — Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete — a now-infamous…