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Scotland emerged as the second-largest UK hub for financial services foreign direct investment (FDI) last year, trailing only London. A new report shows the country clinched 11 major FDI projects in 2024, marking its highest tally in ten years. This boost in foreign investments underlines Scotland’s growing appeal as a financial centre outside the capital, despite ongoing economic uncertainties and global shifts. The findings come from the latest survey by EY, a leading accountancy and advisory firm. Scotland’s Rise in Financial Services Investment In 2024, Scotland attracted 11 financial services FDI projects, up from nine in 2023, according to EY’s…

When a photo of powder-white sand beside turquoise seas starts making the rounds on social media, the assumption is instant: Caribbean. Maldives. Maybe the Greek isles. But Scotland? Surprise—it’s not a Photoshop trick. It’s Tiree. Or Harris. Or the beaches of Lewis, where Atlantic winds kiss sugar-soft shores, and the sea is so clear you can spot starfish 20 meters below. Scotland, long stereotyped as grey and rain-soaked, is quietly hosting a tropical illusion—one forged by ocean science, geography, and light. A Warm Ocean Current with a Tropical Agenda The illusion begins 4,000 miles away in the balmy waters of…

From a breathtaking sunrise over Aberdeen to a split-second duck photo-bombing a rainbow, Scots with cameras captured nature in all its unpredictable glory this week — and one couple's boat ride turned into a full-blown orca encounter. Scotland, in all its untamed charm, once again proved why it's a magnet for wildlife lovers and photography buffs alike. This week’s public submissions show that even in ordinary places — a beach, a park, a patch of seaweed — there’s a story waiting to be frozen in time. A Surprise at Sea: Orcas Steal the Show It started out as a humble…

Scotland’s West Coast is raw, rugged, and breathtaking — a place where towering mountains meet wild seas, and quiet lochs hide stories waiting to be told. Forget the tourist crowds; this six-day driving tour takes you off the beaten track from Glasgow to Cape Wrath, showcasing the real soul of the Highlands. Ready to fill your tank and hit the road? Here’s the perfect itinerary to explore one of Scotland’s most stunning landscapes. Starting Strong: From Glasgow to Glen Coe via Loch Lomond Your trip kicks off in Glasgow — a city buzzing with culture, but soon you’ll leave the…

Tweed, once seen as an old-fashioned relic of Scotland’s past, is getting a fresh burst of energy. On the remote islands of Lewis and Harris, a new generation of weavers is reviving Harris Tweed — blending tradition with modern flair, and catching the eye of luxury brands worldwide. From Banker to Weaver: A Personal Tale of Heritage and Craft Alexander MacLeod’s story isn’t your typical career path. At 38, he swapped the city suits and spreadsheets for handlooms and wool threads. “When you see tweed on the runway, you don’t expect it to come from here,” he chuckled, setting up…

A bold new policy may soon define the future of Scottish tourism—and not in the way ministers hoped. While countries from Japan to Italy tighten rules around cruise tourism, Scotland has stepped forward with a discretionary cruise levy that’s already triggering alarms across its most fragile regions and within its most lucrative visitor sector. The consultations are over. The warnings are in. What comes next could shape how tourists—and cruise lines—see Scotland for years to come. A Global Trend Meets Local Resistance Scotland’s proposed cruise tax was meant to join a broader movement. Cities like Venice, Santorini, and Amsterdam are…

Scotland’s construction sector is facing a mounting crisis: nearly half of its apprentices are dropping out before qualifying. Amid urgent housing demand and looming net zero targets, industry leaders are warning that the skills pipeline is drying up. At a closed-door roundtable in Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland, 13 leading voices from across construction, education, and workforce development gathered to dissect the problem—and propose solutions. The figures are sobering. According to the British Association of Construction Heads (BACH), the UK’s dropout rate for construction apprentices now sits at 47%, with only 8,620 apprentices reaching the final End Point Assessment in…

Edinburgh’s Filmhouse, long a cornerstone of the UK’s independent cinema scene, is set to reopen its doors later this month after a dramatic three-year closure—and it’s not coming back quietly. Instead of chasing the digital future, the new Filmhouse is leaning into the past. With plans to screen 70mm versions of Oppenheimer and The Brutalist, the cinema’s new leadership is wagering on a rising wave of interest in celluloid—a medium once all but abandoned in an era of streaming and 4K projectors. Film-on-Film: More Than Nostalgia “There’s something unique about watching film on film,” said Andrew Simpson, the Filmhouse’s newly…

Summer may be here on the calendar, but the Scottish Highlands are telling a different story. Just days after the official start of meteorological summer on June 1, snow has returned to the country’s highest peaks, with mountaintops in Lochaber and the Cairngorms waking up to a rare June dusting. The unexpected wintry scenes—captured in striking images from Roybridge, Torlundy, and Aviemore—have been driven by a mass of cold Arctic air sweeping down from Iceland. ‘Not Unusual’—But Still a Surprise “Snow on the hills of Scotland is not unusual in early June,” said BBC Scotland weather presenter Judith Ralston. “But…

In a grassy, windswept field in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, a silent anomaly is being recorded—a pulse that has baffled scientists for over half a century. Known as Earth’s “heartbeat,” the phenomenon is a subtle seismic signal that pulses every 26 seconds like clockwork. And it’s been doing so since at least the 1960s. First detected by seismologists decades ago, the 26-second microseism remains unexplained. Now, researchers at the University of Aberdeen are using one of the UK's most advanced monitoring devices to probe the phenomenon—and its mysterious electromagnetic cousin. A Pulse Felt but Not Heard The so-called heartbeat is not a…