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Scotland’s peak holiday season could be thrown into chaos later this month as Glasgow Airport staff gear up for a 48-hour strike, threatening to ground thousands of family getaways. Bitter Pay Dispute Boils Over The planned walkout, set for July 24–26, comes after months of fraught negotiations between workers and the airport’s new owner, AviAlliance. About 100 staff — including airport ambassadors, engineers, managers, and airside support — are turning up the heat for an above-inflation pay deal. They’ve already rejected a 4% pay offer, calling it out of step with the rising cost of living. Unite’s general secretary, Sharon…

Erin Napier is swapping small-town Mississippi for the misty streets of Scotland — and she’s doing it with a grin, despite a fear that once kept her closer to home. A Scotsman’s Homecoming, with Erin by His Side Fans of HGTV’s Home Town know Erin and Ben Napier for their old-house charm and Southern hospitality. But chilly Edinburgh isn’t Laurel, Mississippi. For Ben, though, this trip is personal — it’s a chance to show his roots. “Seeing his homeland with my Scotsman 🏴,” Erin wrote under a sun-dappled Instagram snap. She and Ben are bundled up in jackets and sunglasses,…

They call it a renewable milestone. Four underwater turbines off the Caithness coast, churning out clean power as tides roll in and out. But a closer look at Scotland’s MeyGen project suggests that while the tides may be free, the electricity certainly isn’t. The Numbers Beneath the Waves It sounds poetic — turbines spinning silently beneath the surf, catching the moon’s pull. Yet the money side of it is a bit less dreamy. MeyGen’s first phase, four turbines producing six megawatts, cost around £51 million back in the mid-2010s. Factor in inflation and we’re talking £66 million today — about…

Rianne Downey still pinches herself. Just a few years ago, she was busking on Sauchiehall Street, guitar case open for coins. This Sunday, she’ll stand under the bright lights at TRNSMT, her name sharing the bill with some of the biggest acts around. It’s the sort of leap that doesn’t sink in overnight. Busking Beginnings That Shaped a Star Downey’s story kicks off with the clang of spare change. She was just another hopeful voice echoing off Glasgow’s concrete, her blonde hair catching the eye as much as her raw, smoky vocals caught the ear. Back then, she’d lug her…

Tattoo artists in West Dunbartonshire say they feel “ripped off” as they’re charged licensing fees up to four times higher than anywhere else in Scotland — and they want answers. Artists Cry Foul Over “Outrageous” Costs Red and Natalie, who run River Styx studio on Main Street in Alexandria, have gone public with their frustration after discovering they’re paying £2,033.50 to renew their tattoo license — compared to just £371 in Glasgow. “I feel ripped off and annoyed,” said Red. “Anybody in West Dunbartonshire would be annoyed. Why is it £2,000 here and £400 elsewhere?” One short line: He’s not…

Scotland’s housing crisis is back in the spotlight — this time with empty homes firmly in the crosshairs. Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan has declared that it’s simply “unacceptable” for thousands of properties to sit empty while families struggle to find somewhere to live. More Officers, More Pressure McAllan wants boots on the ground. She’s pledging more funding for local councils to hire empty homes officers — people tasked with hunting down privately owned houses gathering dust and nudging, persuading or pushing owners to bring them back to life. One sentence: Scotland already spends £2 million a year supporting the Scottish…

Heading out on Sunday? Better check your train plans twice. ScotRail has announced significant service disruptions on the busy Glasgow Central–West Calder line — and the knock-on effects could frustrate weekend travellers across Cambuslang, Bellshill and beyond. What’s Actually Happening on Sunday? This Sunday, July 13, the usual train services from Glasgow Central to West Calder will come to a full stop. The reason? Planned engineering works between Holytown and West Calder. To keep passengers moving, ScotRail will roll out all-day replacement buses. These buses won’t just cover the direct route — they’ll wind through multiple towns to pick up…

A single underwater turbine off the Scottish coast is proving that tidal energy can go the distance — and maybe transform the future of clean power if investors take the bait. Six Years Spinning Under the Sea In the icy waters of the Pentland Firth, a narrow channel between the mainland and Stroma Island, four tidal turbines have quietly powered up to 7,000 homes a year. But what’s really making waves is that one of those turbines just crossed six and a half years underwater — spinning away without needing costly, disruptive maintenance. It might not sound thrilling until you…

Scottish households have been warned that the days of taking plentiful water for granted are over, as climate extremes push the nation toward serious shortages. Why Scotland’s “Plenty of Water” Myth Is Cracking It sounds odd at first, doesn’t it? A country famous for its mist, lochs and soggy football pitches now facing a water crunch. But Scottish Water’s chief, Alex Plant, says there’s a big myth that needs busting — that water in Scotland is endless. Turns out, the average Scot uses 40% more water than someone in Yorkshire. Why? Plant says people assume the rain and rivers mean…

Lower bills for Scottish households? Sounds like a no-brainer. But the UK government just closed the door on zonal electricity pricing — and the politics behind that choice are as charged as the grid itself. What Zonal Pricing Would Have Meant For years, Scotland’s abundant wind and hydro power have been a blessing — and a bone of contention. Zonal pricing would’ve set power prices based on local supply and demand. So in theory, Scots living near wind farms would pay less. Makes sense, right? Suppliers like Octopus Energy loved the idea. For rural Scots seeing turbines on every hill,…