We keep returning to this topic recently as it may affect anyone with credit cards, loans or mortgages so making decision to increase these debts could be crucial. Higher government borrowing costs could mean higher taxes, tighter public spending and more expensive mortgages.
With mortgage rates back around 6% and government borrowing costs under pressure, homebuyers face an uncomfortable question: buy now, wait for a better deal, or risk taking on a debt that could become difficult to manage? Buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments most people will make. It is also one of the easiest decisions to justify emotionally.
Following our announcement in August of Interim Community Council elections, The Highland Council is today (8 October 2026) able to confirm the candidates that have been elected to serve the Latheron, Lybster and Clyth Community Council are as follows: AMIN Younes GUNN Andrew HENDERSON Donald SINCLAIR George SUTHERLAND Anne WALSH Denise The turnout was 50.72%.
Community development trusts can do remarkable things for rural communities. But as they take on more responsibilities and public money, there is a bigger question: who are they ultimately accountable to? A recent Highlands and Islands Enterprise event in Lairg brought around 20 development trusts from Caithness and Sutherland together to discuss housing, planning, funding, digital technology and artificial intelligence.
BBC's £500 million savings programme shows there is now quite a lot more detail than when it was first announced. The BBC says the aim is roughly a 10% reduction in costs, with the programme running over the next few years.
Scotland's next Budget will not be short of money in headline terms. But that does not mean the Scottish Government will have an easy time deciding where the money goes.
Musicians, writers, artists and filmmakers are gathering in Salford to confront a question that could shape the future of the creative industries: can technology companies build fortunes from human creativity without paying the people who produced it? Artificial intelligence can write a song, produce an image, imitate a voice or generate a video in seconds. What once required years of practice, expensive equipment and hours of work can now be attempted with a few words typed into a computer.
October 2026 | A guide to the changes affecting benefits claimants across Britain, including Scotland. The benefits system is changing, and millions of households could be affected.
Britain's gambling industry is facing a major change in taxation. Online casino games are already subject to a much higher tax rate, online betting is due to become more expensive for operators from next April, and betting shops, casinos and bingo halls are watching nervously for a possible increase in the tax on physical gambling machines.
Tanks in Sellafield Ltd's Highly Active Liquor Evaporation and Storage (HALES) that had stored liquor for decades are now empty. We have completed the bulk removal of one of our oldest legacy inventories, helping reduce risk and prepare the facility for the future.
For months, artificial intelligence has been one of the great attractions of the stock market. Investors have poured money into the companies building AI systems, manufacturing the computer chips they need and constructing the enormous data centres required to run them.
The Scottish Government has promised a smaller public-sector workforce and substantial savings. But as another difficult Budget approaches, taxpayers deserve to know whether ministers will tackle the cost of government itself or leave local services to shoulder much of the burden.
For generations, the local pub was part of the fabric of British life. It was somewhere to meet friends, catch up with neighbours, watch the football, celebrate a wedding or simply have a chat at the end of the day.
With another difficult financial year approaching, Scotland’s health boards and councils face growing pressure to find savings. But can they do so without reducing services or losing staff?.
General Fusion completes the first major technical milestone of its LM26 programme with world-first fusion result co-authored by UKAEA. General Fusion Group Ltd (‘General Fusion’ or ‘The Company’), a leading fusion company, has achieved a historic compressional plasma heating result with its large-scale Lawson Machine 26 (LM26) demonstration.
Results from the June Agricultural Census 2026 were published today and show that the number of cattle increased for the first time since 2021. In 2026, there were 1.67 million cattle, an increase of 0.7% compared with last year and 1.3% below the five-year average (2021 to 2025).
Work starts on one of Scotland’s largest brownfield regeneration schemes. First Minister John Swinney has marked the start of construction on one of Scotland's largest net zero housing developments, bringing the first phase of the Granton Waterfront regeneration project under way.
£10m for skills programme to help tackle poverty. Up to 2,400 parents will be able to access training at colleges across Scotland to enter or progress in work.
Expanded Hospital at Home services, a public awareness campaign and targeted investment to reduce waiting lists are all part of a newly-unveiled health preparedness plan for winter. A collective effort is critical in the months ahead to ease pressures on the NHS, Health Secretary Angela Constance said as she launched the new national winter health plan.
Projects to support an estimated 122 jobs in coastal and island communities. Ninety-nine seafood and aquaculture projects will share in more than £16 million of Scottish Government funding, supporting an estimated 122 jobs in coastal and island communities.