It’s been a tough stretch for global headlines energy shocks, rising oil prices, geopolitical tension, and inflation worries. But beneath all that noise, there are real, meaningful bright spots in the business world.
The headlines about raising the UK State Pension age possibly to 68 earlier, and even 69 for younger workers naturally make people wonder what this means for their private pensions, workplace pensions, and company schemes. The good news is simple.
Europe entered 2026 believing it had stabilised its energy system after the shock of losing Russian pipeline gas. Storage was high, LNG imports were strong, and governments were confident that diversification had worked.
The latest escalation between the United States, Israel, and Iran has created one of the most dangerous environments for global LNG supply in decades. Unlike oil, which has multiple export routes and large global reserves, LNG is highly concentrated, infrastructure‑dependent, and far less flexible.
Share your ideas and help shape the places, spaces and communities of tomorrow. The Highland Council is inviting people to share their ideas relating to the development or long-term land use in Highland.
For Greg MacLeod of Precision Plumbing in Thurso, support from Caithness Business Fund helped reduce the pressure of taking on and training an apprentice, giving the business a safety net while investing in future skills. “Support from Caithness Business Fund has been a huge benefit to our business.
A major new battery energy storage project in Caithness has been given the final go-ahead by the Scottish Government, despite attracting significant objections during the planning process. The decision highlights the growing importance of electricity storage as Scotland continues to expand renewable energy generation, particularly in the north of the country, where vast amounts of wind power are already produced.
Update Today as Donald Trump changes his mind to remove threat of tolls. The latest development is actually a rapid policy reversal.
Whenever a new political party prepares for government, one question always follows close behind. "How will it pay for its promises?".
When politicians argue about whether the economy is growing or shrinking, they usually point to GDP figures, inflation or unemployment rates. Those are important, but they are also backward-looking.
When people hear that oil prices are rising, one of the first questions they often ask is: "But has the world actually run out of oil?". Usually, the answer is no.
Just a few weeks ago, many analysts thought oil prices would remain relatively stable through the summer. Instead, Brent crude has climbed back above $84 a barrel, raising fresh concerns about what might happen next.
For many people, the biggest question about the economy is not whether GDP is growing or whether inflation has fallen. It is much simpler: "Am I better off than I was a few years ago?" A new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) argues that, for millions of households, the answer is still no.
For many people, having a job is seen as the route to financial security. But what happens when the job itself is uncertain?.
If you've tried to follow the stream of major energy projects proposed for Caithness over the past few years, you could be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed. There are wind farms, battery storage facilities, substations, transmission lines, converter stations, worker accommodation, harbour improvements and new electricity infrastructure.
A new ONS Business Insights survey reveals a sharp year-on-year rise in heat-related disruption to manufacturers. With retail businesses close behind and concerningly, far fewer transport & storage firms have taken action to adapt to temperature increases than manufacturers or retailers, warns the home delivery expert Parcelhero.
Scotland is often described as an energy-rich nation. We generate huge amounts of renewable electricity.
Drive across Caithness, Sutherland or the Highlands today and it is impossible to miss Scotland's energy revolution. Wind turbines dominate many skylines.
Every government faces difficult financial decisions, but Scotland's choices are becoming increasingly complex. On one hand, tax revenues have been rising.
It is one of the questions many people ask every time their electricity bill arrives. Scotland regularly produces more electricity than it needs.