News Archive

16/2/2026

Healthy Food in Caithness and Sutherland: A Public?Health Emergency We Can No Longer Ignore

Caithness and Sutherland are some of the most beautiful places in Scotland but beauty doesn't put fresh food on the table.  For too long, the far north has been treated as an afterthought in national food policy, public‑health planning, and economic development.  

16/2/2026

Government Offers Grants For Technology But 10 Reasons Not to Start Drinking Alcohol

New technology to help combat drug and alcohol addiction.   Before Anyone Gets Addicted perhaps sticking to soft drinks would be better and a major help for the bank balance.  

15/2/2026

Hidden Harvest: What the Wick Cannabis Farm Raid Reveals About Illegal Growing and Risks to Property Owners

Earlier this year, a major police operation uncovered a sophisticated illegal cannabis farm worth an estimated £7.1 million in the long-vacant buildings of the former Wick High School.  Officers found more than 5,900 plants and dried product inside the derelict site, and seven people were arrested and charged in connection with the discovery.  

15/2/2026

 
The Borrow Until You Die strategy: the Government does NOT want you to know BUT read the caveats

Michelle Eames explains the strategies to avoid taxes legally and keeping assets with borrowing rather than selling to get money.   BUT some caveats you need to think about.  

15/2/2026

Borders to Caithness: Why Scotland's Wind Farm Battles Reveal a Growing Rift Between Local Voices and National Planning

Large wind farm proposals in Scotland generally those with more than 50 megawatts of capacity are not decided by local planning committees.  Instead, they fall under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, which means they are treated as nationally significant infrastructure projects and determined by Scottish Ministers through the Energy Consents Unit (ECU).  

15/2/2026

NHS Scotland Under Strain: Rising Stages, Hidden Crises, and What the Public Isn't Being Told

NHS Scotland is facing mounting pressure, and recent escalations of health boards through the Support and Intervention Framework suggest that the system is under more stress than many realise.  The framework, designed to provide structured oversight, may also be obscuring the true severity of the challenges for the public.  

15/2/2026

 
Lasers or Non-Kinetic Weapons: Why Britain's Drone Defence Future Won't Be Decided by a Single Technology

The rapid proliferation of military and commercial drones has forced armed forces around the world to rethink how air defence works.  Cheap, expendable, and increasingly autonomous drones often deployed in swarms have exposed the limits of traditional missile-based air defence systems that are expensive, finite, and ill-suited to dealing with large numbers of small aerial targets.  

15/2/2026

Renting in Scotland in 2026: What the New Rules Mean for Tenants

For tenants in Scotland, renting has changed significantly over the past decade and more changes are on the way.  While much of the debate focuses on landlords and supply, the direction of travel is clear.  

15/2/2026

Enemy weapons detector in the hands of soldiers five years early

New acoustic weapon detection system will help keep soldier safe on the battlefield by helping to locate and target positions of enemy gunfire, mortars and explosions.   250 jobs across the country sustained after new contract signed with Leonardo UK.  

15/2/2026

Some Reminders For Landlords or Potential Landlords

Over the past few years there have been changes in respect of the legal aspects of private letting of properties.  One rule some landlords advertising on this web site is forgetting to enter their landlord registration number - a legal requirement.  

15/2/2026

Five years of Scottish Child Payment

Scottish Child Payment has supported more than 241,000 parents and carers since its launch five years ago, helping put over £1.3 billion into the pockets of low-income families.   An increase to the payment for children under one will be introduced during 2027/28, estimated to benefit around 12,000 children and could be worth an extra £500 a year for each eligible child.  

15/2/2026

 
UK Carrier Strike Group to deploy to North Atlantic to keep UK safe

UK will bolster regional security by deploying a Carrier Strike Group to the North Atlantic and High North UK to deploy Carrier Strike Group to the North Atlantic and High North in 2026 in a major boost for regional security.   Powerful show of force with Royal Navy warships, F-35 jets and helicopters to deter Russian aggression and protect vital undersea infrastructure.  

15/2/2026

Wet wipes containing plastic to be banned

The sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic in Scotland will be banned from 11 August 2027 under regulations published today.   Wet wipes containing plastic are a common and persistent source of marine litter and can break down into microplastics over time, harming the natural environment.  

15/2/2026

 
New employer grant to boost quality in early years education

A new package of support will help early years settings strengthen their workforce and improve outcomes for children from the very start.   Early years staff across the country will be supported to upskill and qualify as teachers through new paid degree apprenticeships, as the government marks the close of National Apprenticeship Week and continues its work to raise the quality of early education and improve children's life chances.  

15/2/2026

The End of the Zombie Firm Era? Why Market Discipline Is Returning and What It Means for Workers

For much of the past decade, the UK economy has been characterised by an unusual phenomenon.  The prolonged survival of older, less productive firms that, in earlier eras, would likely have exited the market.  

15/2/2026

Reforming social care: Carers to help shape local services

Unpaid carers, disabled people and people with lived experience of social care will have a say on local services after Scottish Parliament regulations come into force.   Social Care Minister Tom Arthur tabled an order giving service users and third sector organisations a vote during integration joint board decision making.  

14/2/2026

Foreign Companies and Governments Now Own Much of the UK Energy Infrastructure - Should It Be Changed

A number of major parts of the UK's energy infrastructure (especially the wires and pipes that deliver electricity and gas) are owned or controlled by foreign companies, institutions or investors.  That doesn't automatically mean they're doing anything illegal or hostile, but it does mean profits and dividends often flow overseas rather than staying entirely within the UK economy.  

14/2/2026 : Local Authority

Highland Council to Progress Consultation on Two Proposed Short Term Let Control Areas

The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee has given support to progress to public consultation on two proposed Short Term Let Control Areas (STLCAs), reflecting the differing pressures on housing in Inverness City and across rural Highland communities.   The decision to do so is based on growing numbers of residential dwellings being converted to short term lets, alongside Housing Market Area assessments that indicate market pressures, higher house prices, limited affordability, and higher proportions of sales to buyers from outwith the area.  

14/2/2026

 
You Won't Believe How Great the UK Economy Will Do in 2026

Last year, the UK economy grew by just 1.3%, which continues a trend of disappointing performance.  Growth was so slow, real GDP per capita actually fell in the last half of 2025.  

14/2/2026

 
Buy Borrow Die: Why HMRC Doesn't Want You to Understand This

The video explains how he tax system keeps on taking from you.  Then listen to the explanation on how you might do better..