Category: Scotland

Tax Rises May Force Richer Scots to Move to England: Think Tank

Scotland’s increasingly progressive tax system may force richer residents to move across the border into England, where taxes for higher earners are lower, a think tank has warned. Under the Scottish government’s draft budget for 2023–24, initially announced in December, taxes on the highest earners in Scotland will increase in response to rising inflation. Changes…


Orkney Islands: A Neolithic Pilgrimage | Arkeo Ep13 | Documentary

On the borders of Scotland, in the Orkney Islands, archaeologists have been digging for nearly 13 years the remains of a mysterious set of very large buildings surrounded by a massive stone wall erected during the late Neolithic. …


The Best Bucket List Golf Experiences

Some say the game of golf began in Scotland around the year 1450 when players would use a stick to hit pebbles over obstacles and along a pre-determined path. Others claim the Dutch invented the game around 1290, calling it “colf.” It was actually banned in Brussels in 1360, with a fine of 20 shillings…


Starmer Voices ‘Concerns’ Over Scotland’s Law Allowing Gender Self-ID

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer on Sunday said he has “concerns” over Scotland’s new law that would allow 16-year-olds to legally change their gender. The opposition leader told the BBC that he does not think 16-year-olds are old enough to make the decision, but he refused to be drawn on whether he would block the law…


Free Speech Under Threat from Police in Scotland, Says Index on Censorship

Freedom of expression is under threat in Scotland because the police are increasingly recording non-crimes as “hate incidents,” the watchdog Index on Censorship has warned. Guidance from the College of Policing, the professional body for officers in England and Wales, suggests officers should log a non-crime hate incident if it is “perceived to be” motivated by…


Scottish Independence Supporters Regroup After Court Dampens Referendum Plans

“You’ve got to provide a vision,” says journalist Lesley Riddoch. “It’s the only way any political change happens.” This is the challenge for pro-independence campaigners like the award-winning Riddoch, born in Northern Ireland to Highland Scots parents, who came out for “Yes” in the referendum on Scottish independence in 2014. Scots voted “No.” But the…


Record Number of Prisoners Dying in Scottish Jails, With Drugs and Suicide to Blame

Deaths in Scottish prisons have reached record levels in the last three years and only a fraction of the number were as a result of COVID-19, say researchers from the University of Glasgow. In their report the team, led by Sarah Armstrong, a professor of criminology, found there had been 121 deaths in jails in Scotland…


Rugby Star and ALS Campaigner Doddie Weir Dies at 52

EDINBURGH, Scotland—Doddie Weir, a former Scotland rugby player whose diagnosis with Lou Gehrig’s disease led to a campaign for more research into ALS, has died at the age of 52. The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) announced Weir’s death on Saturday. The lock played 61 times for Scotland and was famed for his crunching tackles and…


Stirling Castle: Scotland’s Glorious Treasure

Strategically located between the Highlands and the Lowlands, Stirling Castle is set high on a volcanic outcrop in Stirling, Scotland. The medieval estate hosts numerous buildings in varied architectural styles, reflecting the castle’s fascinating past and legacy. Over the centuries, new buildings were added to the oldest surviving part of the castle, the North Gate….


UK’s Shetland Cut Off From World After 2 Undersea Cables Damaged in ‘Very Rare’ Incident

Thousands of residents on Britain’s Shetland Islands are without phone and internet services after two undersea telecommunications cables were damaged just days apart, a situation that has been described as “very rare.” Residents on the remote Scottish archipelago have not been able to access telecommunication services since the early hours of Oct. 20 due to…