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Airline reveals plans for new Scottish flights

Airline reveals plans for new Scottish flights

It is good to hear of the major airline's plans for new Scottish flights , writes Business Editor Ian McConnell, who says this is good news for...

yesterday 1

Herald Scotland

Ian Mcconnell

Are you wearing the ‘wrong’ band T-shirt? I am, and I don't care

Are you wearing the ‘wrong’ band T-shirt? I am, and I don't care

Some bands are better than others in a world that judges your T-shirt, says Mark Smith So I was off to the Barras for a gig on Thursday and got the...

yesterday 1

Herald Scotland

Mark Smith

UK politics descends into chaos while real questions go unanswered

UK politics descends into chaos while real questions go unanswered

As Westminster descends into infighting ahead of the Budget , Roz Foyer argues that tackling extreme wealth inequality – through fairer taxes and...

yesterday 4

Herald Scotland

Roz Foyer

Beyond fossil fuels: Why workers can’t be left behind in the green shift

Beyond fossil fuels: Why workers can’t be left behind in the green shift

When the gates closed for the last time at Grangemouth, they didn’t just shut an oil refinery – they closed a chapter of Scotland’s industrial...

yesterday 2

Herald Scotland

Chris Law

Don't blink as some potentially seismic shifts are coming soon

Don't blink as some potentially seismic shifts are coming soon

As we approach the end of another year, it’s tempting to focus on the usual seasonal markers — shorter days, the rush to wrap up projects, and the...

yesterday 1

Herald Scotland

Paul Sheerin

Sorry, Alan, but the tide has turned on the nonsensical gender ideology era

Sorry, Alan, but the tide has turned on the nonsensical gender ideology era

I am tempted to view recent developments around sex and gender as a turning of the tide. It’s as though a secret signal had been received warning...

previous day 20

Herald Scotland

Kevin Mckenna

Ministers should stop fining CalMac until they get new ferries

Ministers should stop fining CalMac until they get new ferries

CalMac b eing fined millions of pounds for poor performance is a nonsense as the blames lies entirely with ministers f or poor planning, argues...

previous day 1

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Why the fight over fair trials and rape shield laws is far from over

Why the fight over fair trials and rape shield laws is far from over

The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on Scotland’s rape shield laws has sparked fears of appeals and delays, raising difficult questions about how...

previous day 2

Herald Scotland

Dani Garavelli

Stars fade and our island awaits: we return to Rum with our baby

Stars fade and our island awaits: we return to Rum with our baby

After a month away and the arrival of our newborn son, we return to the Isle of Rum under a canopy of stars — navigating nappies, ferry timetables,...

previous day 4

Herald Scotland

Elle Duffy

Watch with care: how the BBC has been rewriting our history

Watch with care: how the BBC has been rewriting our history

The Panorama Trump debacle is only one part of the BBC's problems: the way it does history is deeply flawed, says Herald columnist Mark Smith...

saturday 1

Herald Scotland

Mark Smith

Trams extension could transform Edinburgh - but it's not going to happen. Here's why

Trams extension could transform Edinburgh - but it's not going to happen. Here's why

Unless the Scottish Government changes its attitude to investment in Edinburgh ’s economy and infrastructure, plans to extend the city’s tram...

saturday 4

Herald Scotland

John Mclellan

Sarwar seeks calm as Starmer weathers leadership storm

Sarwar seeks calm as Starmer weathers leadership storm

As the Prime Minister dismisses talk about a threat to his leadership, Brian Taylor examines the quandary facing the Scottish Labour leader.  Let...

saturday 2

Herald Scotland

Brian Taylor

‘Honest John’ gets caught out over Scottish income tax levels

‘Honest John’ gets caught out over Scottish income tax levels

Scotland’s tangled income tax system delivers pennies to the low-paid while hammering middle earners and driving talent away — all to fund a...

saturday 2

Herald Scotland

Guy Stenhouse

From advice to action: improving access to disability payments in Scotland

From advice to action: improving access to disability payments in Scotland

Living with a disability or long-term health condition has perhaps never felt more challenging for people in Scotland. After years of austerity,...

saturday 1

Herald Scotland

Erica Young

Even when Scotland gets a global thumbs-up financially the SNP get zero credit

Even when Scotland gets a global thumbs-up financially the SNP get zero credit

In Scotland, any news – even good news – is subjected to partisan point-scoring. It means we repeatedly fail to have the debates we really need,...

14.11.2025 2

Herald Scotland

Neil Mackay

So far, so great. So what now for 'beating heart' of city?

So far, so great. So what now for 'beating heart' of city?

The Scottish Event Campus has achieved a huge deal during its first 40 years, writes Business Editor Ian McConnell. However, a warning from its...

14.11.2025 1

Herald Scotland

Ian Mcconnell

If I could, I’d take bbc.co.uk offline – it’s killing Scottish journalism

If I could, I’d take bbc.co.uk offline – it’s killing Scottish journalism

As the country once again debates the impartiality of the BBC , Herald columnist Andy Maciver argues that the license fee should be scrapped, that...

14.11.2025 2

Herald Scotland

Andy Maciver

Britain at the brink: How Labour’s budget could turn disillusionment into anger

Britain at the brink: How Labour’s budget could turn disillusionment into anger

By breaking their promises on tax in the upcoming Budget, Labour risk not just deepening distrust in politics but animating the politics of anger,...

14.11.2025 3

Herald Scotland

Mark Mcgeoghegan

Our collective sense of taste disappeared once Funko Pops became popular

Our collective sense of taste disappeared once Funko Pops became popular

The extinction of the Funko Pop draws near, and arts columnist Derek McArthur explains why he is ecstatic that the vinyl figurines are finally...

14.11.2025 1

Herald Scotland

Derek Mcarthur

Muscatelli’s wake-up call: Growth, skills and the power shift Scotland needs

Muscatelli’s wake-up call: Growth, skills and the power shift Scotland needs

Sir Anton Muscatelli’s independent report calls for a radical rethink of Scotland’s economic strategy — shifting power to regions, prioritising...

13.11.2025 7

Herald Scotland

Brian Wilson

Scotland will be Starmer’s Waterloo … unless he takes this one daring gamble

Scotland will be Starmer’s Waterloo … unless he takes this one daring gamble

The Labour Party is now fighting like cats in a sack, and the Prime Minister risks being ousted after May’s elections unless he is brave enough to...

13.11.2025 1

Herald Scotland

Neil Mackay

Why everyone loves to laugh at the Stockbridge small-plates glitterati

Why everyone loves to laugh at the Stockbridge small-plates glitterati

What does it mean to be cool? Columnist Marissa MacWhirter asks if we have reached post-irony, and if following the herd is finally in vogue “Look,...

13.11.2025 5

Herald Scotland

Marissa Macwhirter

Why won't this rural council defend their education principles?

Why won't this rural council defend their education principles?

This article appears as part of the  Lessons to Learn  newsletter. As of this week, councillors in Dumfries and Galloway have approved a new...

13.11.2025 4

Herald Scotland

James Mcenaney

In praise of unsung heroes: The carers who made my mum’s last years beautiful

In praise of unsung heroes: The carers who made my mum’s last years beautiful

Amid headlines of neglect and failure, one care home showed what dignity and compassion in later life can truly look like — and why carers deserve...

13.11.2025 3

Herald Scotland

Maureen Sugden