menu_open Columnists

Herald Scotland

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

It feels like we're back in the 1980s - and I don't mean that in a good way

It feels like we're back in the 1980s - and I don't mean that in a good way

It is a strange world we live in when the Scottish Greens are leading the fight against oil and gas jobs being lost in their thousands, argues...

yesterday 2

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

SNP U-turns on heat pumps and burning logs leave Scots householders out in the cold

SNP U-turns on heat pumps and burning logs leave Scots householders out in the cold

As the Scottish Government drops legislation for greener heating for the second time in a year, Herald columnist Rosemary Goring asks what policy...

yesterday 1

Herald Scotland

Rosemary Goring

Dram loving food writer with a passion for Skye

Dram loving food writer with a passion for Skye

LAST night, as I write, I was re-reading The Road to Mingulay and Derek Cooper’s passionate rage against the appropriation of land in Scotland for...

yesterday 1

Herald Scotland

Robert Mcneil

From bonfire nights to baby cuddles: a year of change on the Isle of Rum

From bonfire nights to baby cuddles: a year of change on the Isle of Rum

A year ago I was hauling logs on Rum for our first island winter. This birthday, I held my newborn son on the mainland and wondered how life...

yesterday 1

Herald Scotland

Elle Duffy

A new dawn in environmental regulation is here: here's why it matters

A new dawn in environmental regulation is here: here's why it matters

Protecting our environment is a responsibility that rests with us all, and it’s not something we can achieve unless we have the courage to...

yesterday 1

Herald Scotland

Nicole Paterson

City urged to be bold as tram extension seen as key to Edinburgh’s future

City urged to be bold as tram extension seen as key to Edinburgh’s future

Edinburgh faces a choice over its future transport network, with thousands responding to proposals for a tram extension aimed at easing pressure...

yesterday 1

Herald Scotland

Stephen Jenkinson

The last building left. But the change at Govan Docks has finally started

The last building left. But the change at Govan Docks has finally started

It is the last building left standing at Govan Docks but it's now at the centre of ambitious plans for change, says Herald columnist Mark Smith...

previous day 4

Herald Scotland

Mark Smith

Failures exposed in council’s £26m spend on unlicensed accommodation

Failures exposed in council’s £26m spend on unlicensed accommodation

Edinburgh Council’s prolonged illegal use of unlicensed accommodation was an embarrassing failure of leadership and a gift for unscrupulous...

previous day 4

Herald Scotland

John Mclellan

Never mind Donald Trump - where is the BBC's apology to Palestinians?

Never mind Donald Trump - where is the BBC's apology to Palestinians?

US President Donald Trump's threats to sue the BBC over an edit of his 6 January 2021 speech have been met with a swift apology and the resignation...

previous day 3

Herald Scotland

Khudejha Asghar

COP30 has shown us that water efficiency is essential for all

COP30 has shown us that water efficiency is essential for all

C OP30 — the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference — has shown that water efficiency is an opportunity and not an obstacle, argues Deirdre...

previous day 3

Herald Scotland

Deirdre Michie

Sarwar blames Swinney for Scotland’s woes as First Minister renews independence pitch

Sarwar blames Swinney for Scotland’s woes as First Minister renews independence pitch

As Labour’s Anas Sarwar blames John Swinney personally for Scotland’s problems, Brian Taylor examines the First Minister’s renewed arguments for...

previous day 3

Herald Scotland

Brian Taylor

Please, Chancellor: Let’s have a Budget for fairness and compassion

Please, Chancellor: Let’s have a Budget for fairness and compassion

It’s difficult not to have some degree of empathy for the Chancellor ahead of Wednesday’s Budget. After all, when everything is broken, when...

previous day 4

Herald Scotland

David Hilferty

At last, good news for Glasgow Airport on transatlantic flights

At last, good news for Glasgow Airport on transatlantic flights

Glasgow Airport has had the rebuilding of transatlantic connectivity firmly on its radar for a long time, writes Business Editor Ian McConnell ....

friday 3

Herald Scotland

Ian Mcconnell

Scotland may not have its own Farage yet, but the conditions are falling into place

Scotland may not have its own Farage yet, but the conditions are falling into place

As England and Wales continue to gravitate towards Nigel Farage , Scotland looks likely to turn to the SNP again. But Andy Maciver argues that we...

friday 3

Herald Scotland

Andy Maciver

Is Labour finished in Scotland? Sarwar’s fading hopes point to SNP staying in power

Is Labour finished in Scotland? Sarwar’s fading hopes point to SNP staying in power

Few Scots would now consider voting Labour in the upcoming Holyrood elections as Anas Sarwar’s hopes of becoming First Minister continue to fade,...

friday 3

Herald Scotland

Mark Mcgeoghegan

A step back is wise before the wedding march

A step back is wise before the wedding march

Before an SME becomes committed to a funding partner it’s crucial to ensure it is the best match for your particular business requirements Choosing...

friday 3

Herald Scotland

Community Contributor

Epstein is Trump’s breaking point – and Greene shows where MAGA’s limits lie

Epstein is Trump’s breaking point – and Greene shows where MAGA’s limits lie

The power dynamic in the Trump movement has shifted, Neil Mackay argues, with his most loyal supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene turning on the...

20.11.2025 1

Herald Scotland

Neil Mackay

Mossmorran no more – but what did the Scottish Government know and when?

Mossmorran no more – but what did the Scottish Government know and when?

ExxonMobil’s decision to shut its Fife plant was driven by global strategy, not government failure. Brian Wilson argues that honesty and...

20.11.2025 4

Herald Scotland

Brian Wilson

So, are the Ramones just not cool anymore?

So, are the Ramones just not cool anymore?

The Ramones came back into fashion a decade or so ago, but interest in the band has withered away since, says Derek McArthur. Are the punk pioneers...

20.11.2025 4

Herald Scotland

Derek Mcarthur

I love trams but the ones on Roseburn Path could hit 40mph - we need a rethink

I love trams but the ones on Roseburn Path could hit 40mph - we need a rethink

The Roseburn Path in Edinburgh, a disused railway line now being considered as a new tram path, is a vibrant wildlife corridor. If the plan goes...

20.11.2025 2

Herald Scotland

Rebecca Mcquillan

Has this selfish stunt just made the Duke of Wellington's cone meaningful again?

Has this selfish stunt just made the Duke of Wellington's cone meaningful again?

When people take an iconic act of Glasgow's civil disobedience and turn it into a mindless act of self-promotion, it reminds us all why the Duke of...

20.11.2025 3

Herald Scotland

Marissa Macwhirter

Migration crisis is likely to get worse as birth rates soar

Migration crisis is likely to get worse as birth rates soar

Migration pressures will only grow as climate change , conflict and demographics collide. Without bold, long-term action, Britain faces a future of...

20.11.2025 5

Herald Scotland

George Fergusson

How Labour can use the Budget to reconnect with the public

How Labour can use the Budget to reconnect with the public

This article appears as part of the  Unspun: Scottish Politics  newsletter. For Labour these are ‘strange days indeed’, as John Lennon once...

20.11.2025 2

Herald Scotland

Douglas Beattie

Teaching in Scotland is 'not for the faint of heart'... but we can all help

Teaching in Scotland is 'not for the faint of heart'... but we can all help

This article appears as part of the  Lessons to Learn  newsletter. To be fair, teaching has never been the right job choice for anyone looking for...

20.11.2025 2

Herald Scotland

Garrett Baylor Stell

Exciting prospect as Scottish airport with proud history awaits government call

Exciting prospect as Scottish airport with proud history awaits government call

Prestwick Airport is looking to a bright future which hopefully even those who moaned for so long about its rescue might cheer, writes Business...

19.11.2025 5

Herald Scotland

Ian Mcconnell

It's International Men's Day - so how can we get more males into caring jobs?

It's International Men's Day - so how can we get more males into caring jobs?

It is International Men’s Day today; key themes include the promotion of positive conversations about men and a celebration of the contribution...

19.11.2025 2

Herald Scotland

Karen Watchman And Kathryn Mackay

Sorry, Shabana, but your tub-thumping won't solve the immigration problem

Sorry, Shabana, but your tub-thumping won't solve the immigration problem

Labour’s new-found willingness to get tough on asylum seekers may appease a few on the hard right, but will do nothing to tackle the bigger problem...

19.11.2025 2

Herald Scotland

Carlos Alba

It's high time that Generation Scruff learned to polish their bloody shoes

It's high time that Generation Scruff learned to polish their bloody shoes

Individualism has become a curse within organisational workplaces as being your authentic self is deemed of greater importance than portraying a...

19.11.2025 2

Herald Scotland

Calum Steele

I’m a Glasgow councillor fighting for freedom of speech – here’s why

I’m a Glasgow councillor fighting for freedom of speech – here’s why

Glasgow city councillor Fiona Higgins has argued that her right to freedom of speech is under threat after being reported to the Ethical Standards...

19.11.2025 1

Herald Scotland

Fiona Higgins