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Alan Simpson

Alan Simpson

Herald Scotland

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Ministers need to increasing funding for Gaelic broadcasting before it's too late

Ministers need to increasing funding for Gaelic broadcasting before it's too late

The issue of Gaelic road signs on the country’s roads can, for some unknown reason, illicit all sorts of irrational responses. To some, bizarrely,...

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Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Why ministers should drop Israel-linked firm from ScotRail tender process

Why ministers should drop Israel-linked firm from ScotRail tender process

Over the years, there have been many different excuses put forward for trains being delayed, from leaves on the line to the wrong type of snow....

28.09.2026 30

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Now is the time to scrap free tuition at Scotland's universities

The glittering list of achievements by graduates of Scotland’s ancient universities reads like the ultimate who's who list across various...

21.09.2026 30

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Police delivered customers’ takeaways. Is this really the best use of their time?

I have always been a bit of a fan of police and crime dramas, even the really bad ones, and they have taught me some valuable lessons down the years....

14.09.2026 20

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Why it may be the vessels and not the yard to blame for latest CalMac ferry delay

Recent reports have suggested a surge in whale and dolphin sightings around the coast, which is being attributed mainly to the weather, which is...

07.09.2026 30

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Bill for A9 consultancy fees is final insult to hard-pressed Highlanders

It was nearly 20 years ago when the then first minister Alex Salmond announced that the A9 would be fully dualled between Inverness and Perth. Three...

31.08.2026 20

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Greens backed bid to make the morning roll a UNESCO treasure is utterly ridiculous

Scotland’s larder is acclaimed across the world and many of its premium produce finds its way onto some of the finest dining establishments and it...

24.08.2026 20

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Why building more council houses could solve Scotland's housing crisis

Around five decades ago, council housing made up more than half of all homes in Scotland with many areas enjoying a strong community spirit that has...

17.08.2026 30

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Flights subsidy row shows islanders' transport needs are still being forgotten

Every day, if they so choose, civil servants in Edinburgh can turn around in their plush, leather chairs and look out across the First of Forth to...

10.08.2026 40

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Scotland should look at Andy Burnham’s new Neet plan with interest

WHEN he was President of the US, Ronald Reagan used to enjoy cracking jokes during TV addresses, mainly at the expense of the Soviet Union and his...

03.08.2026 30

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Scotland should look at Andy Burnham's NEET plan with interest

When he was President of the US, Ronald Reagan used to enjoy cracking jokes during TV addresses, mainly at the expense of the Soviet Union and his...

03.08.2026 30

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Public information films, wildfires and the case for a disposable barbecue ban

Back in the day, public information films were a regular thing on TV screens and were guaranteed to put the fear of God into any youngster with the...

27.07.2026 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

French bin collection system could work in Scotland with a few tweaks

I have just returned from a sojourn to rural France and very pleasant it was too apart from the heat and road chaos caused by a few cyclists. The area...

20.07.2026 30

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Why Ferguson Marine’s £500m Glen Rosa and Glen Sannox saga still matters

The term Clyde-built used to be synonymous with excellence, with yards on the river once building one third of the world’s merchant vessels. Yards...

29.06.2026 40

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Starmer is blocking the wrong people from social media - here is who he should ban

I recently came across the bizarre but fascinating fact that the internet weighs approximately 60 grams. Quite how that figure was reached is beyond...

21.06.2026 40

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Scotland's £1.94bn A9 tender is welcome — but why has it taken this long?

Elvis Presley is not everyone's cup of tea. Many think of him as simply the King, while others, including myself reckon he was a tad overrated....

15.06.2026 40

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Who is to blame for drunk passengers, airlines or airport bar staff?

Airlines have a responsibility to prevent drunk passengers flying but they do need a helping hand from airport bar staff, argues Herald columnist Alan...

11.05.2026 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Is eco-grief really just a cry for attention?

Eco-grief is something that matters to victims but it could offer an excuse for the permanently angry to annoy themselves with, argues herald...

04.05.2026 60

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Users only have themselves to blame for blanket ban on campervans

Tourist hotspots are now introducing blanket bans on motorhomes and campervans amid soaring popularity. Many users only have themselves to blame for...

27.04.2026 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

The high-stakes CalMac green ferry gamble that wasn't worth the risk

The great green ferry dream has turned into a nightmare for islanders and sunk a shipyard in the process. It really wasn't worth the risk, argues...

20.04.2026 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Energy Secretary Miliband must approve these North Sea oil fields now

Given the current turmoil in the global energy market, UK government ministers need to end their hostility to the North Sea and approve new licences,...

13.04.2026 60

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Why Pennan residents need a new local hero and not silly rules about windows

The village of Pennan may be global film star but its conservation status is not helping locals to maintain a sustainable life and must be eased,...

23.03.2026 70

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Broken propeller sums up sorry saga of over-budget and delayed Calmac ferries

A broken propeller found on one of the two over-budget and much delayed Calmac ferries sums up perfectly the whole sorry saga, argues Herald columnist...

16.03.2026 80

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

The casual indifference repeatedly letting rural Scots down

A curious planning refusal in Dumfries and Galloway encapsulates a casual indifference to the very real problems that exist in rural Scotland, writes...

09.03.2026 60

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Fixed link plan could be a tunnel of love or a bridge too far for Mull

Objectors to a new home overlooking Calgary Bay on Mull could soon have a much larger reason to be fearful after plans were unveiled to build a tunnel...

02.03.2026 90

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Time to wave goodbye to hopes of harnessing the power of the seas

Ministers pulling funding from a wave energy body shows that it may be time to finally admit that we cannot harness the power of the seas, argues...

23.02.2026 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Rail fares freeze is election con-trick that passengers will still have to pay for

The recently announced rail fares freeze is nothing more than a pre-election con trick and passengers will have to foot the bill eventually, argues...

16.02.2026 150

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

'I'm a regular user of this notorious trunk road and it badly needs an upgrade'

Politicians should stop promising to build things that they cannot deliver such as the A96 which remains without significant upgrades and is...

03.02.2026 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

'Let them eat guga': Politicians should have no say on banning islanders hunt

A petition to ban the practice of hunting baby gannets may have gathered the most signatories at Holyrood but islanders should be allowed to carry on,...

26.01.2026 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Hyslop defending CalMac's record repair bill is a real ferry fiasco

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop is left to defend the indefensible over record ferry repair bill, caused primarily by the Government she serves,...

12.01.2026 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Politicians should stop declaring war on motorists to solve any crisis

Politicians should stop declaring war o n motorists to solve any crisis that comes along and should invest in alternatives instead, argues Herald...

29.12.2025 40

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

You're going to need a cheaper boat: Common sense prevails over Clyde fees

Plans by a ports giant to charge recreational sailors a fee to effectively sail down the Clyde was a disgrace and have rightfully been scrapped after...

22.12.2025 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Now is the time for a total reboot of the 'Insta Highway' NC500

A new report into the impact of the NC500 on the local communities along the route offers a golden opportunity for a total reboot that benefits...

15.12.2025 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

How offering cold, hard cash could just solve the depopulation crisis

Offering cash incentives to entice young professionals to live in rural Scotland could just solve the depopulation crisis and should be considered,...

08.12.2025 40

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

It is no surprise that rural Scots are angry about public transport

A new survey has revealed that rural Scots are dissatisfied about public transport in their areas and it is little wonder. Ministers must act to...

01.12.2025 40

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

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 Herald...

24.11.2025 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

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 Herald...

17.11.2025 40

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

The train arriving on Platform 1 is around a decade too late, probably

ScotRail has just ordered new rolling stock for the railway network, but while it is welcome it may lead to capacity issues over the next decade,...

10.11.2025 40

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

The 400,000 reasons that Argyll locals can finally rest and be thankful

More than 400, 000 trees have been planted on the mountai n above the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll, but this should have been done years ago, argues...

03.11.2025 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Relying on Filipino welders due to skills shortage is a national embarrassment

Rosyth shipyard is having to use 300 Filipino welders due to a skills shortage in Scotland, which is a national embarrassment, argues Herald columnist...

27.10.2025 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Israel's actions in Gaza are abhorrent, but can you really blame them?

Israel's actions against Hamas in are abhorrent, but given the history of the area, can anyone really blame them? argues Herald columnist Alan...

29.09.2025 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Ferries, trains and automobiles - the Scots sequel that's just not funny

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop convened a recent summit to hail the sector in Scotland, but there is not much to applaud in the government's record,...

22.09.2025 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Medics are right - politicians should consider charges in Scotland's NHS

Senior medics are calling for ministers to introduce charges in the NHS and they are right, argues Herald columnist Alan Simpson. It was launched...

15.09.2025 70

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

There's nothing 'peak about Scotrail - apart from the cost

Recently, I had the good fortune to attend a do in the Hillfoots town of Alloa and very pleasant it was too. When I say good fortune, what I...

08.09.2025 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Turkish delight for islanders as new CalMac ferry sets sail

If you had been lucky enough to be lounging on a Turkish beach in the past few days, you could have been forgive for doing a double take after seeing...

25.08.2025 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Nothing just or orderly about being transitioned onto the dole

It is a handsome granite townhouse that sits just off the main road through Aberdeen’s wealthiest suburbs and is surrounded by buildings of similar...

18.08.2025 50

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

The remarkable estate that could solve Scotland's problem with trees I recently had the good fortune to holiday in one of the Greek islands and what struck me was how lush it was with trees blanketing the entire landscape where there wasn’t a hotel or road. 

I recently had the good fortune to holiday in one of the Greek islands and what struck me was how lush it was with trees blanketing the entire...

04.08.2025 40

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Rural Scots are right - maybe it is time to halt onshore windfarms ALMOST as soon as he touched down at Prestwick Airport last week, President Trump had a pop at Scotland’s onshore wind farms.He claimed that he could see them everywhere as Air Force One made its final approach on Friday and urged the Scottish government to halt them.Of course, the President’s antipathy towards wind turbines is well known, which may or may not stem entirely from an offshore windfarm near to his Aberdeenshire golf course.But does he actually have a point – has Scotland become saturated with wind farms and is it time to pause?Certainly, many across rural Scotland would agree with the President.Now an unprecedented movement of 53 community councils are demanding a summit with energy ministers in a fight to pause infrastructure projects in some of Scotland’s most picturesque areas.They claim there is a “barrage” of major renewable energy proposals with more than 700 live applications in the Highland Council area alone, ranging from wind and hydro projects to energy storage and transmission grid plans.They add that they are being “overwhelmed by multiple, complex major applications, from well-funded overseas developers”.According to the group, it has become “David and Goliath” experience, with concerns raised that local democracy has been “overridden”.The convention now wants the Scottish Government to undertake an inquiry to address the cumulative impact of all major renewable energy infrastructure developments on the communities and landscape fearing projects “may hasten depopulation in some areas”.In June, 300 gathered in Beauly, near Inverness, in a public meeting to discuss concerns over feeling “disregarded” over the wave of projects. There were delegates from over 50 community councils, collectively representing 72,000 people.Among the most controversial are plans for a so-called “super-pylon” plan which was to run for over 100 miles across some of Highlands and Aberdeenshire’s most picturesque areas to enable “significant” growth of renewable energy and support transition away from fossil fuels.Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Transmission (SSEN), which owns, operates and develops the high voltage electricity transmission system unveiled the strategy three years ago which it says was a “critical project of national significance” as it has been identified as “essential” to deliver government targets for offshore wind.The project at that point was to  involve building a new 400kV overhead line connection between Beauly and Peterhead to enable the transmission of renewable power into the network for onward transmission to “areas of demand further south”.They would transmit the electricity on wires carried on a system of mainly metal towers and large substations.SSEN was asked how big the pylons would be after a previous plan involving 165ft “super pylons” was mothballed five years ago in the wake of environmental concerns. The new pylons at that point were expected to be on average even taller – at 180ft. Now the convention is now planning a summit for Inverness and wants Scottish energy secretary Gillian Martin and UK energy minister Michael Shanks as well as deputy first minister Kate Forbes to attend.Highland councillor Helen Crawford, who was a key convention organiser, said communities felt “powerless” over the projects. She said: “This is a significant representation of thousands of people across the Highlands and it is fair to expect our leaders to advocate for them at Scottish Government and UK Government level.”In response, Morag Watson, director of onshore at the industry body Scottish Renewables, said: “Scotland’s renewable energy industry is committed to delivering a lasting legacy for local communities and we will work with all stakeholders to achieve the right outcomes for the country as we build a fairer, cleaner and more secure energy system.”Of course there is a degree of Nimbyism at play here as many people love the idea of renewable energy schemes until they pop up and spoil the view out of their kitchen window.However, you just have to look at the UNESCO world heritage site of the Flow Country in Sutherland and Caithness to see the damage that can be done by onshore windfarms. Many small projects have been approved on the peatlands which will cause incalculable damage to the environment as a whole.Onshore wind farms are not as environmentally friendly as some will lead us to believe, they are made of plastic after all.They are also normally sited in peatlands which will release goodness know how many tonnes of carbon dioxide when they are disturbed to drill holds for the cement to keep the turbines in place.Wind farms have their place in the energy mix and are undoubtedly here to stay – they are also far better than coal and gas fired power stations.However, with the number of offshore arrays currently operational with many more planned, maybe it is time to pause new onshore ones. It is arguable now to see how vital they would be for the UK’s electricity supply. Some large wind farms, such as Whitelee in East Renfrewshire, are now hugely popular places for recreation such as walking and cycling, whereas before there was just bleak moorland.Thousands of local communities have also benefitted hugely from wind farm proceeds, but that shouldn’t be used as a sweetener to get locals onside in future. Wind farms can already provide more than 100% of electricity supply on certain days, so it is hard to argue that we need any more. Offshore wind will provide even more in the future along with the other more conventional sources such as nuclear and hydro. There have been great strides made in recent decades away from fossil fuel to renewables and that should be warmly welcomed by everyone.Sadly, this has come at a cost to some, though the  overall benefits far outweigh the downsides. But maybe it is time to halt onshore wind farms before the downsides outweigh the benefits.  

Almost as soon as he touched down at Prestwick Airport last week, President Trump had a pop at Scotland’s onshore wind farms. He claimed that he...

29.07.2025 60

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson

Nothing about the A9 dualling project suggests momentum Ms Hyslop IT is known as the spine of Scotland as it meanders more than 100 miles through the heart of the country bringing goods and people to and from the Highlands to the central belt.

It is known as the spine of Scotland as it meanders more than 100 miles through the heart of the country bringing goods and people to and from the...

21.07.2025 60

Herald Scotland

Alan Simpson