From the category archives:

Highlands and Islands

Global Opportunities for Scottish Businesses

There’s a global microbrand based in the Scottish Highlands, 50 miles from the nearest cinema, with no external investment and no employees. Last month it reached potential customers in 77 countries, and served users in China, Australia, India, Europe, South America and across the USA. It’s a global microbrand – Front Office Box.

Microbrands are [...]

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The Real Scottish Problem

Despite 30 years of North Sea Oil Scotland has one of the lowest growth rates in Europe, and in some places lower life expectancy than parts of Africa. This is the same country which gave the world some of the greatest scientists, engineers, clinicians, entrepreneurs and financial managers. How does this happen.

At the [...]

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Graigievar Castle Back in the Pink

WORK to restore a fairytale castle described as Scotland’s best-preserved and most-loved fortress is nearing completion.
Craigievar, near Alford, is due to reopen to the public in the spring.
The castle has been shut for more than two years to allow restoration work, including the painstaking removal of a 30-year-old concrete harl which left it looking [...]

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New Oil Boom Coming to Scotland

Chancellor Alistair Darling announced tax breaks for the oil and gas industry yesterday that could trigger new investment of £14billion before the end of the decade.
The UK Government is to give the £1billion-plus tax boost to help kick-start production in remote gas fields west of Shetland – the last major area around Britain still [...]

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Inverness the UK’s ugliest city

I can think of hundreds of places in the UK a lot uglier than Inverness – guess this guy doesn’t travel anywhere. John Betjeman wrote “Come bombs and rain on Slough, there’s nothing worth saving now. He only chose Slough because he’s never beem to Luton.

Inverness in the running to [...]

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Scottish NHS Lags English in Performance and Costs

News on the TV this morning reported a comparison of performance and costs for health services in England and Scotland. Not surprisingly the English service showed more bang for the buck.
Defending the Scottish system, Health Secretary Nichola Sturgeon pointed out the study related to the ten years up to and including 2006 – out [...]

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Scottish Investment Bank Another Public Sector Disaster Waiting to Happen

Somebody please tell Alex Salmond all this government institutional control over resource allocation just provides jobs for people who don’t want to work for a living.
The right answer is hand out the EU’s money to the Scottish people with as little of it as possible sticking in, or even influenced by, the Public Sector. [...]

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Seems Climate Change Doubters Are Right

Well maybe not exactly right, but at least have a point.
Maybe it’s my age and the number of times I’ve been brainwashed before? But I tend to get suspicious of any new wave of thinking which has a bunch of people spending my money.
In which case this article gets the questions [...]

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Scottish Public Sector is a National Disgrace

How is it a generation of overbearing, molly coddling, left of centre, Government has left Scotland in such a parlous state?
The country which gave the world some of the greatest scientists, engineers, explorers, industrialists now has the lowest economic growth rate in Europe (and Europe is way behind others).
The country which gave [...]

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