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For households trying to work out what next year might look like, there is an obvious question after adding up the rising bills. What is happening to the money coming in? Council tax has risen and food prices are much higher than they were before the cost-of-living crisis.

If you go shopping in Scotland today, 1 October 2026, some things in the supermarket may look slightly different. Certain sweets may no longer be sitting at the checkout and crisps and other snacks may disappear from aisle-end displays.

There is a point at which talking about individual price rises stops making much sense. Council tax goes up, Food goes up, Electricity goes up and Diesel reaches £2 a litre.

When the cost of living is rising, telling people to save money can sound almost ridiculous. If the household budget is already being squeezed by energy bills, food prices, fuel, council tax and other rising costs, where exactly is the spare money supposed to come from? Yet perhaps that is precisely why we should be talking about saving.

At first sight, £2 a litre diesel looks like a problem for motorists and it certainly is. But the much bigger economic question is what happens when diesel at £2 a litre becomes an input cost for the businesses that move almost everything we buy.

There is a question that is increasingly being asked across the north of Scotland, and it sounds almost absurd when put in its simplest form. Why are we sometimes paying wind farms to stop producing electricity at the same time as Britain is looking for more electricity to power new industries? The answer is that electricity is not necessarily produced where it is needed.

Britain's latest trade figures contain some good news, but they also tell us something rather important about the country we have become. The Office for National Statistics says the UK's underlying current-account deficit narrowed from £14.3 billion in the first quarter of 2026 to £11.3 billion in the second.

What if planting trees became part of Caithness's tourism strategy?. Caithness has many things that visitors come here to see.

Andy Burnham's first Labour conference speech as Prime Minister contained far more than the announcement that the pension triple lock will be changed from 2030. The pension announcement grabbed most of the headlines because it potentially affects millions of older people.

Britain's consumers are spending more. That is the headline from the latest Office for National Statistics figures, with household spending estimated to have increased by 0.3% in real terms between April and June and by 1.2% compared with the same quarter last year.

British households have not even reached the October energy price rise yet, but there is already another increase looming on the horizon. Ofgem has confirmed that the energy price cap will rise by 4% from 1 October, taking the annualised bill for a typical household paying by direct debit from £1,663 to £1,723.

Inverness will welcome government representatives, investors, business leaders and economic development partners later this week as it hosts the Scottish Cities Alliance Autumn Investor Event. A two-day programme designed to showcase investment opportunities across Inverness, the Highlands and Scotland's city regions.

When you think about El Niño, the last thing you might expect it to affect is the price of a pair of trainers in a shop in Wick, Thurso or Inverness. Yet there is a surprisingly long chain connecting an unusually warm Pacific Ocean with the price of everyday goods in Britain.

Scotland's economy has shown more resilience than might have been expected in a period of geopolitical uncertainty, rising costs and continuing pressure on household finances. But the latest economic commentary from the Fraser of Allander Institute comes with an important qualification.

There are times when a story from thousands of miles away makes you look at your own garden slightly differently. Reports from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky describe residents facing such severe shortages of food that some have reportedly been eating plants growing in their gardens that most of us would simply call weeds.

Kennel Assistant Donald S McGregor & Partners, Thurso are looking for a proactive and hardworking Kennel Assistant to join our team. We are looking for someone who takes pride in maintaining high standards, is organised and reliable, and enjoys working as part of a busy veterinary team.

A beautiful mid-terraced, three-bedroom (one with ensuite), stone-built home which retains many of the original features, with a large area of garden to rear. Accommodation comprises vestibule, hallway, lounge, sitting room/dining room, Ashley Ann fitted kitchen and a utility room on the ground floor, upstairs from the landing there are three bedrooms, one with ensuite and a family bathroom.

This doer-upper was started and now looking for a new owner to finish it. Hidden away in Beaufoy Street, this lovely stone-built property has a new fitted kitchen, oak doors fitted throughout and now needs plumbing and electrics to be finished, along with decoration.

The future of disability benefits is becoming one of the more difficult issues facing the UK government, with spending rising rapidly and increasing numbers of people receiving support. A new report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) examines what could be changed in Personal Independence Payment (PIP), the main working-age disability benefit in England and Wales.

Something rather important is happening around the United States, and it may be bigger than the individual tariff announcements, political arguments or daily movements in the oil price. America is changing the way it deals with the rest of the world.

NUVIA UK is looking for a technically minded and proactive Dounreay Beach Monitoring Project Technician to support the delivery of the Dounreay Beach Monitoring Project and related radiological monitoring activities. This varied role combines fieldwork, instrumentation, technical data analysis, GIS mapping, equipment calibration and report writing.

Food & Beverage Supervisor Ideal for an experienced and confident individual looking to work a few shifts each week while taking on additional responsibility within our food and beverage team. Whether you’re looking for a few shifts alongside other commitments or you’re ready to take the next step in your hospitality career, we’d love to hear from you.

A college + university like no other  With 19 campuses and centres across the North and West Highlands, Skye, and Outer Hebrides, we cover a geographic area larger than Wales, comprising 40% of Scotland’s coastline. Our campuses and centres are located within historic towns and villages, set amongst the shorelines, mountains, and moors, with local staff working across our region to support our students and communities.   Position: We are seeking a highly organised and detail-oriented Registry and Admissions Officer, with a focus on Registry, to join our Student Records team in Fort William, Thurso or Stornoway.

An entirely fictional account of what might happen if a Roman historian were suddenly transported to America in September 2026. When our Roman historian arrived in America, he was initially rather pleased.

KR Properties are delighted to bring to the market this spacious two-bedroom townhouse, offering well-proportioned accommodation over two floors within an attractive traditional stone-built property. Access is via a shared main entrance door, which opens into a shared entrance hallway serving this property and one neighbouring home.

See poster for details..