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Andy Burnham’s announcement on social care in England has triggered strong reactions, including a detailed response from The King’s Fund, one of the UK’s leading health and care think tanks. For readers in Scotland, the debate can feel distant — but it’s highly relevant.
The wheat that becomes a loaf of bread in Caithness or anywhere in the UK is part of one of the most complex and interconnected food supply chains on Earth. Wheat moves through farms, ports, mills, bakeries, and distribution networks that span continents.
Hot, dry weather across the UK has pushed many farmers into unusually early harvests, especially in England’s arable regions and parts of eastern Scotland. While early harvesting can protect crops from further heat damage, it also signals stress in the growing season — and that stress has consequences for yields, quality, and ultimately the prices consumers pay.
Hot, dry weather across the UK has pushed many farmers into early harvests — but the impact isn’t uniform. England’s arable powerhouse, East Anglia, faces very different challenges from Scotland’s cooler Aberdeenshire and the rugged Highlands.
Ofgem has today (29 July) launched a consultation on plans to tackle speculative data centre projects in Britain's electricity connections queue, as part of a wider programme of reforms to ensure network capacity is used for projects that are ready and able to connect. The proposals – which include the introduction of a commitment fee and new project progress milestones – come as demand connection applications have surged from 41 gigawatts (GW) to 125GW, in under a year. This rise is driven largely by data centre projects, accounting for at least 80GWs.
HMRC is urging customers who receive a Simple Assessment letter this summer to check it carefully and pay any tax owed by the deadline. HMRC will send Simple Assessment letters for the 2025 to 2026 tax year this summer.
Andy Summers, Ranger describes the efforts he and local volunteers have taken recently to help save this species. Oyster plant is one of Scotland’s northern coastal specialists, a species more at home on the cold shores of the North Atlantic and Arctic than further south.
Scotland is heading into the new academic year with a mixed and uneven teacher recruitment landscape. Some areas are well‑staffed and even oversubscribed, while others particularly rural and northern regions are struggling to fill key posts.
Is Britain Falling Behind Europe in the Race for Digital Money — and Will Cash Disappear? The European Central Bank has taken another major step towards a digital euro, raising an obvious question in Britain: is the UK falling behind in the race to create the next generation of money — and what does it mean for cash? The question matters because digital payments are already becoming an ordinary part of everyday life. Contactless cards, mobile phones and online banking have transformed how people pay for goods and services.
FIFA’s plan to sell up to $10 billion in shares in a new commercial company tied to the World Cup and other major tournaments raises big questions about fairness, transparency, and whether ordinary football fans who already face high ticket prices are effectively subsidising huge profits for private investors, including politically connected families such as Donald Trump’s relatives. This isn’t a simple “right or wrong” issue, but it is one where fans’ interests and investors’ interests may not align.
Oil prices have turned sharply upwards again, raising a question that seemed to be fading only a few days ago: could Brent crude be heading back towards $100 a barrel? On Wednesday, 29 July, Brent crude rose by more than $3 a barrel to around $87.40, while US West Texas Intermediate crude moved above $82. The rise came after three consecutive days of falling prices.
E-commerce sales took 29.4% of all retail spending in June. That’s online’s highest market share since April 2021, when non-essential stores finally reopened after Covid, says the home delivery expert Parcelhero.
The Bank of England has been trying to bring interest rates down while keeping inflation under control. The latest oil-price shock could make that balancing act considerably more difficult.
A spectacular Harry Potter drone show may look like nothing more than entertainment, but behind the magic is a technology that could have a much darker application. An advertisement for the Harry Potter DroneArt Show caught my attention because it promises something extraordinary: 1,200 drones moving in perfect harmony, creating images from the Harry Potter films in the night sky.
Andy Burnham's suggestion that the Personal Allowance could be increased raises a much bigger question than simply whether people should pay less income tax. It raises the question of whether the tax system should continue drawing more and more people into income tax as wages rise, only to collect relatively small amounts from some of them.
Giving people more of their own earnings to spend sounds attractive. But there is an unavoidable question behind any proposal to increase the Personal Allowance: where does the money come from? That question becomes particularly important if the allowance were increased substantially from its current £12,570.
The price displayed when booking a flight can look remarkably cheap. But for many travellers, particularly those travelling from more remote parts of Britain, the real cost of flying is becoming considerably higher once all the extras are added.
Andy Burnham's Government is facing an uncomfortable financial calculation: the new Prime Minister wants to reduce household costs and improve public services at exactly the moment when higher energy prices are making both objectives more expensive. The scale of the problem has now become clearer.
A bargain charger can look harmless, but some of the cheapest electrical products sold online can carry a potentially serious risk of electric shock or fire. Modern homes contain an ever-growing collection of devices that need charging: mobile phones, tablets, laptops, smart watches, wireless headphones, power banks and, increasingly, e-bikes and e-scooters.
Britain had just received some genuinely encouraging inflation news. Then oil prices started rising again — threatening to undo some of the progress that had taken so long to achieve.
This charming two-bedroom detached cottage is offered for sale with a range of useful outbuildings and approximately 7.5 acres of adjoining land. Ideally situated just a short distance from Wick, the property benefits from uPVC double-glazed windows and doors, external insulation, and oil-fired central heating.
Community groups invited to apply for funding to support projects that reduce waste and promote a circular economy The Highland Council is encouraging community organisations across the region to apply for the latest round of its successful Reuse and Repair Fund, which supports projects that help keep valuable materials and products in use for longer. Grants of between £2,000 and £50,000 are available to support a range of community‑led initiatives that will help people repair, reuse and upcycle materials - reducing waste and supporting a stronger circular economy.
Caithness at the Centre of Scotland’s Electricity Revolution: The Transformation Happening Around Us Look across Caithness today and it is easy to see individual electricity projects – a new substation here, a cable route there, construction work around Dounreay or Spittal. But put them together and a much bigger picture emerges.
A major piece of underground engineering at Dounreay has been completed, bringing the Orkney electricity link another step closer to reality and putting Caithness at the centre of a project designed to unlock hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy. SSEN Transmission has announced the successful completion of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) at Dounreay, describing it as a major milestone in the construction of the Orkney Link.
Scotland’s decision to increase its top income-tax rate to 48p was intended to raise additional money for public services. New HMRC figures are now raising an awkward question: could the policy have actually reduced the amount of tax collected? The headline figure doing the rounds is £22 million.
Ukraine's increasingly deep attacks on Russian oil infrastructure may be developing into something much more significant than a military campaign against refineries. If the attacks begin to seriously disrupt Russia's ability to produce, refine and export oil, they could become an economic weapon aimed directly at one of Moscow's most important sources of war finance.
Drilling operations are now underway at Rattray Head, near Peterhead, marking a major construction milestone for our Spittal to Peterhead High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) project. The works, which began this month, represent the start of one of the most technically complex elements of the project, with specialist contractors carrying out Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) beneath the coastline to create the vital connection between onshore and offshore infrastructure.
Oil Price Falls Again: How Far Could Brent Crude Go? The oil price has gone from $100 a barrel to around $88 in remarkably short order. The big question now is whether this is simply a correction — or the beginning of a much larger fall.
Blargoans Ltd is currently seeking a Recruitment Manager to join our team. Recruitment Manager Opportunity Blargoans Ltd is seeking an enthusiastic, organised and proactive Recruitment Manager to join our busy team.
Must be over the age of 18. Serving tables and serving behind the bar in our Bistro.
For some of you out there this article is old hat so it is really aimed at people who may never have tried some of the old ways to save money and still make nutritious food When food prices are rising, the obvious response is to look for cheaper products. But there is another way to reduce the pressure on the household budget: Make the food you already buy go further.
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Care Assistant - Full time Join our compassionate team and make a real difference every day. We’re looking for a warm, reliable, and dedicated Care Assistant to support our residents to live with dignity, comfort, and joy.
Who Owns Britain Now? A Look at Foreign Ownership of UK Businesses and Infrastructure. If you ask people whether Britain is being "sold off", the answers are likely to be passionate.
If the Profits Leave Britain, Does It Make Us Poorer? Every time another British company is bought by an overseas investor, the same question appears. "If the profits go abroad, doesn't Britain become poorer?" It sounds like a simple question.
Why Trump Keeps Using Tariffs – And Why the Whole World Pays Attention. Whenever President Donald Trump announces a new tariff, the headlines usually focus on the country involved.
When President Donald Trump announces a new tariff, the message is usually simple. "Foreign countries will pay." But that is not quite how tariffs work.
Are Britain's Best Companies Being Sold Too Cheaply? And What Happens When the Profits Leave the UK? Hardly a week seems to pass without another well-known British company becoming the target of an overseas takeover. American investment funds.
President Donald Trump has announced new 50% tariffs on around US$20 billion of Canadian imports, marking a major escalation in the trade dispute between the two countries. The tariffs are due to take effect on 19 August 2026 unless there is a negotiated settlement before then.
If you’ve been online lately, you’ve probably seen those ads shouting “Drink THIS every morning to melt belly fat!”. They always feature a mysterious fruit, a glowing mug, and a doctor who looks suspiciously like a stock photo model named Kevin.
This lovely large four-bedroom family home is situated on the main street and is a dream home for an interior design enthusiast, as it is dated throughout and in need of modernisation. The home benefits from Upvc double glazed doors and windows throughout and has an oil-fired central heating system.
For more than 30 years, China seemed unstoppable. Its economy grew at astonishing speed with new cities appeared almost overnight and millions of people moved from the countryside into better-paid jobs.
Every week there seems to be another story about China. Chinese electric cars are becoming cheaper.
Did Scotland's Iron Age brochs form a prehistoric long-distance warning system? In this history documentary, Ashley Cowie joins Iain MacLean of the Caithness Broch Project to investigate an archaeological mystery: four enigmatic Iron Age stone towers hidden across the rugged landscape of northern Scotland. Trekking through the remote Berriedale Strath, they conduct a viewshed analysis to test a compelling archaeological hypothesis: were these monumental brochs deliberately positioned to maintain line-of-sight with one another? Their expedition reveals remarkable evidence that these towering displays of Iron Age architecture may have formed an intentional signaling network, offering new insights into prehistoric engineering, landscape planning, and regional communication..
Here at Riverside house care home we are seeking to employ a part time Laundry Assistant working 20 hours per week worked over four days, hours are two shifts 9am-1pm and two shifts 7am-1pm, for more information or to request an application form email; lynnsmith@riversidehousecarehime.com or call 01955602314.
Care Planning Coordinator Laurandy Centre, Wick Hours: 28 hours per week over 4 days, Tuesday to Friday. We are readvertising this opportunity as we continue our search for the right person to join our friendly team.
Millions of calls were likely mishandled over nearly a three-year period, preventing or delaying customers from switching away to a better deal. Investigation uncovers deliberate call-dropping tactics, excessive and unnecessary call transfers and putting customers repeatedly on hold for no reason.
The UK Government has announced that children aged 8 and 9 can now use eGates at major UK airports and at international rail terminals. Previously, only travellers aged 10 and over were allowed to use them.
The ONS report measures the natural capital of enclosed farmland meaning the economic value of the land, soils, habitats, and ecosystem services produced by fields, hedgerows, and managed agricultural landscapes across the UK. Key points from the report Enclosed farmland covers around a third of the UK’s land area, making it one of the country’s most significant land uses.
Help Shape Highland's Future with Regeneration Funding The Scottish Government has announced plans to open the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) later this year, creating an exciting opportunity for projects that can make a lasting difference to communities across Highland. The RCGF is a competitive, Scotland-wide fund that supports locally developed regeneration projects.
Position: We are seeking a Laboratory Technician to be based at our Thurso campus. Responsibilities: The post holder will provide high quality laboratory technical support for Research & Knowledge Exchange and its commercial, research and teaching activities.
Hugh Simpson (Contractors) Ltd. is the largest crane hire and heavy lifting services company based in Caithness.
Position: The Environmental Research Institute (ERI) is part of UHI North, West and Hebrides, Thurso, one of the academic partners of UHI. Our mission is to ‘provide dynamic leadership in research, innovation and education that advances understanding and informs management of our natural environment’.
Sutherland is one of Europe's great wilderness landscapes. From towering mountains and white-sand beaches to remote glens and picturesque fishing villages, it offers some of the finest scenery anywhere in Britain.
Before the Strait of Hormuz made the evening news, most of us thought potash was a new vegan spread and phosphates were something you rinsed off your dishes. Now, half the country is debating Moroccan mineral reserves like it’s the World Cup.
The £100 Million Question: Why Higher Council Tax Doesn't Always Mean Better Local Services Every spring, millions of households receive a council tax bill that is a little higher than the year before. At the same time, they often hear about cuts to local services, delayed road repairs, fewer leisure facilities or postponed building projects.
AI, energy, defence and commodities are colliding to reshape the global economy and the effects are already reaching households and businesses in the Highlands. The world economy is shifting from efficiency to constraint and from cheap abundance to strategic competition For three decades the global economy rested on a simple assumption: that supply would adjust, prices would stabilise, and globalisation would smooth out shocks.
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