Britain closed its last coal-fired power station in 2024. For many people, that marked the final end of an era.
Europe's Energy Crisis Isn't Over – Could Peak Oil Be the Next Shock? Europe has already experienced several enormous energy shocks in just a few years. First came the post-pandemic surge in energy demand and prices.
Financial support for island businesses affected by ferry disruption will be made available through the first phase of the £10 million Islands Resilience Fund. This will provide a further £3 million in 2026-27 to help mitigate the disproportionate impact faced by people and businesses living and operating in Scotland's islands.
Trump's Middle East Strategy Is Starting to Unravel – And the World Is Paying the Price Donald Trump came back to the White House promising something that many Americans and much of the world desperately wanted: an end to America's endless wars. His approach was supposed to be different.
Britain's jobs market may finally be showing signs of emerging from its long recruitment downturn, but the latest KPMG and REC survey reveals an important change in employer behaviour. Companies are hiring, but they are increasingly choosing flexibility over permanent commitments.
The debate over Rosebank and Jackdaw is often reduced to a simple question: how many jobs will these two North Sea fields create? The answer is more complicated than some of the headlines suggest. They will not create thousands of permanent jobs on two new oil and gas installations.
Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data reveals lenders reversed course on mortgage rate cuts in July, with fixed rates rising and the lifespan of a deal falling to 11 days. Lenders moved to increase mortgage rates during July amid rising swap rates, due to a resurgence of unrest in the Middle East, fuelling inflationary fears.
Two decisions now approaching the final stage could have consequences far beyond the oil and gas industry. Public consultations on the Jackdaw and Rosebank North Sea developments are reaching their deadlines, reopening one of the biggest economic arguments facing Scotland: how quickly should the North Sea oil and gas industry decline, and what happens to the thousands of skilled jobs and businesses that currently depend upon it?.
The latest UK jobs figures suggest that Britain's employment market may finally be beginning to stabilise. But for Scotland, the story is more complicated – and potentially more encouraging in some of the industries that matter most to the country's future.
Scotland's economy is not booming. But neither is it showing the signs of the economic collapse that some of the gloomier headlines might suggest.
Millions of people in Britain pay for subscriptions every month without giving them much thought. Streaming services, magazines, software, gyms, food deliveries, memberships and countless other services can quietly continue taking money from bank accounts long after customers have stopped using them.
Britain is putting almost £130 million into zero-emission vehicle technology, but the bigger question is whether the investment can help create something Britain has struggled to achieve for decades: a new generation of internationally competitive manufacturing industries. The Government announced the funding on Monday, with almost £65 million coming from public funds and the remainder from industry partners.
America's jobs market has delivered a surprise that could have consequences well beyond the United States. The US economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, when economists had been expecting an increase of around 80,000.
AI as Your Personal University: Could People Build Their Own Education Without Going to College? For centuries, education has largely followed the same pattern: go to school, go to college or university, obtain qualifications and then enter the workforce. Artificial intelligence is beginning to challenge that model.
Britain has spent decades encouraging more young people into universities. Germany has maintained one of the world's best known apprenticeship systems, while China has built an enormous vocational education sector alongside its universities.
For many people now over 50, the route into a career was simple: leave school, get a job, learn the trade and work your way up. Today, young people are increasingly expected to obtain qualifications before they can even get through the employer's front door.
Some medicines can make you more sensitive to the sun or increase the risk of dehydration without you realising it. The MHRA is encouraging people to know the risks and stay protected this summer.
Britain has spent two decades trying to repair its public finances, raise more revenue, control spending and manage an ever-growing national debt. Yet the underlying economy has become remarkably weak.
Royal Navy warships and helicopters spent 21 days on operations monitoring Russian activity in UK waters and the North Atlantic throughout July. Maritime operations to monitor Russian activity up 25% across the first seven months of the year.
Over the past 50 years Britain has sent ever more young people into further and higher education. But has the country actually become more skilled or have we simply created a system where a degree is increasingly required to get a job that once needed no degree at all?.
A pensioner can find their State Pension added to their wages, private pension or other taxable income. A student can earn money from work while receiving a maintenance grant that is not normally taxable.
The Poor Pay More: Is Britain's Discount Economy Becoming Unfair? Tesco is currently offering customers who spend at least £60 in-store a fuel discount of up to around 8p a litre. It is a perfectly normal supermarket promotion but it also highlights a much bigger problem.
Marriage, relationships and family have traditionally been the main reasons people share a home. But as housing, energy and everyday living costs continue to rise, could a very different form of cohabitation become increasingly common — people living together simply because it makes financial sense? It might sound like an unusual idea.
We are looking for a cook in our busy pub kitchen to cook pub grub. Hours are 4.30 to finish.
A story on BBC by Luke Mintz caught our attention. Read it and think hard if your children remain unvaccinated.
What, when, where and how we eat can signify many things. Eating healthily might impress your colleagues but doing so on a video call is unprofessional.
When even AI bosses are worried about the impact of the technology, is it any wonder the public are scared?. Analysing their major survey of British public opinion, Bobby Duffy and Elena Simperl argue that, while the risks should not be downplayed, if we want to realise the benefits of AI it is important that the public are not already set against it.
The constant stream of bad economic news may be influencing how people feel about spending — even when the underlying picture is not quite as gloomy as the headlines suggest. Every month brings another inflation announcement.
This lovely two-bedroom bungalow has two garages and is located in a quiet cul-de-sac in a sought- after residential area of the town. The accommodation comprises a lounge with multi-fuel burner, kitchen with electric oven and hob, two double bedrooms, bathroom with corner shower, bath, W.C.
We’re Hiring – Office Administrator We are looking for a friendly, well-organised person to join our team at W. & A.
Do you know someone affected by hoarding. An article by Barbara Potter, Kerry Musselbrook caught our attention.
We're Hiring – Join Our Team at Reid’s Bakery! We’re continuing to grow our team and are looking for motivated, reliable people ready to take on a new challenge. If you’d like to be part of a hardworking, friendly environment where quality and teamwork matter, we’d love to hear from you.
Here at Riverside house care home we are looking to employ a full time domestic assistant to join our team, hours to be worked are 8am-2pm over five days including some weekends. Duties include dusting, hoovering, mopping and sanitizing surfaces in all areas of the home including kitchen areas, bathrooms, living spaces and bedrooms.
They are certainly not as exciting as dolphins, or as awe inspiring as eagles or even wonderful to watch like otters, but they are members of our Highland wildlife suite that are often talked about and they are both fascinating and worrying. They are ticks - animals that are part of the class of arachnids, along with spiders, scorpions, mites, harvestmen (see my blog about these harmless long-legged ones here).
See poster. Booking required.
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.
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.
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.
See poster for all dates..
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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