Scotland

Tony Blair’s great decentralization experiment has been an unmitigated disaster

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The implosion of the Scottish National Party (SNP) is fast becoming more of a popcorn fest than binge-watching Taggart. Last April we gaped as police seized a £110,000 Niesmann + Bischoff camper van from a house in Fife following the arrest of Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell, who was charged last week in connection with … Read more

England and Scotland border ‘badlands’, where tragic history and epic landscapes collide

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There is something inherently intriguing about boundaries. That line on the map takes on extra spice when the two countries are involved in a constitutional movement. The Scotland-England frisson I feel today is no surprise when you scratch the surface of rugged badlands once alive with smugglers and bandits, where past and present are perpetually … Read more

How climate change is bringing more whales to British waters

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Orcas like these, seen from the Shetland Islands, are increasingly frequent visitors to our waters – BRYDON THOMASON/LORNE GILL/NATURESCOT Centuries of hunting, habitat loss and persecution have made Britain and Ireland among the most wildlife-scarce countries in the world. But while we have lost our bears and wolves, great auks and Irish elk, the British … Read more

The holiday led to a crackdown that hit tourism in Scotland

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David Smythe, 66, says some Scottish holiday home owners have been driven out by new licensing rules – Chris Watt Photography Scottish holiday homes leave owners feeling like they can’t catch a break. A new licensing regime and a possible loss of mortgage interest deductions have led to higher costs for everyone – and tourism … Read more

How Balmoral forged the wild, tartan Scotland of travel brochures

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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh with their two young children, Princess Anne and Prince Charles outside Balmoral Castle, 1952 For the first time, the public can enter Balmoral in a series of special (now sold out) summer tours. This Aberdeenshire estate symbolizes the Royal Family’s special relationship with Scotland, but Balmoral … Read more

The 10 best locations for a royal-themed visit to Scotland

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Balmoral Castle has been a royal residence since 1852 – VisitScotland / North East 250 / Damian Shields The public will have access to the previously invisible interior of Balmoral Castle for the first time this summer, in line with the King’s desire to make royal residences more accessible to the public. Tours of the … Read more

Police Scotland receives more than 3,000 complaints under new hate crime laws

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JK Rowling posted photos of 10 high-profile transgender people on Monday, ridiculing their claims to be women – John Phillips/Getty Images More than 3,000 complaints have been made to Police Scotland under the SNP’s new hate crime laws since they came into force this week, reportedly after warnings that police would be overwhelmed. Calum Steele, … Read more