Community

Local and national stories about Scottish communities, public life, voluntary work, social change and everyday civic issues.

Paramedic on stretcher fighting for life of injured woman

Community·Featured

Scotland’s Wastewater-Drug Monitoring Decision Returns to View After Nitazenes Reach 247 Deaths

Scotland recorded 1,133 drug-use deaths in 2025, with nitazenes implicated in 247 and cocaine in 589. The figures do not show that wastewater surveillance would have prevented individual deaths, but they provide new context for the decision not to spend £20,675 restoring five Scottish

104176830 blue to let sign on a classic building facade

Community·Highland

Highland Sends Two More Short-Term Let Control Areas to Scottish Ministers

Councillors have approved proposals covering Inverness and a broad sweep of the rural Highlands. If ministers agree, future conversions of homes to secondary short-term lets in the designated areas would automatically require planning permission. Highland Council has approved two new short-term let control area

£105m Broadband Build Reaches New Aberdeenshire Communities as Scotland Tries to Close Its Rural Fibre Gap

Almost 1,000 homes and businesses around Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen are next in line for full-fibre broadband

Highland Council Asked to Pause Health and Social Care Integration Review

Highland Council is being asked to pause an 18-month review of how health and social care

Rainbow City Taxis Pledges £30,000 as Aberdeen Arts Centre Fundraising Passes £279,000

Rainbow City Taxis has committed £30,000 over three years to the campaign to secure the future

Community·Featured

Scotland Has a Migration Map Now. It Shows a Country Moving in Different Directions

New population and migration material published this week makes it possible to examine Scotland below the national total. The figures describe a

by Andrew Robertson

3 September 2026

50996316 2 smart male it programer working on desktop computer in data center technical system control room team of young professionals programming in coding language generative ai

Community·Featured·North Lanarkshire

DataVita’s North Lanarkshire AI plan gets public backing as Flynn repeats disputed 3,400 jobs claim

A £300 million expansion of DataVita’s North Lanarkshire AI data centres is receiving substantial public financial backing while the Scottish Economy Secretary

by Editorial Team

18 August 2026

46665788 rear view of scottish tenement buildings black and white

Community·Highland

More than 8,800 households waiting for social housing in Highland

Demand continues to outstrip the availability of homes across much of the Highlands, with Inverness accounting for a particularly large share of

by James Stewart

13 August 2026

Community·Featured

KEEK Launches To Give Scotland A Fairer Way To Be Found Online

Modern Scot has launched the beta version of KEEK, a human-reviewed search engine for Scottish websites built without paid rankings, sponsored placement

by Editorial Team

1 August 2026

City of Edinburgh·Community·Featured

Edinburgh’s Official Statistical Portrait Leaves Crime And Homelessness Outside The Frame

The council’s annual overview records Michelin restaurants, airport passengers and festival attendances. It omits crime entirely and leaves the capital’s legal failures

by John Campbell

29 July 2026

Cllr Alan Turner with Lynne Duncan, owner of Duncano's in Westhill, at the launch of this year's Aberdeenshire Restaurant Weeks

Aberdeenshire·Community

Aberdeenshire Restaurant Weeks Return For Third Year As Local Hospitality Campaign Continues To Grow

A council-backed initiative encouraging people to dine locally will return this November after attracting a record number of participating businesses last year

by Editorial Team

27 July 2026

Community·Featured·Stirling

Tributes Paid After Councillor Paul Henke Dies Aged 76

The Forth and Endrick councillor, former Royal Navy bomb-disposal officer and author had served the Balfron community for years before his election

by Editorial Team

24 July 2026

Community·South Lanarkshire

£27.8 Million Larkhall Leisure Centre Business Case Sent For City Deal Approval

South Lanarkshire Council has submitted the Full Business Case for Larkhall’s replacement leisure centre after the project’s budget more than doubled and

by Editorial Team

24 July 2026

Community·South Ayrshire

Spanish Galleon Replica to Open its Decks at Ayr Harbour

The Galeón Andalucía will spend 11 days in Ayr this August, offering visitors a close view of the ships that helped create

by Editorial Team

24 July 2026

Community·Scottish Borders

£1.5m Tennis and Padel Centre to Open at Galashiels Academy in Early 2027

Three covered artificial-clay tennis courts and two padel courts will be built beside the new Galashiels Academy campus, creating the first year-round

by Editorial Team

23 July 2026

Community·Featured·Renfrewshire

Renfrewshire Establishes Annual Dolly Parton Day After Delivering 230,000 Children’s Books

The first official celebration will take place on 25 September, marking the growth of a locally funded reading programme that sends a

by Editorial Team

23 July 2026

Police Scotland one office stands in street facing away from camera.

Community·Featured·Perth and Kinross

Officers Begin Daily Perth City Centre Patrols

Police Scotland has assigned officers to weekday city-centre patrols, while new council enforcement staff are expected to extend coverage across Perth and

by Editorial Team

23 July 2026

Community·Orkney Islands

Orkney Dialect Takes Centre Stage at Kirbuster Farm Museum

Tom Rendall and Neil Leask will explore farming words, weather, poetry and Norse-rooted place names during a free event at one of

by Editorial Team

23 July 2026

Community·Featured·Orkney Islands

Norman Rendall Retires After 20 Years at Orkney Council Headquarters

The senior caretaker has been thanked for two decades of work keeping the council’s School Place offices running behind the scenes. Senior

by Editorial Team

23 July 2026

The networking day brought together leaders and volunteers from different areas across the Western Isles

Community·Na h-Eileanan Siar

Volunteers and Leaders Join Forces to Widen Opportunities for Youth

Volunteers and school leaders from Lewis, Harris and Benbecula have met in Stornoway to examine how distance, limited local provision and the

by Editorial Team

22 July 2026

Midlothian Councillor Ellen Scott, on the left, and Depute Lord Lieutenant Harriet Dalrymple visited Wallace and Susan Clark at their home.

Community·Midlothian

Gorebridge Couple Mark 60 Years of Marriage

Wallace and Susan Clark have celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary at the Birkenside home where they have lived for more than half

by Editorial Team

22 July 2026

Community·Glasgow City

George Square Reopening Delayed

Families will be invited into traffic-free streets around George Square in early September as Glasgow marks the reopening of the western section

by LM Bruce

22 July 2026

Aberdeen Arts Centre has raised almost £88k in six weeks towards its three year target

Aberdeen City·Community·Featured·Scottish News

Performers Rally Behind Aberdeen Arts Centre

More than 100 performers from across north-east Scotland will take part in two fundraising shows this autumn as Aberdeen Arts Centre continues

by LM Bruce

20 July 2026

City of Edinburgh·Community·Scottish News

Liberton Fire Station Rebuild Begins in £10 Million Project

The 50-year-old station has closed and crews have moved to a temporary base while a replacement is built over the next 15

by Editorial Team

14 July 2026

Community·Featured·Glasgow City·Scottish News

Glasgow’s Anger Did Not Begin With an Online Rumour

A 16-year-old girl was seriously sexually assaulted in Springburn Park on the evening of 26 June. Police Scotland later arrested and charged

by LM Bruce

13 July 2026

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Community·Dumfries and Galloway·Featured·Scottish News

The Galloway Feastival Growing in the Shadow of James Clerk Maxwell

Glenlair is better known for science than for summer festivals. The estate near Castle Douglas is associated with James Clerk Maxwell, the

by Editorial Team

9 July 2026

Community·Featured·Scottish News

Scottish Children Sing Their Support As National Team Returns To World Cup Stage

More than 2,000 school pupils from across Scotland have taken part in a new video performance of We’re the Land of Scots.

by LM Bruce

12 June 2026

Aberdeen City·Community·Featured·Scottish News

Parents Warned After Counterfeit Squishy Toys Seized In Aberdeen

Trading Standards officers in Aberdeen have warned parents and businesses after counterfeit and potentially unsafe squishy toys were seized from shops in

by LM Bruce

10 June 2026

Community·Featured·Glasgow City·Scottish News

Two Days Left To Vote In The Scottish Bar And Pub Awards 2026

Scots have only two days left to vote for their favourite pubs, bars and hospitality venues in the Scottish Bar and Pub

by James Stewart

9 June 2026

Clackmannanshire·Community·Featured·Scottish News

Coalsnaughton Crisis Puts Scotland’s Coalfield Housing Legacy Under Scrutiny

Nearly 100 homes have been evacuated in Coalsnaughton while ground movement is investigated. The cause has not yet been confirmed, but the

by LM Bruce

4 June 2026

Community·Featured·Glasgow City·Scottish News

Glasgow Sets Out Land Plan for 30,000 New Homes

Glasgow’s new City Development Plan would open up land for more than 30,000 homes while creating new areas for business growth, innovation

by Andrew Robertson

1 June 2026

91346278 village of crail in fife scotland

Community·Featured·Fife·Scottish News

Fife Homes to be Bought to Protect Tenants Facing Eviction

Twenty six homes in West Wemyss, Coaltown of Wemyss and Denbeath are set to be brought into public ownership after tenants faced

by John Campbell

1 June 2026

78380114 sad woman looking at her colleague

Community·Highland·Orkney Islands·Scottish News·Shetland Islands

When Abuse Is Not a Bruise: Older Women, Rural Scotland and the Law That Changed

Scotland’s domestic abuse law now recognises coercive control, psychological abuse and patterns of behaviour that may leave no visible injury. But older

by Andrew Robertson

31 May 2026

Community·Dumfries and Galloway·Scottish News

Free Summer Sport Programme Aims to Reach Young People Across the South-West

Dumfries and Galloway has secured £344,000 for a summer programme of free sport and physical activity for children and young people across

by Andrew Robertson

29 May 2026

5072846 landscape in arbrouth northern scotland

Angus·Community·Featured·Scottish News

Arbroath Opens Active Travel Route After Years of Debate and Disruption

Angus Council has officially opened the Arbroath A Place for Everyone project, completing a major redesign of routes between the town centre,

by David McDonald

29 May 2026

Community·Featured·Highland·Scottish News

From Dingwall to Abbey Road as Highland Composer Reaches International Stage

For a young musician growing up in Dingwall, places like Abbey Road Studios can feel less like real destinations and more like

by LM Bruce

26 May 2026

Community·Featured·Scottish News

New Ebola Emergency Is Distant From Scotland, but the Route In Is Clear

A new Ebola emergency in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has been declared a public health emergency of international

by Editorial Team

20 May 2026

City of Edinburgh·Community·Featured·Scottish News

Edinburgh Flats To Receive Retrofit Works In Viewpoint Housing Project

Union Technical has been appointed to upgrade 34 flats across three Viewpoint Housing Association sites in Edinburgh, with works intended to make

by James Stewart

13 May 2026

Community·Featured·Highland·Scottish News

Logie Timber To Cut Energy Costs With Solar Panels At Moray Sawmill

Logie Timber, based near Forres, has secured support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise for a £71,000 solar project intended to reduce electricity

by Andrew Robertson

13 May 2026

Dunvegan Primary School’s FilmG entry, Màiri Mhòr nan Òran: Bana ghaisgeach Ghàidhealach, reflects the competition’s role in bringing Gaelic history and storytelling to young

Community·Highland·Scottish News

Highland Pupils Bring Gaelic Stories To Life On Screen

Schools, young filmmakers and Gaelic media students from across the Highlands have been shortlisted for FilmG 18, Scotland’s Gaelic short film competition,

by LM Bruce

12 May 2026

Community·Highland·Scottish News

Highland Councillors Approve Local Funding for Play Parks and Community Projects

More than £200,000 has been approved for play park improvements and community regeneration projects in Black Isle and Easter Ross, alongside decisions

by David McDonald

12 May 2026

Community·Orkney Islands·Scottish News

Orkney’s Norway Day Reflects a Friendship Rooted in History

Norwegian Constitution Day will be marked in Kirkwall this weekend, but in Orkney the annual celebration is more than a borrowed national

by James Stewart

12 May 2026

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Community·Scottish News·Stirling

Stirling Tests New Culture Night as Crowds Move Through City and Villages

Stirling’s first Culture Night brought more than 40 free events into the city centre and surrounding communities, offering an early test of

by Andrew Robertson

12 May 2026

Lochmaddy, known in Scottish Gaelic as Loch nam Madadh, meaning “Loch of the Hounds”, is the birthplace of Rev Dr Roderick Macleod MBE

Argyll and Bute·Community·Featured·Heritage and Arts·Na h-Eileanan Siar·Scottish News

Western Isles Tribute Marks Passing Of Gaelic Scholar Rev Dr Roderick Macleod MBE

Rev Dr Roderick Macleod MBE, a former member of the first Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and a noted Gaelic scholar, minister, writer

by Editorial Team

12 May 2026

Community·East Ayrshire·Featured·Scottish News

Ayrshire Based King’s Foundation Turns To Quantum Technology In New Urban Planning Programme

The King’s Foundation has joined FormationQ in a three year programme intended to help fast growing Commonwealth towns plan more sustainably, extending

by LM Bruce

11 May 2026

Community·Na h-Eileanan Siar·Scottish News

Western Isles Warns Against Unlicensed Tour Drivers as Visitor Season Begins

The season is about to begin, and with it comes a quieter concern. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has issued a reminder that

by David McDonald

30 April 2026

Community·Inverclyde·Scottish News

Greenock Primary School Secures Rare Full “Excellent” Inspection Across All Measures

There are inspection reports that confirm standards, and then there are those that stand apart. Whinhill Primary School in Greenock has been

by David McDonald

30 April 2026

Aberdeen City·Community·Scottish News

Forty Years at Danestone: A School Marks Its Past While Quietly Defining Its Future

Photo shows: L-R George Roberts (former HT) Elaine Page (former HT), Angela Corser (current HT) ,Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s Education

by David McDonald

29 April 2026

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Community·Perth and Kinross·Scottish News

Injured Beaver Rescued After Shooting Found to be Thriving in the Wild

A beaver rescued after being shot in Perthshire has been successfully rehabilitated and is now living in the wild, according to animal

by David McDonald

7 April 2026

4407561 highlands of scotland narrow road in mountain landscape

Community·Highland·Scottish News

Highland Communities Invited to Apply for £1m Rural Fund

Rural organisations across the Highlands are being invited to apply for a funding programme worth more than £1 million, aimed at improving

by David McDonald

7 April 2026

Ward councillors from Gorebridge and Bonnyrigg have joined Midlothian Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Stuart McKenzie, on tours of two flagship green‑energy

Community·Midlothian·Scottish News

Newbyres Returns: From Demolition to New Energy Efficient Homes in Gorebridge

In Gorebridge, a site once cleared of homes is approaching a very different moment. New housing at Newbyres is now nearing completion,

by David McDonald

5 April 2026

Community·Midlothian·Scottish News

Community Diners Pilot in Midlothian Shows Early Promise in Tackling Cost of Living Pressures

A network of community diners launched across Midlothian earlier this year is already showing encouraging signs of success, offering affordable meals and

by David McDonald

3 April 2026