Economy

Reporting and analysis on Scotland’s businesses, industries, investment, employment, manufacturing, rural economy and commercial life.

Economy·Featured

Scotland’s 2027–28 Budget Faces a £772 Million Reconciliation

A £772.4 million downward adjustment is now built into the provisional arithmetic for Scotland’s 2027–28 Budget. Most of it arises from Scottish Income Tax — not because tax receipts collapsed, but because the forecasts used when the 2024–25 Budget was set proved too optimistic

Economy

The EU Antimicrobial Restriction on Brazilian Meat Is Now in Force. Great Britain Still Allows Brazilian Beef

The regulatory divergence forecast by Scotland’s meat industry in August has now happened. Brazil lost European Union authorisation for several categories of animal products on 3 September, while Great Britain continues to maintain an import route for beef from approved Brazilian states. The European

The former Bank of Scotland at Kyle of Lochalsh

After Scotland Lost Hundreds of Bank Branches, Shared Hubs Are Building a Different Network

The rapid disappearance of conventional branches is now being followed by an expanding system of shared

Great British Energy Had No Direct Employees in March. By September It Had 55

The public company’s first annual accounts and later parliamentary answers show the transition taking place behind

Scotland’s Supermarket Promotions Change on 1 October

New rules will restrict where some foods can be displayed and how they can be promoted,

Economy·Featured

Inside the Digital Kiosks Moving Onto Scotland’s Streets

Planning applications across Scotland describe communications kiosks equipped with defibrillators and advertising screens. Behind that description is a privately operated platform capable

by Editorial Team

21 September 2026

North Sea oil platforms stand waiting in the Cromarty Firth near Invergordon, Scotland

Economy·Featured·Scottish News

£50 Billion Behind the Tax Argument: What Is Really at Stake in the North Sea

The offshore industry says 111 oil and gas projects representing £50 billion of potential private investment could move forward under a different

by Andrew Robertson

17 September 2026

Cameronbridge distillery entrance and silos

Economy·Featured·Fife

Strike at Europe’s Largest and Oldest Grain Distillery in Scotland Puts Diageo Restructuring Under Pressure

More than 100 workers at Europe’s largest and oldest grain distillery are preparing for three weeks of industrial action as Diageo restructures

by Editorial Team

17 September 2026

Economy·Featured

Scotland’s Businesses Are Beginning to Worry More About Missing Customers Than Rising Costs

Falling demand has become the most commonly cited main concern among Scottish businesses for September 2026, narrowly ahead of energy prices. At

by Andrew Robertson

10 September 2026

Economy·Featured

When a Publicly Backed Scottish Technology Company Fails, Who Keeps the Invention?

PureLiFi was created from research at the University of Edinburgh, received Scottish public support over more than a decade and built an

by John Campbell

9 September 2026

10280598 petroleum platform on the guanabara bay

Economy

Another Scottish Energy Company Is Being Sold Overseas

Capricorn Energy has spent more than four decades building businesses from Edinburgh, from the North Sea to India, Senegal and Egypt. A

by LM Bruce

3 September 2026

19263712 home filing dividers for council tax household bills

Economy·Featured

Scotland Is Preparing to Change Council Tax After 35 Years of 1991 Property Values

The Scottish Government has confirmed that a Council Tax Bill will be introduced during the first year of the new Parliament. Two

by James Stewart

3 September 2026

78050440 people enjoying vist at urquhart castle on the shore of loch ness scotland

Economy·Featured

Scottish Household Survey Records Tourism Support And Lower Local Involvement In Decisions

The Scottish Household Survey’s 2025 tourism sentiment results show that 48 per cent of adults agreed tourism was good for their local

by James Stewart

27 August 2026

22852068 olive oil bottles at jenners department store in edinburgh scotland

Economy·Featured

Energy Prices Remain A Leading Concern For Scottish Businesses

The latest Business Insights and Conditions Survey for Scotland records falling demand and energy prices as the top concerns for September 2026

by Andrew Robertson

27 August 2026

57629656 five stacks of gold coins against flag of scotland forming rising chart

Economy·Featured

Scotland’s Onshore Economy Grew By 0.7 Per Cent In The Second Quarter Of 2026

Scotland’s onshore GDP grew by 0.7 per cent in real terms between April and June 2026, after growth of 0.1 per cent

by LM Bruce

27 August 2026

Aberdeen City·Economy·Featured

More Than A Third Of Great British Energy Staff Live Outside Scotland Despite Aberdeen Headquarters

More than a third of the people currently working for Great British Energy live outside Scotland, despite Aberdeen being designated as the

by James Stewart

21 August 2026

Economy·Featured

Ferguson Marine faces 70 Job Losses While Four Vessel Contracts Remain Unsigned

Up to 70 workers could leave Ferguson Marine as the Port Glasgow shipyard runs into a gap between the completion of MV

by Andrew Robertson

18 August 2026

23140108 the portrait of sheep farming outdoor

Economy·Featured

Bluetongue Reaches Four Scottish Premises as Vaccine Evidence Sharpens the Questions Ahead

Five animals on four premises in Dumfries and Galloway have now been affected by BTV-3. As investigators establish whether Scotland is dealing

by LM Bruce

17 August 2026

Economy·Featured

Nearly One in Four Larger Manufacturers in Scotland Reports Impact From US Tariffs

New Scottish Government estimates show US tariff effects remain concentrated among manufacturers and goods exporters, while the American tariff regime itself changed

by John Campbell

17 August 2026

87870194 stock market investment trading financial coin and scotland fla

Economy

Scotland revenues reach £98.3bn as fiscal deficit narrows

Government revenues attributed to Scotland rose by £6.3bn in 2025-26, while the gap between estimated public spending and revenue narrowed to £25.3bn.

by Andrew Robertson

13 August 2026

Wick — Royal Bank of Scotland, 1 Bridge Street The former Royal Bank of Scotland at 1 Bridge Street, Wick, a monumental stone banking building whose clock tower still dominates the

Economy·Featured

A Country Without Tellers: How Scotland Lost Its Banks

In little more than a decade, Scotland has watched a familiar piece of civic life disappear from hundreds of communities. The story

by LM Bruce

13 August 2026

Wind turbine blade at industrial harbor no metadata

Economy·Featured

Scotland’s Power-Machinery Imports Jump 46% as Government Pushes Home-Grown Wind Manufacturing

Power-generating machinery accounted for around two-fifths of the increase in Scotland’s goods imports in the year to March 2026. The statistics do

by Andrew Robertson

10 August 2026

Economy·Featured

Scotland’s International Services Exports May Have Reached £19 Billion – But The Official Estimate Stops At 2023

A report commissioned by the Scottish Government estimates that Scotland’s international services exports may have reached £19.2 billion in 2025. The corresponding

by James Stewart

6 August 2026

Economy·Highland

Highland Councillors Back New Controls On Holiday Lets

Councillors in Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh have backed plans that could require planning permission before more permanent homes are converted into

by LM Bruce

3 August 2026

Economy·Featured

Fourteen Councils Exceed Welfare Fund Budgets As Crisis Applications Rise

Scottish councils received more than 258,000 Crisis Grant applications in one year, while emergency spending increased by 26 per cent and fourteen

by Andrew Robertson

31 July 2026

Invisors EMEA team on board our company wide cruise, Summer 2026.

Economy·Glasgow City

Glasgow-Based Tech Consultancy Named Among UK’s Best Workplaces For Women

A technology consultancy that chose Glasgow for its first European headquarters has been recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces for

by John Campbell

27 July 2026

Economy·Featured·North Lanarkshire

Public Grant Helped Bring Post Office Back to Motherwell After Three-Year Gap

The new branch opened on Brandon Parade East in March, creating four jobs and restoring postal, parcel and cash services to the

by Editorial Team

23 July 2026

Economy·Inverclyde

Inverclyde Offers Cash Grants in Attempt to Slow Population Decline

One-off grants of up to £400 have been introduced to encourage people to remain in or move to Inverclyde, where the population

by Andrew Robertson

22 July 2026

Aberdeenshire·Angus·Economy·Featured

Scottish Ministers Disclose Scale of Opposition to Kintore–Tealing Power Line

More than 10,000 people and organisations were notified that they had a right to participate in the examination of SSEN Transmission’s proposed

by John Campbell

22 July 2026

101578370 ai generated person holding digital system warning interface with red alert symbols showing critical ai risk data security monitoring and infrastructure protection

Economy·Featured·North Lanarkshire

If the AI Bubble Bursts, What Happens to Scotland

Editor’s Note: This investigation concerns more than the financial risk of an AI bubble. Data centres depend upon AI companies, while much

by Editorial Team

20 July 2026

68067238 scotland port of stornoway isle of lewis scotland port stornoway isle of (1)

Angus·Economy·Featured·Na h-Eileanan Siar·Scottish News

No Scottish Boat Won a Tuna Licence. Twenty-Nine English Boats Can Fish Scottish Waters

A brief exchange in the House of Commons exposed an awkward fact about one of Britain’s newest commercial fisheries. Torcuil Crichton, the

by Editorial Team

13 July 2026

Aberdeen City·Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Aberdeen’s Oldest Bartender-Owned Spirits Brand Launches Vermouth

Aberdeen is not usually the first Scottish city people associate with spirits. Its modern image is more often built around granite and

by LM Bruce

8 July 2026

From left: Tom Croy, Investment Director, PXN Ventures; Graham McDonald, Chairman, VASO Global; Eddie Black, Co Founder and Managing Director, VASO Global; and Simon Parrish, Chief

Dumfries and Galloway·Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Waste Glass and New Homes: The Dumfries Firm Testing Scotland’s Housing Economy

Waste Glass and New Homes: The Dumfries Firm Testing Scotland’s Housing Economy A Dumfries-based construction business has secured more than £5m in

by LM Bruce

7 July 2026

Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Scotland’s Independent Bookshops Are Becoming Community Infrastructure

Scotland’s independent bookshops are doing something unusual in a difficult retail age. They are growing. Figures submitted by the Booksellers Association to

by John Campbell

13 June 2026

Economy·Scottish News

How the Scottish Government Helped Price Scots Out of Their Own Land

Something has shifted under Scotland’s feet. The land has not moved, but the way it is valued, sold and contested has changed.

by Editorial Team

13 June 2026

Economy·Featured·Glasgow City·Scottish News

Scottish EV Maker Munro Plans New Plant as Industrial Demand Grows

Munro, the Scottish maker of all electric 4×4 utility vehicles, is reported to be planning a new UK manufacturing plant from 2027.

by Editorial Team

3 June 2026

Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Royal Bank Opens IP Lending Door for Scotland’s Creative and Tech Firms

Royal Bank of Scotland has launched a new lending product allowing high growth Scottish businesses to borrow against intellectual property. The test

by LM Bruce

3 June 2026

Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Scottish Farmers on Alert as Bluetongue Rules Hit Livestock Movement

Scotland has not recorded bluetongue through current surveillance, but Great Britain is no longer classed as free from the disease. New movement

by Andrew Robertson

2 June 2026

Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Lab-Grown Meat is Not on Scottish Plates Yet, But the Food Fight Has Begun

No cell-cultivated meat has yet been authorised for human consumption in Great Britain. But cultivated chicken has already been approved for use

by Andrew Robertson

1 June 2026

Clackmannanshire·Economy·Falkirk·Featured·Scottish News·Stirling

Castles, Canals and Kelpies: Forth Valley Courts Global Travellers

Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire councils have taken a joint Forth Valley tourism offer to international travel buyers, with more than 50 meetings

by James Stewart

29 May 2026

Argyll and Bute·Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Former Ardrishaig Oil Depot Moves Closer to New Life as Distillery Plan Gets Funding

Argyll and Bute Council has approved £250,000 for the next phase of regeneration at the former Gleaner oil depot in Ardrishaig, supporting

by Andrew Robertson

29 May 2026

46515422 scottish street and sky view gourock scotland

Argyll and Bute·Economy·Featured·Scottish News

First Homes Fund Will Help Some Buyers. It Will Not Fix Scotland’s Housing Shortage

Scotland’s new First Homes Fund is due to open by the end of June, offering first time buyers up to £10,000 toward

by LM Bruce

28 May 2026

51492734 turbine on a wind farm seen up close used for green renewable energy

Economy·Featured·Perth and Kinross·Scottish News

BBC Says Scotland’s Green Economy Is Real. True. But Scotland Does Not Own the Power System

New figures say Scotland’s net zero economy supports more than 105,000 jobs and contributes £10.2 billion in economic value. Those numbers matter,

by David McDonald

28 May 2026

Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Scotland’s Food Price Cap Row: What the Evidence Actually Shows

Scottish politicians have argued over whether ministers should cap prices on essential supermarket goods, but the available evidence points to a more

by James Stewart

22 May 2026

Allegedly one of the 250 people who think they are paying for everyone in Scotland

Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Tom Hunter’s 250 Taxpayer Claim Collapses Under Scotland’s Own Tax Data

Sir Tom Hunter has argued that Scotland risks pushing away the people who fund public services, but one striking claim about 250

by John Campbell

22 May 2026

Alistair Leslie image credit Ben Mullay/HIE

Economy·Featured·Highland·Scottish News

Ness Engineering Expansion Shows the Value of Skilled Local Firms in Shetland

Sumburgh based Ness Engineering is expanding its existing site with support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The investment will add workshop, storage

by James Stewart

21 May 2026

Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Zero Hours Reform Will Test Scotland’s Balance Between Security and Flexibility

Major changes to zero hours and low hours work are due to reshape employment law across Great Britain from 2027. For Scotland,

by Andrew Robertson

20 May 2026

Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Google Fires a Warning Shot Over Scotland’s Digital Future

Google says its new Android developer verification rules are intended to make phones safer. Scotland should still pay attention, because a country

by Editorial Team

18 May 2026

53225208 tesla electric vehicle charging station on motorway in uk

Economy·Featured

Scotland Is Trying to Rebuild Its Economy, Rewire Its Infrastructure and Save the Climate

Scotland is attempting one of the most complicated balancing acts in modern public policy: reducing emissions, modernising infrastructure, protecting households from rising

by David McDonald

7 May 2026

Economy·Falkirk·Scottish News

Grangemouth’s Next Industrial Test May Begin With The Chemicals Behind Medicine

Celtic Renewables has joined a UK consortium backed by more than £7 million to develop bio based solvents for pharmaceutical manufacturing. The

by Editorial Team

5 May 2026

32911494 sun drenched spring forest with conifers

Economy·Featured·Scottish News

Scotland’s Forest Argument Is About More Than Trees

A new report commissioned by Confor challenges a Royal Society of Edinburgh inquiry into public support for forestry. Behind the technical dispute

by Andrew Robertson

5 May 2026

Shrieve Chemicals FIS Chemicals acquisition

Aberdeen City·Economy·Featured·Scottish News

US Chemicals Group Acquires Aberdeen-based FIS in Cross-border Deal

A long-established Scottish manufacturer with roots in the North Sea supply chain has been acquired by a US-backed chemicals distributor, reflecting continued

by John Campbell

1 May 2026

Aberdeen City·Economy·Scottish News

Aberdeen Launches Scheme to Lower Cost of Opening City Centre Shops

A quiet obstacle has persisted in Aberdeen’s city centre: the cost of turning an empty unit into a functioning shop. On Monday,

by John Campbell

29 April 2026

Economy·Scottish News

Scotland’s Growth Edges Forward, But Momentum Remains Thin

There is movement in the numbers, but it is slight, and it arrives without force. Official figures released this morning show Scotland’s

by John Campbell

29 April 2026

Economy·Scottish News

Short-Term Lets Pass 32,000 as Licensing System Begins to Take Shape

The numbers are now large enough to notice, but not yet stable enough to compare. Official statistics published on 28 April show

by John Campbell

29 April 2026

67405890 scottish parliament holyrood edinburgh

Economy·Scottish News

Investment, Spending & Growth: Scotland’s Economic Direction

Recent government funding decisions, investment programmes and business signals point to a clear direction, though the pace of delivery remains under examination

by John Campbell

20 April 2026

82725736 morning fog above a meadow with electricity pylons

Economy·Energy·Scottish News

Who Decides What Gets Built: Scotland’s Quiet Shift in Energy Planning

A recent consultation issued by the Scottish Government has raised a question that, while technical in form, carries wider implications for how

by John Campbell

10 April 2026

Dumfries and Galloway·Economy·Scottish News

Small Producers Pilot Fund Distributes Support Across Scotland

A modest but strategically significant stream of public funding has been channelled into Scotland’s small-scale agricultural sector, as ministers and enterprise agencies

by John Campbell

5 April 2026

Dumfries and Galloway·Economy·Scottish News

Dumfries and Galloway Confronts Rural Decline With Evidence Rather Than Rhetoric

There are few subjects in modern Scottish governance more quietly consequential than depopulation. It lacks the drama of constitutional quarrels or fiscal

by John Campbell

3 April 2026

Edinburgh St Andrew's House (8595567296)

Economy·Scottish News

Scotland Braces for Economic Shockwaves as Ministers Assess Fallout from Middle East Conflict

The Scottish Government has moved to assess the domestic consequences of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, amid growing concern that

by John Campbell

1 April 2026

45012466 1 pound coin reverse side showing thistle and diadem representing scotland currency of the uk

Economy·Scottish News

National Lottery Funds Drive New Push on Financial Inclusion Across Scotland

Efforts to address financial hardship in Scotland are entering a new phase, as The National Lottery Community Fund begins shaping a fresh

by John Campbell

31 March 2026

Economy·Highland·Scottish News

£547 Million Freeport Windfall to Be Reinvested Across the Highlands

A substantial financial dividend from the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport is set to be channelled back into Highland communities, after

by John Campbell

31 March 2026

Economy·Scottish News

Poverty in Scotland Holds Steady as New Data Reveals Deepening Structural Pressures

The latest poverty statistics released by the Scottish Government offer a picture that is, at first glance, deceptively calm. Beneath the surface

by John Campbell

27 March 2026

66538328 heating radiator with regulator

Economy·Highland·Scottish News

Rural Heating Costs Return to Parliament as Ministers Defend Limited Support for Oil Users

Households in off grid areas face renewed scrutiny over energy costs, as ministers cite targeted support while MPs describe widening price pressures

by John Campbell

26 March 2026

Economy·Scottish News

Scottish Farm Incomes Rebound Sharply After Difficult Year

Farm incomes across Scotland staged a notable recovery in 2024–25, rising by nearly a third after a bruising decline the previous year,

by John Campbell

26 March 2026

83308340 the shetland islands in scotland

Economy·Scottish News·Shetland Islands

Shetland Council Responds to Audit Warning of £134m Budget Gap

Shetland Islands Council has acknowledged the scale of its financial challenge after a national audit highlighted a projected £134 million budget gap,

by John Campbell

11 March 2026