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Ethnic humour has become one of those things we don't do well anymore, or simply won't do because nobody wants to lose their job. Back when it was still tolerated – about fifteen or twenty years ago – what was left of ethnic humour (as practiced by comics like Dave Chappelle or Chris Rock) was gatekept by a single, unbreakable rule: you can only make an ethnic joke if you're a member of the ethnicity that's the butt of the joke. Now, of course, this is largely off the table because nobody thinks the risk is worth it anymore. I...

THEY were the words that launched one of the darkest episodes in Scottish history, remembered and resented to this day.• Clan Campbell murdered Clan MacDonald in Glencoe in 1692 Now the original handwritten order for the massacre at Glencoe "to fall upon the rebels ... and put all to the sword under seventy" goes on show in Edinburgh this week. Sent to Robert Campbell of Glenlyon, in 1692, the simple 20-line letter triggered the murder of 38 members of the MacDonald clan and is the centrepiece of an exhibition of cultural "treasures" at the National Library of Scotland. It is...

The Wife of Usher’s Well. Scots Wha Hae Wi Wallace Bled. In the Gloaming. Annie Laurie.

Below is the transcript of a speech I gave at a Net Zero Watch event in Edinburgh on 9 March 2026: . Good evening, and thank you for inviting me to speak today. Scotland is often described as an electricity superpower. Not only is that not true, the Scottish grid is actually extremely vulnerable, being held together by just two power stations: Peterhead and Torness. So critical is this dependence that the National Energy System Operator, NESO, will not allow both to go on maintenance at the same time. Yet within the next 5-6 years both could close. Today I’m...

A spate of fires and disasters has befallen the city's historic architecture over the years, raising questions about whether these are freak accidents or a symptom of wider issues. "Each time these collapses or fires happen, the same conversations happen and everyone agrees it's terrible and we should do something about it," says Matt Loader, co-founder of architecture firm Loader Monteith. "Then 18 months later it happens again somewhere. "Our Victorian city is disappearing, a piece at a time." Demolition of the remains of the Union Street building began on Friday. Niall Murphy, director of Glasgow City Heritage Trust, told...

MP George Galloway has congratulated Hizbollah on its "victory" in Israel. At a news conference in a Beirut hotel, the controversial politician said: "I came here to extend my congratulations to the Lebanese people on a great and historic victory against this aggression. "I want to congratulate the Lebanese resistance and their leading edge, Hizbollah, whose martyrs and her s have achieved this great victory. "And in particular to their leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whose name now rings in joy around the world." Galloway is in Beirut to present a phone-in radio show for a British radio station. He also...

Police Scotland has refused to release the number of call-outs to asylum hotels over fears the data could spark violence and "heighten community tensions". The national force was slammed for dodging a "reasonable request" from the Scottish Daily Express to reveal the true scale of crime at migrant hotels in Scotland. Police bosses admitted they are concerned that releasing the data will result in more angry scenes outside the hotels, after a number of high-profile protests and counter-protests across Scotland last year. Our Freedom of Information request asked for the number of incidents, including crimes recorded, police call-outs and arrests...

During a boil in the bag funeral, the body is wrapped in a biodegradable shroud, often made of silk or wool, and placed in a pressurised steel chamber. The tank is then filled with a liquid made up of 95 per cent water and five per cent of an alkaline chemical such as potassium hydroxide. The body is heated to 150°C (302°F) under pressure, which ensures that it does not actually 'boil'. Over three to four hours, this replicates the natural processes of decomposition that would normally take decades to occur inside a coffin. Finally, the resulting liquid is cooled,...

Young Scottish actress Mandipa Kabana has been cast to play Joan of Arc in a 2026 Scottish theatrical production that explores the “power of youth-led change”. 'Classic tale of war, duplicity, power and wealth gets a fresh new treatment' writes The Herald about the upcoming theatre adaption of Joan of Arc. Stewart Laing, the theatre director who cast Mandipa, had compared the French Patron Saint to Greta Thunberg: "Look at someone like Greta Thunberg. There are young people with loud voices protesting against those in power."

Oh, gosh. How they don't work an angle so hard to spin and bury an inconvenient story in Sir Keir Starmer's United Kingdom. Astonishing the levers a police state can pull. You'll all remember this horrifying scene this past August. (Watch video at link) David and I both wrote about it when it first happened, because the video was so shocking and so sad... "...What reportedly happened was that a fourteen-year-old and her younger sister were walking home. They were followed and harassed by one of the 'migrants' at the heart of all these complaints and clashes, which the government...

Ministers secretly advised Muammar Gaddafi’s Libyan regime how to secure the successful early release of the Lockerbie bomber, documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph have disclosed. A Foreign Office minister sent Libyan officials detailed legal advice on how to use Abdelbaset al-Megrahi’s cancer diagnosis to ensure he was released from a Scottish prison on compassionate grounds. The Duke of York is also said to have played a behind-the-scenes role in encouraging the terrorist’s release. The Libyans closely followed the advice which led to the controversial release of Megrahi – who was convicted of the murder of 270 passengers on Pan...

Labour is on course for its worst result in an election in 116 years in May as Scottish voters desert it, a new poll suggests. Against a backdrop of major dislike for Keir Starmer, Anas Sarwar's party is on course to take just 15 per cent of the vote in the Scottish Parliament election. A survey by YouGov today suggests it will remain the third largest party at Holyrood, but with Reform forming the largest opposition group to the Scottish National Party, also leapfrogging the Tories. Less than a third (32 per cent) of Scots who voted for Labour at...

The Greenland-Scotland Ridge looms like a great undersea barrier, stretching from East Greenland to Iceland and the Faroe Islands, and across to Scotland. The Denmark Strait is a critical checkpoint through which cold, fresher waters from northern seas flow across the ridge into the the main body of the North Atlantic Ocean. (Illustration by E. Paul Oberlander, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)From USGS, who is now apparently in the climate business, because mapping and earthquakes are sooo 20th century.  New Discoveries Improve Climate ModelsUnderwater Ridges Impact Ocean’s Flow of Warm WaterNew discoveries on how underwater ridges impact the ocean’s circulation system...

The survey of 1000 Scots voters also signalled that support for Scottish independence would increase even further should Nigel Farage's Reform UK take power at Westminster. It is the latest of a series of polling results compiled for The National by polling firm Find Out Now which will be published this week. The poll found that 49.9% of Scots would support Yes if a vote on the constitution were held tomorrow, while 43.7% would vote No and 6.4% said they were undecided. Excluding these “don’t knows” and rounding to the nearest whole number, Scots would back independence by 53% to...

…The US has accused the Marinera of breaking its sanctions by carrying oil for Venezuela, Russia and Iran. The ship, previously known as Bella 1, was boarded while south of Iceland last week and is now in the Moray Firth while a US Coast Guard ship involved in the operation is berthed in Aberdeen. US administration sources said the tanker would be subject to a judicial forfeiture process when it arrives in the US and any individuals involved in its attempts to flee face federal prosecution.… …But Moscow denounced the seizure, demanding that the US treat Russians aboard properly and...

Embark on a fascinating journey through Scotland's genetic history, spanning 12,000 years! Discover how waves of migration - from Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to Vikings and Normans - have shaped Scottish DNA. Learn about groundbreaking studies revealing unexpected connections to Siberian tribes and North African genes. We'll explore regional genetic clusters, the origins of Scottish surnames, and even uncover some royal DNA! Scotland's Ancient DNA Revealed | 16:49 The History Hub | 165K subscribers | 1,137,164 views | September 15, 2024 dna scotland [YouTube search]

A unique discovery, a glittering hoard of beautifully crafted objects in silver, gold and crystal, buried in the ground and forgotten 1100 years ago. Hands on History: Rare Viking Treasure | 36:53History Hit | 1.83M subscribers | 1,547,432 views | October 7, 2024

Thousands of 'Vikings' took to the streets brandishing burning torches and axes as the ancient Up Helly Aa festival got under way on the Shetland Islands. The event, a celebration of the Scottish island's Norse heritage, drew massive crowds with many 'warriors' wearing winged helmets and sheepskins.

Press release – Calls for Scottish Government to reject extreme abortion up to birth plans 14 November 2025 – A review of abortion law in Scotland commissioned by the Scottish Government, and undertaken by a group chaired by a former trustee of the UK’s largest abortion provider, has recommended that Scotland scrap the 24-week time limit and allow abortions on social grounds, including for sex-selective purposes, right up to birth. In Scotland, 98% of the 18,710 abortions performed in 2024 were done so under section 1(1)(a) of the Abortion Act, which is interpreted by abortion providers to allow abortions to...

BBC News reports that more than 100 projectiles were recovered during an investigation of an unstudied area of Scotland's Culloden Battlefield. Fought on April 16, 1746, the Battle of Culloden marked Britain's final defeat of the Jacobite army led by Charles Edward Stuart, who was also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie. Stuart had attempted to place his father, who was the son of the Roman Catholic James II, on the British throne. Yet James II had been deposed in 1688 and his line excluded from English succession under the Act of Settlement of 1701. At the time of the battle,...