we did not know that we were
the happiness we wished each other
when the Bells went, did we?

Liz Lochhead

We are saying goodbye to 2018 with some relief and not a little foreboding at what lies ahead – but also with a sense of gratitude.

It has been a year of great uncertainty and gross political mismanagement.

And yet, there is a good deal to be thankful for. Reviewing our now considerable list of editorial contributors brings gratitude for their wealth of talent, wisdom, knowledge and relentless pursuit of clear, factual information. We are indebted to you all for your generosity in writing for us or allowing us to publish your work.

Thanks also to our readers for your engagement and comments, most often revealing a continuing concern about social injustice and unequal sharing of resources. Nationally and globally. Brexit stirs anger but our most-read articles are about these fundamental human issues which remain to be addressed however, whenever – if ever – Britain leaves the European Union. And whether or not Scotland opts for independence.

Top reads, top concerns

There is an extraordinary breadth and depth in the topics covered by our writers: science, environment, politics, economics, health, art, poetry and sport. There is cause for optimism in Scotland’s cultural verve, and in creative collaborative technological innovation – particularly in crop research and sustainable food production. But there’s also an urgent focus on educational shortcomings, the persistent difficulty of bridging the attainment gap – and a concomitant desire for honest political accountability.

Through 2018, the top Sceptical Scot reads include Walter Humes’ Seven reasons why Scottish Education is under-performing. Sue Palmer’s Silence of the weans: why children need outdoor play and James Robertson’s vivid portrayal of poverty and inequality on an everyday bus ride through Edinburgh: the Nummer 14 Bus

At the still point of the turning year, we cannot know what lies ahead. But Sceptical Scot is pausing now to toast all of you – contributors and readers – the best possible New Year. And a hope that we may all work well together for shared understanding and common purpose in 2019.

The Liz Lochhead quote is from View of Scotland/Love Poem

Featured image is Sunrise in Stonehaven, 2018, by Giuseppe Milo, CC By 2.0

Fay Young and David Gow are co-editors of Sceptical Scot