Culture
Russian passport to poetry, propaganda and pride
What does a passport reveal about the holder – or they country they come from? Fay Young finds an unexpected connection between her new Irish passport and the revolutionary Russian poet Vladimir Mayaokovsky
Lloyd’s losses paid by ‘mass casualties’
In the final extract from Hubris: How HBOS Wrecked the Best Bank in Britain, Ray Perman counts the costs – born by the mass casualties who were (and still are) the casualties of the world’s…
Young Fathers: touching the heart of Scottish creative diversity
Young Fathers symbolise the generous new diversity of Scotland. Celebrating the spirit of creative collaboration found in Paisley at Scottish Album of the Year Award ceremony and the launch of V&A design music in Dundee
Two new Scottish Sundays buck the trend
‘ If they are to carve out a place for themselves, these two new Sundays are going to have to do more to break exclusives that set the agenda for the week ahead – and…
Scotland the good food nation? Cross-party call for SG action
‘Arguably for the first time in the life of the Scottish Parliament, there was a real debate about food’, Celia Nyssens of Nourish Scotland records cross-party unity calling on Scottish Government to deliver a Good…
Apocalypse now and then…ten years after HBOS crash
The events leading up to the crash began in New York, 7 September 2008. A week later the shock waves engulfed Scotland’s oldest bank in Edinburgh.
How Scotland’s premier banks crashed the economy: ten years on
To mark the tenth anniversary of the financial crisis, Sceptical Scot’s new series focuses on home-made follies; the extraordinary mistakes made by two once revered and typically prudent Scottish institutions: the Bank of Scotland and…
A Scottish teacher’s Brexit journey across Europe
The bike suits her as a way to get around, supporting an injured ankle and allowing her to travel independently under her own steam. “I’m really loving the travelling. I’m comfortable with the rhythm of…
A pedestrian’s view of the Edinburgh Art Festival
‘Despite its closes and little streets, for locals Edinburgh does not often afford itself to hidden gems. Very rarely does it come up with something you haven’t seen before, or at least not heard of;…
How Scots scored for soccer – in England
‘So you can mount a pretty good argument that the history of football in England would have been very different without the contribution made by Scots – and the English Premier League (EPL) is but…
Confronting gender-based violence: Hopscotch by Nadine Aisha Jassat
This week’s Sceptical Scot poetry post is Hopscotch, by Nadine Aisha Jassat, a powerful, gut-churning challenge to gender-based violence.
A Wall is a Screen: pop up festival aims to reclaim the night
The event is a triumph of creative activism and quiet determination to overcome the ‘Do you need permission for that?’ mindset that can prevent grassroots events. Welcome to pop-up film fest and night time guided…