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A warning has been issued for Hogmanay

Warnings issued for rain, wind and snow on Hogmanay

Ian Sinclair, 58, from Shetland, was last heard from on Friday morning.

Body found in hunt for wild swimmer missing from Scottish island

Sir Keir Starmer and John Swinney (Picture: Andy Buchanan/WPA pool)

Poll: SNP to reclaim most seats lost to Labour at July election

Firefighters check near the wreckage of a passenger plane at Muan International Airport

At least 176 dead as plane crashes off runway in South Korea

Why 2024 was the year of 'middle class women of a certain age'

Politicians should pay more heed to the group who saw off Gregg Wallace and defied Nicola Sturgeon’s GRA reform

Euan McColm

The Berwick Bank wind farm will have up to 307 turbines standing around 355m tall at their highest point -- the height has been raised to give greater clearance between blade tips and sea level to help avoid collisions with seabirds as they hunt for food, while a ban on sandeel fishing is also being proposed as part of the development to boost food supplies for the likes of puffins and kittiwakes

Exclusive SNP 'holding back Scotland's renewables boom' as delays revealed

Scottish independence supporters on the march. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

Exclusive Last indy strategy damaged 'credibility', Pete Wishart says

Willow McMurray with a picture of a bee, honey and self-made motivational posters with her efforts to bring the little creature to life viewed 1.3m times. Photo credit should read: Anouska Curzon/PA Wire

Scots girl who nursed a bee with honey named a top viral moment of '24

A member of staff refills the shelves in the UK's first branch of Amazon Fresh

The age of convenience comes at a cost and it’s time to walk away Alexander Brown

Fawlty Towers-style dining train to help spearhead rail tours revival

Scottish Budget needs to show SNP is not simply in government but out of ideas (Picture: Leslie Martin)

Why Scotland must use anniversary to expand Freedom of Information law

UK News

There is a lot riding on the success or failure of Keir Starmer's government (Picture: Benjamin Cremel)

Why Labour needs to get its act together to prevent populist takeover Scotsman comment

Santra Saju, 22, was last seen in Livingston on December 6.

Body found in search for missing Edinburgh woman Santra Saju, 22

Death and the other three Horsemen of the Apocalypse are unlikely to be on their way (Picture: Peter Macdiarmid)

Why we should ignore Bulgarian soothsayer's scary prediction for 2025 Stephen Jardine

It's time to stop keeping farm animals in cages (Picture: Paco Serinelli)

Eight highlights (and lowlights) about our relationship with animals Philip Lymbery

Tony Blair was cautious during the 1997 general election campaign, but brought in several big ticket reforms within months of winning power (Picture: Tom Stoddart Archive/Hulton Archive)

Comparing Starmer to Blair reveals PM's shocking lack of ideas Alistair Carmichael

Ukraine is struggling to stop slow but steady advances by Russian troops (Picture: Roman Pilipey)

Are we going to war in 2025? If so, UK is woefully unprepared Tim Willasey-Wilsey

World

The Scottish firm is best known for producing the world's first official whisky glass.

An injured woman is carried away after an Israeli strike in Gaza City's Sabra neighbourhood earlier this month (Picture: Omar al-Qattaa)

UK can't just look on as Israel continues 'most documented genocide' Talat Yaqoob

The Taliban has turned Afghanistan into the worst place on Earth to be a woman (Picture: Bulent Kilic)

Taliban’s treatment of women shows need for apartheid-style boycott Susan Dalgety

Some of the more unusual New Year celebrations from around the world.

Strange Hogmanay Traditions: 12 quirky ways people celebrate New Year

From left to right: Taylor Swift, King Charles and Alex Salmond all feature in our 2024 Big Boxing Day Quiz

The Scotsman's Big Boxing Day quiz of 2024

Elon Musk's ambition to Occupy Mars is commendable, but his politics are deeply alarming (Picture: Michael Gonzalez)

Elon Musk is a genius. But his influence makes me fear for democracy Ian Johnston

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Weather

Heavy rain could make for treacherous driving conditions on Monday and Tuesday (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell)

An ill omen? Scotland to ring in New Year with two days of rain Scotsman comment

Health and Safety concerns almost ended the traditional firing of the Edinburgh Castle gun.

Scotland hit by yellow weather alert for heavy rain on Hogmanay

Politics

Glasgow City Council could pause its role as an asylum seeker dispersal city Credit: Getty Images

Exclusive Glasgow threatens to 'pause' role as asylum dispersal city

Glasgow could pause its role as an asylum dispersal city without a bespoke package of support from t...

Disclosure Scotland: £100m temp staff bill revealed

The SNP is being accused of ‘papering over the cracks’ at Disclosure Scotland.

A protest in 2023 outside a hotel housing refugees in Erskine (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell)

Why Glasgow should get more money to accommodate asylum seekers

Glasgow should not be financially penalised for becoming a beacon of hope for asylum seekers

Green freeports will bring in billions of pounds in new investmentKate Forbes

Here's how the SNP is risking Scotland's economic future

Cuts to further education will have a ‘devastating effect’ on colleges and also on Scotland’s hopes ...

Analysis What Holyrood party leaders will have on New Year's wishlist for 2025

The Holyrood party leaders will all have a New Year’s wishlist they will hope comes true as they gea...

Transport

Nicholas Denison-Pender

'Deeply shocked': Tributes flow as pilot killed in plane crash is named

Some 190 bus routes were cut within the past year alone

Communities risk being 'cut off' as 1,400 live bus routes axed

The BBC drama Nightsleeper highlighted the dangers of cybercriminals, albeit in a far-fetched way (Picture: Anne Binckebanck)

How Victorians can help keep rail network safe from cybercriminals Scotsman comment

Exclusive Railways 'wholly unequipped' for digital move amid cyber attack fears

Education

Pic: John Devlin

The biggest and smallest Scottish state schools in 2024 revealed

Pupils sitting an exam. Image: John Devlin

'Very worrying' research finds just 40% of S4 pupils pass maths

Concerns have been raised about the condition of schools in rural parts of Scotland

SNP accused of 'failing rural Scotland' as schools condition revealed

Just like the rest of the UK, Scotland has a number of holidays between and even during school terms

Scotland's school holiday and term dates for 2025 - full list

Environment

Grass of Parnassus needs wet conditions to thrive and prefers cattle to sheep

Why enigmatic and misnamed 'grass of Parnassus' must be saved Dr Deborah Long

Wildlife ranger job opportunity on remote Handa Island with Scottish Wildlife Trust has come up (Picture credit: Alan Anderson)

'Manager' sought for Scottish island nature reserve with no residents

Mar Lodge's most northerly 'granny pine' has succumbed to bad weather in the last three weeks or so

One of Scotland's oldest pine trees dies in solitary spot on hillside

Health

Norovirus levels across the UK are “the highest in more than a decade” (Photo: Adobe)

Norovirus: latest symptoms as cases surge just after Christmas

A positive Covid test

Covid symptoms to look out for and do you still have to isolate?

First Minister John Swinney Picture: Alan Richardson/PA Wire

Fears Scotland's NHS 'on brink of collapse' as flu cases surge

HelloFresh sends out just the right quantity of fresh foods and other ingredients in a box, straight to your door

HelloFresh: I reviewed three recipes to see what the fuss was about

Crime

Hundreds of prisoner-on-staff assaults were recorded at HMP Barlinnie.

Prison violence 'out-of-control' as 250 staff assaulted every year

Amy Rose Wilson, aged 27, tragically died following a crash on New Carron Road in Falkirk. Pic: Police Scotland

Fourth arrest after death of Falkirk young mum Amy-Rose Wilson in 2023 crash

Six youths have been charged over the attack. Picture: John Devlin

Six youths charged after ‘unprovoked attack’ on woman at bus station

Police are appealing for information following the incident

'Concern' for London man missing in Scottish Highlands

Police are appealing for information following the incident. (Picture: Police Scotland)

Two men hunted after demanding keys in car park in attempted robbery

The bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in 1988 killed all 259 people on board and 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie (Picture: Georges De Keerle)

Second Lockerbie trial may dismiss the dafter conspiracy theories Tom Wood

Future Scotland

Praveen Ashok, Dave Hughes, and Melissa Hartley at Novosound's new HQ at BioCity in Glasgow. Picture by Stewart Attwood

Scots firm behind blood pressure monitoring tech outlines 2025 growth plans

“We are now doing around 70 per cent of our revenue in the States, so that will remain a focus in 2025” – Dave Hughes, CEO

Scott Reid

The FSB said entrepreneurship provides many people with a path to financial freedom and independence.

New Year plea to get 500,000 more Brits to become their own boss

Mark Beaumont, partner at Eos; Jessica Birt, CEO and co-founder; Dr Matthew Dale, CSO and co-founder, Professor David Venables, chair of board; Professor Susan Rosser, chair of scientific advisory board. Picture by Stewart Attwood / Canva

How Edinburgh pioneer behind 'holy grail' gene therapy technology raised £3m

Ad Feature From satellites to AI: Dive into Scotland’s geospatial future

More than two dozen businesses were created every day in Glasgow during the first half of 2024

Top spots for new companies in 2024 revealed and one city stands out

Obituaries

Apart from badgers, Eddie Palmer's interests included kayaking and writing

Scotsman Obituaries: Eddie Palmer, founder of Scottish Badgers charity

Gordon Maxwell's impact on the archaeological record was dramatic

Scotsman Obituaries: Gordon Maxwell, Scottish archaeologist

Katie Goodwin was a supporter of many local and international charities

Scotsman Obituaries: Katie Goodwin, Scottish business owner and voluntary leader

Judith Goodier had a lifelong passion for Botany

Scotsman Obituaries: Judith Goodier, early years education specialist

Many plan to start a new eating and exercise regime in the New Year

Half of Brits struggle finding the time to lose weight

Colin Richards owner of T.V.L Allstar Video rental store in Haverhill, Suffolk.

People bring grandkids to my DVD rental shop for the retro experience

Firefighters check near the wreckage of a passenger plane at Muan International Airport

Video: Plane bursts into flames, killing 177 in airport runway crash

Snack explodes and customer suffers burns in Curitiba, Brazil, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. The cause of the snack explosion remains unknown. (NF/newsX)

Snack attack: CCTV shows chicken nugget explode in diner's face

Hilarity ensues as pooch steals turkey crown from car in Armagh, Northern Ireland, leading to a game of chase which ended in woman leaving empty handed as crafty canine refused to give up the bird.

Watch as thieving Golden Retriever runs off with turkey crown

Ray Wragg, from Sheffield, has given away most of his lottery fortune. Photo: Tom Maddick SWNS.com

I won £7m on the lottery but I still check the price of socks