A new target will aim to further increase the number of babies who are breastfed at six to eight weeks old.
NHS Scotland will now aim to reduce the ‘drop-off rate’ – the number of mothers who stop breastfeeding – by a further 10% by 2031. The announcement follows recent statistics which showed breastfeeding rates in Scotland are at their highest level since records began in 2002.
The previous target to reduce the drop-off rate by 10% by 2024-25 was exceeded more than twice over, with a 27% reduction since 2017-18.
Jenni Minto, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, announced the new breastfeeding goal for Scotland at the Breast Buddies support group at Perth Royal Infirmary.
The Scottish Government has invested more than £11 million additional funding in breastfeeding support since 2018, including almost £359,000 for the Breast Buddies project in Tayside. Last year, NHS Tayside became the first UK health board to receive full UNICEF Gold Baby Friendly accreditation across all services .
Ms Minto said: “The new 2031 target will help us to continue to give all babies the best possible start in life.
“The evidence is clear that supporting, protecting, and promoting breastfeeding remains one of the most effective ways to improve the health of mother and baby, in both the short and long term.
“Not everyone can or wants to breastfeed, but for those that do we will support them to meet their breastfeeding goals and improve their experiences.
“The record breastfeeding rates we have seen in Scotland would not have been possible without the dedication of NHS staff, infant feeding teams, and peer supporters. They work tirelessly to help new mums achieve their feeding goals and I thank them for their work.”
Holly Hunter, Breast Buddies Peer Supporter: “Having benefitted so much from the support offered by Breast Buddies when I had my first little one, when the opportunity to be able to become a peer supporter came up I jumped at the chance.
“Whether supporting in person or via text, it’s wonderful to be able to provide any help we can, be that a listening ear, support, or advice, particularly during what for some can be at such a vulnerable and challenging time.
“Also seeing the bonds between new mothers as they come together at groups and the support, they offer through the groups we facilitate is amazing.”
Jocelyn Smith, Breast Buddies Perth & Kinross Coordinator: “We are honoured to welcome the Minister to one of our Breast Buddies groups and showcase the invaluable support we provide to families. Since 2017, we have proudly supported families across Perth & Kinross, contributing to the significant rise in breastfeeding rates.
“Our services include antenatal and postnatal support delivered by trained breastfeeding peer supporters, available through local in-person groups, digital WhatsApp communities, and personalised one-to-one text support. Funding is always a challenge, so we deeply value every opportunity to highlight the impact of this work and ensure its sustainability.”
Gillian McMillan, Infant Nutrition Coordinator, NHS Tayside: “Across Tayside more than 70% of babies begin life being breastfed and to ensure mothers can continue breastfeeding for as long as they choose, it is vital that the right support systems are in place.
“The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding from birth up to six months of age and then continued breastfeeding, with the introduction of solid food, up to two years of age and beyond.
“There is robust evidence demonstrating the positive impact of breastfeeding peer support – not only for the mother but for the peer supporters themselves. We are proud to have Breast Buddies working in partnership with NHS Tayside to support mothers to meet their breastfeeding goals.”
As part of the government’s drive to bring down the cost of living, the Chancellor has written to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) urging them to launch a market study into private dentistry costs and practices.
There are increasing concerns that patients are paying more than they should because of hidden costs, overtreatment and lack of information on price, ownership and quality of treatment.
It comes alongside reports of private practices offering to take on children of customers as NHS patients only if parents sign on as private patients.
The Chancellor also informed the CMA that following their investigation into petrol forecourts and recommendations to bring greater price transparency, Motorists will start to see data in their mapping apps, satnavs and price comparison websites which will let them know where to get the best price at the pump for fuel in their local area early next year.
This scheme was a recommendation made by the Competition and Markets Authority after they found that the amount retailers make in profit on every £1 spent on fuel has more than doubled at some supermarkets, with similar increases at other forecourts.
During this time, this government has kept fuel duty frozen to support households and businesses, which suggests that savings on fuel duty have not been passed onto customers
Fuel providers will have to report changes to fuel prices in near real time so that savvy drivers can compare to get the best price. Government officials estimate that this could knock £40 a year off a household’s annual fuel bill or up to 6p a litre.
With prices openly available, this is also an incentive for fuel providers to offer drivers more competitive prices.
The Chancellor also confirmed that the government is ready to act on the CMA’s recent investigation into the veterinary sector, with further details due to be set out in due course
This comes as the Chancellor prepares for the Budget next week of which tackling the cost of living is a key priority while also focusing on continuing to cut waiting lists and bring down the national debt.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:“The scourge of hidden costs, lack of transparency and overtreatment has blighted families in need of dental treatment for too long.
“That’s why I want to see urgent action taken to help reduce prices, whilst the cost of living still puts pressure on families across the country.
“At next week’s Budget I’ll set out the fair choices I will take to deliver on the public’s priorities: cutting NHS waiting lists, cutting national debt and cutting the cost of living.”
One of the key decisions that UK Ministers will be making ahead of Rachel Reeves announcing the Budget later this month is what to do about the two-child limit (write Fraser of Allander Institute’s SPENCER THOMPSON and HANNAH RANDOLPH).
This policy, which limits Universal Credit to the first two children in a family, has been widely criticised for driving up child poverty rates. And given that the UK Government has pledged to reduce child poverty, with the publication of its child poverty strategy expected sometime around the Budget, the pressure is on to abolish the policy.
The Scottish Government has committed to mitigate the two-child limit by introducing a new benefit, the Two-Child Limit Payment (TCLP). If the two-child limit is abolished, this payment would no longer be needed, freeing up resource for the Scottish Government. The First Minister has pledged that the savings would be spent on additional measures to tackle child poverty, which he has stated is the Scottish Government’s top priority.
How much would the Scottish Government save?
The Scottish Fiscal Commission has forecast the TCLP will cost £155m in 2026-27. This represents the amount that the Scottish Government will directly save if the two-child limit is abolished.
There would however be some offsetting costs to the Scottish Government, coming through two main channels. First, removing the two-child limit would push more families onto the Benefit Cap – unless this was also abolished – which the Scottish Government mitigates through Discretionary Housing Payments.
And second, it would bring more families onto Universal Credit, namely those whose incomes are just too high to be entitled with the two-child limit in place.
These families would in turn become eligible for devolved benefits that are linked to receipt of Universal Credit, including the Scottish Child Payment, raising spend on these benefits.
We estimate that these spillovers would amount to around £34m in 2026-27.
Whether this cost is met from within the £155m pot or counted separately is a political question. The fiscal context, which will become even more challenging if the UK Government chooses to raise income tax in the rest of the UK, may encourage the former choice. But this would likely be seen by campaigners as penny pinching at a time when urgent, ambitious action is needed to tackle child poverty.
Even with the two-child limit abolished, we would still be a long way off meeting the statutory child poverty targets in 2030 – and these are approaching quickly, with the final Delivery Plan due in March.
How could the savings be spent?
If the spillover costs from the abolition of the two-child limit (£34m) were funded from within the TCLP budget (£155m), that would leave £121m to be spent on other policies. We have modelled the child poverty impacts of five illustrative policy options, all of which we estimate will cost about this much in 2026-27 assuming no changes in behaviour or administrative costs. Clearly, a £155m policy could go further than a £121m one, so this represents a conservative scenario.
Impacts of policy options on relative child poverty after housing costs, 2026-27
Option
Raising the Scottish Child Payment to…
…and…
… would reduce child poverty by about…
1
£35
–
1ppt
2
£31
extending Scottish Child Payment from children under 16 to include dependents aged 16-19
1ppt
3
£34
increasing Best Start Grants and Best Start Foods by the same proportion
1ppt
4
£30
extending universal Free School Meals from P1-P5 to include P6-P7
–
5
£34
increasing the maximum discount on water and sewerage charges from 35% to 100% for families with children
1ppt
Source: FAI modelling using UKMOD. Notes: Dash indicates that impact is too small to report. Scottish Child Payment is currently projected to be about £28 per child per week in 2026/27. Free School Meals count as income for purposes of measuring poverty. Technical details of modelling available on request.
The impacts of these policies would be over and above the impacts of the two-child limit being abolished, which we estimate to be around 1 percentage point in 2026-27. All else equal, each of the options would reduce relative child poverty after housing costs by a further 1 percentage point in 2026-27, representing an additional 10,000 children who would be kept out of poverty.
The exception is Option 4: extending universal Free School Meals to all primary school students would not have a measurable impact on aggregate child poverty levels, even when coupled with an increase to Scottish Child Payment of around £2 per child per week.
Although most of the policies are similar in terms of their aggregate impacts, under the surface there are some important differences:
Option 1 is the simplest, but does involve steepening the so-called ‘cliff edge’, whereby households lose their entire Scottish Child Payment award if their incomes increase beyond the point at which they are entitled to Universal Credit – which could incentivise them to forego opportunities to earn more. This option also increases Scottish Child Payment for recipients who are not in poverty, including those kept out of poverty by the payment at its current rate.
Option 2 is arguably preferrable in these respects, since it extends Scottish Child Payment to families who are not currently eligible while also benefitting many multi-child families who currently are, with the overall cliff edge not steepening as much. However, it does favour older children, when families with young children have been identified as a priority group.
Option 3 targets younger children specifically – Best Start Foods is available until the child turns three, while Best Start Grants are paid to children at various points until the child starts school. This option would also channel some of the TCLP savings into one-off grants as opposed to recurring payments, which may be less distortionary when it comes to work incentives even though they have similar eligibility criteria as the Scottish Child Payment. By the same token, their one-off, targeted nature limits their direct impacts on overall levels of child poverty.
Option 4 removes a cliff edge of sorts in the form of the means test for Free School Meals that applies to children in Primary 6 and 7, who are typically between 10 and 11 years old. Although this policy would benefit some households that lie just above current eligibility, it would primarily benefit those with higher incomes. On the other hand, the distributional impacts would depend on take-up, and there could be wider benefits such as a reduction in stigma.
Finally, Option 5 is unique in featuring a gradient across households – both because discounts on water and sewerage charges are proportionately linked to Council Tax Reduction, which tapers with income, and because these charges themselves vary by council tax band. Other changes to Council Tax Reduction would also be possible, but these will tend to extend entitlement to higher-income households rather than just benefitting current recipients, most of whom already receive a 100% reduction.
These are by no means the only options available, but they highlight some of the factors that the Scottish Government will need to weigh up when reallocating the TCLP budget, along with the potential impacts of doing so, in a scenario where the two-child limit is abolished.
Time will tell
Whether or not that that scenario will transpire remains unclear. It is possible that the UK Government will take an intermediate approach by relaxing the two-child limit in some way without abolishing it entirely – for example by exempting certain groups, moving to a three-child limit, or introducing a taper.
Mitigating the remainder of the limit would cost less than the planned TCLP – meaning there would still be some savings – but may require more time to be designed and implemented. It is also possible that the Budget will include a commitment to eventually abolish the two-child limit, but not in the coming year, meaning the TCLP would be needed temporarily.
For now, all eyes are on Rachel Reeves – but the focus will quickly turn to the Scottish Government. Keep an eye on our website and social media for more analysis of the UK and Scottish Budgets over the next few months!
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan has confirmed the Scottish Government will not introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill in the current session of the Scottish Parliament, following delays to the UK Government’s Warm Homes Plan and lack of clarity on cost of energy bills.
In a statement, Ms McAllan said she would not ask the Scottish Parliament to consider such an important Bill now with little time and without a full understanding of the UK policy context, due to several key policy levers being reserved and decisions delayed.
Ms McAllan reaffirmed the Scottish Government’s commitment to decarbonising buildings in Scotland by 2045 in a way that does not exacerbate fuel poverty, and announced additional grant support for homeowners of up to £7,500 (or up to £9,000 for households in island and remote rural areas) from December to incentivise connections to local heat networks.
The Housing Secretary also said the government intended to bring forward legislation as early as possible in the next parliamentary session, subject to the outcome of the 2026 election and clarity on the UK Government position.
A draft Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill has been published to give clarity to households and investors on future plans for legislation.
Màiri McAllan said: “Decarbonising how we heat our homes and buildings is a vital step in our efforts to tackle climate change. We must take action and in a way that does not worsen fuel poverty. The Scottish Government is fully committed to this by 2045, as set out in our draft Climate Change Plan.
“We have always been clear that our plans depend on essential clarity from the UK Government, but repeated delays to their Warm Homes Plan have left key questions unanswered – particularly on how they intend to make the switch to clean heat more affordable by reducing the cost of electricity.
“This is critical in ensuring decarbonising homes does not exacerbate fuel poverty at a time of spiralling energy bills.
“Ultimately, it is perverse that Scottish Ministers should be in the dark about plans related to Scotland’s own energy resources. If we had all the powers of a normal country – including over our own energy resources and market – we would not be in this position.
“In the meantime, we are determined to continue to press ahead with our existing decarbonisation agenda including developing heat networks as a significant investment proposition and viable heating source for households. Therefore, I am pleased to confirm the extension of grant funding for households to connect to local district heat networks, bringing it into line with grants available to install heat pumps.”
Since 2020, the Scottish Government has allocated £1.67 billion of funding through its Heat in Buildings schemes, including over £840 million for energy efficiency and clean heat projects.
Since 2020, the Scottish Government has supported an average of 15,000 households a year to decarbonise, including those in or at risk of fuel poverty and since the launch of Warmer Homes Scotland have helped over 47,000 households across Scotland to live in warmer homes that are more affordable to heat.
A heat decarbonisation target to replace direct emission heating systems in all Scottish buildings, as far as reasonably practicable, by 2045;
A regulation-making power to set a Minimum Energy Performance Standard for owner-occupied and non-domestic buildings that use direct emission heating systems; and
Provisions to encourage the development of heat networks, including a regulation-making power to require qualifying buildings within a heat network zone to connect to the heat network, or decarbonise their heating system
Grant support will be introduced for homeowners to enable connections to heat networks through the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme.
Up to £7,500 of grant funding will now be available to homeowners, in addition to the optional £7,500 interest free loan. For those that qualify for island/remote rural uplift through the scheme, an additional £1,500 of grant funding will be available.
Gillian Campbell, Co-director at the Existing Homes Alliance, said: “This critical legislation has the potential to transform lives and communities across Scotland, cutting fuel poverty and climate emissions, whilst stimulating economic growth and job creation.
“But, creating good legislation requires proper scrutiny. As a result of repeated delays, we’re now at the stage where Parliament doesn’t have sufficient time to properly scrutinise and strengthen the Bill.
“This Bill, as currently drafted, will not drive the scale of activity needed to upgrade Scotland’s homes and meet climate change and fuel poverty targets.
“The next Scottish Government must act quickly to put the right legislation in place, and ensure time for good quality debate. In our manifesto for Holyrood 2026, we’re calling on the next Scottish Government to deliver a clear route map to warm, healthy homes by 2045. We need early sight of effective regulations, along with multi-year funding for fuel poverty and energy efficiency programmes.
“The next government must break down the barriers that prevent households, especially those in or at risk of fuel poverty, from accessing energy efficiency upgrades and clean heating. That means fully funding support for vulnerable households and providing fair financial incentives so that everyone can make the switch to clean heating with confidence
“It’s been over four years since the Heat in Buildings Strategy was published – it’s high time we started seeing action or Scotland is going to be left behind. It’s not too late – if the next Scottish Government moves swiftly to put the right building blocks in place, all of Scotland can benefit from a just transition to energy efficient homes and clean heating that leaves no-one behind and is affordable to all.”
A man has been charged in connection with the distribution of illegal fireworks in Edinburgh.
Prior to Bonfire Night 2025, Edinburgh Division CID conducted local inquiries into individuals linked with possessing and selling fireworks, which intelligence suggested were intended for use in disorder offences.
Over 1200 kilos of illegal fireworks were subsequently seized during this time, including one tonne recovered in Rosyth on 27 October.
Further investigation was carried out jointly with Merseyside Police and yesterday (Tuesday, 18 November) a 28-year-old man was arrested by officers from both Police Scotland and Merseyside Police and was charged with Conspiracy (aid, abet and incite disorder).
Detective Inspector Stevie Dick from Edinburgh CID said: “This arrest is testament to the outstanding collaboration between Police Scotland and Merseyside Police and our joint commitment to removing illicit and harmful items, such as illegal fireworks, from our communities.
“A number of lines of inquiry remain ongoing into offences identified prior to, and during the Bonfire Night period and we will utilise all resources at our disposal, working alongside key partners, to bring offenders to justice.”
Liverpool Local Policing Sergeant Ken Blundell from Merseyside Police said: “It is pleasing to see this investigation progressing, and as always it a pleasure to work alongside our colleagues in Police Scotland.
“When police forces work in partnership, we stand stronger to remove obstacles reduce risks to our communities.”
More than a third of people (37%) faced issues with their most recent parcel delivery.
Royal Mail bag the top spot in the league table with 3.25 stars while Yodel trail behind in bottom place, failing to improve on last year’s score of 2 stars out of 5.
Half a decade since it first launched, Citizens Advice’s parcel league table lays bare how broken this market is.
A record 15 million people experienced a problem with their latest parcel delivery, new research by Citizens Advice has revealed.
From chasing missing parcels, battling arduous complaints systems to even having accessibility requests ignored, Citizens Advice found that more than a third of people (37%) faced issues with their most recent delivery. The research, carried out in a snapshot one month period, reveals the rate of parcel problems remains at the highest levels seen in half a decade.
Now in its fifth year, the parcel league table shows Royal Mail scored the highest this year with an overall score of 3.25 out of 5 stars, while Yodel slip to the bottom with just 2 out of 5 stars – not making any improvement since last year.
The charity’s league table looks at the top five delivery companies by parcel volume and measures their performance against criteria including customer service, delivery problems and how well they meet accessibility needs, such as people needing louder knocking or longer to answer the door.
Stuck in a rut of poor performance
While Citizens Advice’s research shows there have been marginal shifts in scores over the last five years, the overall picture is one of consumers being persistently failed by parcel companies.
The charity found:
Accessibility is the worst performing area – despite Ofcom’s new condition requiring firms to give disabled consumers the opportunity to report their accessibility needs, scores this year have actually worsened, with Yodel placing last. Citizens Advice also found that three million people who have an accessibility requirement they would like to share (37%) are still unable to share their needs. Reasons include not being aware of where to share, or their accessibility need not being given as an option when placing an order.
Complaints and customer service rankings remain stagnant – of the people who had experienced a problem with their delivery, almost half (47%) had a further issue trying to resolve the problem, such as a slow response, issues with automated systems (such as a chat bot) and having to contact a firm multiple times to get a response.
Frequent failures hitting people – the most common problems people faced with their last delivery include the driver leaving before they had time to get to the door (29%); their parcel being left in an insecure location (24%) and parcels arriving late (24%).
The overall scores
Rank
Company
Delivery
Accessibility
Customer service
Trust
Overall scores
Score change
1
Royal Mail
3.2
2.8
3.4
4
3.25 out of 5
2
Amazon Logistics
3.2
1.8
3.5
3.8
3 out of 5
3 =
DPD
2.4
2
2.1
3.4
2.25 out of 5
3 =
Evri
2.4
1.6
2.7
2
2.25 out of 5
5
Yodel
2.4
1.4
2.2
1.8
2 out of 5
“I’ve had some leave parcels in the recycling bins on recycling day” – Mike’s story
Mike, in his 70s, has muscular dystrophy and uses two walking sticks, making it difficult to move quickly or bend down. He consistently asks parcel companies not to bring deliveries to his front door as he is unable to get there in time. Instead, he asks them to deliver parcels to his back door, which is closer to his home office and easier for him to get to.
But despite repeatedly telling retailers and parcel companies about his accessibility needs, firms still ignore his requests. As a result, parcels are often misdelivered, left exposed to the weather, not put in a designated safe space or with neighbours, or delivered to entirely wrong addresses.
“The biggest problem is just getting companies to deliver according to my instructions,” Mike says.
“If nobody is in, delivery drivers are supposed to leave my parcels in a designated safe space. I chose that spot because it’s dry, out of the way, and I don’t have to bend down to pick anything up. But parcels rarely get left there. Instead, they just leave them outside, whether it’s raining, dry or otherwise. I’ve had some leave parcels in the recycling bins on recycling day.
“It makes you awfully frustrated, and it makes you really fed up, to the point that I’m beginning to stop buying from retailers that use certain delivery companies.
“I actually had one delivery agent chuck a parcel over the back gate onto the concrete floor, who said he’d handed it to the resident. I had the video showing him throwing it over the back gate then taking a picture saying he’d delivered it.”
Passing the parcel of responsibility
Ofcom introduced guidance on complaints and accessibility in 2023, but Citizens Advice says its research and Ofcom’s own findings show many parcel firms are still ignoring the rules. This isn’t a guidance problem – it’s a compliance one, and the charity is calling on Ofcom to monitor performance and fine the worst offenders.
Five years of league table analysis also shows repeated failures across the sector. Royal Mail, subject to stricter regulation, consistently performs well overall in the league table but the company offers consumers access to an independent dispute scheme (ADR) unlike other parcel providers. Citizens Advice says all consumers should have the same right to redress, no matter who delivers their parcel.
Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said:“Ofcom has passed the parcel of responsibility for long enough.
“We’ve been doing the work of the regulator for five years now by holding parcel companies to account and speaking up for consumers who are bearing the brunt of persistently poor service.
“Our league table has tracked parcel problems from warehouse to doorstep. We continue to see millions of people chasing lost parcels, having their accessibility needs ignored and hitting a brick wall when they try to complain.
“The question now is whether the regulator will take tougher action to improve the parcel market once and for all.”
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has published the 2026 bathing water classifications, showing the national picture across Scotland’s coasts and inland waters. The majority of designated bathing waters continue to meet high environmental standards, with 47 rated Excellent and 26 rated Good for the year ahead.
A further 13 bathing waters are classified as Sufficient, and three coastal locations remain Poor. In total, 82% bathing waters achieve Good or Excellent, and 97% meet required standards, reflecting the progress delivered through regulation, investment and sustained partnership working since classifications were first introduced in 2015.
As Scotland’s environmental regulator, SEPA monitor water quality across all 89 designated bathing waters during the summer months from 15 May to 15 September, working with Scottish Water, local authorities, land managers and communities to identify issues and support action. Classifications are based on a four-year rolling dataset, meaning both long-term improvements and isolated high results can influence year-to-year changes.
These results reflect that pattern. Several bathing waters have improved their classification and consistently strong results across the dataset reflect on the ground improvements. Others have moved down a category where one or more elevated results affected the four-year picture. Where necessary, SEPA will continue to focus improvement work at these locations to support recovery and long-term resilience.
For the 2026 season, Kinghorn Harbour and Lower Largo in Fife and Fisherrow Sands in East Lothian remain classified as Poor. Each location is supported by a tailored improvement plan which can involve SEPA, Scottish Water, local authorities and land managers as appropriate.
This work can include targeted investigations into pressures on local drainage and wastewater networks, action to tackle diffuse pollution, misconnection tracing and enhanced monitoring at key points in the catchment. SEPA will provide updates on progress at these sites ahead of the 2026 bathing season.
Dr Ruth Stidson, Principal Scientist for Bathing Waters at SEPA, said: “Scotland’s bathing waters continue to perform well overall, with most achieving Good or Excellent status for the year ahead. The progress made over the past decade reflects significant investment and strong partnership working across the country.
“As we look to the future, our priority is driving improvement at the most impacted locations and building resilience across the wider water environment.
“With changing weather patterns and increasing pressures on drainage and wastewater systems, ongoing regulation is essential – alongside collaboration with Scottish Water, local authorities, land managers and communities.
“We are committed to reducing pollution at source, protecting public health, and providing clear, accessible information for everyone who enjoys Scotland’s waters.”
Specsavers, the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner of the Scottish FA, brought Scotland icon Rose Reilly and current star Lee Gibson together to reflect on how far the women’s game has come.
Approaching the anniversary of the first Scotland-England women’s international football match, Rose and Lee compared their careers and explored how modern ways have changed the experiences of women and girls involved in football.
Scotland and England faced off for the first time in the women’s game at Ravenscraig Stadium in Greenock, back in November 1972.
Exactly 53 years on, much has changed since the Auld Enemy ran out 3-2 winners against the Scots, and no one is better placed to discuss it than Scottish trailblazer, Rose Reilly.
Rose Reilly, 70, played in the game and scored Scotland’s second as a fresh faced 17-year-old.
In pursuit of more opportunities to play the beautiful game, Reilly headed to Italy where she played most of her club career for the likes of AC Milan, Napoli and Bari whilst making 14 appearances for the Italian National team.
Nowadays, Glasgow City goalkeeper Lee Gibson is Scotland’s No 1 as the women’s game continues to grow in scale and popularity across the country.
The 34-year-old has seen the game progress in her near-20 years as a professional and she sat down to pick Rose Reilly’s brains on how far things have really come in over five decades.
Rose Reilly says: ‘Wearing a Scotland shirt for the first time, a wee bit homemade but it was a Scotland strip, getting piped out, that’s when your heart beats really fast.
‘We never took no for an answer and that was essential for the growth of the game in Scotland, but we’ve got here and I’m proud of the girls playing nowadays.
‘I’m just the spokesperson for the other ladies playing in that game and the whole league at the time. A lot of them aren’t with us anymore so great credit to the other women of Scotland.’
Rose adds: ‘The biggest change is that you’re professional footballers now. I had to change my country and go to Italy to become a professional footballer.
‘That was my dream, so I first went off to play for Stade de Reims in France and then AC Milan playing in the majestic San Siro.
‘It was massive for me, but I just closed my eyes and said, ‘Rose it’s only two goal posts and a ball just like back in Stewarton’.’
Rose Reilly flipped the script and asked Lee Gibson what it’s like to be a Scotland player in the modern age.
Lee says: ‘It’s a joy. I’ve been really fortunate to be involved now for quite a number of years.
‘It’s the biggest honour and it’s always something that, as soon as you get the phone call, you’re just delighted to come away, and I’ve been really fortunate to play with some of my close friends. We’ve almost grown up together.
‘It’s changed a lot even for me growing up, I was born in the 90s and you played mostly with boys because we didn’t have the same opportunities, but we do now.
‘It’s certainly changed days, you go to games and it’s Caroline Weir and Erin Cuthbert on the back of tops and it’s really special to see that.
‘Even in my era growing up, I didn’t expect to see things like that and see how the game has grown, and we want to continue to do that and be the best role models possible for young girls.’
Specsavers announced in 2024 that it was renewing its’ sponsorship deal, becoming the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner of the Scottish FA, marking 24 years of support and beyond for the partnership – one of the longest agreements of its kind in sport.
The deal sees the partnership not only helping with the training and development of referees but also supporting the growth of Scottish football in both the men’s and women’s game.
As the Official Eye and Ear Care Partner of the Scottish FA, Specsavers is here to change lives through better sight and hearing, by making expert care accessible and affordable for all.
Visit www.specsavers.co.uk or go in store to book an appointment with one of our hear care experts.
