Scotland is in the absurd position of producing more electricity than we need, while families and firms here face some of the highest bills in Britain. Fuel poverty is rampant, reaching nearly 50% in the northernmost parts of the country, despite Scotland’s renewable capacity only set to grow, with projects like Berwick Bank expected to generate power for more households than exist in Scotland.
One practical approach is zonal pricing, setting electricity prices by geographic region so that areas with abundant local generation benefit from lower supply costs and reduced transmission costs.
In plain terms, power produced on and off Scotland’s shores should not cost Scottish households and businesses a premium once it reaches the meter.
Zonal pricing reflects local supply and demand, and recognises that the real expense lies in grid infrastructure, pylons, cabling, and reinforcement, rather than in “sending” electrons down the line.
Instead, we are currently being forced to accept a vast expansion of pylons across our land because the grid is inadequate for the volume of generation, with “curtailment” running into billions, paying wind operators to switch off while consumers still pay through the nose.
A new pylon network is planned from the north of Scotland down the east and through the Borders to supply demand further south, bringing long-term visual and environmental damage, disruption to arable land and watercourses, and little or no benefit to the communities affected.
As an ALBA Glasgow List Candidate, I, Dhruva Kumar, am calling for a fair deal, implement zonal pricing so Scots can finally share in the value of the energy we produce, cut fuel poverty in a cold country, and make Scotland competitive again for manufacturing, hospitality and the green supply chain.
If Westminster will not act, then Scotland’s councils and government should refuse consent for pylons that export our energy while leaving our people paying the price.
Foysol Choudhury has warned that rising business rates and limited government backing are placing increasing strain on small, community-driven businesses.
Following a visit to Time Twisters Edinburgh in Sighthill on Monday, Mr Choudhury met founder Andy Hixon and staff to see first-hand how the business supports young people, creates jobs, and brings learning to life for school pupils.
He praised the company’s work supporting young people and said more must be done to protect businesses that deliver real local impact.
Time Twisters delivers hands-on educational experiences linked to the Scottish Curriculum, giving students the opportunity to explore Ancient Egypt in an interactive and engaging way.
Founded 20 years ago, the business now employs 23 people and has helped hundreds of young people take their first steps into work, often offering their very first job opportunities.
Speaking after the visit, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “Time Twisters is a brilliant example of how small businesses can inspire young people, create local jobs, and strengthen communities. But right now, too many businesses like this are being pushed into survival mode.
“The last two budgets have made it harder than ever for small businesses to thrive. Instead of investing, expanding, and creating more opportunities, many are simply trying to stay afloat.
“These pressures are hitting the hospitality and leisure sectors particularly hard, sectors that should be driving local regeneration and economic confidence, not being held back.”
Mr Choudhury reaffirmed his commitment to supporting local enterprises and called for policies that enable businesses like Time Twisters to continue contributing to the community and the local economy.
Local nursery children in Edinburgh were treated to a special visit from Road Safety Scotland character Ziggy this week, to remind them of the importance of staying safe on our roads.
Ziggy visited children at three local nurseries; Pentland Nursery, Wester Coates Nursery School and Little Learners Nursery.
The visits were part of a road safety tour of Early Learning & Childcare Centres (ELCs) designed to equip young children with skills, knowledge and attitudes to help keep them safe on our roads now and later in life.
Together with Ziggy – an alien visiting Earth to learn about road safety – children enjoyed an interactive performance which brings to life road safety messages combining song, role play and crafts.
Multiple immersive learning activity stations, including card games, tested children on their understanding of road safety symbols, noises they’d hear on the roads, and steps to take to cross the road safely. A playmat featuring a town-scape including traffic lights and a zebra crossing also reinforced road safety skills through imaginative play.
Alison Hawkins, Head at Wester Coates Nursery school, said: “The children were very delighted to welcome Ziggy to Wester Coates Nursery School.
“Visits such as these reinforce our own road safety programme, strengthening the important road safety messages we teach and practice. Having fun with Ziggy was a great reminder about safety.”
Debbie Nicol, Assistant Director, Road Safety Scotland, said: “It is important that children are immersed in positive road safety attitudes from a young age, both in the classroom and at home, and we know that early experiences shape children’s future behaviour.
“Ziggy is a fun character with an important message and visits like these help create lasting memories about road safety.”
The Ziggy tour will include visits to Early Learning & Childcare Centres across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, Dundee and Renfrewshire.
Written by children’s author Lynda Kennedy and illustrated by Lynn Taylor, the Go Safe with Ziggy books are a free resource available to all Early Learning and Childcare centres and Primary 1 classes in Scotland, and parents, carers and teachers have access to online resources and activity ideas. The Ziggy series is also available in Scots and Gaelic.
Books can be ordered for free on roadsafety.scot/ziggy-order.
For more information about Go Safe with Ziggy, visitroadsafety.scot/ziggy-online.
Details are also available on Road Safety Scotland’s social media channels: Facebook @roadsafetyscotland and X @RoadSafetyScot.
Picture – Chris Watt Photography
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Classrooms across Edinburgh are closed next week (16th – 20th February) as children enjoy February half term. To help families spend quality time together without breaking the bank, Fort Kinnaird has shared a collection of great deals and offers.
From bargain blockbusters to money-saving menus and creative sessions for kids, there’s something for all ages and interests to get involved with this half term.
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “Half term is always a busy time at Fort Kinnaird, and we love seeing families making a day of it.
“Whether that’s catching a film at Odeon, getting creative at Hobbycraft, browsing the shops or sitting down for a family meal. So, it’s great to see a range of offers available across the centre, helping to make keeping the young ones entertained that bit easier over the break.”
February half term offers at Fort Kinnaird include:
Big screen experience: There’s fun for the whole family at ODEON this half term, with adults paying child prices on the Family Ticket offer. Whether it’s two adults and two children or one adult and three children, families can enjoy big-screen favourites and new releases such as GOAT and The Bad Guys 2, with screenings running daily throughout the half-term break. Terms and conditions apply, with more information here.
Meal & movie savings:Frankie & Benny’s is giving diners 30% off mains when they show a same-day cinema ticket – perfect for pairing a trip to the big screen with a family meal out. Terms and conditions apply, with more information here.
Hands-on creative sessions: Hobbycraft is running a programme of in-store workshops for children, giving little ones the chance to get crafty and make something to take home. Sessions include fun activities like painting, seasonal crafts and simple DIY makes, with step-by-step guidance from the Hobbycraft team. Places are limited, so booking is recommended, with more information here.
Free pizza for kids: Pizza Hut is offering a Kids Eat Free deal, with children able to enjoy a free kids’ meal when an adult purchases a main meal (dine-in only). It’s a great way to save on a family meal out, with favourites like pizza, pasta and sides on the menu. More details can be found here.
For more details and to plan day at Fort Kinnaird, please visit:
MPs on the cross-party committees will consider what mental health support is available to children and young people up to the age of 25 in community, health and education settings.
Through the inquiry, MPs will consider how this support is integrated with NHS services, such as specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) services, and what support is available throughout the education system, including for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
They will explore how potential reforms to CAMHS could improve children and young people’s access to mental health care and whether support could be provided in the community, such as through the Government’s new Young Futures Hubs.
Around one in five children and young people aged 8 to 25 in the UK has a “probable mental disorder”, according to NHS statistics published in 2023, while the consultancy PwC says that mental health challenges are having a significant impact on young people’s career choices and wellbeing at work. The committees will investigate what factors are driving these changes to children and young people’s mental health.
The committees will also scrutinise the implementation and rollout of relevant government policies such as the commitment to expand Mental Health Support Teams to all schools in England by 2029/30.
MPs will also investigate how education staff can support children and young people’s mental health, and whether current Ofsted frameworks or DfE guidance help or hinder mental health provision.
Chair of the Education Committee, Helen Hayes MP, said: “Struggling with mental health should never obstruct a young person’s chance to learn and thrive. Yet for too many, especially those with SEND or experience of the care system, that’s still the reality.
“From the early years through to university, education staff are often being asked to step in where existing support has failed.
“Our inquiry will take a forensic look at the mental health services available to children and young people at every stage of their education, from ages zero to 25.
“We will consider the role teachers can play in supporting children and young people’s mental health and whether they are getting the training they need to do that properly.
“We’ll also look at the full range of government policies and plans affecting young people, from SEND reform to the National Youth Strategy, and ask: are ministers doing enough to protect young people’s mental health?”
Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Layla Moran MP said: “For parents and school leaders alike, trying to get mental health support for children can feel like navigating a spaghetti junction.
“Services are frequently overwhelmed and not joined up. Too often the help doesn’t come until a child’s needs are at crisis point. These fundamental problems sit alongside issues that the Health and Social Care Committee documented in 2021 – the need to increase emphasis on prevention and early intervention. We return to these themes now amid deepening concern about the scale of need and questions of how the system can be remade fit for purpose.
“We will try and show Government how it can untangle the knotty problems that stop children getting the help they need and point to where investment should be directed. We’ll see how silos can be broken down between two sectors that should be working hand in glove, because we know that children’s education and wellbeing are intrinsically linked.”
Valentine’s Day reminds us to celebrate the people we love (writes KIMBERLEY MACKAY, Partner in Private Client at Ralph Sayer). We buy cards, plan dinners and choose gifts but perhaps the most meaningful gesture we can make doesn’t come in a box or a bouquet. It’s making or updating your will.
It’s not the romantic sentiment you’d expect to see this month but if you think about it, your will is truly a love letter to the people who matter most. It’s how you care for them when you’re no longer here, ensuring they’re looked after, protected and spared unnecessary stress.
At Ralph Sayer, we work with families at some of the most difficult moments of their lives. We see what happens when someone has planned, and sadly, what happens when they haven’t.
When a will is clear and up to date, families can focus on grieving, supporting one another and remembering their loved one. When it’s missing or unclear, that same time is spent navigating legal uncertainty, untangling financial confusion and, sometimes, facing painful disagreements.
A will isn’t necessarily complicated. At its heart, it’s a legal document that sets out your wishes. It names your executors who are the people you trust to manage your affairs, specifies who should inherit your assets and, if you have children, ensures guardians are appointed to care for them.
Without a valid will in place, the law determines how your estate is distributed and the outcome may not reflect your wishes. Unmarried partners, stepchildren, and even children in certain circumstances could receive nothing. For married couples, the succession rules set out what your spouse will inherit, but this may not be sufficient and can result in a complicated and unintended division of assets.
Major life events often prompt people to think about their wills such as buying a home, getting married, the birth of a child, a divorce or the loss of a loved one. These are moments when our priorities shift and our responsibilities change.
If you own property, your will ensures it passes to the right people. If you’re in a relationship but not married, a will is essential. While married couples have some automatic legal protections unmarried partners do not.
If you have children from different relationships, blended families or specific wishes about sentimental items, a will provides protection for your loved ones. This is your opportunity to pass on family heirlooms to the people who will treasure them.
Your will is also where you can express your values in a tangible way. Perhaps there’s a charity close to your heart, or a cause you’ve supported throughout your life. Your will allows you to continue that legacy.
People often delay writing a will because they imagine it’s complicated, expensive or time-consuming but it doesn’t have to be any of those things.
The future is uncertain, but one thing we can control is how prepared we are for whatever comes next.
This Valentine’s Day, alongside the chocolates and flowers, consider giving your family clarity, security and the knowledge that they’ll be taken care of. Putting a will in place is one of the most practical acts of care we can offer the people we love. It won’t arrive wrapped in ribbon, but its value far outlasts any gift you could buy.
Action to protect the environment and marine waters
The sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic in Scotland will be banned from 11 August 2027 under regulations published today.
Wet wipes containing plastic are a common and persistent source of marine litter and can break down into microplastics over time, harming the natural environment.
The move is part of wider action to protect Scotland’s environment and marine waters and includes a transition period for businesses to help them prepare.
The measures will include exemptions for medical and industrial uses as well as business-to-business sales. Members of the public who require specific wet wipes containing plastic for medical or healthcare reasons will also be able to request these from a pharmacy.
A ban will be introduced in all four nations of the UK following a UK-wide consultation in 2023, which found overwhelming public support for the proposals, with over 93% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing to the move.
Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said: “Wet wipes containing plastic are an unnecessary single-use item, for which more environmentally friendly alternatives already exist.
“As with all single-use items, it is vital they are disposed of correctly, otherwise they become a problematic source of marine litter and a threat to the health of our environment and wildlife.
“This ban delivers on an important commitment made in our Marine Litter Strategy and builds on previous actions to ban unnecessary single-use plastic items such as plastic-stemmed cotton buds, plastic straws, cutlery and single use vapes.
“These policies are all proof of the progress we are making towards protecting our environment and creating a more circular economy. In addition, we will continue to call on the UK Government to address issues such as misleading claims on product packaging which can lead to incorrect disposal of items such as wet wipes.”
Scottish Water Chief Executive, Alex Plant, said: “This ban will help us tackle one of the biggest challenges we face – responding to and clearing around 35,000 blockages every year in our sewers, at a cost of about £10 million, largely due to wet wipes wrongly flushed down toilets.
“Scottish Water’s Nature Calls campaign has led the way in making the case for a ban – and encourages everyone to bin wet wipes and stick to the 3Ps – flushing only pee, poo and toilet paper.
“We are also calling on the UK Government for mandatory responsible ‘do not flush’ labelling for all bathroom products that risk being wrongly disposed of to sewers, and an end to misleading environmental claims on packaging to reduce customer confusion and reinforce the correct disposal option.
“This issue is reserved and the critical next step to reduce blockages further and prevent environmental harm.”
Around 10.15pm on Thursday, 12 February, 2026, the body of a man was found near Cockburnspath, East Lothian.
Formal identification is yet to take place, however, the family of Gary Hill, 56, who was reported missing from the area on Monday, 9 February, 2026, has been informed.
The death is being treated as unexplained but is not believed to be suspicious.
A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
NATIONAL GALLERIES LARGEST EVER PRINT ACQUISITION BY A LIVING ARTIST
Peter Doig, Morning Paramin Display at Modern One. Photo Credit Paul Watt
Peter Doig| Morning, Paramin
National Galleries Scotland: Modern One, Belford Road, Edinburgh
Open from 14 February
FREE
The National Galleries of Scotland is excited to announce a landmark acquisition of 67 prints by Scottish artist Peter Doig, alongside a commitment that one edition of all future prints made by the artist will also join the national collection.
This is the first time that the National Galleries of Scotland has secured not only an artist’s entire print collection to date, but all prints to be created in the future.
This monumental addition to Scotland’s national collection celebrates Doig’s personal connection to Scotland, as well as his status as a leading artist of his generation. To mark this significant acquisition a selection of prints will go on display for free at National Galleries Scotland: Modern One in Edinburgh from 14 February 2026. Visitors will be able to explore works relating to Morning, Paramin a 2016 book made in collaboration between Doig and the St Lucian poet Derek Walcott.
Peter Doig is a contemporary painter known for his dreamlike landscapes that blur observation and memory, referencing personal experiences, popular culture, and art history alike. Born in Edinburgh in 1959, Doig moved to Canada as a child, and since 2002 has lived and worked in Trinidad. In 2021, Doig relocated his main studio to London, which is now his principal residence.
His breakthrough as a painter was in 1990, while the artist was studying towards a master’s degree at Chelsea School of Art. His inventive style, sensuous colour palette and suggestive imagery set him apart from the conceptualism which then dominated much of contemporary art. Today, Doig is rightly credited with having reinvigorated the medium of painting internationally.
The National Galleries of Scotland has been working in partnership with the Contemporary Art Society (CAS) since 2018 to enable this gift from Doig through the CAS Great Works scheme, supported by the Sfumato Foundation.
The ambition of the Great Works scheme is to ensure that major artworks, which might otherwise be inaccessible to gallery audiences, are able to enter public collections during the lifetime of the artist. Doig is one of the most highly regarded painters working anywhere in the world, and it is only thanks to this partnership with CAS that the acquisition is possible.
A key consideration of the Great Works scheme is the relationship of the artist to the location of the gallery receiving the acquisition, giving artists a lasting presence in a place that is of particular significance to them. This acquisition will provide a unique resource for anyone wanting to research Doig and will mean that Scotland’s national collection will represent the artist across his whole career.
Doig has also generously agreed not only to donate all of his printed work to date, but to give one edition of all future prints too. This incredibly unique agreement ensures that Scotland’s national collection will hold the most comprehensive representation of the artist’s graphic work anywhere in the world.
The prints Doig makes are an essential element of his practice. Working out many of the details of his paintings in print, he is a tireless innovator and image maker across both mediums. The artist has made prints from the very beginning of his career, and continues to do so now, having just installed all the equipment he needs in his London studio. As well as being one of the most powerful painters stylistically, Doig is also a master print maker, employing a number of techniques that makes his prints as interesting and evocative as his paintings.
While the display at Modern One is only a portion of the works that will be added to the national collection, it gives a fascinating insight into the artist’s work.
The one room display explores Doig’s time in Trinidad, where he worked for many years. During this time, he became friends with the St Lucian poet Derek Walcott (1930 – 2017) and the 28 etchings exhibited at Modern One form a lasting expression of this friendship. Morning, Paramin, a book of poems written by Walcott in direct response to Doig’s paintings, was published in 2016.
Walcott describes both the paintings and Doig’s complex relationship with place in his poems. There is an empathy between the two men: “because Art can make us love two countries with one heart, not separately either, but blent”.
The prints selected by Doig for the book are in turn a response to the poems. They suggest a process of looking again, of re-examination, of a reflection on grief and loss, as well as a sense of place and atmosphere. They stand as a memorial to an intimate, creative friendship and a dialogue between painter and poet.
This unprecedented donation facilitated by CAS further develops the National Galleries of Scotland’s long-standing relationship with the artist. A major retrospective of Doig’s work was held at National Galleries Scotland: National in 2013. The exhibition surveyed Doig’s paintings and works on paper following the artist’s move to Trinidad, placing particular emphasis on the artist’s approach to serial motifs and recurring imagery.
At the time Doig said: ‘I left Scotland as a child as many of my generation did; however I know Edinburgh, the city where I was born, through many visits as a child and youth. To be able to exhibit my paintings in the magnificent rooms of the National Galleries is a great great honour.”
In 2021 the National Galleries of Scotland also acquired an important early oil painting, At the Edge of Town 1986-8, thanks to the Acceptance in Lieu scheme. Making this recent and significant acquisition of Doig’s prints all the more meaningful for the collection and the artist.
Peter Doig said: “I am delighted and deeply grateful that the National Galleries of Scotland will be the custodians of my prints.”
Simon Groom, Director of International & National Partnerships at the National Galleries of Scotland, said: “Peter Doig is one of the most consistently inventive artists working anywhere in the world today.
“The works reveal a transforming vision of the world, steeped in a sense of beauty and mystery, rich in their imaginative suggestion yet remaining grounded in the real. This remains as true of his prints, which have been an essential element of his practice from the very beginning of his career.
“We are indebted to Peter and the Contemporary Art Society for their generosity and great vision, in enabling the National Galleries of Scotland to represent Scotland’s greatest contemporary artist across his whole career, and to create an internationally unique resource that will be accessible for exhibition, loan and study now and for future generations.”
Caroline Douglas, Director, Contemporary Art Society, said: “It is absolutely wonderful to see the first group of prints from this remarkable, groundbreaking gift of work go on display in Edinburgh.
“Peter Doig is one of the most important artists working anywhere in the world today and print making lies at the core of his practice. We are delighted that National Galleries Scotland: Modern in Edinburgh will be the home to this remarkable body of work, which will be a resource for artists, scholars and art lovers forever more.”
