Scotland’s football decline attributed by researchers to loss of balance, rhythm, coordination, agility, and partner awareness in years after Scottish country dancing faded from school curriculum
It’s been suggested by leading Ayrshire academic dancer, Gavin Ochiltree, that: ‘Scotland’s football went backwards when Scottish country/highland dancing was done away with in schools. Balance and fleetness of foot were what gave us the edge when we had decent Scottish football teams.’ Is there evidence to support this? Scottish country dancing involves precise footwork, quick changes of direction, balance, rhythm, coordination, agility, and partner awareness in a group setting. These overlap with football demands (dribbling, turning, stability, spatial awareness). Highland dancing emphasizes explosive power, balance, and control. Dance training (including ballet or similar) is used by some modern athletes … Continue reading Scotland’s football decline attributed by researchers to loss of balance, rhythm, coordination, agility, and partner awareness in years after Scottish country dancing faded from school curriculum
Scotland’s ambulances between 2 and 3 tines faster thousands of times but Daily Record finds one case to report
There are some minor problems in comparing the data for England and Scotland but you can be sure that were they to favour the former, they’d be widely reported. Here’s why they’re not: In January 2024, BBC UK made direct comparison possible: Via the BBC’s How long do patients wait for an ambulance? app, we can confirm that the average waiting time for a Scottish ambulance was 8 min and 46 secs: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59549800 Also, from BBC UK on 14 December 2023: Average response times of more than 38 minutes for category two emergency calls such as heart attacks and strokes – above the target time … Continue reading Scotland’s ambulances between 2 and 3 tines faster thousands of times but Daily Record finds one case to report
Prison deaths fall by 20% but BBC Scotland headline that they ‘obtained previously unseen footage of a man who died’ in 2015
There were 51 prison deaths in 2025, down 20% from 64 in the previous year. https://www.sps.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-05/DIC%202025%20(Quarter%204).xlsx The share of prison deaths due to aging (cancers, heart disease, circulatory issues, and respiratory conditions) has been increasing over time in both England & Wales and Scotland. This is driven by the steadily aging prison population. https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj.q198 Drug-related deaths in Scottish prisons have shown a general upward trend since the mid-2010s. They remain a significant but not dominant cause compared to natural/health conditions. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qw2n3gzzzo Continue reading Prison deaths fall by 20% but BBC Scotland headline that they ‘obtained previously unseen footage of a man who died’ in 2015
Affluent Canadian region hangs on to far older, unreliable and frankly pot ugly vessels – islanders leave saddened by lack of aesthetics
CalMac‘s oldest ferry, the MV Isle of Cumbrae (above) is 50, launched in 1976. the MV Isle of Arran is 43 and there are another 4 built in 1986, so 40 years-old. In British Columbia‘s (Canada) archipelago ferry service – BC Ferries – which operates in an economy with twice the GDP of Scotland, with only a fraction of government subsidy to keep ticket prices down and in warmer, less stormy, more southerly, seas, they keep them going long after the MSM operating in Scotland would be calling for them to be replaced to stop islanders starving, missing medical appointments … Continue reading Affluent Canadian region hangs on to far older, unreliable and frankly pot ugly vessels – islanders leave saddened by lack of aesthetics
Scotland need not be ashamed as colonialism explains world cup success
Thanks to Kath for prompting this. There is a correlation between national football team success and countries with imperial/colonial pasts, especially those involved in the transatlantic slave trade and exploitation of West Africa. Recent research directly quantifies this. A University of Zurich AI study in 2026 simulated the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 1,500 times and found that colonial history continues to shape outcomes on the pitch. Former European colonial powers benefit significantly from players with family roots in former colonies, especially in Africa and in the Caribbean. Source: https://www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/media/2026/colonial-legacies-soccer.html Top FIFA-ranked teams as of June 2026, often align with this … Continue reading Scotland need not be ashamed as colonialism explains world cup success
In the whole world only Norway has a murder rate just lower than Scotland after 19 years of evidence-based and joined up policy initiatives back by funding from a government that listens to professional and academic opinion
From Safer Communities and Justice Statistics Monthly Data Report June 2026 released today, the above chart and: There were 45 homicide victims recorded by the police in Scotland in 2024-25, a 21% decrease from 2023-24 and a 24% decrease from 2015-16. https://www.gov.scot/publications/safer-communities-and-justice-statistics-monthly-data-june-2026/pages/statistics-on-crime-in-general/ That’s 0.81 per 100 000 people. How does it compare? In England and Wales the ratio was 0.95 but that’s a bigger difference than it looks. It’s 17.3% higher and if the rates were similar, based on population, they’d have around 11 times as many or 500 but an extra 22 died last year.1Also the trend there is … Continue reading In the whole world only Norway has a murder rate just lower than Scotland after 19 years of evidence-based and joined up policy initiatives back by funding from a government that listens to professional and academic opinion
A one-year increase is pounced on by the media but overall crime in Scotland has been flat for ten years after almost halving in the SNP era and who knew – drug possession down 27%, car theft down 60%, vandalism down 31%, burglary down 57% and prostitution down 74%!!???
From Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2025-26 published two days ago, the above line graph and: The total number of crimes recorded by the police in Scotland in 2025-26 was 315,357. This is 16,246 crimes (or 5%) higher than the level recorded in 2024-25. Over the past 10 years, total recorded crime in Scotland has increased by 6%. This represents a more stable period than the previous 10 years (2006-07 to 2015-16), when total recorded crime fell by 38%. Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/recorded-crime-scotland-2025-26/pages/total-recorded-crime/ You can extract what you like from statistics like these to make a point you really wanted to make before … Continue reading A one-year increase is pounced on by the media but overall crime in Scotland has been flat for ten years after almost halving in the SNP era and who knew – drug possession down 27%, car theft down 60%, vandalism down 31%, burglary down 57% and prostitution down 74%!!???
As the Guardian today says: ‘Horrific’ maternity care failings at Nottingham NHS trust prompt calls for public inquiry’
Three fungal infections among thousands of cancer patients treated and no proof of harm whatsoever
The Times today reporting cases of fungal infections in a QEUH cancer ward apparently declared safe by John Swinney. He’s a busy man. There’s no mention of a direct connection between these infections and deaths but a death with no mention of an infection is mentioned. What are the chances of anyone actually having been seriously harmed by these fungal infections? Near zero but it’s a popular media pursuit. Is it possible for any large hospital to be 100% free of any water ingress and mould growth and consequent fungal infections, at all, in at least one of its hundreds … Continue reading Three fungal infections among thousands of cancer patients treated and no proof of harm whatsoever
Murrell purchases map onto established features of a mental health disorder more readily than ‘strategic’ criminality and the harms were limited
The judge clearly knows little of mental health conditions judging by his statement reported by the Scotsman, above. Looking at the purchases made by Peter Murrell over 12 years, the low-utility or barely-used nature of many of his purchases strengthens the case for significant compulsive or impulse-driven elements more than a purely rational, strategic “deliberate crime” model. In classic deliberate embezzlement or fraud for instrumental gain, funds are often deployed strategically: gifts/patronage to build loyalty or alliances, investments in assets/shares for laundering or growth, offshore accounts, property, or other mechanisms that sustain power, provide ongoing cover, or generate further illicit … Continue reading Murrell purchases map onto established features of a mental health disorder more readily than ‘strategic’ criminality and the harms were limited
Talking-up Scotland 