Tag: scotland

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The Cruachan scheme demonstrated the feasibility of reversible pumped-storage systems nearly 60 years ago

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By Alasdair Macdonald It is a long time since the Cruachan scheme was built which demonstrated the feasibility of such projects at a time when UK Government policy was about oil, gas and nuclear, with some continuing coal use. Such schemes were for ‘remote areas’, like Scotland. The main drawback is higher start up costs – the Cruachan scheme entails hollowing out a mountain. This kind of expenditure is often too much for governments which usually think only in terms of 4/5 year election cycles and, for many investors, this kind of time frame is too long to make a … Continue reading The Cruachan scheme demonstrated the feasibility of reversible pumped-storage systems nearly 60 years ago

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Work begins on huge transfer of another of Scotland’s energy resources to power 8 million homes in the rest of the UK for no return whatsoever

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In Energy News Live, three days ago but getting little MSM coverage, the above headline suggesting energy might flow from the UK to Scotland and this: Construction has started on the Eastern Green Link 2 (EGL2), a £4.3bn electricity transmission project. The 2GW subsea cable will connect Peterhead in Scotland to Drax in Yorkshire and will be the UK’s largest electricity transmission project to date. Offshore Delivery Director for National Grid Zac Richardson said: “EGL2 is the first of four currently proposed 2GW projects between Scotland and England to begin construction and in total these projects, delivered in partnership by National Grid, could provide enough renewable … Continue reading Work begins on huge transfer of another of Scotland’s energy resources to power 8 million homes in the rest of the UK for no return whatsoever

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Rail fares are lower in Scotland

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The Herald is headlining: ScotRail customers face huge price hike as peak fare scheme comes to an end after an experimental, pilot, scheme, cancelled on 20 August 2024, came to an end today. The experiment was unsuccessful: A government trial which scrapped peak-time rail prices ends on Friday after almost a year. The Scottish government previously concluded the costs did not justify continuing the trial as it had not achieved its aim of persuading people to swap car journeys for rail travel. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9vpgzv4x34o Neither the Herald nor BBC Scotland want you to know this: Fares and fares increases remain, on … Continue reading Rail fares are lower in Scotland

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Anas clearly cannot count or read – did he mean the forgotten 4.1%?

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Pau Hutcheon in the Daily Record tells us: Anas Sarwar says the ‘forgotten 60%’ of young people who do not attend university will be his priority as First Minister. He says Scots should not be defined by their school grades. Forgotten 60%? What is his source? Clearly not this: The number of young people in work, training or further study three months after the end of the school year has reached a record high of 95.9%. The Attainment and Initial Leaver Destination statistics 2022-23 also show that the gap between those from the most and least deprived areas progressing after … Continue reading Anas clearly cannot count or read – did he mean the forgotten 4.1%?

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Arran – history of remarkable transformation enabled by a ferry service delivered by a publicly-owned company subsidised by tax payers across Scotland.

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stewartb How hard is it for companies operating on Arran – how hard relative to businesses elsewhere? The ‘Auchrannie Resort’ is one of the largest, plushest hotel, spa and leisure offerings to tourists visiting Arran. It must be one of the island’s largest companies and wholly dependent on its customers wanting to – and being able to – get to the island. On the home page of its web site its states: ‘Did you know that 750,000 journeys are made to and from Arran each year?’ The company web site describes its history in the following terms: ‘Auchrannie was acquired by … Continue reading Arran – history of remarkable transformation enabled by a ferry service delivered by a publicly-owned company subsidised by tax payers across Scotland.

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Police Chiefs celebrate 6 years of disrupting County Lines gang terror and the need for a Scottish Coordinator, ‘recognising the lines from England that impact this part of the UK’

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The National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC), part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and funded by the Home Office marks six years of disrupting County lines drug gangs, today.  Since 2018, 5 627 lines have been closed, more than 16,500 people arrested and 8,800 individuals safeguarded. Every policing region in England and Wales has a dedicated NCLCC Co-ordinator and analytical resource to measure this threat and access to the Continuous Improvement Team to support with their force response to County Lines. In addition, there is a programme funded Co-ordinator in Scotland, recognising the lines from England that impact … Continue reading Police Chiefs celebrate 6 years of disrupting County Lines gang terror and the need for a Scottish Coordinator, ‘recognising the lines from England that impact this part of the UK’

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Good news as CalMac has the capacity to replace one Arran ferry and maintain a service still cheap as chips

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The Ardrossan Herald is keen to dramatize the simple smooth replacement of a replacement ferry by another as a ‘double whammy‘ and to characterise the replacement as ‘ageing.’ There will still be two ferries serving the 5 000 population of Arran, massively subsidised to offer the lowest prices in the western world, by the rest of us, linked to either Ardrossan or Troon, both perfectly convenient for Glasgow. As we move off-season, the vessels will be commonly less than half full. In a year, CalMac makes around 4 000 sailings (not inc cancellations) between Ardrossan and Brodick.1 In 2022, they carried 692 … Continue reading Good news as CalMac has the capacity to replace one Arran ferry and maintain a service still cheap as chips

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NHS Factcheck – Why Scots should not be put off seeking help as it’s not ‘broken.’

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By Professor John Robertson OBA BBC UK have this today: There is growing unease within the NHS about the government’s “broken” messaging, the BBC has learned. Senior sources in the health service have told the BBC they believe some of the claims have gone too far – and may result in patients being put off seeking help and causing lasting damage to staff morale. I agree and it’s really important that Scottish viewers and readers are not deluded into things are as bad here. Why not? It’s endless. Report after report, evidence after evidence, that while there are pressures and delays, … Continue reading NHS Factcheck – Why Scots should not be put off seeking help as it’s not ‘broken.’

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Scotland’s homeless surge is due to UK Home Office failures and not ‘failed and distracted SNP government’ as it falls among all but very recent immigrants

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Thanks to AR for alerting me to this. BBC Scotland’s report, Homeless people living in temporary accommodation hits record high, yesterday, on homelessness increases in Scotland, focusses on one case of a mother and child, the statistics indicating ‘the highest since Scottish government records began in 2002‘ and platforming Miles Briggs, Conservative Housing Spokesperson and Scottish Labour’s Mark Griffin, to say: Scottish Conservative housing spokesman Miles Briggs said the “scandalous figures should be a source of shame for SNP ministers”. He added: “After 17 years of this failed and distracted SNP government, it is clear that they are part of … Continue reading Scotland’s homeless surge is due to UK Home Office failures and not ‘failed and distracted SNP government’ as it falls among all but very recent immigrants

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Hospital where 4 babies were fed contaminated food and one died, had ‘entirely unsafe system’ but Health Secretary not to blame

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By Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dorothy for alerting me to this: In the Guardian today: An NHS trust that gave four newborn babies contaminated feed has admitted that it was operating “an entirely unsafe system” at the time they became infected. The admission came during evidence by a senior doctor at Guy’s and St Thomas’ trust (GSTT), who led its investigation into the outbreak, during an inquest into how one of the very premature babies died. Not in the Guardian report, any mention of the then Conservative Government or the Conservative Health Secretary at the time, or of any comment by … Continue reading Hospital where 4 babies were fed contaminated food and one died, had ‘entirely unsafe system’ but Health Secretary not to blame