Tag: travel

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How we have paid tens of millions for fourteen years to transform the lives and the economies of islanders only to have a small entitled business elite platformed by media to hide it

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Professor John Robertson OBA BBC Scotland, today, in their BBC Breakfast TV insert but not on their website so just another report feed to the Pacific Quay team of a no news-value story on supposed hardship for island businesses. What’s the problem with it? There’s a very significant background story never told of just how much this SNP Government has done to transform life on the islands, funded by the rest of us living often in less pleasant places and with never the suggestion of compensation because of limited public transport services. Here it is: The above chart from the Evaluation … Continue reading How we have paid tens of millions for fourteen years to transform the lives and the economies of islanders only to have a small entitled business elite platformed by media to hide it

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13 000 privately owned empty homes brought back into use by Scottish Government portal

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Finding new owners for empty homes published yesterday: A new online portal has been launched to bring empty homeowners together with prospective buyers or developers with the aim of facilitating more properties to be used as homes again.  Covering the whole of Scotland, this builds on the success of local pilots, referred to as “matchmaker schemes”, which allow owners of empty homes to upload details of their properties to a website through which anyone, such as first time buyers, families, developers or local authorities, can make purchasing enquiries.    The portal is hosted by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership and has been developed as part of a £2 million investment this year to recruit additional empty homes officers and fund initiatives that will accelerate the pace and … Continue reading 13 000 privately owned empty homes brought back into use by Scottish Government portal

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The blind spot in researchers’ apocalyptic water shortages predictions – the 90% of the UK supply in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dorothy for alerting me to this. For the second time this weekend, the Guardian has been reporting on apocalyptic water shortages, from Newcastle to Namibia, but never thinking to ask about the water supply only miles to the north, in Scotland. It reminds me of the Scottish media’s aversion to the word ‘England‘ when they’re discussing drug supplies in Scotland, from Dumfries to Stornoway. From the Guardian today: Water shortages could derail UK’s net zero plans, study finds – Tensions grow after research in England finds there may not be enough water for planned … Continue reading The blind spot in researchers’ apocalyptic water shortages predictions – the 90% of the UK supply in Scotland

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A more upbeat song for Scotland than the wilting flower?

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Professor John Robertson OBA For decades, I’ve wanted to write the lyrics for songs but could never find a collaborator. Recently I’ve turned to AI for the tunes and the performance – what else can I do? I’ve written this song with a view to persuading reluctant Yes voters that independence is not exile. We’d still be good friends to the many good folk, not just their relatives and friends, when Scotland is free to run its own affairs. We’re not going away in any physical sense and if the going got tough, we’d still be there with them, barring … Continue reading A more upbeat song for Scotland than the wilting flower?

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Community owned assets surge in Scotland up to 14% higher than in England

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Professor John Robertson OBA From Community Ownership in Scotland 2024, published today, the above and: This publication reports the number of assets in community ownership which are recorded by the Scottish Government. There are several initiatives which have been put in place to enable community ownership.  There are several initiatives which have been put in place to enable community ownership. The Scottish Land Fund, as it is now known, was founded in 2001. It now supports both rural and urban communities to become more resilient and sustainable through the ownership and management of assets. Legislation concerning land reform commencing in 2004 (Land … Continue reading Community owned assets surge in Scotland up to 14% higher than in England

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Rape!!! Glasgow Herald works only to scare women with irresponsible, uninformative reporting – Reported rape and attempted rape is a staggering twice as common in England & Wales than it is in Scotland

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Professor John Robertson OBA In the Herald, this morning, the above. Two things. One, can it be called just ‘rape’, at this stage unless of course your aim is only to shock as opposed to inform. Second, would a bit of context be useful for readers? This kind of thing? On 25 June 2025, I wrote: The media in Scotland are headlining the increase in recorded cases of rape and attempted rape in Scotland. Though the increase may in part be a consequence of a greater confidence by victims to come forward and report these crimes, the figures remain disturbing. … Continue reading Rape!!! Glasgow Herald works only to scare women with irresponsible, uninformative reporting – Reported rape and attempted rape is a staggering twice as common in England & Wales than it is in Scotland

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Isle of Wight Tory MP calls for ferry pricing regulation introduced by SNP in 2008 to transform Scottish island economies and then be forgotten by the ungrateful among them

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Independent last week: Ferries which connect island communities to mainland Britain are in decline, an MP has warned in his push to bring boats more in line with buses and trains. Joe Robertson said the Isle of Wight’s 140,400 residents have little say over how ferries are run across the Solent to Hampshire. He has tabled the Ferry Services (Integration and Regulation) Bill which, if agreed, would set up a framework for regulating boat routes throughout the country. Bus and train operators must follow several laws, such as the new Bus Services Act this month, which gives councils the … Continue reading Isle of Wight Tory MP calls for ferry pricing regulation introduced by SNP in 2008 to transform Scottish island economies and then be forgotten by the ungrateful among them

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BBC Scotland still hiding where the buck should have stopped for the three Stonehaven rail deaths five years ago

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From BBC Scotland today, the above and: The inquiry into a train derailment which killed three men in the north east of Scotland could now last under a fortnight, a hearing has been told. The Aberdeen to Glasgow train came off the rails at Carmont, in Aberdeenshire, on 12 August 2020 after it hit a landslide following heavy rain. Driver Brett McCullough, 45, conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, and passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, died in the crash. Network Rail was later fined £6.7m after admitting a series of failings which led to the deaths. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c77z5538zeko What is Network Rail? Who are … Continue reading BBC Scotland still hiding where the buck should have stopped for the three Stonehaven rail deaths five years ago

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On Remembrance Sunday, peer-reviewed research proves that Scotland’s WW1 army war dead was a greater sacrifice, 63% higher than the rest of the UK

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Professor John Robertson OBA With the UK media again saturated with frankly disturbing jingoism based on myths about the two world, it seems like a good moment to repeat this attempt to resolve the alleged myth that Scots had given more in blood on the WWI battlefields. On 10th August 2014, with clear political intent, the Scotsman allowed Sir Hew Strachan to confirm it as a myth: Great War worst for Scots troops ‘a myth’ https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/great-war-worst-scots-troops-myth-1529401 In Patrick Watt’s Manpower, Myth and Memory: Analysing Scotland’s Military Contribution to the Great War in the Journal of Scottish Historical Studies, on 24th May 2019 based on extensive research, … Continue reading On Remembrance Sunday, peer-reviewed research proves that Scotland’s WW1 army war dead was a greater sacrifice, 63% higher than the rest of the UK

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Residents living near the Thistle safe drug consumption facility in Glasgow pay only a TENTH of the bill for removing discarded needles after it opened than they did before it opened to further expose BBC Scotland’s bias by selection

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Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to L for providing this convincing and objective evidence, that Thistle facility has not increased the number of dangerous discarded needles in the surrounding area. They write: I emailed you in June to advise you of the impact the Thistle appears to be having on the flat. As I previously stated the main chat on the WhatsApp group for owners and tenants  was about  discarded needles , drug paraphernalia, drug dealing and anti social behaviour.  You will recall that we spent £2,500 for the 6 months prior to the Thistle opening too pay for discarded … Continue reading Residents living near the Thistle safe drug consumption facility in Glasgow pay only a TENTH of the bill for removing discarded needles after it opened than they did before it opened to further expose BBC Scotland’s bias by selection