Tag Archives: Scottish

News

How are the Creative Industries performing?

By Gregor Boyd

The Creative Industries are a huge player within the UK’s economy which generates billions in revenue each year, The key areas being London, The Northwest, and the Southeast of England.

But what exactly is Scotland’s contribution to the UK’s creative sectors? According to gov.scot, the creative industry is one of Scotland’s fastest-growing sectors.

According to the Office for National Statistics, Scotland’s highest contribution to the creative sector appears to be within the IT industry massively outperforming the other sectors with the lowest performing sector being the Craft sector followed by Museums & Galleries.

Within the IT sector sits the Games Industry, a behemoth.

Scotland is home to several games studios as well as leading universities offering courses on Games Design.

Dundee has in the past been dubbed the video game capital of Europe (as well as the drug death capital…).

However, it has cemented its status within the video game industry as the home of Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto as well as bringing Minecraft onto consoles.

In more recent years Rockstar North has shifted itself to headquarters in Edinburgh.  Dundee’s future as a game’s mecca is ongoing but not unrecognised. With future planning proposals to build an E-sports gaming arena as well, Dundee aims to cement itself as a key industry player for gaming.

All around roughly the same turnovers are Publishing, Design, Architecture, and Performing Arts. Sectors that are essential to Scotland’s goals of competing on the world stage

In Music & Performing Arts. Scotland’s nightlife tourism industry is essential to the growth and regeneration of towns and cities. Huge artists frequent venues throughout Scotland as well as smaller acts tour up and down the country providing residents in more urban areas with valued nightlife experiences.

The economic benefit is felt throughout bars, pubs, clubs, and hotels. The Runrig concert brought an estimated 45,000 fans from all over the world to Stirling with an estimated £ 7 million benefit to the local economy. A great success model for building on future events.

Though in recent years, the night-time economy has been suffering due to the Covid-19 Pandemic which led to several businesses having to close their doors temporarily. Combined with the cost-of-living crisis, the night-time economy is going to suffer seriously.

The UK is a global powerhouse when it comes to producing content for movies or television. Above is a breakdown of the Film Industry breakdown for Scotland, showing that the bulk of the turnover is generated through motion pictures.

Glasgow became an ideal filming location for some films over the past few years, most notably the Matt Reeves blockbuster adaption of Batman in which Glasgow was used as the murky backdrop of Gotham city. Several iconic locations were used throughout the film with the most recognisable being the Necropolis used at the end of the film. The cancelled Batgirl film was also filmed in Glasgow just recently with it being noted that Glasgow Council paid to have Warner Bros shoot the entire production in the city.

Forecasts done by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) have found that the UK Creative industry is set to grow to be worth £97bn in revenue by 2026.

If the UK as a whole is to tackle the financial despair it’s been in for several years now. It needs to embrace the creative economy for the powerhouse it ought to be recognised as.

 

News

Independence rallies held in Scottish cities after supreme court ruling.

By Gregor Boyd

After the report from the supreme court ruled that Scotland cannot hold a referendum without Westminster’s approval. Several rallies were held throughout various parts of Scotland including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Stirling.

The Stirling demo was small and didn’t have any official speakers from party affiliations despite purportedly being contacted. The demo’s low turnout was put down to the short notice of it.

One speaker gave a small speech before proceeding to pull out a guitar and play notable Scottish songs to get a singsong going. After offering up the platform for individuals to voice their consensus, one woman came up to speak, some technical difficulties arose which prevented a PA from being used so the women chose to speak without and encouraged unity.

The main theme of the demo was about uniting under a banner of independence from all party lines. The non-affiliated speaker took several potshots at SNP leadership which received some backlash from people within the crowd and the event fizzled out shortly after.

The demonstration went on with no major issues save for a couple of drive-by verbal heckles of God save the King.

Shortly after the ruling was returned, Nicola Sturgeon posted two tweets in response to the ruling stating that the UK supreme court doesn’t make law but only interprets it. As well as pointing out that a law that doesn’t allow Scotland to choose their own future without Westminster’s consent exposes as myth any notion of the UK as a voluntary partnership and makes the case for Independence.

She also noted that Scottish democracy will not be denied.

The event in Edinburgh was livestreamed online and featured several different speakers featuring Colin Fox of the SSP.

Large numbers turned out in Glasgow with various speakers and singers addressing a sea of saltire flags.

Over in Edinburgh, Nicola Sturgeon addressed a crowd of supporters outside of Holyrood and stated that “The UK is not a voluntary partnership of nations”.

It has been 8 years since Scotland voted to remain in the United Kingdom with a 55% vote returning No to the question of Scotland becoming independent.

News

Wastewater samples tested for COVID-19

by Katrina Goldsmith

Scottish Water has been helping fight the pandemic in its own way by monitoring wastewater around Scotland.

Testing the wastewater is fundamental in locating and identifying COVID spikes and outbreaks within the regions of Scotland. Scottish Water sample officers drive out around Scotland weekly to deliver the water samples to a testing facility run by SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Labs examine the water looking for fragments of COVID-19 in ribonucleic acid (RNA), a method which has been developed by the Roslin Institute scientists in Edinburgh.

RNA is produced by the body; it is an important biological macromolecule that functions to convert the genetic information of DNA into proteins.

Wastewater fragments are not infectious and that there is zero evidence to suggest that individuals can contract Covid through wastewater. This testing provides useful data to track covid through Scottish regions and maintain control over the virus to prevent any more future lockdowns. Monitoring the water has allowed scientists to use the data to not only maintain control of where the virus is but also put the data towards COVID vaccines.

Luke Thomson, a Scottish Water sampling officer said: “Samples are collected all over Scotland from multiple teams. Every major then or village gets sampled, such as the central belt of Scotland, Langholm, and up in the Isles of Orkney”.

“Samples from influent wastewater is a reliable way of tracking where coronavirus is due to people not knowing whether they have covid as they aren’t showing symptoms or are not taking tests.”

“It can’t always be clear where COVID-19 is most abundant. Since covid leaves trace in human waste, it is an effective method of COVID pinpointing potential local spikes, which has majorly assisted the Scottish Governments in providing data on COVID cases in Scotland”.

As of the 11th of October 2022, there have been a total of 200,564 total cases registered in the City of Edinburgh alone since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. 356 cases of positive PCR tests have been recorded in the last week for Edinburgh, that’s an average of 50.86% of Daily positive cases over the last 7 days.

The Scottish Government has extended the contract to investigate COVID-19 in the water system until April 2023.

Features, News

UNCUFFED: THE SECRET LIFE OF CLOSETED SINGLE MEN

By Cameron Noble

LGBTQ+ culture is no stranger to cuffing season – a period of time where people metaphorically handcuff themselves to a partner on a short-term basis to accompany each other over the course of winter. Cuffing season, for those who participate, enjoy feelings of comfort, intimacy and warmth to combat the cold and possibly lonely season. On the other hand, cuffing season can also evoke feelings of envy, isolation, and a deep sense of hopelessness, particularly for those who are fascinated with the idea of pairing with another for a couple of months and want to get in on the action, but aren’t lucky to connect with the right person.

For closeted single men, it’s a whole new game. The additional pressure of keeping their sexuality under the radar prevents them from fully embracing cuffing season, even if they do desire a short-term partner. During cuffing season, closeted single men face the winter alone, and don’t reap the benefits of having a short-term partner, but is that really the case?

From Auchterarder and Edinburgh, George (22) and Michael (29) shared their thoughts about cuffing season from a closeted perspective, and how they get by without the need for a partner. Their names have been changed to respect their anonymity.

George identified as bisexual, but has not revealed his sexuality to his friends or family, especially his parent whom he still lives under a roof with. His family believe men can be sexually attractive to men, but draws the line at bisexuality where they feel bisexuality doesn’t truly exist. As a result, he is not comfortable sharing his true sexuality in fear it would damage his relationship with his family. George has not been in a relationship before, but is actively searching for women to swipe right on dating apps such as Tinder. Given he keeps his profile clear of photographs of his face, he also swipes through a selection of men so he can safely see everyone he could potentially date without compromising his secrecy.

“You see other people on social media having a blast in their relationships, so you kind of feel like you’re missing out on something,” George described his feelings about being single, “So far, I’ve had better chats with guys on here [Tinder] compared to girls but nothing really develops since my family believe I’m straight.”

Michael is exclusively attracted to men and is open to his family about his sexuality, but as his friends are homophobic, he only reveals his true sexuality to those who need to know. He has great memories with his friends, and feels that the bond they have built with each other shouldn’t be damaged over his attraction for men over women. Michael had previous experience in a relationship, but recently broke-up after realising juggling his romantic life with his friends was becoming a bit of a struggle. For the time being, he has been enjoying the perks of being single and living life by his rules.

“Going our separate ways was best for both of us,” Michael referred to the break-up with his ex-boyfriend, “Now that I’m single again, I can do things on my terms without having to think about commitments.”

Michael has made the most of his reclaimed freedom of being single by dedicating his daylight hours with friends whenever he isn’t working, and reserving his evenings and nights to fulfil his sexual desires by involving himself on gay-oriented hookup apps such as Grindr. Ontop, whenever he is doing neither of those, he enjoys treating himself by taking himself on a date, whether by dining alone at a restaurant in the heart of Edinburgh, or buying last minute tickets and snacks at a cinema to see the latest films.

“For those who are single, count it as a blessing.” Michael said, “I think there’s a stigma attached to single people, and that’s not true. You can focus on you. Do what makes you happy.”

Given Michael has experienced what it is like to be in a relationship, it may be easier for him to accept that relationships aren’t the only source of comfort, intimacy and warmth during winter, compared to George. However, George is aware these feelings can be obtained elsewhere, primarily from his friends.

“My friends love me, and I guess that matters to me more.” George said, “We’ve got a few things planned for December that we’re looking forward to.”

For the lead up to Christmas, George and his friends are hitting the pubs and clubs for a rowdy night filled with drinks and blasting music. Delving deep into an energetic atmosphere with hundreds of people can spark feelings of excitement and inclusion, plus the thick air dampened by the sweat of dancing crowds will certainly keep him and his friends warm through the winter weather (at least for a little while). Pubs and clubs also provide a space where they can further connect with each other, where they can show their love for each other and create fun, lasting memories to cherish.

For those in the LGBTQ+ community who have successfully handcuffed themselves to a short-term partner, they can have their fun, but the closeted singles will certainly not be left out. Throughout cuffing season, closeted single men don’t necessarily need to rely on finding a temporary relationship to obtain feelings of comfort, intimacy and warmth. Instead, they continue living life by their own rules rather than betting all of their happiness on a romance-roulette. Being in the company of good friends, making and sharing memories together can be just as effective as what short-term relationships bring. No commitments to a relationship also keeps schedules more flexible, making it easier than ever to tick off activities on the bucket list without having to concern oneself over the need to include other people and cater to preferences. And as an added bonus, for those who enjoy regular no-strings-attached hookups with different people, being single grants you the ability to sleep with whoever you like without the guilt of cheating on a romantic partner.

Features, Opinion, Sport

WHY OUR PROSPECTS ARE LEAVING – THE SAD STATE OF SCOTTISH FOOTBALL

By Zak Williamson

There has been an emerging trend in football over the last few years of young Scottish talent being wooed away from playing in the Scottish Premiership to play abroad.

Whenever a new, exciting prospect emerges, it is only a matter of time before they are linked with a move to what many would consider greener pastures.

A prime example would be former Hearts fullback Aaron Hickey, who burst onto the scene in 2019 at just 17 years old, playing 33 games and becoming the youngest-ever player to play in a Scottish Cup Final.

After an outstanding debut season, Hickey was linked with many different clubs throughout the continent, eventually settling on a move to Italian Serie A side Bologna for a relatively low £1.5 million.

This is even after Hickey was linked with a move to Celtic, who reportedly tried to sign the young Scot on ‘5 or 6 different occasions.’

Speaking to the BBC, Hickey stated that his decision was influenced by the opportunity to play against some of the biggest names in Italian football at the time such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala.

The move eventually paid off for the former Hearts man, as he was able to secure a dream £18 million move to Premier League side Brentford back in July.

This blueprint of Italian clubs signing young Scottish talent has continued in recent times with Aberdeen’s Lewis Ferguson and Hibernian’s Josh Doig securing moves to Bologna and Hellas Veronas respectively, costing the Italian sides £3 million each.

While it is undeniable that the Serie A is of a better standard than the Scottish Premiership in its current form, it still feels as if Scotland is getting the worse end of the deal.

Firstly, the prices commanded by the players are far too low. While the Scottish Premiership may not be among the richest in Europe, it still has players of considerable talent playing in it.

When Aaron Hickey’s fee to Brentford is compared to what Hearts received for him, there is a massive difference, almost 10 times less money than Bologna received for the player.

The current state of the Scottish game has led to clubs releasing their hottest young prospects for a fraction of what they are worth, accepting what is essentially pittance for players who could develop into real, world-class talent.

When questioned by Sky Sports about Serie A clubs’ sudden interest in Scottish talent, former  Bologna scout Francesco Strozzi stated his belief that “the Scottish Premiership is an incredibly, incredibly underrated league,” and “it doesn’t have quite enough attention in the eyes of many scouting departments around the world.”

This shows that there are those who recognise how much of a goldmine the Scottish Premiership can be when it comes to young talent. The problem is that clubs from the Serie A are essentially taking advantage of the poor financial state of the Scottish League to turn over a profit.

Teams in Scotland will often be incentivised to accept offers far below the value of their key players due to the lack of financial backing received from the league itself, among other things such as poor tv deals.

One high-profile example of this would be the ‘cinch’ deal, which saw online car retailer company cinch become the main sponsor of the Scottish Premiership for 5 years back in 2021. The deal saw £1.6 million in sponsorship money shared between all 42 clubs in Scotland’s top 4 leagues.

This amounted to just £38,000 for each club. While it may be useful money to teams in the smaller leagues, this is an absurdly small amount for teams in the top flight and shows why teams jump at any chance to make money from player sales, even if the sale is way below the player’s worth.

While the cinch deal has recently been renegotiated to allow more finances to go to clubs in Scotland, it is still unlikely to make a huge difference when it comes to clubs in the top flight.

When looking at Scottish football today, it is hard to imagine that Celtic won the European Cup in 1967 with every player born within 30 miles of Celtic Park. Or that Rangers and Aberdeen won European trophies of their own in the 70s and 80s.

Although times have changed and the game has moved on, there appears to be a lack of belief in young prospects in Scotland, whether it be at the club level or international. Take former Rangers full-back, Nathan Patterson, as an example.

When playing for the Ibrox side as backup to James Tavernier, he was playing regular first-team football and even scoring a goal in the Europa League. Yet it took him a £12 million move to Premier League side Everton for him to become a regular starter for Steve Clarke’s Scotland.

A similar situation would be Liverpool’s Calvin Ramsey, who made his first start in the Champions League before receiving a call-up to the National Team.

Perhaps this puts things into perspective for why so many young players are looking to play outside of Scotland. It is the only way to receive the attention and recognition they deserve.

If top-level sides in England and Italy can see the worth of these players, then why can’t our national set-up do the same?

Teams in other countries are taking a chance on Scottish players who may have been thought of as ‘not good enough’ or ‘too young’ and giving them a chance to break into the first team.

They see the value in Scottish football, so perhaps the teams and governing bodies within Scottish should start doing the same and stop selling ourselves short at every opportunity.