Chancellor Rachel Reeves could scrap a windfall profits levy on UK oil and sooner than expected, after Keir Starmer said he wanted to “double down” on North Sea extraction. Reeves is considering ending epl in Mar 2029 — reversing a decision in last Budget to extend it by a year to Mar 2030

Scottish government’s bid to break up giant rural estates ‘too complex’ Critics say SNP’s ‘bureaucratic’ land reform bill will fail in its aim to benefit local communities

China’s Ming Yang to invest up to £1.5bn in Scottish turbine factory Company says the project is subject to ‘final approvals’ from the UK government

SNP seeks to exploit unionist rift with fresh independence pitch John Swinney to set out plans for second referendum at party conference as Reform splits Scottish pro-union vote

How Europe’s ‘oil capital’ glory days were ended by the global oil crash The decline of North Sea industry in Scotland has triggered Aberdeen’s economic downturn

Highland estates clash with nature campaigners over wild deer culls Scottish landowners fear over-regulation of herds through nature restoration bill

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Oil and gas industry touts ‘tiebacks’ to boost North Sea production Viability of linking new production to existing hubs via more tiebacks explored as calls grow for extensions to existing licences

Reform UK would not deport women and children in first five years, says Farage Retreat from earlier statements comes as Conservative MSP defects to rightwing populist party

Frankly — Nicola Sturgeon’s memoir of Scottish politics vs personal life Scotland’s first female leader was one of its most popular politicians, yet her independence policy also made her one of the most polarising

Scottish salmon exports surge on demand from US and China Overseas sales rise by a third as industry sets its sights on Indian market

Scotland’s net fiscal deficit widens to almost 12% of GDP Figures reopen debate about country’s economic future ahead of elections for Scottish parliament in 2026

Gaza in spotlight as Edinburgh Fringe venues cancel shows - on.ft.com/3HtkIXK via @FT

Scottish wind farms were paid not to produce 37% of their planned output during the first half of this year as the electricity not used locally or moved to where it was needed. Wind farms in the area accounted for 86 per cent of 4.6 terawatt hours of curtailed in Britain — 15% up on last yr.

Prices for hotels and Airbnbs in Edinburgh have soared as a run of sold-out Oasis concerts coincides with annual festivals, heaping pressure on a strained accommodation market. About 200,000 fans are expected to attend Oasis’s three-night run this weekend at Murrayfield stadium

John Gapper: Aberdeen is trapped between Starmer and Trump The city that grew rich on North Sea oil wants to transition to renewables but needs a better chance

Kate Forbes to quit Scottish politics Exit of deputy first minister is blow to SNP ahead of next year’s elections at Holyrood

UK’s largest offshore wind farm receives approval Berwick Bank consent faced delays following resistance from conservationists

Donald Trump’s Turnberry dream of bringing back the Open Lossmaking Scottish golf resort is no closer to hosting the tournament 11 years after it was bought by the US president

Trump swings by Scottish oil hubs as UK energy debate flares US president to meet the UK and Scottish leaders, as trade and renewables policies loom large in push for growth

Donald Trump arrives in Scotland on Friday for a five-day golf trip, during which Sir Keir Starmer will lobby the US president to accelerate deal to cut tariffs on British steel. UK PM is expected to meet Trump on Monday to press case for closer ties, including cutting tariffs on Scotch whisky.

Edinburgh festivals struggle to lure corporate sponsors after boycott EIF performances cut by a fifth despite government cash injection following Baillie Gifford’s exit

Gulf expat bubble punctured by missiles - on.ft.com/4k1PxA5 via @FT

US warns Britain over Chinese wind farm security risks Mingyang’s plan to build Scottish turbine factory has raised fears about surveillance

Dubai takes control of linchpin of emirate’s consumer economy - on.ft.com/43Vw2mU via @FT

Labour’s surprise Scottish by-election win opens up race for Holyrood - on.ft.com/4jGRrGh via @FT

Labour wins pivotal Scottish by-election over SNP and Reform Hamilton result gives momentum to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar

South of Donald Trump’s golf resort in Turnberry, heavy articulated lorries trundle relentlessly along Girvan’s narrow one-way thoroughfare. The gnarly traffic, a bane for many locals, illustrates the logistical trials marring US president’s dream of the Open, returning to the Scottish course.

Roll out the barrel: Scotch makers toast UK trade deal with India Agreement will halve tariffs on whisky into world’s biggest export market by volume for the spirit

BOOK REVIEW: When Ground Shifts — Reem Al-Hashimy on Dubai’s transformation into a global metropolis A first-hand account from the UAE’s longest-serving female minister about hosting the World Expo and transforming the emirate into an aspirational destination

Greenpeace reveal 55mx40m sand art with Trump’s face on beach outside his golf course in Scotland, Turnberry, to mark the first 100 days of Trump’s second term with the message: “Time to resist – fight the billionaire takeover”.

‘Amplified levels of uncertainty’: Trump tariffs compound Scotch sellers’ troubles Cash-strapped distillers look to sell or raise equity as downturn intensifies

Zonal pricing could undermine #Scottish #energy sector, warns Forbes Deputy first minister says uncertainty triggered by #electricity market reforms could deter #investment on.ft.com/4cSgBA3

Scotland stands to benefit from an influx of capital from investors spooked by Donald Trump’s unpredictability, the Scottish secretary said. The UK renewables sector is likely to attract fresh inward investment thanks partly to the US president’s pivot away from the clean energy policies.

New-build rental homes under construction in Scotland plunged 26 per cent over the past year. England, by contrast, recorded a “far less significant decline” in construction activity while the number of units submitted for planning rose 6 per cent

Scottish and NI blazes highlight surge in UK wildfires Fire chiefs warn of climate change driving extreme weather in the wake of weekend infernos

How a cash crisis pushed Dundee university to brink of collapse Funding shortfalls and management failures have left the Scottish institution’s survival in the hands of the state

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UK government should replace windfall tax “as soon as practicable”, warning the window of opportunity to secure North Sea is “closing fast”. The North Sea Transition Taskforce said ministers had chosen to “wait too long” to replace “flawed” energy profits levy in 2030.

UK could produce half demand for oil/gas domestically through 2050, reducing reliance on more carbon-intensive imports. UK on track to produce 4bn barrels of oil and gas equivalent of the 13bn-15bn needed for UK 2050 net zero emissions, but North Sea could produce another 2bn-3bn barrels - OEUK.

UK MPs have written to foreign secretary David Lammy urging Magnitsky sanctions on Dubai officials over long-running detention of UK national Ryan Cornelius. Cornelius, convicted in 2011 of defrauding Dubai Islamic Bank, has been detained for more than 16 years on charges described as “dubious”

A plan mapping out a green future for Scotland’s imperilled Grangemouth oil refinery proposes £3.8bn of investments over a decade, rising to almost £13bn under a best-case scenario.

Ian Murray, secretary of state for Scotland, said he and DFM Kate Forbes had taken the "very unprecedented step" of writing a joint letter to respective ministerial colleagues urging them to "get things moving" on 4-gigawatt Berwick Bank, a long-delayed offshore wind farm project.

UK government is pushing ahead with plans to halt new oil and gas exploration licences but left room for a “pragmatic” approach to production in a move welcomed by the industry. It left room for a flexible approach to “tiebacks”, in which new fields can be drilled via adjacent existing fields.

UK asset manager Abrdn has rebranded itself Aberdeen after widely ridiculed for removing most vowels from its name under previous CEO Stephen Bird. Jason Windsor, who took over last year, said it was “a pragmatic decision marking a new phase for the organisation”.

As Aberdeen grapples with maturing of North Sea basin, Wood's struggles with debt load, disappointing earnings symbolise the city’s decline. A rare homegrown success story, its market value reached £5.3bn in 2018, tumbling to less than £200mn in Feb, after revealing it was continuing to burn cash.

Wood Group, embattled oil services co whose valuation plunged to less than £200mn, has entered takeover talks with Dubai-based company that approached it with £1.6bn buyout proposal last year. Sidara made fresh approach following collapse in Wood’s share price in recent weeks.

Sir Keir Starmer has reaffirmed Britain’s “ironclad” support for Kyiv as UK PM prepares to meet Donald Trump. On 3rd anniversary of conflict, govt will Mon unveil largest raft of sanctions against Russia since early days of war, expected to be closely aligned with significant EU package.

UK government pledged £200mn for investment into Grangemouth as closure of Scotland’s only oil refinery looms. Sir Keir Starmer said he hoped the funding, managed by £27.8bn state-backed National Wealth Fund, would attract 3x private sector money for post-oil industrial future in Scotland.

@anassarwar.bsky.social pledges to ban mobile phones in the classroom if he becomes first minister of #scotland #scotlab25