'What we have in Scotland is a powerful, elite group that makes decisions in conferences that force actual artists out in the streets to protest or to circulate petitions and provoke parliamentary scrutiny' www.heraldscotland.com/opin... @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social

Powerful people exist everywhere. But Scotland is unusual because so much gatekeeping flows through so few centralised, ambiguous structures. My reflections on the 50 powerbrokers shaping culture in 2026 for @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2606...

@heraldscotland.bsky.social first Arts Power List is out – 50 people shaping Scotland’s culture in 2026, from funders and festival bosses to artists and agitators. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

Here are the 50 powerbrokers shaping what Scotland consumes in theatres, galleries, concert halls and in film and television www.heraldscotland.com/life... @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social

Blown away by the response. Huge thanks to everyone who spoke to me >> a must read if you want your finger on Scotland’s creative pulse @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

'Each day, around 125,000 enforcement letters warn households they must pay £180 for BBC services. 'It is one of the most absurd traditions of British life, one that gets increasingly bizarre and hard to justify as time goes on' www.heraldscotland.com/opin... @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social

“Glasgow has always punched above its weight when it comes to art, culture, and music. But with street art, that world we are involved in, there is nothing like us in Scotland right now.” @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social

Been digging into Scotland's grassroots arts for quite some time for @heraldscotland.bsky.social . You can read the first feature here & in the Mag this weekend 🎨 www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

Scotland’s artist basic income sounds good on paper. But without fixing Universal Credit clashes, Creative Scotland’s paperwork and council‑owned landlords hiking rents, it won’t save the sector. ✍️My column for @heraldscotland.bsky.social : www.heraldscotland.com/politics/hol...

Inside the chic new indoor club at the centre of Glasgow’s booming padel and pickleball scene www.heraldscotland.com/spor... @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social 𝘝𝘐𝘋𝘌𝘖: 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵

Should advertisers be allowed to advertise with a mural? Or does that erode Glasgow’s standing as a destination for renowned street art? Does it matter if the work is going to a local artist and helping them pay the bills? ✍️ @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2600...

'Much of the infrastructure rhetoric in the city divides motorists and cyclists. Potholes, and our mutual fear and loathing for them, could finally bring us all together.' www.heraldscotland.com/opin... @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social

Sustained under-investment in the road network began around 2014. That was the last year the roads were properly funded, and we have been in a structural deficit ever since. ✍️ @heraldscotland.bsky.social #glasgow #potholes www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2599...

#Potholes #Glasgow Opinion article by @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social for @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2599... @gobikeglasgow.bsky.social @magnatom.bsky.social @glasgowcitycouncil.bsky.social @hollybruce.bsky.social @anthonycarroll.bsky.social @jonmolyneux.bsky.social

Can Glasgow really become a 24-hour city? @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2595...

It is amazing how quickly a city can metabolise destruction. ✍️ Dispatches from the first day of Glasgow Central High Level's phased return @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

Review: Tickets for Vittorio Angelone's tour - You Can’t Say Nothing Any More - are flying off the shelves, and no wonder says reviewer @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @vittorioangelone.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social

I would highly recommend getting tickets to see Vittorio Angelone if you can ! @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

The library card is the only one in my wallet whose limit I can max out with wild abandon. This week's column about saving the public libraries for @heraldscotland.bsky.social ✍️ www.heraldscotland.com/news/educati...

Public libraries are pretty punk. They are non-commercial, non-clinical third spaces where anyone can go to warm up, use the wifi, go to the bathroom, and have untapped access to a world of books – all for free, says @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social

'The Si! Spa sits where the Ayrshire Coastal Path begins, promising to deliver one of the best spa experiences the region has to offer' @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social visits Scotland's newest coastal escape www.heraldscotland.com/life...

'Glasgow was already battered and bruised - this fire has torn the heart out of city' Between the smoking hole where Union Corner used to be, and the shrouded halls, the view from up here is anything but postcard. Dispatch via @heraldscotland.bsky.social ✍️ www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenew...

"In his statement, Watt positions himself as a victim and neglects to acknowledge how his decision-making put people's livelihoods at risk. 'Heartbreak' is not accountability." www.heraldscotland.com/opin... @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social

"James Watt talks about his 'many mistakes' during his 17 years at the helm. Is he referring to the toxic workplace culture, aggressive leadership, or brand hypocrisy? Perhaps all three?" || @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2591... 📷: 𝘌𝘥 𝘏𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴/𝘗𝘈

James Watt and Brewdog represent the worst excesses of millennial hustle culture and performative rebellion. The entire brand is dated and should be left in 2007, where it belongs, says @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social #brewdog

Another wee explainer on what happens next RE Glasgow M8 plans @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2589968...

'International evidence overwhelmingly undercuts this idea that removing the M8 through Glasgow would cause some sort of doomsday carmageddon' www.heraldscotland.com/opin... @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social

International evidence overwhelmingly undercuts this idea that removing the M8 through Glasgow would cause some sort of doomsday carmageddon. This week's column @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2589... @paulsweeney.bsky.social @replacethem8.bsky.social

We homed a COP26 delegate from Mexico who was aghast that a motorway ploughed through our city centre, 'I know Mexico City has significant air pollution problems being based in a basin but this motorway and its self-inflicted harm is madness.'

Of the 3 options presented by Transport Scotland, removing the concrete megastructure of the M8 was the only one with warnings attached - but its inclusion is a huge step for those who want a liveable modern city @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2588681...

Are motorways untouchable facts of life, no matter how miserable traffic gets? I've been investigating the M8 [email protected], looking at what it's really costing #Scotland as an inter-city route - and what it's costing #Glasgow as an inner-city viaduct. 🧵📸 Colin Mearns

Great piece from @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social on the problems facing (and caused by) the M8 motorway, which cuts through Glasgow. With spans of the 1960s infrastructure now needing costly replacement, might it be time for a more serious rethink about how it fits in with the city.

Happy Birthday to us! Two years in, I’m more convinced than ever that cities function better when people feel informed and connected. That’s what this newsletter is for. Thank you for your support Glasgow! #glasgownews @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social

The great Glasgow debate: which areas are south side, which are west end? This week's column for @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2587...

If I picture the south side, I see Alpha Industries bomber jackets, independents with limited opening hours and a penchant for drama. I can smell the warm vegetal scent of fruit wafting down Victoria Road, hear the bicycles whizzing past @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social

'There are not nearly enough cranes in Glasgow, but the ones that are here piece together, slab by concrete slab, beige brick by beige brick, tall buildings filled with tiny rooms for transient students' www.heraldscotland.com/opin... @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social

“By trying to improve our cities, we have only succeeded in making them empty simulacra of what was,” Kevin Baker writes. Is Glasgow becoming a reserve for the wealthy and the temporary? @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2585...

Who are our cities are for? The people who actually live in them - or the speculators slamming up student flats @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social

'Tech workers, bankers, estate agents, students and the like all have their place. But the city should also be for care workers, artists, bartenders, shop workers, tradespeople, and teachers.' || @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opin... 𝘐𝘔𝘈𝘎𝘌: @mearnscolin.bsky.social

'It’s about claiming space that makes people who identify as queer feel safe. So, being safe in their bodies, not feeling judged, not feeling othered, and feeling comfortable to express themselves' www.heraldscotland.com/life... @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social

How the Glasgow Community Sauna has revolutionised wellness with a £10 sauna @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social

Marissa MacWhirter visits Glasgow's first non-profit sauna and cold plunge spot www.heraldscotland.com/life... @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social

Since drop-off charges were introduced at Glasgow International Airport less than a decade ago, they have increased by 250 per cent ✍️ @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2582...

'It’s been nice to get some recognition because I don’t make a lot of money from doing this. I’ve sacrificed a lot to have a bookshop, and I love having it.' www.heraldscotland.com/life... @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social

It was a pleasure and a privilege to enter the magical world of Burning House Books. Read the full story via @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...

Trying to make sense of what happened with the CCA? Fear not, comprehensive explainer via @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2581328...

I spoke to Harry Miller about all things FORTY Clothing for @heraldscotland.bsky.social with pics by Gordon Terris. www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...