The Scottish Beacon

17/11/2025

Scotland’s communities deserve better than disappearing newsrooms and divisive social feeds. That’s why the Scottish Beacon was created.

We are a network of 25 independent, community-powered outlets working together to make sure every corner of the country is heard.

“In news deserts, misinformation fills the gap. Reliable local reporting can be the difference between a connected community and a divided one.”

The Beacon is changing the game by:

✨ pooling the strength of small local publishers
✨ reporting stories national outlets miss
✨ building trust where it starts — at home
✨ giving communities agency, not just coverage

If you care about stronger communities, informed debate and journalism rooted in real lives, this is the local journalism network to watch.

Explore how collaboration is reshaping Scottish storytelling:
https://www.scottishbeacon.com/regions/the-scottish-beacon-a-collaborative-approach-to-telling-scotlands-local-stories/

As someone who founded an independent, hyperlocal publication – Greater Govanhill magazine – I know how challenging it is to build and sustain local journalism on your own. The old commercial model no longer works: advertising budgets now flow to big tech platforms, people here aren’t used to ...

17/11/2025

Who really wins in Scotland’s green energy revolution?

The Scottish Beacon asks the hard question: as renewables boom, are communities getting left behind?

In the Power Shift series we’ll be hearing the local stories from those on the ground, exploring what solutions we might bring to the table and how these might be implemented.

“The blight on the landscape only benefits rich investors and not the people.”

“Our beautiful unspoiled land has been destroyed bit by bit. The benefits to locals are negligible.”

Ultimately, the renewable energy revolution has failed so far to deliver on its potential and promise, and as such has become political dynamite as we enter the year of the next Holyrood elections.

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We're delighted to be partnering with The Herald to shine a light on how the shift to green energy is impacting communities across Scotland

Published in partnership with The Herald As the world leaders gather in Brazil, to discuss the climate catastrophe facing us at COP 30, communities here in Scotland are trying to navigate the path of decarbonising our own energy supply.  The UK and Scottish governments have been implementing a poli...

17/11/2025

Carsphairn Seeks Balance Between Renewable Development and Rural Life

Publication: Glenkens Gazette Page

Carsphairn is carrying more than its share of Scotland’s net-zero push with 80% of its land taken up by forestry and wind farms.

Narrow rural roads are now packed with lorries, turbine parts and heavy machinery, putting local lives under strain.

Yet despite the disruption, the community is pushing for fairer balance: more local say, better compensation, and infrastructure that works for people, not just development.

Full story 🔗

Published in partnership with The Herald Tucked between the Rhinns of Kells and Cairnsmore of Carsphairn, the parish of Carsphairn is the most northerly community in the Glenkens area of Dumfries & Galloway.  Covering a vast 272 km² – about a third of the Glenkens’ land – Carsphairn is home....

13/11/2025

'When I arrived in Scotland, I carried my whole life in one suitcase and a heart full of hope. What I found was violence and fear – but also a country that caught me when I fell. Scotland’s network of support gave me back my dignity, one kind act at a time.'

In partnership with Pass The Mic Scotland

Content warning: domestic abuse, trauma, recovery Arrival in the dark I still remember that first morning in Edinburgh. After a long flight from Cancún to Gatwick and a night bus north, I arrived before dawn – around four or five in the morning. It was cold, the streets empty and…

07/11/2025

The Great Energy Heist

Publication: The Orkney News

“When you see folk in Orkney burning candles under upturned ceramic flower pots propped up on bricks in their sitting rooms, with their electric storage heaters turned off because they can’t afford that form of heating, then you know there is something fundamentally broken about the UK’s privatised energy system.

“I have visited houses where the folk have rationed their annual electricity usage by well over 50% compared to previous years, and are heating their homes with imported gas bottles instead. In a place of plentiful clean, green electricity this is criminal.”

These are the words of Robert Leslie. He has worked in the energy advice and support sector in Orkney for 15 years...In his role he has seen the impacts of damagingly high electricity prices on households.

It is the greatest energy heist since the discovery of oil in Scotland’s waters. Homes in Scotland will see no reduction in their electricity bills. Community payouts, when they do come through, will be small compared to the profits generated by the Energy Companies.

For the consumer, prices are two thirds higher than they were in 2021. Energy Companies, since the end of 2020 have profited to the tune of over £5billion. This obscene level of profiteering is made possible because of the outdated and unfair system in the UK.

Full story here:

Orkney has a long history in  the use of renewable sources of energy. In 1955 a wind turbine erected on the summit of Costa Head was connected up to the Orkney Grid. People in Orkney had been using wind turbines (or windmills as they were known then) to power mills…

07/11/2025

Protests held after Rockstar games accused of ‘union busting’

Publication: MidlothianView.com

Edinburgh-based game developers, Rockstar Games, have been accused of ‘union busting’ after over 30 members of staff were fired last Friday, leading to a protest yesterday outside their Edinburgh offices.

The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) have stated that the sacking was due to ‘trade union activities’, explaining that all the members of staff fired were all part of a private trade union Discord channel and members of IWGB.

The union led protests outside the company’s offices in Edinburgh and parent company Take Two’s offices in London on Thursday over what the union called a ‘stand up in defiance against this disgusting attempt to crush worker unity’.

Since these protests Rockstar games have claimed that workers were fired for sharing confidential information, not being part of the union.

Chair of the IWGB, Spring McParlin-Jones, said:

“Next year, Grand Theft Auto VI is expected to make upwards of $10 billion. Such a flagrant attack on workers’ rights from such a valuable studio sends a very clear and shocking message to the world, that money matters more than people.”

Edinburgh-based game developers, Rockstar Games, have been accused of ‘union busting’ after over 30 members of staff were fired last Friday, leading to a protest yesterday outside their Edinburgh offices. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) have stated that the sacking was d...

07/11/2025

Edinburgh charity launches Christmas Card Campaign to curb loneliness this winter

Publication: The Edinburgh Reporter

Edinburgh-based charity Vintage Vibes has launched its annual Christmas card campaign, inviting the public and workplaces to spread festive cheer and tackle loneliness by sending a personalised card to someone over 60 living alone in the city.

The Vintage Vibes Christmas Card Campaign gives people the opportunity to write a personalised card to someone that lives on their own after receiving a profile which details who the recipient is and what their interests are – from Norma who loves history to David who loves computer games.

Marlene, who loves her dog and anything sparkly said: “I love Vintage Vibes because I get to meet people. At Christmas, looking at the children’s drawings and the things they have written in the cards, I feel honoured, that’s the word, honoured. The cheerier the cards, the better I feel.”

Paddy, who was a champion go-carter, said: “Vintage Vibes is almost like having another family. Getting the Christmas cards helps people feel remembered.”

Emma, Vintage Vibes Friendships Coordinator, said: “Loneliness isn’t just at Christmas, day to day the team see and hear stories where people are experiencing chronic isolation and loneliness. Being part of Vintage Vibes makes a huge difference.”

The Edinburgh-based charity, Vintage Vibes, is launching a campaign urging people in the capital to spread joy amongst those at risk of loneliness and social isolation this Christmas. The charity supports people older than 60 to become more socially connected and active in their local communities by...

01/09/2025

Energy in Shetland: what's next for the islands?

Publication: Shetland News

Shetland’s first ever collaborative energy-development drop-in session invites residents to Mareel in Lerwick on 9 September to learn about future energy proposals and help shape Shetland’s energy landscape.

People will get the rare chance to hear from a range of energy developers in the same room in what is being described as Shetland’s first collaborative engagement session on future projects.

Representatives of SSEN Transmission, SSEN Distribution, Statkraft, Veri Energy and Stoura will be present at Mareel in Lerwick on Tuesday 9 September between 3pm-7pm.

The drop-in event is designed to bring together developers, network operators and the local community for open discussions about the islands’ energy future.

The event, coordinated by SSEN Transmission, follows feedback from communities and stakeholders calling for a more joined-up approach to how Shetland’s energy landscape could develop in the years ahead.

For the full story click the link or visit scottishbeacon.com for more stories like it!

🔗 https://www.scottishbeacon.com/news/social-equality/energy-engagement-event-aims-to-give-overview-of-future-developments/

📸 Photo credit: Energy Isles [image edited to fit post]

07/08/2025

Statkraft submits third application for Giant’s Burn wind farm near Dunoon

Publication: The Lochside Press

Statkraft has submitted a new application for the Giant’s Burn wind farm near Dunoon, proposing seven turbines and battery storage. The plan follows two earlier rejections and is now with the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit.

Statkraft says that it now expects the application to be decided in summer 2027, with work starting the following year and due to be complete in 2030.

But Gourock Community Council has already decided to object to the proposal, while the Save Cowal’s Hills group is posting 13,000 leaflets via Royal Mail to affected communities within the next week.

Nature Scot also said the site was near to known golden eagle sites and the plan could compromise ‘the ‘overall integrity’ of Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.

What do you think?

To find out more about the proposal, and objections to the wind farm, click the link:
www.scottishbeacon.com/news/environment/giants-burn-wind-farm-plan-submitted/

📸 Close up of wind turbine by Mike Lewis

23/07/2025

Explore low-carbon futures at Orkney International Science Festival

Publication: The Orkney News

The programme includes visits to Burgar Hill to learn directly from the skilled efforts of communities – past and present – in building a sustainable and resilient Orkney.

First Hand is inviting local sustainability professionals, community groups, businesses, and education networks to participate in the field trip. The aim is to share learnings across sectors and across islands about how creative and collaborative skills can be developed to respond to complex challenges, like climate change.

For the full story click the link below, or visit scottishbeacon.com for more like it!

https://www.scottishbeacon.com/news/environment/explore-low-carbon-futures-at-orkney-international-science-festival/

📸 Costa Hill looking towards Burgar Hill by Martin Laird

Explore low-carbon futures at Orkney International Science Festival

Publication: The Orkney News

The programme includes visits to Burgar Hill to learn directly from the skilled efforts of communities – past and present – in building a sustainable and resilient Orkney.

First Hand is inviting local sustainability professionals, community groups, businesses, and education networks to participate in the field trip. The aim is to share learnings across sectors and across islands about how creative and collaborative skills can be developed to respond to complex challenges, like climate change.

For the full story click the link below, or visit scottishbeacon.com for more like it!

https://www.scottishbeacon.com/news/environment/explore-low-carbon-futures-at-orkney-international-science-festival/

📸 Costa Hill looking towards Burgar Hill by Martin Laird

23/07/2025

Explore low-carbon futures at Orkney International Science Festival

Publication: The Orkney News

The programme includes visits to Burgar Hill to learn directly from the skilled efforts of communities – past and present – in building a sustainable and resilient Orkney.

First Hand is inviting local sustainability professionals, community groups, businesses, and education networks to participate in the field trip. The aim is to share learnings across sectors and across islands about how creative and collaborative skills can be developed to respond to complex challenges, like climate change.

For the full story click the link below, or visit scottishbeacon.com for more like it!

https://www.scottishbeacon.com/news/environment/explore-low-carbon-futures-at-orkney-international-science-festival/

📸 Costa Hill looking towards Burgar Hill by Martin Laird

23/07/2025

Campaigners in Stonehaven protest against plastic pollution ahead of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations

Publication: TheBellman

Campaigners and communities across Scotland, including Stonehaven, banded together to pressure governments into taking action against plastic pollution ahead of the Global Plastics Treaty in August.

Surfers against Sewage’s The People vs Plastic campaign takes a stand against government inaction on plastic pollution – saw protests and beach cleans taking place over the weekend as part of a National Day of Action.

Earlier talks collapsed in South Korea last year, with countries failing to agree on reducing plastic production. Campaigners say that a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty is urgently needed to cut pollution at its source and protect blue spaces.

Data was collected during the community cleans, which will help Surfers Against Sewage map the true scale of plastic pollution, and name the brands and retailers most to blame.

Plastic Free Stonehaven Lead Marion Montgomery said: ”We’re joining the People vs Plastic protest to call for real action against the producers of the huge amount of plastic packaging, for tighter restrictions against ‘new’ things entering the market to avoid the future carnages caused by allowing things like single use vapes to be put on sale to the public."

For the full story click the latest link in our bio, or visit scottishbeacon.com for more

📸 Paddle Out Protest crowd courtesy of The Bellman