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Alastair Dalton

@alastairdalton.bsky.social
353 followers 42 following 544 posts

I'm the Glasgow-based Transport Correspondent of The Scotsman

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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The passing of Jeffrey Archer reminded me of spending an afternoon following the irrespressible politician campaigning in Edinburgh ahead of the 1997 General Election, for @scotsman.com. Alas my colour piece was cut to this mere morsel.
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
My @scotsman.com Inside Transport column is back - and bigger. This week: Did you know about this change? As a pedestrian, I assert this right by being bold – but not foolhardy – and striding across the road to effectively challenge vehicles to give way. www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...
scotsman.com
Why drivers' ignorance of a key law change is potentially lethal for pedestrians
Too many drivers are unaware of legislation designed to increase safety for those on foot
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
My Inside Transport column is back - and bigger. Read it here from 1645 on Mondays or in @scotsman.com on Tuesdays. To kick things off: The key traffic law change of which many drivers are ignorant - and it's endangering pedestrians
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Cyclists urged to wear masks in heavy traffic to cut intake of dangerous pollution www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Cyclists urged to wear masks in heavy traffic to cut intake of dangerous pollution
Riders advised to avoid busy routes and stopping behind large lorries
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Ferguson Marine to build tugboats amid fury over new orders 'con' www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Ferguson Marine to build tugboats amid fury over new orders 'con'
No submission made to competition authorities six months after ministers announced plans to hand shipyard orders
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
More bikes than cars recorded on Edinburgh rush hour route for first time - and this may be why @cyclingscotland.bsky.social www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
More bikes than cars recorded on Edinburgh rush hour route for first time
Highest figures also notched up on major Glasgow cycle routes too
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
NEW in @scotsman.com: ScotRail chief reveals cause of chaotic new app launch www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
ScotRail chief reveals cause of chaotic new app launch
More than 3,000 complaints after travellers unable to log on or access tickets
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Drivers tracked by AI cameras face fines for dropping litter on Scotland's roads www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Drivers tracked by AI cameras face fines for dropping litter on Scotland's roads
Trial of technology launched on Edinburgh City Bypass and A1
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Edinburgh Airport baggage reclaim nightmare: Firms blame each other for lengthy waits after family hit with delays up to 90 minutes on FOUR flights this summer www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Edinburgh Airport baggage reclaim nightmare: Firms blame each other for lengthy waits
Family suffers delays of more than an hour to collect their bags on four flights at the airport this summer
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Exclusive in @scotsman.com today: Islanders reject brand new CalMac ferry for smaller, 15-year-old vessel www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Islanders reject brand new CalMac ferry for smaller, 15-year-old vessel
New ship would need more maintenance and have greater fuel tanker restrictions
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
NEW in @scotsman.com: Giving bus passengers priority is not anti-car but best use of road space - Scottish bus boss will tell industry conference today www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Giving bus passengers priority is not anti-car but best use of road space - bus boss
Call for bus speeds to be tracked because “what gets measured gets attention”
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
What boarding schools can do to you - @neilmackay.bsky.social: "The damage to self-worth and self-esteem is incalculable. Expressing love becomes difficult, as does forming good relationships".
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Exclusive in @scotsman.com on Saturday: ScotRail's disastrous new app launch 'damaging its reputation' - First Minister John Swinney www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
ScotRail's disastrous new app launch 'damaging its reputation' - First Minister John Swinney
Frustrated First Minister demands rapid fix to what should have been a “straightforward affair”.
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
NEW in @scotsman.com: Full list of flights cancelled today at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports as air traffic chaos continues www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Full list of flights cancelled today at Edinburgh and Glasgow as air traffic control chaos continues
Knock-on delays expected to continue throughout Wednesday
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Exclusive in @scotsman.com: New air ambulances to end ‘heartbreaking’ separation of sick children from parents www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
New air ambulances to end ‘heartbreaking’ separation of sick children from parents
Replacement fleet will enable medics to keep in touch with experts on the ground in flight
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Edinburgh Airport condemned as 'disorganised, unwelcoming shambles' by former MP www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Edinburgh Airport condemned as 'disorganised, unwelcoming shambles' by former MP
Immigration queues and wait for baggage ‘a new low’
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
EXCLUSIVE in @scotsman.com: Lumo makes highly unusual 1-hour 'pit stop' to refuel en route Stirling to London www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Lumo passengers forced to wait an hour while Stirling to London train refuelled
Incident comes a month after long-distance operator’s train ran without working toilets
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Loganair fare increases add £2.5m to Scottish government bill for islanders' travel www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Loganair fare increases add £2.5m to Scottish government bill for islanders' travel
Total increases by nearly 20 per cent in a year despite fewer passengers travelling
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Exclusive in @scotsman.com: Anger at new Union Jack-style rail branding at major Glasgow station www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Anger at new Union Jack-style rail branding at major Glasgow station
Incident ‘indicative of inter-government tension spilling over into poor behaviours all too often’
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
BREAKING News in @scotsman.com: Further delay to completion of CalMac's next Turkish ferry revealed www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Further delay to completion of CalMac's next Turkish ferry revealed
Three ferries are already more than a year late
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
In @scotsman.com today: One of Scotland's major canals will stay closed for more than a year because of the scale of repairs needed to fix a significant leak in an aqueduct, and the prime suspect - water lilies! - have been cleared of causing it www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Exclusive in @scotsman.com today: Hong Kong and Shanghai flights on the radar for Edinburgh Airport www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Direct Hong Kong and Shanghai flights sought by Edinburgh Airport
Airport on course for record passenger numbers as it also pursues extended Middle East and US links
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Impending higher taxes for private jets have been criticised by the boss of Scotland’s busiest airport as “deeply unhelpful” because their passengers boost the economy www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Edinburgh Airport chief: Scottish private jet tax 'deeply unhelpful'
Scottish Government plans higher charges from 2028 to help pay for emissions
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Newest CalMac ferry branded 'lame duck' after latest in series of faults www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Newest CalMac ferry branded 'lame duck' after latest in series of faults
Reduction in capacity from broken mezzanine decks bigger than thought
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Exclusive in @scotsman.com: Harry Potter Jacobite steam train operator falls foul of safety law www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Harry Potter Jacobite steam train operator falls foul of safety law
West Coast Railways ordered to stop passengers leaning out of windows
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Campaigners hoping to return a Falklands War frigate to the Clyde to become a heritage landmark face a race against time after its owner set a deadline of next month for its removal from Pakistan amid transfer costs doubling www.scotsman.com/heritage-and...
scotsman.com
Race against time to return Falklands warship to Clyde as naval heritage attraction
Cost of bringing frigate back from Pakistan doubles to £2 million
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
NEW in @scotsman.com: Islanders fear passengers face increased injury risk and further ferry delays on one of CalMac’s busiest routes after plans were abandoned to adapt a broken pedestrian boarding gangway to keep it in use. www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
CalMac passenger injury and delay fears after ferry gangway scrapped
The covered walkway, known as a “passenger access system”, has been out of action since April
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Exclusive: ScotRail reveals how many passengers have been charged £10 minimum fares for not buying a ticket before travelling since the penalty was introduced a month ago www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
ScotRail reveals how many £10 minimum fares issued since new penalty introduced
Train operator says publicity over move triggered £400,000 ticket sales boost
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
ICYMI in @scotsman.com: Passengers at a Highland station have been left in the dark over train times after gulls nesting on a mast knocked out communications www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Nesting gulls trigger information blackout at Highland ScotRail station Tulloch
Passengers left with no access to information about trains
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
A cargo plane taking an urgent aircraft part to Australia has completed what is believed to be the longest non-stop flight from Scotland www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Record 9,849-mile flight from Scotland to Australia takes off
Near 20 hour journey to Melbourne to come to aid of grounded plane
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
E-scooter riders face ‘higher risk of traumatic injuries than motorcycles and bikes’ www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
E-scooter riders face ‘higher risk of traumatic injuries than motorcycles and bikes’
Women more likely to suffer serious injuries due to e-scooter design and riding patterns
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Axed Loganair flights to the Western and Northern Isles will be restored in October after ministers provided the airline with most of the £1.3 million it sought to continue the services www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Axed Loganair flights to Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland restored
£1 million funding will enable services to resume from October
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Exclusive in @scotsman.com: CalMac’s newest ferry will require further repairs despite being taken out of service for two weeks to fix another problem www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
CalMac's newest ferry needs more repairs despite two weeks of work
New fault found days after vessel returned from maintenance
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Plans for direct sleeper trains between Scotland and Europe which were abandoned 30 years ago could be revived after ministers honoured an SNP manifesto commitment to launch a feasibility study www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Direct Scotland-Europe Sleeper trains plan through Channel Tunnel revived by SNP
Feasibility study launched 30 years after original scheme scrapped
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Exclusive in @scotsman.com: Drivers with parking fines offered free tickets for Edinburgh Fringe musical www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Drivers with parking fines offered free tickets for Edinburgh Fringe musical
Marketing ploy inspired by controversial new North Berwick parking charges
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Lifeboat that saved 308 people in toughest of waters safeguarded at Orkney museum www.scotsman.com/heritage-and...
scotsman.com
Lifeboat that saved 308 people in toughest of waters safeguarded at Orkney museum
Former lifeboat station also tells story of a lifeboat disaster in 1969
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
NEW: Innovative colour-coded bike route signs are to be trialled in a Highland tourist mecca to encourage more people to use its cycle network by making navigation easier www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Highland tourist mecca launches colour-coded bike network to boost cycling
New signs and markers to direct nervous riders to safest routes
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Some weekend bike inspiration, in @scotsman.com Magazine today: My amazing ride through stunning Perthshire countryside with a round-the-world cyclist www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
My amazing ride through stunning Perthshire countryside with a round-the-world cyclist
Network extends to nearly 200 miles over varied terrain
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
What's the deadline for the SNP's "within 100 days" pledges like extending the £2 bus fare cap? The goalposts appear to have moved - twice - as @scotsman.com reports today www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Demand for clarity on £2 bus fare cap rollout amid uncertainty over SNP's pledge www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Demand for clarity on £2 bus fare cap rollout amid uncertainty over SNP's pledge
Scottish Government says it will “progress” scheme during its committed 100-day timescale
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Don't miss any of The Scotsman's leading transport coverage by signing up for our free weekly Transport Newsletter, sent to your inbox at lunchtime on Fridays: www.scotsman.com/newsletter (scroll down). Here's what they look like: newsletters.scotsman.com/transport-39...
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
NEW in @scotsman.com: The soaring popularity of Edinburgh and Glasgow’s new electric hire bikes has been confirmed by operator Voi revealing it has clocked up nearly 1 million rides in each city - less than a year after their introduction. www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Voi electric hire bike schemes approach major milestones in Edinburgh and Glasgow
Pilot Edinburgh operation about to be expanded further
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Electric aircraft for Highlands and Islands by 2029 in European first www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Electric aircraft for Highlands and Islands by 2029 in European first
The five-passenger planes would take 20-40 minutes to recharge
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Edinburgh Trams to Newhaven 'must be resumed urgently' after Princes Street fire www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Edinburgh Trams to Newhaven 'must be resumed urgently' after Princes Street fire
Call for four trams to escorted through fire zone to provide shuttle service from Picardy Place
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
ICYMI: I met Scotland's - and possibly Britain's - youngest (and newest) lighthouse keeper, who told me: "They are something that most people don't ever get to see inside, so there is an inherent mystery” www.scotsman.com/heritage-and...
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Meet Scotland's youngest lighthouse keeper: “Whenever there's wind, it whistles through the building. It sounds like screeching. It's quite amazing." www.scotsman.com/heritage-and...
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Exclusive: Meet Scotland's youngest lighthouse keeper: 'They have an inherent mystery' www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
Meet Scotland's youngest lighthouse keeper: 'They have an inherent mystery'
”For this to be my office, that's quite amazing”
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
ICYMI: The ex-CalMac Ferries Limited & Pentland Ferries vessel wrecked off Africa that's become an unofficial tourist attraction - and how CalMac's fleet owner hopes its next ferries about to be retired will enjoy a better fate elsewhere www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Exclusive in @scotsman.com: CalMac's ageing ferries to steam to Mediterranean under sell-off plans www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
CalMac's ageing ferries to steam to Mediterranean under sell-off plans
Summer use in “less punishing” waters on the horizon for decommissioned CalMac ferries
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Alastair Dalton @alastairdalton.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Exclusive in @scotsman.com: CalMac's ageing ferries to steam to Mediterranean under sell-off plans www.scotsman.com/news/transpo...
scotsman.com
CalMac's ageing ferries to steam to Mediterranean under sell-off plans
Summer use in “less punishing” waters on the horizon for decommissioned CalMac ferries
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