FORMER Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo has signed for Hibs on a permanent deal until the end of the 2026/27 campaign.  After a successful trial period, the 26-year-old officially joins the Easter Road side following a spell with Norwegian Eliteserien side SK Brann. Matondo, who is a full Welsh internationalist with 15 caps to his name, spent his youth career at Cardiff City and then Manchester City before making the switch to FC Schalke 04 in 2019.

ARTISTS, charities, and community groups have been left out in the cold after the impending sale of their “thriving” studio hub was announced last week. St Margaret’s House has been operated as a base for a kaleidoscopic mix of artists and community organisations since 2008. Building owner The Caledonian Trust says it is in discussions to sell the building to a “preferred party” and operator Scot-ART informed occupants they’ll have to be out before 24 January next year.

A TEENAGER has been arrested in connection with the death of a 21-year-old man following a disturbance in Glasgow city centre. Daniel Colrain sustained serious injuries during the incident in Royal Exchange Square at around 3:05am on Sunday morning. He was rushed to hospital for treatment but sadly passed away the following day, sparking a major police investigation. Detectives confirmed on Wednesday that a 19-year-old suspect is now in custody, while two other men were previously arrested.

YOGA sessions for offenders given community sentences have been branded an “insult to victims” after the “wellbeing sessions” were revealed. North Lanarkshire Council admitted that offenders were being offered a yoga mat as part of their Community Payback Order, but claimed the sessions are “rehabilitative” in nature. One man, who asked to remain anonymous, reported to a restorative justice unit in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire where around 20 individuals on community payback were taught…

EDINBURGH Airport has unveiled a new brand identity as it begins the £500m first phase of a wider investment programme. Scotland’s busiest airport said the investment would help transform its campus and improve the passenger experience as it pursues plans for further growth. The revamped identity retains the airport’s air traffic control tower and will be used across the site, its digital channels and international markets.

ALAN Cumming and Downton Abbey stars Hugh Bonneville and Michelle Dockery have backed calls to save an Edinburgh degree that has trained costume talent for major films and television shows. They are among more than 600 people who have signed an open letter urging the University of Edinburgh to reverse plans to close its performance costume degree at Edinburgh College of Art.

SCIENTISTS are to put a “revolutionary” golf tee to the test to see whether it performs as well as the traditional version used by players for generations. Researchers at the University of Stirling will analyse a Canadian-designed tee which sits on top of the ground instead of being pushed into it. The reusable BirTee Pro Speed+ was originally developed to make golf easier for players with mobility problems and can also be used on frozen ground or indoors.

A SCOTTISH council is considering scaling back emergency repair call-outs for tenants left without heating or hot water during warmer months as it battles financial pressures. Clackmannanshire Council has revealed it will review which housing repairs should continue to be attended outside normal working hours. The local authority said the move was being considered in response to “ongoing financial and service delivery pressures”.

CROMLIX estate cottages beside Andy Murray’s five-star hotel could be demolished under newly lodged plans. An application has been submitted to Stirling Council seeking permission to demolish the Cromlix Laundry Cottages, along with a nearby stable, on Cromlix Estate near Dunblane. Planning drawings submitted with application 26/00475/FUL show both cottages and the stable earmarked for demolition. Property particulars previously produced for Cromlix Estate describe the two-storey buildings as having once formed the laundry for Cromlix House – the five-star hotel now owned by tennis star Sir Andy Murray and his wife Kim.

MARINK Reedijk’s backroom team has now been confirmed. And it includes a fans' favourite with a League Cup winners medal. Reedijk will be joined by Rogier Molhoek as Performance Manager, while Brian McLaughlin joins as First Team Coach. Scott Thomson has stepped up from his role within the Hibernian Academy to become First Team Goalkeeping Coach, with Guillaume Beuzelin also moving into the First Team set-up as Individual Development Plan Coach.

A GLASGOW couple who subjected a huge number of dogs to severe neglect by keeping them locked in cupboards and rusty cages have been handed a lifetime ban on keeping animals. William and Anna Wallace were given the indefinite disqualification at Glasgow Sheriff Court following an investigation by the Scottish SPCA. The animal welfare charity uncovered the shocking conditions at the couple’s property in the Tollcross area of the city last August.

NINETY-NINE Scottish seafood and aquaculture projects will share more than £16m in government funding. The Marine Fund Scotland 2026-27 grants aim to support 122 jobs across coastal and island communities. Funding will be allocated to data collection on fish stock health, safety training, and trials of new net technologies. Four strategically important projects by Seafood Scotland, Seafish, Salmon Scotland and the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation are included in the awards.

REFURBISHMENT works across three floors of an office building in Edinburgh have completed, bringing nearly 20,000 sq. ft. of space to the city centre. 65 Haymarket Terrace, owned by a client of CBRE Investment Management and marketed by Knight Frank, is now ready for occupation following a series of enhancements. The refurbishment includes the installation of new VRF air conditioning systems and LED lighting throughout the three newly available floors.

SCOTS are losing more than £5,000 a week to energy scams as fears grow over winter heating bills. Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) has warned households to be vigilant against fraudsters posing as trusted organisations. Almost half of people in Scotland are worried about affording their energy costs, creating an opportunity for scammers. Criminals are exploiting these fears by offering fake cheap or free energy-saving products and unnecessary repairs.

A FIFE-BASED ingredients and equipment company has secured the exclusive UK distribution rights for a professional chocolate range. CFW Ingredients & Equipment, the distribution division of Sephra Europe, will manage the B2B web shop for Domori’s couverture products. The partnership introduces 22 new products to the UK market, including single origin chocolates and Criollo varieties. Targeted at chefs, patisseries, and…

THE famous yellow towers have loomed over Leith like an alien armada for months now, inspiring horror, hope, awe, and art in equal measure. Bound for a huge new wind farm development off the Angus coast, the “Eiffel Towers of Leith” will begin to leave the Port of Leith as mysteriously as they appeared over the next few months. Before they do, however, a pair of Edinburgh creatives – backed by a collective of yellow jacket-loving artists – will send them off with a dedicated…

ANTISOCIAL behaviour calls have fallen by more than 400 in Dunfermline despite recent concerns over youth disorder in the city. New Police Scotland figures show 2,799 antisocial behaviour calls were recorded during the latest reporting period, compared with 3,233 previously. The drop of 434 calls represents a fall of around 13%. The figures were highlighted in a report presented to Fife Council's City of Dunfermline Area Committee on Tuesday.

The National Gallery of Scotland was forced to evacuate on Sunday afternoon because of a small electrical fire in the gift shop. Two fire appliances were dispatched to the scene at 12:12 pm, where patrons had been ushered out and the building closed. The fire in the main shop was put out by the time the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS)

THE James Hutton Institute has secured £640,000 in funding to install a new confocal microscope for detailed plant research. The grant from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council will support the purchase and installation of the equipment at the institute’s Imaging Technologies Facility. The microscope will allow researchers to study what happens inside plant cells and tissues, including how plants interact with disease-causing organisms.

A CCTV image of a man Police Scotland officers believe may be able to assist their enquiries into a wilful fire in Glasgow has been released. The incident happened on Wednesday, 17 June, 2026, on Nelson Street around 5.15am. The man (pictured) was wearing a khaki jacket with a white stripe on each arm, black jogging bottoms, a black top with a motif on the chest.

A KILLER has been jailed for life and ordered to serve at least 19 years behind bars for the murder of a man in an Ayrshire flat. Terence Welsh, 42, was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh today after being convicted last month of murdering 59-year-old Stuart Kennedy in Ardrossan. Police were called to a disturbance at a property on Montgomerie Street at around 8.15pm on 10 September, 2024.

FOUR in ten Scots say spending less time scrolling on their phones would encourage them to read more, new research has revealed. A survey found 39% of people believe cutting down on phone or social media use would make them more likely to find time for reading. Almost nine in ten Scots – 89% – said they enjoy reading for pleasure, but many struggle to fit it into their everyday lives.

FORTY-FIVE affordable homes are set to be built in Westhill as work begins on a £10m development, including flats and terraced houses. The Peregrine House site, formerly the headquarters of Stewart Milne Group, has stood empty since the housebuilder went into receivership in January 2024. Figures from Aberdeenshire Council show 250 families are currently waiting for social housing in Westhill.

EDINBURGH University chief Peter Mathieson will step down after a decade marked by financial upheaval and bitter labour disputes. The Principal and Vice-Chancellor told members of the University Court on Monday evening that, after his current term expires in early 2028, he will not seek a third. This will mark ten years since he was first appointed in 2018 – after serving as vice-chancellor at the…

BOB Geldof, The Saw Doctors and Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman are among the stars set to descend on Glasgow for Celtic Connections next year. Organisers have unveiled the programme for the 34th edition of the world-renowned festival, which will run across the city from January 14 to 31. Musicians from more than 20 countries will take part in 18 days of concerts, collaborations and world premieres spanning folk, traditional, roots, world, jazz, orchestral, electronic and indie music.

THOUSANDS of households in Inverness and Nairn are set to have their garden waste collection days changed this month. The Highland Council said around 10,000 customers who have bought a 2026/27 garden waste permit will be affected by new collection routes from Monday, 19 October. Affected households will receive a letter or email with their new collection day and an updated collection calendar.

A SCOTS doctor has been found guilty of historic indecent and sexual assaults on three colleagues at a hospital and on social nights out. Dr Michael Ross groped the leg of one woman and placed his hand on her knee during separate incidents while employed as senior lecturer at the Queen’s Medical Research Institute at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh…

A FORMER beauty therapist who taught herself the art of stone-cutting during lockdown is preparing to take her Scottish-inspired jewellery brand to the global stage after securing new funding. Kathryn Moore, founder of Falkirk-based Tarska Jewellery, has invested in specialist equipment and marketing to expand her business into international markets including the United States and Canada. The independent designer creates contemporary earrings, pendants and rings using hand-cut Scottish stones such as…

A SCOTTISH biotech firm has secured a £2.5m investment to support a new commercial-scale production facility in Grangemouth. MiAlgae has received the funding injection from the Scottish National Investment Bank to scale up its operations. The company focuses on producing an Omega-3 powder using by-products generated from the whisky distilling process. This provides a plant-based alternative source of Omega-3, which is traditionally derived from wild-caught fish, helping to reduce reliance on marine…

A LEADING charity has urged the Scottish Government to deliver greater specialist educational and healthcare support for individuals living with cerebral palsy. The call follows a visit by Education Secretary Màiri McAllan to Cerebral Palsy Scotland’s national therapy centre on Wednesday 23 September. The cabinet secretary met with families and a multidisciplinary team of therapists to discuss the significant challenges children face when accessing appropriate adjustments in mainstream and supported education environments.

A BUS driver who safely delivered a passenger's baby on board her vehicle has been honoured with a national transport award. Pummy Hadebe sprang into action when a pregnant passenger went into labour shortly after boarding the bus at Nelson Street in Glasgow. What began as a routine shift quickly transformed into a life-changing event when Ms Hadebe realised the baby was arriving before paramedics could reach the scene.

MILLIONS of pounds will be needed to keep essential services running across Argyll and Bute as councillors prepare to examine the scale of council spending. The Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee will consider the costs of waste, transport, infrastructure and regeneration at a meeting this week. Waste services alone require a £19m revenue budget for 2026/27, alongside £3m in capital investment and £1.5m in Scottish Government support.

AN EDINBURGH business owner who submitted a formal petition to the city council demanding that they cut the cost of tables and chairs licences says she has been left in the dark after attending a meeting of the Transport and Environment Committee (TEC) last month. Ashley Harley represents the Shore Business Collective, consisting of around 50 independent businesses in the Leith area of the capital, and has repeatedly called for the council to address the costs of the licence, which allows hospitality businesses to place tables and chairs outside their premises.

The administrators and Joint Managers, Alistair McAlinden and James Dewar of Interpath, have sold the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative to management in a deal that "secures the future of the brand, including four stores".  The Edinburgh Bicycle Co-operative was established in 1977, and is a "retailer of premium cycling brands to recreational and commuter cyclists". The business formerly traded from six retail stores and had a distribution centre in Newbridge.

MARINK Reedijk has described his rigorous double sessions at Hibs training camp in La Manga as “a pre-season on steroids.”  Reedijk was keen to lay the groundwork for the proactive and aggressive system he will seek to instil in the group. Speaking to club media at the end of the camp, the manager sought to push the first-team squad 'to the edge' during the timely trip and now has one eye on Hibs William Hill Premiership clash with Dundee United next weekend.

A SCOTS pervert who crept into a schoolgirl’s bedroom and molested her as she lay sleeping in her bed is facing a lengthy jail term. Grant Leslie entered the child’s room and sexually assaulted her while he was looking after her at an address in East Lothian in June 2024. Leslie, 35, also set up a secret camera in a washing basket the…

A SCOTS couple who neglected children in their care and engaged in sexual conduct in their presence have been jailed and placed on the sex offenders register. Robert Hay, 58, and Isabel Irvine, 54, failed to provide the youngsters with adequate food and left them on their own for long periods of time during a shocking catalogue of abuse.

STUDENTS in Edinburgh have launched an investment competition running across seven Scottish universities. The initiative brings together societies from those universities to manage virtual portfolios. Running throughout the academic year, the programme begins today. An end-of-year event will connect participants with financial industry professionals. Green Turtle Trades, a student-led team originating from Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, has organised the university investment and trading competition.

AN OUTLANDER star brought Wigtown Book Festival to a sold-out finale as organisers said the event had defied a difficult economic climate. Sam Heughan, who was born in the region, was the final headline guest at the 10-day festival, speaking about his acting career, writing and love of southern Scotland. The festival featured more than 250 events, with appearances from Sophie Raworth, Manjeet Mann, Vince Cable, Bill Paterson and other writers, broadcasters and public figures.

YOUNG people with learning disabilities have embarked on a tour of Scotland as professional dancers and teachers. The performers have created a piece of work alongside deaf and autistic choreographers, and will perform in Aberdeen schools this week before travelling to Inverness next year. The project aims to provide employment and training for disabled dancers. The Beyond Horizons project, run by Scotland’s national youth dance organisation…

DUNDEE researchers are taking part in an international trial testing a targeted treatment for Parkinson’s disease. The NEULARK trial is exploring whether a precision medicine approach could slow the progression of the condition in people with LRRK2-driven Parkinson’s. Researchers at the University of Dundee’s Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit are among a select group of research centres involved in the Phase 2 clinical trial.

DUNDEE researchers have unveiled two new tools aimed at reducing bias and confusion in digital evidence used in criminal investigations across Europe. The AI-assisted Clarity Checker and a new online lexicon are designed to improve how digital forensic evidence is communicated, interpreted and understood by criminal justice professionals. The resources were developed through the Clarus Project, led by experts from the University of Dundee’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, and Faculty of Science, Engineering and Business.

A HALLOWEEN cycling event is aiming to get more women and girls on bikes in the Scottish Borders this month. The free Spooktacular Bike Bash will take place at the Old Baths in Hawick from 3pm to 6pm on Saturday 24 October, with more than 100 people expected to attend. Hosted by The FNY Collective with Scottish Borders Council and youth specialists Missadventures, the event will offer cycling activities, crafts and food for women and girls of all ages and abilities.

In a concert on 1st October marking ten years since David Bowie’s passing, Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 4, Heroes, performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra at Tramway in Glasgow, offered an intriguing look at how art rock can give rise to structural exploration through the minimalist end of the contemporary classical tradition.  Joined by digital artist Tatsuru Arai, whose screens behind the orchestra fused natural and abstract forms, alternating between monochrome and colour, the ensemble delivered a clear, focused concert that prioritised musical shape and discipline over theatrical flair.

ENDANGERED corncrakes have recorded another steady breeding season on the Isle of Skye following concerted efforts by local crofters. The species had previously seen its numbers plummet to single figures on the island before intervention strategies were introduced. Estimates for the summer of 2026 recorded 26 calling males, indicating the population is stabilising in the region. The birds rely on delayed harvesting of tall vegetation to breed and survive before making their annual migration.

A DRYMEN site earmarked for housing for years can now progress after plans for 65 homes were approved. Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority unanimously approved the development on 6.77 hectares of land north of Gartness Road, including 43 open-market properties and 22 affordable homes. Plans also include an extended public car park, new public toilets, recycling facilities and native landscaping, alongside new access and recreation opportunities for residents and visitors.

FOR decades, the floodlit walls of Stirling Castle formed one of the city’s most recognisable nighttime views. But anyone looking towards Castle Rock today will notice the landmark is not illuminated in the way many residents remember. So why did the lights change – and could the castle ever be fully lit again? When were the floodlights installed?

MORE than 200 projects have been identified with the potential to unlock £31.8bn of investment across the South of Scotland. The new research indicates that these initiatives could significantly alter the regional economy, generating substantial employment and long-term financial growth. A recent report has outlined the scale of this economic opportunity, which spans a wide variety of sectors including clean energy…

A PROPERTY consultancy has arranged its second long-term commercial lease in Scotland's Central Belt with the relocation of its Glasgow tean. Knight Frank has acquired a first-floor suite at 101 St Vincent Street following a decade operating from Bothwell Street. The B-listed premises recently underwent a refurbishment to improve environmental standards, including achieving an EPC ‘A’ rating. This move aligns with the firm's wider Scottish…

MORE than 250 paid NHS placements are being made available to parents across Scotland as part of a national effort to eradicate child poverty. The £4m Scottish Government initiative will see positions open across 18 health boards to help families access stable employment. Placements will last between six and 18 months, covering roles such as porters, caterers, and healthcare support…