The 2026-27 Budget will support a stronger NHS, with a record £22.5 billion for health and social care, expand cost of living support and invest in Scotland’s infrastructure. Image - ScotGov Published alongside the latest multi-year Scottish Spending Review, Infrastructure Strategy and Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline, the draft Budget invests almost £68 billion including direct support for families and household budgets. The 2026-27 Budget includes:  a cost of living package

Celebrating Scotland’s first game since 1998. Image - iStock First Minister John Swinney will propose Monday 15 June 2026 is designated a national bank holiday to mark Scotland’s participation in the World Cup for the first time since 1998. This will allow individuals, businesses and other organisations in Scotland to celebrate after the men’s team play their opening game against Haiti in Boston. The First Minister said: “Scotland qualifying for the men’s World Cup was a rema

A Montgomerie Park Primary pupil has appeared in a new national video raising awareness of anxiety in young people and how it can affect school attendance. Lochlan Brown at Montgomerie Park The film, produced by Parent Club, the Scottish Government’s official resource for parents and carers, was released last week and features Primary 7 pupil Lochlan Bowie. Lochlan first discovered his confidence for drama during lockdown, creating videos with the help of his parents Marianne

ScotRail has recorded its busiest day of 2025 to date, with around 340,000 journeys being made across Scotland’s Railway on Saturday, 8 November. The record number of journeys (337,441) exceeded previous peaks achieved in August during the Oasis concerts and the Edinburgh Festivals, which saw around 326,000 journeys made. It also marks the train operator’s second-busiest day under public ownership, which began in April 2022. A sell-out match at Scottish Gas Murrayfield betwee

Local SNP MSP Siobhian Brown has backed the Scottish Government’s recent Land Reform Bill, which has passed its final stage in Parliament, giving more power over decisions on land back to local communities, including here in South Ayrshire. The Bill, dubbed the most radical land reform legislation in the history of devolution, includes a range of measures to improve decisions on land including:   ·       Giving Scottish Ministers new lotting powers on land sales over 1,000 he

Almost 45,000 disabled children and young people to be supported this year. Families of almost 45,000 disabled children and young people...

From 1 September 2025, you’ll pay the same train fare no matter the time of day or the day of the week you travel. What does this mean...

More than £3 million has been awarded to a group of local authorities, supporting them to work in partnership with the private sector to...

Just over half of all stroke patients in Ayrshire and Arran received care defined by national standards last year.  Figures released by...

New appointment welcomed by Lord Advocate. Deborah O’Brien Demick has been appointed the new HM Chief Inspector of Prosecution in...

Provisional road casualty figures released today by Transport Scotland show an increase in road fatalities between 2023 and 2024, but a...

Single-use vapes will no longer be stocked or sold in Scotland under new legislation which comes into force today (Sunday 1 June). The...

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop has announced the allocation of over £26 million to make it easier for people to walk,...

Following the recent announcement the ScotRail alcohol ban is to be lifted, a Transport Scotland led Working Group agreed that this...

Over half a million people get payments for winter 2024/2025 Last winter over half a million children and families across Scotland...

Leading Scottish respiratory paediatricians, health charity ASH Scotland and Ayrshire & Arran’s Youth Vaping Taskforce are urging the...

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop and Leader of North Ayrshire Council Cllr Marie Burns co-chaired the latest meeting of the...

From 23 June 2025, young people aged 19-21 who live on Scottish islands are eligible for concessionary ferry vouchers for travel between...

The compendium Scottish Transport Statistics publication released today shows that travel across a range of modes has increased over the...

Ayr SNP MSP Siobhian Brown has praised the vital work of SeAscape, a local charity providing essential support for people facing...