The Herald comment & analysis
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Comment and analysis from HeraldScotland.com - the home of Scottish politics and debate on the biggest issues facing Scotland
This is a fascinating historical novel, set around Scotland's lunatic asylums @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Those dark days when a conman preyed on the wealthy relatives of the Scottish insane
The Insanity Inspectors by Martin Campbell is a fine piece of Scottish historical fiction set amongst the lunatic asylums of the 1800s
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November 25, 2025 at 5:56 PM
This is a fascinating historical novel, set around Scotland's lunatic asylums @heraldscotland.bsky.social
December is a massively busy month on the live circuit in Scotland - so get your tickets booked now @teddyjamieson.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
10 great gigs to see in December from Madness, Jamiroquai to Betty Boo
December is a massively busy month on the live circuit in Scotland. Here's Teddy Jamieson's pick of the best
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November 25, 2025 at 3:47 PM
December is a massively busy month on the live circuit in Scotland - so get your tickets booked now @teddyjamieson.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'After the broadcast of this year’s first Reith Lecture on Radio 4 on Tuesday morning, Dutch historian Rutger Bregman, went online to say that his words had been censored by the BBC and they had deleted comments he made about Donald Trump.' @teddyjamieson.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Another day and another row rocks the BBC
Historian Rutger Bregman, who gave this year’s first Reith Lecture on Radio 4, claims his condemnation of Donald Trump has been censored by the BBC
www.heraldscotland.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:10 PM
'After the broadcast of this year’s first Reith Lecture on Radio 4 on Tuesday morning, Dutch historian Rutger Bregman, went online to say that his words had been censored by the BBC and they had deleted comments he made about Donald Trump.' @teddyjamieson.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Five non-fiction writers who really should be on your radar @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Five trailblazing non-fiction writers putting Scotland on the literary map
Discover five standout non-fiction writers shaping Scotland’s literary landscape with bold ideas, fresh perspectives and unforgettable real-world…
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November 25, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Five non-fiction writers who really should be on your radar @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Women have much more justification for a midlife crisis than a man, argues writer and health campaigner @katemuir.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Here's how women can get joy from later life
Women have much more justification for a midlife crisis than a man, argues writer and health campaigner Kate Reid
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November 25, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Women have much more justification for a midlife crisis than a man, argues writer and health campaigner @katemuir.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'Now that time has taken Tony Bennett, will Tony Hadley do instead? On Sunday night in Glasgow the former front man of Spandau Ballet began a new touring show that dips into the Great American songbook in a bid to answer that very question' @teddyjamieson.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
REVIEW: Festive swing show that shines in moments but falls short of the greats
Tony Hadley’s Glasgow big band show delivers power and nostalgia, with standout moments, but struggles to escape comparisons to the great crooners…
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November 24, 2025 at 5:44 PM
'Now that time has taken Tony Bennett, will Tony Hadley do instead? On Sunday night in Glasgow the former front man of Spandau Ballet began a new touring show that dips into the Great American songbook in a bid to answer that very question' @teddyjamieson.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'Trans people are further retreating from public life, and gender non-conforming cis women are forced to change their appearance to avoid harassment,' says @rebeccadonkennedy.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'Across public life, animosity towards trans people is becoming more overt'
For Women Scotland picked up the Public Campaign of the Year at The Herald's annual political awards ceremony last week. Here, Rebecca Don Kennedy…
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November 24, 2025 at 2:39 PM
'Trans people are further retreating from public life, and gender non-conforming cis women are forced to change their appearance to avoid harassment,' says @rebeccadonkennedy.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Our verdict on the new BBC Scotland morning show - did you tune in? @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'Banter, blokes, and don't mention thee voice memos- - Alison Rowat
Alison Rowat reviews BBC Radio Scotland's new breakfast show
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November 24, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Our verdict on the new BBC Scotland morning show - did you tune in? @heraldscotland.bsky.social
We review the last day of Good Morning Scotland: Stephanie from Inverness said she was “totally gutted” to be losing GMS. “It’s the only early morning show worth listening to anywhere in the UK." @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'The tribute went on so long the show overran' - Alison Rowat
“We should leave more often, Gary,” said BBC Radio Good Morning Scotland presenter Laura Maxwell as the station’s flagship breakfast show shut…
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November 21, 2025 at 5:30 PM
We review the last day of Good Morning Scotland: Stephanie from Inverness said she was “totally gutted” to be losing GMS. “It’s the only early morning show worth listening to anywhere in the UK." @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'We are, first and foremost, Bob Dylan fans, and the idea of being excluded from future shows is truly devastating' @heraldscotland.bsky.social @bobdylansmiling.bsky.social
The 'unwanted person' who was asked to leave Bob Dylan's Glasgow gig speaks out
Last Monday night, Bob Dylan played the second of two shows at the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow. As often happens at Dylan concerts, several people,…
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November 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM
'We are, first and foremost, Bob Dylan fans, and the idea of being excluded from future shows is truly devastating' @heraldscotland.bsky.social @bobdylansmiling.bsky.social
'The four-piece band raised in the Highlands and forged in Glasgow are somehow both huge and yet not as well known as they should be' @teddyjamieson.bsky.social reviews Tide Lines @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Epic, anthemic and tapping into the vein of blockbuster Scottish acts new and old
Tide Lines shine as the four-piece band who, raised in the Highlands and forged in Glasgow, are somehow both huge and yet not as well known as they…
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November 21, 2025 at 3:08 PM
'The four-piece band raised in the Highlands and forged in Glasgow are somehow both huge and yet not as well known as they should be' @teddyjamieson.bsky.social reviews Tide Lines @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'On the Roseburn Path, a lowered speed limit is the only sensible option. Forty miles per hour for trams is too fast,' says @rebeccamcq.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'I love trams but the ones on Roseburn Path could hit 40mph - we need a rethink'
The Roseburn Path in Edinburgh, a disused railway line now being considered as a new tram path, is a vibrant wildlife corridor. If the plan goes…
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November 20, 2025 at 1:31 PM
'On the Roseburn Path, a lowered speed limit is the only sensible option. Forty miles per hour for trams is too fast,' says @rebeccamcq.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'With sounds ranging from retro indie jangle to ultra-cool electro pop and techno-punk with a political edge, here are five more Scottish duos to watch' @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'These could be ‘I was there’ gigs: Five of Scotland's best musical duos to see next'
With sounds ranging from retro indie jangle to ultra-cool electro pop and techno-punk with a political edge, here are five Scottish duos to see next
www.heraldscotland.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:27 PM
'With sounds ranging from retro indie jangle to ultra-cool electro pop and techno-punk with a political edge, here are five more Scottish duos to watch' @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Theatre review: Let’s hope things don’t go the same way for Scotland in World Cup ‘26 @neilcooper.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Play exposes what happens when the once-beautiful game is corrupted by money?
Theatre review: The Red Lion, Theatre 118, Glasgow, Three stars: Patrick Marber’s play looks at how the purity of a once beautiful game can be…
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November 20, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Theatre review: Let’s hope things don’t go the same way for Scotland in World Cup ‘26 @neilcooper.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'Living as I do in the clasp of the central belt at times it can feel like I’m surrounded by the skeletons of modernism. Skeletons and ghosts' says @teddyjamieson.bsky.social as he reviews Modernist Scotland
'This book is a bible for believers in post-war Scottish modernism'
Much Scottish architecture in the 1960s and 1970s was substandard or built on the cheap. Now, new book Modernist Scotland by Bruce Peter looks at…
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November 18, 2025 at 4:44 PM
'Living as I do in the clasp of the central belt at times it can feel like I’m surrounded by the skeletons of modernism. Skeletons and ghosts' says @teddyjamieson.bsky.social as he reviews Modernist Scotland
SWG3's Mutley says that the current economic conditions have been the most challenging the Glasgow venue has ever faced in its 20 years, says @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social @swg3glasgow.bsky.social
How a derelict Glasgow warehouse became one of Europe's most coveted arts venues
SWG3 in Glasgow's West End is celebrating 20 years of art and music that has helped put Scotland's creatives on the map.
www.heraldscotland.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:32 PM
SWG3's Mutley says that the current economic conditions have been the most challenging the Glasgow venue has ever faced in its 20 years, says @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social @swg3glasgow.bsky.social
Bob Dylan review: 'There were a few walk-outs by people frustrated by - well, who knows? Perhaps it was Dylan’s traditional reworking of his songs old and new; or the regrettable absence of a greatest-hits set' @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'I watched Dylan bring his magic to Glasgow - I've no idea why those fans walked out'
Bob Dylan, SEC Armadillo, Glasgow: On the evidence of this concert, the great Bob Dylan is still eminently watchable, still having fun
www.heraldscotland.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Bob Dylan review: 'There were a few walk-outs by people frustrated by - well, who knows? Perhaps it was Dylan’s traditional reworking of his songs old and new; or the regrettable absence of a greatest-hits set' @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'Drosten founders Sean McLean, Stephen Tait, and Kurt McGonigle envisioned a retail destination that would breathe life back into brick and mortar. The store finally opened last month to much fanfare from the city’s fashion crowd' @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Inside the new Scots boutique breathing life back into bricks and mortar
Drosten opened in Glasgow last month to much fanfare from the city’s fashion crowd.
www.heraldscotland.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:05 PM
'Drosten founders Sean McLean, Stephen Tait, and Kurt McGonigle envisioned a retail destination that would breathe life back into brick and mortar. The store finally opened last month to much fanfare from the city’s fashion crowd' @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Have you seen these hilarious hipster memes? @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Is being 'cool' now 'uncool'? Asking for a Stockbridge yummy mummy, writes Marissa
What does it mean to be cool? Columnist Marissa MacWhirter asks if we have reached post-irony, and if following the herd is finally in vogue.
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November 13, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Have you seen these hilarious hipster memes? @marissamacwhirter.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'Tom Newlands has created a character who imprints herself indelibly on the memory, a working class Scottish voice that’s smart, quirky and highly distinctive' @heraldscotland.bsky.social
I read the Scottish Book of the Year. Here's my review of Only Here, Only Now
Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2025 has been announced. So should you read it? Here's our review of Only Here, Only Now by Tom Newlands
www.heraldscotland.com
November 13, 2025 at 12:49 PM
'Tom Newlands has created a character who imprints herself indelibly on the memory, a working class Scottish voice that’s smart, quirky and highly distinctive' @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'The best song is saved till the very end of a show that celebrates the ones that are still there for you, even after all these years' Herald theatre critic on the Friends! theatre show @neilcooper.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Friends theatre show is kooky and lots and lots of fun
Review: Friends! The Musical Parody, King’s Theatre, Glasgow: Over a decade from 1994 to 2004, David Crane and Marta Kauffman’s flatshare comedy…
www.heraldscotland.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM
'The best song is saved till the very end of a show that celebrates the ones that are still there for you, even after all these years' Herald theatre critic on the Friends! theatre show @neilcooper.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'Lynne McEwan's Scottish crime novel takes place in the depths of winter, which inspires her to conjure up beautiful postcard images in the reader’s mind as the plot snakes around the forests, villages and country estates of Dumfries & Galloway' @heraldscotland.bsky.social @canelobooks.bsky.social
Latest Scottish crime thriller has more twists and turns than a country road
The sixth of Lynne McEwan’s series of novels about Dumfries-based police detective Shona Oliver comes with a lot of baggage from previous books…
www.heraldscotland.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:23 PM
'Lynne McEwan's Scottish crime novel takes place in the depths of winter, which inspires her to conjure up beautiful postcard images in the reader’s mind as the plot snakes around the forests, villages and country estates of Dumfries & Galloway' @heraldscotland.bsky.social @canelobooks.bsky.social
Review: 'Gary Numan live is no museum piece or wholly retro exercise. These songs live and breathe again — louder, darker, but in the main faithful to how in 1980' @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'It all started here': Why a pop icon was reborn in the Scots city he cannot forget
It was September 20, 1979, at the long-lost Glasgow Apollo, when Gary Numan first felt the full force of pop stardom. Cars had just hit number one…
www.heraldscotland.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Review: 'Gary Numan live is no museum piece or wholly retro exercise. These songs live and breathe again — louder, darker, but in the main faithful to how in 1980' @heraldscotland.bsky.social
'BBC south of the Border is under attack for what it has done on big issue subjects, the criticism which come BBC Scotland’s way focus on what it isn’t doing. Like making a success of an hour-long current affairs programme' @heraldscotland.bsky.social
I've watched BBC crisis unfold - here's how I think it was affect Scots TV and radio
What does the BBC crisis, which has seen the resignation of the director-general Tim Davie over journalism standards, mean for BBC Scotland?
www.heraldscotland.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:13 AM
'BBC south of the Border is under attack for what it has done on big issue subjects, the criticism which come BBC Scotland’s way focus on what it isn’t doing. Like making a success of an hour-long current affairs programme' @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Where once the BBC's news department was staffed by experienced and trained journalists now they’ve been annexed by activists for whom the concept of diversity of opinion is unbearable
'Insidious woke' culture is putting the future of the crisis-hit BBC at risk
Those campaigning for the BBC licence fee to be scrapped should be careful what they wish for, says Herald writer Kevin McKenna
www.heraldscotland.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Where once the BBC's news department was staffed by experienced and trained journalists now they’ve been annexed by activists for whom the concept of diversity of opinion is unbearable