2016

Wood Group wins Newfoundland contract

Aberdeen-based oil and gas services giant Wood Group said it secured a five year contract to provide engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance services to the Hibernia…




IFS warns UK finances facing £14bn shortfall

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warned the UK government is facing a shortfall of up to £14 billion in public finances for the 2016−17 financial year. “At the…




Record £36m income at SE investment arm SIB

The investment activity of the Scottish Investment Bank (SIB) generated a record income of £35.7 million during 2015-16 following 12 successful exits. “This is a positive signal of the…



PwC report examines UK regional visas

Consultants PwC have produced a report, commissioned by The City of London Corporation, which examines the possibility of creating a “regional visa” for non UK nationals…


Stagecoach rolls out contactless bus travel

Perth-based Stagecoach, Britain’s biggest bus operator, announced it will introduce contactless bus travel on all of its regional bus services across the UK by the end of…


ScotRail targets performance with ‘Golden Trains’

The ScotRail Alliance — the partnership between Abellio ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland — has published details on how it plans to improve train service performance in ScotRail following heavy…


Draft bill published for second referendum

A draft bill “giving Scotland the ability to reconsider the question of independence” before the UK leaves the EU has been published “for consultation” by…


Saudi Arabia in record $17.5bn debt sale

Saudi Arabia has completed the biggest ever emerging market bond sale by selling $17.5 billion of debt securities in the Saudi government’s first international offer, according to…




Go-ahead for Lammermuir Hills wind farm

The Scottish Government said it has granted planning consent for a new 19-turbine wind farm called Aikengall IIa to be located in the Lammermuir Hills between East Lothian and…






Dutch fund kick starts £1bn St James revamp

The long-awaited £1 billion redevelopment of the Edinburgh St James Centre will finally get under way with immediate effect after Dutch pension fund asset manager APG agreed…


Skyscanner ‘considering sale or IPO’ – report

Edinburgh-based online travel search company Skyscanner is exploring “strategic options” including a possible sale of the firm, an initial public offering (IPO) or more fundraising, according to…



UK ‘to write down value of RBS stake’

The UK government’s Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is preparing to write down the value of taxpayers’ stake in Royal Bank of Scotland for the second time…


Faroe Petroleum in oil and gas discovery

Aberdeen-based Faroe Petroleum, the independent oil and gas company, announced an oil and gas discovery at the Njord North Flank in the Norwegian Sea, in…


ZMMA chosen for design galleries at new V&A

The flagship Scottish Design Galleries in the new V&A Dundee will be designed by the internationally acclaimed London-based practice ZMMA. ZMMA’s ongoing projects include the National Museum…




Consent given for wind farm near Lairg

The Scottish Government has given consent for the construction of the 22 turbine Creag Riabhach wind farm on the Altnaharra Estate, near Lairg in the north Highlands….






Rosyth shares in Babcock missile contract

Babcock International Group said it was awarded a contract from General Dynamics Electric Boat to manufacture 22 tactical missile tube assemblies for the UK Successor and…


Collagen Solutions expects 30% revenue jump

Glasgow-based Collagen Solutions, a manufacturer of medical grade collagen biomaterials, said in a trading statement it expects its revenue and other income to be £1.9 million for the…







Scots GDP grew 0.4% in second quarter

Scottish gross domestic product (GDP) grew 0.4% in the second quarter of 2016 — compared to 0.7% for the UK — according to statistics from Scotland’s Chief…


New Singapore team for Standard Life

Edinburgh-based global asset manager Standard Life Investments announced the appointment of a new team and CEO in Singapore, a big step in the firm’s global growth…







Scots Government supports Heathrow expansion

The Scottish Government has announced its support for a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport, saying it has secured key commitments that benefit Scotland. It said the Heathrow expansion…



Pound plunges amid hard Brexit fears for UK

Sterling fell to a 31-year-low early on Friday with some traders blaming a “flash crash” that was triggered by computer-generated trading. With fears growing that the UK Government will…



Holyrood blocks underground coal gasification

The Scottish Government said it will not support underground coal gasification (UCG) developments in Scotland “following the publication of an independent report that highlights serious…


BrewDog founders change names to Elvis

James Watt and Martin Dickie, co-founders of Aberdeenshire-based craft beer firm BrewDog, said they have legally changed their names by deed poll to Elvis in…




Poor Scots cereal harvest predicted

Scotland’s 2016 cereal harvest is expected to fall 11% on 2015, with the country’s most important cereal crop Spring barley expected to fall 17% to 1.27…



Drum plans £100m Aberdeen retail park

Drum Property Group said it has submitted plans to expand its Prime Four Business Park at Kingswells, Aberdeen, with a £100 million investment in a new…


Three Scottish scientists win Nobel Prizes

Professor Fraser Stoddart, a graduate of The University of Edinburgh, was on Wednesday awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Stoddart’s award came a day after two…


Aberdeen among potential bidders for Pioneer

Aberdeen Asset Management is among the four potential bidders still in the running to buy UniCredit’s fund management business Pioneer which has about $246 billion of assets under management,…



Draft budget to be unveiled on December 15

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay told MSPs that, subject to parliamentary approval, the Scottish Government’s 2017-18 Draft Budget will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament on…


IMF says world economy has moved sideways

The International Monetary Fund warned that persistent stagnation could fuel populist calls for restrictions on trade and immigration that could hamper productivity, growth and innovation around the…



Weir appoints Heasley as chief financial officer

Glasgow-based engineering company Weir Group appointed John Heasley as chief financial officer with immediate effect. Heasley succeeds Jon Stanton who was appointed Weir Group chief executive on…


Cala revenue up 15% to £587m

Upmarket home builder Cala Group said its revenue rose 15% to £587.1 million and profit before tax — before exceptional items — jumped 18% £60.1 million in…


Highland Spring sales up 3% to £103m

Bottled water firm Highland Spring Group said sales increased 3% to £103 million and operating profit rose to £5 million in the year to December 31, 2015. Highland Spring chief executive…




Sea fishing haul falls 15% to £437m

The value of sea fish and shellfish landed by Scottish registered vessels in 2015 fell by 15% in real terms to £437 million and the quantity fell…