News

NatWest has announced a rise in annual profits, boosted by loan growth, improved margins, and low default rates, despite a weakening UK economy in the latter half of the year. The bank reported net income of £4.8 billion, up from £4.6bn the previous year.

Scotland’s capital city has once again ranked first in Colliers’ Top UK Residential Investment Cities report – securing the top spot for the third consecutive analysis. In fact, there was little movement in the top 10 locations of the bi-annual report, with the top four cities rema

Dean Beale, chief executive of the Insolvency Service, has announced his departure from the agency this May. Mr Beale has worked in the insolvency sector for more than 30 years in a variety of roles and has been chief executive of the Insolvency Service since 2019.

A Welsh computer engineer is considering buying an entire landfill site after a decade-long battle with local officials to search for a hard drive containing an estimated £620 million in lost Bitcoin. James Howells, 39, says his ex-partner mistakenly discarded the drive, containing his Bitcoin

North-east Scotland is poised for an economic transformation, fuelled by over £30 billion of investment over the next decade, according to a landmark report published today. New research by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) forecasts a wave of capital spending not seen since t

Barclays CEO CS Venkatakrishnan has seen his pay more than double to £10.5 million, up from £4.6m in 2023. This substantial increase coincides with a 24% rise in the bank's annual pre-tax profits, reaching £8.1 billion. The profit surge was driven by a rebound in investment banking

The UK economy has defied predictions of contraction, registering 0.1% growth in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to preliminary figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a 0.1% decline. Growth was driven by the services sector, which

The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) has named Dr Peter Williams, group technology director and head of investor relations at INEOS, as the new chair of its governing board. Dr Williams brings over 40 years of experience in the chemicals industry to the role and will support IBioI

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) has urged the UK government to collaborate with the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to establish a robust regulatory framework for sustainability assurance. This call follows the FRC’s publication of its final report from the Assuranc

Grant Thornton UK LLP has strengthened its Scottish tax team with the promotion of Colin Park to partner and Cristina Pavel to director, both based in the firm’s Glasgow office. Mr Park has extensive expertise in advising owner-managed businesses and large corporate groups across Scotland and

Scotch whisky exports reached £5.4 billion in 2024, representing 1.4 billion 70cl bottles – or 44 bottles every second, according to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA). The figures, released today, show a decrease of 3.7% on 2023 exports by value. The SWA has called on the UK and Scotti

Barratt Redrow has kicked off 2025 with the appointment of its new regional managing director for Scotland. Alison Condie, 53, previously held the roles of regional director for Scotland and managing director for the East of Scotland before stepping up to regional managing director for Scotland last

A bespoke property factoring service operating across Scotland has announced a major new recruit. Nic Mayall, formerly managing director of James Gibb and a past president of the Property Managers Association Scotland (PMAS), played a key role in transforming James Gibb into one of Scotland’s

Edinburgh-based consultancy Optima Partners – which helps businesses solve challenges by integrating AI, machine learning, and GenAI – has announced a record year of expansion, achieving 40% turnover growth in FY24. This hypergrowth, as defined by the World Economic Forum, puts the firm

Legal and business services provider DWF has made 15 promotions across its Edinburgh and Glasgow offices. Key promotions include Caroline Coyle and Danny McClymont, both elevated to director in Glasgow. Within the firm's insurance practice, Maggie Keir (Edinburgh), Harriet Tooley and Rachel Heathcot