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The UK economy contracted by 0.1% in April, official figures show, as the conflict in the Middle East began to weigh on growth and energy prices climbed following Iran's closure of the strait of Hormuz. The fall in gross domestic product, which economists had anticipated, followed a 0.3% rise in Mar

Young people in Scotland are increasingly turning to AI tools and social media to guide their careers, in some cases replacing advice traditionally provided by parents and teachers, according to BDO. The firm's Young Minds 2026: The Unequal Advantage report, based on a survey of 2,000 18 to 25-year-

With SpaceX's debut on the Nasdaq today, a record-breaking IPO that has billions riding on it for Edinburgh's investment trusts, Elon Musk becomes the world's first trillionaire. Already the world's richest man, worth roughly $696bn before the float according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Mus

Johnston Carmichael has strengthened its leadership team with seven senior appointments across the business, including one partner promotion. The move forms part of its continued investment in developing future leaders and building a lasting legacy as the firm celebrates its 90th anniversary this ye

Johnston Carmichael has promoted its chief legal officer (CLO) Keith Hamilton to partner, reflecting the strategic importance of the firm's legal and governance function and recognising his leadership. Mr Hamilton, who joined the firm in January 2023 as legal counsel and was subsequently promoted to

Employers across Scotland are being urged to review their payroll processes and employment practices urgently amid growing scrutiny over National Minimum Wage (NMW) compliance and the expanding enforcement powers of the Fair Work Agency (FWA). Azets, which has offices in Aberdeen, Ayr, Edinburgh, Gl

A new analysis from the Resolution Foundation has reignited debate over the future of the State Pension Triple Lock, arguing that the policy is too expensive, ineffective at tackling poverty, and unsustainable for the public finances. The briefing, published this week, notes that the State Pension i

  UK adults are building cash savings, but a reluctance to invest means millions may risk missing out on potential long‑term growth, new research from Scottish Friendly has found.

Business activity fell across Scotland’s private sector midway through the second quarter, the latest Royal Bank of Scotland Growth Tracker has revealed. The headline RBS Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output

House prices in Scotland have continued rising, according to the balance of respondents to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Market Survey, albeit at a more modest rate than has been seen previously.

K3 Advisory Group has announced the merger of two of its brands, KR8 Advisory and Quantuma's restructuring and forensic accounting business, into a single multidisciplinary advisory practice under the KR8 Advisory name. Launching in August 2026, the combined business will bring together more than 30

A former CIA officer found with $40 million (c. £30m) in gold bars at his home is accused of fabricating a top secret intelligence programme to divert government funds for personal gain, according to two people familiar with the investigation. David Rush allegedly exploited the agency's secrec

Scotland's residential property market reached a new high in 2025-26, with the total value of sales surpassing the previous peak set in 2007-08, according to the latest Property Market Report from Registers of Scotland (RoS). The total market value of residential sales reached £24.3 billion, u

A decade on from the Brexit referendum, UK Finance has published a report, produced with law firm Freshfields, setting out its vision for the future relationship between the UK and EU in financial services.

The European Central Bank moved to restrict the operations of Revolut's European arm last year, citing concerns over how rapidly the fintech approved new financial products.