News

Business confidence in Scotland rose six points during August to 34%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Bank of Scotland Commercial Banking. The full easing of lockdown restrictions in Scotland in August was a clear boost for businesses, with overall confidence in the economy also risi

Asset & wealth management firm AssetCo has appointed Lucy Draper as director of distribution. Ms Draper was previously director, business development – Middle East Africa at Standard Life Aberdeen (now abrdn) based in Abu Dhabi engaging with a mix of financial institutions in the region.

The UK’s largest privately-owned construction company Laing O’Rourke is planning a listing on the stock exchange within the next three years. Founder and chief executive Ray O’Rourke revealed the timeline in an interview with the Financial Times.

Scottish diagnostics specialist FlexMedical Solutions has doubled headcount to over 30 over the twelve months while investing £1 million in equipment and leasehold improvements, and growing its floor space with five new R&D labs and new office facilities. Livingston-headquartered FlexMedic

Professional services firm Moray Group has appointed Joseph Bowie as its new group-wide chief operating officer to help drive growth. Father-of-two Joseph Bowie, 36, takes on the COO position after more than a decade at legal firm Aberdein Considine.

Consumers are currently facing a £371 billion savings shortfall when it comes to feeling able to withstand a financial shock, according to Yorkshire Building Society’s The Nation’s Nest Egg report.

John Lawrie Metals Ltd has announced plans to construct a new dedicated decommissioning facility at Montrose Port for offshore oil and gas infrastructure which has reached the end of its service life, to help meet demand for the service in the North Sea. The firm has signed a 12-year lease with Mont

A new Scottish Government scheme will provide up to £715,000 of financial support to pig producers affected by the temporary closure of the abattoir at Brechin earlier this year. The Pig Producers Hardship Support Scheme delivers essential funding to eligible pig producers who supplied the Qua

A couple have been ordered to pay over £22,000 to their son after they binned his massive porn collection. An expert in porn valuation told a court that the destroyed collection was probably worth $30,441.54 (around £22,139), MLive.com reports.

Jasmine Limited, a printing and marketing business based in East Tullos, Aberdeen, has been sold as a going concern, saving all 22 jobs. The firm was the subject of a pre-pack administration sale to PFI Group based in Manchester which intends to continue operations in Aberdeen.

Anderson Anderson & Brown (AAB), the tech-enabled business-critical services group, has announced 30 new trainees have joined the business, following a period of significant growth. AAB has consistently recruited more than 20 trainees each year, but this is the second consecutive year that AAB h

Financial advisory firm 7IM has announced two new hires to its Edinburgh Private Client team with the arrival of Elaine McLachlan and Andy Bolden. The latest appointments follow a string of high-profile new hires in the region over the last three months, including that of Kris Barclay, who join

Douglas Roberts, partner at law firm Lindsays, discusses the economic benefits of employee-ownership in Scotland. By 2030, the Scottish Government hopes the country will be home to 500 employee-owned companies. It’s an ambitious target which requires sustained focus, but I’m in no doubt

The Edinburgh property market has benefitted from some of the strongest house price growth in the UK, but the city has also witnessed the largest increase in inheritance tax bills (IHT). According to new figures published by law firm Boodle Hatfield, Edinburgh residents had the biggest increase in i

Scottish law firm Burness Paull has posted profits of £33.3 million - a rise of 39% - despite the economic upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic. Burness Paull said an intense programme of client listening and rapid response during the pandemic has been the foundation for strong revenue perform