From 25 February 2026, the UK is enforcing a new travel-permission regime (including ETAs Electronic Travel Authorisations) for everyone entering the UK, with no exceptions for carriers. British dual nationals who do not present a valid British passport may be denied boarding or entry because carriers must confirm a traveller's right to enter before departure.
Patients seeking access to GP-led care without an appointment are to benefit from a total of 16 planned centres across Scotland, the First Minister has announced. Twelve new sites - from Stranraer to Shetland - have been confirmed, building on the opening of the first walk-in centre in Edinburgh on 11 February.
New figures show waiting lists in Scotland continue to fall with waits of over a year decreasing for 8 consecutive months. Data from Public Health Scotland shows, at 31 January 2026, new outpatient waits of more than 52 weeks have more than halved since July 2025 - with the total waits decreasing by 52.6% in that period.
Secure Care Statistics for the year 2024-25 have been published today. Key findings include: During 2024-25, 70 beds were available across four secure accommodation services in Scotland for those under the age of 18.
Positive destinations second highest on record. The proportion of young people leaving school with five or more passes at National Courses and Highers, as well as their equivalent vocational and technical qualifications, has increased over the past year.
Royal Navy submarine HMS ANSON arrives in Western Australia for maintenance with AUKUS partners. Royal Navy submarine HMS ANSON arrived in Western Australia today, a major milestone in the AUKUS partnership which supports security and stability in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic and delivers good jobs and growth in the UK, Australia and the US.
For anyone thinking about buying a home today, the financial landscape can feel unusually complex. Global headlines talk about tariffs and inflation.
NDA publishes latest strategy setting out long term roadmap for the safe and secure decommissioning of the UK's legacy nuclear sites. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has published its latest strategy, setting out its long term roadmap for the safe and secure decommissioning of the UK's legacy nuclear sites.
As of late February 2026, The Highland Council hasn't yet officially announced a specific council tax increase level for the 2026-27 financial year, and there's no widely reported draft percentage figure like some other Scottish councils have published. However, there are indications and discussions that give a sense of the thinking ahead of the formal budget decision.
The government has saved over £17 million in the past six months by closing three expensive central London offices and relocating staff to existing spaces. 10 Victoria Street office officially closes its doors, saving £8.8 million per year for the taxpayer.
The UK has announced a landmark sanctions package, cutting off critical oil revenues and further degrading the Kremlin's ability to wage its illegal war. Nearly 300 new sanctions announced as UK cracks down on critical Russian energy revenues, including oil exports, and key suppliers of military equipment fuelling war efforts. Russian Oil revenues are now at their lowest since 2020 as the UK and international partners continue to ratchet up pressure on Putin's flailing war machine.
A new research project is under way to explore the economic, social and cultural impact of Gaelic across Scotland. The work is led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in partnership with The Scottish Government, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and VisitScotland.
The Scottish Parliament's Public Audit Committee has released its latest report on the Cairngorm Funicular Railway, offering one of the most detailed examinations yet of the project's troubled history, escalating costs, and long‑term prospects. The funicular, which has become both a symbol of Highland tourism and a lightning rod for criticism, is once again under scrutiny and not only for its engineering failures but for the governance and financial decisions that shaped its past and will determine its future.
On 23 February 2026, the UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP hosted the Minister for Defence Industry of Australia, the Hon. Pat Conroy MP, for the Australia-UK Defence Industry Dialogue (AUKDID).
Since Russia's full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, governments around the world have deployed one of the most extensive sanctions regimes in modern history. While the UK continues to expand its own measures including nearly 300 new sanctions announced today.
UK boosting support for Ukraine four years after Putin's full-scale invasion with new military and humanitarian support. New package of military, humanitarian and reconstruction support announced as UK steps up support for Ukraine.
From robots to real business impact: April Conroy, HIE development manager for life sciences and the blue economy, reflects on WAICF and what human centred AI means for businesses. ust over a week ago, I was at the World AI Cannes Festival (WAICF) alongside a delegation of 25 Scottish business leaders, as part of the Scottish Government's National AI Adoption Programme.
The Chief Statistician has released figures on fuel poverty, energy efficiency, the condition of housing and other key descriptors of the occupied housing stock in Scotland. This is the first release of information from the Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) for 2024.
Workboat owners and operators with vessels requiring a survey by December 2026 are being urged to act now to avoid missing the deadline for transition to the updated code of safety standards. The message is being issued jointly by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Workboat Association to those affected by transitional arrangements to the Workboat Code Edition 3 ending on 13 December 2026.
The move will prevent unlicensed operators from sponsoring sports clubs, as part of wider measures to tackle illegal gambling market. Move will prevent unlicensed operators from sponsoring sports clubs, as part of wider measures to tackle illegal gambling market.
