Finding offence

How are we to assess the impact of activities (e.g. words, songs or gestures) associated with sectarianism in contemporary Scotland? In the increasing absence of easily attributable effects such as crimes or disorder, or blatant forms of discrimination in the…

Community Experiences of Sectarianism

In the August 2015 issue of Scottish Affairs, a team of researchers explore the findings of a study they carried out for the Scottish government on community experiences of sectarianism. Here, one of the authors, Kay Goodall, sets out some…

The Post-Mortem of Labour Scotland

Three years ago, Gerry Hassan and I published a book entitled ‘The Strange Death of Labour Scotland’. We envisaged that, unless radical steps were taken, Labour’s influence in Scotland would steadily decline. Speaking personally, I did not envisage a total…

Agricultural improvement and India

In the May 2015 issue of the Journal of Scottish Historical Studies, Eric Grant and Alistair Mutch explore the intertwined careers of Kenneth Murchison, surgeon, and Patrick Duff, General of the East India Company’s artillery in Bengal. Both men returned…

The National Monument of Scotland

In the November 2014 edition of Architectural Heritage John Gifford explores the history, origin and alternative designs of the National Monument of Scotland. Twelve Doric columns stand on Edinburgh’s Calton Hill, witnesses to ambition, patriotism, love of the arts, respect…

Guest Blog – Organised Crime In Scotland

Organised crime in Scotland has been characterised (one could say sensationalised) as a blight and a cancer. Despite the best efforts of the Scottish Serious Organised Crime Group Mapping Project, pinning down the extent, cost and nature of organised crime…