Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has issued a formal apology to the estimated 4,000 people accused of witchcraft in the country between the 16th and 18th centuries, reports BBC News. Charged with violating the Witchcraft Act, which was passed in 1563 and repealed in 1736, most of the individuals targeted were women. According to the University of Edinburgh’s Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, two-thirds of those accused (around 2,500 people) were executed.

River Dee initiative comes as rising water temperature from climate heating threatens species’ survival

Scottish fizzy drink already had deal shutting out rivals, but praise from Sturgeon and AOC was golden marketing moment

A large swathe of the Scottish Highlands stretching between the west coast and Loch Ness is to be rewilded as part of a 30-year project to restore nature. The Affric Highlands initiative aims to increase connected habitats and species diversity over an area of 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres), incorporating Kintail mountain range, and glens Cannich, Moriston and Shiel. Plans include planting trees, enhancing river corridors, restoring peat bogs and creating nature-friendly farming practices.

Marine energy's current footprint is tiny compared to other renewable technologies like solar and wind. 

Activists and local people tell how they forced the release of two men detained in an enforcement van in a dawn raid.

Study tests public support for bringing back species after 500-year absence, while farmers fear for sheep

A spectacular Anglo-Saxon silver cross has emerged from beneath 1,000 years of encrusted dirt following painstaking conservation. Such is its quality that whoever commissioned this treasure may have been a high-standing cleric or even a king. It was a sorry-looking object when first unearthed in 2014 from a ploughed field in western Scotland as part of the Galloway Hoard, the richest collection of rare and unique Viking-age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland, acquired by the National Museums Scotland (NMS) in 2017.

"A proud day for Scotland and a signal to the world that free universal access to period products can be achieved," said Monica Lennon, who championed the bill in the Scottish Parliament.

Invasive species are killing wildlife and damaging habitats - and experts warn that more threats are on the horizon.

The site of a Scottish nuclear power facility should be available for other uses in 313 years' time, according to a new report. Dounreay, near Thurso, was the UK site for the development of fast reactor research from 1955 to 1994. The facility on the north Caithness coast is in the process of being closed down, demolished and cleaned up. However, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority said it would be 2333 before the 148-acre site is safe for reuse.

Scientists have discovered kelp off the coast of Scotland, Ireland and France that has survived since the last ice age, around 16,000 years ago. Experts from Heriot-Watt University's Orkney campus analysed the genetic composition of oarweed from 14 areas across the northern Atlantic ocean. The team found three distinct genetic clusters.

Scotland has become the latest country to block companies based in tax havens from accessing coronavirus bailout funds, in a move that will increase pressure on Boris Johnson's government to introduce similar measures. MSPs approved new rules on Wednesday night that will mean companies that are registered in tax havens, or are a subsidiary of an offshore company, cannot apply for government grants.

Coronavirus prompts Scotland’s first minister to make UBI a policy priority

A cornershop in Scotland is giving anyone over the age of 65 free face-masks, antibacterial hand gel and cleaning wipes in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus. Pensioners shopping at Day Today Express in Stenhousemuir can pick up a bag of the essential items. Those unable to make it to the shop themselves can even have them delivered for free.

The Scottish parliament on Tuesday is due to approve plans to make sanitary products freely available to all women - the first nation in the world to do so. The legislation would make products such as tampons and sanitary pads free for all women in Scotland, available at designated public places such as community centers, youth clubs and pharmacies.

New chip stores data as light which is then scrambled differently every single time information is sent onwards

Eruption-induced cooling likely exacerbated the “Scottish ills” of the late 1690s

Alesha MacPhail was visiting her grandparents on the Isle of Bute last summer when she was raped and murdered. It is one of the most shocking crimes in Scotland's modern history - a six-year-old girl abducted from her own bed, her body left naked in the woods. On Thursday it was revealed for the first time that the 16-year-old who killed her was already on the radar of police and social services. Aaron Campbell, now 17, had been referred to the Youth Justice Service twice. He was also being monitored, with information shared between different agencies involved in his case, including his school. Alesha’s family is now demanding to know...

The Scottish government will not support “unconventional oil and gas development” (UOG) in the country, it said Thursday. The decision follows what it described as, “a comprehensive period of evidence-gathering and consultation, including environmental and business assessments.”