Brian Ferguson
@brianjaffa.bsky.social
Edinburgh-based journalist, arts-follower, traveller-around-Scotland. Any views expressed are mine alone. https://www.heraldscotland.com
Arts industry leaders are campaigning for a new Culture Act to be introduced in the next term of the Scottish Parliament to boost the value of the £5.7bn industry & unleash a “wealth of untapped potential.” Current culture support is said to be “fragile.”
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2564349...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2564349...
November 24, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Arts industry leaders are campaigning for a new Culture Act to be introduced in the next term of the Scottish Parliament to boost the value of the £5.7bn industry & unleash a “wealth of untapped potential.” Current culture support is said to be “fragile.”
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2564349...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2564349...
The front page of The Herald on Wednesday. @heraldscotland.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 11:30 PM
The front page of The Herald on Wednesday. @heraldscotland.bsky.social
🎯 The Herald is heading in the right direction. Here’s 20 reasons why you should snap up a subscription to the world’s longest-running national newspaper - for just £20 a year.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562959... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562959... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 10:04 AM
🎯 The Herald is heading in the right direction. Here’s 20 reasons why you should snap up a subscription to the world’s longest-running national newspaper - for just £20 a year.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562959... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562959... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
📚 Exclusive: Waterstones is under fire from a leading Edinburgh bookshop after it discovered the UK’s biggest book-selling chain is planning to open on its doorstep after snapping up a prime site beside a tram stop. 📚
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562908... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562908... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
November 18, 2025 at 7:03 AM
📚 Exclusive: Waterstones is under fire from a leading Edinburgh bookshop after it discovered the UK’s biggest book-selling chain is planning to open on its doorstep after snapping up a prime site beside a tram stop. 📚
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562908... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2562908... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
🔥 Exclusive: The filming of nine series of The Traitors at a 19th century castle in the Highlands has delivered a multi-million pound boost for the local economy and supported more than 750 jobs since filming began in 2022. 🔥
Full details & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2560788...
Full details & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2560788...
November 10, 2025 at 12:18 AM
🔥 Exclusive: The filming of nine series of The Traitors at a 19th century castle in the Highlands has delivered a multi-million pound boost for the local economy and supported more than 750 jobs since filming began in 2022. 🔥
Full details & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2560788...
Full details & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2560788...
It is 44 years since a group of jeans factory workers staged a sudden protest against its planned closure - which turned into a 7-month “sit in.” Now the women who barricaded themselves inside their own workplace are to inspire a new Scottish stage show.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558527...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558527...
November 6, 2025 at 12:24 PM
It is 44 years since a group of jeans factory workers staged a sudden protest against its planned closure - which turned into a 7-month “sit in.” Now the women who barricaded themselves inside their own workplace are to inspire a new Scottish stage show.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558527...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558527...
🎶 More big news for Edinburgh’s culture scene: National Centre for Music secures £5m lottery windfall, revamped Calton Hill building to open at end of 2027, Scottish Government & Edinburgh City Council to be asked to meet final costs of £70m project.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558660...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558660...
October 31, 2025 at 12:51 PM
🎶 More big news for Edinburgh’s culture scene: National Centre for Music secures £5m lottery windfall, revamped Calton Hill building to open at end of 2027, Scottish Government & Edinburgh City Council to be asked to meet final costs of £70m project.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558660...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2558660...
OMG: Santa has been kicked out of St Andrew Square. The spirit of Scrooge is alive and well in Edinburgh! Will he (and his elves!) find a new home for Christmas? You won’t find this festive miserabalism on Netflix! www.heraldscotland.com/news/2556972... @turvill.bsky.social
🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️ 🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️ 🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️
🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️ 🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️ 🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️
October 25, 2025 at 10:24 AM
OMG: Santa has been kicked out of St Andrew Square. The spirit of Scrooge is alive and well in Edinburgh! Will he (and his elves!) find a new home for Christmas? You won’t find this festive miserabalism on Netflix! www.heraldscotland.com/news/2556972... @turvill.bsky.social
🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️ 🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️ 🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️
🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️ 🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️ 🎅 🧝 🎄 ❄️
NEW: The Scottish Government has agreed to triple its spending on Edinburgh’s new 1000-capacity concert hall to allow work to begin within weeks - despite the cost soaring to £162m. John Swinney has signed off an additional £20m for the project.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2556757...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2556757...
October 23, 2025 at 11:29 PM
NEW: The Scottish Government has agreed to triple its spending on Edinburgh’s new 1000-capacity concert hall to allow work to begin within weeks - despite the cost soaring to £162m. John Swinney has signed off an additional £20m for the project.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2556757...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2556757...
Exclusive: Elaine C Smith, Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Blythe Duff & Colin McCredie back campaign to save Cumbernauld Theatre from closure as more than 40 jobs hang in the balance.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555233...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555233...
October 20, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Exclusive: Elaine C Smith, Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Blythe Duff & Colin McCredie back campaign to save Cumbernauld Theatre from closure as more than 40 jobs hang in the balance.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555233...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555233...
Would you be more likely to go to a gig if alcohol is unavailable?
Should festival & event organisers be doing more to accommodate people who do not drink for religious, cultural or health reasons?
Are younger generations looking for alcohol-free events?
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555274...
Should festival & event organisers be doing more to accommodate people who do not drink for religious, cultural or health reasons?
Are younger generations looking for alcohol-free events?
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555274...
October 19, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Would you be more likely to go to a gig if alcohol is unavailable?
Should festival & event organisers be doing more to accommodate people who do not drink for religious, cultural or health reasons?
Are younger generations looking for alcohol-free events?
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555274...
Should festival & event organisers be doing more to accommodate people who do not drink for religious, cultural or health reasons?
Are younger generations looking for alcohol-free events?
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2555274...
Random Saturday night thought.
Have only just realised there are quite a lot of really good Scottish country-sounding songs out there - some pretty old songs and some really good new stuff.
Any recommendations?
Have only just realised there are quite a lot of really good Scottish country-sounding songs out there - some pretty old songs and some really good new stuff.
Any recommendations?
October 18, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Random Saturday night thought.
Have only just realised there are quite a lot of really good Scottish country-sounding songs out there - some pretty old songs and some really good new stuff.
Any recommendations?
Have only just realised there are quite a lot of really good Scottish country-sounding songs out there - some pretty old songs and some really good new stuff.
Any recommendations?
🎬 That’s a wrap! The Herald has now published 23 exclusive features, stories & opinion columns during our week-long exploration of the Scottish screen industry. 🎬
Read them all here & let me know what I should be following up! www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Read them all here & let me know what I should be following up! www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
October 11, 2025 at 9:06 PM
🎬 That’s a wrap! The Herald has now published 23 exclusive features, stories & opinion columns during our week-long exploration of the Scottish screen industry. 🎬
Read them all here & let me know what I should be following up! www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Read them all here & let me know what I should be following up! www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Here’s why now is the perfect time to explore the future of an industry which is aiming to be worth more than £1 billion by 2030.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2551323...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2551323...
October 7, 2025 at 6:01 AM
Here’s why now is the perfect time to explore the future of an industry which is aiming to be worth more than £1 billion by 2030.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2551323...
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2551323...
🎥 Catch up here with everything we’ve published so far during The Herald’s week-long in-depth series on the future of the Scottish screen industry. 🎥
www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
October 7, 2025 at 5:47 AM
🎥 Catch up here with everything we’ve published so far during The Herald’s week-long in-depth series on the future of the Scottish screen industry. 🎥
www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
🎥 Launching today and running all week in The Herald: a deep dive into the future of the Scottish screen industry. 🎥
Here’s why we are doing it:
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2551323... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Here’s why we are doing it:
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2551323... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
October 6, 2025 at 9:06 AM
🎥 Launching today and running all week in The Herald: a deep dive into the future of the Scottish screen industry. 🎥
Here’s why we are doing it:
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2551323... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
Here’s why we are doing it:
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2551323... @heraldscotland.bsky.social
The treatment of Cumbernauld Theatre by Creative Scotland & the Scottish Government is truly shameful & would simply not have happened to a venue in Edinburgh.
Contrast with recent lifelines for King’s Theatre, Filmhouse, Summerhall, Traverse, poetry library. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2550562...
Contrast with recent lifelines for King’s Theatre, Filmhouse, Summerhall, Traverse, poetry library. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2550562...
September 30, 2025 at 1:54 PM
The treatment of Cumbernauld Theatre by Creative Scotland & the Scottish Government is truly shameful & would simply not have happened to a venue in Edinburgh.
Contrast with recent lifelines for King’s Theatre, Filmhouse, Summerhall, Traverse, poetry library. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2550562...
Contrast with recent lifelines for King’s Theatre, Filmhouse, Summerhall, Traverse, poetry library. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2550562...
It has inspired me to finally watch Brigadoon!
August 31, 2025 at 6:20 AM
It has inspired me to finally watch Brigadoon!
“Edinburgh’s over.”
I’ve checked. It’s still there, laughing at this third-rate patter.
I’ve checked. It’s still there, laughing at this third-rate patter.
August 30, 2025 at 9:01 PM
“Edinburgh’s over.”
I’ve checked. It’s still there, laughing at this third-rate patter.
I’ve checked. It’s still there, laughing at this third-rate patter.
NEW: Edinburgh Festival Fringe withstands the impact of Oasis, AC/DC, Sam Fender & Storm Floris. Fringe ticket sales top 2.6m for 2nd year in a row as 3.5m tickets are sold across all events, gigs & festivals in August.
Full story & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2541482...
Full story & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2541482...
August 25, 2025 at 12:32 PM
NEW: Edinburgh Festival Fringe withstands the impact of Oasis, AC/DC, Sam Fender & Storm Floris. Fringe ticket sales top 2.6m for 2nd year in a row as 3.5m tickets are sold across all events, gigs & festivals in August.
Full story & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2541482...
Full story & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2541482...
🎥 Big news: Netflix has commissioned a second series of Dept. Q, the hit Edinburgh-set detective based at FirstStage Studios in Leith. Leah Byrne, Matthew Goode & Alexej Manvelov will all return. 🎥
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2539974... #DeptQ
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2539974... #DeptQ
August 18, 2025 at 11:25 PM
🎥 Big news: Netflix has commissioned a second series of Dept. Q, the hit Edinburgh-set detective based at FirstStage Studios in Leith. Leah Byrne, Matthew Goode & Alexej Manvelov will all return. 🎥
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2539974... #DeptQ
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2539974... #DeptQ
Another one to add to my growing collection.
August 17, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Another one to add to my growing collection.
Another one to add to my growing collection. @Edinburgh_CC
August 17, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Another one to add to my growing collection. @Edinburgh_CC
Exclusive: One of Edinburgh’s leading arts festivals is facing demands to issue a public apology after inviting culture secretary Angus Robertson to launch the event.
Full story & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2539366...
Full story & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2539366...
August 15, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Exclusive: One of Edinburgh’s leading arts festivals is facing demands to issue a public apology after inviting culture secretary Angus Robertson to launch the event.
Full story & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2539366...
Full story & reaction: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2539366...
Key facts on Summerhall and Kate Forbes.
Summerhall knew she had been booked to appear in April, well before their Fringe launch.
Summerhall actually selected the Herald Unspun events as a programme highlight in their launch announcement.
Kate Forbes’s name was missing, though.
Summerhall knew she had been booked to appear in April, well before their Fringe launch.
Summerhall actually selected the Herald Unspun events as a programme highlight in their launch announcement.
Kate Forbes’s name was missing, though.
August 15, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Key facts on Summerhall and Kate Forbes.
Summerhall knew she had been booked to appear in April, well before their Fringe launch.
Summerhall actually selected the Herald Unspun events as a programme highlight in their launch announcement.
Kate Forbes’s name was missing, though.
Summerhall knew she had been booked to appear in April, well before their Fringe launch.
Summerhall actually selected the Herald Unspun events as a programme highlight in their launch announcement.
Kate Forbes’s name was missing, though.