The Scottish Borders Business Excellence Awards ceremony was held on Friday 28 August at the Peebles Hydro Hotel, where 12 winners were announced. The event brings together a wide range of small, micro and medium-sized businesses in a celebration of the efforts of local firms over the past year. It was organised by the Scottish Borders Chamber of Commerce (SBCC), led by chair Trevor Jackson and engagement manager Roz Haughey, and was attended by representatives from oth

Scottish Food & Drink September has returned for its 17th year, with a month-long celebration of Scotland’s world-class food and drink. Originally set up by Scotland Food & Drink as a fortnight to celebrate the sector, the month-long campaign encourages food and drink businesses to showcase all that’s great and good about Scottish producers. Launching this year’s campaign, Scotland Food & Drink chief executive, Iain Baxter, visited Heather Hills Farm to hear the stories behi

Independent accountancy and business-advisory firm, Johnston Carmichael, has appointed four senior leaders, including its first chief technology officer and a new audit partner, as it strengthens its team across the UK. The appointments reflect Johnston Carmichael’s continued investment in its people, technology and specialist services as the firm grows its UK client base. Tamsyn Weston has joined as chief technology officer in Edinburgh, leading the firm’s strategy across IT

Dundee-born entrepreneur and broadcaster Mike Soutar is set to return home this November as keynote speaker at the Dundee Economic Summit 2026. Hosted by Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce, the summit will take place on Tuesday 17 November at the Apex City Quay Hotel & Spa, bringing together business leaders, investors, policymakers and stakeholders from across the region, to explore the opportunities and challenges shaping Dundee's economic future. Widely recognised as one

Scotland's national campaign for aspiring business owners, Scottish Start-up Month, returns this September. Its first year of running coincided with the launch of 1,922 new businesses (supported by Business Gateway) between September and November – 201 more than the same period the previous year. Led by Business Gateway, Scottish Start-up Month aims to inspire more people to explore self-employment and starting a business, while encouraging Scotland's business community to sh

A Shetland entrepreneur has built a football-coaching business from scratch in under a year, with support from Business Gateway helping him access start-up funding and get his venture off the ground. Jack Clubb launched Jack Clubb Coaching in March 2025, offering football sessions that would nurture young talent by building confidence and fitness and grow the game across the Islands. Jack's business offers a range of services including one-to-one football coaching, small and

Law firm and estate agent, Watermans, has welcomed two legal trainees to its office in Glasgow. Fyza Aslam and Hussain Iqbal join the 23-strong dispute-resolution team to begin their two-year legal traineeship, where they will handle their own caseload and gain first-hand litigation experience. John Dillon, director and head of dispute resolution at Watermans, said: “Glasgow has a strong pool of talent to choose from, and we are thrilled to welcome Fyza and Hussain to the t

Bathroom specialist, Wholesale Domestic, has promoted Anne Scullion to head of commercial, as it brings its sales, marketing, brand, e-commerce and three Scottish showrooms within one commercial function, to continue its focus on growth and enhancing customer experience. Anne joined the company in December 2020 as marketing manager and has progressed through the business since then, becoming senior brand and marketing manager in May 2024, before taking up her new position. In

Hardies Chartered Surveyors has acquired Glasgow-based, quantity-surveying practice, Storrier & Donaldson, in a private deal. The acquisition sees Storrier & Donaldson owner Robert Currie join Hardies as consultant partner, with his team relocating to the Glasgow city-centre offices of affiliated chartered-surveying firms Shepherd and Hardies. Founded more than 50 years ago, Storrier & Donaldson delivers quantity surveying and cost-management services across a diverse range o

More than half (54 per cent) of Scottish businesses plan to increase investment in AI to upskill their workforce in the coming year, according to research from the Bank of Scotland Business Barometer. Of those increasing investment, 34 per cent expect to spend between £25,000 and £100,000, while 29 per cent expect to spend between £100,000 and £250,000. Just under half (48 per cent) of the country’s firms said they currently use AI. Over a third (38 per cent) of those using i

Family attraction, SuperPark, opens its first UK location, in Glasgow, on 27 August. The new 30,000 ft² multi-activity, multi-generational, indoor park, based within Frasers Plus Braehead, enables parents to join in activities with their children. SuperPark is part of a global indoor leisure and recreation concept founded in Finland in 2012. Glasgow is its 29th park, joining others in Finland, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Most suitable for children aged three years an

Data-centre specialist, DataVita has secured a debt facility of around £300m, to expand and build two data centres in the North Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone, following a £202m financial guarantee from the National Wealth Fund. The facility has been raised with participation from a syndicate of five lenders. The investment will expand DataVita’s existing DV1 data centre and fund the construction of a new data centre, DV3. The capacity of both is contracted to AI-cloud firm CoreW

A Fife entrepreneur has built an award-winning, allergen-free food business that is now expanding across Scotland, with ambitions for wider UK growth. Megan Murrie, founder of Glenrothes-based Nakey Bakey, launched the company after years of living with endometriosis and a nut allergy that left her frustrated by the lack of allergen-free, naturally made and low-sugar products available in supermarkets. Determined to find a solution, she began creating her own granola recipes

D&G Autocare has announced the opening of its 21st branch – D & G Autocare in Ayr. The new branch, based in Heathfield Industrial Estate, offers the full range of D&G Autocare services, including Class 4 and Class 7 MOT testing and vehicle servicing and repairs, together with a tyre shop. Manager, Scott Cameron, who is heading up the new outlet, said: “Heathfield Industrial Estate is the ideal location for us in Ayr, providing ample footfall, local facilities and through traf

Kirkwall-based advisory and accountancy firm, CRC, has extended its reach to the mainland, through its acquisition of Aberdeenshire firm, BBKS & Co. The purchase of the Banchory-based accountancy firm is a first for CRC and is the latest in a number of major milestones for the business and its founder and managing director Calvin Cooper. BBKS & Co had been owned by its founder, Louise Birse, for nearly four decades, who wished to retire and pass the business on to a new p

Law firm and estate agent Watermans has appointed its first chief operating officer, in a move that solidifies its commitment to company growth. Colin Higgins, who this year celebrated two decades of employment in the business, most recently held the role of head of finance at the firm. The internal promotion will see Colin take charge of day-to-day operations, finance and IT functions across the firm’s Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Dunfermline locations. Scott Whyte, mana

Hardies Chartered Surveyors has helped AIC Heating UK celebrate a significant construction milestone, with the topping out of its new £6m investment from its parent company in Europe. The ceremony celebrated this state-of-the-art, purpose-built headquarters and training facility in Lochgelly, marking the completion of the building's structural frame and roof. Once complete, the new facility will become AIC Heating UK's flagship UK base, providing office, warehouse and special

Marketing and social-media strategist, Suz Bird, of Bird and Emmy, is running a social-media workshop for business, on Thursday 13 August in Breathing Space Studio, Aberdeen, from 10am to 1pm. Up to 12-15 spaces are available. The event covers creation of a simple social-media strategy for LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram; current user-behaviour trends and why these matter; how to plan, create and repurpose content; tips, techniques and tools to support content creation; SE

A young Ayrshire bartender has been named one of the UK's brightest emerging talents after winning one of the country's most prestigious competitions for hospitality students. Declan Sloan, from Kilmarnock, was named Front of House Champion at Nestlé Professional's Toque d'Or competition after impressing judges with his customer service, mixology, leadership and sustainability knowledge. The achievement marks another milestone for the Diageo Learning for Life graduate, whose

Two Blues Solar has completed more than 1.8 MWp of fully funded commercial solar-power provision for three Scottish industrial sites, representing a combined investment of approximately £1.64m, the company has announced. The projects, delivered at heating-technology firm Kanthal, in Perth, as well as at two Arbroath sites – Lossie Seafoods and engineered components specialists, Ennovi – are expected to generate around 1.39 GWh of electricity a year and save approximately 246