Opinion

Public misconceptions around data centres are among the growing set of challenges faced by potential developers, argues Alex Orr, managing director of Orbit Communications. Demand for data centres is increasing as artificial intelligence (AI) adoption accelerates. With abundant renewable energy, a s

The first three months of 2026 have demonstrated that while the commercial property market in the west of Scotland may not be soaring, it is certainly progressing steadily. For those prepared to engage thoughtfully, it continues to offer a compelling and diverse range of opportunities. While it woul

New VELUX managing director Alex O’Dell sets out why Scotland needs a new vision for healthy, affordable housing. With the Holyrood election upon us, Scotland is at a critical moment. With 693,000 households in some form of housing need, the country faces a challenge that extends far beyond co

Ahead of the Scottish election, Jennifer Lewis, RSM's senior analyst for real estate & construction, argues that incentivising developers is key to meeting government housebuilding targets. Most parties have shown a shared ambition to build a significant number of new homes, with targets varying

Stuart Fleming, director at Will Rudd in Edinburgh, looks ahead to his attendance at next month's UKREiFF. This year marks 25 years since I joined Will Rudd. It will also be my first time attending UKREiiF - the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum, which brings together invest

John Brown, group managing director of the Veitchi Group and co-chair of the Supply Chain working group of the Construction Leadership Forum, urges firms to look at competence as a competitive edge over rivals. Scotland’s construction sector has never been short of skill, resilience or ambitio

Fergus Spowart, solicitor, and Sinéad Pow, trainee solicitor, from Shakespeare Martineau’s Scotland office, discuss why the construction industry needs a more strategic approach to debt recovery, what steps businesses can take and how these measures can protect cash flow while maintaini

Greig Meikle, regional director at OOBE, explores why landscaping will be essential to the ongoing regeneration of Glasgow. Glasgow feels different at the moment.

Scottish Construction Summit programme co-ordinator Paul McDevitt looks ahead to the event's return to Glasgow on 22 October 2026, building on the outstanding success of its inaugural event in 2025. Hosted at the SEC and free to attend, this year’s summit offers an unmissable opportunity for i

Construction is at a crossroads and faces a significant workforce challenge, but also an opportunity to consciously widen the talent pool, argues Marion Forbes, director of performance and organisational change at AC Whyte and Female Leaders in Construction (FLIC) advisory board member. Constru

Andrew Morrison, Aspire Bidding co-founder and APMP global thought leader, describes the steps you can take during periods of global instability to mitigate the commercial risks in your contract. Recent events in the Middle East are sending shock waves around the world. One of the reverberations is

Solicitor Ahsan Mustafa reports a case of alleged non-payment of debt by a construction firm. A motion for summary decree came before the sheriff in a commercial action for payment. The pursuer was a long-established supplier of building materials trading on a credit basis. The defender was a limite

As Scotland continues to grapple with housing supply challenges, much of the conversation has rightly focused on increasing the number of homes being delivered. While that is clearly essential, it is only part of the solution, writes Lynsey Jackson. With sustained pressure on housing supply, there i

Small and medium-sized enterprises are often described as the backbone of Scotland’s economy and in housebuilding, that statement rings true, writes Paul Kelly. SMEs like ours build homes but we also sustain local supply chains, create skilled jobs, and invest directly into the communities in

Scotland's housing crisis is being worsened by systemic barriers, including planning costs, land shortages, and slow decision-making, that are preventing the industry from building the homes the country urgently needs, writes Andrew Duncan. Scotland has no shortage of ambition when it comes to housi