Five key steps to buying a first home under 30 in Scotland – even if you're renting and on under £35k
It is one of the biggest decisions - and purchases - you will ever make, and going through the process of getting a mortgage can feel daunting.
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Getting on the property ladder before your 30s can be difficult
Credit: PA
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But experts have shared their top tips to help young people buy their first home
Credit: Getty
But for many Scots, picking up the keys to their first home
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Scottish Sun
8 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Moment Sir Keir Starmer arrives for showdown talks with Donald Trump as PM's plane lands ahead of trip to Turnberry
First Minister John Swinney will also meet the president during his five-day visit to the country SUMMIT UP Moment Sir Keir Starmer arrives for showdown talks with Donald Trump as PM's plane lands ahead of trip to Turnberry Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SIR Keir Starmer has arrived in Scotland for showdown talks with President Donald Trump. The Prime Minister is visiting the US leader's Turnberry estate in South Ayrshire today. 4 Sir Keir Starmer has arrived in Scotland ahead of talks with Donald Trump Credit: Stephen Gibson / Buchanan Photos 4 The Prime Minister is expected to raise the situation in Gaza and British steel exports Credit: Getty 4 John Swinney will also meet with the US leader Credit: PA 4 President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sealed a trade deal between the US and EU on Sunday Credit: Reuters Sir Keir is expected to raise the prospect of reviving ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas amid the humanitarian crisis engulfing Gaza. Fears are growing in the international community over mass starvation in the region. The Labour leader is also likely to discuss the future of tariffs on British steel. Sir Keir and Mr Trump have built a rapport on the world stage, despite their differing political backgrounds. The Republican leader has previously praised the PM for doing a "very good job" so far in government. First Minister John Swinney will also meet the president during his five-day visit to the country. He said he will urge Mr Trump to place pressure on Israel to agree to a lasting ceasefire and allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. Mr Swinney told BBC Breakfast: "I think what's important is that we focus on the solutions that are required now, and the absolutely immediate situation is a necessity for a ceasefire and for humanitarian aid to need to flow into Gaza so that the people of Gaza can be saved from the starvation that they face. "And that is the blunt human reality of the situation that we face, and there must be an intensification of pressure on Israel. "And I think President Trump is ideally positioned. In fact, he's perhaps uniquely positioned to apply that pressure to Israel to ensure that there is safe passage for humanitarian aid to support the people of Gaza, who face an absolutely unbearable set of circumstances as a consequence of the conflict. TRUMP V WINDMILLS "And a key part of that must be the application of a durable ceasefire, the flow of humanitarian aid and the progress towards a two state solution in the Middle East." Mr Swinney also said he would use his meeting with President Trump to press him to exempt Scotch whisky from US trade tariffs. The SNP leader said the "uniqueness" of malt made in Scotland justified the exemption from the 10 per cent tariff applied on UK exports into the US. Sir Keir and Mr Trump are also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine, which Number 10 said would include "applying pressure" on Vladimir Putin to end the invasion, before travelling on together for a private engagement in Aberdeen. It comes after Mr Trump announced he had agreed "the biggest deal ever made" between the US and the European Union after meeting Ursula von der Leyen for high-stakes talks at Turnberry yesterday. Speaking ahead of his meeting with Sir Keir, Mr Trump said: "We're meeting about a lot of things. We have our trade deal and it's been a great deal. "It's good for us. It's good for them and good for us. "I think the UK is very happy. They've been trying for 12 years to get it and they got it. "It's a great trade deal for both, works out very well. We'll be discussing that. "I think we're going to be discussing a lot about Israel. They're very much involved in terms of wanting something to happen. "He's doing a very good job, by the way." Mr Trump's private trip to Scotland comes ahead of a planned state visit to the UK in September.
Western Telegraph
17 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Swinney calls for legal referendum if SNP secures majority at Holyrood election
Writing in a column in the Daily Record, Mr Swinney said that in the 17 years since the 2008 financial crash 'people feel like they are working harder than ever, but not seeing any improvement in their living standards'. He said the UK economy is 'fundamentally failing to deliver for ordinary people' as well as generating insufficient funding for public services. The SNP leader called for the May 2026 Holyrood elections to be 'a springboard for Scotland taking charge of our own destiny'. He said the situation had got worse since the 2014 referendum, and wrote: 'Think what could have been achieved had we not been forced to spend so much time and money trying to mitigate the ongoing damage of Brexit. First Minister of Scotland John Swinney during First Minister's Questions (Jane Barlow/PA Wire). 'Or the carnage unleashed by Liz Truss's mini-budget. Or the years of austerity, or Westminster cuts like the Winter Fuel Payment. 'We were told we didn't need independence and we just needed a Labour government – but look how that has turned out.' He wrote that 'independence is the catalyst that will deliver a better future for us all' and that 'with Scotland's energy resources in Scotland's hands, we can reduce bills for consumers and cut costs for businesses'. We must be ready to follow the path which we know can lead us to an independent state First minister John Swinney Mr Swinney revealed he hoped to deliver an SNP majority similar to 2011 in a bid to 'secure a legal referendum recognised by all' and had submitted a motion to the SNP conference proposing that 'we work to deliver a majority of SNP MSPs in the Scottish Parliament to secure that referendum'. He pledged to unveil 'radical policies that we know will transform Scotland' in the coming months, and to 'break the logjam and end this frustration that we all feel'. Mr Swinney added: 'We must be ready to follow the path which we know can lead us to an independent state.' Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: 'John Swinney is like a broken record. In a bid to silence internal critics of his weak leadership, he has thrown diehard nationalists some more red meat on the one issue they all agree on: independence. 'Ordinary Scots are sick and tired of the SNP's obsession with breaking up the UK. 'The public want John Swinney to focus on fixing the damage his government has done in decimating essential services such as schools and the NHS at the same time as making Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK.'
Daily Record
36 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Does Scotland get more bank holidays than England? Exact number Scots can expect each year
The Lioness' victory in the Euros final over the week has prompted calls for a Bank Holiday down south Over the weekend, the England women's national football team defeated Spain on penalties in the Euros final in Switzerland, prompting calls for the country to be given a Bank Holiday to celebrate the Lioness' success. There was no Bank Holiday in place in 2022 when England's women lifted the Euros trophy for the first time, but Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was the Leader of the Opposition at the time, backed calls for an extra day off. However, in an apparent change of heart, the Prime Minister's spokesman has confirmed to the BBC that there are "no plans" for an extra Bank Holiday this Monday, July 28. But speaking of Bank Holidays - does Scotland get more bank holidays than England? And what are the exact number of Bank Holidays Scots can expect each year? Scotland has nine Bank Holidays in 2025, whereas England and Wales have eight. Scots enjoy one more Bank Holiday because of St Andrew's Day on Sunday, November 30, which gives us the day off on Monday, December 1. Northern Ireland comes up trumps, though, with 10 bankers this year. This is because, unlike Scotland, the north mark St Patrick's Day on March 17, Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen's Day) on July 14, and Easter Monday on April 21. England and Wales also have Easter Monday as a bank holiday, whereas Scotland doesn't. The day is not a nationwide Bank Holiday in Scotland. Instead, it's up to individual councils to decide whether to recognise it as a public holiday, often based on local tradition or custom. We do list Good Friday as a Bank Holiday, though. This trend will continue into 2026, with Scotland, England and Wales, and Northern Ireland keeping the same number of Bank Holidays. However, there will be a change in Bank Holiday dates in 2026 and 2027. Three 'substitute days' are being planned. While 2025 will have eight Bank Holidays, these won't all occur on the same dates in the next two years. In 2026, most of the dates will largely stay the same. Across the UK, we'll enjoy time off on January 1, followed by an extended Easter weekend with a day off on April 3 for Good Friday. England and Wales will have April 6 off for Easter Monday but this date does not apply to Scotland. Nationwide days off will also happen on May 4, May 25, August 3 (August 31 for England and Wales) and December 25. Scotland will squeeze in another Bank Holiday between these dates - November 30 for St Andrew's Day. However, Boxing Day, December 26, won't be recognised as a Bank Holiday next year as it falls on a Saturday. Instead, an additional substitute day off will be allocated on December 28. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. In general, Bank Holidays in Scotland differ from local or public holidays, which are set by individual councils and can vary from place to place. Bank Holidays, on the other hand, are set at a national level – though not everyone is guaranteed the day off. There's also no legal requirement for businesses or banks to close on a Bank Holiday. In fact, banks in Scotland typically follow the same holiday schedule as those in England and Wales. If a bank holiday falls on a weekend, it's usually moved to a substitute weekday, typically the following Monday – to ensure people don't miss out.
