Latest news with #ScotlandTonight
STV News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- STV News
Irvine Welsh on ageing, addiction and why he still chooses life
Irvine Welsh has never been one to rest on his laurels. The 66-year-old author, whose breakout novel Trainspotting catapulted him to literary fame, says he doesn't think much about leaving a legacy. In an interview with Scotland Tonight, he talks about tackling his demons, the reasons behind Scotland's drug death crisis and why he barely looks back at his past work. 'I live in the moment, and I think everything else has gone by,' said Welsh. 'I think when you write a book or you do a record or a film, you push it out there and you've given it away to make space for the next thing. 'The good side of it is the criticisms don't really bother you,' he explained. 'It's just something that's done and it's gone.' While most people know Welsh from his explosive debut novel, he doesn't consider it his best work. 'I think your first one's got probably got this new energy to it, and it's the shock of the new, so it gets kind of recognition,' he said. 'But I think you get better as a writer the older you get.' Welsh believes his later works – including Glue, Marabou Stork Nightmares, and The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins – represent his more mature writing, although he acknowledges Trainspotting's raw energy remains compelling. One of the most striking aspects of his upcoming documentary – Reality is Not Enough – is Welsh's attitude towards his personal struggles. Far from wanting to overcome his 'demons,' he sees them as essential fuel for his creativity. He said: 'I think one of the curses of the modern age is that people are scared of emotion people, they're scared of feeling bad or feeling good or feeling, you know, feeling sort of up and happy. They want to edit all that out and medicate that and become these Stepford human beings.' For Welsh, life's negative experiences – loss, heartbreak, addiction, financial problems – provide raw material that art can transform into something positive. 'If you don't have any demons, you haven't had a past. If you haven't had a past, you haven't had a life,' he muses. The conversation inevitably turns to Scotland's ongoing drugs crisis, with the country still holding the unwanted title of drug death capital of Europe. Welsh sees this as part of a broader cultural pattern. 'Scotland's always had a terrible relationship with drugs,' he observed, pointing to whisky as the national drink. 'We've always gone for the hit, basically. And I think that culture has permeated right through.' But Welsh argues the problem extends far beyond street drugs. 'Everything we do is fuelled by addiction,' he said, listing mobile phones, prescription drugs, fast food, pornography, and gaming as examples. 'We've set up an addiction society basically.' Perhaps surprisingly for someone once known as an atheist, Welsh revealed that his worldview has evolved. Experiments with the potent hallucinogenic drug DMT have changed his perspective on consciousness and existence. 'I'm not a believer in an omnipotent, almighty God,' he clarified. 'But I think there is an afterlife and a before-life, and there's just a very small sliver of who we are in this reality that we're in – basically it's a kind of working holiday.' At 66, Welsh approaches ageing with characteristic unconventionality. He doesn't see time as linear but as something moving through him rather than him moving through it. This perspective has freed him from conventional expectations about age-appropriate behaviour. 'I've never really felt that it was time to compromise what I wanted to do,' he said, whether that's going to clubs or traveling to away football matches.' When pressed about regrets, Welsh's response was typically thoughtful: 'The regret that I have is I don't have more lives, basically. I'd like to squeeze more in, but you can't in the time you've got available. 'I would like to have lived life as a woman, to have been able to do that as well, and hope I may be able to get a chance to do that when I come back.' Welsh describes himself as an 'incurable, insufferable romantic', and the documentary deliberately focuses solely on Welsh himself, avoiding interviews with friends and colleagues He said: 'When you have all these journalistic profiles, you always buy into that Trainspotting dodgy kind of money from the schemes thing. 'But we're all houses of many rooms, basically.' Irvine Welsh: Reality Is Not Enough has its World Premiere on the closing night of the Edinburgh International Film Festival on August 20 and arrives in UK cinemas on September 26. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
STV News at Six says good evening to glam new sets
DO you remember 'The Chair'? One evening last month, in what was the broadcast news equivalent of a Stephen King horror movie, viewers tuning in for Scotland Tonight were met with the sight of an empty studio and an equally unoccupied chair. Into what troubled waters had this Marie Celeste sailed? It was a bone-chilling sight - well, it was if you were the producer on duty. The flippant among us grabbed the popcorn and watched on as frantic efforts were made to resume normal service. They say the presenter's ghost still walks the ramparts of STV HQ at night, sobbing. Viewers do love a television blooper, and you can bet John MacKay's favourite tie that The Chair is heading for the next episode of It'll Be Alright On the Night. So well done STV for putting that awful experience to one side and launching new studio sets for STV News in Glasgow and Aberdeen. The revamp comes at a time when STV in general is repositioning itself for a groovy new future, complete with a radio station aimed at the 35-54 market. Consider the makeover of STV News, including the flagship News at Six, still Scotland's most watched news show, as the equivalent of mum getting Botox and dad having his nose hairs trimmed. Not that those splashing the cash would describe it as such. The press release speaks of 'dynamic video walls' to 'enhance storytelling and allow greater flexibility for presenters to move around the space'. Why are television news producers obsessed with moving presenters around? We've all known since Angela Rippon high-kicked her way out of a desk on Morecambe and Wise that presenters had legs. More space means reporters can now join the presenters on set to 'casually' chat through stories. Normally scruffy correspondents will have to up their shoe game now feet are likely to be in shot. So no more Garfield slippers for Colin Mackay. Why change a winning formula, you might ask? The reason is largely technical. You might sit down with your tea at 6pm to watch the news, but others are catching up on their phones and iPads when it suits. The new set should look better on Instagram, TikTok and other digital platforms. Plus, the Scottish Parliament elections take place next year, and STV will be competing with the tech bros at Sky and the BBC for the whizziest graphics. And finally, as they say, it's nice to have a refresh now and again. Everything was all right on the night. With their new clothes and haircuts, the lads and lassies looked like weans on their first day at school. No one was bold enough to do the walking-talking thing yet, though Raman the sports guy did some nifty pivots between anchor Kelly-Ann Woodland and the camera. Overall, it was lighter, brighter, and sharper with best of all a big new map for Sean the weatherman. Just a pity the news didn't match the sunnier outlook, with the usual mayhem and bams on the menu. In the words of young Mr Grace, you've all done very well. Spoilsports.
STV News
17-07-2025
- STV News
Murder in the Mud: The Scottish ‘Soil Sleuth' solving cold cases
Professor Lorna Dawson's journey from the fields of rural Angus to the witness stands of Scotland's most high-profile murder trials is a remarkable one. It is rooted, quite literally, in her love of soil. 'I came from a family where farming was in their blood,' Dawson told Scotland Tonight. 'My mum took me out to identify the different wildflowers. My dad took me into the countryside in the Land Rover to look at fields and the different soils. 'I loved being outside. I loved looking at the differences you get in different soils and the different types of habitats.' That childhood fascination would later blossom into a pioneering career in forensic soil science. It's a discipline Dawson helped transform from a niche practice into a credible and respected tool in the fight against crime. Around 2005, Dawson – then working at the Macaulay Institute for Soil Research – got a call that would change everything. The National Crime Agency wanted to know whether soil could be analysed to help solve a drugs case. They specifically needed to ascertain the origin of soil found on a spade seized from a suspect. 'We ran this suite of analyses and compared that data with our database of soils,' she explained. 'I went with the officer from the Grampian Police to the site where I thought it had come from. Very quickly, they brought the dogs in, and the dogs found the drugs that had been buried in that woodland.' It was a pivotal moment. 'We realised then that the methods we used could be applied to soils to help work out where they come from,' said Dawson. Supplied/Scotland Tonight Christine Eadie and Helen Scott were killed in October 1977. One of the most significant cases she became involved in was the retrial of the so-called World's End murders – the 1977 killings of 17-year-olds Christine Eadie and Helen Scott. 'That particular case will always stay with me,' she said. 'I'd just gone off to university from the safe rural environment of the countryside of Angus to the big city of Edinburgh. I was 17 – the same age as the girls who were found dead. 'Young girls like myself were terrified to go out alone. We wouldn't go to pubs unless we were all together. There was a real sense of fear that continued for many years.' More than three decades later, Dawson's expertise proved crucial. Police asked her to analyse soil samples that had been collected from Helen Scott's feet in 1977 and carefully preserved. 'We could take those samples and analyse them…to help the police work out where Helen had been prior to her death,' Dawson explained. 'We developed an organic fingerprint, a distinctive profile of the landscape. We were able to see not just one, but two different materials. One from the wheat field where she was found and another from a grass verge.' STV News Serial killer and rapist Angus Sinclair was jailed for a minimum of 37 years. That evidence helped prosecutors finally convict Angus Sinclair in 2014, under new double jeopardy laws. 'It really showed that we could help the criminal justice system with this type of problem,' she reflected. After the trial, Dawson received a letter from Helen's brother, Kevin Scott. 'He said he had been overwhelmed to see how much work everyone had put in to bring justice for his sister. I treasure that letter because that's what really makes it all worthwhile.' Throughout her career, Dawson has remained committed to objectivity. 'We try not to know too much about the case context until after we've given evidence in court,' she said. 'We code each sample that comes in to minimise any potential bias in interpretation. We produce facts and opinions for the courts.' But even with that detachment, some cases have hit home. 'There was a case in England, a little three-year-old child had been killed by his stepfather. I was examining the pyjamas he was wearing to recover trace evidence of soil and vegetation. 'They were the exact same pyjamas my grandson had. I had to tell my daughter not to put him in them anymore. 'This was a little boy, an infant, and these pyjamas were the last thing he'd been wearing, like lots of other little children, before he was killed by someone he should have been able to trust. 'That really stayed with me.' Dawson also worked on the case of Karen Buckley, the young Irish student murdered in Glasgow in 2015. 'My daughter had just gone off to university,' said Dawson. 'Stranger murders are very rare, but by the grace of God, you can meet the wrong people. I think as a Scottish people, we felt very responsible and sad that she'd come to harm in our country.' Her analysis of soil found on Alexander Pacteau's boots and car tyres helped police identify key locations where he had driven after abducting Buckley, including the remote area at High Craigton Farm where her body was eventually discovered. This forensic link played a significant role in building the case against Pacteau and securing his conviction. Among her most high-profile cases, Professor Dawson played a crucial role in the investigation into Peter Tobin, the convicted murderer linked to the deaths of Vicky Hamilton, Dinah McNicol, and Angelika Kluk. Tobin is widely regarded as one of Scotland's most notorious serial killers. Police Scotland Tobin's victims, left to right, Angelika Kluk, Vicky Hamilton and Dinah McNicol. Dawson's forensic soil analysis was instrumental during the search for Vicky's remains following the teenager's disappearance in 1991. Seventeen years later, her body was found buried in the garden of Tobin's former home in Margate, Kent. Soil found on bin bags used to wrap Vicky's remains was compared to earth samples from Tobin's former home in Bathgate. That helped to confirm the body had been buried there and then moved and reburied when Tobin moved 470 miles away to the south of England – a key detail in reconstructing the timeline of events. Police Scotland Serial killer Peter Tobin, who died in 2022. Dawson's meticulous work helped detectives build a stronger case against Tobin, linking him not only to the crime scene but also to efforts to conceal his victims. The case demonstrated the power of environmental forensics in historical investigations, especially when other evidence had long since degraded. Dawson's contributions haven't just supported prosecutions. Her work also helped in searches, such as that for Ben Needham, the British toddler who disappeared on the Greek island of Kos in 1991. Forensic analysis of a child's sandal recovered on-site revealed the presence of blood and supported the theory that he had been accidentally killed by a digger. Looking to the future, Dawson believes soil science holds even more untapped potential. 'We've got the inorganic minerals which tell us about geology, the organic part which tells us about habitat, and the biological part – that's the DNA,' she explained. 'Soon, we'll not only be able to see where a sample came from, but also when someone was at that location.' She's excited about the science, but also keen to demystify it. STV News Professor Lorna Dawson has been involved in some of Scotland's most high-profile murder trials. 'It's important that we communicate science to make people understand that it's not a mystery. Science is exciting, very interesting, and very useful,' she said. 'Soil can be used in many avenues – from agriculture to water purification – and also to work out whether material came from the crime scene, or from alternative proposition locations such as the home address of the accused.' As for the portrayal of forensic scientists on television, Dawson is realistic and has even worked as a consultant on Silent Witness. 'Like a lot of programmes, it's a mixed bag. Some are very good. Others are entertainment – a way for the public to go into dark places, but safely from their armchair.' Even as a child, Dawson was fascinated by the dark side. She said: 'I used to read and watch Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series…but safely, even though you ran up the stairs at night after being immersed in the stories, glancing behind at your peril.' Thanks to her dedication, passion and scientific rigour, generations of detectives – and victims' families – have found something more substantial than fiction: Truth, rooted in the earth beneath our feet. Professor Lorna Dawson is a Principal Scientist and Head of the Centre for Forensic Soil Science at the James Hutton Institute, and one of the UK's leading forensic soil scientists. Her work has contributed to dozens of criminal investigations across the UK and internationally. Watch Scotland Tonight: A Conversation with Lorna Dawson on Thursday at 8.30pm on STV and the STV Player. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scottish Sun
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
STV News viewers left baffled by major blunder live on air
The episode, Should we trash cash?, was due to be broadcast at 8.30pm NO SHOW STV News viewers left baffled by major blunder live on air STV viewers were left baffled after their screens showed an EMPTY studio. The broadcaster was preparing to televise its popular Scotland Tonight programme. Advertisement 1 STV televised an empty studio during the start of its Scotland Tonight programme The episode, Should we trash cash?, was due to be broadcast at 8.30pm. After the commercial break, the cameras faced an empty chair in a deserted studio. Moments later, it cut to a pre-recorded video, before Scotland Tonight was finally shown. The blunder didn't go unnoticed and some viewers took to social media. Advertisement Last night, one man posted: "Anyone watching STV right now? It keeps cutting to the studio with no one there." Another said: "STV news just broadcasting an empty chair is some proper doomsday s**t." A third person joked: "It's broke or aliens abducted them." Scotland Tonight is STV's current affairs show "which tackles the issues behind the headlines from a Scottish perspective".
The Herald Scotland
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
STV viewers perplexed as news opens to an empty studio
The show went out at 8:30pm to living rooms across the country. The scene of and empty studio quickly cut to pre-recorded video before normality was resumed afterwards. However, the gaffe was spotted by many who took to social media to register their surprise. READ MORE: One said: "Deary me. STV is having a nightmare with their Scotland Tonight segment. Is anyone in the news room with us right now." Another asked: "What's happened to STV News ?", while one poster on X (formerly Twitter) said: "Anyone watching stv right now? It keeps cutting to the studio with no one there." Anyone watching stv right now? It keeps cutting to the studio with no one there 😂 — Ross Cairns (@rosscairns95) July 10, 2025 Scotland tonight bills itself as "Exploring current affairs and tackling issues behind the headlines from a Scottish perspective."
