Edinburgh's epic Festival Fringe brings out the best in this beautiful ancient city, discovers Stephen Jewell.

Anne Gibson checks into the stylish Hotel ibis Styles in Edinburgh, where the carpet teaches her to speak Scots.

A crew member on a bin lorry that killed six Christmas shoppers in Scotland punched the unconscious driver as it careered across a busy square and screamed, "You're killing people, Harry", an inquiry has heard.

With the Old Course one side and 300 whiskies on the other, Kevin Pilley is a happy man.

Kevin Pilley enjoys a game of beach cricket with Kiwi pals on the picturesque Fife coast northeast of Edinburgh.

Nicola Sturgeon, the most senior politician in Scotland, is leading the drive for Scottish independence and even appeared on The Daily Show.

Fresh from a landslide victory at the general election, former Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond declared that Scotland was closer than ever to separating from the UK.

Scotland has become a virtual one-party state following an astonishing performance from the SNP that saw the party win an astonishing 56 of the 59 seats available in the country.

Mhairi Black is 20 years old and has become UK's youngest MP in more than 300 years after inflicting humiliating defeat on Labour Party's chief strategist.

Police have detained a 21-year-old as part of the investigation into missing Glasgow student Karen Buckley.

As a way to observe the wilds of Scotland, it's hard to beat the magic of rail travel, writes Anthony Lambert.

Och, witch room? Clash of the tartans and a wee dram later, Kevin Pilley is still deciding.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson is tipping upsets during the World Cup - and that's part of the reason he slightly bristled at a description of tomorrow's opponents Scotland.

A wildlife cruise on the Isle of Mull is heaven for bird lovers, writes Richard Tulloch.

Resembling a fierce ancestor of the Loch Ness monster, the first fossil of a shark-like reptile has been found.

Gary Anderson might have just defeated the best-ever arrow thrower and landed a £250,000 cheque but he plans to celebrate with little extravagance.

Fears are growing for the lives of eight crewmen after a cargo ship overturned off the north coast of Scotland.

Scotland Yard is investigating claims that a Tory MP throttled a young boy to death during a depraved sex party in the 1970s and that two other boys were killed by a VIP paedophile ring.

All Black star Richie McCaw should swap the silver fern for the thistle, according to genealogy researchers.

Daniel Carter doesn't know whether he did enough in Edinburgh to merit another start in Cardiff this week.

Whether its an 18-year-old Scotch or a fancy cocktail, you'll be spoiled for choice in Edinburgh, says Paul Davies.

A travel-mad Scot has picked New Zealand as the starting spot for his 18,000km cycle-for-charity tour.

A New Zealand woman and her missing camera will be reunited - four years after it went missing in the Scottish wilderness.

British Prime Minister David Cameron was today trying to placate Conservative MPs who are threatening to scupper further devolution for Scotland unless he curbs the voting rights of Scottish MPs at Westminster.

No voters in the independence referendum "look like they have been tricked" by Westminster, Alex Salmond has claimed.

A leading figure in the Scottish National Party said yesterday there was "no doubt" Scotland's Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, would be the party's next leader after Alex Salmond.

Scotland has opted to stick with the union, meaning they can continue to put the Great into Great Britain.