Kirsten Johnson

Jan 23, 2025 | thecourier.co.uk | Kirsten Johnson

Inland Fife is experiencing a property price boom as buyers begin to turn their back on the Kingdom’s traditional coastal hotspots in search of better value for money. St Andrews and the East Neuk, which have long boasted some of Scotland’s highest asking prices, have experienced a marked “slowdown”, according to new figures. Meanwhile, Glenrothes was ranked 10th in the UK for house price growth last year, according to Rightmove – with an average increase of 6.8% from 2023 to 2024.

Jan 23, 2025 | thecourier.co.uk | Kirsten Johnson

A Scottish civil engineering firm has announced a major jobs boost as it opens a new office in Perth. Story Scotland has launched a new division to deliver “innovative and efficient civil engineering solutions” for energy customers across Scotland. The move will see 100 new roles created across the Fair City, Blantyre and other Scottish sites over the next five years. It comes in response to the growing demand for sustainable infrastructure and energy services.

Jan 19, 2025 | pressandjournal.co.uk | Keith Findlay |Kirsten Johnson

A case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Germany has revived bad memories of past outbreaks in Scotland. Keith Findlay and Kirsten Johnson hear harrowing accounts of those dark days. There have, thankfully, been no more cases of FMD reported since news broke of an FMD outbreak, affecting a herd of 14 water buffalos, near Berlin last week. Three dead animals tested positive for the virus. The rest of the herd were culled to prevent further spread.

Jan 19, 2025 | thecourier.co.uk | Kirsten Johnson

Perthshire livestock farmer Neil McGowan gets emotional whenever he thinks back to the “devastation” foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) brought to Scotland in 2001. Th is country’s agriculture sector is now looking nervously at Germany, where an outbreak of FMD was reported last week. Neil, 49, runs Incheoch Farm, near Alyth. He was not directly affected by the outbreak but his maternal grandfather lost his prize 150-year-old herd in Castle Douglas.

Jan 11, 2025 | thecourier.co.uk | Kirsten Johnson

A Fife biotech firm inspired by Scotland’s great inventors has been awarded a multimillion-pound investment to develop a new tool that could aid the worldwide cancer fight. Pulzar, created by St Andrews Pharmaceutical Technology Limited, uses low energy radio waves to rapidly increase cell protein production.