We have dug deep into the data, sought meaningful analysis and comment.
We have offered reflection, while also looking forward. We have celebrated and entertained. We have started conversations we intend to keep having.
Over the last week, The Herald team has worked hard to offer a full, detailed and thought-provoking investigation into Scotland’s relationship with alcohol. I wrote last week as we launched our series that it was a complex relationship – and our findings reinforce that – but it has been fascinating to explore the true extent.
For example, our whisky industry is worth billions to the country’s economy; vital for employment, tourism and trade. It is a great source of pride, demonstrative of our talent in the field and standing on the global stage. Our world-famous brands, and our growing start-ups, have cemented themselves as top tourist attractions, with distilleries now our most popular destinations in the country.
Read more:
Editor's Pick | Catherine Salmond: What is Scotland's relationship with alcohol in 2024?
On the other hand, deaths from alcohol are at a 14-year high and many of the other health statistics we have revealed, analysed and discussed this week are nothing short of disturbing. We have told heart-breaking stories of people whose lives have been shaped by alcohol abuse, reinforcing the long-held, negative relationship Scotland has with drink.
Scotland and Alcohol is not a straightforward story. You can read every article in our series here.
But where do we go from here? Our five-day investigation ends today, but the conversations we believe are vital around Scotland and alcohol will not. My team is committed to celebrating all that is good about our relationship with drink, especially what it brings to Scotland by way of business and tourism, but we will not shy away from the negatives; the deaths, the crimes, the lives and communities destroyed by alcohol abuse. We will continue to tell people’s stories, reveal new trends, look to other countries for comparisons, support those working hard to change the statistics, and apply pressure on those who have influence. Please join us in this much-needed discussion.
Get Editor's Pick straight to your inbox every Friday.
Meanwhile, we are already working on our next series, details of which I will share with you soon.
You can also catch up on our series looking at the depopulation of the Highlands and Islands which we ran in January, kickstarting our year with a determination to deliver for you, our readers, detailed investigations on a wide range of subjects that matter in 2024.
Many thanks for your continued support and interest,
Catherine Salmond,
Editor
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here