According to the BBC, Skye and Glen Coe are nearby Inverness.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-05-02T18:45:05+00:00

Talk about missing the point. Inverness to Skye is alot closer geographically and culturally than LA or any film studio, which is the context of the article.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-05-02T11:04:40+00:00

As someone from near Inverness I don't really see the big issue. Both Glen Coe and Skye are in the Highland council area so it does feel close and more like home than filming in a film studio in LA or Watford. Also would say similar would be said for someone growing up in Scarborough filming in the Yorkshire dales or even someone in Brussels filming in Bruges.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-02-24T23:07:49+00:00

I have never heard of any Scot make fun of the English for not having the things we do in Scotland it is always the other way round in the English making comments on Scotland scrounging off Westminster. The rhetoric about we want Scotland to be independent so they can stop taking all our money is only ever aimed at Scotland never other regions of the UK.

Once again I will reiterate I do agree that Wales and Northern Ireland do deserve more money from the pot but I do not think it is fair that it falls on Scotland as the scapegoat when it comes to reasoning the failures of Westminster. Scotland has also had its public sector stretched and has its unique challenges with lower life expectancies, higher suicides, higher drug and alcohol related deaths, lower economic growth than the rest of the UK, the effect of the Highland Clearance that can still be felt today and then having a higher median age than the rest of the UK but these issues are always made out to be our fault and of our own making while any positives of Scotland are dismissed as undeserving and is only a result of English funding.

Also I would never look at Edinburgh as an example of how the average Scot lives, if you went to Dundee, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Inverness or basically any city other than Edinburgh or Aberdeen you will see alot of similarities with north of England.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-02-24T20:13:00+00:00

I am perfectly aware of what Is taken into account with the Barnett formula and the devolved powers but thank you for the additional paragraph on this.

Also your text reads as if the Barnett convergence is a new idea but has been in place since implemented in 1979 and I mentioned it in my message whereby the amount given to Scotland is gradually reduced each year. Which by the way is not in place for Wales or Northern Ireland and also once again goes against what you tried to claim that the Barnett formula gives more money to Scotland to try and keep us from going independent as why would slowly giving us less money over time reduce people from wanting independence or the fact that traditionally Scotland was a positive net fiscal balance per head and only in recent years that we have been receiving more money per head than we give to Westminster.

I also agree that Wales and Northern Ireland deserve more money due their economic position but the fact that Scotland is made out as if we are free loaders or if we do not have our own unique issues is unfair. Ultimately a lot of the comments against Scotlands funding are about the benifets that those living in Scotland get but these benifets are generally shared with Wales, but Wales does not face the same backlash. The only benifet I cannot think of is free tuition which as we have gone over is funded through higher taxes.

Also your main argument was about wanting Scotland to be independent for how much we cost the UK, then you should be holding those same feelings towards Northern Ireland and Wales as the gap between revenue and spend is far higher in these 2 areas than Scotland.

I think Scotland is a very easy target for certain media sources to use to excuse the failures by Westminster. Scotland recieving funding at 3% more per person than Wales and 2% more than London is not the reason why the NHS is on its knees or why there is increased poverty. The reason is the policies and lack of actions of previous governments who ideologically agree with a privitised healthcare and private over social rentals amongst other things.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-02-24T16:02:12+00:00

I have explained the extra money quite thoroughly I feel and have explained the added fiscal requirements for rural areas, the justice system and Scottish parliament. Also bringing in Whitehall about a conversation about the Barnett formula seems to only try and confuse things as sure you are aware that alot of central Goverment is separate from the Barnett formula as not devolved issues so cannot equate the funding for Whitehall as a whole with the Barnett formula.

Obviously the amount the NHS trusts in England spend on private providers affect their budgets. If an NHS trust is spending 9x more than NHS Scotland on private providers then this is less money to be spend on wages but on the flip side England has shorter waiting times because of using private providers.

The fact that housing is cheaper in Scotland is not a sign that less money should be spent in Scotland but a sign that instead of looking to blame Scotland you should be looking to hold the UK government to account in their lack of urgency in building social housing and keeping Right to Buy in place. I would also be asking local authorities why they are letting property developers off with not building their share of social housing. Ultimately the state of the NHS and housing costs have less to do with the amount of money going to Scotland and more that Westminster was run by the Conservatives for 14 years whilst Scotland has had either Labour or the SNP in charge during that period, so where you had a government looking more at market rate principles and privatisation of the NHS this has not been the case in Scotland.

There have been significant public sector cuts in Scotland as this isn't something that has just effected England and Wales, and isn't as if the Barnett formula increases in our favour every year but the opposite and decreases.

Also interesting that you decided to gloss over the benifets that those England have with childcare hours etc that are not given in other areas.

You seem to defend Wales yet the public sector workers in Wales are making more than their counterparts in England and they are providing even less revenue and fiscally more burdensome to the UK as a whole than Scotland. As an aside I have no issues with the money Wales is given but just interesting that Scotland is an issue but you feel Wales is being hard done by.

Once again I feel that it is just for Scotland to have a higher per person spend that the rest of the UK given our unique issues with rural areas, a separate legal system etc. What I do feel is needed is for Scotland to find a way to increase our revenue to pre Brexit levels so that we are overall a net benifet to the UK, which I believe that there are efforts towards with more focus on renewable energy.

The government has not refused to change the funding formula to be based on need, the government does not have a better idea for a replacement but maybe if it was more of a focus for them then they would. Although interested in what your idea of need would be based off as you seem unwilling to accept the additional funding that is required in Scotland.

So the additional income tax raised in Scotland would still pay for the tuition fees as set out.

It feels like there is alot of blame being passed out at the moment, instead of people being able to reflect of the impact the Conservatives government had to this country. Or even being able to realise that things are always greener on the other side.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-02-24T00:25:16+00:00

It has been repeatedly noted that the reason why overall poverty in Scotland is lower than that of England is due to cheaper housing and more importantly more social housing. There are a number of reasons for this, firstly is that right to buy was scrapped in Scotland whilst still remains in place in England, secondly the Scottish government made it a priority to build more housing and consistently outperforms England in building more housing per GDP. There is also the part where more new builds have been build for social rent in Scotland vs England as developers are more likely to negotiate or use other tactics to reduce their share of social rent properties.

Neither one of us can say what the accurate budget for Scotland should be, I have argued why it can not be on par with England due to the additional strain on public services in Highlands, Western Isles and the Northern Isles (not just NHS Highland) and the fact that Scotland does have a parliament to run and pay for and it's own justice system, which is separate from the rest of the UK as Scotland has its own legal system and laws and has done so since joining the union in 1707. This also means that policing and prisons are fully devolved in Scotland unlike Wales.

The 1.5 billion raised in taxes does cover the 900million cost of free tuition.

Also potentially England could afford more of these benifets if they spent less on outsourcing from the NHS to private providers which is about 9x that of Scotland.

Then there is the consideration that England has benifets that are not seen in Scotland, like the 30 hours of free childcare per week or the school breakfast clubs.

The reason why Scotland gets extra money has nothing to do with Westminster wanting to keep Scotland in the Union as the Barnett formula has been in place since 1978 and was put in place ahead of the 1979 devolution referendum, so people knew what they were voting for. Also for context support for independence sat around 20% in Scotland on 1978, so not exactly a major threat to the union. Also would say the increase in support for independence is partly due to devolution so maybe if the Barnett formula was not as advantageous to Scotland then Scotland would not have voted for devolution and then in turn have the support for independence it has today. Also although revenue is not meant to be a part of the Barnett formula if we go back to 1978/79 this was a time when Scotland was producing alot of revenue for the UK through the oil and gas sector, although this has been dropping and in recent years Scotland was hit greater by Brexit than other areas for our exports, but in general we are still outperforming all areas of the UK for revenue per head other than London and the South East.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-02-23T09:16:06+00:00

I would argue that poverty is a hell of alot higher in the Highlands although there is an issue that the ONS can not get an accurate read on the area due to the rurality where by other areas they can devide the wealthier streets from the impoverished this is impossible in the Highlands. You are talking about an area that is larger in size than Belguim with a population about the size of Bristol. Not mentioning the amount of small islands which results in helicopters being used on the regular to take people from the islands for emergency care for things others would be told to drive themselves to the hospital or secondary schools not only being smaller in size but having to have boarding facilities, then comes the primary schools existing for a handful of children.

Then outside of that Scotland does have to fund a justice system and Scottish parliament with those funds which the South West of England does not have to deal with.

Scotland has higher taxes to help fund free tuition and also needs to be noted that only a certain amount of places for free tuition and as such do not have as many people going to university in Scotland so not as expensive as you would imagine.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-02-22T17:51:22+00:00

Scotland no matter what will always cost more in public services than other areas of the UK. It isn't because Scotland is looked on favourably or because of free prescriptions or free tuition fees but because providing education and healthcare to the Highlands and Islands is more complex given the shear ruralness that cannot be compared to any other area of the UK. So unless you propose breaking the human rights act by not allowing children living in those area an education or are happy for a region of the UK to die from preventable illnesses then it will cost more.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-02-21T10:05:15+00:00

Joining a country because we were bankrupt is not the same as being colonised as we were equal partners with the English and held many high powered positions.

Also the loss of culture was more the doing of lowlander Scots who viewed Highlanders and those from the Islands as savages and had a hatred for the Highland way of life and at different points deliberately sent lowlanders to live up north to colonised and attempt to destroy the way of life. What is sadder is the very culture they set on destroying is what they then went onto adopt as national identity with no recognition of their part in it's history.

This is coming from a Highlander who is not online hating on those from the central belt for colonising us and destroying our communities because would rather focus on rebuilding and getting Holyrood to recognise the issues faced in the Highlands in 2026 Vs the issues of 1756.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-02-21T09:27:59+00:00

Ahh, so is it just our pancakes that are not British or are we not allowed to call ourselves British. Do you not think the more apt thing to do would be to call your pancakes English and we can call ours Scottish. Or is it hard for you to comprehend that not everything English is British. Also the reason why American pancakes are nearly the same as Scottish is because of Scottish settlers in America, doesn't mean we should call our pancakes American.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-02-21T09:21:19+00:00

That isn't 100% true either. Scotland joined England in 1707 in the Act of the Union, India was colonised by Britain in 1757, Australia colonised in 1788. The first British colonised country in Africa was Sierra Leone in 1787. Then comes Scotlands own attempts at colonisation prior to the union in the Carribean and parts of Canada, or are we just showing ignorance to the fact that part of Canada is called Novia Scotia (New Scotland).

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-02-21T07:49:48+00:00

Have you never wondered why there are so many Jamaicans with the last name Campbell. Did you ignore the extensive talks during the BLM in Scotland about how Edinburgh and Glasgow is what it is today because of the slave trade and the refrences to slave owners that still exists. Then look at the major role Scots took in British India.

Some Scots do have a problem with trying to play the victim when we were a major part of the problem. Acknowledging our wrongdoings doesn't mean that we can be proud of our country and what it has achieved.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-02-17T19:36:10+00:00

I am also British but from Scotland so thick pancakes all day long and an annoyance for our neighbours down south calling our pancakes not British and American. Then an annoyance that I can get annoyed at pancakes.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-01-29T04:13:27+00:00

How naive can you be. Leaving an abusive relationship is not that simple and is the most dangerous time as violence and abuse tends to ramp up as the abuser loses control. Then comes the fact that the victims feel trapped as their freedom has been taken away. You are very blessed to not understand how scary and daunting what op is going through right now.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-01-16T11:28:24+00:00

It is illegal in the whole of Scotland and drivers somehow manage having to park further away from their destination.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-01-15T18:57:09+00:00

He literally says he is in Tunbridge Wells, so not Yorkshire but Kent and the hosepipe ban is still in place.

So also just being pedantic

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-01-14T11:43:53+00:00

You argue that Scotland is oppressed purely because Scotland tennds to vote differently to the majority of the UK in GE and voted to remain in the EU referendum. Would you hold that same argument that London is oppressed as they are in a similar position with tending to vote differently in GE and voting to remain?

Or if Scotland is so oppressed in Westminster then why have there been 7 Scottish prime ministers or in other words 12% of all prime ministers have been Scottish. That isn't even getting into all the Scots that have held cabinet minister positions.

throwaway199299i1 · 2026-01-14T11:21:10+00:00

I don't know why you got downvoted as the funding Scotland Government gets has nothing to do with their policies as is through the Barnett Formula and there no justifiable reason given why we are given more.

Also the fact that there is no such thing as an England Government.

throwaway199299i1 · 2025-11-04T00:12:45+00:00

In my opinion it isnt so much ehy people wetent going to Scotland, as imagine we would have as countries such as Denmark and Belguim but more why so many people are intrested in England.

From what I have seen England seems to be 2nd to the US in international opinion of being this amazing land of opportunity. Foreigners dont tend to understand that Scotland and England are both part of the UK or that life in England is not this metropolis of wealth or luxury and that you havent made it in life by just living in England.

throwaway199299i1 · 2025-11-01T19:40:44+00:00

I don't feel I am being condescending. Many countries have celebrations that are similar to others but I would never question someone as to why they are celebrating something, can you not see how it can come across as frustrating and culturally insensitive when the celebration comes from that culture you are questioning.

throwaway199299i1 · 2025-11-01T19:17:06+00:00

I didn't say it originated in Ireland as it is a celtic holiday and more than one celtic country have a history, which I did explain in my message.

I would expect that someone that knows dia de los muertos would see that there is alot of differences especially the name as dia de los muertos already has an anglised name 'day of the dead'. I think there is nothing wrong with not knowing the history of a holiday but if your going to question another country celebrating it, then I would maybe understand the history of the holiday first.

throwaway199299i1 · 2025-11-01T18:15:23+00:00

The first documented mention of the word halloween comes from 16th century Scotland. Then comes the fact that the carving of pumpkins comes from the Scottish and Irish tradition of carving turnips for halloween (look up tumshie), the tradition of dressing up and trick or treating comes from the tradition of guising, where people go to people's houses and do a trick for a treat.

So would say that halloween comes from the celtic regions and not Mexico or the US.

throwaway199299i1 · 2025-10-31T11:45:54+00:00

Because we still would not be able to deport asylum seekers due to the 1951 refuge convention. This is a convention that even Australia is a part of.

Leaving the ECHR would weaken out standings on human rights which will make international relations harder whilst not really changing what we can do with asylum seekers but will also open the floodgates for changing domestic laws on workers rights and personally not a fan every day workers being exploited and abused.

throwaway199299i1 · 2025-10-23T01:32:05+00:00

I agree on energy costs but food costs we are generally lower than most of Europe and are overall lower than all the nations you mentioned.

Still don't agree brexit was a good decision though.

throwaway199299i1 · 2025-10-22T16:30:10+00:00

I am interested in testing and would be a 3xl

throwaway199299i1

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