Neil McIntosh Editor of The Scotsman

Hello Voornaam,

It's fair to say the SNP's leadership election - and, of course, race to become the next First Minister - has dominated attention this week. The candidates' fiery encounter earlier in the week got the most attention. Our reviewer, Aidan Smith, reckoned it was "a stairheid rammy at times", a "stramash" with gloves off and boots on. Nicola Sturgeon said she'd given it a miss. Little wonder.

Amid the candidates' barbs around their rivals' track records, there are also important shifts in government policy being promised. Kate Forbes used a visit to - appropriately - the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh to say she was against a ban on alcohol advertising, which has been a legislative threat hanging over the Scottish drinks and hospitality industry for several months now. Our view is that the legislation is now dead: no candidate wants to pursue it, so it joins a bonfire of policies including the deposit return scheme and the "de facto referendum".

Which all means that, even if you are not a supporter of the SNP, these hustings - and the vote among the SNP's members - will have lasting impact on the whole of Scotland. We'll be continuing to cover them in detail - continuing tonight at the Lothian hustings in Edinburgh.

Also in the news today - members of Scotland's biggest teaching union, the EIS, have backed a new pay deal and will end their strike action. Their decision follows on from a similar move by their colleagues in the SSTA, and means parents of Scottish schoolchildren will be breathing a heavy sigh of relief: the kids will be back at school five days a week. It's a welcome boost to the Scottish Government after a bruising few weeks, too.

And we also have a new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh today: Prince Edward and wife Sophie, the former Countess of Wessex, gain the new titles and will be in the Scottish capital later today.

Looking ahead to the weekend, we have a huge men's rugby game on Sunday afternoon when Scotland take on Ireland, hoping to keep our Six Nations dream alive.

But, in this Women's History Month, we'll also be devoting a lot of space on Saturday and Sunday to brilliant woman across a number of areas.

In tomorrow's magazine, you can meet some of the National Museum of Scotland's female curators and their choices for inspirational women, as represented in their collections.

And in Scotland on Sunday (and on scotsman.com, of course, as part of your subscription), do watch out for a very special interview with Lesley Paterson, the extraordinary triathlete, screenwriter and film producer whose film - All Quiet on the Western Front - is up for nine Oscars on Sunday night.

All told, plenty to keep you engaged. Whether it's politics or (if like the outgoing First Minister) you'd prefer to watch something else, we've got you covered.

Enjoy your weekend.

Neil McIntosh

Editor, The Scotsman