Good morning, Welcome to your midweek newsletter from The Scotsman. We've got some great stories for you today. Quality, trusted journalism is costly to produce. This newsletter will always be free and open for all but if you are able to, please consider supporting us with a digital subscription if you find value in what we do. A subscription gets you unlimited access to all our stories and starts from just £3 a month. Try us today, with no obligations, here. Trump Organisation accuses Scottish politicians of pursuing 'personal agenda' The Trump Organisation has accused politicians in Scotland of pursuing “personal agendas” ahead of a parliamentary vote on whether ministers should launch a probe into Donald Trump’s finances, our investigations reporter Martyn McLaughlin can exclusively reveal. In a sternly worded statement on the eve of the debate in the Scottish Parliament, the former US president’s firm dismissed the MSP spearheading the calls for the Scottish Government to pursue an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) as a “national embarrassment.” Read more of the statement, issued by Eric Trump, and the accusations labelled at the Scottish Government here. Independence would hit economy harder than Brexit, say researchers Independence would hit the Scottish economy harder than Brexit, and rejoining the EU would make little difference, a team of academics has said. The economic damage from leaving both unions would be the equivalent of an income loss of between £2,000 and £2,800 per person, according to an analysis of trade by the London School of Economics (LSE). You can review the analysis yourself and have your say on this article here. Smells like green spirit World-famous Scotch whisky produced on the islands of Islay and Jura will soon have an extra taste of the sea, thanks to a pioneering green energy project that will see distilleries powered by the ebb and flow of the tides. The revolutionary Oran na Mara project, by marine energy firm Nova Innovation, will see a series of underwater turbines installed between the two islands in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides. It's a fascinating project, you can discover more about it here. And finally... Thousands of Scots have adopted rescue animals over the lockdown in order for some much needed companionship. Are you thinking of giving a rescue pet its forever home? We spoke to the Scottish SPCA for advice on how provide a home for these animals during a pandemic. Thanks for reading, lots more headlines below. Sam Shedden |