Here are the business stories making the headlines across Scotland and the UK this morning.
Ferries saga ship Glen Sannox starts first official sailing
More than seven years after what was effectively a sham launch with plywood funnels and painted-on windows, the Glen Sannox has finally set sail for real.
The vessel left the port of Troon bound for Brodick just before 07:00 in a fresh southerly breeze and is now pitching up and down on the swell in the Firth of Clyde.
Many people in Arran are delighted that the vessel is in service at last, after years of disruption.
Read the full story here.
Lecht ski resort back from brink with new investors
A popular Cairngorms ski resort that faced the threat of closure a year ago is now thriving thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign and new backers.
The Lecht 2090 starts the season with a renewed sense of optimism as ski lovers flock to the slopes under bluebird conditions.
Today over 600 people are expected at the ski centre, which is located between Cockbridge and Tomintoul on the A939, the highest A road in the UK.
Read the full story in the P&J.
Branson lines up £500m train order to smash Eurostar monopoly
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is preparing an order for a dozen high-speed trains as it bids to break Eurostar’s monopoly on services through the Channel Tunnel.
Virgin aims to sign a contract for the trains as early as this quarter to get ahead of startup Evolyn, which is also putting together plans to run trains from London to the continent.
Project lead Phil Whittingham said Virgin will choose between two suppliers it has shortlisted and is evaluating models from Alstom, Siemens, Hitachi and Talgo. The order is likely to be worth more than £500m, based on the value of recent deals for similar rolling stock.
Savers pile into bonds as markets brace for more turmoil
Turmoil in the bond market has prompted a surge of interest from everyday savers seeking to take advantage of higher returns.
Retail investors are rushing to buy gilts – as UK Government bonds are known – after a recent surge in their yields, which are the effective interest rate offered.
Andy Bell, the founder of AJ Bell, one of Britain’s leading consumer stockbrokers, said monthly buying volumes for gilts were now “about six times higher than they were in autumn 2022” after Liz Truss’s mini-Budget triggered a similar spike in bond yields.