Kevin Brown, savings expert at Scottish Friendly, comments on Scottish GDP

“Scotland's economy has pulled ahead of the rest of the UK over the past three months, with the services, production and construction sectors all raising their output (1).

“However, what happens next for the Scottish economy will ultimately rest on what is happening in the Middle East.

“The longer that takes to resolve, the less likely it is that Scotland or the rest of the UK will be able to maintain their current momentum (2) as higher energy prices and shipping disruption weigh on the global economy.

"For households, the priority hasn't changed. Build a financial buffer where you can and shop around for a better savings rate. Putting spare cash to work in the stock market remains worth considering too, for the chance of stronger long-term returns."

(1) Source: https://www.gov.scot/publications/monthly-gdp-june-2026/

(2) Source: https://www.politico.eu/article/us-iran-war-looms-over-british-economy/