As I approach nearly a year as Chair of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) Regional Group in Scotland, I've had the opportunity to reflect on the evolving responsibilities and influence of our profession.

Structural engineering remains at the forefront of progress with continued efforts to embrace material innovations and technological advancement. It is helping to combat one of the great challenges of our time - climate change. This is not just about the structure of new buildings but also about adapting existing structures to minimise impacts on the environment…

There are few things more synonymous with Scotland than whisky. It literally puts us Scots on the map. You can be in a bar in the furthermost corner of the earth, and you will see towns and villages from Speyside to Islay represented upon their shelves. It is an unashamed success story which continues to grow.