Hundreds gather to urge Scottish government to pause datacentre boom
TL;DR
Opposition mounts as at least 20 projects proposed, including one in Fife billed as second largest in world Kat Jones may be the closest thing Scotland has to Erin Brockovich in 2026. Standing in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat outside Holyrood, the 52-year-old is revving up the crowd of protesters around her. “Who is here from Lammermuir? Ayrshire? What about Aberdeen?
Nauti's Take
The protest points to a real opportunity: data centres negotiated with residents early tend to survive politically. The risk runs the other way, since a moratorium pushes AI capacity out of Europe, and 20 blocked projects quickly become 20 projects somewhere else.
Anyone planning infrastructure should disclose water, grid and land use up front.
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