Pigeon problem at parliament - your views online

Contractors tackling the long-running pigeon problem at the Scottish Parliament have issued a warning about the potential health risks of bird muck on the building

Peter Livingstone

Who could ever have thought that an excess of guano would have been a problem in this place?

Roy Kilpatrick

This is not a recent problem. It was obvious from occasional visits years ago.

Jill Forrest

Maybe if it had been a more conventional design, this bizarre occurrence wouldn't be happening.

Lorraine Blyth

Keep those windows open to ventilate for covid but never mind what untold diseases you might catch from pigeons.

Robert Wilson

Aberdeen train station has a weird electronic bird of prey which seems to keep pigeons away. The recording of the screeching sound is quite convincing and the silhouette is quite good too. The mechanical wing movement, not so much.

David Mckay

Would imagine they won’t be long in throwing resources at it unlike the damp and infestation in the housing that they turn a blind eye to.

Stuart Young

Pigeons have done more for the people of the UK than that place. Flatten it, sack them and plant some trees.

Andy Burt

Well that may be the excuse the other parties needed to say the SNP is suffering from mad doo disease!

Andrew Emmerson

Has anyone considered what the poor pigeons might catch from those that are already in that place.

Hazel Middleton

Pigeons are more astute than I gave them credit for!

Laura Hammersley

Is this not an issue at the new infirmary building too?

Lewis Macdonald

Chuck a loaf or two of bread on the building a day, keep them well fed.

Covid test shortage

Many Scots have been unable to find lateral flow tests, with online orders and many pharmacies running low on stock

Gillian Ferguson

I work in a pharmacy and we (so far) have had supplies coming in daily. We were only without any for a couple of hours and that's only because people were constantly coming in for them, don't panic there will be enough.

Lorraine Murray

They were handing them out in Dobbies the other day; don't know if they do this every day.

Sharon Allan

Costco were giving them out today.

Kevin Somerville

Testing should only be done when someone feels unwell.

Glyn Price

I made a fortune from my mates, isolation over in time for the New Year.

Lisa Mccraw

You can get them at testing center's – got one today.

Elaine Rose Hamilton

Yes, always managed to get them online or at the local chemist.

Marco Drumond Nobrega

Shambles! Cheese and wine more important!

Florencia Pistritto

Yes, I was given some last week when I had my booster.

Mary Walker

No, can’t find any. I’m asthmatic and have COPD - it scares me that I can’t find any.

Lisa Robertson

Handing them out in Midlothian Community Hospital.

Barry Dickson

Yes, got some yesterday at Ainslie Park Leisure Centre.

Bin troubles

Piershill has become a battleground of wills between residents and the council over how bins should be serviced

John Hardie

Edinburgh council should give themselves a round of applause. Well done in transforming one of the most beautiful cities in the world into a third world slum.

Nadia Affara Tighe

There is surely a public health issue and she should contact environmental health. In many European countries, big bins are sunk underground and rubbish deposited via a shute. No visible mess. The whole thing is then hauled out of the ground and contents emptied

Eleanor Leech

These are being rolled out all over the city. The council is installing them using traffic regulations rather then the usual planning orders you’d expect in a world Heritage site which means there is no right to appeal or protest.

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription. Click on this link for more information.