Should Scotland welcome data centres as strategic infrastructure not landlords?
Scotland sleepwalking into a model where communities host strategic digital infrastructure while the benefits flow elsewhere and the risks remain local.
Scotland should welcome data centres, but not as passive landlords. If these facilities are strategic infrastructure, they should be treated as such. That means firm power, minimal diesel reliance, enforceable local benefits and a share of the upside for the communities that host them.
Source: YesThink – Substack June 29, 2026