Scotland's papers: Voters go to the polls and former council leader jailed

As voters across Scotland go to the polls in the 2026 Scottish Election, the newspapers take the opportunity to give their opinions on the front pages.

But the BBC - like all other broadcasters - is restricted to reporting only factual accounts of the vote in line with polling day rules.

With the election understandably dominating the front page headlines, we have looked at some other stories featuring in Thursday's papers.

The Daily Telegraph and The Times cover the sentencing of former council leader Jordan Linden. He was found guilty for sexually assaulting five young men and has been jailed for 18 months.

The Scottish Daily Express reports on the teenager who admitted murdering John McNab in Edinburgh. The paper also looks back on David Attenborough's life ahead of his 100th birthday.

A 68-year-old man has been attacked by a robber who broke into his home in Renfrew, the Daily Record reports. The paper says the police are now appealing for more information.

The Herald writes that Edinburgh's tourist tax is set to help pay for special shows and events to mark the 80th birthday of the city's first major arts festivals in 2027. Up to £1.46m could be allocated to celebrate the Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

The Scottish Daily Mail reports that an inquest into the death of Sir Richard Branson's wife, who was born in Glasgow, found she died from a blood clot two weeks after a fall. Lady Joan Branson died on 24 November 2025 following complications from a back injury.

Cruise passengers paid a visit to Inverness after one of the largest cruise ships of the season docked in the Highlands, the Press and Journal writes. The paper reported about 3,800 passengers arrived in Invergordon on Wednesday with about 40 buses expected in Inverness.

The Courier writes that councillors are being urged to block plans for a solar farm in Perth and Kinross and Alan Cumming has been given an edition of the Beano in which he appeared. Cumming features in the Dundee comic's latest edition "Beanotown goes to Hollywood".

The National writes that McGhee's bakery has released a collection of archive images to mark its 90th anniversary and journey from a small family bakery in Glasgow's Maryhill to becoming one of Scotland's biggest bakery brands. The paper also reports that experts have revealed sighting hotspots for the Loch Ness Monster ahead of a new major search.

The Guardian covers US politics alongside its election coverage on the front page. It reports that President Trump has issued a new ultimatum telling Iran to accept a deal to the end the war or face a new wave of US bombing.

The UK's oldest literary prize - the James Tait Black prize for fiction - looks under threat for the first time in its history due to strike action at the University of Edinburgh, The Scotsman reports. The prize has been awarded at the university every year since 1919.

And actress Claire Neilson, who starred in an episode of Fawlty Towers and Scotch and Wry with Rikki Fulton, has died aged 89, according to The Scottish Sun.