Remuneration and related undertaking:
Prior to my election I conducted research and writing on a full time basis, as a sole trader. In this financial year (2016-17) I received remuneration of approximately £7,200 for (a) work carried out and completed prior to the date of the election and (b) work commissioned prior to 5 May 2016 but not yet completed. I do not intend to take on any more work of this nature while serving as an MSP. On 12 August 2016 I received £2,725.80 of royalty payments for published books. In total, I received remuneration of between £10,001 and £15,000 this financial year (2016-17). On 31 August 2017 I received £2,396.54 in royalty payments from Birlinn Ltd. (a publishing company of West Newington House, 10 Newington Road, Edinburgh EH9 1QS). Until 1 February 2019 I received subscription payments to www.whoownsscotland.org.uk which amounted to approximately £500 a month, on an ongoing basis. From 1 February 2019 I no longer receive subscription payments. On 31 August 2018 I received a royalties payment from Birlinn Ltd. of £1904.05. On 30 August 2019 I received a royalties payment of £1971.85 from Birlinn Ltd. [Amended interest 23 August 2016, Amended interest 30 June 2017, Amended interest 28 September 2017, Amended interest 29 October 2018, Amended interest 26 February 2019, Amended Interest 25 September 2019]
On 18 November 2016 I received remuneration of £150 from Moray Council (of High Street, Elgin, Moray, IV30 1BX) for an appearance at the Spirit of Moray Book Festival. [Registered 12 December 2016]
On 14 February 2017 I received £66 under the Public Lending Right (administered by the British Library, of the PLR office, the British Library, Stockton-on-Tees). The Public Lending Right ensures that British authors receive payment for the free lending of their books. [Registered 27 February 2017]
On 3 April 2017 I received £450 for undertaking teaching and examination duties for the University of Glasgow School of Law (of University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ). This was a one-off engagement . [Registered 28 April 2017]
On 16 May 2017 I received £500 remuneration from NEoN (North East of North) Ltd. (a digital arts charity of Chamber Building, 1-3 Panmure Street, Dundee DD1 1EP) for participation in Cateran's CommonWealth Festival. [Registered 02 June 2017]
On 19 June 2017 I received £150 from the University of Glasgow (of University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ) as a fee for participation in a Creative Conversations event on 5 December 2016. [Registered 30 June 2017]
Gifts:
No registrable interests
Overseas visits:
No registrable interests
Controlled transactions:
No registrable interests
Heritable property:
No registrable interests
Interest in shares:
No registrable interests
Voluntary:
I own 2,453 shares in Standard Life plc.
I own 10 X £50 shares in Apple Juice (Applecross) Ltd, a Community Benefit Society. On 24 August 2018 I received a £40 dividend. [Amended interest 29 October 2018]
I am an Honorary Fellow of the School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh
I am a Director of the Caledonia Centre for Social Development.
I am currently defending an action for defamation in the Court of Session and have crowdfunded legal costs. From 14 June 2017 to 30 June 2017 I have received a total of £49,982.98. As of 13 May 2018, the sum received by way of aggregate gifts to support the defence of my defamation action was £59,153.71. As of 4 August 2019, the aggregate amount of gifts received was £168,182.56. [Registered 30 June 2017, Amended interest 29 October 2018, Amended 26 August 2019]
I own 500 x £1 shares in Lochbroom Community Renewables Ltd, a Community Benefit Society. [Registered 03 July 2017]
On 11 October 2018, I attended COSLA's annual conference. COSLA met the cost of my overnight accommodation to a value of approximately £100 [Registered 29 October 2018]