You have been reading...

Catch up on the most popular stories on the BBC Scotland news website.

SUNDAY 23 NOVEMBER

'Thug' MSPs tackle religious team

A team of MSPs who were branded "thugs" after a recent match was abandoned are to tackle a side of religious figures, they have announced.

Scottish recession 'not as deep'

Scotland is about to enter its worst recession since 1980, but will still fare better than the rest of the UK, economists have predicted.

Snow brings more road disruption

Heavy overnight snowfalls have made driving conditions treacherous across much of northern Scotland, police have warned.

SATURDAY 22 NOVEMBER

Arctic chill causes road closures

Several roads were closed in northern Scotland as heavy snow made driving conditions treacherous, with warnings of further snow falls.

Shetland top for quality of life

Shetland Islanders have the highest quality of life in Scotland, according to a new survey of average earnings, employment and health.

Teacher guilty of 'incompetence'

A primary school teacher has pled guilty to charges of serious professional incompetence, the first person to appear in Scotland on such a charge.

FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER

Buggy direction 'affects child'

Children who are put in buggies which leave them facing away from their parent could have their development undermined, a study has suggested.

Bankers give up on HBOS campaign

The two leading bankers who had hoped to stop Lloyds TSB taking over HBOS appear to have abandoned their plan.

Teacher guilty of 'incompetence'

A primary school teacher has pled guilty to charges of serious professional incompetence, and now faces being struck off.

THURSDAY 20 NOVEMBER

Detention for sex attack teenager

A 16-year-old who attacked eight women in Glasgow in less than two hours has been sentenced to four years' detention.

Fingerprints on Vicky's body bag

The fingerprints of the man accused of murdering Vicky Hamilton were found on a plastic bag containing her upper torso, a court has heard.

Bankers 'abandon' HBOS campaign

The two leading bankers who had hoped to stop Lloyds TSB taking over HBOS appear to have abandoned their plan.

WEDNESDAY 19 NOVEMBER

New bridge over upper Forth opens

A new £120m road bridge across the upper Forth, to be used by vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, has been opened by First Minister Alex Salmond.

Vicky experienced 'violent death'

A leading pathologist has told the Vicky Hamilton murder trial that bruising found on the schoolgirl's body suggested that she met a violent death.

C.diff 'a factor in more deaths'

Clostridium difficile infection is a greater contributory factor to deaths in Scottish hospitals than currently recorded, an expert has warned.

TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER

Prostitution 'forced into city'

Prostitution in Aberdeen has spread into the city centre since a tolerance zone was abandoned because of a change in the law, it has been claimed.

Man accused of Barcelona murder

A former Royal Navy officer has appeared in court in Spain accused of murdering a Scottish businessman in Barcelona last month.

Maradona rewards eagle-eyed boy

A 13-year-old Cumbernauld boy had a night to remember at a training session involving the Argentina national team at Celtic Park.

MONDAY 17 NOVEMBER

Concern over festive prawn prices

The credit crunch is having a negative effect on Scotland's prawn fishing industry at a time traditionally known for high prices, it has emerged.

Garden grave 'not dug in a hurry'

The Vicky Hamilton murder trial has been shown details by a forensic archaeologist of how a body had been buried in a garden in Kent.

Financier 'discouraged' from bid

The financier behind a move to find another bidder to take over HBOS has claimed he was discouraged by the UK Government from finding an alternative.