Hundreds protest outside Holyrood calling for pause on Scotland's data centre expansion

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Holyrood on Thursday to demand an immediate halt to Scotland’s rapidly expanding data‑centre sector, which now includes at least 20 proposed projects across the country. Among the sites slated for development is a facility in Auchtertool, Fife, promoted as the second‑largest data centre in the world. Organisers, led by 52‑year‑old activist Kat Jones, called for a moratorium on new constructions, urging representatives from regions such as Lammermuir, Ayrshire and Aberdeen to join the protest.

Jones, who addressed the crowd from the steps of Arthur’s Seat, highlighted concerns over the environmental impact, energy consumption and local infrastructure strain associated with the proposed centres. Government officials have yet to announce a formal response, but the demonstration underscores growing public scrutiny of the sector’s growth trajectory and its alignment with Scotland’s climate and planning policies.