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Anne Johnstone

Columnist and chief leader writer

I've worked for The Herald for more than three decades and am currently the chief leader writer.  I enjoy being a non-specialist but have a special interest in social and environmental politics. I'm an unashamed left-leaning feminist. My background is a Oxford history degree, I'm married to a business consultant, and have three grown-up children.

I've worked for The Herald for more than three decades and am currently the chief leader writer.  I enjoy being a non-specialist but have a special interest in social and environmental politics. I'm an unashamed left-leaning feminist. My background is a Oxford history degree, I'm married to a business consultant, and have three grown-up children.

Latest articles from Anne Johnstone

Relatives of the First World War soldiers whose names are engraved on Strathblane War Memorial gather at the monument. Photograph: Martin Shields

How one community rediscovered its First World War dead

Most of the 14 people who gathered at Strathblane War Memorial had never met but they all had one thing in common. From 15-year-old Jessica Collie to 94-year-old Sir Eric Yarrow, each had family ties to one of the names carved into the stone plaques. So the atmosphere on that sunny Saturday was a mixture of celebration and sadness.

Photograph: Hemis/Alamy

Travel: Morzine, France

"Have some bubbles with your bubbles," one cried, handing me a foaming glass. We laid back in the swirling steamy water, while giant snowflakes landed on our hair and eyelashes.

In their new book Anne Johnstone and Martin Shields chart the significant physical and social changes which have taken place in Blanefield and Strathblane

Strathblane and Blanefield: a chronicle of change

Can you capture the heartbeat of a community between hard covers? Summon the spirit of a place in pictures and words? Today Strathblane and Blanefield, like many Scottish villages, are popular with the retired and with commuters who enjoy the combination of rural living and the proximity to urban delights, in this case Glasgow – a happily asymmetric city for those living on its northern fringes.