04 Sep 2025
By Craig Darling, Partner, Corporate at Gilson Gray.
Scotland’s SME sector has shown impressive resilience over recent years. However, for lenders, particularly challenger banks, alternative funders and asset-based lenders – 2026 will be critical in balancing opportunity with risk.
The end of government support schemes has exposed the underlying pressures many businesses are facing: ongoing cash flow constraints, elevated input costs, legacy debt burdens and a persistently difficult economic environment. In this climate, the role of responsive, flexible finance providers has never been more important.
The Current Landscape
Official insolvency statistics in Scotland continue to show a gradual rise in corporate…