I DON’T think anything quite sums up journalism like heading to Scotland’s new surf resort one day, only for my next shift to focus on the re-election of Donald Trump as US President.

Perhaps it’s a cliché to say that no two days are the same in journalism, but that really has been the case in my time with The National.

Today marks my final shift with the newspaper and, in that time, I’ve seen the resignations of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, of Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf, the death of Queen Elizabeth and the coronation of King Charles (below).

(Image: PA)

Last year’s General Election was even thrown in for good measure.

I first joined in May 2022 as an inexperienced journalist straight out of university and this role has afforded me so many opportunities since then.

Whether it’s the aforementioned surfing trip or the chance to spend some time in Cardiff to try out a new train service linking Edinburgh to the Welsh capital.

I must say though that meeting Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen (below) for the Glasgow Film Festival is something future employers may struggle to replicate.

(Image: PA)

It’s not all as glamorous as it sounds though, and the memory of standing in the pouring rain after being offered a slice of pizza by John Swinney on Portobello Beach is one that will stay with me a while.

My misery that day was only compounded further by the fact that the First Minister didn’t recognise me from our chat about five years prior at a football gala day in my hometown when I was working for local radio (shocking I know).

What has stood out most at my time at The National however is that we’ve never been afraid to do things differently, to make ourselves stand out in the media landscape.

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Nowhere has this been more evident than in our coverage of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

I’m proud to have been part of a team which has not only helped to call out the appalling genocide which has taken place but also one which has actively made a difference through our campaigns to raise money for Medical Aid for Palestinians.

Finally, none of my time at The National would have been as enjoyable were it not for my colleagues.

It has been a pleasure to work alongside each and every one of them.

They’re a fantastic team and I know they will continue to do a brilliant job with the paper.