The conviction of Finlay MacDonald last week for murder and attempted murder as a result of his knife and gun rampage in and around Skye two years ago has led to the predictable call for answers: answers as to why MacDonald had firearms in the first place, and answers over the sufficiency of the police response.

As understandable as both questions are, and equally important the answers to them, there is a depressing reality that risks of such tragedies happening again are not only real, they are inevitable, and perhaps sadly with an increased frequency than what has gone before.

Anyone with little more than the most superficial understanding of this case will conclude that MacDonald should not have had a shotgun licence. That much is clear. Yet for as much as that creates a temptation to believe the licensing system as a whole needs an overhaul more people will continue to lose their lives at the hands of those who hold driving licences each year than those who ever hold firearms licences. There have been 17 homicides by shooting in Scotland (including MacDonald’s) in the past 10 years and precious few of those involved legally-held guns.

Read more by Calum Steele

That is not to say improvements can’t be made, or indeed shouldn’t be made – but the early concentration on the health and referee processes, as important as they are, risks creating the impression that if these were made more stringent and intrusive, lessons would surely have been learned. Pronouncements could be made, rueful regret over past........

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