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In the last episode of the series, Kirsty Wark explores the events of 2008 that saw Scotland go from a leading financial powerhouse and home of the biggest bank in the world, RBS, to an economy in crisis as the global financial crash wreaked havoc. In the years that have followed, Scotland has sought to recover and rebuild, all the while wrestling with big questions about its place in the UK and in the wider world.

This was a time when many Scots lost faith in old institutions – financial, political and even religious, and when one particular year, 2014, saw the eyes of the world turn to Scotland as it hosted the Commonwealth Games and held a referendum on independence.

Kirsty visits Aberdeen to find out how the crash and the austerity that followed have changed lives, and discovers how food banks have proliferated across the country. She also discovers how communities have responded to the crisis and come together to rebuild – from the reverend in Leith who set up a community bank to the townspeople of Dumfries who are working to buy back their high street. Kirsty also meets actors and directors from the National Theatre of Scotland to find out how the arts has responded to calls to better reflect Scotland’s growing diversity and she looks at the declining influence of the church in our communities along with the growing popularity of humanist weddings.

Featuring individuals and families from across Scotland who have seen their churches close down, their high streets transform, and their savings obliterated by the financial crash. Kirsty hears from familiar faces including Alistair Darling, Ruth Davidson and Ian Rankin and reflects on how the last 12 years have shaped her own hometown of Kilmarnock.