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WHILE the air-raid sirens are sounding over the threat to RAF Leuchars and its £60m annual contribution to the Fife economy, Fife should still count its blessings as business braces itself for the summer verdict on Scotland's fast-jet bases and the wider impact of public-sector spending cuts.

For the lowering economic clouds have been pierced by shafts of sunshine.

Confirmation of the construction at Rosyth of the UK's two supercarriers has been followed by a raft of further multi-million-pound investment announcements.

Of primary importance to Fife's infrastructure is Royal Assent for the new Forth Replacement Crossing, which will not only boost the Scottish economy by an estimated £6bn, but also ensure that Fife and the north of Scotland remain open for business.

The decision by online retail giant Amazon to site 750 jobs and their biggest UK distribution centre in Dunfermline represents the largest inward-investment project in Fife for well over a decade.

The arrival of Amazon and Shepherd Offshore, the super-carrier contract, proposals to turn Rosyth waterfront into an international gateway for business across Scotland and the UK, the new Forth crossing and the burgeoning opportunities offered by the renewables sector all confirm Fife's ability to compete for major investment at a UK level.

No wonder the Invest in Fife team can proudly claim for Fife a growing reputation as a first-class business location and easy place to do business.