Scotland Schools Bomb Threat Hoax: 470 Schools Evacuated After “Death Is Near” Email
Threatening emails sent to 470 schools across Scotland on Wednesday 11 November 2026 forced pupils out of classrooms in Edinburgh, the Highlands and beyond, before Police Scotland confirmed the messages were hoaxes with no credible threat to the public. The emails, sent under the name “Mikhail Andropov” and carrying the subject line “DEATH IS NEAR”, also reached schools in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Italy in a coordinated morning wave.
Police Scotland said the messages were assessed immediately and are being treated as hoaxes. Officers advised that there was no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from lessons based on the content of the emails alone, and the force’s Cyber and Fraud Unit is now working to trace their source.
Scotland Schools Bomb Threat — Quick Reference Summary
| Detail | What happened |
|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday 11 November 2026, morning |
| Schools targeted in Scotland | 470 schools received the threatening email, Police Scotland confirmed |
| Schools targeted elsewhere | At least 300 schools in Northern Ireland; schools in the Republic of Ireland and Italy also received it |
| Email subject line | “DEATH IS NEAR” |
| Sender name used | “Mikhail Andropov”, claiming to lead the “Red Owl” project |
| Police assessment | Messages assessed immediately; treated as hoaxes; no credible threat and no wider threat to the public |
| Evacuations | Pupils evacuated in Edinburgh, Nairn, Invergordon and elsewhere as a precaution before the all-clear |
| Investigation | Police Scotland Cyber and Fraud Unit tracing the source, liaising with UK and international partners |
| Previous incident | A similar hoax hit schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland last month, on 19 October 2026 |
| Injuries | None reported |
470 Schools Targeted in a Single Morning
The scale of the incident became clear within hours of the first emails landing. Police Scotland confirmed that 470 schools in Scotland were impacted by the threat, with the messages distributed through mailing lists used across the UK. In Northern Ireland, at least 300 schools were also sent the message, and police in the Republic of Ireland said they were aware of a generic communication sent to educational establishments there.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the email originated from outside the UK and was being treated as a hoax. Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally said officers took incidents of this nature very seriously and understood the concern for school communities, students and parents, adding that at this stage the risk to the public was considered low.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On Wednesday, 11 November 2026, threatening messages were sent to a number of schools in Scotland and across the UK. These messages were immediately assessed and are being treated as hoaxes. Our enquiries have established that there is nothing to suggest that they represent a credible threat or that there is any wider threat to the public.”
What the “Death Is Near” Email Said
The Sun reported that the email carried the subject line “DEATH IS NEAR” and was signed “Mikhail Andropov, leader of the ‘Red Owl’ project”. According to that report, the message threatened to carry out what it called a “genocide against your people” and claimed the group was behind the disruption.
The same pseudonym had appeared in bomb threats sent to European broadcasters, including Ireland’s RTE, Sky and Dublin radio station Newstalk FM, on Friday 6 November 2026. The Sun also reported that the emails to broadcasters claimed responsibility for the hoax bomb threats that affected dozens of flights in the last week — the same wave of hoax bomb threats that forced European flights to divert and land under fighter-jet escort on 5 November 2026.
Police have not confirmed who sent the school emails, and the “Red Owl” claim of responsibility remains a reported claim rather than an established fact. Police Scotland said its Cyber and Fraud Unit is carrying out extensive enquiries to establish the source of the messages, and officers continue to liaise with law enforcement partners across the UK and internationally.
Edinburgh Classrooms Emptied Before the All-Clear
In Edinburgh, St Augustine’s, Broughton and Currie high schools were evacuated, and pupils at the Royal High School were asked to take an extended break while staff assessed the threat. At Davidson’s Mains Primary School, children were seen standing on the football pitch outside the building. Police were also seen stationed outside Park Primary School in Dumfries and Galloway.
Further north, Nairn Academy in the Highlands was evacuated, with parents told of an emergency school closure, and Invergordon Academy closed for the day. Schools in West Lothian also received the email, but the council there said its schools would stay open on police advice, with no imminent risk identified.
The City of Edinburgh Council said its schools had been briefly evacuated as a precaution after receiving the threatening messages, and that the threats had since been confirmed by Police Scotland as not credible. Jackie Reid, the council’s service director for education, skills and chief education officer, wrote to parents to share her relief at the police findings, saying the safety of pupils, staff and everyone working in schools remained the highest priority.
A Second Wave in a Month — and a Wider Pattern
This is the second nationwide bomb threat to hit Scotland’s schools in recent weeks. Last month, on 19 October 2026, several schools in Edinburgh, Fife and South Lanarkshire were locked down after a similar hoax, with staff working during in-service days told to go home. That incident also prompted sharp drops in attendance as parents kept children away, and councils marked those absences as unauthorised once Police Scotland confirmed the threat was a hoax.
The pattern extends beyond schools. The flights wave a week ago, the broadcaster threats on 6 November, and now the school emails all share the same method: a threatening message sent at scale, designed to force a full emergency response even though nothing dangerous is ever found. Each hoax costs hours of police time, disrupts lessons and travel, and frightens the people it targets — which is the point of sending it.
What Parents Should Do Now
Police advice is clear: there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of these emails. Schools that evacuated on Wednesday morning did so as a precaution before the police assessment came through, and pupils returned to classes once the all-clear was given.
Parents who receive alarming messages about a school should check with the school or the local council first, rather than acting on social media posts alone. Edinburgh Council has reassured parents directly, and Police Scotland has asked anyone with information about the source of the messages to come forward. The investigation continues, and officers say they will update the public as their enquiries progress.
The incident also underlines how quickly a single email can now reach hundreds of schools at once. Until the sender is identified, every new threat will trigger the same full response — and the same disruption — even when, as here, it turns out to be a hoax. That is why police are treating the source, not just the message, as the priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools in Scotland received the bomb threat email?
Police Scotland confirmed that 470 schools in Scotland were impacted by the threatening messages sent on Wednesday 11 November 2026.
Were the threats real?
No. Police Scotland assessed the messages immediately and confirmed they are being treated as hoaxes, with nothing to suggest they represent a credible threat or any wider threat to the public.
Which schools were evacuated?
St Augustine’s, Broughton and Currie high schools in Edinburgh were evacuated, along with Nairn Academy in the Highlands, while Invergordon Academy closed for the day. Pupils at Davidson’s Mains Primary School in Edinburgh were moved onto the football pitch, and police were stationed outside Park Primary School in Dumfries and Galloway.
Who sent the emails?
That is not publicly verified. The emails used the name “Mikhail Andropov” and claimed to come from a group calling itself the “Red Owl” project, according to The Sun. Police Scotland’s Cyber and Fraud Unit is investigating the source.
Has this happened before?
Yes. A similar hoax bomb threat affected schools across Scotland and Northern Ireland last month, on 19 October 2026, and bomb threats using the same alias were sent to European broadcasters on Friday 6 November 2026.
What should parents do if their child’s school receives a threat?
Follow the school’s and the council’s advice, and do not keep children away from school based on the email alone. Police Scotland has said there is no requirement to evacuate schools or keep children away from education based solely on the content of such messages.
Claim checked: hundreds of schools were evacuated because a bomb was found.
No. Schools evacuated as a precaution after receiving the emails. Police assessed the messages at once, found no credible threat, and confirmed no explosives were involved. No injuries were reported.
Claim checked: the “Red Owl” group is confirmed as the sender.
No. The group claimed responsibility in the emails, according to The Sun’s reporting, but police have not confirmed who sent them. The claim is reported, not established.
