Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it becomes a course crumb texture (use two knives or a pastry blender). Stir in the cranberries, nuts and orange zest. Add the buttermilk and mix with a fork until moistened.
Gather the dough into a ball and place on a floured board. Roll or pat into a circle ¾-inch thick.
Cut the round into 12 pie-shaped pieces. Place on the prepared baking sheet 1½-inches apart. You can transfer the whole circle of dough onto the baking sheet with a pizza peel or bench scraper, and then gently pull each wedge away from the circle a bit to create space between the scones. Brush the tops of the scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar/cinnnamon/nutmeg (stir together first).
Bake 14 to 18 minutes, until lightly browned.
Notes
*If you'd like the cranberries more spread out, roughly chop them (but only if they're frozen). Trying to chop fresh cranberries is kind of a messy disaster!