Latest News

27/9/2026

US Diesel Threat: How Worried Should Britain Be About £2.50-a-Litre Fuel?

There are increasingly alarming headlines about the possibility of diesel reaching £2.50 a litre, or even higher, in Britain.   The immediate trigger is the threat of restrictions on US diesel exports.  

27/9/2026

Is Your Scottish Council Tax Suspiciously Cheap – Or Are You Paying Too Much?

A recent article from the Resolution Foundation asked an intriguing question about council tax in England: "My council tax is suspiciously cheap." It is a good question to ask in Scotland too.   The Scottish council tax system has a feature that can easily be forgotten.  

Today

 
Sixth powerful attack submarine departs Barrow-in-Furness for sea trials

UK and Euro-Atlantic security will soon be boosted, as the Royal Navy’s sixth powerful attack submarine departs from Barrow-in-Furness.   Latest Astute Class submarine, HMS Agamemnon has sailed from the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness.  

Today

England gets £210 million to bring boarded-up high streets back to life – what is Scotland doing?

The UK Government has announced a £210 million package aimed at bringing boarded-up and derelict buildings back into use across England.   The money is intended to tackle one of the most visible signs of decline in many British towns: empty shops, shuttered buildings and town-centre properties that have gradually become part of the landscape rather than places where people live, work or spend money.  

Today

 
Government’s digital employment tools help thousands take the next step into work

Tens of thousands of jobseekers have already benefited from the Government’s new digital employment support tools, helping people build CVs, prepare for interviews and take the next step into work.   Around 20,000 people have used DWP’s Work Hub CV builder since launch in June.  

Today : Advisory / Counseling Services

September is Scottish Start-Up Month – could your business idea become a reality?

September has become a month when Scotland's aspiring entrepreneurs are being encouraged to take a closer look at an idea that may have been sitting in the back of their minds for some time.   Scottish Start-Up Month, led by Business Gateway, has returned for 2026 with a simple message: if you have an idea for a business, this could be the month to take the first step.  

Today

Caithness.org Announces Revolutionary New AI Hacking Facility – Sadly, It Doesn't Exist

WICK, CAITHNESS — Caithness.org has today announced plans for a revolutionary new artificial intelligence hacking facility capable of secretly breaking into local computer systems, uncovering confidential information and discovering what Highland Council is planning before Highland Council itself knows.   Sadly, the facility does not exist.  

Today

Turning 70 Does Not Mean Giving Up Driving – But the Rules Could Be Changing

For many people, reaching 70 used to be seen as the age when you might start thinking about giving up driving.   That is no longer the case.  

Today

British companies to access prized Ukraine data to develop AI drone swarms

British companies will gain access to a goldmine of battlefield data from Ukraine for the first time to develop new AI models for advanced drone swarms.   New AI-enabled drone swarms will be made in Britain, using battlefield data from Ukraine.  

Today

Are Today's Wars Becoming Another Spanish Civil War – With the Great Powers Fighting by Proxy?

The Spanish Civil War began in 1936 as a bitter internal conflict over the future of Spain.   It soon became something much bigger.  

Today

The Iran War Has No Clear Winner – Can America Find a Way Out? And What Does It Mean for Caithness?

The war between the United States and Iran has now been going on for nearly seven months, and the question is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid: how does it end? There is no obvious military victory in sight, while the economic consequences are spreading well beyond the Middle East.   For people in Caithness, this may seem like a distant conflict.  

Today

Russian Oil Refineries: The Damage May Last Much Longer Than the Headlines Suggest

We have become accustomed to seeing reports of another Russian oil refinery being attacked by Ukrainian drones.   A refinery is hit.  

Today

Energy Bills Could Rise 25% in January – But How Worried Should Households Be?

The warning sounds alarming.  Energy bills could rise by as much as 25% in January, according to a forecast from Bloomberg Economics.  

Yesterday

PIP Is Being Reviewed: What Is Changing and What Does It Mean for Scotland?

The UK Government is preparing for a major overhaul of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), with the Department for Work and Pensions now setting out a series of proposed changes following the first major review of the benefit since it was introduced in 2013.   The review, chaired by Sir Stephen Timms, says the existing system is no longer fit for purpose.  

Yesterday : Employment Services

What Are the Options for Scottish Pupils Who Do Not Want the Traditional Academic Route?

Parents of teenagers in England are being told that they will need to understand a new range of vocational qualifications as their children approach the age of 14.   The Career Development Institute has welcomed the introduction of new Vocational GCSEs, which are due to start being introduced in England from 2029.  

Yesterday

Scotland Has Plenty of Water – So Why Could It Still Face Shortages?

The hot, dry weather experienced across Britain this year has brought an issue that is usually taken for granted rather sharply into view: water.   For much of the summer, England's reservoirs and rivers came under increasing pressure, with restrictions imposed in some areas.  

Yesterday

TalkTalk on the Brink: Debt Crisis Sparks National Security Alert for UK Telecoms

One of the United Kingdom’s largest broadband providers, TalkTalk, is facing imminent insolvency risk, throwing the nation's critical digital infrastructure into a state of high alert.   Plagued by a crushing £1.4 billion debt load, severe payment arrears to its primary network supplier, and a rapidly eroding customer base, the company's financial instability has escalated into a genuine national security concern for government officials.  

Yesterday

Should you fill up this weekend?

Diesel prices are approaching £2 a litre across Caithness, with another increase possible next week.  But is it worth filling your tank now?.  

Yesterday

Scotland Wants More Business Investment – But Can It Get Projects Through the Planning System?

Scotland wants more investment, more houses, more renewable energy and better infrastructure.  But there is growing concern that one of the systems needed to deliver all of this is struggling to keep up.  

Yesterday : Educational Institutions

Fewer Children, More Difficult Decisions: The Future of Highland's Schools

For many years Highland Council has faced difficult decisions over small rural schools.   Some have closed, others have been mothballed, and communities have often argued that a village school is about much more than the number of children sitting in its classrooms.