Advisory / Counseling Services News

Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Update

Week Commencing 31 October 2017 Enabling activities: Colleague Andrew Johnston, Director of the Highlands and Islands Science Skills Academy, was in Caithness this week, and it was good to catch up with him to discuss progress with the "Newton Rooms" concept, which has seen a network of facilities established in Norway to give practical, hands-on experiences of learning programmes in sciences.  The development of the concept in the Highlands has been boosted by support through the Inverness City-Region Deal, and we believe that Caithness would make a fantastic first "Newton Room" venue in the Highland area.  

Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Update

Week Commencing 10 October 2016 Energy & Business Services: The Beatrice Offshore Windfarm project is one of the largest private sector investments in Scotland, and to illustrate the sheer scale of the work the consortium has produced a short animation, which is available to view at https://vimeo.com/186162042 Also this week, lead partner SSE has broken ground on the site in Moray where the subsea cable from the Beatrice turbines will connect into the National Grid, ready for the date in 2019 when the project will be operational.   http://renews.biz/104493/sse-breaks-ground-for-beatrice/ Tourism, Food & Drink: Last weekend's spectacular weather helped another successful "Taste North" celebration of local produce from Caithness and Sutherland.  

Rural retailers asked to take part in HIE study

Community and independently owned shops selling groceries in remote and rural parts of the Highlands and Islands are being asked to take part in a survey into the role they play in sustaining communities.   The survey will help understand the factors affecting rural shops, and the strategies that could be adopted to remain sustainable and adapt to changing market conditions.  

Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Update

Week Commencing 26 September 2016 Energy & Business Services: Activity at Scrabster harbour has continued this week, as more ballast blocks are transported through Thurso from JGC Engineering Services Ltd’s base at Janetstown.  These huge (c.  

Credit Union Payroll Deductions for Scottish Employers

In a report by Scottish Government published earlier in 2016 entitled "Scotland's Credit Unions - Investing in Our Future" The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote a letter to employers as follows - Dear As First Minister of Scotland I am delighted to be able to offer this letter in support of the work of credit unions and at the same time encourage the uptake of payroll deduction schemes for employees with credit union accounts.   Credit unions make an invaluable contribution to providing financial services and products to a wide range of customers.  

Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Update

Week Commencing 12th September 2016 Energy & Business Services: Representatives from the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm consortium were in Wick this week to formally unveil plans to transform two historic buildings at Wick harbour into the Operations & Maintenance base for the project.  For photos, (see my online blog, address below) The drop-in event was very busy with interested members of the public (estimated at around 150), and the comments I heard in the room were overwhelmingly positive.  

Businesses optimistic about prospects but less confident in economic outlook - survey

A survey of businesses in the Highlands and Islands has reported that although companies remain optimistic about their own prospects, there has been a decline in confidence in Scotland's economic outlook since the UK's EU referendum.  A total of 1,054 businesses located throughout the region took part in the survey carried out by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in July and August, exploring business confidence and investment.  

New camera provides clear images of bowels of reactor

An off the shelf CCTV camera is providing crystal clear images from the depths of Dounreay's Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR).   Fifty years on from the construction of PFR, the reactor decommissioning team is viewing footage that will enable it to pull apart the innards of the second and last fast reactor to be built in the UK.  

Want To Save Or Need A Low Cost Loan - Think Hi-Scot Credit Union

Hi-Scot - A Credit Union for YOU.   HI-Scot has been in existence since 2006, though up until 2010 was under the name of Western Isles Credit Union.  

Charlotte Wright - New Acting Cheif Exective At HIE

Charlotte Wright takes over as acting chief executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) today (Monday 29 August 2016).   Ms Wright has been with HIE since 1997 and held a number of roles in Lochaber before being appointed as the agency's regional director for Highland in 2008.