Social Workers and Mental Health Officers in The Highland Council and NHS Highland gather today (17 March 2026) to celebrate World Social Work Day 2026 in a joint forum at The Barn Church, Culloden. Fiona Duncan Highland Council's Chief Social Work Officer and Chief Officer Health and Social Care is also Convenor of Social Work Scotland, the professional leadership body for the social work and social care professions.
The Notice of Election for the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election has been published today (Monday 16 March 2026). The election will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026 with polling taking place in three Highland constituencies.
When Highland Council's North Planning Applications Committee met to consider Boralex Ltd's proposal for a major battery‑energy‑storage system (BESS) near Reay in Caithness, many expected a lively debate. Large energy projects in the Highlands often attract controversy concerns about landscape impact, cumulative development, and pressure on rural infrastructure are common.
Construction on the Corran Ferry Infrastructure Improvement Scheme (CFIIS) begins, marking a major step forward in delivering a modern, reliable, and future‑ready ferry service for the Corran Narrows. Funded through the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal (IHCRD), the £58m transport/ferry investment marks a pivotal time for one of the busiest single-vessel routes in Scotland.
My Highland Future showcases ambitious plans for employment and apprenticeship growth. My Highland Future's ambitious plans to boost employment, apprenticeships and skills development across The Highland Council are being highlighted throughout Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2026 (2-6 March) with a commitment to expand the Council's in-house apprenticeship and career development pathways, while encouraging and supporting Highland businesses to get involved.
Four architecture and engineering Graduate Apprentices from Highland Council have taken part in an event for local schools to celebrate Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2026. More than 40 students from Inverness schools attended a construction and engineering event at Bught Park Pavilion yesterday organised by engineering company, Rybka and Developing the Young Workforce (DYW).
The New Naver Bridge, located in Bettyhill along the A836, is now open to traffic. Though currently open only as single carriageway, the new bridge, which is part of the North Coast 500, welcomed its first cars at the end of February.
In the Highland Council 2026/27 budget proposals, the council plans to significantly increase council tax premiums on second homes and long-term empty properties to address the region's housing crisis. These "scorching" increases follow the removal of the previous legislative cap under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025.
The Highland Council will meet on Thursday 5 March to consider a three-year financial plan, which sets out recommendations to deliver a balanced budget, alongside additional investment in adult social care, housing, education, workforce development, and roads. The report outlines the challenges and opportunities faced by the Council alongside the administration's budget proposals, which, if agreed, would see: A 7% increase in Council Tax - 5% to support the delivery of vital Council services, plus 2% to support the Highland Investment Plan, a £2.1 billion, 20-year capital investment programme to deliver improvements in schools, local infrastructure and services.
For the 2025/26 and 2026/27 budget periods, Highland Council has avoided mass redundancies, instead managing staff reductions through vacancy management and redeployment. Staff Reduction Levels & Strategy Vacancy Management: The primary method for reducing staff levels is "non-replacement"—leaving posts unfilled when staff leave or retire.
In the 2026/27 budget proposals, The Highland Council plans for High Life Highland (HLH) to return to a sustainable financial model following its post-COVID recovery period. The key changes and expectations for HLH in the 2026/27 financial year include.
The Highland Council's budget proposals for 2026/27, announced in February 2026, include several key funding allocations for schools aimed at infrastructure and specialized service support. Capital Investment & Infrastructure Highland Investment Plan: The council proposes to set aside 2% of its annual Council Tax revenue specifically for this plan.
Gaelic plays a significant role across the Highlands and Islands, contributing to community resilience, cultural development and sustainable economic growth. Having a powerful social, cultural and economic role in the Highlands and Islands, its value to local people and businesses has never felt stronger.
Work is progressing on ambitions to deliver flexible, high-quality early learning and childcare for remote and rural communities in Highland. Today (Wednesday 25 February 2026) members of the council's education committee were given an update on the Early Learning & Childcare Project, which forms part of the council’s wider delivery plan.
Attainment at Highland schools is improving, shaped by strategic changes and a targeted plan of action. Today (Wednesday 25 February) Highland Council's education committee discussed the latest attainment update, which showed the progress being made in meeting the crucial targets of raising attainment and reducing the poverty related attainment gap.
As of late February 2026, The Highland Council hasn't yet officially announced a specific council tax increase level for the 2026-27 financial year, and there's no widely reported draft percentage figure like some other Scottish councils have published. However, there are indications and discussions that give a sense of the thinking ahead of the formal budget decision.
As council tax rises once again loom across Scotland, the familiar warnings are rolled out: there is no alternative. Councils, we are told, must either raise taxes or cut services.
In 2025, The Highland Council launched The Reuse and Repair Fund, with members agreeing to secure £500,000 across a two-year period for community groups across Highland. Round 1 of the fund is now closed, with 12 projects across Highland securing funding, totalling £272,366.
The next meeting of the Education Committee of Highland council on 25th February will discuss the next steps moving towards a new school. When might the it all be ready so we looked at how the Wick High school campus progressed below for comparison.
The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee has given support to progress to public consultation on two proposed Short Term Let Control Areas (STLCAs), reflecting the differing pressures on housing in Inverness City and across rural Highland communities. The decision to do so is based on growing numbers of residential dwellings being converted to short term lets, alongside Housing Market Area assessments that indicate market pressures, higher house prices, limited affordability, and higher proportions of sales to buyers from outwith the area.