News Archive
13/4/2018
Rural Banking Survey Extended
Individuals, businesses and community groups in and around 14 communities in the Highlands and Islands have an extra two weeks to take part in an online survey on rural banking services. Among other things, the survey asks about the importance of being able to withdraw and deposit cash locally, experiences of using Post Office and mobile banking services, and the perceived impacts of local branch closures.
13/4/2018
Pulteneytown People's Project Awarded £149,295
Pulteneytown People's Project has been successful in securing £149,295 over the next 3 years from the BIG Lottery Community Led Activity. The funding will allow the organisation to continue to deliver existing activities and develop new ones within the community.13/4/2018
Top 5 Biggest Tidal Power Projects To Keep An Eye On In 2018
An interesting item on Tidal Power projects. Of the top five two are in UK and one is on our own doorstep in the Pentland Firth - the other being Swansea Bay.
12/4/2018
Iconic Scottish route joins call for drivers to take their litter home
The North Coast 500, Scotland's iconic touring route along Scotland’s northern coastline is now part of a national campaign to clean up the country’s roads. This initiative, led by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful and supported by North Coast 500 Ltd, the company behind the NC500, urges road users to ‘give your litter a lift, take it home’.
11/4/2018
Increased Ambulance Cover For Caithness
The Scottish Ambulance Service has announced nine new ambulance staff are now in place in Wick and Thurso as part of an investment package which will increase capacity across Caithness. The joint investment with NHS Highland totalling almost £500k will improve services for patients and ensure they continue to receive the highest possible standards of care.11/4/2018
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 10 April 2018
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (April, 10th) sold 25 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (7) averaged 219.9p (N/C) and sold to 246.0p per kg and £1,482.55 gross.10/4/2018
A Decade In The Un-making - Decommissioning Dounreay
Decommissioning a nuclear reactor is about more than removing the core itself and, around a decade after work started to pull apart a host of support facilities associated with Dounreay's oldest reactor, they have all gone. Radioactive facilities, including a cooling pond, storage compound and examination cells assisted Dounreay Materials Test Reactor (DMTR) during its operational life.
10/4/2018
New Partnership To Support Entrepreneurs
Businesses in the Highlands and Islands looking to grow and become more competitive are set to benefit from a new initiative for entrepreneurs. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has teamed up with Entrepreneurial Scotland (ES) to enable more enterprising individuals in the region to access its full range of activities and services.10/4/2018
Graduated Driving Licence Trial To Go Ahead
Highlands & Islands MSP and long term road safety campaigner, David Stewart, is delighted to learn that after eight years of campaigning, the UK Government are to trial a form of graduated licence. David Stewart said " Away back in 2010, after the unfortunate and tragic deaths of two 17 year old teenagers in Inverness, I started a campaign to improve road safety, which I proposed was carried out through a form of graduated licence (GDL) introduced in Scotland as a pilot.10/4/2018
Apply Now! SAAS Open For 2018 Funding Applications
Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) is now open for business and asking both full and part time students to submit their 2018-2019 funding applications at www.saas.gov.uk. SAAS successfully launched their new Student Account last year, which has enabled students to submit and manage their applications in a more streamlined way through their mobile or desktop devices.10/4/2018
Additional Winter Road Funding Welcomed But It's A Drop In the Damage Ocean
The Highland Council is pleased that the Scottish Government has acknowledged the efforts of the local authority during the recent severe winter weather to keep the Highlands moving. Chair of Environment, Development and Infrastructure, Cllr Allan Henderson said: "We hope that the funding will be applied on a fair basis that reflects the whole winter and that takes account of the scale of our roads network and the challenge of maintaining this throughout winter.10/4/2018
Childcare Expansion Plans Underway
Huge increase in childcare training places in 2018-2019. A huge increase in childcare training places has been announced to help deliver the additional workforce required for the transformation of early learning and childcare in Scotland.10/4/2018
Insights Into Key Equality Outcomes Across Scotland
Detailed local area and equality group analysis was released today by Scotland's Chief Statistician. The Scottish Surveys Core Questions 2016 tells us about age and gender groups, disabled people, ethnic and religious groups, LGB people and smaller regions of Scotland.8/4/2018
New Office-bearer For Gills Harbour Ltd
Gills Harbour Ltd, the community body that owns and runs Gills Harbour on Caithness's North Coast, has a new office-bearer. At its recent Annual General Meeting, Mr Mark Gibson of Northern View, John O'Groats KW1 4YS, was unanimously appointed as the body's Vice-Chairman.7/4/2018
Extra £10 Million For Road Maintenance On Scotland's Roads
Local authorities are set to benefit from extra funding to cover the cost of roads maintenance and make additional repairs to road surfaces, following the extended wintry weather. Finance Secretary Derek Mackay has taken the decision to allocate an additional £10 million for all 32 councils, with the details of the distribution to be agreed with COSLA.7/4/2018
Management Structures At NHS Tayside
Health Secretary Shona Robison has approved the appointment of John Brown CBE as interim Chair of NHS Tayside. Mr Brown, who is currently Chair of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, will take on the role on an interim basis until a substantive Chair can be appointed.[Bakers]
6/4/2018Reids of Caithness Bakers In Line For Another Award
Reids of Caithness of Thurso is in the running for a top prize at the Scottish Baker of the Year Awards 2018. The votes have been cast and Scottish Bakers, the association that represents bakers across Scotland, has announced who is on the shortlist and still in the running for a prize in the Scottish Bakers of the Year Awards 2018.6/4/2018
Lib Dems Take Seat From SNP - Caol & Mallaig By-election Results
The by-election for a councillor to represent the Caol and Mallaig Ward on The Highland Council has been won by Denis Rixson - Scottish Liberal Democrats - who was one of six candidates who contested the vacancy. He joins Councillors Allan Henderson (Independent) and Ben Thompson (Independent) in representing Ward 11 on The Highland Council.
6/4/2018
Scotland's New Income Tax System Starts Today
More than two thirds of taxpayers to pay less under new system. More than two-thirds of taxpayers will pay less on their current income this year under Scotland's new tax bands.
6/4/2018
