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News Archive


22/3/2016
Caithness First Region In Scotland To Gain WorldHost Recognised Destination status
Caithness has become the first region in Scotland to gain national recognition for its commitment to high quality customer service, after being awarded WorldHost Recognised Destination status.   Caithness received the recognition after 25% of tourism businesses in the area reached WorldHost Recognised Business status - meaning they have trained at least 50 percent of their front line staff using WorldHost customer service training programmes and signed a commitment to deliver excellent customer service.  
22/3/2016
Success of City-Region Deal - £315millon of InvestmentThumbnail for article : Success of City-Region Deal - £315millon of Investment
​The vision behind the Inverness City-Region Deal to position Inverness and the Highlands as a region of digital opportunity, is set to become a reality as the deal is signed between the UK and Scottish Government's and The Highland Council in Inverness.   The City-Region deal contains a number of proposals under three broad headings; a growing economy, a skilled economy and an enabled economy.  
22/3/2016
Dog fouling fine doubles
From 1st April 2016 the fine for dog owners who fail to pick up after their dog will rise from £40 to £80 , bringing it into line with the fine for other types of littering - cigarette butts, chewing gum and general litter.   The change comes after the overwhelming majority of responses to a Scottish Government consultation on responsible dog ownership said they would support the fixed penalty being raised.  
22/3/2016
Investment in employability
New arrangements to support vulnerable groups and the long term unemployed, including those with disabilities and health conditions, towards employment for 2017/18 have been outlined.   Following an estimated 87 per cent budget cut by the UK government in the first year of devolved employability services in Scotland, Scottish Ministers have stepped in to provide up to £20 million in additional funding, to replace the UK Government's Work Choice and Work Programme schemes.  
22/3/2016
Income tax rates to be frozen
Income tax rates in Scotland will be frozen, with no increases in the basic, higher or additional rate, under plans set out by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today.   The significant tax cuts brought about by substantial increases to the higher rate threshold proposed by the UK Government will not be passed on under todays proposals.  
22/3/2016
New laws to govern burials and cremations
Legislation to modernise the governance and scrutiny of burial and cremation has been passed by the Scottish Parliament.   The Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Bill will modernise and update 100 year-old legislation - introducing a definition of ashes, standardising forms and record-keeping across Scotland, clarifying the process for instructing the disposal of human remains (including pregnancy loss) and placing a duty on burial authorities to maintain the safety of burial grounds.  
22/3/2016
Way forward for sustainable land use
Our land is our biggest asset and the Scottish Government has set out how best to meet its potential for effective, economic and environmentally sustainable use.  The revised Land Use Strategy sets out policies and proposals for the next five years and beyond, ensuring that communities are fully engaged.  
22/3/2016
Farm incomes halved in four years
The incomes of commercial farms in Scotland are estimated to have halved over the four years to 2014.  The latest reduction in farm business income, a measure of the return to unpaid labour on commercial farms, continues a four year decline in average income.  
22/3/2016
£1.8m OneSubsea R and D project
Oil and gas firm, OneSubsea is to invest £1.8 million in a new research and development (RandD) project to help grow its global presence.  The investment will create five new jobs and safeguard a further 35.  
22/3/2016
Scottish Rate of Income Tax for 2016/17
The Scottish Rate of Income Tax (SRIT) will come into force from 6 April 2016 next month.   The Scottish Parliament has already agreed with the Deputy First Minister's proposal that Scottish taxpayers will not pay an increased amount of income tax next year.  
21/3/2016
Public Sector Workers Hit By National Insurance Increase
Treasury raid on National Insurance will cost Scottish public services hundreds of millions.   New rules regarding National Insurance Contributions will see a quarter of a billion pounds cut from Scottish public sector budgets in the coming year.  
20/3/2016
Leah Francetti Is Labour Candidate For Caithness, Sutherland and RossThumbnail for article : Leah Francetti Is Labour Candidate For Caithness, Sutherland and Ross
Leah Franchetti has been selected by Caithness, Sutherland Ross Labour to contest the upcoming Scottish elections.   Ms Franchetti was selected by an overwhelming majority at a members meeting of the local Labour Party in Brora.  
Crowned The Best Single Malt In The WorldThumbnail for article : Crowned The Best Single Malt In The World
The extraordinary achievement was announced at Whisky Magazine's prestigious World Whiskies Awards, hosted at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London.   Only the world’s most exceptional whiskies were nominated, and with a record number of entries this year leading to tough competition, we have even greater cause to celebrate this accolade! We released our peated 1989 Vintage in September 2015 as the embodiment of Pulteney Distillery’s renowned craftsmanship.  
20/3/2016
Gail Ross Campaign For MSP Spreads Across The NorthThumbnail for article : Gail Ross Campaign For MSP Spreads Across The North
Wick SNP Councillor and Caithness Civic Leader.  SNP candidate for C,S&R for the 2016 Scottish Parliament election has been getting around the constituency to meet people.  
20/3/2016
Conservative Candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and RossThumbnail for article : Conservative Candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross
STRUAN MACKIE, a business consultant from Caithness has been selected to contest the Caithness, Sutherland and Ross constituency in the forthcoming Holyrood elections.   Raised in Thurso, Struan attended the town's high school before earning an honours degree in Finance and Enterprise from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland's premier business school and among the top 1% globally.  
20/3/2016
Jamie Stone Contests North Seat For Lib Dems Once AgainThumbnail for article : Jamie Stone Contests North Seat For Lib Dems Once Again
Jamie Stone is the Scottish Lib Dem candidate for the Caithness Sutherland and Ross seat as MSP in the Scottish Parliament election in May 2016.   Jamie Stone was previously an MSP from the first Scottish Parliament elections in 1999 until standing down in 2011.  
Health and social care phone numbers for Caithness
NHS Highland has created a handy list of telephone numbers to help improve access to healthcare services in Caithness - including a single point of contact number for community health and social care.  The information is given on a laminated double-sided A4 flyer with timely advice about the health board's services and the relevant telephone numbers for these and associated services.  
19/3/2016
£6.5m boost for tourism businessesThumbnail for article : £6.5m boost for tourism businesses
The Scottish tourism industry is set to benefit from nearly £6.5 million of public sector support to boost its innovation and global competitiveness, with a strong emphasis on digital tourism, it was announced today (18 March 2016).   In a speech during the Signature Programme of Scottish Tourism Week, VisitScotland Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead said that a collaborative multi-agency package of support available through VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) would support tourism businesses throughout the country to become more competitive through higher quality visitor experience and increased levels of growth and productivity in the sector.  
19/3/2016
Scottish Land Fund Opens On 1st April 2016 With £10m
A "new dawn" for radical land reform in Scotland according to the Scottish government as land reform minister Aileen McLeod announced that the new Scottish Land Fund will open on April 1 with £10 million available to help community buy-outs.   It comes as the Scottish government's Land Reform Bill reached its final stage of the parliamentary process.  
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update
Week Commencing 14th March 2016.   Energy & Business Services Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) held a pre-application consultation event in Wick this week in support of plans related to the onshore infrastructure at Wick Harbour for its proposed offshore windfarm development off the Caithness coast.