News Archive
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 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.
20/3/2016
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 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 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 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.
19/3/2016
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 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.18/3/2016
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.18/3/2016
Crofting Commission elections
Consultation on potential changes. Crofters are being asked for their views about Crofting Commission elections, ahead of next year's vote.18/3/2016
Private Tenancies Bill passed
Bill will ensure more secure tenancies. A new law that will modernise the private rented sector has been passed by the Scottish Parliament.18/3/2016
£1billion saving for small business
FM announces chair and remit for review of rates system. Small businesses have saved £1 billion thanks to the Scottish Government's small business bonus scheme.18/3/2016
Global giants help HIE open door to digital technology benefits in business
Following the Discover Digital 2016 conference yesterday (17 March 206) which attracted over 200 delegates from business and communities, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) says it's ramping up support to help the region’s organisations to innovate using digital. Representatives from business, social enterprises, the healthcare sector, and charity groups attended the Discover Digital event at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, and around 60 people tuned in from around the region for the live webcast.
18/3/2016
40,000 to be hit by cuts to disability benefits
Around 40,000 disabled people in Scotland will be worse off if the UK Government press ahead with their changes to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil said today. Mr Neil has written to the UK Government's Minister for Disabled People to voice his opposition to the cuts which will wipe £130 million a year from disability benefits in Scotland.18/3/2016
