News Archive
30/10/2019
The Office for National Statistics have released the latest data on the distribution of employees' earnings in the UK, based on the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), the highest quality source of data on employees' pay in the UK. The survey, of around 180,000 employees, is undertaken in April of each year and the latest data is available for 2019.
At a gathering in Wick town Hall on Monday 28th October 2019 Gail Ross MSP launched a consultation on a remote rural communities bill that would be similar protection for mainland communities as the 2018 Islands Act for Scottish islands. Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP Gail Ross is proposing the legislation, which would mean public bodies would have to take the impact on remote rural communities into account when making policy.
Highland Council saves £400,000 And 377 Tonnes Of CO2 In First 12 Months With Enterprise. The Highland Council has reduced its annual business mileage by more than 825,000 miles and made cost savings in excess of £400,000 in the first 12 months since introducing Enterprise Car Club, part of global vehicle rental group, Enterprise Holdings.
29/10/2019
In the first workshop of its kind in Europe, creel fishermen and women from around Scotland gathered in the Highlands to tackle the problem of marine animal entanglement. Organised by the Scottish Entanglement Alliance (SEA) and funded by the University Innovation Fund through Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), 20 creel fishermen and women from the Clyde up to Shetland travelled to Ullapool to work alongside project partners with the aim of encouraging better reporting of entanglements, widen Scotland's existing entanglement response network, and share insights to better understand, mitigate and respond to incidents.
29/10/2019
Up to 30% of jobs (10.5 million) in the UK are considered ‘highly automatable' and therefore at risk to change, with professionals not possessing the skills to accommodate the AI revolution. By 2020, approximately 75 million jobs would have been displaced across the globe as a result of the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
29/10/2019
Consultation responses back regulation. A consultation on short-term lets found wide support for regulation, according to independent analysis published today.
29/10/2019
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published statistics on Higher Education Student Support in Scotland 2018-2019 in a new look publication. The figures show an increase in both the number of students supported and the amount of support provided by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for those studying in Higher Education in the 2018-2019 academic session.
29/10/2019
Active farmers and crofters will benefit from the first instalment of convergence funding that the Scottish Government has long campaigned for. The initial £80 million will be distributed to support active farming, with a focus on those who farm in our marginal uplands, hill farms and island areas.
29/10/2019
More than £8 million of Scottish Government funding was spent last year on projects to improve the attainment of care experienced young people. Projects as diverse as mentoring programmes, counselling services and driving lessons were supported through the Care Experienced Children and Young People fund.
29/10/2019
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Homicide in Scotland, 2018-19. The publication provides information on crimes of homicide recorded by the police in Scotland in 2018-19.
The Highland Council has announced two more appointments to new posts of Executive Chief Officer as part of the Council's redesign programme. Malcolm MacLeod has been appointed as Executive Chief Officer - Infrastructure and Environment.
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 requires social landlords to consult tenants and take account of their views when making decisions about proposed rent increases. The Highland Council Tenant Participation team are starting a month long trip around Highland communities talking to tenants about what their rent money is spent on and consulting on the rent they will pay in 2020 / 2021.
FORT WILLIAM, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October, 28th) sold 1,106 store sheep of all classes. Lambs (625) sold to £48 gross twice for a Cheviot from Kilmory, Acharacle and for a Cross from Ockle, Achteny.
Pentland Ferries' new £14-million vessel, mv Alfred is almost ready to make its first trip from St Margaret's Hope to Gills Bay on Friday, 1st November 2019. The new ferry arrived on 9th October 2019 after completing its journey from the shipbuilders in Vietnam for the final fittings to be carried at Kirkwall after quick call at St Margarets Hope where local children had a chance to get a glimpse of it.
As part of the nuclear sector deal, to foster ever-stronger links between the British and Japanese nuclear industry, Councillor Struan Mackie who represents Thurso and North West Caithness on Highland Council (Deputy-Chair of the Dounreay Stakeholder Group) undertook a five day Japanese visit to discuss the impact of nuclear decommissioning on local communities with stakeholders in Tsuruga City, Fukui prefecture. The whistle-stop visit included two days in Tsuruga on , the home of the Japanese Atomic Energy Agencies fast reactor ‘Monju', is generally regarded to be a ‘partner plant' to Dounreay's PFR in Caithness.
Dounreay's latest supplier information day, hosted jointly with companies appointed to its decommissioning services framework, has proved popular with companies from around the UK. Around 200 people packed into a venue in Wick, Caithness to hear about plans for future work to decommission the site.
26/10/2019
.Update Daily Record 26 October 2019 Scottish Labour has removed one of their candidates after an internal party probe into comments he made on anti-semitism. Bill Curran wrote that he stood with controversial MP Chris Williamson, who was suspended after claiming Labour had been "too apologetic" over the row about anti-Jewish sentiment in the party.
Finding a suitable plot to build your house in Caithness should be relatively simple! When you've found your plot then you can design the house to suit that plot. For more information on house design take a look at the Thermohaus Design Guide Most people will want to live in a specific part of the county due, perhaps, to work commitments / travel to work considerations, family ties or simply because it's somewhere they know and like.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd, (October, 25th) sold 663 rams at its annual show and sale of North County Hill Cheviots, generously sponsored by Robertson Crop Services & D. R.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October 25th) sold 339 rams at its second continental ram sale of the year. Beltex (27) sold to £500 gross for a shearling from Overhouse, Orkney.