News Archive
21/2/2014
Licensed trade in Highlands reminded of need for refresher training
Members of the licensed trade in the Highlands are being reminded of the need to undergo refresher training to ensure they retain their personal licences - and the authority to sell alcohol on their premises. Personal Licences are issued for a period of 10 years.21/2/2014
Miller Academy Primary Gets £50,000 To Improve Access
Seven new projects totalling £800,000 of expenditure on repair and replacement works in seven Highland primary schools have been approved by members of The Highland Council’s Adult and Children’s Services Committee. The new projects, which will be funded from the Council’s Education, Culture and Sport capital programme will be completed in the financial year 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2015.19/2/2014
Job opportunities on offer to Gaelic speaking students
Up to 25 job opportunities will be available to young Gaels over the summer months as a result of a longstanding partnership between Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Comunn na GÃ idhlig (CnaG). The job opportunities will be available through the Students Summer Placement Scheme, which offers Gaelic-speaking students placements with businesses and organisations where Gaelic is the language of the workplace.19/2/2014
Supply teacher recruitment campaign reaps returns for Highland schools
The initial success of an advertising campaign to recruit supply teachers for Highland Council schools has resulted in the local authority running a second recruitment campaign. Members of the Council’s Adult and Children’s Services committee were today (19 February) informed that a recruitment campaign using advertorials in local and national newspapers in December 2013 attracted expressions of interest from 52 teachers.19/2/2014
Council approves steps to deliver 600 hours funded early learning and childcare
Highland parents and families are to benefit from the introduction of 600 hours funded early learning and childcare from August this year. The Highland Council’s Adult and Children’s Services Committee have approved a suite of measures to enable the Council’s delivery of 600 hours on early learning and childcare by August 2014.19/2/2014
David Stewart MSP Highlights Importance of EU to the Highlands
In a speech to the Scottish Parliament , Highlands & Islands Regional MSP, David Stewart highlighted the importance of EU funding to the economic and cultural development of the Highlands and Islands. “European funding is not a paternalistic sop from Eurocrats:, said Mr Stewart, “but a crucial economic tool.18/2/2014
First superfast broadband connection for rural Scotland project
A historic north-east fishing community is the first location in Scotland to become superfast broadband enabled as part of a £410m publicly-funded project. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today (Tuesday 18 February 2014) announced that the first cabinet bringing next generation broadband services to rural Scotland is now live in the Moray town of Buckie.16/2/2014
Scottish Water to hold market day conference in Inverness for Highlands contractors
Scottish Water's Procurement & Supply Chain team is holding a Market Day Conference for Highlands contractors in Inverness on Friday 21st February. The event is part of a strategy to outline Scottish Water's procurement process for rural contractors who can help deliver investment in the upcoming 2015-21 investment period.15/2/2014
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update
Week Commencing 10th February 2014 Energy & Business Services: As promised last week, further information on the consultation events that Pelamis Wave Power will be undertaking in the north next month as the company prepares to submit application to build a wave site at Farr Point in North Sutherland. Events will be held on Monday 24th March (Caithness Horizons, Thurso, 17.00-20.00); on Tuesday 25th March (Bettyhill Hall, 13.00-16.00 and Strathy Hall, 17.30-20.00) and on Wednesday 26th March (Durness Hall, 17.00-20.00).14/2/2014
Radon Gas Found In Five Highland Schools Including Halkirk
As part of an on-going monitoring programme, recent radon testing in five Highland schools has found high levels of radon gas. The schools are Glen Urquhart High School, Drumnadrochit; Glen Urquhart Primary School, Drumnadrochit; Helmsdale Primary School; Halkirk Primary School; and Kilchuimen Primary and Academy, Fort Augustus, which is a shared campus.12/2/2014
Closer look at Census figures for Caithness and Sutherland
The demographics of Caithness and Sutherland were under the spotlight yesterday (Tuesday 11 February) when Members of the Area Committee took the opportunity to look in some detail at the results from the 2011 census. Since 2001 the population of Caithness and Sutherland has grown by 3.3% with an increase in four out of six Wards, and at a local level in 34 out of 58 data zones.12/2/2014
Update at Area Committee as Peatlands project funding application submitted
At yesterday's (Tuesday 11 February) Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee members were given an update on progress for the Flow to the Future project, an ambitious multi-million pound project to restore seven square miles of globally important peatlands which is being co-ordinated by RSPB on behalf of the Peatlands Partnership. The Peatlands Partnership was formed in 2007 and promotes the special nature and interests of the peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland (the Flow Country).
12/2/2014
Land reform top of the agenda at Area Committee
The first item on yesterday's Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee was Land Reform with the meeting starting with a presentation by David Cameron, Convener of Community Land Scotland. Members then took the opportunity to discuss in particular the overview of land reform issues in Sutherland.12/2/2014
Taxi fare review in Highland
Review The public is being asked for its views on proposals by The Highland Council to increase the cost of all fares, regardless of the distance travelled by 30p. It is also proposed that the charge applied to compensate for the cost of the outward journey for hires which commence 3 miles or more away from the taxi or taxi base (whichever is the nearer) and where the customer wishes to travel further away be increased from a maximum of ��6.50 to a maximum of ��7.50.12/2/2014
Dingwall & Highland Marts - Sale 12 February 2014
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (February, 12th) sold 1971 sheep of all classes. Lambs (1126) averaged £64.76 and sold to £90 gross for a Cheviot from Heathmount, Tain.12/2/2014
MISUSE OF ZERO HOURS CONTRACTS MUST BE TACKLED
Yesterday the Scottish Affairs Committee met with Scottish Officials of USDAW, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, in Falkirk to take evidence on the impact of zero hours contracts. The Scottish Affairs Committee heard that companies are using “zero hours” contracts when there is not a justifiable business need, leading to unnecessary insecurity, lack of opportunity to access finance, mortgages or even rental housing, and loss of important employment rights.10/2/2014
Reactor demolition takes another step forward at Dounreay
A pioneering Dounreay innovation has allowed the team taking apart the Prototype Fast Reactor to complete one of the final phases ready for demolition. The centre guide tube - which once housed the reactor's control and shutoff rods - was successfully raised from the reactor core, demonstrating that internal fixtures can be safely removed.
10/2/2014
Scottish Affairs Committee Meets To Discuss Zero Hours Contracts
COMMITTEE TO MEET USDAW IN FALKIRK TO DISCUSS DAMAGING IMPACT OF ZERO HOURS CONTRACTS. On Monday 10th February the Scottish Affairs Committee will meet with USDAW, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, in Falkirk to discuss evidence they have provided about the impact of zero hours contracts.9/2/2014
C-Odyssey at Gills Harbour 
Report - Bill Mowatt The flagship of the largest fleet of 'marine renewables support vessels' in Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters has been on a two-day operational working visit to Gills Harbour in Caithness. The versatile C-Odyssey has been specifically designed to service the fledgling industry and was delivered new to owners/operators Leask Marine Ltd, of Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, from a shipyard in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2011, at a reported cost of over £3 million.
9/2/2014
