News Archive
23/10/2013
'Taste Our Best' in the Highlands
The North Highland Initiative (NHI) is calling for quality, as a north Highlands hotel receives an award from the new Taste Our Best Food & Drink Quality Assurance scheme, along with 14 other businesses in the Highlands area. Forss House, near Thurso has been recognised by Taste Our Best which is designed to acknowledge businesses including hotels, restaurants, cafes, takeaways, visitor attractions and B&Bs that not only offer a quality food & drink experience, but include and promote Scottish produce on their menus to give consumers choice.23/10/2013
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 24 October 2013
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October, 24th) sold 4,873 breeding & feeding sheep. Gimmers (360) averaged £89.42 and sold to £155 gross for Suffolk crosses from Smerral Farm, Bower.23/10/2013
Highland Council Leader's bedroom tax plea
The Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Drew Hendry, has written yet again to the UK Government urging a re-think over its under-occupancy policy, which he says is impacting heavily on the Highlands and in particular remote and rural communities. In a letter to Lord Freud, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Welfare Reform, the Leader urges the Government to back a recommendation from one of its own committees – the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee – to exempt settlements of fewer than 3,000 people.23/10/2013
Council agrees new Council Service structure
Highland Councillors have unanimously accepted changes to the Council’s Service structure to align teams into five Services rather than the current seven, delivering year-on-year savings of £350,000 from 2014/15. The current seven Services are: Education, Culture and Sport Health and Social Care Finance Chief Executives Service Housing and Property Planning and Development TECS The proposed new Services are:- Children, Education and Adult Services Finance Corporate Development Capital and Development Community Services The changes will be implemented in two phases.23/10/2013
Wick Heating System Gets £400,000 Boost
Communities benefit from £1.5 million of funding Today, Energy Minister Fergus Ewing announced that seven local communities throughout Scotland will benefit from £1.5 million of funding for district heating projects through the District Heating Loan Fund. Seven projects from as far north as Wick to Lockerbie in the south have been awarded funding support.23/10/2013
Funding for new farmers
Payments made under New Entrants Scheme. Hundreds of new farmers across Scotland are set to receive a share of £2 million funding.20/10/2013
Passenger growth continued at HIAL In September
Passenger numbers grew by more than 11,000 at Scotland’s regional airports last month. Latest figures show that HIAL’s 11 airports handled 126,672 passengers in September, an increase of 11,229 (+9.7%) on the same month last year.20/10/2013
Launch of Ready for Winter Campaign
The Highland Council is fully supporting the Scottish Government’s Ready for Winter Campaign which was launched today (Monday 21st October 2013). The national campaign focuses on being prepared in the community; at home; on the move and in the workplace and encourages people to use the “extra hour”, when the clocks go back at the weekend to “Take an Hour” to make themselves better prepared.20/10/2013
Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 18 October 2013
LOCHMADDY, Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd., (October, 18th) sold 321 weaned calves and store cattle and 9 breeding cattle and 10 OTM cattle at their annual show & sale. Prior to the sale the judge Mr G.20/10/2013
Make Sure Your Tyres Are Legal Or Get Hit With High Fines and Penalty Points
All £60 non-endorsable penalties increased to £100 on 16th August 2013. Included in this could be fines for not displaying a tax disc, no MOT, VEL plate offence, no seatbelt on children.20/10/2013
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd. - Sale 21st October 2013
FORT WILLIAM, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October, 21st) sold 2,187 store sheep of all classes. Lambs (1,352) averaged £34.85 per head and sold to £72 gross for Suffolk crosses from Arisaig Farms, Arisaig.20/10/2013
Scottish Countryside Alliance Fear Rural Renaissance Lacks Substance
The Scottish Countryside Alliance welcome Richard Lochhead MSP’s address at the Scottish Nationalist Party’s autumn conference and his announcement that rural development is a Scottish priority. However we wonder what substance lies beneath his words for Scotland’s rural and wider country sports sector.20/10/2013
Licensing of low-powered air weapons unnecessary, says Alliance
The Scottish Countryside Alliance (SCA) is asking Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill MSP to reconsider his stance on the licensing of low-powered air weapons in Scotland. Serious doubts have been cast over planned new controls of air weapons after Scotland's most senior frontline police officers warned licensing would be unwieldy and too expensive.18/10/2013
RIVERBANK PRACTICE PATIENTS PARTICIPATION GROUP
The Riverbank Practice Patient Participation Group (RPPPG) is undertaking a survey to obtain patients’ views on the current provision of services at the Practice. The survey will take place between Monday 21st October 2013, through to Friday 15th November 2013, inclusive.
18/10/2013
Business Support Roadshow - Thurso - Get Booked
13 February 2014 The Business Support Roadshows will begin at 4pm with short presentations from each organisation attending detailing how they can support your business. This will be followed by workshops addressing key business issues.17/10/2013
Proposed amendments to Council Service structure
Highland Councillors will be asked next week to amend the Council’s Service structure to align teams into five Services rather than the current seven, delivering year-on-year savings of £350,000 from 2014/15. New Chief Executive Steve Barron has prepared a report for consideration by the Council at its meeting on Thursday 24 October, which recommends changes - to be introduced in two phases - to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and performance of the Council’s services.16/10/2013
Caithness Chamber Call for Businesses To Get In Touch Re Broadband Rollout
Caithness Chamber of Commerce has been set into action following announcments about the rollout of rual braodband as Caithness will not see any benefit for some time yet. The chamber has contacted their meber businesses but would be interested to hear from any Caithness business that thinks slow broadband is affecting their business.16/10/2013
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 17 October 2013
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October, 17th) sold 2,539 store sheep. Lambs (2,361) averaged £51.20 and sold to £66 gross for Cheviot lambs from Knockglass, Dornoch.16/10/2013
Anti Wind Farm Protest To Confront SNP Conference
National anti-wind farm march & protest, Perth 19th October 2013: STOP THE SPIN! Protestors from across Scotland are converging on Perth on Saturday for the climax of the SNP's annual conference. Police and organisors are expecting higher numbers than ever before.
16/10/2013
