News Archive
14/4/2013
New Minimum Wage £6.31 From October 2013
The national minimum wage is to rise by 12p an hour to £6.31 for adults and by 5p to £5.03 for 18-to-20-year-olds from October, the government has announced. Business secretary Vince Cable said the government accepted the recommendation of the Low Pay Commission.14/4/2013
Get Ready To Retune TV Equipment In Caithness on 24th April
Freeview viewers in Caithness will need to retune their TV equipment on 24 April as local airwaves are cleared for the roll-out of 4G mobile broadband. Technical changes at the Rumster Forest transmitter group, affecting around 22,000 homes, will free up frequencies for the future introduction of 4G mobile services.14/4/2013
£1.65 Million To Develop Young Entrepreneurs
Scotland's young people can look forward to more support to start their own business thanks to a £1.65 million funding pot. Finance Secretary John Swinney, revealed the Scottish Government's continued support to The Prince's Trust's Youth Business Scotland programme today at a young people's enterprise event held with 'Power of Youth' and RBS in Edinburgh.13/4/2013
Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2013
Caithness Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce that entries are now open for the George Bruce Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2013. Now in its fourth year, the award aims to highlight a young, local businessperson who has displayed the necessary drive and determination to make their business a success.13/4/2013
Highland population growth spans the ages
The latest Census figures released by the National Register of Scotland, show that Highland’s population growth spans the age range. Highland’s population has risen by 23,000 between 2001 and 2011 to 232,000.13/4/2013
Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update
Week Commencing 8th April 2013 Energy/ Business Services: Students from North Highland College’s Engineering apprenticeship programme have just returned from a week in Orkney studying Marine Renewables Safety Training at Orkney College’s Maritime Studies department. The students (including some from Orkney) are based at Thurso’s state-of-the-art Engineering, Technology & Energy Centre (ETEC), but this tie-up allows students to add crucial maritime safety elements to their final qualification, bringing them closer to opportunities in the energy sector.12/4/2013
HiDigital Interactive Workshops - Dornoch
16 April 2013 Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), in partnership with Business Gateway, invite you to attend a series of half day digital workshops to help you improve your online and IT knowledge. These free workshops are aimed at anyone who wants to learn more about new technologies and how they can benefit their business or social enterprise.12/4/2013
Intermediate Preparing to Export course - Caithness and Sutherland
Highlands and Islands Enterprise, in partnership with Scottish Development International, is offering an Intermediate Preparing to Export course for companies that are already exporting to 2/3 markets and would like to further develop their export capabilities. Course kick-off: 2-day residential on 11 & 12 April 2013 (1 nights accommodation and dinner will be provided) Course continues on: 4 additional sessions held over 6-8 weeks: 25th April, 9th May, 23rd May and 6th June 2013 Location: The Norseman Hotel, Wick This programme is fully funded by Smart Exporter, an ambitious new international trade skills programme, and is targeted at Scottish companies that are already exporting and wish to develop their export capabilities to grow their business.12/4/2013
Entries now open for 2013 Highlands and Islands Food and Drink Awards
Companies across the region are being urged to seize the opportunity to promote their products and businesses by entering this year’s Highlands & Islands Food and Drink Awards. The Awards, now in their ninth year and sporting a fresh new logo and website, recognise and reward the businesses which are displaying best practice, achieving exceptional standards and pushing boundaries in a key growth industry sector.12/4/2013
New programme launched to help food and drink business
The 2014 Legacy Challenge: New programme launched to help food and drink businesses The 2014 Food & Drink team has this week announced a new package of innovation support, designed to help all Scottish food and drink companies to capitalise on the business opportunities presented by events taking place in Scotland during 2014. The project, known as the 2014 Legacy Challenge, encourages companies to act now to start thinking about how they can innovate to develop a new product or creating exciting new packaging for 2014 and beyond, and kicks off with an Innovation Workshop in Edinburgh on 29 April.12/4/2013
New industry-led initiative to develop tourism in Far North
The findings of a new industry-led tourism initiative designed to put the Far North on the map have been presented to local business and community leaders in Caithness and North Sutherland. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have funded the project and contracted Glasgow School of Art Centre for Design and Innovation to work with businesses and community groups in Caithness and Sutherland.11/4/2013
Twenty-somethings selling their cars for cash as debt takes over
Double-dip recession hitting hard-up drivers in the pocket. Younger motorists are selling their cars in droves as tough financial times mean they have to juggle their debts to pay for life's essentials, figures obtained by a leading vehicle sales website have shown.10/4/2013
New approach to housing homeless in Highland
Highland Councillors have set a target of providing 200 new homes over the next four years for people who find themselves in an emergency homeless position. They plan to gradually reduce the amount of money spent on purchasing temporary accommodation from the private sector, such as Houses of Multiple Occupation, and instead build and acquire an expanding pool of one-bedroomed homes in appropriate locations that can be used as a temporary base for the homeless.10/4/2013
Council amend rent arrears policy to assist tenants affected by Bedroom Tax
Highland Councillors have agreed to adopt a “sympathetic ” policy for those Council house tenants affected by the new Bedroom Tax, who unavoidably fall into rent arrears through the loss of housing benefit for under-occupying their homes. It is estimated that 2,200 Highland Council tenants (16%) are affected by the introduction of the Social Rented Sector Size Criteria Restriction (Bedroom Tax), which sees people who are under-occupying by one bedroom having their benefit reduced by 14% and those under-occupying by more than one room having their benefit reduced by 25%.10/4/2013
Dingwall & Highland Mart - Sheep Sale - 11 April 2013
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (April, 11th) sold 802 sheep of all classes. Lambs (364) averaged £47.66 and sold to £95 gross for Mules from Glendoe Estate, Fort Augustus, and Beltex crosses from Easter Aberchalder, Gorthleck.10/4/2013
Councils face tighter squeeze in 2013
Councils face tougher challenges in the year ahead, particularly in dealing with budget pressures, says the Accounts Commission in its annual overview report published today. Pressures on resources and demands on services mean that councils may now have to consider decisions, which they had previously ruled out, to balance their budgets.9/4/2013
Sutherland Brothers Annual Trade Day - 25th April 2013
Sutherland Brothers Annual Trade Day is being held in Wick Assembly Rooms on Thursday 25th April between 2pm and 8pm. If you are a business looking to purchase from a local wholesaler why not come along and meet us along with many of our local and national suppliers.
9/4/2013
Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd - Young Farmers 10th April 2013
DINGWALL, Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd, (April 10th) sold 25 Young Farmers over-wintered cattle at their annual show and sale, kindly sponsored by Messrs Home Farms, Inverness & Messrs Craiglands Quarry, Fortrose. Bullocks (15) averaged 250.2p and sold to 264.2p per kilo for the Craiglands Quarry Homebred Reserve, a 545kg Charolais cross from Skye MacGillivray, Glasstullich, Nigg Station, to Messrs McKenzie Craiglands Ltd, Fortrose, and £1,450 gross for the Home Farm Reserve Supreme Overall, a 595kg Limousin cross homebred from Donna Maclennan, c/o Mains of Clunas, Nairn to Mr D Budge, Brae-edge Farm, Castletown.
9/4/2013
Closure of Sheriff Courts a mistake claims Highlands & Islands MSP
Highlands & Islands Labour MSP David Stewart has hit out at plans revealed by the Scottish Court service which indicate that there are plans to close 10 of Scotland’s Sheriff Courts and seven JP Courts. David Stewart said “It appears that the Government plan to make savings by closing 10 Sheriff Courts across the country.
9/4/2013
