News Archive
1/4/2013
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 2nd April 2013
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (April, 2nd) sold 82 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (51) averaged 228.8p (+4.4p) and sold to 253p per kg and £1,622.60 gross.31/3/2013
Initiative launched to boost digital skills in Highlands and Islands
A new package of business IT support for organisations and individuals across the Highlands and Islands is now available. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), in partnership with Business Gateway and with support from the Scottish Government, have launched an IT engagement programme, offering online IT guides and group workshops.
29/3/2013
Local Connections Of Man Appointed To Lead Tidal Turbines Installations
Local roots of lead installations engineer for first tidal-stream turbies to enter Inner Sound. A Caithness-descended sub-sea engineer, who is proud of his Canisbay parish roots, is to take charge of the installation of the very first electricity-generating tidal turbine in the Pentland Firth's Inner Sound next year (2014).29/3/2013
Caithness Chamber funds retraining for subsea sector at The Underwater Centre
The first graduate to come through The Underwater Centre’s Fort William-based subsea training facility as a result of a Caithness Chamber of Commerce-led funding initiative has already secured a job in the industry. Kevin Macleod (30), of Caithness, who was working as an instrument technician with Johnson Controls at Dounreay until recently, has been taken on as an apprentice ROV pilot technician with Fugro, one of the world’s largest ROV operators.29/3/2013
NDA publishes 2013-16 Business Plan
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has this week published its 2013-16 Business Plan which sets out its delivery priorities for the period as it continues to focus on accelerating hazard reduction across its 19-site estate. The focus at Sellafield will remain on driving forward further progress across the site including a programme of major projects required to decommission the high hazard legacy ponds and silos, while also working towards the completion of the contracts at both the Magnox and Thorp reprocessing plants by the end of the decade.
29/3/2013
Decrofting - New Legislation To Make It Easier
Action is being taken to deal with the difficulties owner-occupier crofters are facing when decrofting their croft land. The Environment Minister Paul Wheelhouse announced that the Scottish Government will bring forward a Bill as soon as possible after the Easter recess to address this issue which will require amending crofting legislation.
29/3/2013
Subsidies for fallen stock
Compensation is available to help farmers meet the costs of disposing of animals lost due to the current severe weather. The Scottish Government has made available £500,000 to help meet costs incurred.28/3/2013
Four candidates contest Landward Caithness By-Election
Notice of Poll Four candidates will contest the forthcoming by-election to elect one councillor to serve The Highland Council’s Ward 4 – Landward Caithness. The candidates are: David Baron, Scottish Labour Party Gillian Coghill Hanna Miedema, Scottish National Party (SNP) Barbara Anne Watson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Candidate The by-election will be held on Thursday 2 May and voting will take place at 14 polling stations between 7.00 am – 10.00 pm.28/3/2013
Schmallenberg (SBV) update
Farmers have been urged to remain vigilant after the first evidence emerged that Schmallenberg Virus (SBV) was circulating in Scotland in 2012. Eight cows in a dairy herd at the Barony campus of Scotland’s Rural College in Dumfries and Galloway have tested positive for SBV antibodies, indicating exposure to the virus in 2012, although at a low prevalence.28/3/2013
Round two of the Scottish EDGE is open for entries
After the first round of the Scottish EDGE competition, where over £500,000 was given to help 17 of Scotland’s brightest entrepreneurs, they are ready to start all over again! This next round will award in the region of £750,000 to young Scottish businesses. The closing date for round two applications is 5pm Tuesday 16 April 2013.27/3/2013
Dingwall & Highland Marts - Sale 27th March 2013
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (March, 27th) sold 2,805 sheep of all classes. Lambs (1,267) averaged £42.80 and sold to £78 gross for Cheviots from Lingland, Caithness.27/3/2013
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 26th March 2013
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 26th) sold 83 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (50) averaged 224.4p (+8.3p) and sold to 250p per kg and £1,600.00 gross.27/3/2013
Two New Consultants For Caithness General
Who would move from sunny Greece to occasionally chilly Caithness? For Dr Petros Karsaliakos, the weather barely featured in his decision to move to Wick. “The weather has its own advantages and disadvantages,” he said.27/3/2013
Homecoming Boost for Highland Economy
Tourism in the Highlands looks set to enjoy a significant boost as part of the Homecoming Scotland 2014 programme following the announcement of support for a number of events by First Minister Alex Salmond and VisitScotland Chairman, Mike Cantlay at the official launch at Hopetoun House in South Queensferry today. Caroline Packman, Homecoming Scotland 2014 Director, said: “2014 promises to be a very exciting year for Scotland where we can celebrate all that’s great about our country and place the spotlight on our greatest assets.26/3/2013
HIE unveils plans for business space at Inverness Campus
Highlands and Islands Enterprise submitted plans this week for the next phase of construction at Inverness Campus – the first of several state-of-the-art office/lab complexes. With infrastructure and groundworks now well underway at the 215 acre site, the creation of this speculative unit is part of HIE’s strategy to attract leading life science businesses to the Highlands and Islands.26/3/2013
£146 Million To Upgrade Broadband in Highland and Islands
The project, led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and delivered by BT, is being hailed as the UK’s most complex and challenging broadband project ever. It means that around 84 per cent of Highlands and Islands homes and businesses will have access to fibre broadband by the end of the project.26/3/2013
European Offshore Wind Centre
The Scottish Government today announced consent for the development of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) in Aberdeen Bay. The development consists of 11 wind turbines and their connecting cables, sited between two and 4.5 km off the Aberdeenshire coast, capable of generating up to 100 MW, providing enough energy to meet the needs of over 49,000 homes – almost half of the homes in Aberdeen.26/3/2013
HIAL Introduces Free Wi-Fi Across Their Airports
HIAL INTRODUCES FREE WI-FI ACROSS NETWORK Regional airport group HIAL has become the first in Scotland to provide free Wi-Fi for passengers. The publicly owned company, which operates a network of 11 airports across Scotland, including Wick John O’Groats, Stornoway, Inverness and Dundee, began rolling out the new service last month, with the majority of airports now live.26/3/2013
Homelessness falls
There has been a significant fall in the number of people presented as homeless in Scotland, official statistics confirmed today. There were 8,734 applications for homelessness assistance in the quarter to December 2012 - a 12 per cent drop on the same period in 2011.25/3/2013
