News Archive

Beef payments begin

Scottish Beef Scheme funding will begin to arrive in farmers’ bank accounts from Friday, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has confirmed.   Around 95 per cent of producers will receive their funding – which is worth around £22 million to the Scottish beef sector – by Wednesday April 24.  

Project aims to bring empty homes back into use across Highland

Three areas in the Highlands are to pilot an initiative by The Highland Council to bring empty properties back into affordable housing use.   The Council’s Housing and Property Service is to initially target the Black Isle, Inverness Central and Nairn, as pilots which together provide a mix of rural and urban locations.  

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.  

£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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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.  

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%.