News Archive

Natural Retreats Invitation To Caithness Suppliers

Natural Retreats is currently in the final throes of a �6m redevelopment of the village at John O' Groats as a premium tourist destination with the creation of 23 unique standalone holiday Residences, due to be completed in Summer 2012.  We are now looking to engage suppliers in the community to start working together to achieve our vision for the area.  

"Chew it, wrap it, bin it"

"Chew it, wrap it, bin it" message promoted to Highland pupils Next week pupils in ten Highland schools will take part in a series of drama workshops to highlight issues surrounding litter, especially disposal of discarded chewing gum.   The Bin It! workshops, sponsored by Wrigley, aims to encourage students aged 11-13 to consider the personal, social and environment costs of gum litter and to encourage behavioural change.  

Target date for partial re-opening of Stromeferry By-pass delayed

The target date for the partial re-opening of the A 890 Stromeferry By-pass between Lochcarron and Kyle/Plockton has had to be delayed until Monday 27 February as the result of more extensive works being identified by the specialist contractors employed by The Highland Council to make safe the rockface and reopen the road.   At a public meeting at Achmore, near Plockton, last night, TRAC Engineering Ltd set out the challenges they are facing as they work round the clock to stabilise the rockface, clear rock, soil and vegetation from the hillside and install safety netting at a point 100 yards west of the Avalanche Shelter.  

�6million Now Available For Wave and Tidal Projects

The marine and tidal energy sector is to benefit from �6 million in funding to further develop testing of new wave and tidal prototypes in the seas around Scotland.   Scottish Enterprise is launching a second round of the remaining competitive funding from the initial WATERS �13 million fund, launched in March 2010.  

Council's Cleaning Team Receive National Excellence Award

The Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport Cleaning Service have received a Performance Network Award for the Most Improved Performer in the Association of Public Services 2011 Excellence Awards.   The ECS cleaning service, which employs 850 people, provides a daily building cleaning service to 367 of the Council's establishments including nurseries, schools, offices, libraries, community centres and museums.  

Household Recycling Saves Councils �20m

New figures show that Scotland's household recycling efforts save local authorities more than �20 million each year.   The revelation on how much councils save through recycling comes as Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead launches the latest recycling campaign from the Scottish Government, encouraging the public to recycle more and more often.  

New Transport Projects

Details of how new budget allocations will be spent were unveiled by Finance Secretary John Swinney in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon.   The specific transport strand of the announcement represents a package of almost �72 million aimed at improving journey times, relieving congestion and making Scotland's roads even safer.  

Future For Teacher Employment

Plans to support teachers to improve learning outcomes for children and young people have been announced.   In response to the McCormac review of teaching employment, the Scottish Government intends to: create a new masters level qualification to replace the Chartered Teacher scheme introduce a refreshed system of professional review for teachers give further, careful consideration to the role of external experts in schools Speaking in Parliament, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Michael Russell said: "Teachers have a fundamental role in nurturing and supporting the development of our children and young people.  

�8.5m To Support Youth Employment

Further details of how thousands of young people will be helped into employment have been outlined in the Scottish Parliament today.   Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance announced that �8.5 million will be invested in projects to support young people into work.  

Regeneration Partnership - Latest Update

Week commencing 6th February: Energy: The Scottish Government's Energy Advisory Board met this week, and announced the recommendations of the short-life working group on planning and consenting for offshore renewable energy.  The working group, co-chaired by the Energy, Enterprise & Tourism Minister and featuring industry, regulatory bodies and The Crown Estate, has made recommendations designed to streamline the scoping, planning and consenting of offshore renewables projects.