Principal of North Highland College UHI Announces Retirement in September

12th August 2020

Photograph of Principal of North Highland College UHI Announces Retirement in September

The Principal and Chief Executive of North Highland College UHI has announced his intention to the Board of Management to retire from his post on September 30th 2020.

Mr Donald MacBeath, a native to Caithness, has held a number of positions across the college, starting as a lecturer in the mid 1980's and progressing to Assistant Principal and Vice Principal before accepting his post as College Principal in June 2014.

During his tenure, North Highland College UHI has achieved a number of notable firsts across Scotland:

The delivery of the country's first professional golf degree based in Sutherland, and establishing a formal partnership with the Professional Golf Association (PGA) which has led to recognition of this degree by the PGA and enabled the first delivery of training for PGA Golf Professionals in Scotland

In association with HIE, established Scotland’s first Newton Room on the College’s Thurso Campus in Caithness

in association with the Caithness Chamber of Commerce, supported the creation of the first Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) regional group in the Highlands, one of the first in Scotland.

An instrumental figure of the establishment of both Argyll and West Highland College UHI which North Highland College UHI continues to share a close link, Mr MacBeath is the current Chair of the Partnership Planning Forum of the University of the Highlands & Islands (UHI).

Chair of the North Highland College UHI Board of Management, Blair Sandison, commented "Donald has been an exemplary leader and advocate for the college and the role it plays supporting the educational and social ambitions across the large community that it serves. In these difficult times, Donald’s energy and enthusiasm has been instrumental in ensuring the college continued to deliver professional, high quality education throughout the Covid19 crisis. Donald will be missed by us all and we wish him a long, happy and healthy retirement".

The North Highland College UHI, Board of Management will oversee the process to appoint a successor to Mr Donald MacBeath and this post will be advertised in due course after consultation with College staff, students and external stakeholders.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

30/5/2026 : Educational Institutions

The University of the Highlands and Islands: Financial Pressure, Regional Delivery, and the Thurso Question

The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) is structurally different from most UK universities.  It is not a single compact campus institution but a regional “distributed university” model, made up of a partnership of colleges and specialist centres spread across the Highlands and Islands.  

24/3/2026 : Educational Institutions

Supporting parents and carers to work

Thousands of families to gain new opportunities to learn, earn and thrive.   As a result of £21 million of new, targeted investment in colleges and skills, families at risk of poverty will receive additional support to train, to help them enter stable, well-paid work or progress in their career.  

16/2/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
Funding boosts STEM opportunities for young people in Caithness and Sutherland

Primary school pupils in Caithness and Sutherland will have the chance to dive into engaging science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) activities, thanks to a new funding agreement from NRS Dounreay.   The three-year commitment will enable the Science Skills Academy (SSA) to deliver practical STEM learning at the Newton Room in Thurso, helping young people aged 10-14 explore how STEM connects to real-world applications.  

4/2/2026 : Educational Institutions

Student Numbers Falling in Scotland's Colleges - Trends and Causes

The latest College Statistics 2024-25 report from the Scottish Funding Council shows a clear decline in the number of students participating in further and higher education at colleges across Scotland.   Between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years, the total number of college students decreased from 218,145 to 209,285 This is a fall of more than four per cent in just one year and part of a broader downward trend amounting to roughly 16 per cent fewer students over the last two years.  

4/12/2025 : Local Authority

Have your say in Thurso's future £100million investment by attending public consultation events

Thurso is to benefit from £100m investment in education and community facilities and are rolling out the first phase of public consultations on 9 and 10 December 2025.   The Highland Council is inviting people that live, work, or study in Thurso, to come along to the public consultation events to have their say; this is an opportunity to help shape the future of Thurso, to gather views and ideas.  

28/11/2025 : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
Workforce North event spotlights Highland economy

EMPLOYERS and educators from across the Highlands have gathered to hear how a new initiative is aiming to transform the region's economy.   Workforce North - A Call to Action brought together business leaders and teachers from primary and secondary schools from across the Highland Council area with a wide range of partners geared towards education, learning and skills development at Strathpeffer Pavillion.  

25/11/2025 : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
Tartan challenge for UHI students offers £1,500 prize

Students from across the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) partnership have been challenged to design a tartan and be in with a chance of winning a £1,500 cash prize.   Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has launched THE COMPETITION to mark 60 years since the regional development agency (then named Highlands and Islands Development Board) was established in November 1965.  

30/10/2025 : Educational Institutions

University (UHI) Staff Strike in Dispute Over Job Cuts Today - 10 Redundancy Notices already Handed Out

Staff at University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) have commenced a series of strike actions beginning 30 October 2025, in protest at proposed job cuts and the use of compulsory redundancies.   The walk-out is set for four days this month today 30 October and further dates on 5, 17 and 18 November.  

2/10/2025 : Educational Institutions

 
Scotland's Colleges Feeling Impact Of Funding Cuts

Scotland's colleges face changing how they operate due to ongoing financial pressures.   The sector has experienced a 20 per cent real terms cut in funding over the last five years.  

7/7/2025 : Educational Institutions

 
Financial Health Report - Scottish Universities and Colleges

Scottish universities and colleges are navigating a sustained decline in public funding, significant cost pressures, and rising operating deficits.   Universities saw their collective underlying surplus tumble by 92% in 2023-24, while colleges face a real-terms funding cut of 17% since 2021-22.