Highland Council Service Arrangements For Christmas And New Year - Emergency Contact Numbers
23rd December 2020
The Highland Council has notified its service users and customers of its opening hours and service arrangements over the festive period.
The Service Centre will close at 4pm on 24 December. It will be open on 29, 30 and 31 December (opening times 10am to 4pm). Closed 1, 2, 3 and 4 January 2021 and open 8am to 5pm from 5 January 2021
All council Service Points will remain closed to the public until further notice.
Inverness Registration Office will close at 4pm on 24 December. Staff will be available by appointment only on 29, 30 and 31 December (10am to 4pm). It will be closed 1, 2, 3 and 4 January and will reopen for appointments from 9am on Tuesday 5 January 2021.
Urgent death registration appointments will also be available on 29, 30 and 31 December at various offices across Highland, please contact your local Funeral Director who will advise.
Coronavirus Helpline
Call 0300 303 1362 for support including emergency food for those in crisis including those who have to self-isolate and have no other way of getting food supplies.
Online services
Contact the Council anytime online to report a problem, ask for something or make a payment:
Report - https://www.highland.gov.uk/report
Request - https://www.highland.gov.uk/request
Pay - https://www.highland.gov.uk/pay
Recycling Centres
Recycling centres will be closed 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January.
Christmas and New Year Collections:
If your usual collection for recycling or refuse falls on Friday 25 December or Friday 1 January 2021 you will have a different collection day. Please check the sticker on your bin for your alternative collection day. You can also find details on the Highland Council website www.highland.gov.uk/bincalendars
Boxing Day refuse and recycling collections remain the same this year.
For further information about recycling in the Highlands visit: www.highland.gov.uk/recycle
Council out of hours telephone numbers
Health and Social Care - 0845 769 7284
Roads, flooding, street lighting - 01349 886690
Housing - 01349 886691
Registration - 07818 588 203
Emergency out of hours telephone numbers
All trunk roads - BEAR Scotland - 0800 587 1107
Gas Freephone - 0800 111 999
NHS 24 - call free on 111 if you are ill and can't wait until your regular NHS service reopens
Police Scotland - 101 for all services
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - 01463 240999 (24 hours)
Scottish and Southern Electric Freephone - 0800 300 999
Scottish Water - 08000 778 778 (24 hours)
SEPA Floodline - 0345 988 1188
SEPA Pollution hotline - 0800 807060 (24 hours)
The Highland Council and NHS Highland are reminding Highland residents of the importance of reaching out for help if this is needed over the festive period.
If someone is concerned about their own or someone else's mental health, then it is important to contact their GP or to call NHS 24 on 111.
If there is a concern someone is in immediate danger then emergency services should be called on 999.
There is also a range of other helpline support in place for people needing to speak with someone:
Samaritans - 116 123 (calls are free and do not show on a phone bill)
Breathing Space - 0800 83 85 87
Mikey's Line - 07786 207755
Ewen's Room - 0800 689 3317
National Scottish Domestic Abuse Helpline - 0800 027 1234
LGBT Helpline Scotland 0300 123 2523
Childline - 0800 1111
CRUSE Bereavement Care Scotland - 0845 600 2227
Should you be concerned about a vulnerable adult, whether for care, welfare or mental health reasons, you can contact the following numbers:
Adult Protection Concern helpline - 0800 902 0042 in office hours and out of office hours or during holiday periods – 0845 769 7284.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Yesterday
Council welcomes Visitor Levy flexibility plan
The Highland Council welcomes moves by the Scottish Government to introduce greater flexibility on how it could design a Visitor Levy Scheme for consultation. The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 currently provides local authorities with discretionary powers to implement percentage-based levies following statutory consultation.Yesterday
Highland Council is reaching out for views to shape its next 26/27 budget.
As it looks to set out its forthcoming priorities, the council is seeking involvement from members of the public, including businesses, community groups, parents, and young people. All their opinions are going to be crucial in deciding how Highland Council will take on its budget challenge for 2026-2027.Yesterday
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.2/12/2025
Finding new owners for empty homes - Scheme launched to help return more empty homes to active use
A new online portal has been launched to bring empty homeowners together with prospective buyers or developers with the aim of facilitating more properties to be used as homes again. Covering the whole of Scotland, this builds on the success of local pilots, referred to as "matchmaker schemes".1/12/2025
Consideration for short term let control area in Skye and Raasay
Steps towards introducing a short term let control area have been considered by Highland Council's Isle of Skye and Raasay area committee. On Monday (1 December 2025) the committee heard evidence to justify the grounds for the introduction of a Short Term Let Control Area covering all or part of Skye and Raasay.28/11/2025
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.
27/11/2025
Council calls for meaningful engagement from Home Office Over 300 Asylum Seekers Being Sent to Inverness
The Highland Council continues to call for meaningful engagement from the Home Office over its plans to temporarily accommodate up to 300 adult male asylum seekers at Cameron Barracks, Inverness. It follows an email on Monday from Alex Norris MP, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, to Council Leader, Raymond Bremner, which failed to answer questions raised by the Council or address community concerns.27/11/2025
SSEN Transmission becomes first signatory to Highland Social Value Charter
SSEN Transmission has become the first company to sign up to the Highland Social Value Charter (HSVC), marking a significant milestone in delivering long-term socio-economic benefits for communities across the Highlands. Investment commitments from the company include funding for roads, new homes, jobs, and work for local contractors in addition to a local and regional fund for communities to apply to.25/11/2025
Wick - Aberdeen PSO - Update issued 24/11/2025
The Highland Council continues to work through the procurement process for the provision of the Wick Public Service Obligation for the Highland Council. We have now entered the preferred bidder stage and have entered a standstill period.25/11/2025
Highland Council winter road condition and school closure report for 25 November 2025
Maps of the Council's gritting routes by priority and policy are available online at www.highland.gov.uk/gritting (external link) The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Our Social Media
