12th September 2026
Caithness has had a busy week, although the individual stories might not initially appear to have much in common.
Look a little more closely, however, and a pattern begins to emerge. From electricity infrastructure and fuel poverty to the Wick and East Caithness by-election, community councils, jobs, transport and education, decisions being made now could have an effect on the area for years to come.
Perhaps the biggest issue is energy.
Highland councillors have been preparing to maintain their opposition to the proposed Spittal–Loch Buidhe–Beauly 400kV transmission project. The proposed powerline would run from the Caithness area through Sutherland and Easter Ross towards Beauly, forming part of the huge expansion of the electricity network required to move renewable electricity around Scotland.
The argument illustrates one of Caithness's great economic dilemmas.
The area is increasingly important to Britain's energy system, yet many local people remain concerned about what they get in return. The landscape carries the infrastructure, while the electricity generated or transmitted can ultimately serve demand much further south.
Highland Council has raised concerns about the cumulative impact of the growing number of energy projects, including their effects on peatlands, wildlife, roads and landscapes.
At the same time, there was better news for households struggling with energy costs.
Highland Council has welcomed an additional £750,000 from the SSE Renewables Highland Sustainable Development Fund to help households experiencing extreme fuel poverty. The money will support energy-efficiency improvements and follows £2.6 million already awarded through the longer-term programme.
That is particularly relevant in Caithness, where many homes are older, the climate is demanding and heating can be expensive.
It also highlights an interesting contradiction. Caithness is surrounded by some of Britain's most important renewable-energy developments, yet some local households still struggle to afford to heat their homes.
[]Politics is becoming more local[/b]
The Wick and East Caithness by-election is now moving towards the final stages.
Five candidates are standing for the four-member ward, with voting taking place on 1 October. The candidates are Dave Buchanan, Julie Calder, John Glen, Charlotte Gibson and Iain Richmond.
But there is another interesting development in local democracy.
The nominations for community councils have produced an unusually high level of interest in some areas. Latheron, Lybster and Clyth has attracted 18 candidates for six seats, meaning an election is currently expected unless candidates withdraw before the deadline.
Community councils sometimes receive little attention, but they are one of the few places where local people can directly influence issues affecting their own communities. The fact that so many people are prepared to put their names forward suggests that local involvement has not disappeared.
Jobs could become the next big problem
Another story this week may prove more important than it initially appears.
A new Workforce North Co-Investment Fund has been launched with £2 million of seed funding from Skills Development Scotland. It is intended to help employers across the Highlands and Islands prepare for major investment and address shortages of workers and skills. The programme is particularly focused on apprenticeships, training and developing local workforce pipelines.
That is highly relevant to Caithness.
The region has enormous potential in energy, nuclear, engineering, construction and associated industries. But investment does not automatically create prosperity locally.
There have to be enough skilled people available to fill the jobs.
That means apprenticeships and training are not simply an education issue. They are part of the area's economic infrastructure.
Transport remains critical
There was also some welcome news for the far north's air links, with Scottish Ministers providing additional funding to continue the existing Wick–Aberdeen Public Service Obligation route.
For a community as geographically isolated as Caithness, transport links are not a luxury. They affect businesses, patients, students, visitors and people travelling for work.
The same principle applies to education
Highland Council is currently consulting on the future of Thurso school provision, with the consultation running until 30 September.
Such decisions can become controversial because a school is about much more than buildings and pupil numbers. In smaller communities it can be part of the social infrastructure holding the area together.
The bigger picture
Taken together, this week's stories suggest that Caithness is entering another period of change.
There is potentially enormous investment coming into the wider region. There is a growing demand for electricity infrastructure. There are attempts to tackle fuel poverty and improve homes. There are efforts to develop the workforce needed for new industries.
But there are also familiar problems.
Housing remains difficult. Transport remains expensive and vulnerable. Skilled workers are in short supply. Public finances are under pressure. And there is continuing debate over whether communities in the far north receive enough benefit from the resources and infrastructure being developed around them.
The challenge for Caithness is therefore not simply attracting investment.
It is making sure that investment translates into local jobs, better services, improved infrastructure and stronger communities.
That may ultimately be the most important story of all.
The decisions being taken now will help determine whether Caithness becomes simply an important place where energy is produced and transmitted, or whether it becomes a place where that investment creates a stronger local economy and a better future for the people who live here.