Thurso High School In Green Awards Final

8th May 2007

Thurso High School is one of eight schools to make it through to the final of the Big Green Challenge.

Eight schools from the Highlands and Islands are to battle it out for a coveted place in the final of the region's first debating competition tackling one of the most talked-about subjects of the 21st century - renewable energy.

The teams take to the floor in the main conference suite at Ross County Football Club on Tuesday 22nd May for the regional heats of The Big Green Challenge sponsored by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

More than 30 teams from 22 secondary schools entered the competition which began in March. Now eight have made it through to the next round where first, second and third year pupils will have their public speaking and debating skills put to the test in front of a panel of independent judges.

They will be debating the motion 'Renewable energy will always be an extra - it can never meet the country's needs.'

Schools taking part in the regional heat are Dingwall Academy, Keith Grammar, Inverness Royal Academy, Kingussie High School, Lochaber High School, the Nicolson Institute, Portree High School and Thurso High School.

Elaine Hanton, Head of Renewables at HIE says: "We've been delighted to see such enthusiasm from the children who have taken part. They have clearly put a great deal of time and effort into researching their arguments and I'm very much looking forward to hearing the debate move on in the regional finals."

Just four teams will make it through to the final being held at the state-of-the-art Centre for Health Science in Inverness on Tuesday 19th June.

The winning team head off on an all expenses paid trip to Navarre in Spain, a region which is gaining global recognition for its renewable energy know-how.

The area is home to 530,000 people - just slightly higher than the population of the Highlands and Islands - and already 61% of its energy requirements come from renewable sources.

The runners up will also be heading south on a visit to Cornwall's world famous Eden Project.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

6/8/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Highland Businesses Offered Free Support to Cut Carbon Costs and Prepare for a Low-Carbon Economy

Highland Businesses Offered Free Support to Cut Carbon Costs and Prepare for a Low-Carbon Economy New Climate Springboard programme aims to help SMEs understand emissions, reduce costs and plan for the future Businesses across the Highlands and Islands are being offered free expert support to help them understand their carbon emissions, reduce costs and prepare for the growing demands of a low-carbon economy.   The new Climate Springboard programme, supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), is designed to help small and medium-sized businesses, social enterprises, charities and community organisations take practical steps towards reducing their environmental impact.  

1/8/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Economic Development or Political Numbers Game? How Should We Judge Organisations Like HIE?

Economic development agencies frequently publish impressive statistics: thousands of jobs created, businesses supported and millions of pounds of investment attracted.  But one question is often much harder to answer: how much of that success actually happened because of their intervention? This is one of the biggest challenges facing organisations such as Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Enterprise.  

1/8/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Economic Development: How Do We Judge Success When Taking Risks Means Some Projects Will Fail?

Economic development organisations are often asked to perform an almost impossible task: transform regions, create jobs and encourage investment in places where the private sector may be reluctant to take risks.  But when some supported projects fail, criticism quickly follows.  

24/7/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
£194k support for new satellite control centre in Argyll

The £500k project is being led by Exotopic Ltd at the Machrihanish Airbase Business Park near Campbeltown.   A £500,000 project to establish a satellite management and monitoring service in Argyll has secured up to £194,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).  

24/7/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
Oban and north Lorn could play leading role in Scotland’s drones and robotics activity

Oban and north Lorn is poised to become a leading location for developing drone, robotics and autonomous systems activity, attracting high-value jobs and investment.   This is according to a new study, commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which assesses the market potential in the region for these types of technologies.  

16/7/2026 : Visitor Attractions

John O'Groats Distillery Wins International Success with Scottish Enterprise Support

One of Caithness's newest success stories is proving that location is no barrier to reaching customers around the world.   8 Doors Distillery in John O'Groats, Scotland's most northerly mainland whisky distillery, is expanding into international markets with support from Scottish Enterprise and Team Scotland, demonstrating how businesses from the far north can compete on the global stage.  

8/7/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

How Rural Job Creation Actually Works

Rural job creation is one of the most misunderstood parts of economic development.  Politicians talk about “hundreds of jobs created”, enterprise agencies publish glossy figures, and press releases celebrate “transformational investment”.  

8/7/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Fixing Enterprise Job Reporting: A Blueprint for Honesty, Accuracy, and Rural Reality

Enterprise agencies in Scotland have spent decades publishing glossy numbers about “jobs created” and “jobs retained”.  As the Highlands knows all too well, these figures often bear little resemblance to what actually happens on the ground.  

8/7/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

How Enterprise Agencies Inflate Job Numbers

Enterprise agencies in Scotland — Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), and the South of Scotland Enterprise regularly publish impressive sounding figures about “jobs created”, “jobs retained”, and “economic impact”.  These numbers appear in annual reports, ministerial speeches, and press releases.  

25/6/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Annual investment shows size of economic opportunity in the Highlands and Islands

More than £50m of additional public investment was attracted to the Highlands and Islands last year by the region’s development agency.   Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) almost doubled its £53m opening budget from the start of financial year 2025/26, delivering an annual spend of £105m to create hundreds of jobs and grow the regional economy.