Community transport groups across the Highlands have been awarded grants totalling £498,000 to support local transport services in 2027/28. The grants will support 34 community transport providers, including seven new recipients, whose services play a vital role in helping people access services, connecting communities and addressing local transport challenges.
Wick has marked an important occasion in its maritime history with the arrival of a new lifeboat on Saturday, 31 October 2026. The occasion was made particularly special by visits from other lifeboats, bringing together crews and supporters to celebrate the latest investment in the town's ability to respond to emergencies at sea.
A historic Wick church that could have become another empty building on the edge of the town centre is being given a new future in community ownership. Wick Development Trust completed the purchase of St Fergus Church on 8 October, securing the 196-year-old building for £80,000.
For Greg MacLeod of Precision Plumbing in Thurso, support from Caithness Business Fund helped reduce the pressure of taking on and training an apprentice, giving the business a safety net while investing in future skills. “Support from Caithness Business Fund has been a huge benefit to our business.
Councillor resignations over taxi‑licence scandal Highland Council saw three resignations after the licensing committee allowed a convicted rapist to retain his taxi licence. The decision triggered widespread anger across Caithness and beyond, with residents questioning how such a ruling was possible.
"Local journalism, when rooted in community and willing to innovate, can survive—and even thrive." In a time when newspapers across the UK are seeing print sales decline, small local titles like the John O'Groat Journal and Caithness Courier might seem vulnerable. Falling circulation, shifting reader habits, and the rise of free online news have created real challenges.
Campaigners' Efforts Pay Off - Caithness Health Action Team's persistence on maternity services at Wick hospital finally prompts government review. Shoebox Gifts Initiative - Local volunteers highlight how shoebox donations will make a vital difference to families this winter.
"EXCLUSIVE: SNP ministers left red-faced by Scottish Government's ‘massive U-turn' on Caithness maternity" The Scottish Government, which in September rejected calls for an independent review of maternity services in Caithness, has now backed a motion to commission one — campaigners say this is a "massive U-turn". "Youth hospitalised after town-centre assault in Wick" A 17-year-old was taken to hospital after an assault in Market Square, Wick on the evening of 4 November.
‘Drunken bet' endurance athlete hits his target - Land's End to John O'Groats and back again — What started as a "drunken bet" became a 2,000-mile endurance journey raising funds for mental-health charities. ‘Zero tolerance' vow over concerns at 500-strong workers' camp beside Thurso estate — Local residents have voiced concerns about a proposed 500-bed workers' camp; the authority has pledged a zero-tolerance approach.
The latest Scottish Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Indicator shows pressure mounting on Scottish firms, with rising costs, declining investment and faltering confidence undermining growth. The survey of 440 Scottish businesses, produced in partnership with the Fraser of Allander Institute, found labour costs and concern over tax continues to impact more than seven in ten firms.