Members of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee have welcomed a report outlining the strong progress, substantial cost avoidance and continued development of The Highland Council's in‑house bus service since its establishment in January 2023. The report presented to the committee earlier today (Thursday 12 February) highlights major growth in the service, which has expanded from an initial fleet of 10 vehicles to 25 vehicles now delivering a mix of school transport contracts, public bus routes and low‑cost education hires for trips and activities.
The Inverness Castle Experience was officially opened today (Monday 9 February) by Kate Forbes, Deputy First Minister of Scotland, and Kirsty McNeill, UK Government Minister for Scotland, marking completion of a landmark City Region Deal project. The £47 million investment has transformed Inverness Castle into a world class visitor attraction for the Highlands, which will strengthen the regional economy, support jobs, and generate an estimated £13.9 million in net annual expenditure.
Let's work together to create opportunities that make a real difference for our young people. The Highland Council is delighted to announce that we will be hosting Paid Summer Placements again in 2026, as part of our commitment to supporting young people in gaining valuable work experience.
Members of Highland Council's Climate Change Committee have welcomed continued progress across a wide range of projects within the Council’s Net Zero Programme. At the meeting held on Wednesday 28 January, Members received updates on delivery across the Sustainable Travel and Built Estate & Energy workstreams, highlighting tangible progress in reducing emissions, improving operational efficiency, and delivering long term financial savings.
An update on Homelessness Statistics covering 1 April to 30 September 2025 has been released today. Over that period: There were 20,643 applications for homelessness assistance.
When Highland Council transferred responsibility for leisure, culture and community learning services to High Life Highland (HLH), the move was often presented as a way to protect valued local services from the worst of council budget cuts. By placing libraries, leisure centres, swimming pools and cultural provision into a charitable trust, the council could take advantage of tax reliefs, external funding opportunities and more flexible operating arrangements.
When budgets tighten in Highland Council, cuts tend not to fall evenly. Some services are much more exposed than others because of how local government funding rules work and because of Highland's geography.
Highland Council faces a set of financial pressures that are both familiar across Scottish local government and uniquely intensified by its geography, population size, and historic investment choices. While headline debates often focus on council tax rises or total debt levels, the real impact of financial tightening is felt in how different services are protected, redesigned, or reduced over time.
Highland Council's high debt connects to local services and council tax, in practical, day-to-day terms. Council debt doesn't pay for services directly — but it affects them.
At Housing & Property Committee (Wednesday 28 January 2026), The Highland Council reported a strong performance across several key housing indicators, including a reduction in households in temporary accommodation, improved repairs times, and the lowest level of rent arrears in three years. New figures show that the number of homeless households living in temporary accommodation has fallen to 421, the lowest level recorded since The Scottish Government introduced this measure in April 2016.
Highland Council has one of the higher levels of debt among Scottish local authorities, especially when looked at per person. It is not necessarily the absolute highest in total debt compared with councils that have much larger populations like Edinburgh or Glasgow.
At the Housing & Property Committee (Wednesday 28 January 2026), Members approved the introduction of a new framework to guide decisions on the future of its assets, supporting a more efficient, sustainable and future-ready approach to service delivery. The Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) will help streamline the estate, embed new ways of working, and contribute to significant savings set out in the Council's Delivery Plan.
Whilst councils have made significant savings, the cost of delivering services is rising faster than available funding. This risks the financial sustainability of councils over the next three to five years.
Last week Wick High School was delighted to welcome guests from The Highland Council, Wick High Parent Council and the wider community to the open day of a new facility for children with additional support needs. Avonlea, which was previously a residential unit, has now been repurposed, and this enhanced provision represents a significant step forward for pupils with complex additional support needs.
Suppliers working in the wedding market are being invited by Highland Registrars to the third annual Wedding Fair. The Highland Wedding Fair will take place on Sunday 15 February 2026 with public access from 11.00am - 3.00pm (suppliers will have access from 9.00am).
Maps of the Council's gritting routes by priority and policy are available online at www.highland.gov.uk/gritting. 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.
The Caithness Area Committee has on Monday 19 January 2026 approved four applications submitted to the Community Regeneration Fund (CRF), securing significant investment to support local projects that will benefit communities across the north. A total of £258,898 has been awarded to initiatives that align with the fund's priorities of increasing community resilience, tackling poverty and inequality, addressing rural depopulation, supporting economic recovery, and contributing to climate action.
Highland Council has launched a public consultation for feedback on a draft Highland Play Sufficiency Assessment A Play Sufficiency Assessment (PSA) assesses the provision and quality of outdoor play spaces, as well as the accessibility of play opportunities, and is developed in accordance with Scottish Government guidance. Councillor Ken Gowans, Chair of the Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee, said: "The PSA has assessed our formal and informal play spaces throughout Highland to better understand the facilities, functions and potential limitations of these spaces.
Maps of the Council's gritting routes by priority and policy are available online at www.highland.gov.uk/gritting 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.