Almost 200 containers of low-level radioactive waste that once formed part of Britain's experiment with fast breeder nuclear reactors are being entombed. Almost 200 containers of low-level radioactive waste that once formed part of Britain's experiment with fast breeder nuclear reactors are being entombed in a purpose-built underground vault at Dounreay.
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.
Making Tax Digital (MTD) is a major government initiative to modernise the UK tax system by requiring digital record-keeping and more frequent reporting for income tax — including rental property income. It changes how many landlords report their property tax rather than how much tax they pay.
Short stories inspiring defence and national security thinking. The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has unveiled Creative Futures, a new collection of science fiction stories designed to spark fresh thinking about the future of defence and security over the next 100 years.
Britain's political system is facing a quiet but alarming crisis: its parties are heamorrhaging members. Across the UK and particularly in Scotland the traditional pillars of political engagement are crumbling.
If the Bank of England holds the UK base interest rate at 3.75% (as expected) in its announcement today what are the affects. Holding the rate at 3.75% means the cost of borrowing money (on average) won't change immediately for consumers and businesses.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries around the world. Its potential could be especially powerful for rural regions like the Highlands and Islands.
New analysis finds the net consumer benefit of interconnectors since 2023 is £1.65bn. Interconnectors are benefiting Great Britain, with 86 TWh of lower cost, reliable imports - equivalent to powering 10m households over three years.
Offshore wind firms must sign up to a ‘Fair Work Charter' to participate in government renewables auctions. Offshore wind firms must sign up to a ‘Fair Work Charter' to participate in government renewables auctions, ensuring public funding delivers strong rights at work and access to trade unions.
£74 million for clean energy upgrades to cut bills for public buildings and create savings for frontline services. £74 million for clean energy upgrades to cut bills by tens of millions for public buildings Hospitals and military bases to benefit from more efficient lighting, solar panels and heat pumps £9 million to be delivered in partnership with Great British Energy, funding new batteries and solar panels Communities are set to benefit from more money for healthcare and the armed forces with clean energy upgrades to cut their bills.
At its meeting ending on 4 February 2026, the Monetary Policy Committee voted by a majority of 5-4 to maintain Bank Rate at 3.75%. Four members voted to reduce Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 3.5%.
Over 1.5 million winter heating payments, including more than a million payments to older people, have been made so far this winter. The vast majority of Pension Age Winter Heating Payments - more than 1,009,000 – have now been paid.
The government is delivering its Plan to Make Work Pay (MWP) to bring employment rights legislation into the 21st century, extending employment protections already given by the best British companies to millions more workers across the country. The reforms within the Plan to Make Work Pay, including reforms introduced through the Employment Rights Act 2025, will be delivered in phases so that employers, businesses and workers have time to plan and prepare.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband signs a historic clean energy security pact. Energy Secretary signs historic clean energy security pact - the Hamburg Declaration - with European leaders at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg to deliver major offshore wind projects in shared waters.
Britain's defence industry will benefit from an £80 million skills boost to increase places on key strategically-relevant courses. £80 million investment to boost UK skills for defence careers of the future.
A new nutrient planning tool has been launched to match nutrients to crop and soil need, cutting waste, supporting productivity, and protecting watercourses. Farmers and land managers can cut pollution and boost productivity by targeting their planning of fertiliser and manure use, thanks to a free, online and easy to use nutrient management planning tool (NMPT-GB) launched on 4 February 2026.
Plans have been unveiled to strengthen the legal rights for eligible kinship carers and make it simpler and clearer to access support for them and children they care for. Promise Minister Natalie Don-Innes introduced proposed Scottish Government amendments to the Children (Care, Care Experience, and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill as stage two consideration of the legislation got underway.
The latest College Statistics 2024-25 report from the Scottish Funding Council shows a clear decline in the number of students participating in further and higher education at colleges across Scotland. Between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years, the total number of college students decreased from 218,145 to 209,285 This is a fall of more than four per cent in just one year and part of a broader downward trend amounting to roughly 16 per cent fewer students over the last two years.
Scotland's Chief Statistician has published statistics on Police Officer Quarterly Strength, which gives the number of full-time equivalent police officers employed by Police Scotland. The key findings of the statistics are: there were 16,416 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 31 December 2025.
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.