DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (January, 10th) sold 2,097 sheep of all classes. Lambs (988) sold to £75 gross for Cheviots from South Balkeith, Tain.
More remote and rural businesses will benefit. At least 28,000 new apprentices will be trained next year, with increased support for rural areas and key sectors.
Scotland is on a complex and fast-paced journey of devolution. This brings new opportunities and risks for public finances and how they're managed in a world of growing demand and challenges for public services.
Agriculture in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland faces an uncertain future after Brexit according to a new study from the Centre on Constitutional Change, The Repatriation of Competences in Agriculture after Brexit [PDF], published today. The research, conducted by the Centre's director, Professor Michael Keating, investigated the challenges presented by UK policymaking being heavily influenced by the needs of agriculture in England, which are quite different from those in the devolved territories.
Proposal to ban the manufacture and sale of plastic cotton buds. Plans to introduce legislation to ban the manufacture and sale of plastic stemmed cotton buds have been announced by Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham.
The increasing use of digital services in a connected world brings an increasing threat of cyberattack. The Internet that connects systems doesn't discriminate between the type of traffic it allows on the network, it is our responsibility to manage this when we connect to and use the Internet by recognising and reducing the risk as appropriate.
Luxury resort Auchrannie has completed its transition to become Scotland's latest employee-owned business, with 160 members of staff becoming owners. Share Located in Brodick on the Isle of Arran, Auchrannie is an award-winning resort comprising two 4-star hotels, thirty 5-star self-catering lodges, two leisure clubs, three individually branded restaurants, a children’s Playbarn, an ASPA spa and Arran Adventure outdoor company.
A special week long programme is being held in the Highlands and Islands de-mystifying the ways data can be used to change lives, deliver better services and grow business. Share Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is co-ordinating a local Fringe programme as part of the Scottish DataFest18 festival, organised by The Data Lab.
A well rounded article about Wick and Whisky has appeared on the Scotch Whisky blog on www.scotchwhisky.com The article is a short history of the connections between whisky, fishing and the town with some period photos. See it in full at https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/around-the-world/whisky-travel/17411/wick-whisky-and-the-herring-boom/.
Highland Council Trading Standards team has recently seen an increase in scams targeting Highland businesses. The most common scams reported by businesses relate to marketing and publishing but other frauds such as those involving demands for payment for unsolicited goods sent to businesses (such as ink cartridges which were never ordered) are also on the rise.
Around £3 million of funding has been agreed for a ground-breaking Highland project that could transform the lives of people with complex health needs as part of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal. The business case for the ‘FitHome' assisted living project was approved in November last year with £3m funding from the Scottish Government.
An article in the Press and Journal today 9th January 2018 highlights the cuts in staffing levels across Scottish councils with Highland being one of the highest. In 2009 Highland had 9953 Full-time Equivalent Staff and in 2017 it had dropped by 21% to 7838.
Atlantis, a global leader in the tidal power sector, is pleased to announce that it has agreed to sell its stake in its Canadian joint venture to its partner DP Energy, a leading renewable energy developer, at the FORCE facility in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada. Atlantis and DP Energy have entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement for the sale of Atlantis' 50% interest in Atlantis Operations (Canada) Limited ("AOCL") which will be renamed after the sale is completed.
Week Commencing 1st January 2018. Energy & business services: 2018 promises to be another year of exciting change in the energy sector, and to highlight how things have progressed in the north the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm team have produced a short booklet outlining the significant milestones that have been achieved during 2017 - you can access the booklet at https://www.beatricewind.com/single-post/2017/12/22/lookingbackat2017 .
The Moray Firth is in large part going to be serviced from Wick in Caithness. Milestones are being reached every month.
2 Massive crane ships leave the Cromarty Firth to work on the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm.Scotland. The work may be out of sight but it will have huge impact on the Caithness and the Scottish economy..
In case you missed it here is a little film of what has been happening to July 2017..
The story of a floating wind farm off Scotland..
Police have renewed their appeal for help in their nationwide hunt for former Immingham man Andrew Peasley. Peasley, also known as Andrew Wall, 48 is wanted on suspicion of numerous substantial fraud offences against his family and friends over a number of years.
Members from the maritime professionals' union Nautilus International have voted by a massive majority in favour of taking industrial action in the latest stage of a long-running pay dispute with Orkney Ferries. A ballot of members serving with the company showed 21 voting for taking industrial action short of a strike, with just one member against.