DINGWALL, Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd, (April 9th) sold 25 Young Farmers over-wintered cattle at their annual show and sale, kindly sponsored by Messrs Home Farms, Inverness & Messrs Craiglands Quarry, Fortrose. Bullocks (16) averaged 246.6p and sold to 280.4p per kilo and £1,360 gross for the un-haltered champion and 1st prize un-haltered bullock, a 485kg Charolais cross from Scott Macrae, Shawpark, Glaickmore.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (April, 9th) sold 735 Aberdeen Angus, native bred and continental store cattle in a special show and sale and 29 OTM cattle. Aberdeen Angus bullocks (283) averaged 229.8p and sold to 274.6p per kilo for a pen of five 346kg Aberdeen Angus crosses from North Calder, Halkirk, and £1,380 gross for a pen of 687kg Aberdeen Angus crosses from Hilton Farm, Tain.
The Inverness economy is set to receive a £500,000 boost when hundreds of biotechnology experts from around the world gather at the city’s Eden Court Theatre. Supported by the VisitScotland Conference Bid Fund, the Natural Product Biotechnology conference will see a number of academics discuss the industry’s role in products for the nutraceutical, functional food, and cosmeceutical markets, as well as in the development of new drugs.
EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY'S MULTI-MILLION POUND BRAND-NEW 'FloWave TT' FACILITY IS A WORLD-LEADER THAT CAN SIMULATE ACTUAL PENTLAND FIRTH WAVE AND TIDAL SEA-CONDITIONS. One of the biggest and most complex scientific instruments ever devised and built in Scotland will be 'in commercial action' for the first time this Spring (2014) at its site near Blackford Hill in Edinburgh.
An award-winning Caithness company which develops cutting edge scientific equipment used across the globe has received a significant new order from the US Government space agency. KP Technology Ltd, based in Wick, has received an order from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) for its Kelvin Probe system.
The NHS Highland Pharmacy Practices Committee has unanimously rejected plans to open a pharmacy in Castletown. The applicant Sanjay Mahju made the application for his company Apple Pharmacy Group that already has a number of pharmacies in Scotland.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (April, 8th) sold 47 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (34) averaged 208p (-4.4p) and sold to 225p per kg and £1,610.20 gross.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is delighted to announce Natural Retreats, a specialist leisure and travel company, as the new operator of Cairngorm Mountain, taking effect in June 2014. Natural Retreats are renowned for offering customers and guests high quality tourism based experiences in some of the most dramatic natural locations around the world.
Serco NorthLink Ferries is pleased to launch its brand new online booking system, with added features and increased user-friendliness. Customers are now able to book a number of services which were previously unavailable online, including meals, cots and kennels.
The Highland Council has welcomed the go ahead for its plans to build the Inverness West Link road, the final phase of the Inverness Southern Distributor Road which is aimed at removing traffic congestion in the city centre and allowing completion of the city’s outlying neighbourhoods. Planning permission was granted by the South Planning Application Committee at its meeting today (Tuesday) in Inverness.
The Scottish Government has finally yielded to Scottish Labour and popular pressure and made funds available to effectively end the Bedroom Tax in Scotland. With little fanfare, the Scottish Government wrote to councils a couple of weeks ago to tell them to grant all requests made for Discretionary Housing Payments.
Highland Councillors are united in their support for proposed new legislation aimed at cutting accidents on our roads involving young drivers. Leaders of all political groupings on the Council back the introduction of a Graduated Driver Licensing system for new drivers in Scotland, which would restrict their permissions in driving unsupervised until they have gained adequate experience.
The Highland Council’s Trading Standards Officers are warning sun-lovers bound for Turkey not to be caught out by a new visa system which requires for a visa to be applied for before travel. Britons have always been issued with a visa stamp in their passports on arrival for a £10 fee, but this will begin to come to an end from 11 April 2014, meaning visitors will have to apply online for an electronic visa (e-Visa) before travel.
Highlands and Islands businesses are at the forefront of showcasing Scottish food and drink in Singapore as part of two international events. Eight companies from the region are part of an 18 strong Scottish delegation participating in a trade mission to Singapore on 6-10th April in a bid to crack one of the world’s wealthiest economies.
Week Commencing 31 March 2014 Energy & Business Services: SSE’s transmission business is consulting on the next phase of plans to enhance the electricity transmission grid in the north. The company this week held two days of public consultation in Thurso and Mey on plans to construct a new substation at Phillips Mains near Mey, which will connect to a new substation near Thurso via a new 132kV overhead line.
he marine energy sector is to benefit from £6 million in funding to further develop testing of new wave and tidal energy prototypes in the seas around Scotland. Scottish Enterprise is launching the third round of the remaining competitive funding from the initial WATERS fund in collaboration with Highlands & Islands Enterprise.
The Highland Council has warmly welcomed publication of a report by The Care Inspectorate of their recent inspection of children’s services in the Highlands. This inspection, which took place in October and November 2013, covered the range of services in the Council area that provide services to children, young people and families, including education, health, social work, police and the voluntary sector.
Highlands and Islands (Labour) MSP David Stewart’s Member’s Bill, Defective and Dangerous Buildings (Recovery of Expenses) (Scotland) Bill, is set to pass Stage 1 at 5pm today. This is the first Opposition Member’s Bill this session to reach this stage and the Scottish Government has indicated that it will give its support.
The Highland Council has awarded a contract to build an additional 3 classrooms at Milton of Leys Primary School in Inverness at a cost of £650,000. The school was opened in August 2011 and was built by Morrison Construction, who have won the contract for the extension.
Users of the A9 will welcome the news that a preferred option has been chosen for the challenging hairpin bend at Berriedale Braes on the northernmost part of Scotland’s longest trunk road. A public exhibition is being held today at Berriedale (2nd April 2014) to give people the opportunity to view the proposals and provide their comments.
