A Scottish Government guarantee is enabling Scotland's big banks, building societies and house building companies to back a scheme that will help up to 6000 households gain easier access to new homes. Nationwide and the Royal Bank of Scotland are throwing their weight behind the national mortgage indemnity scheme, developed by home-building industry body Homes for Scotland.
Café/Gallery owner Elspeth Knight is named Highland's top young entrepreneur at the regional finals of the 2012 Prince's Trust Youth Business Scotland 'Young Entrepreneur of the Year' Awards. The 33 year old founder of Red Roof Gallery Café on the Isle of Skye was announced as regional winner at a ceremony in Inverness Town House today.
The latest labour market statistics, covering the three month period May-July 2012, show that employment in Scotland continues to rise. This is the 6th consecutive statistics release where employment has increased in Scotland and the 22nd consecutive monthly statistics release where employment in Scotland is higher than in the UK.
Reserves running out fast for small and medium-sized charities. Smaller charities are disproportionately feeling the brunt of funding cuts, according to figures released today by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, with the majority of them spending more than they have coming in.
A vote by the European Parliament today brings sanction proposals over unsustainable fishing practices a step closer. Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said:"This is a welcome development and I hope it leads to the European Commission introducing meaningful and effective sanctions as soon as possible against states that fish unsustainably and outwith international agreements.
A pioneering programme which provides support to first-time young parents is to be extended to more areas of Scotland, Health Secretary Alex Neil announced today. The Family Nurse Partnership programme, which aims to give children a healthier start in life, is to be brought in to Lanarkshire and Highland.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highlands Marts Ltd, (September, 10th) sold 4,207 ewe lambs and gimmers at the Highland Mule Breeders Association annual show and sale. The gimmer judge, Mr E.
Over the weekend the police in Caithness have made a number of arrests and they all await court appearances on Tuesday. A range of alleged offences including assaults on police officers mean that they are holding people in custody longer due to the Monday court holiday.
The Highland Council's ambitious vision to support the sustainable economic growth of the Highland's has been commended at a national awards ceremony. The Highland-wide Local Development Plan received a Commendation at the Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning in the Quality of Service Category.
The First Minister and Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance will host Scotland's first ever Women's Employment Summit this week (September 12). The event, at Our Dynamic Earth, has been jointly organised by the STUC and will be attended by 150 delegates, with more dialling in from Inverness and Dumfries.
A Festival to Celebrate the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the North Highlands You Like Wild - check the three areas festival programmes here:- 28 September - 2 October 2012 - Mackay Country, Sutherland 3 - 10 October 2012 - Assynt, Sutherland 10 - 14 October - Castletown to John o'Groats, Caithness For full details see the wild North Web site at http://northhighlandsscotland.com/wildnorthfestival/ The Wild North Festival is a new initiative which focuses on encouraging enjoyment, understanding and awareness of the rich natural heritage of the North Highland area through events and activities for visitors and local people. It is hoped that the 2012 pilot festival will be shaped into an annual moveable feast of North Highland culture, activities, nature and heritage.
A total of 20,000 households in the Highlands are being given the chance to take advantage of a free offer to keep their homes warmer this winter and cut their energy costs. Households in The Highland Council wards of Cromarty Firth, Tain and Easter Ross and Aird and Loch Ness received letters from The Highland Council this week outlining how they can apply for free loft and cavity wall insulation.
The Highlands has a new Youth Convener. John Erskine from Dingwall has this week taken up the unique role of Highland Youth Convener.
Funding for a scheme to help people get on the housing ladder has been doubled, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil announced today. The Scottish Government has increased the budget for the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme from over £10 million to over £20 million.
Thousands of tourists beating a path to Greenwich, home of the Olympic Equestrian Centre and Royal Museums Greenwich, may find their feet on Caithness stone if they also stop by the world’s last surviving tea clipper. One of the world’s most famous ships, the Cutty Sark was devastated by fire in 2007, but opened again to the public this year in grand style after six years of intensive conservation work.
The Scottish Government's new Cabinet team has been announced by First Minister Alex Salmond, subject to the necessary parliamentary approval. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's longest serving health secretary, will now become Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, playing a key role in the Scottish Government's programme for economic recovery.
Many evening classes to choose from in Caithness. See the online brochure at - www.northhighland.uhi.ac.uk/nhc_uhi/study-at-nhc/prospectus/evening-classes-2012.
Highland Council call for increased awareness of risks from private water supplies. The Highland Council has two thousand private water supplies which serve around seven thousand properties throughout the area.
Last weekend a very successful Gaelic Parent and Toddler Open Day took place in the Croileagan Inbhir Thèorsa (Thurso Gaelic Play Group) Building in Thurso. The event was organised by Croileagan Inbhir Theòrsa and the Gaelic Parent and Toddler Development Worker for the North Area Mrs Carol-Anne Farquhar.
Northern Constabulary and Tayside Police disappointed in speeding numbers in recent A9 campaign Officers from Northern Constabulary and Tayside Police have expressed concerns today following final figures from the ten-day A9 enforcement campaign from Perth to Inverness being released. The campaign, which ended on 25th August 2012, involved partners from VOSA, Northern and Tayside Camera Partnerships as well as officers from both Forces and aimed to reduce the number of collisions and the number of casualties within the busy month of August.
