News Archive

8/4/2016

Digital Tourism Scotland

Digital Tourism Scotland (DTS) is a £1.2M programme to help tourism businesses across Scotland improve their digital skills and capitalise on the business opportunities that new digital technology offers.  Running until June 2018, the programme will signpost businesses to existing digital support and provide access to new tourism specific support.  

4/4/2016 : Local Authority

Join your Councils fight against fraud. Report it!

The - report it - campaign is a new initiative by The Highland Councils Corporate Fraud Team which is asking residents to help them tackle fraud.  The Fraud Team, which is situated in the Finance Service, was established in August 2015 to detect, investigate and prevent all frauds against the Council, including housing tenancy fraud (the use of Council housing by someone not entitled to occupy that home).  

1/4/2016 : Local Authority

 
NOSS PRIMARY SCHOOL, WICK PROJECT REACHES PRACTICAL COMPLETION

The new £15.4million Noss Primary School has reached a vital milestone with the practical completion of the facility.  Replacing the existing North and Hillhead Primary Schools in Wick, work on the 4,620 sq m facility commenced in late 2014 and has been delivered by hub North Scotland on behalf of The Highland Council.  

1/4/2016

 
The Wick Smolt Tracking Project

Dr Diego Del Villar of the Environmental Research Institute is delighted to invite you to an open talk entitled "The Wick Smolt Tracking Project".   The talk will be on Thursday the 7th of April 2016 at 19:30 in the Pulteneytown People's Project, Wick, KW1 5BA.  

1/4/2016 : Local Authority

Highland nominations for Scottish Parliamentary Election 2016

A total of 13 candidates are seeking election on Thursday 5 May 2016 in the three Scottish Parliamentary local constituencies for Highland.   Caithness, Sutherland and Ross constituency has attracted 4 candidates; Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency, 5 candidates; and Inverness and Nairn constituency, 4 candidates.  

31/3/2016 : Auctioneers

Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 30 March 2016

DINGWALL, Dingwall andHighland Marts Ltd., (March, 30th) sold 1,006 store cattle.  Bullocks (641) averaged 220.7p and sold to 280.5p per kg for a pen of 246kg Charolais crosses from Greenvale, Dunnet, and £1,310 gross for the overall champion, a 585kg Charolais cross from The Cloy, Fortrose.  

30/3/2016

Caithness Moray transmission link gains £500 Million Loan

The European Investment Bank has agreed to provide GBP 500 million to support a major reinforcement of the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland to improve connections between wind, wave and tidal renewable energy schemes and the national power network.  The new power link will help secure the supply of electricity in the Highlands and beyond for generations to come and once operational the new transmission link will supply equivalent electricity to meet the needs of around 2 million Scottish residents.  

30/3/2016

Fire stations in Highlands and Islands to be used as emergency hubs

A new agreement has been reached to use Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) stations across the Highlands and Islands as Communication Hubs during emergencies.   Fire stations across Highland, Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles will allow multi-agency partners to set-up bases for the community and responders in these areas, particularly during power and communication outages.  

29/3/2016 : Local Authority

 
New bin collection calendars now available on Highland Council website!

New waste and recycling collection calendars for 2016-2018 are now available on The Highland Council's website and at Service Points.  The calendars can be downloaded and printed out from www.highland.gov.uk/bindays Type in your street address and the appropriate calendar will appear.  

26/3/2016 : Educational Institutions

 
Report highlights success of regions colleges

A new report has revealed that 67.6% of full-time students successfully completed their studies at Highlands and Islands colleges in the 2014 to 2015 academic year.  This is higher than the national average figure which shows that 64% of students passed further education courses at Scottish colleges in the period.  

26/3/2016 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update

Last Update Before the Election - Next one 6 May 2016.   Energy & Business Services: CNSRP partner representatives were in Aberdeen earlier this week to take part in an Influencers' event coordinated by the Scottish Council for Development & Industry (SCDI).  

26/3/2016

Scottish policing needs balanced workforce, says UNISON

UNISON is calling on all political parties to commit to a balanced workforce in Scottish policing in their 2016 election manifestos.   The present policy of centralisation to cut £1.1bn from the justice budget by 2026 and to maintain an arbitrary politically set target of 17,234 police officers is proving disastrous.  

25/3/2016 : Local Authority

 
Highland Council congratulates Divisional Commander on his retirement

The Highland Council has congratulated Divisional Commander of the Highlands and Islands, Julian Innes on his retiral and thanked him for his service at his last Committee meeting on 23 March 2016.   Chair of the Communities and Partnerships Committee, Cllr Hamish Fraser said: Chief Superintendent Innes has made a huge contribution to the safety of our communities.  

25/3/2016 : Other Public Services

 
Dounreay unveils plans to spend £139m in supply chain

Dounreay held its annual supply chain event this week in the Merlin Cinema, Thurso, with suppliers attending from all over the UK.   The site spent a total of £121 million on 306 contracts in 2014/15; with 102 contracts let for more than £50,000 and 5117 transactional purchases made for less than £3,000.  

25/3/2016 : Local Authority

Highland Council to undertake a redesign

Highland Council has unanimously agreed to undertake a complete redesign of the council over the coming months.   Following difficult budget decisions on 25 February, there will be significant reductions in staff and service budgets which will take effect from the end of this month.  

25/3/2016

£28m investment into critical services for Raigmore

Over the next three years £28 million will be invested into critical care services at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, after the Scottish Government approved the full business case submitted by NHS Highland earlier this month (March).  The Critical Care Upgrade will bring all critical care services, which includes the Acute Medical Assessment Unit, the Intensive Care Unit, Surgical High Dependency Unit, theatre and the admissions area, into one area over two floors.  

25/3/2016

Farm funding update

The first nationally-funded farm support payments have now been authorised, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has announced.   The Scottish Government has earmarked more than £250 million from national funds to provide cash support while Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) claims are being processed.  

25/3/2016

New Land Fund Committee Members Announced

Land Reform Minister Dr Aileen McLeod today announced the appointment of seven members to the new Scottish Land Fund (SLF) committee.   The committee will be chaired by John Watt and is made up of Calum Macleod, Lisa Tennant, David Green, Duncan MacPherson, Anne Lear and Janet Miles.  

25/3/2016

Expert report on offshore clean-up is published

Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd welcomed publication of a report by the independent Particles Retrieval Advisory Group (Dounreay)on the effect of the offshore particle clean-up carried out between 2008 and 2012.   The group succeeded the Dounreay Particles Advisory Group, which was set up in 2000 to give independent expert advice to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the then site operator (UKAEA).  

25/3/2016

Portland Arms Re-opening With A Dance

Come and celebrate with us all at the Portland Arms Hotel on the 7th of May for our official Opening Dance Night! Whisky will be joining us with live entertainment so don't forget your dancing shoes! Anyone interested in tickets, they will be available at the hotel or please contact us for a pick up point in Thurso/Wick.   Phone 01593 721 721 Web site - http://portlandarmslybster.co.uk/ Restaurant open for bookings from from Saturday 26th March 2016..