School pupils are being invited to capture 'the power of the sea' in a junior photography competition aimed at highlighting the awesome force and natural resource of the waters around Scotland. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon launched the competition, being run under the auspices of the Saltire Prize for marine energy technology, as she announced that two tidal energy and two wave power developers are challenging for the main £10 million Prize.
Help is at hand for Caithness businesses to supply The Highland Council. A free event aimed at helping Caithness-based businesses to supply The Highland Council will take place on Wednesday 5 September in Wick.
Farmers in Scotland are being offered free tests for the Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in animals imported from areas where the virus is circulating. The move is a result of a partnership involving the Scottish Government, the National Farmers Union of Scotland (NFUS), Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) and Moredun Research Institute (MRI).
A consultation on new EU rules to protect the welfare of animals at slaughter and killing was today launched by the Scottish Government. Domestic legislation will be introduced in Scotland to enforce and implement the new EU Regulation.
Five marine energy developers will benefit from £7.9 million funding to further develop testing of new wave and tidal prototypes in the seas around Scotland, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced. The second round of WATERS (Wave & Tidal Energy: Research, Development & Demonstration Support) funding is to enable Scottish developers and supply chain firms to capture an increased share of the growing international marine energy market, which could be worth up to £4 billion to Scotland's economy by 2020.
Safe destruction of the highly hazardous liquid metal left over from the UK's first fast reactor experiment is a crucial part of the site decommissioning programme. DFR was the first fast reactor in the world to provide electricity to a national grid and work to dismantle the fifty year old plant is well underway.
The Highland Council has today (Monday) launched a budget blog on the home page of its web site: www.highland.gov.uk by asking the public if they think it is a good idea to save £3.2 million per year by shortening the school day of Primary 4 - 7 pupils by 30 minutes, bringing their day in line with Primary 1-3 pupils. Class hours for pupils in P 4-7 are currently 25 hours per week.
Energy: I took part in a meeting this week to help develop the marketing plan for the Pentland Firth & Orkney waters, together with colleagues from Orkney Islands Council, HIE and EMEC. As partners build on the recent announcement of Marine Energy Park status for the Pentland Firth/ Orkney waters area and the Enterprise Area status for Scrabster, our discussions focused on ensuring that the message to potential investors remains clear and attractive and that local communities and stakeholders are kept informed of progress.
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust is running a wild flower seed collecting workshop in partnership with Scotia Seeds. The workshop is free and open to anyone with an interest in learning how to collect wild flower seeds to help support the Great yellow bumblebee.
UK's best student support package is in Scotland. Scottish students will benefit from the best funding package available in the UK with enhanced support and free tuition, Education Secretary Michael Russell announced today.
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DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (August 23rd) sold 11,498 store lambs at their annual sale. Cheviot wedder lambs (7,413) averaged £52.27 (+£1.22 on the year) and sold to £70.00 gross from 5 Mill Park, Isle of Raasay.
The Caithness & North Sutherland Fund recently awarded its 3rd round of grants for 2012 to community projects totalling over £79K. Six groups in Caithness and two groups in the North Sutherland area have been awarded funding for projects that help to improve the attractiveness of their area as a place to live, work and invest.
The Highland Council has prepared planning guidance for Small-Scale Wind Turbine Proposals and is asking for people's views on it. From tomorrow (23rd August) the draft guidance is available to view on the website www.highland.gov.uk and in local Highland Council Libraries, Service Points and at Council Headquarters in Inverness.
You can find out more about the Highland council budget and contribute your ideas a the meeting. If you would like to contribute but not at the meeting check how you can do it in writing or online.
Councillor Deirdre Mackay who represents the East Sutherland and Edderton Ward has unanimously been elected as Chairman of the Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee. The committee met yesterday (Monday 20 August) for the first time at The Highland Council's Drummuie Offices in Golspie.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (August, 21st) sold 67 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (46) averaged 205.7p (-2.7p) and sold to 225p per kg and £1,611.20 gross.
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has launched guidance designed to make planning applications for wind energy developments run more smoothly for developers, planning authorities and the communities affected. The guidance is a result of the GP Wind Project, a Scottish-Government led EU project which looked at the barriers to development of wind energy and ways of reconciling renewable energy objectives with environmental concerns, and actively involving communities in the planning process.
The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) will boast record numbers of students and generate an estimated £22.5 million into the economy after the Scottish Government invested £5.5 million to fund 1,000 additional places. The extra places were created as part of the Scottish Government's commitment to ensure every 16 to 19 year old in Scotland has a place in learning or education.
The Highland Council has today (Monday 20th august 2012) launched a three-month long public consultation to help bridge a projected budget gap of almost £30 million over the next two financial years. A series of Ward Forums as well as briefing events with business, voluntary and specialist groups are planned before 19 October to complement the views expressed by staff, trade unions and the Council's Citizen Panel of 2,300 residents.
