Following a huge £6 million regeneration project of the area, luxury self-catering experts Natural Retreats are delighted to announce the opening of 23 standalone Residences, plus a brand new Outfitters activity service and co-operative Storehouse in the stunning wilderness of John O'Groats opening this August. With British patriotism at an all-time high and such a unique natural environment waiting to be discovered right here on our door-step, there's never been a better time to holiday at home in the UK.
Serco Sets Sail - NorthLink Ferries Service Handover Complete Today, Thursday 5 July 2012, at 3pm Serco NorthLink Ferries officially began operating the Scottish Government contract for ferry services from the Scottish mainland to the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands. In Caithness the ferry "Hamnavoe" sets sail from Scrabster each day and gives great views of the west of Orkney including the Old Man Of Hoy.
Giant Hogweed is an impressive plant from the Caucasus region of far eastern Europe which can grow up to 12 feet tall and can have a flower head up to a foot across. These impressive statistics made it a plant that was sought after for Victorian estate gardens.
The Shard opens to visitors: first tickets for 'The View from The Shard' go on sale 6 July 2012. Will you be the first Caithness person to go up to the visitors gallery?.
As the opportunities for renewable energy increase in the North of Scotland, the lead partner in the Dounreay site, Babcock, announces its continued support to bring jobs into the area. The secondment of June Love, Dounreay, to support Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) activities in the sectors of Energy and Business Services demonstrates a real partnership working between the private and the public sectors.
Residents living in three Community Council areas south and west of Wick are being recruited to be part of a local community panel to decide on how a £150,000 community fund should be distributed. Nominations are invited from residents of Latheron, Lybster and Clyth; Tannach and District; and Watten Community Council areas to represent their community on the E.ON Camster Community Fund panel when funds become available for community projects next year.
The Highland Council will be carrying out a major patching exercise on the A897 between Helmsdale and Kinbrace with work starting on Monday (9 July 2012). The works will be carried out Monday to Friday between 8am to 4pm over a 4 to 5 week period and due to the nature of the work delays of up to 20 minutes can be expected throughout the working day.
Keep Scotland Beautiful mobilised 3,378 volunteers to clean up Highland as part of Scotland's National Spring Clean. 2,612 children and 766 adults from Highland were amongst 117,734 volunteers from across Scotland who gave their time between 1 April and 31 May to support National Spring Clean, run by Scotland's leading charity for the environment, Keep Scotland Beautiful.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (July, 3rd) sold 68 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (46) averaged 208.8p (+1.4p) and sold to 230p per kg and £1,593.90 gross.
The consultation on the first stage of preparing the Local Development Plan for the Inner Moray Firth area is drawing to a close, with the deadline for submissions at 5 pm on Friday (6 July). The consultation document, known as the Main Issues Report, asks for people's thoughts on where future development should and should not be located across the Inner Moray Firth area which stretches from Tain in the North to Fort Augustus in the South and Auldearn in the East to Garve in the West.
Energy: As reported last week, Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) launched its online procurement portal for supply chain companies seeking to tender for work with the company. A variety of current tendering opportunities is at https://www.sseopen4business-highlands.com/sse/publicSearchForm.html#publicSearchForm and interested businesses are being encouraged to register their organisation and create a business profile on the site.
Rural communities in Scotland can now apply for support to help buy their land, Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson announced. The new £6 million Scottish Land Fund which will empower communities by helping them acquire land opens for applications on Monday (2 July 2012).
SSE plc is launching an exciting and innovative website today which will contribute to the economic well-being of the Highland economy. The innovative website - www.sseopen4business-highlands.com is designed specifically to offer Highland businesses, service providers and local suppliers the opportunity to do business with the UK's second largest energy company.
The economy of the north of Scotland is changing, according to a new report published today. Local agencies and business leaders have welcomed the findings of the study which show the percentage of jobs dependent upon Dounreay has decreased from 15% to 10% since 2006, and the number of new businesses being created has risen.
School pupils and teachers across Caithness and Sutherland have been taking part in a number of industry visits as part of a £110,000 project investing in the future of young people in the area. Launched last year, the technology project has seen around 350 pupils from local high schools take part in visits to Dounreay and Caithness Horizons in order to understand the opportunities available locally in engineering.
A marine energy action plan, developed by the wave and tidal power industry in Scotland to accelerate electricity generation from the sea, has been unveiled recently. The plan outlines progress made since the launch of the 2009 Marine Energy Road Map and makes recommendations to help improve access to finance, grid development, infrastructure and supply chain, the planning regime and engagement with Europe, to ensure Scotland and other nations seize the huge potential for clean energy from the world's seas and oceans.
A £105 million package of economic stimulus which, this year, will maximise opportunities to create jobs and growth, was announced last week by Finance Secretary John Swinney. Mr Swinney outlined proposals to support new investment and accelerate projects from future years to boost the economy.
The Caithness District Partnership, which will identify key issues and priorities governing the care of children and adults in the county, met for the first time earlier this week when it agreed that, as a first priority, it would support a review and re-design of services for adults in Caithness, with a particular focus on older adult care and support. The meeting took place at the Pulteneytown People's Project Community Centre, Wick, when Colin Punler, an NHS Board Member from Thurso, was elected chairman.
The Highland Council has agreed to embark on a four-month public consultation over budget savings needed in 2013/14 and 2014/15. The Council estimates the savings targets will be £11.5 million in 2013/14 and £18.2 million in 2014/15.
The Highland Council has shown its commitment to the economy of the North Highlands in approving £10,000 towards the design of an improved road alignment for the Berriedale Braes. This stretch of the A9 is maintained by Transport Scotland.
