Sixteen Highland students graduated (Saturday 27 June) through the University of Aberdeen in partnership with The Highland Council following an eighteen month distance learning diploma in Primary Teaching. The course, Distance Learning Initial Teacher Education (DLITE) is completing its inaugural session in June 2015, seeing these students enter their Probation year in Highland schools this August.
Digital connectivity is changing forever on the Outer Hebrides with the announcement today (Tuesday 7 July) that high-speed fibre broadband is live in Stornoway. Around 3,600 premises in Stornoway will be the first to have access to the new services thanks to the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (July, 7th) sold 45 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (24) averaged 209.4p (+3.6p) and sold to 220p per kg and £1,441.30 gross.
The new Head Teacher of the new Lochaber Gaelic primary school, Bun-Sgoil Ghàidhlig Loch Abar, received the keys to Highland Council's second purpose built Gaelic school in the Highlands today (Friday 3 July 2015). Frank Reid, Regional Managing Director for Robertson Construction Northern - contractors for the development at Ardgour Road in Caol - handed the keys for the property over to Head Teacher, John Joseph MacNeil, who takes up post at the start of the new term in August.
SCHOTTEL HYDRO will manufacture and deliver the variable pitch hub for the AR1500 turbine for Phase 1a of the MeyGen tidal energy project under contract to Lockheed Martin. The MeyGen Phase 1a AR1500, a 1.5 MW seabed mounted turbine, is being designed and delivered by Atlantis Resources and Lockheed Martin.
July is Scams Awareness Month and The Highland Council's Trading Standards team is joining forces with Citizens Advice Bureaux to warn consumers about the risks of being caught out. Trading Standards Manager Gordon Robb explained.
For full details and information about the changes from 1 January 2016 see money Savings Expert article at - http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/savings/2015/07/safe-savings-limit-to-fall-to-75000-from-january If you have more than £75,000 savings in any one account or group of banks then you may need to consider shifting part of your savings to separate accounts..
More than 12 NorthLink Ferries crew members have undertaken training to help them spot whales, dolphins and porpoise whilst sailing between the mainland and northern isles. The training marks the start of a new partnership between NorthLink Ferries and ORCA as they launch OceanWatch - a new conservation initiative that begins on 25 July aiming to monitor and collect data on marine life around the UK coastline and adjoining waters Speaking of the recent training and partnership, Captain Stuart McCallum, Marine Manager at Serco NorthLink Ferries, said: "Marine life is extremely vast and varied in the North Sea and through ORCA's OceanWatch training we hope to be able to obtain a snapshot of whale, dolphin and porpoise presence in these waters.
Week commencing 29 June 2015. Energy & Business Services A reminder that next week will see Marine Scotland colleagues in the area to run consultation events on the Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan.
The Highland Council has welcomed the clear and unanimous recommendation published in the long-awaited report from the Independent Airports Commission into increasing the UK's airport capacity, that increased runway capacity should be created at Heathrow Airport, London with the construction of a third runway. The Commissions' report stated that "capacity constraints at Heathrow Airport have seen the number of domestic connections decline at the airport over recent years with no daily service operating between Heathrow and Inverness since 1997." It added that "a new runway at Heathrow will enhance the domestic connectivity of the UK, strongly benefitting the regions outside of London and the South East." .
Highland Council's Leader and Chair of Planning, Development and Infrastructure have reinforced the Council's commitment to working with the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland and partners to find a solution to the upgrading of the Berriedale Braes on the A9 in Caithness. This was discussed at a recent meeting (16 June 2015) at Council headquarters in Inverness attended by Councillor Audrey Sinclair and officials from The Highland Council and Transport Scotland.
Thirty-eight businesses across the Highlands, islands and Cairngorms National Park area have been shortlisted for the area's most prestigious food and drink awards. Finalists ranged from new businesses to established producers; family-run restaurants to Michelin-starred establishments and demonstrated the strength and diversity of food and drink businesses across the region.
The Highland Council has published its notice to tender for ICT Core Services on Public Contracts Scotland website. The scope of the ICT Core Services to be sourced under this procurement are broadly defined as ‘providing managed technology infrastructure, application systems and desktop services required for the delivery of the Authority's business including educational ICT and online Public Access Services'.
A new course, aimed at students already in the tourist industry or aspiring guides who want to get into the industry in the North Highland area, is now available at seven study locations across the University of the Highlands and Islands. The certificate in higher education tourist guiding (North Highlands) is specifically designed for the North Highland area.
Pupils from Wick High School and Lamlash Primary School on the Isle of Arran have been announced as winners of a dragon's den style competition to design apps that solve real-world problems. The Highlands and Islands ‘Apps for Good' final took place today where schools from across the region pitched their products via live videos to a panel of judges based at UHI’s executive office in Inverness.
Highlands & Islands (including Moray ) MSP, David Stewart, who is campaigning to keep the Inverness Disease Surveillance Centre open at the SRuC, Drummond Hill facility in the city, is delighted that his efforts are being supported by people from far and wide. Speaking this afternoon David Stewart said " Behind the scenes there are a lot of people working very hard to make sure that the proposals from those on high at the Scottish Rural College are not supported, because frankly they are not thought through and they are at risk of putting disease control backwards".
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (June, 16th) sold 26 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (21) averaged 199.1p (+3.4p) and sold to 211p per kg and £1,408 gross.
Caithness Horizons Museum in Thurso has recently been reviewed by Visit Scotland grading authority and are delighted to keep its Five Star Visitor Attraction status for a seventh year running. The news comes shortly after receiving a Certificate Of Excellence from Trip Advisor earlier in the month.
Week Commencing 22 June 2015. Energy & Business Services Following their attendance at last week's Wick RNLI Open Day this week's Caithness Courier carries a piece on the team from Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL), who took a stand at the event to promote the project.
Caithness Chamber of Commerce and Caithness Transport Forum have long been concerned about the economic impact of the Berriedale Braes on the region and are now calling on the Scottish Government to commit to funding a solution this year. "For too long, the Scottish Government has ignored the impact the Berriedale Braes has on those living and working in the North of Scotland and Orkney Isles," said Chamber chief executive Trudy Morris, who also chairs the Transport Forum.