DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (February, 1st) sold 1,879 sheep of all classes. Lambs (1,041) averaged £65.18 and sold to £97 gross for Beltex crosses from Caberfeidh, Glenurquhart.
The UK Government's Welfare Reform plans will rob Scotland of over £54 million a year, new analysis has confirmed, Housing Minister Keith Brown claimed today. The Westminster Bill will reduce the amount of housing benefit support that can be given to tenants in the social rented sector by introducing new size criteria for working-age Housing Benefit claimants, who have extra bedrooms.
Following the introduction of new measures in 2011 to protect seals, including strict licensing conditions for seal shootings, indications are that the first year has worked well. In the first three quarters of 2011, 362 seals were shot - 27 per cent of the permitted maximum under licence - considerably lower than estimates by environmental groups of over 3,000 seals each year prior to the new system.
Income from farming in Scotland in 2011 has risen by £23 million compared with 2010, according to the latest statistics. Scotland's Chief Statistician has today published Scottish Farm Income Estimates 2011 which gives a national estimate of total income across agricultural holdings, alongside a breakdown of farm outputs, costs and subsidies.
Youth employment has topped the agenda at Scotland's ninth National Economic Forum, held today at Edinburgh's Corn Exchange. As part of the focus on getting more of Scotland's young people into work, First Minister Alex Salmond and Youth Employment Minister Angela Constance have met with a number of young people currently working in training positions across central Scotland.
Minimum pricing for alcohol, together with the existing ban on irresponsible promotions could prevents thousands of deaths, illnesses and crimes and save Scotland millions of pounds. These are the findings of a revised report carried out by researchers at the University of Sheffield which was published this morning.
The north end of Dunnet Beach in Caithness now looks much tidier following a recent public beach clean (on Sunday 29 January 2012) organised by The Highland Council Countryside Rangers. In total throughout the day about fifty people volunteered their time to help pick the litter from the beach which had gathered in great quantities during the winter storms.
Help is at hand for Caithness businesses to supply The Highland Council. A free event aimed at helping businesses to supply The Highland Council will take place on Thursday 9 February 2012 in Thurso.
There will be a contest in five of the six constituencies within the Crofting Commission electoral area. A total of 28 candidates will contest the five constituencies of: · Shetland; · East Highlands (East Sutherland, Easter Ross, East Inverness and Moray); · Western Isles; · West Highlands (West Sutherland, Wester Ross, Skye and Lochalsh); and · South West Highlands (Lochaber, Argyll and Bute, Arran and Cumbrae, Small Isles).
Introduction to Food Hygiene Training 10.00-1.30pm, Wednesday February 22nd, at Telford House, Williamson Street, Wick. Covering food law and HACCP, food hygiene management systems, and myths surrounding food preparation.
Infrastructure and Capital Investment Secretary Alex Neil today welcomed news that Scottish Water will freeze household water charges for 2012-13. In April 2012 household water charges will remain frozen, which means water charges have remained at the same level for four years.
The Highland Council has selected TRAC Engineering Ltd to carry out stabilisation works on the A 890 Stromeferry Bypass which takes traffic between Wester Ross and Lochalsh/Skye and has been closed due to the danger of rockfall since 22 December, last year. Following a rockfall, emergency works were undertaken which did not leave a stable rock slope but which did protect the rail line.
With the Wick, Pulteneytown Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) drawing to an end, The Highland Council's Planning , Environment and Development Committee has awarded two grants and agreed to submit a third to Historic Scotland for approval, worth a total of £486,585. The Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS), funded by Historic Scotland and the Highland Council, was launched in 2007 to regenerate the Pulteneytown Conservation Area in Wick through the reuse and repair of its historic buildings.
Harvesting starts as part of Storr native woodland restoration. Tree felling and harvesting has begun at Storr Woodland, north of Portree on the island of Skye.
The Highland Council are pleased to announce further details of a design charrette to be held for the Sandown site in Nairn from Monday 30 January to Thursday 2 February 2012. The charrette, which will be facilitated by architects - Ironside Farrar - will take the form of an interactive design workshop which will allow the community, local authority and a wide range of stakeholders to come together to discuss and agree design ideas which will be translated into drawings to develop a masterplan for the site.
Parents and guardians of children are being informed by The Highland Council that it's time for enrolment into pre-school and primary school in the Highlands. The next school session starts on 13 August 2012.
The 'short sea route' came into its own early last Saturday (21.01.12) afternoon in an unusual manner as storm-force Westerly severe gales swept huge Atlantic Ocean breakers into the Pentland Firth … And the crossing of the narrowest Eastern End of the Firth between Canisbay Parish and South Ronaldsay enabled Orkney to maintain its sea-link with Caithness on one of the wildest sea-days of the 2011/12 winter so far, a season where weather patterns have been dominated by a series of deep atmospheric depressions sweeping in from the West in quick succession. The trip was not done by Pentland Ferries' Pentalina, which normally plies the route thrice-daily, but by NorthLink Ferries' Hamnavoe which made an exceptionally-circuitous crossing from Scrabster to Stromness, adding just an hour to her scheduled 90 minutes' of sailing time.
The centre of Wick will see regeneration come to life when work on the new council office begins later this year. Most of the existing council offices at Market Square will be demolished to make way for a modern building whilst retaining Stafford Place - the curved building that is part of High Street.
More than £5 million was contributed to the Scottish economy as a result of the 2011 Barclays Scottish Open, according to a study released today. This figure includes £4 million to the economy of the Highlands and Islands.
The introduction on Monday 23 January of an early morning train service between Inverness and Kyle, arriving in Kyle at 8.40 am, has resulted in changes to the timetable of the passenger ferry service which has been introduced between North and South Strome to combat the closure of the A 890 Stromeferry Bypass. Monday - Friday, the 60-passenger Sula Mhor from Plockton will make two return journeys in the morning, leaving South Strome at 8.00 am and 9.20 am, and North Strome at 8.15 am and 9.30 am.
