As the final stages of work take place on the £3.8 million community centre for Wick, Highlands and Islands Enterprise's most senior staff have enjoyed a sneak preview. As part of a two day programme of meetings with ambitious Caithness and Sutherland businesses and social enterprises, the HIE Board visited the Pulteney Centre due to open in the new year and paid tribute to the achievements of the Pulteneytown People's Project (PPP).
Another business has announced that from 8th November 2011 Torrance Partnership has opened a new office in Thurso. Torrance Partnership LLP 6 Princes Street Thurso Caithness KW14 7BQ Tel: 01847 890 112 e-mail: thurso[AT]torrance-partnership.co.uk They provide the following services:- property valuations ~ home reports ~ EPCs ~ new-build monitoring ~ quantity surveying ~ building surveying ~ project management ~ CDM co-ordination.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (November,16th) sold 882 weaned calves and store cattle and 8 breeding cattle. Stot calves (420) averaged 205.3p and sold to 265.3p per kg for a 245kg Charolais cross from Lochdhu, Nairn and £900 for a Charolais cross also from Lochdhu.
"Watch out for fake goods and bogus websites this Christmas" warns Highland Council Trading Standards. The Highland Council Trading Standards Service is warning consumers not to be duped into buying counterfeit sports clothes and equipment from bogus websites, as part of the National Consumer Week 2011 campaign entitled "Good Sports Don't Fake it".
Rio Tinto Alcan has signed up to a pioneering partnership with local and national government as part of its plans for ongoing maintenance and expansion at its highland smelter and hydro power stations at Lochaber and Kinlochleven over the next five years. Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop, met with staff from the company along with representatives from The Highland Council and Historic Scotland to hear about how they have worked together to simplify the planning process associated with the modernisation currently being carried out by Rio Tinto Alcan at its Lochaber power station.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (November, 14th) sold 179 adult head of breeding cattle. Bulling heifers (25) sold to £1,180 gross for a pen of Simmental crosses from Milldam, Meikle Ussie.
Tourist industry leaders and holiday home owners in the Highlands, Islands and North-east are teaming up with Scottish Water to ensure holiday properties are protected and prepared for winter. Last year's unprecedented Big Freeze - which included the coldest December on record - saw Scottish Water repairing around 2,000 bursts and answering more than 40,000 calls between Christmas Eve and New Year, when 7,500 calls would normally be expected.
Citizens Online is a national charity who believe participation in the digital world is a basic human right. As a result we are committed to promoting digital inclusion.
7,500 could be cut from incapacity benefits in the Highlands and Islands. MSP David Stewart has criticised the way that the government in Westminster intend to cut the number of incapacity benefit claimants.
Highland Youth Voice, the elected youth parliament for the Highlands, meets next week (17th - 19th November 2011) at Badaguish Outdoor Centre, near Aviemore. The conference has been planned by young people with a theme of "Get the Message" and will look at how young people can get their messages across and influence change in the Highlands. HYV members will hear from the Joint Committee for Children and Young People as they are hosting their meeting in front of the parliament, with the programme instigating a question time - where the Joint Committee will act as the panel.
Tourism experts from across Scotland are coming together this week in the first of a series of events taking place before the end of the year looking at how working together improves visitor experiences and business growth. The chairman of VisitScotland, Dr Mike Cantlay will host 'Making things happen for Tourism' in Wick on Friday.
Margaret Ann Beaton, who is responsible for the operation of The Highland Council's five school residences, has been chosen as the Council's Employee of the year. She received her prize at the Council's annual Quality Awards, held at the Town House, Inverness, on Thursday night.
This year's award for Local Government Politician of the year, sponsored by Improvement Service and Robertson Group, was won by the Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Michael Foxley, for his campaigning on issues such as the threat to coastguard stations and emergency tugs and for reform of the Crown Estate. Councillor Foxley received his award at a ceremony in Edinburgh, sponsored by the Herald newspaper.
The Chancellor and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury today visited Nigg on the Cromarty Firth, where they announced around £100 million of additional funding for Scottish renewable energy, including marine renewables. This announcement is additional to the existing budget and spending plans of the Scottish Government.
Hundreds of primary and secondary school pupils from the Highlands and Islands will this week take part in an online event designed to encourage young people to make positive decisions around substance misuse. Choices for Life online will be broadcast on Glow, Scotland's intranet for schools, on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 November and will be available to over 2,600 primary and secondary schools across Scotland.
In order to understand the extent of the problem of Internet delivery charges, The Highland Council's Trading Standards team are looking to gather evidence from Highland consumers and small businesses about any malpractice they have experienced and to trace and tackle those businesses that fall foul of internet trading law. They are launching a web survey from The Highland Council's web site: www.highland.gov.uk/deliverycharges to gauge the experiences of Highland consumers and small businesses about what often seems like excessive delivery charging for goods bought online.
Caithness Members of The Highland Council have pledged to support this year's "DA DOONIE DAY" Viking Festival which will take place in Wick on Friday 25 November. The event, which is run by Thurso Rotary Club, will receive financial support of up to £3,000 from each of the three ward discretionary budgets to assist with the cost of staging the event.
DINGWALL,Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (November, 10th) sold 2,881 store sheep. Lambs (2,106) sold to £82 gross for Texel ewe lamb from Barnyards, Beauly.
High Life Highland, established on the 1st October to deliver Community Learning and Leisure services on behalf of The Highland Council, launches its first Highland-wide community event this month. The 6 week "MOVE IT TO LOSE IT" Christmas Challenge begins on the 14th November at all participating High Life Highland leisure centres.
The Caithness Countryside Volunteers recently turned out in force on Sunday 30 October, tools in hand to tackle the overgrown and wild path to General Patrick Sinclair's Grave, Lybster. The Sinclairs of Lybster have a long history, going back to the Sinclair Earls who ruled Caithness, and played a significant role in the once booming herring fishing village of Lybster.
