ScotRail has confirmed that 13 south-bound and 12 north-bound services will call at Conon Bridge when it re-opens in February 2013. Three Monday - Saturday services will get commuters into Inverness before 9 am, and there are two evening peak journeys in the other direction.
Energy: Last week a number of local people were able to view a demonstration of a system designed by Nuvia and tested at T3UK near Thurso. The remote handling equipment, for spent fuel at a power station being decommissioned in Lithuania, is the product of two years of joint work between Nuvia and JGC Engineering Services.
Serco NorthLink has issued another warning to customers as severe weather continues to disrupt ferry services linking Aberdeen with Orkney and Shetland. The operator is in the process of contacting customers booked on services between today and Christmas to advise them most sailings are likely to be cancelled.
Ministers will consider emergency financial assistance for local authorities to help deal with the costs of the storm damage last weekend. Aberdeenshire Council and The Moray Council have made representations to the Scottish Government to activate the Bellwin Scheme as a result of the severe storms over the weekend.
The Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Drew Hendry has welcomed today’s announcement that the Global Energy Group, owner of Nigg Energy Park, is launching a Highland-wide recruitment drive to find an additional 400 skilled personnel in a wide range of energy disciplines to support their existing labour force in the delivery of contract work. Councillor Hendry said: “The Council’s programme places the highest priority on sustainable economic growth and economic recovery.
A plan will be prepared next year to guide development activity in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters. The Government Directorate Marine Scotland, Orkney Islands Council and The Highland Council have set up a working group to take forward the project and are encouraging stakeholders to get involved in the development of the plan.
The Highland Council is putting plans in place to carry out essential repairs to it harbours and coast defence structures which were damaged by the storm surge last weekend (14/15 December 2012). The initial clear-up is completed and work is now ongoing to plan for the repair works which will be carried out by the Council’s directly employed staff and contractors.
Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd. invites you to a Supply Chain Briefing for an update on future contract opportunities at Dounreay.
Dounreay begins returning material to national fuel stocks. Nuclear material left over from Dounreay's research work in the 20th century is being returned to national fuel stocks as part of the site's clean-up and closure.
An extra 2000 university places for young people, half of which will be for those progressing from college to university as part of ongoing efforts to widen access, will be funded by the Scottish Funding Council. Universities will receive just over £10 million in 2013-14 to pay for additional places, including over 700 on widening access schemes, more than 1,000 for young people moving on from college to university and around 300 on the Skills for Growth scheme.
Approximately £37 million worth of rates relief have been awarded across the Highlands local areas since the introduction of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) in 2008, Enterprise Minister Fergus Ewing said today on a visit to The Drawing Room in Inverness. The Drawing Room, owned by Highland businesswoman Mairi Fraser, is one of 8,383 businesses premises to have benefited from rates relief since the introduction of the SBBS in 2008.
A programme of capital projects estimated to support approximately 2,000 jobs across Scotland in 2013-14 has been given the green light today. Finance Secretary John Swinney said work on the £205 million package of construction and maintenance projects will begin this year.
More than 700 visitors from across the UK and beyond took advantage of face-to-face networking opportunities at the second supply chain event for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estate. The event at the De Vere Whites Hotel, Bolton, was organised jointly by the NDA and its site licence companies, including Dounreay.
Scotland's Chief Statistician today published the Final Estimate of the Cereal and Oilseed Rape Harvest 2012. This publication updates the provisional harvest estimates published in October and provides commentary and graphics on the latest annual changes and trends over the past 20 years.
For the first time in 5 years the way has been cleared to avoid Scottish fishermen having to suffer more damaging cuts to days at sea. Meanwhile a proposed 20 per cent cut in cod quota under the Cod Recovery Plan can be stopped.
Wet weather in Scotland this year has had an adverse impact on the harvest, the latest figures show. The Final Estimate of the Cereal and Oilseed Rape Harvest 2012, published today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician, show that cereal production decreased between 2011 and 2012 by 440,000 tonnes (15 per cent).
New figures published today for the first three quarters of 2012 show Scotland’s renewable electricity output was on track for the best year ever. The figures, which were released this morning by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, point to 2012 being a record year for renewable electricity generation in Scotland, with the first three quarters of 2012 generating 15.2 per cent more electricity than the same period in 2011, the previous record breaking year.
Severe Weather Due to Disrupt Services Serco NorthLink has warned customers to expect unprecedented disruption to services as forecasts predict severe weather until Christmas Eve. The ferry operator brought today’s southbound sailing from Lerwick forward to 1300hrs, with arrival in Kirkwall expected at 1800hrs.
Passenger numbers at Scotland’s regional airports jumped by more than 10% last month, with the booming energy sector responsible for much of the growth. Latest figures from airport operator HIAL show that its 11 airports handled 101,701 passengers in November, an increase of 10.5% on the same month last year.
SEPA warns of potential flooding across Scotland. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has warned of potential flooding across Scotland through Thursday and Friday.