NORTHERN Constabulary Police have reported a highly successful road safety operation across the Highland mainland. The initiative, code-named Operation Sable, was timed to run immediately prior to the ACPOS "Get ready for winter" weekend initiative, which was run throughout Scotland.
The final report of the Pack Inquiry into Future Support for Agriculture in Scotland was published today. The Inquiry was commissioned by Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead in June 2009 to examine agricultural subsidy and consider how best future support should be tailored to deliver a sustainable sector.
First Minister Alex Salmond will be joined by the three leaders of Scotland's other main political parties in a march and the rally calling for the RAF base at Lossiemouth to be retained in the UK government's ongoing strategic defence review. Sunday's event will begin at Muirton Road - only yards from the main entrance to the RAF base - and end with a rally at Grant Park, the home of Lossiemouth FC.
New council house and housing association tenants will no longer have the Right to Buy (RTB) their homes, it was confirmed in proposals unveiled to MSPs today. RTB for new-build social housing in Scotland will also be scrapped.
The introduction of a new scheme to improve the protection of vulnerable groups has been postponed until February to ensure the system which supports it is as robust as it can be before it goes live. Children's Minister, Adam Ingram, announced the postponement today following advice from the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme programme board.
Proposals to tackle wildlife crime by making employers responsible for their employees' illegal poisonings have been outlined. Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham announced the Scottish Government's intention to bring forward a Stage 2 amendment to the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill, when giving evidence to the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee earlier today (November 3).
A £400,000 software package to help farmers go greener and save money has been launched. Available free of charge at www.planet4farmers.co.uk, the PLANET Scotland software will enable farmers to input information about their fields and soils to generate information on recommended fertiliser levels.
The Scottish Retail Sector continued to grow into the third quarter of 2010 - and outperformed the GB sector over the year - according to provisional estimates released today by Scotland's Chief Statistician. Third quarter figures published today show: The volume of retail sales in Scotland grew 0.6 per cent during quarter three compared with the previous quarter, and by 2.9 per cent over the year.
House Building Figures show importance of affordable housing investment in the Highlands A briefing note issued by The Highland Council indicates that 415 new houses were completed in The Highland Council area between June and September 2010. This is an improvement over the first quarter of the financial year (402) and more than the same period in 2008/9 (383) and 2009/10 (302).
Brides-to-be heading along to Mackays Celebration Fair will receive a special treat if they book the hotel for their wedding on the day of the Celebration Fair…a free luxury wedding car for their special day*. In the one-of-a-kind Celebration Fair, on Sunday 7 November from 12 - 4pm, the hotel will ask guests what they are celebrating and will cater for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, Brides-to-be heading along to Mackays Celebration Fair will receive a special treat if they book the hotel for their special day…a free luxury wedding car.
Casualty star Ronnie McCann is helping workers at Dounreay stay out of real-life accident and emergency units. The actor, who appeared 43 times in the BBC series as nurse Barney Woolfe, has been treading the boards as part of European Safety Week at the site of Britain's biggest nuclear decommissioning project.
Highland Opportunity Ltd, The Highland Council's Enterprise Trust, has completed another positive year in which £900,000 of loans were approved for 50 Highland businesses. Speaking at the company's 24th annual meeting, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Councillor Helen Carmichael praised the performance of staff, particularly in more than doubling their target of supporting 426 jobs.
The Highland Council has introduced a new roads and street lighting helpline as it gears up for coping with winter. The number is 01349 886601.
Water quality engineering firm Panton McLeod has completed another high profile cleaning project that will keep drinking water supplies at their purest levels in the Highlands. The firm - which is the UK's leading expert in cleaning, repairing and inspecting structures used to store drinking water - successfully cleaned one of the main storage tanks at a water treatment works in Caithness in order to maintain purity levels for customers in the region.
A free event open to companies interested in doing business in Asia is being held this month at Cowan House in Inverness. Organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in partnership with Scottish Development International (SDI), the 'Doing Business in Asia' event on November 11 aims to introduce businesses to opportunities in the Asian market and help local companies already in the region deepen and strengthen partnerships.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October, 28th) sold 5,416 sheep of all classes. Lambs (3,023) averaged £46.17 and sold to £150 gross for a Texel from Beallach Na Gore, Strathpeffer.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October, 27th) sold 474 weaned calves and store cattle and 77 OTM cattle. Stot calves (157) averaged 170.6p and sold to 235.3p per kg for a 340kg British Blue cross from Cranford, Gollanfield.
Two seminars aimed at helping communities maximise their assets are being held this month. Organised by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Community Assets Team, formerly known as the HIE Community Land Unit, both seminars are open to community groups across the Highlands and Islands.
The Highland Council is to work with other Highland and Islands councils to campaign for the retention of publicly-funded salvage tugs, based at Stornoway and Shetland. Councillors fiercely oppose the UK Government's recent decision to end funding in September of next year of the tugs, which were introduced as the result of the inquiry by Lord Donaldson into the Braer Disaster, off Shetland in 1993.
More than 50 secondary school pupils from across the Highlands will find out how an award in science can help their careers, at an information session at the Centre for Health Science, Inverness on Friday (October 29). Organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and The Highland Council, the event will raise the profile of the Scottish Science Baccalaureate in schools, reflecting the key role of science in the future of economic development of Scotland.
