Mr Hugh Fraser, the Director of The Highland Council’s Education Culture and Sport Service, has announced his intention to retire later in the year. Mr Fraser, who will be 60 in July, will retire at the end of September after more than 37 years service as a teacher and in education management.
A new £11.3 million innovation centre dedicated to helping Scotland capitalise on the growing market in analytics and ‘big data’ technology is set to open later this year. The investment is projected to return a minimum of 345 new jobs and an additional £155 million of value to the Scottish Economy.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (April, 22nd) sold 31 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (27) averaged 211.1p (+1.6p) and sold to 235p per kg and £1,503.80 gross.
Hydrasun, a leading specialist provider of integrated fluid transfer, power and control solutions to the global energy market, is looking to expand its operations with a £3M investment in its specialist manufacturing facility in Aviemore. This is also being supported by a £500,000 development grant from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
DSRL has announced that it will be creating a new civilian guard force at Dounreay. The news comes after discussion between the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the Office for Nuclear Regulation’s Security department, the CNC and DSRL.
Dounreay’s owners have set out their priorities for decommissioning in a three-year business plan approved by Ministers. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which owns Dounreay and 16 other sites in the UK, has total planned expenditure across its estate for 2014/15 of £3.2 billion.
Homes and businesses in Lerwick on Shetland are set to be Scotland’s first island community to get fibre broadband as part of the £410 million Digital Scotland partnership. Lerwick joins Keith in Moray as the latest areas to be announced as part of the Digital Highlands and Islands project which will deliver fibre broadband to 84% of premises across the region by 2016.
Food and drink businesses across the Highlands and Islands and within the Cairngorms National Park area have just days left before the deadline to enter the region’s largest and most prestigious food and drink industry awards. As the Wednesday, 23 April deadline approaches for entries for this year’s Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards, sponsored by Gordon & MacPhail and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), organisers are calling on the area’s food and drink businesses to make sure they don’t miss the closing date.
Today Sarah Boyack MSP Scottish Labour's Shadow Cabinet Member for Local Government met with Highlands Councillors Deirdre Mackay and Jimmy Gray to discuss how Labour would reverse the centralisation seen under the SNP. Sarah Boyack MSP said "Scottish Labour is committed to more powers for local authorities as part of our ambitions for stronger devolution in Scotland.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (April 16th) sold 1008 store cattle including 158 breeding heifers. Bullocks (407) averaged 243.1p and sold to 306.9p per kg for a 290kg Limousin cross from Auchmore Farm, Muir of Ord, and £1,360 gross for a 520kg Charolais cross from Mains of Clunas, Cawdor.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (April, 15th) sold 58 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (34) averaged 209.5p (+1.5p) and sold to 237p per kg and £1,566.00 gross.
The four North Highland College UHI (NHC) campuses are ever expanding and having had over £11 million invested over the last five years, is now opening its doors to offer campus tours for the general public. The scheduled tours are available to book online via the college website - www.northhighland.uhi.ac.uk and will entail a general tour of one of the four campuses based in Thurso, Halkirk, Alness and Dornoch.
* Energy sector drives huge growth at Sumburgh and Wick John O’Groats * Extra 70,000 passengers across the group * Sumburgh is Scotland’s fastest growing airport * Inverness enjoys best performance for five years * But smaller airports affected by reduced capacity Scottish regional airport operator HIAL has recorded its busiest ever year, attracting an extra 70,000 passengers over the past 12 months, according to latest figures. HIAL’s 11 airports handled 1,367,342 passengers in the 2013/14 financial year, an increase of 5.4% on the previous year (an additional 69,666 passengers).
First course being run in Wick Wednesday 30th April 2014 This is a one day course and it covers all the usual first aid subjects, but from a boating perspective. It is aimed at anyone who goes afloat, whether on inland waters, rivers or at sea.
New project aims to find marine energy hot spots A project to find the best new places to install marine energy devices in Europe was launched in Thurso today. Led by scientists at North Highland College UHI’s Environmental Research Institute, TURNKEY (transforming underutilised renewable natural resource into key energy yields) will bring together representatives from five European countries and use cutting edge technology to assess the locations with the best marine energy potential.
Relocated VisitScotland information service sees 55% increase in visitor enquiries. A full year on from the relocation of the Thurso VisitScotland information service to Caithness Horizons has seen a 55% increase in footfall.
Sam MacNaughton, The Highland Council’s Head of Transport and Infrastructure today (Friday) retires after 44 years service in local government during which time he has secured many millions of pounds of investment in the Highlands to improve the Highland transport network. Sam, who hails from Lochaber, is married to Anne and they have three daughters, Mairi, Sarah and Chirsty.
Police to carry out test purchasing operations in Caithness and Sutherland in the coming weeks. Police Scotland Highland and Islands Division will be carrying out test purchasing operations in the Caithness and Sutherland areas of the Division in the coming weeks.
Week commencing 7th April 2014 Energy & Business Services: Atlantis Resources Ltd has announced an extension to its partnership with Chinese company Dongfang Electrical Machinery which will enable testing of the Atlantis AK1000 tidal turbine in China. As previously reported, Atlantis now owns Meygen Ltd., and Atlantis tidal devices will be deployed at the Meygen tidal site in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth following Scottish Government consent last year, and Atlantis’ successful raising of project finance.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (April, 10th) sold 1276 sheep of all classes. Lambs (689) averaged £60.48 and sold to £109 gross for a pair of Beltex crosses from Caberfeidh, Upperton.