The Highland Council has today (Friday) granted planning permission in principle to Port of Ardersier Ltd to establish an off-shore renewables port facility at the former McDermott Fabrication Yard at Whiteness Head to the west of Nairn. The site, which extends to over 3km2 of ground reclaimed from the foreshore in the 1970s for the fabrication and construction of off-shore platforms associated with the oil and gas industry, will once again be used to support off-shore development, but this time within the off-shore renewables sector.
Scottish Enterprise has announced that Small and Medium sized companies can access equity finance through the Scottish Seed Fund. The Scottish Seed Fund (SSF), managed by The Scottish Investment Bank (SIB) is designed to improve the availability of finance for start-up and young growing companies in Scotland.
Highlands and Islands businesses interested in exporting to China have an opportunity to access specialist information and advice at a free event in Inverness in March. Organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), in partnership with Scottish Development International (SDI) and the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), the event comes a matter of weeks after China celebrates its New Year, the beginning of Year of the Horse, on January 31.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (January, 29th) sold 741 sheep of all classes. Lambs (446) averaged £64.22 and sold to £80 gross for Texel crosses from Wester Moy, Urray.
Scotland Agriculture Rural Development Official statistics point to partial bounce back in 2013. Farm income in Scotland has made a partial recovery in 2013 following the poor weather of recent years, initial estimates suggest.
Scientists from Thurso’s Environmental Research Institute are reaching out to the art community in Caithness. Artists and designers of all disciplines are being given the opportunity to display their work and interact with the scientific community at a forthcoming conference in Thurso dedicated to research in the Flow Country.
Last year a group of Wick High School pupils won an award for creating great new app for your phone. It will cut down on paper work for farmers.
The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) will consider strategic proposals from Police Scotland to enhance the service provided by its Contact, Command and Control Centres at the Authority’s next public board meeting on Thursday 30 January in the Trades Hall, Glassford Street, Glasgow. In considering this proposal, the SPA will test the evidence that underpins the recommended course of action.
The Chairman of The Highland Council’s Planning Environment and Development Committee has clarified the Council’s clampdown on roadside signage, stressing that the main targets for action are unauthorised adverts which are long-standing, those which have a substantial adverse impact on amenity and those that give rise to road safety concerns. Councillor Thomas Prag stressed that short-lived signage promoting community events, which did not impact on road safety, were not the focus of the Service’s enforcement action.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (January, 28th) sold 45 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (21) averaged 221.6p (+2.2p) and sold to 232p per kg and £1,652.40 gross.
Police Scotland Highland and Islands Division is currently recruiting new Police Constables and Special Police Constables and are hosting a Facebook chat this week to answer any questions people have on the subject. The chat event will take place virtually on the Police Scotland Highland and Islands Divisonal Facebook page on Thursday 30 January 2014 between 18:00 and 20:00 hours to discuss the topic of Police Officer recruitment with Chief Superintendent Julian Innes.
Scottish Water’s household charges will rise this April, 2014, by 1.6 per cent – 1 per cent below the level of inflation (RPI). This is only the second rise since 2009 and signals a determination to build on customer service improvements in recent years, maintain investment in upgrades to water works and pipes and ensure services are ready for the future.
The three officer-bearers of the community company which owns and operates Gills Harbour, the Scottish mainland’s most Northerly port in Caithness, held a surprise impromptu meeting with a top UK Cabinet Minister on Friday 24th January, 2014. The Rt.
Management at Dounreay are facing the challenge of how to accommodate additional work from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) whilst maintaining the same annual spend, the same Interim End State – and most importantly, the same priority on working safely and securely that the site is renowned for. The additional work has arisen because activities that were not sufficiently developed by the NDA at the time the competition was run in 2012 have now reached a state of maturity that allows them to be added to the existing programme of work.
Northlink Ferries is set to welcome the MV Hamnavoe back to service on Friday, 24 January 2014, complete with new livery. The photo here shows Hamnavoe on 5th January before the makeover.
Week Commencing 20th January 2014 Energy & Business Services: HIE colleagues have returned to Aberdeen this week for a further series of meetings with companies and agencies. As previously reported interest in Caithness as a place from which to do business is strong, with new companies showing interest in energy sector opportunities.
2 Day Crofting Course in Golspie next month. This course is ideal for aspiring, new and existing crofters and will get you up to speed with all things croft related from CAP reform to animal welfare, diversification and much more...
Survey to map Scotland’s tenant farming sector. Surveys are being sent to every tenant farmer in Scotland as part of a major piece of research that will influence the future of Scottish farming.
Unemployment rate at lowest in five years. Scotland is the best performing of the four nations of the UK in terms of unemployment and employment rates, according to new labour market figures which show for the period September to November 2013.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (January, 22nd) sold 728 store cattle, 68 adult head of breeding cattle. Bullocks (498) averaged 238.8p, (+28.1p on the year) and sold to 298.8p per kg for a 415kg Limousin cross from Lochbuie, Newtonmore, and £1,600 gross for 667kg Charolais crosses from Hilton Farm, Tain.