The final six teams have been announced for ICT Youth Challenge 2008 following yesterday's event at Strathpeffer where young innovators pitched their ideas for the future to a panel of judges. The teams are from Lochaber, Nairn, Wick, Keith and two from Fortrose and were chosen from sixteen teams of young innovators.
Economic development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is reorganising its responsibilities and will, in future, focus on three key objectives in order to deliver sustainable economic growth in the region. From April 2008, HIE will concentrate on assisting high-growth businesses and sectors, improving regional competitiveness as well as strengthening communities.
Visiting Russian buyers were introduced to the full Mey Selections range at the 'Meet the Russian Buyers' event, held last week at Culloden House Hotel, Inverness. The event, organised by Scottish Development International, brought together buyers from six Russian companies looking to source quality Scottish food and drink products.
Dounreay's Prototype Fast Reactor has now been drained of all 1500 tonnes of liquid metal that once flowed through its primary and secondary circuits. The last batch of hazardous sodium has been transferred from the base of the reactor vessel and is now being destroyed in a purpose-built chemical treatment plant that extracts the radioactivity and converts the sodium to common salt that can be discharged safely to the sea.
The Highland Council has received the consultants report on the investigation of a former landfill site in Caithness, which is currently a community woodland. Neighbouring residents in 25 properties close to the site, and community groups which use the site, have been advised of the findings and recommendations of the report.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 18th) sold 84 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (63) averaged 148.8p (+1.9p) and sold to 160p per kg and £1065.35 gross.
The Highland Council is one of four local authorities in Scotland which has signed up for a pilot climate change project. The Council is developing a Local Climate Impacts Profile (LCLIP), which will assess the likely consequences of a changing climate in the region and how the council can adapt its services in response to changing weather events.
Highland Opportunity Limited has opened a new enterprise centre in the Pulteneytown area of Wick. Located at 9 Miller Street, the Wick Enterprise Centre provides a base for Highland Opportunity Ltd's business advisory service to Caithness and Sutherland and offers flexible workspace for small businesses who are seeking an office presence in the town, together with a small meeting room.
First UK Business Improvement District to incorporate property owners. Inverness businesses voted to play a leading role in the transformation of the city by creating Scotland's first city-centre Business Improvement District (BID), it was confirmed on Monday 17th March 2008.
A feasibility study to investigate re-instating a 32-year-old hydro-scheme on the River Ness, Inverness has been given the go-ahead from members of The Highland Council's Inverness City Committee. If re-instated, power generated form the hydro-scheme will be used in the City's Lighting Project "illuminatinginverness" to offset the cost of running and maintaining new lighting in the Old Town and on Ness Bridge.
Mey Selections was one of the sponsors of this year's Scottish Tourism Week 4-11 March, which saw a number of events taking place throughout the country. One hundred and fifty people representing the Scottish tourism industry enjoyed the delicious taste of Mey Selections lamb, cheese and oatcakes at the Scottish Tourism Dinner held last week in Glasgow, while another 180 guests sampled Barrogill whisky, along with Mey Selections cheeses, oatcakes, chutneys, jams, honeys, shortbread and biscuits at a reception held at the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood.
Leading UK businessman Sir Anthony Cleaver has been appointed chairman of the Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership (CNSRP) executive board. The CNSRP was formed last year by key agencies charged with driving ahead initiatives to ameliorate the economic and social consequences of the run-down and eventual closure of the Dounreay nuclear plant.
The Highlands will receive #6 million to grow local economies, improve rural facilities and conserve the environment, Richard Lochhead announced today. Some sixteen Local Action Groups across Scotland will share in the first round of funding allocated under the £57.7 million LEADER programme designed to empower communities at the grass-roots level.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 12th) sold 3,286 sheep of all classes. Store lambs (1,997) sold to £56.20 gross for a pen of thirty Suffolk crosses from No.
The Highland Council is extremely disappointed at today's (11th March 2008) announcement that Post Office Ltd intends to proceed with closing 28 post offices across the Highland area. This will undoubtedly be a blow to many communities.
A feasibility study has been commissioned to identify how best to provide affordable credit across the Highlands. Working under the umbrella of the Wellbeing Alliance Financial Inclusion Working Group, The Highland Council in partnership with the Albyn Housing Ltd, Highland Opportunity Ltd and Citizen's Advice Scotland has appointed consultants ~ Knowledge Partnership ~ to carry out the study and recommend a way forward.
As part of a drive to encourage everyone in the Highlands to recycle more of their waste, the Council's Waste Awareness team have recently visited 13 primary schools in the Caithness area to raise awareness of the Reduce, Reuse and Recycle message. At the schools pupils and staff took part in a number of sessions discussing how much waste we all produce and what can be done to minimise and recycle this waste.
On 4th March 2008 top Scottish author, broadcaster and business woman, Muriel Gray, officially launched celebrations that mark the completion of a £200,000 public access and interpretation project along the Caledonian Canal and Great Glen Way. At a ceremony held in Fort Augustus, Ms Gray (whose love of the Scottish outdoors is expressed in her book 'The First Fifty' and tv production 'The Munro Show') launched the Great Glen Ways Initiative which encourages people to explore the Glen 'by boot, by boat and by bike'.
A major campaign will be launched today (Monday) to win improvements on one of the most scenic but dangerous stretches of trunk road in the United Kingdom. The A82 Tarbet - Fort William - Inverness road is famous for passing the landmark destinations of Loch Lomond, Loch Rannoch, Glencoe, Ben Nevis and Loch Ness.
The Highland Council has agreed to form a working group to review the political arrangements that have been in place since the new council was elected in May, last year. The group of 15 members of the Independent/Scottish National Party Administration will examine:- ~ the strategic committee structure; ~ the Planning Applications and Review Committees, Licensing Committees and Licensing Board, currently set up in each of the three operational areas; ~ the operation of the wards and ward forums; and ~ the potential for technological solutions to secure improved access to the democratic process for elected members and the public.
