Highland householders are being urged to seek advice from the Home Energy Scotland Hotline to insulate themselves from rising fuel prices. The Home Energy Scotland Hotline, funded by the Scottish Government, can provide energy saving advice and assistance to help households save money and keep their homes warm.
The Highland Council is working with the Office of Fair Trading to warn the public of doorstep visits from rogue traders offering to carry out home repairs and gardening work. They are urging householders to be extra careful when accepting building and maintenance repair offers from cold callers.
From Eann Sinclair Programme Manager Week commencing 11th July: Energy: Together with representatives from Highland Council, Caithness Chamber of Commerce, Thurso & Wick Trades Council and Dounreay Stakeholder Group I met this week with consultants engaged by one of the companies involved in the Dounreay PBO Competition. They have been asked to help identify ways in which a new PBO at Dounreay can best add value to the economic and socio-economic future of the area.
The Highland Council has appointed a corporate property asset manager to spearhead its plans for maximising the benefits of its property portfolio. He is Graham Bull, a property manager with the Council's Housing and Property Service, who is a Chartered Surveyor with degrees in both Architecture and Building Surveying.
The latest 'zero tolerance' campaign by The Highland Council is proving that the message is getting across to people to not drop litter. During the two week campaign (4-15 July) covering Nairn, Grantown, Aviemore, Alness, Invergordon, Tain, Wick, Thurso, Dingwall, Fort William and Inverness only seven fixed penalty Notices were issued.
Convener of The Highland Council Councillor Sandy Park has welcomed the announcement by the UK Government that the future of RAF Lossiemouth is secure following a major defence review. Convener Sandy Park, a member of the Task Force, said: "This is great news for the Inner Moray Firth area and I'd like to congratulate everyone who has played such an active role in campaigning for the retention of this important air base.
Urgent plea over proposed removal of emergency towing vessels The Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Michael Foxley, has renewed his call on the UK Government to delay for six months the withdrawal of emergency towing vessels around the UK shoreline pending consideration of new income-generating proposals presented by the task force he chairs. Believing an announcement is imminent, Councillor Foxley has written again to Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox and Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman urging a reprieve for the four emergency towing vessels, two of which are based in the Highlands and Islands.
Cairn Housing Association has a number of 1 bedroom flats and studio apartments available for Immediate Let in its sheltered housing complex Caberfeidh Court, Wick The flats have a living room, bedroom, entrance hall, separate kitchen, bathroom and storage area. The studio apartments have a combined living room/bedroom, entrance hall, separate kitchen, bathroom and storage area.
The NDA has published Preferred and Credible Options associated with the management of DFR breeder material, currently stored at Dounreay. The paper describes and discusses the relevant factors associated with each high level option, and draws conclusions based on the analysis.
The care home operator Southern Cross, which runs four homes in the Highlands, has announced that it intends to transfer their homes "to new operators in an organised fashion during the next few weeks". Southern Cross states that: "Landlords will be asked to nominate alternative operators who they wish to operate their properties.
Brandy Miller has been thinking about opening a clothes shop for some time. She researched the local market and decided to launch with a range of clothes in larger sizes.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (July, 12th) sold 67 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (48) averaged 194.8p (-2.8p) and sold to 210p per kg and £1,381.80 gross.
Campaigners have warned the Prime Minister that reducing RAF bases in Scotland would be catastrophic for the UK's defence capabilities and rip the heart from affected communities. The warning came in a letter to David Cameron as Westminster prepares to hear the final decision on the retention of RAF bases in Lossiemouth and Leuchars.
Highlands and Islands businesses are being encouraged to apply to a £23 million fund supported by the Technology Strategy Board and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The DALLAS (Delivering Assisted Living Lifestyles at Scale) Fund aims to establish up to five communities across the UK to explore how technologies and services can be used to promote health and wellbeing, enabling people to live independently regardless of their location.
Seeing the wonders of the world made graphic artist Lisa Poulsen realise there was no place like home and set up a business 'Inspired by Caithness'. The 27-year-old, from Thurso, returned from her travels and decided, whilst on maternity leave last year, to give up her job at a local kitchen design studio to start a company that would sell her Caithness inspired art.
"Significant progress" has been made to destroy one of the most hazardous legacies of Britain's nuclear research programme from the 20th century, according to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. "Significant progress" has been made to destroy one of the most hazardous legacies of Britain's nuclear research programme from the 20th century, according to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
The Caithness Chamber of Commerce has received a request from Dr Helen O'Shea from NUS Scotland requesting us to forward the following narrative and survey. Could you please take the time, if you feel it is relevant to you, to complete and return the survey: "As you are probably well aware,according to recent figures released by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, 52% of last year's university-leavers were unemployed or under-employed six months after graduating.
A brother and sister from Thurso who set in motion a fund-raising campaign to upgrade their local playpark, have formally opened the community facility. With the help of their parents, Dylan and Amy Cameron, 2 Dale Road, Thurso, set about the task of raising money to refurbish the Pennyland Drive playpark and their efforts were rewarded at Thursday's opening ceremony.
A novel approach in combining the skills of the private and public sectors is being tried in Caithness and North Sutherland. A senior project manager with internationally renowned engineering services company Babcock International is working on secondment with the North's social and economic development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
Apprentices from local engineering companies will be among the first students to register at the new engineering wing at North Highland College. The centre is believed to be amongst the largest and best equipped of its type in the north of Scotland.