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.
Council backs title bid for University of the Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute Highland Councillors today (Thursday 28th October 2010) endorsed an application being made for university title by the University of the Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute. The Council has written to the Scottish Government fully backing the bid and highlighting the economic benefits that university status will bring to the region.
Highland Councillors have offered practical support and assistance to Moray Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Moray Task Force in their efforts to cope with the impact of significant job losses resulting from the impending closure of RAF Kinloss, and the continuing uncertainty over the future of RAF Lossiemouth. Convener Sandy Park raised the matter as an emergency item at the full Council meeting in Inverness on Thursday 28th October 2010 when he highlighted the huge strain placed on the Moray economy by last week's announcement of defence cuts by the UK Government.
The A830 Arisaig to Loch Nan Uamh Road Improvement wins prestigious Saltire Society Award - announced today 28th October 2010. The A830 Arisaig to Loch Nan Uamh Road Improvement, the last section of the "Road to the Isles", has won the prestigious Saltire Society Award for Civil Engineering design in the Environment Category.
A new biogas power station showcases how towns will be powered by locally produced energy London, United Kingdom - A new biogas power station showcases how future cities will be powered by locally produced energy. The future of power is being pioneered near the English town of Cirencester where a biogas power station is being built.
At the start of The Highland Council meeting today, Convener of The Highland Council, Sandy Park congratulated the Royal National Mod organisers for a very successful event held in Caithness from 8 - 16 October. He said: "I had the privilege, on behalf of The Highland Council, of welcoming the 1st ever National Mod to the County of Caithness and attending the opening concert.
MeyGen today announces entry into an 'Agreement for Lease' with The Crown Estate for the Pentland Firth Inner Sound tidal power site. MeyGen is a joint venture between independent power generator International Power plc (45%), investment bank Morgan Stanley (45%), and tidal technology provider Atlantis Resources Corporation (10%), dedicated to developing the Inner Sound tidal site.
Home-Start Caithness, part of the UK's largest family support charity, is gearing up to take part in the country's single biggest day of volunteering on Saturday 30th October. CSV (Community Service Volunteers) 'Make a Difference Day' is held every year to promote volunteering within the local community and this year, is focusing on the family.
Constructive meeting on future of RAF bases sets out priorities for local economy Community and business leaders from across Moray met with Scottish Government Ministers in Edinburgh today to discuss their priorities for the local economy. It follows the publication of the UK Government's Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) which contained an eight per cent cut in defence spending and the cancellation of the Nimrod contract, sounding an uncertain future for RAF Kinloss and Lossiemouth.