Scotland's rural communities need to be given a louder voice and Scottish Government policies need to be properly "rural proofed", according to the findings of a new study published by Scotland's foremost consumer organisation. The Rural Advocacy study was commissioned by the Scottish Consumer Council and brought together a cross section of organisations from the voluntary and public sectors.
QUOYBRAE, Aberdeen & Northern Marts (19th November) sold 2,772 Prime, Store & Breeding Sheep. Prime Lambs (163) sold to 72.8p a kg for 5 42.4kg Suffolks from M W & A Sutherland, Brabsterdorran and £32.50 gross for a 58kg Mule from J T M MacKay, Thura Mains.
GO-AHEAD FOR NEW WASTE FACILITY Dounreay has received authorisation from regulators to commence active commissioning of a newly-constructed waste-handling facility. The facility cost £10 million to construct and will increase the site's capacity for storing solid intermediate level waste from the clean-up and demolition of the fast reactor experiment.
QUOYBRAE, Aberdeen & Northern Marts (12th November) sold 333 Weaned Calves, Store & Breeding Cattle. Bullocks (167) averaged 121.9p to 226p per kg for a 239kg Limousin from J & G More, Lynton Cottage, Ulbster and £700 gross for a 559kg Limousin from M & L Armitage & Son, Lochquoy, Castletown.
Christmas is coming and many folk are buying presents for friends and families. Burglars often do their dshopping by breakinginot other people's homes and businesses.
Christmas shoppers could get less than they bargained for if their carefully chosen gifts get stolen from the office, warn insurance experts. Office workers often make the most of lunch hours to minimise the last minute present rush, but storing purchases in the office could be a risky idea if the company's insurance does not cover against theft of personal belongings.
A revised version of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)'s online handbook of advice for farmers - packed with ideas on innovative farming technology - has been published. The Targeted Inputs for a Better Rural Environment (TIBRE) Arable Handbook features 44 technologies and techniques to help Scotland's arable farmers become more eco-efficient and in many cases improve their profits.
QUOYBRAE, Aberdeen & Northern Marts (5th November) sold 3,287 Prime, Store & Breeding Sheep. Prime Lambs (299) sold to 76.4p a kg for 71 42.1kg Suffolks and £32.50 gross for 11 43.1kg Texels all from B Brims & Sons, Brabsterdorran Mains, Bower.
Less than a third (29%) of Scottish employees have complete trust in their manager, with almost eight in ten (75%) believing that they have let them down in the past, according to research published today. Released by Investors in People - the organisation that works with companies to improve performance - also reveals that more than half (58%) of employees believe that their manager only has their best interests at heart when it suits them.
BB & C - Barrett's, Beads and Crafts is to open officially on Thursday 1 November but so many passers-by have entered the shop that the new owners Charmain Hampson and Jane Hellers let them into browse around and folk have been delighted with what they have found even though all the supplies were not yet laid out. The shop in Kirk Lane off the High Street in Wick looks set to do well with the crafts folk in the county.
30th October 2007 CLEAN-UP TEAM BEGINS TO STRIP FAST REACTOR Ripping out the innards of Dounreay's famous dome has begun, with the stripping out of the integral reactor ducting and associated equipment that once helped power Britain's first fast breeder reactor. The reactor well ventilation ducting and some electro-magnetic pump ductwork is being removed from the sphere in order to minimise hazards for future decommissioning work and to open up access routes for the removal of the DFR breeder.
It's been estimated that dualling the A9 trunk road between Perth and Inverness, could lead to an economic benefit of almost £1billion to the Highlands and Islands according to a new study. These benefits would be driven by a reduction in journey times of 22 minutes.
Recycling rates in Highland continued to improve over the past year and a huge "thank you" is extended to everyone who has put the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle message into action. Last year we increased our recycling rate to just over 26% which is fantastic! A massive improvement on where we were only four years ago when we were recycling only 3.5% of our waste!! The downside to this good news, however, is that the amount of waste collected also grew by over 1.6% last year so we must all strive to make recycling and composting a normal part of our daily routine and try to minimise the amount of waste that we generate in the first place.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd, (October, 29th) sold 380 breeding cattle. Heifer and male calf (16) sold to £1,020 gross for Shorthorns from Achley Farm, Dornoch.
Dr Paul Fifield, a world renowned marketing strategist, is to deliver a talk on marketing for smaller businesses in Inverness on November 15 at the invitation of The Chartered Institute of Marketing in Scotland (CIM). Dr Fifield has over 30 years' experience in marketing and was a member of the CIM International Board of Trustees 2002-2004.
The September 2007 unemployment figures were released on 17th October 2007. During the month, August 2007 to September 2007, the number of people claiming unemployment benefit in Great Britain fell 3.4%, from 832,294 to 804,078 (28,216).This figure is lower than September last year, where the number of claimants stood at 924,489, a decrease of 13% (120,411claimants).
Over the month, August 2007 to September 2007, the claimant count rose in 1 TTWA, fell in 15, and was static in the remaining 4. Wick saw the greatest decrease over the month, falling by 0.5%.
The Highland Council is marked Energy Efficiency Week (22nd- 26th October) with events for staff and Elected Members aimed at raising awareness and maintaining the progress made in reducing energy use within Council properties. By signing Scotland's Climate Change Declaration in January 2007 the Council is leading by example in helping to ensure greener, more efficient delivery of public services in the Highlands.
The Captains Galley has picked up another prestigious award at the Silver Thistle Awards run by Visit Scotland. Jim cowie has won the Taste of Scotland Award for 2007 adding to his growing collection of awards for his high quality fish dishes in his restaurant set in the foormer ice house at Scrabster.
Mey Selections farmers are pioneering a new approach to own label ready meals with Sainsburys. North Highland Products, in partnership with Sainsbury's has launched a quality range of new ready meals as part of the retailer's Taste the difference range.