The Highland Council has completed more than £5 million worth of repairs since the severe widespread flooding of 26 October last year, which affected communities on the east of the Highlands ~ from Dingwall to Thurso. Teams within Transport Environmental and Community Services responded speedily and effectively to the emergency on the day, helping protect properties from flooding and closing roads which were affected by floodwaters, landslides, damaged bridges and culverts and from the numerous trees blown down in subsequent gales.
Businesses in the Highlands and Islands are being urged to embrace diversity to improve performance and productivity. A new initiative, Equality Matters in Business, (EMB) has been jointly set up by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Enterprise to highlight the positive benefits of employing a diverse workforce and considering diversity in service delivery across all equality strands - gender, race, age, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation.
LOCHMADDY, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October, 22nd) sold 272 store cattle and 16 breeding cattle. The judge Mr John Henderson, Udale, chose a 430kg Limousin bullock as his Champion and a 390kg Limousin bullock as the reserve champion both from No.
QUOYBRAE, Aberdeen & Northern Marts (22nd October) sold 5,618 Store Lambs Ewe Lambs (644) averaged £33.54 and sold to £48 for Half-Breds from A Miller & Sons, Aimster, Thurso Wedder Lambs (838) averaged £23.54 and sold to £30.20 for Cheviots from G Cormack, Damside, Castletown. Cross Lambs (4,136) averaged £27.25 and sold to £33 for Suffolks from W R & M Mill, Forsie, Bridge of Westfield.
QUOYBRAE, Aberdeen and Northern Marts (October 20th) sold 104 Texel, Suffolk and Border Leicester rams and ram lambs under the auspices of the Caithness Sheep Breeders Association Champion Texel a shearling by Stockhill Kasper from R MacKay, Clyth Mains, Lybster sold for £620 to J Munro, Pitkerrie, Fearn. Reserve was a ram lamb by Miller's Miles from C and I Angus, Oldfield Farm, Thurso and sold for £350 to A Webster, Lower Reiss Farm, Wick.
The post of programme manager for the Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership will be taken up on an interim basis by Gordon Cox pending a permanent appointment. A senior member of staff at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Gordon is project director for the organisation's network management system currently based in Inverness.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October, 22nd) sold 5,920 sheep. Store lambs (5,135) sold to £34 gross for Charollais crosses from Achtuie, Drumnadrochit.
SEPTEMBER 2007 The approvals list for HIE Caithness and Sutherland is in two sections. The first details assistance given to businesses, community groups and other public sector authorities to deliver specific projects.
The results of a Scottish wide household survey has highlighted a large number of positive trends for the Highlands, including a high rating from residents for considering their neighbourhood as a very good place to live. A total of 1,184 households in the Highlands were interviewed over a two year period in a national survey conducted for the Scottish Government.
Following what must have been a surge of client recommendations, a Thurso based wedding videographer has been short listed for the chance to win a prestigious award at a major Scottish wedding industry event. Colin Sinclair who runs Video Viewpoint Productions is one of only five finalists remaining in the wedding videographer category at the Voted Outstanding Wedding Supplier ( VOWS ) awards to be staged at a glittering ceremony in the Edinburgh Corn Exchange next month.
The newly formed National Skills Academy Nuclear has selected a consortium consisting of four Scottish colleges to develop and implement a range of Higher National Diplomas for Scotland's nuclear employers. These important new qualifications will support progression and development opportunities in the nuclear sector for school leavers, new entrants and those re-training.
Quoybrae, Aberdeen & Northern Marts (15th October 2007) sold 466 Store Cattle Champion in the show, judged by Scott Watson, Carnoustie was a 626kg Charolais bullock from J T M MacKay, Thura Mains, Bower and sold for £800 to W & J Cameron, Burnside of Edingight, Grange, Keith. Reserve was a 538kg Limousin bullock also from J T M MacKay and sold for £680 to Blair Duffton, Bogie Street, Huntly.
A pioneering trans-national partnership programme is calling for project ideas in the Highlands and Islands which might be eligible for funding before the deadline of October 31. The Northern Periphery Programme (NPP) 2007-2013 is one of several European Union funded programmes aimed at encouraging trans-national co-operation between the regions of Europe.
Helping companies to get into the international marketplace is the focus of a series of workshops being organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The next event on Thursday, October 25 at Horizon Scotland, Forres Enterprise Park, in entitled 'Identifying and Evaluating Overseas Markets' and aims to help Highlands and Islands businesses identify key export markets for their products.
The hunt has begun to find the best young innovators in the Highlands and Islands. The ICT Youth Challenge 2008 is looking for young people with bright ideas.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October, 11th) sold 10,009 store sheep at their sale. Suffolk lambs (1,792) averaged £28.76 and sold to £34 gross from Refouble, Glenferness.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd, (October 10th) sold 770 store cattle and 17 over thirty month cattle at their show and sale of weaned calves and store cattle. The judge Mr John Ross, Ankerville chose a 615kg 15 month old Limousin bullock from Invercharron Mains, Ardgay, as his Champion which realised £810 to W Maciver & Co.
DOUNREAY ANNOUNCES PARTICLES CLEAN-UP PLAN. The clean-up operation for radioactive particles offshore could be substantially complete within seven years while onshore monitoring with removal of detected particles would continue for a longer period if UKAEA's recommended way forward is accepted.
The Dounreay site newspaper for Octoebr 2007 is now out and can be read online here..
The way people in Scotland use water must change if we are to continue enjoying the healthy Scottish environment and adapt to climate change impacts. The pressure we put on Scotland's water resources comes under the spotlight in a consultation report published today (9 October 2007) by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).