The Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise are pleased to announce that the contract for the preparation of a Development Master Plan for the Nigg Fabrication Yard and surrounding areas has been awarded to Halcrow and Mackay Consultants. The purpose of the Development Master Plan is to examine all feasible options to bring the site into use as an industrial facility and to examine the identified industrial allocations within the Development Plan for the area.
Bushcraft & Survival Skills is the UK's first bushcraft magazine, based in Thurso, Caithness. They have just received a wonderful letter and footage from 3 troop, 8 Armoured Engineer squadron, 26 regiment, based in Helmand, Afghanistan with 1Royal Anglian Battle Group.
Young people from across the Highlands recently got the chance for the third year running to play the "Apprentice" by shadowing senior officials within The Highland Council's Glenurquhart offices in Inverness and partner agencies. The executive of Highland Youth Voice, the youth parliament for the Highlands, have found this event to be the best way of developing their links with policy makers and decision-takers.
A range of Mey Selections fine food products is now available in Aviemore Highland Shopping, Scotland's latest luxury shopping complex, to be found at the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort. Tracy Waters, Business Development Manager for Mey Selections commented: "It is really exciting to be involved with such a visionary retail experience, which has succeeded in gathering together the top quality Scottish brands.
BREAKTHROUGHS IN HAZARD REDUCTION AS DOUNREAY PREPARES TO BECOME SITE LICENCE COMPANY UKAEA is on course to hand over the clean-up of Dounreay to a subsidiary company on April 1 on the back of significant progress during March to reduce the major hazards at the site. The site has reported breakthroughs in all three areas where funds from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority are prioritised towards major hazard reduction.
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES PHASE TWO OF NATIONAL CONVERSATION Alex Salmond today challenged the recently formed constitutional commission to put forward the proposals they develop to be included in a referendum on Scotland's constitutional future. The First Minister laid down the gauntlet to the review's members as he launched the second phase of the Scottish Government's National Conversation, where he welcomed representatives from Scotland's civic institutions to an in-depth discussion about the implications of constitutional progress for life in Scotland.
Thirty-six science projects across Scotland are to receive funding through the Science Engagement scheme, Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced today. The Cabinet Secretary made the announcement as she visited the Wonderama children and families science engagement event at the Edinburgh International Science Festival.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 25th) sold 91 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (62) averaged 150.7p (+1.9p) and sold to 168p per kg and £1,072 gross.
With the closing date of Friday 28 March 2008, businesses wishing to enter the British Small Business Champions (BSBC) 2008 need to get their forms filled and posted. Full details are available at www.fsb.org.uk/bsbc, where entry forms can be downloaded or, if businesses would prefer information and entry forms sent to them they should contact Judith Francis on 0207 592 8120 or e-mail her at judith.francis[AT]fsb.org.uk.
Tesco stores raise over £25,000 for British Red Cross services in the Highlands Tesco Wick raised the most amount of money for the British Red Cross in the Highlands, raising over £6,500. Tesco stores across the Highlands have raised more than £25,000 in 2007 for local British Red Cross services.
Robert Gordon University opens its doors to tomorrow's nurses and midwives School leavers and people considering returning to study will have the chance to find out more about a career in nursing or midwifery at an open day being held at The Robert Gordon University (RGU) on Saturday 12 April 2008 RGU offers courses in adult, mental health and children's nursing, as well as midwifery. Potential students and their family and friends will be able to visit the University's state of the art facilities at Garthdee and discuss their options with members of staff including course leaders and clinical staff.
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.