News Archive

5/1/2024 : Auctioneers

Dingwall And Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 3 January 2024

DINGWALL, Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd., (January 3 rd ) sold 10 Prime Cattle.   Prime Bullocks (5) averaged 284.1p per kg (+8.8p) and sold to 292.0p per kg and £1,789.20 gross.  

5/1/2024 : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
Move Your Cycling Facilities Up A Gear - Grants Between £5000 and £25,000

The Highlands and Islands have the potential to be a world-class cycling destination.  With cycling tourism valued at an estimated £37bn to the European economy, there is a significant opportunity for the region to benefit from this growing market.  

5/1/2024

Highland Road Conditions Report - Friday, 05 January 2024

The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time.   It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.  

5/1/2024

Viral respiratory diseases (including influenza and COVID-19) in Scotland surveillance report

About this release This weekly release by Public Health Scotland presents epidemiological information on respiratory infection activity, including COVID-19, across Scotland.  Due to the dynamic nature of all datasets included in this report, figures contained within each update may be subject to change in future releases.  

5/1/2024

 
Managing Deer Numbers For Nature And Climate - Consultation

Protecting and enhancing nature and improving animal welfare are the key aims of proposed changes to deer management legislation.   It is estimated there are around 1 million wild deer in Scotland, up from around 500,000 in 1990.  

5/1/2024

 
Businesses Given Vital Support To Reduce Carbon Footprint In 2024

2024 is going to be a more important year than ever for industry CEOs and business owners to measure their carbon footprint and implement carbon mitigation strategies.   The message to owners of all sizes of business, whatever sector they operate in, is to make this the year they start their journeys to net zero.  

5/1/2024

Scotrail Reminds Customers About Electric Vehicle Charging Tariff And Overstay Charges

Customers with electric vehicles will have better access to charging points to support their journeys when ScotRail introduces charges from 8 January 2024.   The train operator is reminding electric vehicle owners that a charging tariff will be applied to all charging points across the ScotRail parking network.  

5/1/2024

 
Coal May Make A Comeback As A High Tech Reseource For Electronics

Researchers developed a process to convert coal into nanoscale carbon dots, ideal for constructing atomically thin electronic devices like transistors and memristors.   Coal-derived carbon layers function as excellent insulators in two-dimensional devices, enhancing device speed and reducing energy consumption.  

5/1/2024

The US Invented Shopping Malls, But China Is Writing Their Next Chapter

OK Caithness does not have any empty shopping malls but we do have plenty of empty shops.   If China's people are changing what they do with shopping centres maybe we can change our town centres.  

5/1/2024

As Russia Ramps Up Military Production And Conscription - UK Navy Has So Few Sailors It Has To Decommission Ships

New frigates unable to be manned unless two existing warships are taken out of service.   The Royal Navy has so few sailors that it has to decommission two warships to staff its new class of frigates, The Telegraph can reveal.  

4/1/2024

 
All Grown Up - Child Benefit Goes Digital

Child Benefit claims can be made online for the first time.   New parents can now claim Child Benefit online for the first time since it was launched 47 years ago, helping millions of families with the cost of raising their children, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced.  

4/1/2024

Support For Victims Of Crime - Payments Made From Victim Surcharge Fund

Organisations that support victims of crime have been awarded a total of £405,451 from a fund financed by penalties imposed on offenders who received a court fine.   Eight organisations - including Victim Support Scotland, Dumbarton District Women's Aid, Migrant Help, The Moira Fund, The Manda Centre, Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland (SOHTiS), Action Against Stalking and Dundee Women’s Aid – will share the funding to provide practical help directly to victims.  

4/1/2024

Post-~christmas Returns Fall Slightly, But £1.4bn Worth Of Items Are Still Winging Back To Retailers

Post-Christmas returns fall slightly, but £1.4bn worth of items are still winging back to retailers.   ‘Takeback Tuesday' returns decreased by around 6% yesterday compared to last year, says ParcelHero.  

3/1/2024

Rail Update 3 January 6.30am - More Problems On Some Routes Including Edinburgh - Inverness

As at 630am on 3 January 2024 some routes still disrupted.   Edin Inverness affected.  

3/1/2024

Is Cold Water Bad For You? What About Drinking From The Hose Or Tap? The Facts Behind 5 Water Myths

We know the importance of staying hydrated, especially in hot weather.  But even for something as simple as a drink of water, conflicting advice and urban myths abound.  

3/1/2024

Post Office Scandal Real Life Hero Alan Bates Demands - Why Is There Still No Justice

Alan, who won a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain award last year for his campaign, accused the Post Office of "arrogance and ignorance" in refusing to believe subpostmasters.   Post Office workers wrongly accused in the IT scandal are still waiting for payouts, four years after winning their case.  

3/1/2024

Full Steam Ahead For Scotrail Recruitment Drive

ScotRail is steaming into 2024 with scores of vacancies set to be filled as part of its biggest recruitment drive in years.   The train operator has already recruited more than 200 new members of staff since August, with the human resources team working hard to keep the business on track to fill vacancies.  

3/1/2024

 
Pathway For Zero Emission Vehicle Transition By 2035 Becomes Law

80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain will now be zero emission by 2030, increasing to 100% by 2035.   the zero emission vehicle mandate, the government's pathway towards all new cars and vans being zero emission by 2035, is now law.  

3/1/2024

Why You May Not Be Able To Get On The Housing Ladder Or Buy A Bigger Home In 2024

ive million more UK households could feel the effects of recent interest rate increases in coming years.  Roughly the same number have already been forced to remortgage since the recent spate of rate rises began in 2021, according to the Bank of England's latest Financial Stability Report.