News Archive

Food and drink events in Dingwall, Lochinver and Grantown for producers and buyers

Local food and drink producers and retailers are being invited to three events at the start of February in Lochinver, Dingwall and Grantown on Spey to explore and discuss future opportunities for closer collaboration.   The events, which take place in Lochinver and Dingwall on Tuesday 4 February and Grantown on Thursday 6 February, are the final ones in a series of local meetings that have taken place across the Highlands organised by the Think Local project which aims to facilitate constructive discussion about forging closer partnerships in the local food and drink sector.  

Hi-Scot Credit Union Presentation Persuades More Councillors To Sign Up

Hi Scot Credit Union chairman and manager today gave a presentation to councillors of the Finance Housing and Resouce committee of Highland counmcil at their meeting in Inverness.   The notes of the presentation are in file Hi-Scot Presentation Slides and the' recording of the presentation and the following debate can be seeonline a thte highland council web site for 12 months at http://www.highland.public-i.tv/core/ It may be day unil the recording is available.  

Funding available for Highland Fishing Communities

The Highland Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) has recently been successful in securing further funding to support fishing communities in Highland under Axis 4 of the European Fisheries Fund.   Funding of £198,642 is available to help communities where fishing requires supporting measures to build skills and knowledge and increase the capacity of local fishing communities and business networks through innovation, collaboration and diversification.  

Highland Education stars sought for national awards

Nominations open for Scottish Education Awards 2014 The search is underway for the Highland’s brightest education stars as nominations open for the Scottish Education Awards 2014.   People are being urged to nominate the teaching professionals and local schools that go the extra mile, for recognition at the national awards ceremony which honours the hard work and innovation happening in classrooms across Scotland.  

Scottish insolvencies on the decrease

Demand for statutory debt solutions continues to decline.   Official statistics released this morning by The Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), Scotland’s insolvency service show that personal insolvencies have decreased by 2.2 per cent on the previous quarter and by 13.7 per cent on the same quarter of the previous year.  

Local Food and Drink Events for Caithness and Sutherland Producers and Buyers

Local food and drink producers and retailers in Caithness and Sutherland are being invited to two events in Thurso and Dornoch to explore and discuss future opportunities for closer collaboration.   The events, which will both be held on Tuesday 21 January, are part of a series of local meetings taking place across the Highlands organised by the Think Local project which aims to facilitate constructive discussion about forging closer partnerships in the local food and drink sector.  

Highland MSP steps in to try and resolve Helmsdale mobile coverage

Highlands & Islands (Labour) MSP Rhoda Grant has stepped into a row over the breakdown of the O2 mobile service in the Helmsdale area.   Rhoda Grant said “ I was contacted on Monday 30th December 2013, by concerned and annoyed constituents in that area and also local Councillor Deirdre Mackay, who advised me that they had no O2 mobile service for the last week.  

Business Do Not Donate Cash to Cyber Bullying Programme

Currently firms are contacting businesses asking for support for an educational programme on cyber bullying.   The line is that councils have cut back on their funding and they can offer help to classes in your local school if you donate to the programme.  

Rhoda Grant MSP “Shocked” at Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch Pay Day Loan Debt

Highlands and Islands (Scottish Labour) MSP Rhoda Grant, has been leading the fight against pay day lenders across the region was “Shocked” to learn that the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Parliamentary area has the second highest level of Payday Loan debt in Scotland averaging at around £2418.50, whilst the Scotland wide average is £1398.07.   Rhoda Grant MSP last month launched her anti pay day loan campaign “Debtbusters” at the Citizens Advice Bureau in Wick.  

Work of local group to promote the North Highlands as a top tourism destination

At yesterday’s (Monday 18 November 2014) Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee, members heard about the work been done by the North Highland Initiative to develop tourism in the Area with Tom Campbell, Chief Executive outlining some of the exciting destination development projects planned over the next 12 months.   The North Highland Initiative (NHI) was launched in August 2005 to promote and develop the economy and to support the rural communities of the North Highlands bringing together the farming community, local businesses and the tourism industry to try to address some of the challenges facing rural communities in the far north of Scotland by creating a powerful regional identity for the area through marketing.