News Archive
19/11/2013
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.19/11/2013
Funding available to create and promote employment opportunities in the North Highlands
The Highland Council has re-launched its Deprived Area Fund to help create employment opportunities and tackle poverty, with £100,000 of funding is available for parts of Caithness over the next three years. The Deprived Area Fund has disbursed a total of £1.248m to deprived areas across the Highlands over the last 3 years.19/11/2013
Caithness and Sutherland prepared for winter
“The North Highlands are ready for winter” was the message given at the Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee yesterday (18 November 2014) with staff, vehicles and a plentiful supply of salt in place to treat roads and footpaths over the coming winter months. The Highland Council has increased its winter maintenance budget to £5.6 million this year and has introducing an improved service with 45,500 tonnes of salt in storage in readiness for winter.1/11/2013
Facal and Comunn Eachdraidh Nis are Joint Winners of 2013 Gaelic Business of the Year Award
For the first time since its inception, the Gaelic Business of the Year Award has been jointly won, by two companies. The successful companies are Facal, a specialist transcription and translation service company based in Sutherland and Comunn Eachdraidh Nis, a historical society based in Ness, Lewis.29/10/2013
Ceremony marks opening of A838 Laxford Bridge North approach road
A ceremony was held today (Monday) to mark completion of the 1km section of the A838 Lairg to Tongue road, north of Laxford Bridge. The £850k scheme realigned and widened the existing single track road to a modern two-lane standard.
29/10/2013
Carbon Clever Highlands initiative building momentum
The Highland Council is to host a major conference early next month to launch its Carbon Clever Highlands initiative which aims to achieve a carbon neutral Inverness in a low carbon Highlands by 2025. Keynote speakers at the event on Friday 8 November at Council HQ, Inverness, are Connie Hedegaard, the European Commissioner for Climate Action, Scottish Government Minister, Fergus Ewing MSP, and Willie Printie, of LifeScan Scotland.29/10/2013
A Bright Future for Women in STEM - Wick, 13th November
On Wednesday 13th November, Women[AT]Work will be running a conference on women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at the Pulteney Centre in Wick. The conference will focus on opportunities for women in further education in STEM subjects and employment opportunities utilising these qualifications.
24/10/2013
North Sutherland social enterprise celebrates new beginnings
A North social enterprise is celebrating after securing ownership of a local building which is at the heart the community. North Coast Connection, based in Tongue, Sutherland, has taken ownership of the Kyle Centre and a small parcel of land next to the building from Highland Council.
23/10/2013
Smoo Cave near Durness reopens
Rock stability works at Smoo Cave near Durness in Sutherland have been completed and the site is now open again for public access. The work, undertaken by Rope Access Scotland Ltd and overseen by geotechnical experts from consultants URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited, included light rock scaling, netting and bolting and was essential for maintenance of the site in a condition suitable for on-going public access.17/10/2013
Proposed amendments to Council Service structure
Highland Councillors will be asked next week to amend the Council’s Service structure to align teams into five Services rather than the current seven, delivering year-on-year savings of £350,000 from 2014/15. New Chief Executive Steve Barron has prepared a report for consideration by the Council at its meeting on Thursday 24 October, which recommends changes - to be introduced in two phases - to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and performance of the Council’s services.6/10/2013
Council keen to receive more suggestions for future planning of Caithness and Sutherland
A call for people’s early suggestions of sites and ideas for the new Caithness and Sutherland Local Development Plan – CaSPlan – is in to its last fortnight. It is therefore important that people take up The Highland Council’s invitation to submit suggestions for inclusion in the new plan for the future of Caithness and Sutherland, before the deadline on 17 October 2013.
22/9/2013
Temporary closure of Smoo Cave near Durness
The Highland Council has appointed Rope Access Scotland Ltd to undertake rock stability works in the vicinity of Smoo Cave near Durness in Sutherland. The work, which commences on Monday September 30th and is expected to take two weeks to complete, includes light rock scaling, netting and bolting and will be overseen by geotechnical experts from consultants URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited.
18/9/2013
Brora Service Point on the move
Brora Service Point will move to Brora Library on Friday 20 September 2013. To accommodate the flit, the Service Point will close on Thursday 19 September at 4pm and reopen in Brora Library on Monday 23 September at 1:30pm.17/9/2013
Council Leader highlights “staggering potential” of tidal energy project
Leader of The Highland Council Drew Hendry has spoken of the “staggering potential” of the largest tidal energy project in Europe which is planned off the shores of Caithness. In welcoming guests at the Scottish Renewables Marine Conference at Eden Court, Inverness, on Monday evening, he focused on an announcement made earlier in the day by Scottish Government Energy Minister Fergus Ewing granting consent to MeyGen Ltd to “develop the largest tidal turbine array in Europe and the first commercial project off these shores”.9/9/2013
Top young entrepreneurs revealed at awards ceremony
Shellfish and Langoustine supplier, Magnus Houston, was named Highland’s top young entrepreneur at the regional finals of the 2013 Prince’s Trust Youth Business Scotland Young Entrepreneur Awards today (10 September 2013). The 32 year old founder of Coast & Glen Ltd in Inverness was announced as the regional winner at a ceremony at the Town House in Inverness.2/9/2013
New Chief Executive Of Highland Council Takes Up Job
The Highland Council’s new Chief Executive, Steve Barron, took over at the helm of the organisation on Monday 2nd September 2013. He replaces Alistair Dodds, who has retired after 22 years with the Council, the last six as Chief Executive.
2/9/2013
Council to press for exemption from spare room subsidy provisions
The Highland Council is to write to Highland MPs to seek their support for a change to the spare room subsidy which would see all communities with a population of 3,000 or less excluded from the provisions in recognition of the absence of the appropriate housing stock to accommodate tenants who wish to move to a smaller house. Councillors have been encouraged by concessions being made by the UK Government on Welfare Reform in the wake of strong representations highlighting flaws in the legislation and are seeking the continuing support of Highland MPs to press the case on the spare room subsidy in Westminster with Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform.29/8/2013
New course enables primary teachers to train in Highlands and Islands
Aspiring primarily teachers can now complete their training in the Highlands and Islands. The University of the Highlands and Islands has launched the first ever Professional Graduate Diploma in (primary) Education available in the region.29/8/2013
Food and drink businesses successful in Highland
A successful programme which helps ambitious food and drink companies access new routes to grow their sales in UK markets has received funding of £111,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Access to Markets is delivered by industry leadership organisation Scotland Food & Drink (SF&D) and aims to build sales of Scottish food and drink and help businesses exploit new opportunities with UK retailers and across the foodservice sector.
26/8/2013
Young Highland Chef 2013 opens for applications
Chefs from around the Highlands and Islands are being served up a once in a lifetime opportunity with a competition to find the region’s best young cook. Entries are now open for Young Highland Chef 2013.Search Our Site
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