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.
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.
Chefs from around the Highlands and Islands are being served up a once in a lifetime opportunity with a competition to find the regions best young cook. Entries are now open for Young Highland Chef 2013.
The Highland Council is calling for people to submit suggestions for inclusion in the new plan for the future of Caithness and Sutherland. Work has begun on the forthcoming Caithness and Sutherland Local Development Plan (CaSPlan).
The Highland Council has written to rural petrol filling station operators throughout the Highlands who do not currently receive rural fuel rebate, to remind them that they have until 4 September 2013 to respond to the HM Treasury Call for information on the Proposed extension of the rural fuel rebate scheme. Councillor Drew Millar, Highland Councils Campaign Lead on Fuel Prices said: The Highland Councils programme is committed to working with partners to secure fair fuel prices across the area.
A series of 19 Highland Council Ward forums are being held across the Highlands to seek the views of the public on local police and fire services. The first meetings are being held at Portree and Golspie on Monday 2 September and they run until 30 October.
Iain McDonald from BEAR Scotland will be attending the next East Sutherland and Edderton Ward Forum on Monday 26 August to discuss the management of the A9 trunk road. BEAR Scotland took over the 5 year contract for the maintenance of the A9 in April 2013.
The Highland Council is advising drivers that the B9176 Struie Road will be temporarily closed to through traffic on Tuesday 27th August 2013 between 0900 hours and 1530 hours. The closure to traffic travelling both north and south is to allow for essential bridge inspections to take place.
With a recent survey revealing an average of seven bottles and cans on every 100 metres of Scotlands roads, Flingins mingin so drive your carbage home is the message being sent out to those who throw rubbish out of cars and trains. The Highland Council is encouraging a clear up and clamp down on litter on Scotlands transport network as part of the Litter Week of Action, from 19th - 25th August, organised by Zero Waste Scotland.
Police Scotland Highland and Islands Division will be targeting speeding motorists around the region's roads from tomorrow for the next fortnight to ensure the safety of all school attendees and encourage motorists to drive at lesser speeds. The division-wide initiative will focus on all primary and secondary schools from tomorrow (20 August 2013) until next Friday (30 August 2013), particularly in areas where those attending are known to walk to and from school.
People throughout the Highlands are being urged to shout out loud about folks who make a difference to their community by nominating them for a Highland Council Tenant Community Award. Sponsored by The Co-operative Membership, the deadline for nominations for the inaugural Awards is on Friday 23 August, 2013.
From 1 October 2013, The Highland Council is to introduce a new set of policies on the use of advertising signs to manage avoiding obstruction of adopted roads, footpaths and verges. Four new policies have received the approval of the Councils Transport, Environmental and Community (TEC) Services Committee, which cover signs: for footways and footpaths; on roadside verges (subject to Planning and Development Service confirmation of requirements for Advertising Sign Consent); for display of goods for sale; and for street cafes.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (August, 15th) sold 5,345 store lambs and breeding sheep at their annual sale. Suffolk cross lambs (2,957) averaged 62.46 (+1.14 on the year) and sold to 80.50 gross from Garbeg, Drumnadrochit.
The Highland Councils Trading Standards is at the leading edge of challenging companies on Internet Delivery Charges, members of the Councils Transport, Environmental and Community Services were today informed. Councillor Graham Phillips, Chairman of the Councils TEC Services Committee has welcomed a report to members by Highland Trading Standards on a project about Internet Delivery Charges, he said: The work that our Trading Standards Team has done over the past year and half is at the cutting edge of Internet retail investigation and was recently highly revered at Cosla.
The Highland Council is to re-launch its Deprived Area Fund to help create employment opportunities and tackle poverty, with the new Area Committees playing a key role in determining how money is spent locally. 440K of funding for each of the next 3 years will be distributed based on the location of the most deprived areas in Highland.
SSE who built the Gordonbush wind farm comprising 35 turbines organised visit for peolpe to see the windfarm and get more information about community benefits. The information showed the number of jobs during construction, the road improvements and a new bridge to be constructed shortly along with information about the community fnd already set up and now oopen for applications.
The Highland Council has welcomed an announcement by the First Minister Alex Salmond confirming funding for the North West Highlands Geopark over the next two years. The investment of 280,000 - to be shared with Shetland Geopark - will allow the Geoparks to continue as valuable members of the UNESCO-supported Global and European Geoparks Network and boost the local tourist economy.
FUNDING BOOST FOR SMALL BUSINESSES LOOKING TO TEST THE EUROPEAN MARKET. Highland Opportunitys Business Gateway service has received Highland Council and Moray Council backing to launch a new grant scheme aimed at helping small businesses to explore new opportunities in Europe.
Council Leads the Charge on Green Energy Provision. The Highland Council is demonstrating its commitment to providing cleaner, greener energy for its sites with the award of a 4 year, 1.2M per annum contract for the servicing, maintenance and repair of biomass installations including the supply of woodfuel.
An initiative to dramatically reduce carbon emissions in Inverness and the Highlands by 2025 is being proposed by The Highland Councils Leadership. A report to be considered by the Council at its meeting on Thursday (27 June) asks the Council to sign up to a long term commitment to create a Carbon Neutral Inverness in a Low Carbon Highlands; branded as a Carbon CLEVER Highlands by 2025.
