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 Council’s Trading Standards is at the leading edge of challenging companies on Internet Delivery Charges, members of the Council’s Transport, Environmental and Community Services were today informed. Councillor Graham Phillips, Chairman of the Council’s 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 Opportunity’s 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 Council’s 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.
DSRL is committed to the socioeconomic development of the Caithness and Sutherland area, and in particular to improving the employment prospects and “job-readiness” of local school leavers. As part of this commitment, we have contributed to the development of an innovative, industry-led event to provide young people with the practical skills and information required to support their success in moving into employment in all sectors.
International business services provider, Arise, is holding a series of recruitment advice sessions in Caithness and Sutherland to find local people interested in working from home. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has been working closely with the US company who now have a significant presence in the UK with offices in London and Edinburgh.
Councillor Deirdre Mackay, Leader of the Caithness and Sutherland Area committee has welcomed a presentation to the committee yesterday (Monday 20 May) which clearly laid out how the various agencies in Caithness and Sutherland are working together to offset the results of Dounreay decommissioning and ensure that clear pathways are in place to prepare our young people for the future needs and demands of industry and business across all sectors. Reports from North Highland College, Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership, Caithness Chamber of Commerce and Skills Development Scotland were brought together for the first time outlining the work that is currently underway to ensure young people reach positive destinations when leaving school, college and university.
The next meeting of the Sutherland District Partnership will take place Drummuie Offices in Golspie on Friday 31 May at 3pm and the main agenda items involve a range of issues effecting young people and adults. There will be a presentation on Early Years Collaborative Work and the Family Nurse Partnership and other topics to be covered include dementia care, the single point of access pilot, the OTAGO falls prevention programme and specialist nursing support for Multiple Sclerosis patients.
Highland Magician with strong links to Caithness, Clive Grewcock is proving to be a talking point and creating a stir amongst private parties and more notably at pre-wedding gatherings. “At first it all sounds really crazy but from experience and the interest this aspect of performance Magic is attracting groups, and in particular bridal parties before the big day want this mystery magic which combines mental magic, mind reading and uncovering old stories ” The immediate conclusion is that it is paranormal stories but Clive points out that there is most definitely nothing supernatural about this, which is why it has been labelled as mystery magic.
Work has been completed on clean ups and repairs at 21 locations throughout the Highlands that were affected by the 14/15 December storm in 2012. Members of The Highland Council’s Transport, Environmental and Community (TEC) Services Committee were updated yesterday on works completed and works still in progress at Portmahomack and Balintore Harbours.
The Highland Council has agreed the process for recruiting a new Chief Executive, following the announcement by Alistair Dodds, Chief Executive, that he will retire on 31 August. The post, which carries a salary of £140,112, will be advertised on Friday 3 May with a closing date for applications on Friday 17 May.
Trading Standards officers of The Highland Council Standards are warning householders to be on their guard if approached at their home and offered tarmacking. This follows reports being received that rogue traders are operating in the Dornoch area and are informing householders that they are in the area working for The Highland Council and have some tarmac left over.
SSE Renewables welcomes Highland Council visit to proposed site for Glencassley wind farm. SSE Renewables, the renewable energy development division of SSE, welcomes yesterdays decision by the Highland Council's North Planning Committee to visit the site of the proposed Glencassley wind farm, north-west of Lairg.
Highland Councillors have agreed to adopt a “sympathetic ” policy for those Council house tenants affected by the new Bedroom Tax, who unavoidably fall into rent arrears through the loss of housing benefit for under-occupying their homes. It is estimated that 2,200 Highland Council tenants (16%) are affected by the introduction of the Social Rented Sector Size Criteria Restriction (Bedroom Tax), which sees people who are under-occupying by one bedroom having their benefit reduced by 14% and those under-occupying by more than one room having their benefit reduced by 25%.
Highland Councillors have set a target of providing 200 new homes over the next four years for people who find themselves in an emergency homeless position. They plan to gradually reduce the amount of money spent on purchasing temporary accommodation from the private sector, such as Houses of Multiple Occupation, and instead build and acquire an expanding pool of one-bedroomed homes in appropriate locations that can be used as a temporary base for the homeless.
Sutherland Brothers Annual Trade Day is being held in Wick Assembly Rooms on Thursday 25th April between 2pm and 8pm. If you are a business looking to purchase from a local wholesaler why not come along and meet us along with many of our local and national suppliers.
