The Highland Council started work earlier this week on a notorious section of sub-standard lifeline road in Moidart - at Drynie Hill. During the contract, Monday through to Friday there will be a temporary road closure in place between 10am and 12:25pm and 1.10pm to 3:30 pm to safely carry out vital tree felling and blasting works.
Raigmore Hospital today 10 January 2012, welcomed Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health, to officially open the new £5.1 million purpose built, Cardiac and Interventional Radiology Suite. Dr Peter Clarkson, Head of Service for Cardiology, explained that cardiology services being provided in Highland have increased over the past few years and the new unit brings a wide range of benefits to cardiology patients.
Police re-issue advice following card skimming incident in Inverness. Northern Constabulary is re-issuing advice about some of the things members of the public can do to avoid becoming victims of card skimming following an incident at Morrisons in Inverness at the weekend.
The Scotland-wide series of public meetings about the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have kicked off again this week. After a meeting in Stornoway on Monday, the meetings continue tonight in Lerwick and tomorrow (Wednesday) in Kirkwall.
The First Minister Alex Salmond will travel to the Middle East next week to sign a ground-breaking deal on renewables. Mr Salmond will sign Scotland up to a landmark agreement to develop tangible green energy products with the world's leading innovator, Masdar, based in Abu Dhabi.
A drive to cut needless bureaucracy for Scottish farmers was launched today by Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead. A working group is being established to consider how to reduce the red tape associated with farming.
Pupils from the Lochcarron area will continue to travel to Plockton High School by train for the rest of this week as their normal route - via the A890 Stromeferry By-pass - remains closed due the threat of rockfall. On Monday 9 January 2012 46 pupils from the Lochcarron area travelled to Plockton High School by train.
Finance Secretary John Swinney today met some of the young people benefitting from Forestry Commission employment programmes in Scotland. Mr Swinney spent the morning with trainees who are gaining employability skills and experience by helping to improve one of Scotland's main cycle routes near Uddingston in South Lanarkshire.
The Highland Council is working to secure the services of a car and a passenger ferry - along with feeder bus services - which it will introduce next week as an emergency measure in the wake of the ongoing closure of the A 890 Stromeferry By-pass between Lochcarron and Plockton/Kyle. The ferries are needed because the Council has been advised by consultants that the road must remain closed to traffic until works to make the rock face safe are completed, following landslides at a point 100 yards west of the Avalanche Shelter, as there is still a significant risk of further rock falls affecting the road.
First Crofting Commission elections begin as Minister names appointed members. The starting gun for the first ever crofting elections was fired today with the official publication of the Notice of Elections.
An innovative project to recycle thousands of computers for use by communities and deserving children across the Scottish Highlands has been launched, in a festive season boost for many in the area. The huge initiative to renovate equipment for re-use instead of landfill is funded by technology company Fujitsu and The Highland Council.
Yes - it is very wild today but next weekend it'll be fine...and the Halladale Film Club is happening so get yourself lined up for the event and maybe offer someone else a lift to get them there too. Saturday Dec 10th - Halladale Hall, Doors open at 7pm and costs only £2 for children and £4 for adults - it would cost you more for the tea! Even if you've seen the film or haven't seen any of the others leading up to it - this is the final of the Harry Potters, so come along and join us to see it together and then have a claik, a cup o tea and a very fancy piece afterwards.
North Highland Forest Trust At Old School, Inshegra, Kinlochbervie (3km south of KLB, on main B801) 11am: Guided walk and discussion with various experts looking at existing woodland remnants and at new woodland establishment (including SRDP grant aid) 1pm: Soup and sandwiches 2pm: NHFT's AGM All Welcome: please let us know you are coming For full details; - steve[AT]nhft.org.uk or 01408 633 986.
People in the Highlands are invited to find out more about, and have an opportunity to have their say on the development of Planning for Integration of health, education and social care services in the area provided by NHS Highland and The Highland Council. At three public meetings in Helmsdale (30 November), Inverness (1 December) and Fort William (7 December), Jan Baird, Planning for Integration, Transitions Director will explain how, from 1 April 2012, staff are being brought together into integrated teams to work with children and families and with people who use community care services.
A £3 million investment project upgrading renewable energy facilities in the Outer Hebrides has been completed. The recladding of the 12,000 square metre fabrication building at Arnish Point will allow the tenants, BiFab, to grow their already important position in the renewables and heavy engineering sectors.
Does your business pride itself on impeccable customer care, outstanding visitor experiences or brilliant creative campaigns? If the answer is yes, then it's time for you to enter the Scottish Thistle Awards. The Scottish Thistle Awards, which are run by VisitScotland, celebrate excellence and quality within the tourism industry.
Residents in Orkney, Caithness and North Sutherland are being invited to evening talks to hear the latest news on the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters projects, the first commercial wave and tidal stream energy schemes in the world. The talks follow public exhibitions hosted by The Crown Estate in November 2010, which were attended by over 700 people, and are being held to give an update on progress over the last year.
Businesses will be given the power to design, develop and purchase the vocational training programme they need under a £250 million plan announced today by the Prime Minister. The move is designed to boost economic growth and ensure that the UK workforce has the skills that businesses require.
Community Councils in the Highlands which will disband from Wednesday 16 November as the result of not attracting sufficient nominations at recent elections are to get another chance to form a Community Council. All have been contacted by The Highland Council to advise them that a notice of election seeking nominations will be published on Monday 21 November.
"Watch out for fake goods and bogus websites this Christmas" warns Highland Council Trading Standards. The Highland Council Trading Standards Service is warning consumers not to be duped into buying counterfeit sports clothes and equipment from bogus websites, as part of the National Consumer Week 2011 campaign entitled "Good Sports Don't Fake it".
