New Deputy Chief Fire Officer Appointed
The Highland and Islands Fire Board has appointed a new Deputy Chief Fire Officer
West Coast Lichen Found in Caithness
An event organised by Highland Council’s Caithness Ranger with the Planning and Development Service has resulted in lichen that usually habitats the West coast of Scotland being found in the North East at Caithness.
IRA Wins European Business Game – and Trip to Croatia
Four Inverness Royal Academy pupils will be winging their way to Croatia at the end of June as winners of a prestigious Highland wide business competition.
Highland Walking Project Heads For New Heights
A Highland walking project has successfully secured a £200,000 grant from the Active Futures Big Lottery Fund to run an exciting health and personal development programme with groups of women aged between 16 and 25.
Highland Pupils Raise Money For Tsunami Victims
Pupils at primary and secondary schools in the Highlands have raised £14,641.18 to help the region of Tamil Nadu in Southern India, which was devastated by the Asian tsunami on Boxing Day last year.
Woodland Treasure Trail
The Highland Council’s Countryside Rangers have organised some May Day fun this bank holiday weekend with a treasure trail in Smithton Woods on Monday 1st May.
Dog Fouling Fines
Communities in Ross and Cromarty and throughout the Highlands are being urged to report stray dogs or dog owners who allow their dogs to foul the streets or play areas.
Success For Gaelic Singing Group
Fionnar, the Gaelic vocal harmony group for teenagers established by the Mairi Mhor Gaelic Song Fellowship for The Highland Council has won one of the premier competitions at this years International Pan Celtic Festival held in Letterkenny, Donegal this week.
Community comes together at Caithness woodland.
An energetic bunch of volunteers headed to Newtonhill Community Woodland, Wick last Saturday to take part in a tree planting and clean up event.
Work Begins on Scotland’s First Purpose Built Gaelic Medium Primary School
Work began today (Monday) at Inverness on Scotland’s first purpose built Gaelic Medium School. Being built at Slackbuie, near Inverness Royal Academy, the £4 million school will be a focal point for Gaelic learning in the Inverness area, being available for a wide range of Gaelic-related events and performances.
Quality is the Key to Future Care Home Provision
Quality will be the number one priority when The Highland Council seeks interest from the independent sector to provide 160 care home places in Inverness, Mid and East Ross, Lochaber and Badenoch and Strathspey and provide new housing for older people and extend personal care packages
Council welcomes surfers to Caithness
The Highland Council will extend a warm Caithness welcome to the world’s most up and coming surfers, tomorrow evening (Tuesday 25th April, 7pm) at the Royal Hotel in Thurso.
Highland Council welcomes Cruise Ship
Passengers on the Dutch owned vessel "MV Van Gogh Cruise Ship" will this week receive a warm Caithness welcome when they will be offered a mini-bus trip to Thurso courtesy of The Highland Council.
Road Closure In Inverness
A road in the city centre will be closed to all traffic, including buses, on two consecutive weekends in May to allow sewer connection work to be carried out.
City Toilets To Close For Refurbishment
The public toilets at Castle Wynd in Inverness will be temporarily closed to allow for a new roof to be fitted.
Care Commission Outlines Standards Policy
The Care Commission's Director of Adult Services Regulation met with Highland Council last Thursday to discuss challenges faced by care home owners in meeting the Scottish Ministers’ National Care Standards
The Place To Be!
Today Alness was the place to be as the popular youth centre, The Place, reopened after a £120,000 refurbishment.
Antisocial Behaviour Strategy
Members of The Highland Council took a step further forward this week in the formation of an Antisocial Behaviour Strategy for the Highlands which will open the door to additional funding of £855,000 over the next two financial years.
Motorcycle Safety Seminar
As the number of licensed motorcycle bikes in Scotland and the Highlands increases year by year, so does the number of accidents involving motorcyclists.
Pupils To Record Top Hit For National Event
Around 50 schoolchildren from Nairn Academy will head into the recording studio tomorrow to record the theme song for this year’s Choices for Life event.
Nairn Academy Pupils To Record Top Hit For National Event
Around 50 schoolchildren from Nairn Academy will head into the recording studio tomorrow to record the theme song for this year’s Choices for Life event.
Work Starts On New School For Dingwall
Work began today (Thursday) at Dingwall on The Highland Council’s second Education Public Private Partnership, which will see 11 new urban and rural community schools built across the Highlands at a cost of £134 million.
Work begins at Dingwall on 2nd Education PPP Programme
Work began today (Thursday) at Dingwall on The Highland Council’s second Education Public Private Partnership, which will see 11 new urban and rural community schools built across the Highlands at a cost of £134 million.
Easter Egg Case Hunts
Volunteers joined Paul Castle the Highland Council North Sutherland Countryside Ranger on two organised skate and ray egg case hunts at Torrisdale Bay and Melvich Beach in Sutherland over the Easter weekend.
20mph Introduced at Lochaber School
Motorists in Lochaber Area are being warned that part time 20mph speed restrictions will be introduced at Roy Bridge Primary School, along with an extensions to the 30mph limit at the Newtonmore end of the approach to Roy Bridge for local safety.
Boost For Recycling In Lochaber
The Highland Council’s new Recycling Centre serving Lochaber was officially opened yesterday (Tuesday 18th April 2006).
Highland Council Cycle to Work Scheme
A Cycle to Work Scheme for employees of The Highland Council was agreed by the Council’s Resources Committee today (Wednesday).
New Acting Head Teacher for Lochaber High School
Mr Jim Sutherland, Head Teacher at Kinlochleven High School, has been appointed as the acting Head Teacher of Lochaber High School.
Temporary Road Closures Around City Church
Through traffic on roads surrounding Ness Bank Church in Inverness will be subject to temporary road closures from next Tuesday (25 April) to allow for construction work to take place.
Taking action to drive down carbon emissions in West Scotland
A one-day community conference is taking place at the Sunart Centre, Strontian, on Saturday 6 May to raise awareness of climate change issues amongst west coast communities and showcase a range of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies and signpost relevant sources of funding.
Major upgrade for West Coast trunk road
HITRANS, the strategic transport authority for the Highlands and Islands, is delighted at the announcement today (Wednesday) by Tavish Scott, the Transport Minister, to upgrade the A82 Glasgow to Fort William/Oban road to a modern standard.
Anti-Social Behaviour Survey Spreads
An extra 250 households in Invergordon have joined the 1500 that have been sent surveys by The Highland Council to collect opinions on anti-social behaviour
Committee To Discuss Highland Renewable Energy Strategy
At a special meeting of the Planning, Development, Europe and Tourism Committee on Wednesday (19 April) Councillors will debate the Highland Renewable Energy Strategy and Planning Guidelines which, when approved, will guide developers and local communities on the wide range of issues governing the industry.
Highland Councillors Object To Application For Overhead Power Line
At a special meeting of The Highland Council’s Planning, Development, Europe and Tourism Committee held today (Wednesday 12 April) in Inverness, Councillors objected to an application from Scottish and Southern Energy plc for the erection of a 400 kV overhead transmission line between Beauly and Denny.
New Recycling Centre In Fort William
Lochaber residents will soon be able to conveniently recycle more of their household waste with the opening of The Highland Council’s Recycling Centre in the Ben Nevis Industrial Estate in Fort William.
Heavenly Talk Inspired By the Stars
The Highland Council’s Countryside Rangers, are looking to the sky for inspiration for an evening talk on Friday (14 April) in Glen Urquhart on the myths and legends surrounding the stars and constellations.
Distance Learning In Gaelic For Council "Students"
Tha cùrsa aig astar a tha ga lìbhrigeadh leis a’ Cholaiste Ghàidhlig, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, san Eilean Sgitheanach a’ brosnachadh luchd-obrach bho Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd gu bhith ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig.
Encouraging Barn Owls To Caithness
As part of the Local Biodiversity Action plan for Caithness, a dozen barn owl boxes have been built around the county to increase the number of available sites for the bird to nest in.
Pan-Highland Local Access Forum Conference
The inaugural pan-Highland conference of Local Access Forums takes place in Inverness tomorrow (Friday).
The Audit Of Best Value And Community Planning For The Highland Council
The Audit of Best Value and Community Planning for The Highland Council, prepared by Audit Scotland for the Accounts Commission for Scotland, will be presented to members of the Council for their consideration at their next meeting on Thursday 4 May.
The Highland Council Praised For It's "Significant Strengths" But Needs Stronger Corporate Direction (Audit Scotland)
The Highland Council praised for its ‘significant strengths’, but needs stronger corporate direction.
Lochaber Local Plan - Lochaber Futures
The Highland Council this week published Lochaber Futures – a major consultation exercise to open dialogue with everyone with an interest in the area - communities, agencies, the voluntary and private sectors, landowners - to help shape the Lochaber Local Plan – a planning blueprint for the next 10 years and beyond.
Scandinavan Delegates Attend Regeneration Conference
Over 40 delegates from Sweden and Finland will be attending a conference which opens at the Newton Hotel, Nairn, tomorrow (Wednesday).
Hitrans Chairman Welcomes Lower Air Fare Scheme
Councillor Charlie King, the chairman of HITRANS, the strategic transport authority for the Highlands and Islands, has welcomed the introduction of a new lower air fares scheme for people living in island and rural communities in the Highlands and Islands.
Highland Event To Celebrate 50 Year Of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
2006 is an important year for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, as it is the 50th Anniversary of the Award’s creation and to mark the occasion a range of events are planned for the Highlands including a reunion dinner.
Celtic Film and Television Festival
A delegation representing local agencies from the Highlands visited the Celtic Film and Television Festival in Falmouth, Cornwall Festival last week to invite, and warmly welcome the Festival to Skye and Lochalsh next year, which is the Year that Highland Culture will be celebrated throughout Scotland.
New Head of Planning and Building Standards
The Highland Council has appointed a new Head of Planning and Building Standards.
Launch Of Highland Biodiversity Partnership Agreement Forum
The Highland Biodiversity Partnership Agreement, which is a commitment from over 20 organisations operating in Highland to work together to help understand, safeguard, restore and celebrate the biodiversity within the Highland Council area, was launched at the weekend at the 2006 Highland Biodiversity Forum held at the Town House Inverness.
Highland Teachers To Provide I.T. Training In Gambia
A group of Highland teachers leave Inverness on today (Monday 3rd April 2006) bound for the Gambia in West Africa to help train local teachers in computer skills.
Launch Of Inverness Area Youth Bank
The Inverness Area Youth Bank is staging a launch with a stall and giveaways at the Eastgate Centre on Saturday 8th April from 11am – 4pm.
Army Cadets Pipes And Drums Spectacular in Inverness
On Saturday evening at 7 pm [8 April 2006] nearly 150 pipers and drummers of the Army Cadet Force will perform a 'Beating Retreat' outside the Town House in Inverness.
Calling All Private Landlords In The Highlands
All private landlords in the Highlands are being advised that it will be an offence to let a property after 30 April this year without being registered or having submitted a valid application for registration.