Taxi Fare Increases Confirmed
Taxi fare increases in the Highlands have been confirmed by The Highland Council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee following a period of consultation with the trade and the public.
Sutherland Swimming Pool
Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of Education Culture and Sport Committee will officially re-open Sutherland Swimming Pool in Golspie on Saturday 7th June after a £1.2 million refurbishment by The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service. The new facility now provides a first class environment for swimming, health and fitness which is fully accessible to all.
Bòrd na Gàidhlig and The Highland Council launch first Gaelic Language Plan
The Highland Council has become the first public body in Scotland to have its Gaelic Language Plan formally approved by Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
HMIE Report on Child Protection Services in Highland
The HMIe Services for Children Inspectorate, publish a report today (Thursday) commending the “effective performance” of services for children in Highland, which they say have “improved outcomes for vulnerable children and their families”.
Blas Festival Launches 2008 Cultural Programme
The fastest growing Gaelic and traditional music festival in the UK is about to take to the skies as part of its new programme for 2008. Now a notable fixture on Scotland’s cultural calendar, the Blas Festival has announced it will be staging 45 events across the Highlands, including its ‘highest ever show’ in its smallest ‘venue’ – a Cessna plane flying at 3000 feet over the region.
Fort William Action Plan
An action plan which aims to transform the image and appeal of Fort William
£1 Million Invested Into Highland Businesses
In the last financial year 2007/8 Highland Opportunity Limited (HOL) awarded over £1 million of investment into Highland businesses, matching the previous record level of investment seen in 2005/6.
Council’s Commitment To Highland Tourism Industry
The Highland Council’s Planning Environment and Development Committee today agreed funding of £495,000 towards VisitScotland’s local operations in recognition of the fact that Tourism is the Highland’s biggest industry.
Prince Andrew’s Right Royal Welcome At Eden Court
Eden Court Theatre yesterday welcomed HRH Prince Andrew, The Earl of Inverness to the newly re-developed building officially drawing to a close the fundraising appeal that he launched 5 years ago, almost to the day.
Gairloch Residents Vote To Relocate War Memorial
The results are now in for the recent consultation on the future of the Gairloch War memorial, and there has been an overwhelming 84.3% response in favour of the suggested move to a new site adjacent to the Crasg Car Park.
Open Audition Day For Young Musicians
Following on from popular TV talent shows, young musicians from across the Highlands are invited to take part in an audition day to join one of the five regional music groups organised and run by The Highland Council.
Disabled Charity Challenger To Visit The Highlands
Disabled Charity Challenger Judy Woolfenden MBE will be visiting Lochaber and Skye as part of a national charity challenge.
Highland Council Recruits Island Head Teacher
The largest education authority in Scotland is recruiting a Head Teacher for a primary school on the smallest and southernmost island of the small isles in Lochaber.
Combatting the Impact of Increases in Fuel Prices
Highland Councillors are set to step up their campaign to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices. A report to be considered by the Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee on Thursday highlights that the Council alone faces an increased fuel bill of £725,000 in the current financial year.
Volunteers improve path to Badbea
Caithness Countryside Volunteers met this month to undertake some maintenance work long the path leading to the clearance village of Badbea.
Public Asked for Views on Violence Against Women Strategy
The public is being asked for their views on a strategy drafted by key public agencies in Highland to work towards the prevention of violence against women.
Sutherland swimming pool
Sutherland swimming pool reopens it doors this week (Friday 30th May) offering a first class environment for swimming, health and fitness which is fully accessible to all.
HM Inspectors Praise Work of Staff at Kinlochewe Primary School
HM inspectors have published a report of their visit to Kinlochewe primary and Nursery.
Council integrated transport co-ordination unit to be created
Highland Councillors have approved the establishment of an integrated transport team to provide the public with a more efficient service.
Highland Council boosts youth work
Youth work activity in the Highlands received a £110,000 funding boost yesterday (22nd May) as members of The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee agreed to ring fence and allocate £5,000 to each Council Ward for youth work throughout the Highlands.
Consultation on Gaelic Medium Primary School provision in Skye and in Lochaber
The Highland Council has agreed to progress consultation on the development of all Gaelic Medium Education Primary Schools.
Highland Council seeks to increase support for speakers of other languages.
The Highland Council is to strengthen its commitment to welcome migrants and their families settling into Highland communities by increasing English language tuition to assist their integration.
Tourism Top Of The Agenda
Tourism will be top of the agenda next week when The Highland Council’s Planning Environment and Development Committee welcome VisitScotland’s Chief Executive Philip Riddle.
Open Days at New Dingwall Academy
Dingwall Academy has now been officially handed over to The Highland Council and staff are moving-in in preparation for the arrival of the pupils on the Monday 9 June.
Care Home Sites Confirmed
The Highland Council is to seek outline planning permission for sites which will house five new care homes for older people.
Work to Start Soon on Ullapool Home Facelift
The Highland Council is to spend £1.18 million on the refurbishment of care home for older people at Lochbroom House, Ullapool.
Second Home Council Tax Funds To Help Meet Rural Housing Shortage
Extra Council Tax paid by owners of second and holiday homes in the Highlands is to be increasingly targeted at providing affordable homes in rural communities where development costs are high and a housing need has been identified.
Top of the Crops for Alness Allotments
A bumper harvest of home-grown fruit and vegetables is expected in Alness this year after the creation of 26 new community run allotments.
New Lease of Life for Eigg Day Centre
A former day care centre on Eigg, no longer needed by The Highland Council, is to be taken over by the Eigg Heritage Trust and used to house residents new to the island or thinking of moving there.
A New Chapter For Dingwall Library
Residents of Dingwall and the surrounding area are set to benefit from an extended library service when the new community library at Dingwall Academy opens its doors on Monday 9 June.
Praise For Pupils Artwork
Gairloch High School pupils Rhoda Tippet, Charlie Mays, Megan Crueize, Amber Fox, Shannon Stewart, Kayleigh Elder, Charmayne Fraser and Alex Warren were invited to the Wester Ross, Strathpeffer & Lochalsh Area Ward Forum meeting at Lochcarron Village Hall on Monday 19 May to present their piece of artwork.
Freedom of Caithness For Prince Charles
HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay is to be granted the Freedom of Caithness. At a meeting of The Highland Council, members agreed to bestow this honour to His Royal Highness in 2008, the year of his 60th Birthday.
HMIe Report on Acharacle Primary School
Pupils, parents and staff are all delighted with the findings of the HMIe inspection report on Acharacle Primary and Nursery School.
HIE To Lead Cairngorm Mountain Ltd Into A New Future
Plans to secure the sustainable future of the Cairngorm funicular railway can now get under way following agreement that ownership of its operating company CairnGorm Mountain Ltd will transfer to Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
Butterfly Survey Training for Skye and Lochalsh residents
People in Skye and Lochalsh are being invited to learn how to identify and survey butterflies in their own areas.
Council’s Climate Change Chair opens recycling dialogue with major supermarkets
In the run up to National Recycling Week (2nd – 6th June 2008) - coordinated by Waste Aware Scotland - major supermarket retailers in the Highlands are being invited to discuss what policies or practices they have in place for recycling.
Communities Benefit from New Inverness Footpath
A new £100,000 footpath has been created to the east of Inverness to improve road safety, create healthier travel options and encourage people to enjoy the countryside.
Pupils Recycle A Mound of Milk Cartons
Once again pupils at Kirkhill Primary are helping their community to recycle. For the second year running the P5 boys and girls are hosting their own “Recycling Week” and this year they have been busy collecting plastic milk cartons.
Listen up - Walk to School Week.
The Walk to School Campaign for May 2008 is focusing on children exploring their local environment through sound and noise.
Trunk Link Road – second round of consultation
The Highland Council is to hold a second round of consultation in the autumn to feed back the comments that have been made by the public about the two options for routing the proposed Inverness Trunk Link Road from the A96 at Smithton to the Southern Distributor Road at Inshes.
Caithness Recycling Service Expands
People in Caithness are benefiting from further expansion of The Highland Council’s kerbside recycling collection service for paper, cans and garden waste.
£1 Million Water Mains For Inverness and Foyers
Residents of and visitors to the Highland Capital and the Loch Ness-side village of Foyers are set to benefit from massive investment in new water mains to provide more reliable supplies of clear, fresh drinking water.
Hop on the Cairngorms National Park’s Heather Hopper
HOP on the Heather Hopper – that is the message to residents and tourists as the only cross-Park bus service makes its annual return.
Honour For Dingwall Gaelic Stalwart
The Highland Council is to grant the honour of being a Freeman of Ross and Cromarty to a Dingwall man, who has dedicated much of his life to choral and Gaelic music.
Motorists Advised of Disruption on Ness Walk, Inverness
Restrictions on traffic movement at Ness Walk, Inverness, are being introduced for eight weeks from Sunday 18 May to accommodate the installation of new water and gas mains.
Hand over of Dingwall and Portree Schools
The tiled floors have been laid, the classroom furniture is in place and the finishing touches applied to The Highland Council’s new replacement secondary schools in Dingwall and Portree.
Love Is… Project Short-Listed For National Award
A training programme developed by The Highland Council’s Social Work Services, NHS Highland and other key partners has been short-listed for a national award at the Scottish Social Service Council’s 2008 Care Accolades.
Portree welcomes another record breaking cruise ship season
The first of this season’s cruise ships dropped anchor in Portree Harbour on Sunday 11th May, bringing a welcome boost to the island’s economy.
Butterfly affected by climate change to be surveyed in Highlands
Butterfly Conservation Scotland and the Highland Biodiversity Partnership are urging people throughout Scotland to keep their eyes peeled for a common butterfly whose distribution in Scotland seems to be affected by climate change.
Highland Pupils To Feature in BBC TV Programme
Pupils from Mallaig High School will feature in a BBC 4 Series ‘My New Best Friend’ The series, which starts on Wednesday 21 May looks at three schools from different parts of Britain and in each case follows a small number of pupils through the potentially difficult transition from primary to secondary school.
Invitation To Join With Fellow Residents
A few residents hope others living in their part of Dingwall will join with them as they try to set up their own residents group.
Council Consults Further On Draft Local Plans
The Highland Council is consulting further on its draft Local Plans for Sutherland and for West Highland & Islands, beginning on Friday 16 May 2008.
The Crown Estate in Scotland – Cross Party Group Seeks Review
For the first time in The Highland Council’s history, the four political groupings on the Council have signed an agreement to work jointly and co-operatively to achieve a review of the Crown Estate in Scotland so that the resources involved, including Scotland’s seabed and much of its foreshore, produce greater benefits for local communities.
Council’s Ranger gets ‘erratic’ on Ben Wyvis
A guided walk on a Ross-shire mountain with Highland Council’s Countryside Ranger, Martin Hind will explore how upland Highland was formed.
Highland event has top spot during Scottish Biodiversity Week
In a top ten list of events being held during Scottish Biodiversity Week 2008 (18th - 28th May) Highland Council Rangers are organising three events, with a puffin watching guided walk in Caithness holding the number one spot.
Highland Youth Convener takes on role as UK Youth Ambassador for the World Economic Forum
Highland Youth Convener, Gillian Slider, 18, who represented Scotland at the recent Learning from the Futures Programme in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has been selected to go on to the World Economic Forum on the Middle East as one of two UK Youth Ambassadors.
Driving Forward the Gaelic Language Plan
The Highland Council has appointed a new Gaelic Development Manager to spearhead its promotion of the Gaelic language and culture.
Drivers urged to slow down at five more Highland Schools
Five schools throughout the Highlands are having 20mph speed limits introduced.
Rangers’ weekend outdoors extravaganza
Highland Council’s Countryside Rangers have organised a choice of three events this weekend (Sat 17th & Sun 18th May).
Highland Prepares for biggest ever Bookstart Day
The Highland Council has announced details of their participation in Bookstart in Scotland Day, Thursday 15th May 2008, when thousands of young children across the country will join in with Scotland’s Biggest Bookstart Rhymetime, to help raise awareness of the benefits that early book and music sharing can bring.
New Inverness Ward Manager
The new Ward Manager for Inverness West and Inverness Ness-side is Stewart Wardlaw. Stewart will take up his duties on Monday 2 June.
Work begins on UK's first eco Housing Fair
Six year-old twins Molly and Anna MacGregor, of Inshes Primary School, Inverness, today (Monday) marked the start of the build of the UK's first eco Housing Fair which will take place near Inverness in August 2009.
Council Take the Lead in Promoting Greener Public Services
The Highland Council has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering greener and more efficient public services in the Highlands by re-signing Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration.
North Kessock Pupils In National Quiz Final
Four P6 pupils from North Kessock Primary school are busy doing some last minute swotting as they prepare to fly the Highland flag at the national Euroquiz final in Edinburgh.
Education Provision in Brae Lochaber
The Highland Council has agreed to continue primary school education in both Spean Bridge and Roy Bridge.
Restoration of Cromarty East Church
The repair, conservation and regeneration of the A-listed Cromarty East Church is being supported by a £50,000 grant from The Highland Council.
Road Closures During Race For Life Event
The Highland Council wishes to warn drivers in Inverness than during the Race For Life event which will take place in the city this Sunday (11 May) temporary road closures will be in place along the route.
Temporary Overnight Closure on Ardersier Road
Part of the B9039 Newton to Castle Stuart to Ardersier road will be temporarily closed to traffic from 10.30pm on Monday 12 May to 7.00am on Tuesday 13 May.
First Gaelic Medium Unit for Caithness
The first Gaelic Medium Unit in Caithness is set to open at the start of the new school session in August. It will be located at Pennyland Primary School, Thurso, where accommodation is available to house the new unit.
Loan to Cairngorm Mountain Ltd
The Highland Council has backed moves to secure the future of the funicular railway at Cairngorm and protect jobs at the important tourism centre by agreeing to a request by HIE to sell for £1 its £1,000,000 loan and accrued interest to Cairngorm Mountain Ltd.
Disruption to traffic B9006 Culloden Road
Contractor, Pat Munro (Alness) Ltd., will be carrying out resurfacing work for The Highland Council at the B9006 Culloden Road / B9177 Drumossie Road junction on Friday 16th May and Saturday 17th May 2008.
Council confirms grant to Eden Court, Inverness
The Highland Council has confirmed it will provide funding of £200,000 towards the final settlement of the capital costs of the redevelopment of Eden Court, Inverness. The funding will come from slippage with the Education Culture and Sport capital programme.
Council on course to meet affordable housing target
The Highland Council is on course to meet its target of providing 2,000 new affordable homes by 2011. A total of 563 affordable homes were started in 2007/8 and a further 350 are planned to start in the current financial year.
Culbokie 3 Bin Recycling Update
Since February, 125 volunteer households in Culbokie, Ross-shire have been taking part in The Highland Council’s 6 month innovative recycling trial.
Information Panels Installed Around Nairn
A series of interpretation panels around Nairn giving local information have been given a full colour upgrade and makeover by The Highland Council.
Highland residents encouraged to compost at home
The Highland Council is urging people to give a compost bin a home during Compost Awareness Week Sunday 4th to Saturday 10th May.
Council introduces trusts scheme for talented young people
Young Highland people are to benefit from the new Duncraig Educational Trust Scheme which will provide grants totalling around £25,000 each year.
Major New Campus for Inverness Takes Step Forward
Two planning firms have been appointed to draw up a master plan for what is considered to be one of the most important developments for the Highlands and Islands over the next 20 years. It is hoped that an outline planning application for a new Inverness College campus including research and other new facilities for UHI Millennium Institute, might be submitted by early 2009.
Focus on Dingwall High Street Lighting
Work starts this week on a project to install new decorative lighting on Dingwall High Street. Victorian-style lighting columns are being erected between the National Hotel and the Railway Station to replace existing lighting columns, which are over 30 years old and in poor condition.
Glenurquhart Pupils Rise To The Challenge
Glenurquhart High School pupils will be given a taste of running their own business on 15th May when local business Cobbs, host a Food & Drink Schools Challenge event for all 40 S2 pupils.
A Highland Welcome For Cape Breton Craft Worker
Highland craft worker Beth Legg who was selected by pupils from Dalbrae Acadmey in Nova Scotia has arrived in Mabou Cape Breton, while at the same time Kelly Krawchuck from Sydney, Cape Breton, who is a multidisciplinary crafter as well as a student of Gàidhlig language, folklore, and biology arrives in the Highlands on Friday 9 May at the inviation of Ardnamurchan High School pupils.
Behind The Tide Event
The Highland Council’s Countryside Ranger John Orr is leading a guided walk on to the mudflats and sandbanks of Ardersier Bay giving people a fascinating chance to safely look at areas of the Moray Firth usually covered by the tide.
Highland’s Favourite Rhyme of All Time
Humpty Dumpty is Highland residents’ favourite nursery rhyme of all time, according to a new survey.
Rangers’ get an appetite for the outdoors
People with culinary interests in natural plants are being invited to join a guided walk in beautiful Reeling Glen near Inverness and Beauly on Friday 9th May, from 2 till 5pm.
Keeping the Highlands Beautiful
An army of almost 20,000 volunteers gathered during April to wage war on litter across Scotland as part of Keep Scotland Beautiful’s National Spring Clean 2008. And 1,719 of those volunteers carried out 27 clean ups in The Highland Council area.
Balloch Energy Champions aim for Green Flag Eco School Status
Pupils at Balloch Primary School, Inverness are leading the way in the combat against climate change. Members of the eco-school committee wrote to The Highland Council, for advice on how they could save energy at the school.
Roadworks in Inverness
Motorists are advised of forthcoming short-term evening disruption to traffic movement to allow essential roadworks to take place in the city centre, Inverness. Carriageway resurfacing works will be carried out to mark the completion of parts of the Streetscape works
Highland teachers to gain lifetime experience in Malawi
Two Highland teachers will have life changing experiences this summer when they live and work in Malawi under the Global Teachers Programme which is run by the international development charity Link Community Development.
Oil clean up at Sinclair's Bay, Wick
The public is being advised to keep off the beach at Sinclair's Bay, near Wick, following the discovery of tar balls, which have been washed up along the length of the shoreline.
British Waterways Scotland and Highland Council agree Independent Review over bridges
British Waterways Scotland and Highland Council have agreed a further review of the protocol governing opening times of the Tomnahurich and Muirtown swing bridges.