Launch of ePlanning in the Highlands
A new online system to enable people in the Highlands to apply for developments, appeal against decisions and track progress of proposals has been launched.
Workshops To Offer Support For New Businesses
The Business Gateway will be running the first of a series of Business Start Up courses tomorrow (Thursday) to provide advice to people who are thinking of starting up their own business or who have just started trading.
Young People Help To Establish New Youth Shelter
The opening of a new Youth Shelter in the city means young people in the Charleston area now have a place to meet up socially, outwith school, whatever the weather.
Portraits By One Of 20th Century's Greatest Photographers
ARTIST ROOMS On Tour with The Art Fund supported by The Scottish Goverment is a unique scheme to bring one of the largest and most imaginative acquisitions of post-war and contemporary art to audiences across Britain. Inverness Museum and Art Gallery is delighted to announce the opening of an exhibition of the work of the American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, presented by The Highland Council.
Audience Blown Away By Young Wind Musicians
The sell-out concert by the Highland Schools Wind Band and the Highland Youth Big Band on Saturday night in Eden Court was a resounding success and the long and loud applause and cheers at the end of the night confirmed that the appreciative audience had as much of a blast as the young musicians.
Highland population on the increase
The population of the Highlands rose from 217,440 in 2007 to 219,400 in 2008, an increase of 1,960 or 0.9%. And for the first time for a decade there were more births than deaths during the year.
Goslpie High School HMIe follow through Inspection
The HMIe follow-through inspection report for Golspie High School highlights the good progress made by the school in the last year in the areas of pupil achievement and leadership (including by pupils), and the significant improvements in care and welfare arrangements.
Nairn Academy’s Positive HMI Report
Staff and pupils at Nairn Academy have received a very positive report from HMIe Inspectors, who visited the school earlier this session.
Young People Short-listed For Lochaber Project Attend National Award
In January of this year The Highland Council’s Youth Development staff nominated Fusion Youth Committee in Fort William for a Sunday Mail Lloyds TSB Young Scot Award due to the work that Fusion’s youth committee have put in to making Fort William, Lochaber and the Highlands a better place for young people and the wider community to live.
Lochbroom House, Ullapool
A major fire at Lochbroom House, Ullapool – a residential care home for older people run by The Highland Council – has delayed the re-opening of the home following a £1,100,000 refurbishment.
Plastic Bottle Recycling Comes to Kingussie
The Highland Council has recently introduced a new facility for recycling plastic bottles at the Recycling Point on Market Lane in Kingussie.
Ardersier Primary School - A Credit to the Community
Pupils, parents and staff at Ardersier Primary School have received high praise from Her Majesty’s Inspectors in their report which was published on April 27th. The inspectors found evidence of a community which was working effectively in partnership to provide very good quality learning experiences for pupils.
Inverness West By-Election Result
The by-election for a councillor to serve the Inverness West Ward (No 14) on The Highland Council has been won by Mr Alasdair Christie, Liberal Democrat Focus Team.
Publication of New Radon Maps for Scotland
The Highland Council has promised to work with the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) and NHS Highland to develop a programme of action to help Highland residents, whose homes have been identified as having high levels of the naturally occurring radioactive gas, radon.
Council Delays Caithness Gaelic Meeting
The Highland Council has agreed to delay the date of a meeting in Caithness to discuss the Council’s Gaelic Language Plan.
Travelling Gallery returns to Highlands
The Travelling Gallery will be returning to the Highlands for three weeks at the end of April, after successful visits last year. The custom-build mobile art gallery will be taking its new exhibition ‘Finger Buffet’, to thirteen schools across the area, and will also be open to the public for the day at the Black Isle Leisure Centre on Monday 4th May.
Inverness Hogmanay Party Line Up Confirmed
The Highland Council have released details of an exciting line up featuring three of Scotland’s favourite festival bands for the 2009 Hogmanay Party which will take place in Northern Meeting Park Arena in Inverness on December 31st.
Young Highlanders To Put Health Under The Microscope
Health and wellbeing issues affecting young people now and in the future are to be discussed and debated by The Highland Council’s Youth Voice members and senior figures in the NHS and Highland Council at a specially created one off event.
Resident Engineer Bows Out after 36 Years Service
Long serving Highland Council Resident Engineer, Bob Spence, was guest of honour at the formal opening of the final phase of the A830 Fort William – Mallaig road at Arisaig in recognition of his retirement after 36 years of supervising road, bridge and slipway construction projects in the Highlands.
Caithness Countryside Volunteers get a bird’s eye view
Birds of prey were with topic of discussion at the latest Caithness Countryside Volunteers meeting held last weekend on Sunday 19th of April.
Calling all Mathesons in the Highlands: meet your ancestors
The search is on for descendants of the prominent Inverness Matheson family who would like to meet their ancestors. Inverness Museum and Art Gallery has recently acquired two white marble busts of children, Mary Isabella (1855-1933) and her brother Kenneth James Matheson (1854-1920) and would like to invite any Matheson relatives to the unveiling of the busts on Thursday 30 April to see if they can spot any family similarities.
Ardersier beach clean and barbeque
The seashore at Ardersier is strewn with paper and plastic after the winter storms. Highland Council’s Countryside Rangers are organising a beach clean day (Sunday 26th April 2-5pm) to clear things up before summer arrives.
Fat's The Way To Do It
As Scottish Water writes to 4,000 households and businesses across the north to continue to raise awareness of the problem of fat clogging the sewer system, residents of one Highland village are being praised for their help tackling the issue.
Rhymetimes in Refurbished Tain Library
An added bonus to the recently refurbished Tain Library is that weekly Bookstart Rhymetime sessions are now being enjoyed by local babies and young toddlers.
Council Awards Contract for the Mall Footbridge, Thurso
The Highland Council has awarded a contract for construction of a new footbridge which forms an important pedestrian link over the River Thurso, at Thurso Cemetery.
Inverness West By-Election Looms
Voting will take place on Thursday (23 April) to elect a third councillor to serve the Inverness West Ward (No 14) on The Highland Council.
Fire - Invergordon Industrial Estate
Emergency services were called to attend reports of a fire at a nail polish factory in Davidson Drive, Invergordon Industrial Estate, Invergordon at 11.50am today (20 April 2009).
Young Musicians Shine
Over 350 people attended Saturday’s showcase performance by young Highland musicians at the Black Isle Leisure Centre in Fortrose. The audience showed their appreciation of the musical treat by giving all four of The Highland Council Regional Music Groups involved cheering applause.
Fort William’s new look launched following Easter success
Fort William’s re-branded ‘VisitScotland Information Centre’ has been officially launched by the national tourism organisation’s Chief Executive, Philip Riddle and Convener of The Highland Council, Sandy Park.
Environmental Health issue warning on fresh tuna from Tescos Extra Store, Inverness
NHS Highland and Highland Council’s Environmental Health team have been investigating 3 suspect cases of scombrotoxin food poisoning in the Inverness area.
Closure of Nairn Swimming Pool For Temporary Repairs
The Highland Council has assessed the work necessary to re-open Nairn Swimming pool and is in the process of carrying out a temporary repair. The pool will re-open to the public during the week commencing 18 May.
Arisaig’s Bonnie Road
Pupils from Arisaig Primary School were centre stage on Wednesday 15 April at the official opening of the final phase of the upgrading of the A830 Fort William – Mallaig road between Arisaig – Loch nan Uamh road.
Council Acts Swiftly to Replace Postbus Withdrawals
The Highland Council has put in place interim arrangements in five Highland communities to replace postbus services withdrawn by Royal Mail today (Thursday).
Mallaig Hostel Construction Back on Track
Work on the construction of a hostel at Mallaig High School is back on track and it should be completed by the end of this year.
Inverness Leisure Receives Positive Ruling from HM Revenue and Customs
Inverness Leisure has recently been informed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs that despite previous threats over the last 2 years they will not be called to pay what was potentially going to be a £250,000 charge on backdated VAT.
VisitScotland partners up to deliver for the Highlands
VisitScotland and The Highland Council today got on their bikes, with the help of Lee Craigie, current leader of the female’s Scottish Cross Country Mountain Bike Series, to highlight how their collaborative working is helping drive tourism forward, providing over £62.5 million in additional income to the Highland economy in the past two years.
£23 million investment marks end of an era as ‘Road to the Isles’ upgraded
Britain’s last remaining single track trunk road, the ‘Road to the Isles’, has been upgraded to double carriageway standard following a £23 million investment, Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson announced today.
Development Plan Scheme
The Highland Council has submitted its first statutory Development Plan Scheme to Scottish Ministers. The Development Plan Scheme 2009 sets out timescales for delivering the Highland Wide Local Development Plan and other important pieces of work over the next year.
Providing Access to Affordable Credit in the Highlands
The Highland Council’s Resources Committee is backing plans to investigate further the feasibility of creating a pan-Highland credit union to provide access to affordable credit across the Highlands. Committee members were presented with the findings of a study which examined the best way to provide affordable credit in Highland. The study recommended that a pan-Highland credit union would be the best way to achieve this in Highland but should be provided alongside financial education and pro-active money advice.
Money Matters at Ward Forum
Residents living in the Tain and Easter Ross Ward area are invited along to their next Ward Forum to hear about the service the Highland Council’s Money Advice and Income MaximisationTeam can offer.
Restrictions For Pedestrians During City Centre Streetscape Works
Temporary traffic restrictions will be in place affecting pedestrian access to parts of Lombard Street in the city centre next week.
East Sutherland and Edderton Ward Forum focuses on Housing Issues
The next East Sutherland and Edderton Ward Forum will meet at 7.30pm on Monday 20 April in Golspie Community Centre to discuss the housing issues in the Ward.
Council cuts speeds at Sutherland School
A part time 20 mph speed limit is now in place at Achfary Primary School by Lairg for children’s safety.
Tain CCTV review
Residents in Tain are being invited to comment on proposals to improve the town’s CCTV system and to let officials know how they think Community Safety in the town could be improved in future.
High Street On The Agenda
A possible bid to the Town Centre Regeneration Fund is on the agenda at next week’s Ward Forum being held in Fort William.
Countryside Rangers walk with the stars
Highland Council’s Countryside Rangers are inviting locals to join them for an evening of sheltered outdoor storytelling about the stories behind the stars, followed by a spot of star gazing.
Culloden pupils carve artistic partnership with wood sculptor
Pupils at Duncan Forbes Primary School, Culloden have been planning a creative partnership with a local wood sculptor for the past two months as part of their class work.
Closure of Nairn Swimming Pool
The Highland Council has regrettably had to close Nairn Swimming pool as a large number of tiles have fallen off the wall.
Portree Primary School Shortlisted for Scottish Education Award
A Highland primary school has been shortlisted for an honour at the 2009 Scottish Education Awards. Portree Primary School has been selected as a finalist in the Best Enterprise category, after it was nominated by the island’s local radio station, Cullin FM.
Young People To Share Knowledge With Senior Citizens
Nine members of Highland Youth Voice, the Highland’s youth parliament, have been invited to pass on top technology tips and provide practical demonstrations during this year’s Highland Senior Citizen’s Network Conference, which takes place on 14 April at the Lochardil Hotel in Inverness.
Wildlife Workshops
As part of the Ross and Cromarty Local Biodiversity Greenspace Community Wildlife Audit Project, The Highland Council’s Countryside Ranger for Easter Ross Martin Hind is running a series of workshops to help people get involved in recording the wildlife on their doorstep.
Culloden Drive Tree Works
In the interest of public safety The Highland Council is carrying out tree felling and tree surgery on Culloden Drive, Inverness during the week beginning Monday 13th April.
Two new Senior Teaching Appointments
The Highland Council has recently made two senior teaching appointments in the Inverness area.
Scottish Hydro Electric Key Meter Replacement Programme
In the latest phase of Scottish Hydro’s token meter to key meter rollout project in Scotland, the utility is preparing to withdraw the sale of tokens from Post Offices and PayPoints in selected post code areas in the Highlands from Monday (6 April).
The Highland Council lends support to HSE's shattered lives campaign
The Highland Council is supporting an HSE campaign in to prevent accidents in schools, colleges and universities.
Seamless Transfer of Business Gateway to Highland Council
Responsibility for providing business advice has transferred from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to local authorities. Advice will be provided through the Business Gateway service which already operates in the rest of Scotland.
Talented Musicians To Perform Evening of Music and Song
Young musicians from primary and secondary schools across the Highlands are busy preparing for a public concert which will take place in the Black Isle Leisure Centre, Fortrose on Saturday 18 April.
Good News For Highland Businesses
The Highland Council has secured match funding from the European Regional Development Fund to deliver a growth fund of £1.4m for new and established Highland businesses.
Rural Recycling Collections Reach End of First Rota
The new kerbside collections in the more rural parts of East Ross, Edderton, Mid Ross, the Black Isle, Inverness and Nairn reached the end of the first rota last Friday. Two new lorries and crews have been busy covering all the areas on a 4-week rota.
Doorstep sellers in Highland capital:
Highland Council Trading Standards are asking members of the public to be vigilant following recent report about a double glazing doorstep selling firm operating in the Inverness area.
Colourful Characters To Meet On History Tour
On Thursday (9 April) history will be brought to life in the grounds Culloden House in Inverness with costumed characters from the past adding an authentic touch to a guided walk led by The Highland Council’s Countryside Rangers.