Highland Council service arrangements over festive period 2025/2026
The Service Centre will close at 5pm on Wednesday 24th December, re-opening on Monday 29th December (opening times 8am to 5pm). It will be closed on 1st and 2nd January and re-open from 8am to 5pm from Monday, 5th January 2026.
Service Points are operating their normal hours 24th, 29th, 30th, 31st December and are closed 25th and 26th December and 1st and 2nd January and re-open on 5th January 2026. Opening hours differ depending on location. Find the details for your local Service Point at this link on our website.
Inverness Registration Office will be operating normal hours 9.00am – 4.30pm 24th, 29th, 30th, 31st December (telephone lines open 10.00am – 3.00pm). We will be closed on 25th and 26th December and 1st and 2nd January. Re-opening on 5th January 2026. Registration available by appointment.
Urgent death registration appointments will also be available on 29th, 30th and 31st December at various offices across Highland, please contact your local Funeral Director who will advise.
Online services
Contact the Council anytime online to report a problem, ask for something or make a payment:
Bin Collections and Recycling Centres
Christmas Collections:
Caithness, Sutherland, Ross and Cromarty, Lochaber, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, and Skye and Lochalsh:
- Monday 22nd December 2025 will be collected on Saturday 20th December
- Thursday 25th December 2025 will be collected on Monday 22nd December
- Monday 29th December 2025 will be collected on Saturday 27th December
- Thursday 1st January 2026 will be collected on Monday 29th December
- Friday 2nd January 2026 will be collected on Saturday 3rd January
Collection days for Inverness:
- Monday 22nd December 2025 will be collected on Saturday 20th December
- Thursday 25th December 2025 will be collected between 22nd and 26th December
- Thursday 1st January 2026 will be collected between 29th December and 7th January
- Friday 2nd January 2026 will be collected between 3rd and 9th January
If your bin is not collected on these dates, leave it out, and we will collect it as soon as possible.
Boxing Day Collections
On Friday, 26th December, collections will operate as usual.
Household Waste Recycling Centres
Household Waste Recycling Centres will be closed on the 25th, 26th December and 1st and 2nd January.
For info on recycling centres visit www.highland.gov.uk/recyclingcentres
For 2025 bin calendars visit www.highland.gov.uk/bincalendars
Handy numbers in the event of an emergency
In an emergency dial 999 for the police, fire and ambulance service.
- For non-emergencies, you can contact the police on 101 and the fire service on 01382 835804.
Highland Council emergency out of hours phone numbers
- Health and social care - 0808 175 3646
- Roads, parks, flooding and street lighting - 01349 886690
- Housing, homelessness, and public buildings – 01349 886691
- Registration - 07818 588 203
Trunk road maintenance
BEAR Scotland (Northeast) - 0800 587 1107
https://www.bearscot.com/report-a-defect/
Other numbers
- Gas Freephone - 0800 111 999
- NHS 24 - Call free on 111 if you are ill and it can't wait until your regular NHS service reopens
- Police Scotland – 101 (for all services)
- Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - 01463 240999 (24 hours)
- Scottish and Southern Electric Freephone - 0800 300 999
- Scottish Water - 0800 0778 778 (24 hours)
- SEPA Floodline - 0345 988 1188
- SEPA Pollution hotline – 0800 807060 (24 hours)
Remember the importance of reaching out for help if this is needed over the festive period. If you or someone else is experiencing mental distress and you are worried about your own or someone else's immediate safety:
- Call 999 or go straight to A&E immediately. If you are calling for someone else, try to establish the person’s, name, contact details and location
If the crisis is not life-threatening but you are concerned for your own or somebody else’s mental wellbeing:
- Advise them to call NHS 24 on 111 or speak to their GP. The route into formal mental health services is through a GP surgery. If someone discloses to you that they are already being supported for their own mental health, it's useful to link them to where they are currently receiving support
Important Support Line Numbers and Links
• NHS 24 on 111
• Samaritans on 116 123
• Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87 (6pm Friday – 6am Monday & 6pm – 2am on weekdays)
• Mikeysline, Text 07786 20 77 55
• Shout, Text 85258
Other helplines:
- National Scottish Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline - 0800 027 1234
- LGBT Helpline Scotland 0300 123 2523
- CRUSE Bereavement Care Scotland – 0808 802 6161
- Childline - 0800 1111
Should you be concerned about a vulnerable adult, whether for care, welfare or mental health reasons, you can contact the following numbers:
- Adult Protection Concern helpline – 0800 902 0042 in office hours; and out of office hours or during holiday periods – 0808 175 3646