The deadline for Highland Council staff to submit appeals against their job evaluation outcomes has been extended for one month until 8 May, 2009 by the Council's Modernising Employment Sub Committee.   Members of the committee heard that there had been requests from some staff and the trade unions to extend the appeal date of 10 April 2009.   ... [more]

An improved protocol to manage the opening times for the Canal swing bridges at Tomnahurich and Muirtown, Inverness was approved at The Highland Council's TEC Services Committee (19 March).  The protocol will be implemented by British Waterways Scotland this Spring.   ... [more]

Motorists are being advised that a 20's Plenty Advisory speed limit has been introduced on the roads near Helmsdale Primary School for children's' safety.   Roundels depicting the 20 advisory speed limits are also soon to be painted on the carriageway by The Highland Council.   ... [more]

Proposals for a joint waste management strategy between Highland and Moray Councils have been given the green light by members of The Highland Council's TEC Services Committee.   Members approved a development option providing locally based solutions for dealing with waste.   ... [more]

Research by Highland Council lighting experts has shown that potential energy savings could be achieved over time by converting street lighting in the Highlands from existing sodium lanterns to white light lanterns with dimming facilities.   A desk top exercise was carried out by the Council's TEC Services on a typical residential housing area with 160, 6 metre high lighting columns fitted with 100w high pressure sodium lanterns.   ... [more]

DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 18th) sold 451 store cattle, 12 adult head of breeding cattle and 52 OTM cattle.  Bullocks (225) averaged 178.3p and sold to 213.5p per kg and £880 gross.   ... [more]

A report published by The Highland Council shows that a progressive fall in the number of housing completions in 2008 highlights the increasing impact of the current recession on the housing market.   In 2008, 1,471 new houses were completed; a 19% decrease on the 2007 figure of 1,806 new homes.   ... [more]

The Convener of The Highland Council Councillor Sandy Park has expressed his deep concerns at the recent decision by Royal Mail to withdraw five of the seven postbus services which serve some of the most remote and fragile areas within the Highlands.   In a letter to Adam Crozier, Chief Executive, of the Royal Mail Group, Councillor Park says the post buses, which have served these areas for many years, are excellent examples of shared services, and provide a joint solution for mail delivery and local transport in some of our most remote areas.   ... [more]

British Divers Marine Life Rescue - Celbrates 21 Years and 3000 Callouts 2009 sees the UKs leading and largest voluntary marine mammal rescue team celebrating it 21st Birthday this year and its achievement of responding to over 3000 call-outs.  Over 1200 of these call-outs have been responded to since BDMLR was sprung into the media spot light in 2006 when a whale swan up the River Thames.   ... [more]

Businesses will later this week have the chance to win up to £1,000 towards bilingual marketing and advertising when Inverness hosts a seminar on Gaelic and business.   The seminar, 'Gaelic - an economic opportunity for the Highlands and Islands', will be held on Friday March 20 and will host businesses such as the Glen Coe Ski Centre, Highland Airways and Crown Vets (in Inverness) on how Gaelic has helped their business through its use on company signs, websites, marketing, and amongst staff.   ... [more]

DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 17th) sold 94 prime cattle.  Prime bullocks (62) averaged 161.8p (-2.9p) and sold to 175p per kg and £1,342.50 gross.   ... [more]

Minisoft and TIC from Wick are just two of 16 teams getting ready for the next stage of the annual Youth Challenge in the Highlands and Islands.  The competition helps to encourage young people become entrepreneurial by focusing on ideas in the information, communications and technology sector.   ... [more]

Scotland's Housing Expo - The Highland Housing Fair has received an early boost with the promise of £15,000 of private sponsorship from Dunfermline Building Society.   The support was announced at the latest meeting of the Housing Fair's Board of Directors in Inverness, where the fair will be held in the summer of 2010.   ... [more]

A stump of concrete and steel is all that remains standing of one Britain's most historic nuclear research facilities from the 1950s.   Demolition contractor John Gunn is in the final stages of clearing away the reinforced shield that once surrounded the plutonium criticality cell pressure vessel.   ... [more]

DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (March, 11th) sold 3,225 store lambs, breeding & feeding sheep.   Lambs (1,494) averaged £50.17 and sold to £78 gross for Cheviots from East Clyne, Brora.   ... [more]

DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 10th) sold 79 prime cattle and 1711 prime sheep.  Prime bullocks (45) averaged 164.7p (+3.0p) and sold to 176p per kg and £1,135.20 gross.   ... [more]

DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts (March, 7th) sold 11 cattle, 38 sheep, 388 lots of poultry and 32 lots of poultry equipment at their poultry and rare breeds of livestock sale.  Cattle (11) sold to £800 for a Highland bull from Kentallen, Aros, Isle of Mull.   ... [more]

Over the last two decades, 600 businesses in The Highland Council area have received £2.5 million of support from the Princes Scotland Youth Business Trust (PSYBT).   The Trust, which has also supported a further 10,000 businesses across Scotland to the tune of £32 million, was established in 1989 and preparations are currently underway to celebrate it's 20th Birthday through a range of special events across the whole country.   ... [more]

The Highland Council is urging the UK Government to stimulate the housing and construction industry in the Highlands during the economic downturn by releasing much-needed funds.  The Council, which has a stock of 14,000 houses, is currently spending £15 million each year on loan charges to service its £146 million housing debt.   ... [more]

SEATER LANDFILL SITE, BOWER, CAITHNESS TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE SITE AND ACCESS ROAD LAST 2 WEEKENDS IN MARCH 2009 Please note that the above facility (and the access road thereto) will be closed on the following dates due to essential maintenance on the access road:- 2.00pm Friday 20th March to 8.00am Monday 23rd March 2.00pm Friday 27th March to 8.00am Monday 30th March The recycling centres at Wick and Thurso will be open on all of these dates between 11am and 4.00pm for householders to deposit their waste and recyclate We apologise for any inconvenience caused.  .   ... [more]