Every
Adult Must Be Accompanied By A Child The Christmas lectures are designed with children ages 11
years+ and young adults in mind but are engaging for people of all
ages.
This years lecture, Secrets ad Lies; The Hidden Power of Maths, is
being delivered by mathematician Dr Hannah Fry and will look at the
hidden numbers, rules and patterns that secretly control our daily
lives in ways we could never imagine. Using demonstrations and
experiments she will show us how to decode life's hidden numbers and
make better choices for a happier life.
Thursday 12th December 5.30 - 8.30pm Booking Required So Get
Going.
4 December 2019
Eco-friendly
addition to Caithness Rural Transport service
Caithness
Rural Transport has a new eco-friendly addition to its fleet which is
now up to 10 vehicles offering a transport service in Caithness. The
new electric minibus is cleaner and greener.
Not only do these vehicles create zero emissions, they are faster and
quieter and can create great savings in fuel and maintenance.
Triotaxi
service will bring cycling to those less able
Members
of Wick Wheelers cycling cub have taken possession of a rickshaw-style
Triotaxi.
This came about through groups in Wick working together. Befriending
Caithness works with elderly, isolated people in the community,
visiting them in their houses as well as young people visiting people
in local care homes.
A
Charolais cross bullock from Michael Shearer, Lythmore,
Show Winner Bought By Murray Lamond A
Charolais cross bullock from Michael Shearer, Lythmore,
Westfield, Thurso, took the prime cattle championship at Aberdeen and
Northern Marts' annual Christmas show and sale held at Caithness
Livestock Centre.
Tapped out by judge Bill Cameron, Burnside of Edingight, Grange, was a
20-month-old, home-bred bullock weighing 621kg.
Bred out of a Simmental cross Limousin dam, he sold for £3000 to Murray
Lamont and his daughter Jennifer, of Mackays Hotel, Wick, who were
buying at the event for the 22nd consecutive year.
Business Index
The
Crew of 'Revival' medning Nets at Scrabster Harbour Today Crew
members of the Fraserburgh registered fishing vessel Revival FR316
making repairs to their nets at Scrabster Harbour. Note where the
fisherman in the centre keeps his knife for easy access.
2 December 2019
Towhead
At Wick Harbour Today Darren
More has posted the great photo on Facebook of the Towhead at Wick
harbour today. It is heading for the Subsea7 yard at Wester
The
Stroma Boat 'BEE' The
Stroma cattle boat called 'Bee' was rescued from, its slow but
inevitable, disintegration and rebuilt by John William Laird of
Eastend, Duncansby.
Climate
Action Funding Proposal
- Would Your Group Want To Be Invovled? Thurso Community Development Trust working in
partnership
with Lairg Learning Centre are intending to submit an initial project
proposal to the new TNL Climate Action Fund to develop a project across
Caithness and Sutherland which aims to change behaviours in our
community in order to take action against Climate Change. We will be
looking at various options including encouraging Zero Waste, Local Food
Growing and Food Waste Minimisation to change behaviours in the face of
the Climate Emergency. If
you
are interested in being involved no later than Friday 6th December.
26 November 2019
Royal
Navy Boats At Wick Harbour In July John
Hay has taken many photographs with a martime flavour and
include some for his 2020 calendar now on sale. One missed out onthe
calendar due to sizes. This view of Wick harbour shows possibly one of
the largest gatherings of Royal Navy boats for a long time. 3 Royal
Navy Archer Class Patrol vessels, HMS Example P165, HMS Puncher P291
& HMS Explorer P164. To see a bigger photo right click on it
and
open in a new tab. The calendar for sale can be found HERE
House
Design Advice From Thermohaus
The
next in a series of articles with advice for anyone thinking about
self-buildfor
a new home.
What are the elements of a good design?
Who is going to design your new house?
Do you need an architect?
There are links to the earlier articles at the bottom of the page Finding And Buying Land For Your Self Build Home
Building Your Own Home Is Easier Than You May Think
Can You Afford To Build Your Own Home
How to Finance Your Self-build New home
Prior
to that the Store was briefly an Ethel Austin store Woolworth closed in 2008.
15 November 2019
Candidates
confirmed for UK Parliamentary general election 2019 18 candidates are seeking election on Thursday 12 December
2019
for the three Highland UK Parliamentary general election
constituencies.
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency has attracted 5
candidates; Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency 7 candidates; and
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency 6 candidates.
5 November 2019
North
Highland College UHI celebrates diamond year
North
Highland College UHI celebrates a milestone this
year with 60
years in education. North Highland College UHI first opened in 1959 as
Thurso Technical College to serve the training needs for Dounreay.
Since then the college has become part of the University of the
Highlands and Islands (UHI) and are one of 13 academic partners that
make up the university. North Highland College UHI has seen many
changes over the years with the curriculum and geographic coverage
expanding significantly......................The college also has
campuses in Halkirk, Dornoch and Alness. North Highland College UHI
would love to hear from past and present staff and students with
stories and images of their time at the college. If you have any photos
or memorabilia from the last 60 years please email
nhcmarketing@uhi.ac.uk.
4 November 2019
Businesses
and Groups Invited To Old Woolies Building - Bring Your Ideas
The
old Woolworth building in Market Square, Wick is lying empty
and unused.
The Wick Community Council is looking for any ideas from businesses
or/and local groups for possible uses.
A solution could be found for a single use or perhaps shared and the
community council wants something done to bring it into use.
Get along and bring your ideas to the consultants and help Wick build a
business plan for the building.
Regain the High Street.
3 November 2019
A
Lone Seal On The Wick River
The
lone seal may be on the lookout for some salmon on the river Wick. Seemingly
unperturbed by the attentionwhile relaxing on the end of a pipe that sits just below
the surface of the water at high tide.
2 November 2019
Toolkit
to improve early literacy skills across region
An
Emerging Literacy Toolkit developed as one of the Northern
Alliance's key workstreams has been designed to help improve early
literacy skills across the region.
Recently endorsed by all eight participating local authorities, the
toolkit was developed by James Cook, Depute Head Teacher of Milton of
Leys Primary School in Inverness. James was seconded to the regional
improvement collaborative and recently returned to teaching after
completing the toolkit.
James' work has been extremely well-received by teachers, early years
practitioners, councillors and senior education officials. In
explaining what drives his passion for improving literacy skills, James
explained: "Literacy, language and communication skills are a passport
to life and work. Having worked closely with occupational therapists,
speech and language therapists and educational psychologists to develop
the networks of practice across the Northern Alliance, I've had my eyes
opened to the wealth of skills that children require to succeed in
reading and writing.
TOOLKIT link inside
1 November 2019
BT
Public Payphone Consultation - 55 To Be Objected To By Highland
Council
BT
are proposing to remove 110 payphones across The Highland
Council area.
Under Ofcom guidelines, the Local Authorities are responsible for
co-ordinating consultation responses on behalf of their local community
for any proposed removal of public payphones.
Objections to removal can be made, but this must be based on evidence
of need.
Following a two-phase community consultation, Highland Council has
received 163 representations regarding BT's proposals to remove 110
public call boxes from across the Highland region. On 7 November 2019,
Members of the Council's Environment, Development and Infrastructure
committee will be asked to consider and agree a response to BT.
Wick
High Street Sees Change High
Streets every where are under pressure but stil new businesses are
stating up to fill some gaps. Newlwy opened at 45 High
Street, Wick is Cafe Express in the premises recently occupied by Divas
and Dudes children's clothes store.
29 October 2019
Two
Caithness Community Councils Collapse As Failure to Get Enough
Candidates
Caithness West and Tannach and District community Counils
failed to get
enough candidates by the nomination deadline yeasterday.
Thurso and Watten community councils will have postal ballots
as they attracted more nominations than positions......There
is a withdrawal period between Wednesday 30th and 4pm on Friday 1
November where candidates for these 20 community councils can choose to
withdraw their nomination. Ballot papers will be posted out on Friday
15 November and must be returned by 12 noon Wednesday, 4 December 2019.
Trustees of
the The John O Groats Trail and members of the
steering group for the Northern Pilgrims' Way had a joint meeting on
the 24th October at the Bannockburn Inn, Helmsdale. The main item for
discussion was how they could co-operate to further the aims of both
groups. The Northern Pilgrims' Way is a fairly new group who are
working to re-establish the ancient pilgrimage route between St
Duthac's, Tain and St Magnus Cathedral, Kikwall. As parts of the
pilgrimage route overlap with the JOGT,which follows the coast from
Inverness to John O Groats, it seemed sensible for both groups to work
together. The NPW will benefit from the greater experience and higher
profile of the more-established JOGT and the JOGT will benefit from the
added historical interest in the places on their route and, hopefully,
an increase in the numbers of people walking the route.
Highland
Council Cuts 800,000+ Miles With Enterprise Car Club Saving
£400,000
Highland
Council saves £400,000 And 377 Tonnes Of CO2 In First 12 Months With
Enterprise.
The Highland Council has reduced its annual business mileage by more
than 825,000 miles and made cost savings in excess of £400,000 in the
first 12 months since introducing Enterprise Car Club, part of global
vehicle rental group, Enterprise Holdings. This represents a 15%
reduction in overall business travel costs. The council's grey fleet
mileage has fallen by nearly a quarter (22%) and its overall business
mileage has dropped by 13%. A fleet of 60 Enterprise Car Club vehicles
located across 21 Highland Council offices is now available for booking
by the hour or day by employees who would have previously used a
private car and claimed mileage reimbursement, sometimes referred to as
the ‘grey fleet'. Enterprise Car Club is also used as an alternative to
daily rental in many locations, as it has proven to be a more efficient
choice.
Teaming
Up To Tackle Entanglement In Fishing Gear
In
the first workshop of its kind in Europe, creel fishermen and women
from around Scotland gathered in the Highlands to tackle the problem of
marine animal entanglement.
Organised by the Scottish Entanglement Alliance (SEA) and funded by the
University Innovation Fund through Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), 20
creel fishermen and women from the Clyde up to Shetland travelled to
Ullapool to work alongside project partners with the aim of encouraging
better reporting of entanglements, widen Scotland's existing
entanglement response network, and share insights to better understand,
mitigate and respond to incidents.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), the Scottish Marine Animal
Stranding Scheme (SMASS), the Scottish Creel Fishermen's Federation
(SCFF), Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and Scottish Natural
Heritage (SNH) provided training in the first in a series of workshops.
Gail
Ross MSP Has Launched A Consultation On Remote Rural Communities
At
a gathering in Wick town hall on Monday 28th October 2019 Gail Ross MSP
launched a consultation on a remote rural communities bill that would
be similar protection for mainland communities as the 2018 Islands Act
for Scottish islands.
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross MSP Gail Ross is proposing the
legislation, which would mean public bodies would have to take the
impact on remote rural communities into account when making policy.
The Islands Act sets out duties for Scottish ministers and a new bill
would also create a duty for Scottish ministers to publish a national
remote rural plan.
27 October 2019
Councillor
Struan Mackie Promoting Dounreay Expertise in Japan As
part of the nuclear sector deal, to foster ever-stronger links between
the British and Japanese nuclear industry, Councillor Struan Mackie who
represents Thurso and North West Caithness (Deputy-Chair of the
Dounreay Stakeholder Group) undertook a five day Japanese visit to
discuss the impact of nuclear decommissioning on local communities with
stakeholders in Tsuruga City, Fukui prefecture.
The whistle-stop visit included two days in Tsuruga on , the home of
the Japanese Atomic Energy Agencies fast reactor ‘Monju', is generally
regarded to be a ‘partner plant' to Dounreay's PFR in Caithness. The
trip, supported by the British Embassy, also included a formal meeting
with Tsuruga City's Mayor Takanoby Fuchikami and the delivery of a
speech on the Caithness and North Sutherland Community at the British
Embassy.
New
Ferry mv Alfred Set For First Crossing Of Pentland Firth
Friday
1st November 2019 will see the first trip with passengers and vehicles.
mv Alfred can carry up to 430 passengers and 98 cars, or 54 cars and 12
articulated vehicles/coaches. The company has anticipated that in
future there should be no problems getting booked on.
Still
Tme To Bid In the Brochtober Auction
Some great pieces on offer from artists in support of the Caithness
Broch project. These pieces were imagined and created by 42 artists (and
1 poet!), each with their own vision and ideas inspired by the brief we
gave them: to create a piece of work based on brochs, their place in
the landscape, the finds from within them, and their shape. We also
offered the artists the opportunity to base their work on the art and
life of John Nicolson, a local farmer who assisted in a number of early
excavations of brochs in Caithness, as well as being a self-taught
painter and carver.
Online auction closes 10pm Sunday 27th October
Final auction night hosted by Lyth Arts Centre and run by Cashpoint
Auctions, 7-9pm Friday 1st November.
Planning
Successful Crofting Succession
Crofters
planning for the often daunting and complex process of passing their
business on to the next generation are being offered the chance to
register for a bespoke webinar.
Crofters face unique challenges whether that be crofting law, remote
markets or generally smaller business sizes.
Facilitated by SAC Consulting - part of Scotland's Rural College, the
Crofting Succession webinar will guide crofters through the steps of
the succession journey including how to start the conversation, who to
involve and how to make sure all generations are heard.
22 October 2019
Parking
Charges Debate - New Off-street Parking Charges Could Generate
Local Investment
A
new off-street parking policy which could generate
income for local investment, will be considered on Thursday by members
of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure (EDI) Committee.
Chair of the
Committee, Cllr Allan Henderson said: "The Council manages
infrastructure comprising some 4,000 miles of roads, 100 harbours,
1,400 bridges and over 200 schools. Each year, there is a reducing pot
of money to invest in local infrastructure and services, and to find
solutions for tourist congestion and traffic management across the
region.
The threat for local coucnillors In 2018 was and is still
there -
"Where local/ city committees decide not to apply new charges or
increase charges and this results in a shortfall against budgeted sums
agreed by Council, then local/city committees will agree how to deal
with the shortfall of income, i.e. they will decide which other
Community Services budgets to reduce. They will make these decisions
based on evidence, including workforce implications and they can engage
communities on the options for service reductions."
Is
It Crunch time For Parking Charges? A
special meeting of the Environment, Development and Infrastructure
Committee of Highland council has been called for Thursday 24th October
2019 at 10.30am in council chambers in Inverness.
The only agenda item is 'Off Street' parking but as of today (Sunday 20
October 2019) the paper has still to be published on the web page. It
is likely that parking charges would be referred to local councillors
for decisions according to previous papers and the one produced for the
Redesign Board on 1ST MAY 2018.
16 October 2019
Wick
Street Design - Get Along Or Do It Online but Do Put Your Ideas Forward We
have heard it for years "Why is no one doing anything about the centre
of Wick"Well
now finally something is happening but first Sustrans who have been
commissioned to come up with something want to hear from you.Separate
from thatthe
newly formed Wick
Development Trustwill
take a hard look at what comes out of any report.. And things
are
happening such as the council have agreed to resurface the riverside
car park and make some other changes in that area. The newly
formed trust is in the process of getting its legal documents in order
but first lets hear from as many people as possible in this survey as a
first step.
15 October 2019
Dunnet
Bay Distillers Is Scottish Gin Distillery Of The Year At The Scottish
Gin Awards 2019
The
national awards programme which celebrates excellence in Scottish gin
has revealed the names of the best gins made in Scotland this year, as
part of its 3rd annual competition.
The Scottish Gin Awards revealed the winners last night following a
rigorous judging process involving 30 leading experts from across the
UK, the assessment of 104 written entries and the blind tasting of 173
gins, all distilled in Scotland.
The ultimate award, Scottish Gin Distillery of the Year, was presented
to Caithness-based Dunnet Bay Distillers after phenomenal growth in
demand for their Rock Rose Gins worldwide.
2 October 2019
Blasting
At Berriedale Braes - Change Of Date
CHANGE OF DATE) 8th and 15th October 2019
RJ McLeod (Contractors) Ltd has been progressing the construction of
the road alignment works on the A9 at Berriedale Braes on behalf of
Transport Scotland. Further to the previous notice, our recent blast on
the 24th September was more successful than anticipated. This has
resulted in the requirement to process significantly more rock than
originally envisaged.
Time
Running Out For Telephone Box Consultation 2019
The
Highland council has been running a consultation about the removal of
110 telephone boxes in Highland. The last list showed there had been no
objections for the removal of Caithness telephone boxes in Castletown,
Halkirk and Latheron.
The consultation closes - no later than 23:59 on 24/10/2019.
Taste
North - The Food Festival At John O'Groats Taste
North 2019 - Sunday 6th October 2019 11am to 4.30pm at
Together Travel - John O'Groats. Taste North 2019 will feature
many foodie and family activities throughout the day including chef's
demonstrations, cocktail masterclasses and workshops. Our incredible
guest of honour this year is Jean Christophe Novelli who will conduct a
number of live cooking demonstrations and be charged with choosing the
winner of the annual baking contest, the Taste North Challenge.
Our
Exhibitor's Market will
offer everyone the opportunity to sample food from local eateries and
producers, taste our local tipples and see an array of artisan crafts
from right here in Caithness & Sutherland. For families there
will
be plenty of children's entertainment and various opportunities for
them to get their hands sticky and learn where their food comes from.
Entry To The
Festival is FREE but make sure you have your parking
ticket if local for free parking otherwise its £2.
30 September
Could
You Help Shape The Future Of Wick High Street?
Wickers
are being given the chance to help transform their High Street into a
more vibrant, accessible and a welcoming place for everyone to spend
time in, as part of the Town Centre Regeneration.
The Wick Street Design project is being delivered by Sustrans Scotland
in partnership with The Highland Council, Royal Burgh of Wick Community
Council and Local Councillors.
Local residents, business and community groups are invited to drop in
to the Highland Council Offices between 2:00 and 6:00pm on Thursday
17th October 2019 to find out more about the project. There will also
be refreshments as well as child-friendly activities.
There also will be an evening session between 7:00-9:00pm at the
Pulteney Centre.
innogy
Launches Flexible Wind Farm Fund To Increase Employment Potential
·
Bad á Chẹ Wind Farm Education & Training Fund created to
benefit local residents.
· £133,250 fund per annum now open for applications from residents and
community groups.
Following extensive local consultation on the use of the
renewables community fund associated with Bad á Chẹ Wind Farm, innogy
Renewables UK is delighted that local community councils have agreed to
increase its flexibility by distributing the monies not only to
community groups but also to individual residents for the purposes of
increasing their employment potential. Now open for applications, the
Bad á Chẹ Wind Farm Community Fund, valued at £133,250 per annum and
index linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI), will enable the funding
of local community projects as well as bursaries to access training and
education opportunities for individuals living within the community
council areas of Latheron, Lybster & Clyth, Halkirk District
and
Watten.
19 September 2019
Community
Projects Benefit Over £80k In CNS Fund Latest Funding
Seven community projects are to benefit from over £80k of
funding following the Caithness & North Sutherland Fund's
latest grant awards. CNSFund Chairperson David Glass said "Our latest
funding includes improvements to youth activities, community and
recreational facilities as well as progressing an ambitious project to
establish a major visitor attraction in Caithness. We are pleased to
have received a good level of applications and we continue to encourage
community groups to come forward with proposals that will enhance the
Caithness & North Sutherland area."
11 September 2019
Wick
Indoor Market First Day Success The
First Saturday of the trial Indoor Market in the foyer of the Caithness
Council offices in Wick was a great success. Three more
Saturdays
will see a different variety of stalls. The venture is part
of
the Wick's community council activities to try to increase footfall in
the town centre.
3 September 2019
Dounreay
Apprentices Celebrate Completion Of Training Scheme
Seven
Dounreay apprentices have received their indenture certificates at a
special event to mark the successful conclusion of their 4-year
training programme.
The latest group ‘graduating' joined the company in 2015 - the 60th
year apprentices had been part of the workforce at Dounreay and the
first time in more than a decade that design office apprentices had
been recruited.
24 August 2019
A Life
Time Of Adventures In Glass - Solo Exhibition By Denis Mann
Currently
on at North Lands Creative in Lybster, Caithness " A
Life Time of Adventures in Glass" a solo exhibition by renowned
Caithness artist and craftsman, Denis Mann. This retrospective
collection features highly regarded works spanning Denis' accomplished
career.
Denis joined Caithness Glass in 1970 where he worked for many years as
an artist, designer and engraver. Today Denis works as an independent
artist and engraver at his studio in Wick. Among Denis's many
accolades, he is perhaps most acclaimed for his work designing and
engraving the Master Mind Trophy.
20 August 2019
Action
and Adventure For Young People With Air Cadets
In Caithness If
you're a fan of aviation, action and adventure, love sports
and getting to know people then you're in the right place. Every year
nearly 56,000 air cadets and volunteer staff take part in exciting
events all over the country. And with over 1,000 squadrons across the
UK, you could be one of them.
19 August 2019
A
Warm Highland Welcome For Probationer Teachers
One
hundred and seventeen (117) probationer teachers were recently welcomed
to Highland at an Induction course held at Millburn Academy in
Inverness.
The probationer teachers' induction day is the first of a number of
professional learning events throughout the year specifically arranged
to support probationer teacher induction and their ongoing professional
learning.
18 August 2019
Black
Saturday Anniversary Flotilla of Boats At Wick Bay
- Photos Black
Saturday was, as reported at the time, a ‘fearful calamity'. In Wick
Bay, alone, some 37 fishermen lost their lives, with countless more
perishing around the coasts. Black Saturday, tragedy as it was, only
accounts for a small proportion of the total numbers of seafarers lost
to the sea along the Caithness coasts, over the decades. To recognise
and remember all those seafarers who lost their lives, a Seafarers
Memorial Group has been established with the aim of designing and
erecting an appropriate memorial that will provide a lasting place of
remembrance. 40 boats sailed out with the flotilla into Wick
Bay where wreaths were laid.
13 August 2019
Public
Warned Of Algal Bloom Presence At Loch Watten, Caithness
The Highland Council is warning the public of the presence
of an
algal bloom at Loch Watten, Caithness, following an examination of
sample water on Monday (12/08/19).
As a precautionary measure, environmental health have posted notices
next to the water body, warning that contact with the algal scum or
material should be avoided. Adjoining landowners and fishing interests
have been advised of the situation as have NHS Highland and SEPA.
Archaeology
Dig to start at Iron Age site in Caithness
The
University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute, in
partnership with the Yarrows Heritage Trust, are preparing for a fourth
season of excavation at the Burn of Swartigill in Thrumster, Caithness,
Scotland.
Previous seasons of excavation at the site have uncovered a complex of
Iron Age structures, which are providing an important window into Iron
Age society away from the monumental architecture of the
Brochs.
The 2019 excavations commence on 19th of August and will continue until
8th of September. The site is located near Thrumster House, a few miles
south of Wick......Tours are available and the archaeologists will be
on site every day of the week between Monday 19th and Thursday 29th of
August 2019. The excavation will then continue from Tuesday 3rd of
September until Sunday 8th of September 2019.
Volunteers are welcome and you don't need any archaeological experience
to take part. Contact studyarchaeology@uhi.ac.uk for more information
or arrive on the day!
10 August 2019
Black
Saturday Anniversary Flotilla of Boats At Wick Bay
Black
Saturday was, as reported at the time, a ‘fearful
calamity'. In Wick Bay, alone, some 37 fishermen lost their lives, with
countless more perishing around the coasts.
Black Saturday, tragedy as it was, only accounts for a small proportion
of the total numbers of seafarers lost to the sea along the Caithness
coasts, over the decades. To recognise and remember all those seafarers
who lost their lives, a Seafarers Memorial Group has been established
with the aim of designing and erecting an appropriate memorial that
will provide a lasting place of remembrance.
Black Saturday, so named, happened on the morning of Saturday 19th
August 1848 when the scale of the tragedy became obvious. The boats
left as usual on the Friday afternoon but by the evening, the
beginnings of a colossal storm became evident. Many of the boats began
to head for home but in the early hours of the morning the severity of
the storm caused boats to crash against each other as they tried to
gain the mouth of the harbour.
By way of remembrance of those lost during Black Saturday, and the many
more seafarers lost over the years, the Seafarers Memorial Group, along
with others, have organised a commemorative wreath laying ceremony on
Sunday 18th August 2019.
From 2pm on Sunday 18th
August 2019
a flotilla of boats, led by the Isabella Fortuna will leave Wick
Harbour and assemble in Wick Bay where a wreath will be laid in the
waves.
9 August 2019
UNIQUE
STEAM DRIFTER LOTTIE 'SAILS' HOME TO WICK
An
unique ship from the 'golden era' of Wick's herring catching
and food-processing industries has 'sailed back' to her home-port, over
70 years since she ceased having a prominent role at Wick Harbour.
A fine model of the Wick steam drifter Lottie (WK 15) has been
bequeathed to The Wick Society by the family of late Mr Jack Slorach,
who served for decades at the school dentist for the county of
Sutherland.
Lottie is unique in being the only stream drifter built at Wick that
went on to spend her entire 40-year career based at the Caithness port.
Mr Slorach was a keen collector of model ships and other antiques at
his home in Golspie.
Wind
Farms and Other Community Funders in Caithness Listings Recently we have been building a listing of
communcity grant fundersavailable
to Caithness organisations.
Just added are the Achlachan Wind Farm Fund and
the Achlachan Mini Fund.
The funders all have different criteria and
boundary areas but at least you can now quickly find the web sites for
all the information and application forms all in one place.
If anyone know of other funders not yet in our listing please
send details to bill@caithness.org to add to the listing.
John
O'Groat Mill Trust Wins £1,000 Movement For Good award
The John O'Groats Mill Trust has won a £1,000 Movement for
Good
award thanks to nominations from the public. The John O'Groats Mill
Trust was nominated to win a £1,000 boost as part of specialist insurer
Ecclesiastical's Movement for Good awards , which is giving £1million
to charities this summer. Members of the public were invited to
nominate causes close to their hearts, with 500 gifts of £1,000
available for donation. The John O'Groats Mill Trust was one more than
7,000 charities which were nominated by an amazing 98,000 members of
the public to be in for a chance to win a financial boost.
Rare
Bird In Caithness - Pink or Rose Coloured Starling
Spotted
by crofters Stephen and Susan Cox on Thursday 25th July 2019 was a rare
visitor to Roster in Caithness. "A pink starling aka the Rosy Coloured
Starling is staying on our croft."
24 July 2019
Living
Well Event - Book Now 11
September 2019 - The Nucleus, Wick If you are living with any long term condition in the
Highland
area this event is for YOU!
Specialist talks on Self Management, Living with Fatigue, Pain
Management and Hope will be available via video link to all venues.
Exhibitors at each venue will offer you the opportunity to find out
more about local services.
WHOOPS
XXIII A
great chance to see what the junior Thurso Players havebeen
learning at the workshops in recent months.
The
McDonald Collection - Wick photo exhibition
HUNDREDS
of photographs of Wick life spanning more than
half a century are to go on show during the town's gala week.
They will form an exhibition called The McDonald Collection being held
at the St Fergus Church Hall for one day only on Wednesday, 31st July
2019.
On display will be more than 450 prints from the archives of McDonald
Photographers, the family business in Shore Lane run for many years by
Janet McDonald and her late husband Ian.
There will be a mix of black-and-white and colour photographs taken at
community events, special occasions and other assignments covered by
the McDonalds in Wick and district from around 1950 until the early
2000s.
Sunday Family Fun Day Events 28th July Spoilt for choice with two family fun events Dunnet
BayRumster
Forest So get the kids out for the day.
21 July 2019
Adaptive
athletes aiming to smash world records at Mey Highland Games
FOLLOWING
last year's new World Records, athletes from around the world are
preparing to raise the bar even higher. In 2018 Mey Highland Games
became Scotland's first ever Para Highland Games.
Athletes from Help for Heroes, Uncle Sam's Highlanders and Lothian
Disability Sport attending the 2019 Games.
Pioneering Games secures support of the Duke of Windsor's Invictus
Foundation.
Competitors from around the world are in training to attend the Mey
Highland Games 2019, including adaptive athletes from across the UK,
the United States and Australia.
SATURDAY 3rd
AUGUST 2019 10.00AM - 4.00PM
20 July 2019
Caithness
County Show 2019 - Saturday Photos Start HERE Hundreds
of photos now added to the gallery including mosot of the days
happenings - horses, clydesdales, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs,
children's races, people, champions parade, vintage tractors parade,
sheaf tossing, dog show, and many many more around the show today.
Caithness
County Show 2019 - Friday Evening and All Day Saturday Another
great county show in store for the weekend at Riverside, Wick.
The weather forecast is for light showers but not until after
4.00pm. Possibilty of a light shower before 10.00am so we
have a 6 hour window when hoepfully things should be fine.
But hey this is Caithness and we all know all weather is
possible at any time. It never rains on the golf course or
the county show - you just go and enjoy it. See you all there.
Can
You Afford To Build Your Own Home?
Peter Body of Thermohaus
sets out the finance This
is the second article in a series to help anyone thinking of building
their own house by seting out the basics, the finance and much more to
show how anyone can do it with the right advice. Before you begin
planning your new home it is imperative you set a budget. And, as your
build progresses, you must monitor the spend to ensure you stay within
budget. We've all seen the TV self-build programmes such Grand Designs
and the mess some self-builders get themselves into. The first article published recently was - Building
Your Own Home Is Easier Than You May Think
17 July 2019
Community
Fund Awards Over £70k To Support Leisure Activities!
The
Caithness & North Sutherland Fund has committed over £70k to
six
community projects in its latest round of grant awards. CNSFund
Chairperson David Glass said "This latest investment supports
improvements to recreational amenities and events in Caithness
&
North Sutherland, helping to ensure that people living and visiting our
area can enjoy a high standard of leisure activities. All of these
projects are overseen by volunteers who work hard to improve the
quality of life for our communities and we are pleased to support them
in achieving their plans."
9 July 2019
Thurso
Heritage Society Talk - A Top Detective Came From Thurso
Thurso
Heritage Society will host an illustrated talk and book signing with
the guest speaker, author Adam Wood at the Royal British Legion, 7:30
pm Friday 19th July 2019 with a book signing, 10 am - 1 pm Saturday
20th July at Thurso Library.
The book, is the first biography about Thurso born, Donald Swanson who
would begin life in humble beginnings. He left the far north of
Scotland for London in 1867 and became the top detective in the country
in charge of the C. I. D. (Criminal Investigation Department)
7 July 2019
Green
Road Playpark, Wick Refurbished By Volunteers A
group of about a dozen volunteers have done a huge amount of work on
refurbishing the playpark equipment at Green Road, Wick. Old equipment
was repaired and everything got a lick of paint. Some new items that
had been languishing in a council store were built up and installed. On
big basket swing even had some part made by a 3D printer when they
could not source spares from the manufacturers as they no longer had
that line. The high school made the parts and you can see them in white
in the photo as all the other parts are black. New goalposts have been
obtained and installed and the pitch lined. Funds raised from various
sources and more is yet to come as the group shortly hope to install a
zip slide also sitting in a council store. Local contractors have
pitched and the council workmen offered advice on safety and how to do
a few things. Well done to all concerned as this really was a community
project with a great result. There was plenty to see and do for kids
including Face painting and goal scoring skills against Wick Academy
goal keeper.
Friends
of Green Road Playpark FACEBOOK
External
Force Asked To Review Death Of Kevin Mcleod
Police Scotland has asked for an independent review into
the
death of a man whose body was recovered from Wick Harbour more than 20
years ago.
Senior representatives of Police Scotland and the Crown Office and
Procurator Fiscal Service met with the family of Kevin Mcleod earlier
today to inform them that, following consultation with the Lord
Advocate, Chief Constable Iain Livingstone has requested Merseyside
Police carry out a detailed review of the case under the direction of
the Crown.
The initial investigation into Mr Mcleod's death in 1997 by Northern
Constabulary will be reviewed, along with all further inquiries carried
out by Police Scotland since its formation in 2013.
Mr Mcleod, an electrician, was last seen in the early hours of February
8, 1997, as he enjoyed a night out with friends in the Caithness town.
His body was recovered from the sea the following day.
Lyth
Summer Exhibition Launch
- Saturday 6th July 4.00 - 8.00pm Join
us for the opening of our Summer Exhibition Mountains Underwater:
Stroma.
The exhibition also features work by local artists, film and audio
recordings of Stroma histories, island artefacts and extracts of recent
UHI research conducted on the island.
Join us from 4pm for a first look and a celebratory drink at the
opening of this exciting new exhibition.
All welcome
Highlands
and Islands MSP raises concerns about cancelled operations
Operations
had to be cancelled across NHS Highland because hospitals simply could
not cope, new figures reveal.
Data published by ISD Scotland shows that 45 operations were cancelled
in May 2019 due to non-clinical reasons such as not having enough staff
or unclean equipment.
LeisureLink
Partners added in time for Summer - More With Your Highlife Card
Just
in time for the school holidays LiveBorders has joined the LeisureLink
partnership to provide access for highlife leisure members holidaying
in the Borders this summer, and adding another eight leisure centres to
the partnership.
This means that highlife members can now enjoy gym and swim at leisure
facilities when on holiday in the Borders, Western Isles, Argyll and
Bute, Orkney and Moray for free as part of their existing membership.
Sports Index