News Archive - January 2003
[December 2002] [February 2003]
30th January 2003
Bobby
And Bhreadh
By special request we are starting a section
on Dogs in Caithness. and yes we will be happy to add a
picture of any dogs in Caithness to the gallery that will be created
shortly. Meantime here are a couple of pictures of two happy
pooches out for their stroll early this morning at Wick river in the
snow.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
A9 Trunk Road
Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness Improvements
Phase 2 Route Options
Mon 3rd to Fri 14th Feb 2003
The Scottish Executive is extending consultation on the
A9 Helmsdale to Ord of Caithness Improvements Phase 2 Route Options. The
Exhibition material shown at the Exhibitions held in Helmsdale and Latheron
on 27th and 28th November 2002 will be displayed in an A3 booklet at Wick and Thurso Libraries between 3 and 14 Feb. A questionnaire will be available for people to send in their
views.
29th January 2003
Forss
House Hotel - New Web Site From Scorrie Internet
Scorries
Internet Services the business side of Caithness.Org is pleased
to launch another local Caithness web site.
Forss
House Hotel sits by the river in a perfect position with views
of the mill and waterfall. The new web site has its own
picture galleries of the hotel and the immediate area.
Geese Passing
Caithness.Org Door
These
guys have been passing by on a number of days making a fine old
racket and
taking no nonsense from some local dogs that they chased after a
short barking session.
Highland Health Council Back Up to Strength With New Members
The Highland Health Council recent
appointments for Ross-shire and Inverness-shire of Cathel Macaskill
and Cathy Stafford bring the council back up to strength.
Despite the recent upsurge in new bodies such as patients councils
and representatives on GP Cooperatives the Health Council remains
the officially recognised body to help patients with complaints and
other advice on a range of issues.
More History Comes To Life At Laidhay Croft Thanks To CASE
Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) is giving
history a helping hand with a grant for the Laidhay Croft Museum at
Dunbeath. The Laidhay Preservation Trust has been awarded
£5,700 via the Community Economic Development (CED) programme -
administered by the development agency - to build a shed in which to
display historic crofting tools.
Marie Curie
Daffodil Day 2003
Volunteers to help collect for a couple of hours on Saturday 8th
March in Wick & Thurso
Call 01463 238 328 for information.
Lanergill School
Another old school in the Caithness countryside.
Old Schools Index
28th January 2003
Early
John O'Groats From The Air
Here is John O'Groats from some years back. We do not have a year
for the picture but the area is much emptier than now.
Check it against our more
modern aerial pictures.
BROADBAND WILL MAKE CONNECTED COMMUNITIES A REALITY IN WESTERN ISLES
A project manager has been appointed to oversee the £1.5 million Connected
Communities project, which aims to deliver wireless broadband across the
Western Isles. John Black, a radio telecoms consultant, took over as
project manager this month. The timing of his appointment coincides with a
major survey of over 1,000 Western Isles-based businesses to establish
their broadband requirements.
Sand
Yachts From Earlier Days In Action
Bob Levens now sends us a picture from the early
days of the Sand Yachting club that was all the rage for a number of years
in Caithness. Although that has long since goen the modern Kite
Buggying is growing in strength with more folk taking it up every year.
We hope to bring you more news of further kite buggying courses and days
in Caithness to take place at Easter and in the summer. Meantime if
anyone has more Sand Yachting pictures we would be happy to add them to
the section.
Epilepsy Support Group Initiative
The Nerve Centre web site for neurological
conditions currently has an item about a possible new Epilepsy support
group they are trying to help into existence. If anyone would like
to assist with this or wants more details then they should contact the
organisers via the Nerve Centre web site.
27th January 2003
There
Is Life After Birth
Lorna and Christine met each other in Craig Dunain in
Inverness where they were both being treated for Post Natal depression.
They clicked with each other in the way that only women can do when they
share similar experiences and problems. The friendship they struck
forged a bond that they still share four years later. They have
now opened a web site and help line........now listed in our
Health and Welfare
Section.
A Short History Of
Sand Yachting
Sand
Yachting may have been overtaken by Kite Buggying but Bob Levens
searching through his fathers old papers shows that the sport in
Scotland was started by the Caithness club. He has also uncovered
amongst other things a short history of sand yachting showing the
Caithness was following in a long line of people interested in using the
wind to get themselves moving at speed. We hope to encourage more
of the Kite Buggying this year in the county but hopefully Bob will find
more items of interest harking back to the yachting days.
The
Boars Of Duncansby
Paul Doherty took this picture of one of the
famous stretches of water on the Caithness coast. The "Boars of
Duncansby" are a fast moving stretch of water in the Pentland Firth
caused by a combination of tidal race and strong currents. A boat
losing engine power and caught here is soon swept away. And this
is just one of several extreme waters in the firth.
Pentland Skerries And A Rainbow
Another picture from Paul Doherty showing the ever
changing sky over the Pentland Firth looking to the Skerries
Seater
- Canisbay
This picture of Seater was taken by Paul Doherty on Christmas Day.
Wick Pipe Band Launch 2003 Programme of Events
Wick Pipe Band have set out tier programme for 2003
including the dates for their increasingly popular Pipe Band Week
and weekly summer shows which are a mix of Scottish entertainment
ranging through Scottish Dance Band, singers, dancers and the odd
comical quip from the compere.
"Hats"
By Jenny Stewart
Another
Caithness Dialect Poem
How div ye feel aboot hey-gear? Div ye weyre
them or leyve yur heyd bare,
Ah mosst admit ah'm a convert, though ah do lek e win in ma hair,
26th January 2003
Alexander
Bain Memorial
He thought above himself and so he helped to raise a new world industry.
The memorial to one of the inventors and
engineers that Caithness has produced stands in the village of
Watten. Alexander Bain left school it is thought at the age of
12 and went on to dream of communications methods unheard of in his
day. His inventions covered the fax, electric clock and
telegraphic equipment at a time when electricity was still a new
idea to most in the western world.
25th January 2003
Latest
From Mairi In Antarctic 25
January
Maiari Nicolson from Wick works for the British Antarctic Survey and
here in her latest letter she describes her camping out and somewhat
different travel to work by Twin Otter Plane and Skis.
24th January 2003
Air
Services In Highland Get Extra Support
The Route Development Fund for Highland airports is to receive
£300,000 from Highlands and Islands enterprise in a bid to encourage
more flights to and from the 10 Highlands and Islands airports.
The fund was started with a £1.2million grant from the Scottish
Executive and part of the aim is to increase the frequency of
flights. But how many Caithness folk are looking
enviously at the new cheap
Ryanair
flights in and out of Stornoway in the Western Isles and they are
today offering tickets from Prestwick to London today for £6.99.
If we had that in Caithness there would be no problem getting
passengers.
Sculptured
Stones Of Caithness
More mysterious stones with symbols and writing that still defies
translation. Anyone out there got the answers to these
Caithness mysteries?
Wick West Councillor Deirdre Steven Sets Out
For A Seat In Scottish Parliament
Deirdre Steven currently the local Highland
Council member for Wick West will not stand again in the ward as she
intends to stand as the Labour candidate for the Scottish Parliament
in the Caithness, Sutherland and North Ross-shire seat. Four
candidates now declared and include Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat)
the sitting MSP, Alan MacLeod (Conservative) and Rob
Gibson (Scottish National Party).
First
Minister Jack McConnell Live From Aberdeen - Monday 7.45am
Jack McConnell, Scotland's First Minister, is
making his first major address to Aberdeen and Grampian's business
community at a Chamber breakfast meeting on Monday 27 January.
At this special Chamber Breakfast The First Minister will outline
his vision and plans for Scotland in the run up to the Scottish
Parliamentary Elections in May this year. Are other
parties watching this use of technology?
DIRECTOR RENEWS
PLEA TO PARENTS
The Highland Councils Director of Education Culture and
Sport Bruce Robertson has renewed his plea to parents of all
Highland pupils to urge them not to take holidays during the school
term so the council can raise standards of achievement, part of
which is targeted at reducing absences from schools.
Engineering
Apprentices At UKAEA Gaining Excellent Experience
UKAEA
Engineering Apprentices not only gain experience in their trade
field during their 4 years, but also spend a 3-month period during
their 3rd Year in a design office placement. Over the past 3 years
RWE Nukem, who provide a Design and Consultancy Service on site,
have taken 5 UKAEA apprentices and shown them the design processes
and systems they use on a day to day basis.
Wasted Ticket
One of the newer bands in Caithness have
their own web site up and running. If any other bands have
sites they would like linked to the music pages then get in touch.
The band can now be found via the Caithness.org
Music pages with
it's constantly updating music news. The band is also
listed in our
Caithness non business web sites page.
Caithness Business web sites are listed in our
Caithness Businesses Web Sites page. Listings are
free for all Caithness sites - just get in touch if yours is not in.
THE SCULPTURED STONES
OF CAITHNESS - A survey by Tim Blackie and Colin Macaulay
The aim of this survey
was to produce an up-to-date and comprehensive list of The Pictish and
early Christian sculptured stones which have been found in the
modern county of Caithness, and to provide brief details about the
stones which might be of interest. The survey was first
published in the Caithness Field Club Bulletins. There are 27
stones described - many with drawings. The first two are in
place today and the others will be added in coming days.
Caithness Quilters - Talk On An Antique Dresden Plate Quilt
28 January 7.30pm Pentland Hotel, Thurso - Non Members £3. The
talk will be delivered by Tom Bryan a Canadian whose grandmother
owned the quilt.
Caithness.Org Visitor Numbers Surge Again
The web site is currently experiencing its
highest ever daily visitors after a slight dip over the Christmas
holidays. It looks increasingly likely that this month will
break the 100,000 visitors - the first time since we began.
Already this month visitors have looked at over one million pages.
A couple of months ago the site came into the one million a year
visitor rate with a hit rate in excess of 50 million.
23rd January 2003
a gweed new year tae een an a
Mike
Clark looks back on hogmanay and contemplates the tatties for the
coming year and other jobs...
New
Baldrick For Wick Pipe Band
On Hogmanay evening the Opera House
at Ackergill Tower was the setting for a short ceremony at which the
Directors of Ackergill Ltd presented a new baldric, or Drum Majors sash, to
Wick RBLS Pipe Band in recognition of the friendly ties which exist between
the Company and the Band.
Need A Search Engine
If you are fairly new to the Internet or like
most us never have time to delve into how much of it works and where
everything is located we have a list of just a few of the search
engines and directories in our links pages. Google one of the
biggest search engines have also launched
a nice tour of how their various services work and it is easy to
use and gives you a good introduction to it all.
Caithness Field Club - Bird Walk Date Confirmed
Sunday 23 February 2003 A walk to Loch of Mey
with two members of the SOC.
Scotland's Land Reform Bill Debate Live
Whatever your viewpoint on Land Reform in Scotland you can watch the
debate in the Scottish Parliament live for most of the day with the
final vote at about 5.00pm.
Thurso River 2003 Salmon Season
Got The Traditional Start
From 9 weeks
to to 84 years old and a good crowd of anglers out recently at the
start of the salmon season in Caithness. With a dram and pipes
played by Jaimie MacGregor of Forss Country House Hotel and no mean
angler himself the day certainly started well.
Mackay Country Latest Development Report
The latest report from Mackay Country a development group in
Sutherland who are moving forward ideas on boosting everything in
their area from cultural and business projects and raising the
profile of the area generally.
Shetland.org Web Portal Project
Gets Underway
The first steps towards the creation of an Internet portal to
promote Shetland as an ideal place for life, leisure and business
have begun with a recruitment drive. If you are a web
developer you can register an interest.
22nd January 2003
COUNCIL HOUSE RENT INCREASES Average 3.8%
When The Highland Council sets council house rents for the new
financial year on Thursday 13 February, it is being recommended to
confirm an average increase of 3.8 %. This will increase the
average weekly rent (over 48 weeks) from £47.98 to £49.80, a rise
of £1.82.
Thurso
79-85 Reunion - Latest List Of Who Is Going
This one is not until April 2004 but get in
touch with the organisers As soon as possible if you are thinking
about going.
The Scottish Food
Challenge - For All Secondary Schools
The Scottish Food Challenge 2003, endorsed by the Executive's
Healthyliving campaign, was launched today. The
Challenge, part of Sainsburys Taste of Success scheme, is open to
all secondary schools and sets pupils the task of developing an
inspiring recipe with the winning dish being developed into a new
food product or recipe card available exclusively in Sainsburys
stores.
COUNCIL EAGER TO MAXIMISE COMMUNITY BENEFIT AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TAXATION
The Highland Council is developing a strategy for maximising
community benefit from large-scale renewable energy developments
that have a long-term impact on the local environment. It believes
it can be a model for other local councils throughout Scotland to
adopt. The Council is in the forefront of interest in wind
farm developments and small scale hydro schemes and is anxious that
developers are made aware from their first contact of the Council' s
expectation that local communities should benefit. It is also
to lobby hard to ensure that communities benefit more from the
distribution of the Aggregates Levy and the Landfill Tax Credit
Scheme.
HIGHLAND
BUCKS THE NATIONAL TREND WITH SOCIAL WORK TRAINEE SCHEME
The Highland Council has recorded a recruitment success, which
could prove an inspiration to other councils facing the difficulty
of recruiting qualified social workers. Through its Social
Work Service, the Council has introduced a new trainee scheme, which
gives staff the security of a job and the benefits of on-the-job
training for a professional qualification. The Council was
delighted with the response to its advert for its new trainee
scheme.
HIGHLAND COUNCIL WELCOMES EXTENSION OF GAELIC TRUNK ROAD SIGNAGE
The Highland Council has warmly welcomed the Scottish Executives
decision to extend the use of bilingual Gaelic-English signage on
trunk roads in the West Highlands.
Winners Of Dounreay
Visitor Centre Drawing Competitions
Dounreay recently presented three talented local children with prizes that
were awarded for drawing competitions and a junior quiz, all of which
were held throughout the 2002 season in the Dounreay Visitor Centre.
There were also three other winners from various parts of the UK who
received their prizes through the post. Fiona Gunn, Secretary to the
Dounreay Director, joined the winning children for the presentations and
is pictured (from left) with Sharon Mackay aged 6, James Halliday aged 11,
and Amanda Burns aged 14, who are proudly showing off their prizes
and drawings.
Thurso
Girls Group Programme
Another fairly new group for girls at secondary school in Thurso
sets out its programme for the first part of 2003.
Wick Girls Group Programme Jan - Apr 2003
1975 Wick High
Reunion Group Set up New Web Site
Now has lists of names on their own web site.
Caithness.Org will keep the link page in place for anyone trying to
find the information.
What's On In
2003 At Dunbeath Heritage Centre
Here are some of the events being planned for
the year at Dunbeath Heritage Centre.
21st January 2003
Turning On The internet Tap
The campaign to convert internet access in the Highlands and
Islands from a luxury that ties up your telephone line to a utility
that doesn't, is to receive another major boost. Highlands and
Islands Enterprise (HIE) is to invest almost £750,000 in two major
projects to promote the benefits of broadband and encourage people
to register their interest in receiving it.
Helmsdale
Clearances Project Gains £200,000
The Clearances Centre Ltd, Helmsdale,
was awarded assistance of £200,000 towards the development of their
Clearances Memorial by Highlands And Islands Enterprise (HIE).
Unemployment Increases Marginally
Overall, the number of unemployed in
Caithness and Sutherland rose from 790 last month to 859. The revised
unemployment rates in the Sutherland, Wick and Thurso Travel to Work
Areas respectively are as follows (corresponding figures for last month
are shown in brackets) 7.0% (5.7%), 5.0% (4.7%) and 2.8% (3.0%).
More Scrap Cars To Be Crushed In Caithness
Speedy Skip Hire Ltd, Thurso, were awarded
£28,150 towards the diversification of the business into the collection
and processing of scrap cars, which would be crushed into bales and
transported south, via rail, for recycling.
£16 MILLION FACILITY
WILL ENABLE FOREIGN WASTE
TO BE RETURNED TO CUSTOMERS
50 New Jobs.
The UK Atomic Energy Authority has applied for planning
permission to construct a new facility for the management
of intermediate-level radioactive waste (ILW) at Dounreay.
The proposed waste transfer facility is
designed to increase the site's capacity for storage
of waste from the decommissioning
programme at Dounreay. It will also enable
the long-term management of liquid waste after it has
been conditioned in cement. The new facility will allow
a small proportion of this cemented waste to be returned to foreign
customers from 2008 under the terms of historical reprocessing
contracts. Subject to planning and regulatory consent, the new
facility is expected to create 50 jobs during its two-year
construction and a further five when it comes into
operation. It is expected to cost in the region of £16 million to
design and build.
Keiss School Gets
Great Report Card From Schools Inspectors
The quality of learning and teaching at Keiss Primary School,
Caithness, together with the overall quality of attainment and the
good leadership gained praise from Inspectors.
Captains Galley
Valentines Weekend
The newest restaurant in Caithness is gearing
up for Valentines Weekend and is taking bookings now.
TAXI FARE
INCREASES TAKE EFFECT FROM 3 FEB 2003
New taxi fares will come into effect throughout the Highlands
from 3 February. Following consultation with the trade, it has been
agreed that a £1.80 initial fare on tariff 1 be introduced and
increases across the board be set at 10%. It has also been agreed
that a soiling charge of £50 be introduced as compensation to a
driver when a passenger causes the vehicle to be put off the road
for cleaning.
DUNBAR HOSPITAL
ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICE
TO RE-OPEN ON 28TH FEBRUARY 2003
A new and improved Accident and Emergency (A&E) service at
Dunbar Hospital in Thurso will be re-open on 28th February 2003.
The A&E service has been temporarily closed since May 2002 when the
service provided at Dunbar Hospital was transferred to the A & E
Department at Caithness General Hospital in Wick.
Latest Free Seminar From ERI
5:00pm Friday 31 January 2003
Wastes applied to land: back
to where they came from, so what's the problem ?
The spreading of
agricultural and industrial organic wastes on farmland will increase.
The land and locations available for applications are variable, while
the quantities and composition of wastes are extremely variable.
So, how do we decide what should be spread where, and when?
Early
Lambs At Hopefield Farm
Lambs at Hopefield farm , Caithness with their
anti fox coats on.
20th January 2003
Newtonhill New Footpath
A
new footpath will soon make things easier for walkers going from
Wick up to Newtonhill Community Woodland. The woodland
established in 1996 is continuing to be improved by volunteers and
the range of wildlife especially birds is increasing.
New Police Station Nearing Completion At Wick
19th January 2003
Caithness
Moto Cross Winners
Plenty of trophies were being awarded to
members of Caithness Moto Cross following another successful year in
2002.
18th January 2003
The Old Stemster School and Schoolhouse
17th January 2003
Lidl
Supermarket Roof On
Still moving fast is the new supermarket
building for Lidl on the outskirts of Wick. The roof
covering was virtually completed by today.
Cabrellis Cafe To Close
After 110 Years (1893 - 2003)
You only have a few days left to check out the place
where generations of folk have got their sweets, Italian ice-cream,
cigarettes, snacks and meals. If everything goes to plan the
cafe will become a Chinese Restaurant and be handed over shortly
after next Tuesday.
Wick
From the Air World War Two
This photograph was sent to us by
Blair Bartholomew from Australia who found it amongst his late fathers
possessions. His father was based in Caithness for a while when he
was in the RAF. Blair and his wife visited Caithness in the summer
of 2002.
Bellhaven Brewery To Take
Over Carters Bar
The famous Scottish Real Ale firm of Bellhaven
Brewery based in Dunbar is set to take over Carter's Bar in Wick if
the final hurdle of the licence transfer next week. The
company well known for its range of real ales has been adding new
pubs to its group over the last few years. The company also
plan to make some alterations to the premises once they take over.
16th January 2003
Lanes Of Castletown
Here
is Gunn's Lane the first of a few pictures of the lanes in Castletown
taken today. More coming up over the next hour or two as at
7.20pm
E
Moose By Jenny Stewart
Fan wur good hooses first wiz beelt
we's nixt till park an fairm,
An ten months o e year or so id caused is no real hairm,
Boot harvest time wiz nivvur fine e season o e moose,
An ivry year a beastie called till squat in wur fine hoose.
15th January 2003
CASE Helps With A Face-Lift For Forss
Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) is committing over
£600,000 towards environmental renewal works aimed at improving the
external surroundings of the Forss Business and Technology Park,
which is under development near Thurso.
Sale Report Quoybrae
Caithness Livestock Centre - Aberdeen
& Northern Marts sold 32 cattle and 432 sheep at their special sale
at Quoybrae.
Farming News
George Reluctantly Ponders The World In 2003
Keoltag
Drive, Reay
Keoltag Drive is to be found in the small
village or Reay on the north coast of Caithness. The street
has several modern houses with plots still available for new houses
to be built.
Harrow
Terrace, Wick
Harrow
Terrace runs from Harrow Hill to a builders yard that used to be the
site of Caithness Glass before it moved to new premises on the
outskirts of Wick. These pictures were taken at the start of
the year in on a chilly but bright day.
New Education Service
A new education service in Highland - to help better involve
children with additional support needs in mainstream education
was launched today (Wednesday 15 January 2003).
14th January 2003
Tax Credit Changes For All
Parents
Balancing work
and family life: enhancing choice and support for parents
Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown at a press conference at
the Treasury today announced the changes being made to tax credits
in the UK. April this year brings the biggest change in
childrens benefits for decades as £2 billion a year shifts from
fathers to mothers.
COUNCIL
CAMPAIGN AIMS TO CONTINUE TAX COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT
The Highland Council is one of seven councils in Scotland, which
have been commended by the Accounts Commission for making a notable
improvement in their level of collection of the Council Tax. The
rate in Highland has risen to 92.2%, an increase of 7.1% since
1996/97, when the Commission began tracking performance information.
New Renal Unit
Visited By Friends And Fundraisers
There was a big turn out of individuals and organisations to see the
new renal unit now open for patients at Caithness General, Wick.
Many organisations in Caithness including the Caithness Kidney
Dialysis Support Group took the opportunity for a look round the new
facility.
New Schools In Caithness For Thrill Seekers With Phoenix Flying and
Thurso Surf
Two
new schools for Caithness give locals and visitors the chance to get
into real action in the air and on the sea. Thurso beach is
one of the best in the UK for surfing and there is plenty of room in
the empty skies over Caithness. find them in the Caithness.Org
Business Index anytime.
Caithness CAB Recruiting - Welfare Rights Officer
South School Wick January Newsletter
More Property For Sale In Caithness
Latest property for sale in the business pages
includes a house from the Mortgage Shop and private sale of plots at
Murkle and Forss.
More Property For Rent Just Added
If you are looking to rent a property in Caithness keep checking our
pages.
13th January 2003
Room 13 - The Latest Exhibition Now On At St Fergus
Gallery, Wick
"We've
Been Tae See It". Now showing the work of 35 of Britain's finest
applied artists in a touring exhibition. Catch it until the 1
February at St Fergus Gallery, Wick. More information at
www.caolcrafts.com who have
helped to organise the tour.
Lindsay Drive, Wick
Although we are not setting out to put every house in the county on
the web we have had an increasing number of requests to have more
houses added to the web site. So although we may not get them
all we are gradually increasing the numbers of views of each street.
Sorry if we miss yours
Grampian Records, Wick Goes Into Liquidation
The Wick company that was trying to break into
CD production has gone into liquidation.
CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK
ELECTIONS
The 13,000 residents, who live within Britains largest national
park at the Cairngorms, will be asked soon to vote for the five
community representatives, who will serve on the 25-strong Park
Authority from its inception on 25 March.
10th January 2003
Drive And
Survive Courses For Caithness & Sutherland Taxi Firms
Taxi drivers and car hire companies from various parts of Caithness and
Sutherland have taken time out to brush up on their customer service,
driving skills and fleet safety. JK Taxis, Wick; Russell's Garage, Brora; and CFD
Executive Car Hire, Thurso all attended 'Welcome Host' and 'Drive &
Survive' courses provided by Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise
(CASE).
South
Head Across Wick Bay
Another sunset view from Caithness. This
one is across Wick Bay.
£800
Donation For Caithness Talking Newspapers
Staff at Dounreay have united their resources and donated over £800 to
help Caithness Talking Newspapers spread the news to locals and exiles
across the UK. Dounreay's appeals and donations fund, the
employees charities fund and members of UKAEA Constabulary all chipped
in following the group's recent appeal for a replacement tape
duplicator to safeguard and enhance the service to the visually impaired
in the far north.
Pulteneytown Church New Porch
The
new porch at Pulteneytown church designed to protect parishioners
from the wet and windy days we have at times in Caithness has met
with mixed reception from locals. It all depends on your point
of view.
9th January 2003
Dentists Wanted In Caithness And The Highlands
Dental Practitioners / Community Dental Officers Required -
check it out if you want to work in the Highlands of Scotland
Housing Market On The Go In Caithness
It may be just week two of 2003 but
already more houses are coming up for sale in Caithness.
PROMOTING CIVIC PRIDE IN
CAITHNESS
Community groups throughout Caithness are being invited to a meeting
next week when an attempt will be made to cultivate interest in
promoting civic pride through floral and other activities.
Caithness Floral Activities Working Group, formed by The Highland
Councils Caithness Area Committee, has called a public meeting at
Watten Hall, Watten, on Tuesday (14 January) commencing at 7.30 pm
to identify interest in joint working and to discuss funding
opportunities.
HIGHLAND
COUNCIL WELCOMES EXECUTIVES CITY GROWTH FUND
The Highland Council has welcomed the allocation of £3.1 million
over the next three years to Inverness as the result of review of
Scotlands six cities by the Scottish Executive. The money comes
from a City Growth Fund, totalling £90 million, which is aimed at
helping boost the economies of Scotlands six cities.
New Bench Seats
For Crimea Monument
David
Morrison as Chairman of the Footpaths Committee of Wick Community Council
has received good news from Scottish Water with regard to the bench
seating around the monument. Scottish Water has confirmed that as
part of the work at the new Waste Water Treatment Plant currently under
construction outside Wick they will replace the bench seating at the
Crimea monument. The monument lies on the footpath that leads out
from Wick and is a popular route along the coast with locals and visitors.
Waste Water
Treatment Works Progress
Contractors
Morrisons are pleased that the work at Wick is well ahead for handover of
the site later this year to Scottish Water.
Scrabster Pier -
Linkspan Now Being Put In Place
The
linkspan for the new pier at Scrabster arrived over the holiday
period and is now being put in place at the new pier.
The new pier when it comes into operation later this year will allow
much bigger boats and ferries to use Scrabster Harbour. The
probability of cruise ships stopping has also been increased with
the opening of the Castle of Mey to the public with a highly
successful opening season making it the number one visitor spot in
the county.
Lidl Supermarket Making Good
Progress
The
new supermarket in Wick is moving fast and even as we take the
pictures we are behind as the roof is already being put in place.
8th January 2003
New Renal Unit Opens At
Caithness General Hospital
The
new renal unit opened at Caithness General with staff having
undergone full training. the new unit means an end for many
patients who had previously to travel overt two hundred miles round
trip to Raigmore hospital in Inverness up to three times a week.
The unit will also have the capacity to treat visitors to the area
by prior arrangement.
Caithness Countryside Volunteers Annual General Meeting
Tuesday 14th January, 7pm at Mackays Hotel, Wick. New members are
very welcome.
Northern
Nashville Country Music Launch New Web Site
Keep up with what is happening in the country
music scene in Caithness. A link will be added to our music
pages shortly.
LIST OF OPTIONS FOR
MANAGING PARTICLES LEGACY
The UK Atomic Energy
Authority today published a preliminary list of
options for managing the legacy of radioactive
particles in the offshore sediment near Dounreay. The
preliminary options are identified in the latest edition of
Dounreay's Public Participation Newsletter for stakeholders,
published on the opening day of an exhibition
in Caithness and Sutherland about the particles
legacy.
Training Opportunities In
Tourism And Hospitality
People in Caithness and Sutherland considering working in the tourism
and hospitality industry are to be given an ideal opportunity to
acquire the essential skills required to gain employment in that
sector. A limited number of places are available on
three separate pre-season training courses, which are to be funded
by Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) via their ESF assisted
Tourism Training initiative, are to be delivered at venues in Wick,
Durness and Dornoch. The courses, which are free of charge,
will run from 17th February - 5th March.
7th January 2003
Wick
River Freezes
Wick river along with other
rivers, lochs and ponds in the county were freezing over last night
and plenty of ice was around early this morning. But even if
the ice gets thicker no one should walk on it in case it collapses.
Highland Council Winter
Emergency Information
Handy telephone numbers and information.
CAMPAIGN FOR INVESTMENT
IN LIFELINE RURAL ROADS
A campaign has been launched
in the Highlands and Islands to make greater progress in
transforming 1,700 km of lifeline single track roads to modern
standards, at an estimated cost of £400 million. HITRANS, the
strategic transport partnership for the Highlands and Islands, is
enlisting the support of a wide range of public agencies and
businesses to argue for the annual funding for the upgrading of
single track roads to be significantly increased to ensure
improvements are made within the 20-year period of its strategy.
HIGHLAND COUNCIL TWO TARGETS FOR THE NEW YEAR
The Highland Council hopes to make
progress on two campaigning issues in the New Year. The Council is
arguing strongly for the Scottish Executive to: -
Remove the 50% Council Tax discount offered to the owners of second
homes and long-term empty homes; and Enter into early negotiations
with Skye Bridge Ltd to buy out the toll regime, thereby "unlocking
the potential of Skye and Lochalsh".
SUSPECTED GAS LEAK - THURSO
About 1712 hours on Monday, 6th January, 2002, Police at Thurso
received reports of a smell of gas and a visible haze near to the
Gasworks at Janetstown, near Thurso.
6th January 2003
Berriedale
Post Office Needs New Postmaster Urgently
The Post Office is launching an appeal for a local person to come
forward and take over running the Post Office service for the
community of Berriedale from March 2003.
Be Prepared For
Cold Weather If Driving
Scotland is lined up for some very cold weather in the next few
weeks if the forecasts prove correct. Here in the Highlands
most folk are used to some years being far worse than others but it
is as well to remember to make sure that some things are looked at
especially if you are travelling far in your car.
FIRE
- WICK
About 0615 hours on Saturday 4th January 2003 the occupant of No
23 Henrietta Street, Wick, discovered a fire within the hallway of
his house. The fire was quickly extinguished and nobody was injured
as a result, with only minor damage to the house. Police are
treating the fire as suspicious and are appealing for witnesses
and/or information on this incident.
WARNING TO B & B OWNERS
Police in Inverness are warning Bed and Breakfast owners to be
wary of a couple who left their B & B yesterday taking their key but
leaving no money.
4th January 2003
Looking Over
Caithness - Ever Changing Sky
Rounding off Friday's run of pictures
with some views across the county from the Castletown - Wick road.
Witness Service Available In
Caithness
The Witness Service is available in many places but it may be
unknown to many individuals cited to attend court in trials.
The service is run by Victim Support Scotland and provides practical
and emotional support and assistance to witnesses, friends and
families.
3rd January 2003
Freswick
For
all the threats of snow and the odd shower of rain the day turned
out to be quite sunny and well worth a jaunt round the coast.
Wester - Latest Pipeline To Be Floated Out For First Time In Winter
Kilimster
Looks like someone had trouble
getting the peats to catch light today. Hope the fire is
burning brightly now.
Lots Of Wick Street Party Pictures On John Baikie's Web Site
Light Snow In Caithness - Wick
Gersa
WRI About 1950
Here is another old Gersa picture from Brian
Polson but this time it is of the local Womens Rural Institute (WRI).
2nd January 2003
Gersa
School About 1954
The schooldays section is
growing as more folk dig out their old photographs. Brian
Polson has supplied a couple from Gersa School. all the names are in
for this one.
Gersa
School 1956
All the names are in from this
picture supplied by Brian Polson
Particles Exhibition
A number of preliminary options for managing
radioactive particles in the offshore sediment near Dounreay will be
published next week on the opening day of an exhibition intended to inform
and stimulate debate about the issue. The exhibitions will take place on:
Wed, Jan 8th 4pm to 8pm at the Victoria Hall, Reay.
Thur, Jan 9th 11am to 3pm and 6pm to 8pm at Thurso Town Hall.
Friday, January 10th 11am to 3pm at Thurso Town Hall.
1st January 2003
The Biggest Street Party In the North - Wick - Last Night