�2m
Abattoir For Caithness
A brand new abattoir is set to open in Caithness following grant approval by
HIE Caithness and Sutherland.
Local businessman John Sutherland plans to develop a �2.3million
purpose-built abattoir on the outskirts of Keiss, eight miles north of Wick.
Mr Sutherland bought Wick's existing slaughtering facility in 2003 but as it
has been in operation since 1874 and the building no longer meets the
legislative standards required by the local authority...........As well as
providing around 15 full-time jobs the facility has the potential to
encourage more Caithness farmers to finish animals locally, adding value to
the product within the local economy. Around 70 per cent of all cattle and
sheep are transported out of the Highlands for finishing but it's estimated
that farmers have spare stocking capacity which could be used for finishing
locally. The new premises will also provide a local slaughtering option,
reducing the need for animals to be transported longer distances with
advantages for quality, health and wealth.
Unemployment Lower In HIE
Area Than A Year Ago - See Items In Business Index
The December 2006 unemployment figures were released on 17th January 2007.
During the month, November 2006 to December 2006, the number of people
claiming unemployment benefit in Great Britain rose by 0.2%, from 895,833 to
897,758 (1,925 claimants). This figure is higher than December last year,
where the number of claimants stood at 865,512, an increase of 3.7% (32,246
claimants).
The HIE area witnessed an increase in its unemployment rate during the
month, rising 2.8% from 5,717 to 5,878 claimants (161 claimants). This
figure is lower than December last year, where the total claimants stood at
6,175, a decrease of 4.8% (297 claimants). Numbers of long term
unemployed in Highland are down although static in Caithness and Sutherland.
Despite reducing slightly in December the
Wick
travel to work area remains the highest unemployment area at 3.9% We think that is high but see EU Unemployment
Highlands
Set For Faroese Tourism Boost
A joint marketing campaign between The Highland Council and VisitScotland
could see between 5 - 6,000 cruise passengers from Iceland, the Faroe
Islands and Norway visiting the North of Scotland and generating around �2.5
million to the Highland economy. Faroese ferry operators, Smyril Line, have
just launched their 2007 brochure featuring holiday packages to the Scottish
Highlands. The 1,800 passenger vessel will make weekly visits to the
Caithness port of Scrabster starting mid-June and running through to the end
of August.............The familiarisation visit took in Inverness, Loch
Ness, Skye, Ullapool, North West Highlands Geopark, Thurso, Castle of Mey,
Wick, Dornoch, Falls of Shin and Nairn.
30 January 2007
Advice For The Lambing Season
Aimed At Pregnant Women
Pregnant women in the Highlands are being urged to avoid close contact with
sheep during the lambing season. Scotland�s Chief Medical Officer Harry
Burns said pregnant women who came into close contact with sheep during
lambing might be risking their health and the health of their unborn child.
This is because infections such as chlamydiosis (enzootic abortion of ewes -
EAE), toxoplasmosis and listeriosis - all common causes of abortion in ewes
- can be passed on to them.
Media
can play role in reducing suicides in the Highlands
THE second phase of a campaign to reduce the number of suicides in the
Highlands is under way.
Suicide rates in the region have been consistently higher than the
Scottish average despite. There are signs of progress and whilst this is
an encouraging trend, work to reduce suicides over time must continue.
�517 Million Budget Recommended For 2007-2008 For Highland Council
The Highland Council will be asked on Thursday (1st February) to set a
budget of �517 million for 2007-08 which will represent a 5.3% increase on
the �491 million of 2006-07. The Council�s Budget Working Group, chaired
by Vice Convener, Councillor Michael Foxley has recommended a package of
measures which balance growth in the Education, Social Work and Transport,
Environmental and Community Services budgets with a programme of
efficiencies and savings. The Council will set the Council Tax on Thursday
8th February. The current Band D payment is �1,135.
Gibson Warns Of Olympics
Raid Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Rob Gibson says the Big Lottery Fund in
Scotland should not have to gamble on its funds being raided to pay for
the London Olympics. Mr Gibson words come as news emerges that Sir Clive
Booth the director of the Big Lottery Fund in England claimed that �dark
forces in Whitehall� are going to use lottery monies to plug the Olympics
black hole. Mr Gibson said that the money people seek to spend all over
Scotland was put to better use than a one off show piece event, "This
money directly changes people's lives. Major land buyouts throughout the
Highlands and Islands have been financed by the lottery. While numerous
urban and rural projects have benefited.
Castletown Heritage Society - Winter 2006 - 2007
Newsletter
The newsletter includes details of photos sent from Canada, details of
Sinclairs from New Zealand with roots in Caithness, A weekly work night at
Castlehill, looking back at events in 2006 and looking forward to Highland
2007 events.
HORTICULTURE FOR CROFTERS AND OTHER SMALL PRODUCERS
Saturday 17th February at Dunbeath Community Centre - 09.30am � 4.15pm
A training and information event on polytunnel and outdoor cropping.
Visit to �Food for Thought�, Spittal in the afternoon courtesy of Douglas
Henderson
Attendance free � all welcome. Light lunch provided. Assistance with child
care costs available on request
Organised by the Scottish Crofting Foundation, Initiative at the Edge and
the Crofters Commission with assistance from Scottish Agricultural
College. These events are funded by the Crofters Commission, SAC, HIE and
the European Social Fund. Prior registration necessary.
Contact Eric Larnach 01593 731455
[email protected]
Record Number Of New Homes Built In 2006 - 138 New
Homes Completed In Caithness In 2006
A report published by The Highland Council shows that a record number of
new homes were built in the Highlands with 1,688 new houses completed - a
rise of 26% compared with the 2005 figure of 1,344. This steep rise
follows the steady increases seen in previous years. The largest increases
in housing development between 2005 and 2006 were in Badenoch and
Strathspey, Inverness, Lochaber and Caithness. Housing Completions 2006 - Pdf
A Carved �Celtic� Head (by Les Myatt)
- From Caithness field Club Bulletin 2006 The photograph shows a carved pebble, with a head, which was found at
Castletown just above the high water mark. The pebble measures 7" x 4". A
photograph was sent to the National Museum in Edinburgh where we were told
that the tradition of these heads starts in the Iron Age and runs up to
the present day. It is essentially undatable and is probably not Celtic.
Apparently a similar pebble head was found on the beach at Portmahomack
where it is now in the museum.
2006 Caithness Field Club BulletinBulletin Articles List
Sunday Papers
Tiny Tain faces supermarket sweep - Scotsman
With Wick already seeing an influx of new shops and Thurso awaiting a
public enquiry on the ASDA planning application are Caithness towns in the
same position as Tain. Councillors have planning applications for Tain
from ASDA and Lidl next week and apparently Tesco also interested in
coming to the town that has a population of 3972.
Scallywags Nursery Opens New Building And Its Great The
new Scallywags Nursery at Crossroads school, Dunnet has capacity for 15
children and currently has 10. Despite the past couple of years of
uncertainty regarding the sustainability of some rural nurseries the
committee of Scallywags has shown that it is viable and that there are
sufficient children in the area to make use of the facility. Indeed
2007 - 2008 already looks very good with 10 children having already been
identified as likely users of the new unit. Congratulations to all
concerned in bringing this project into being for the families of Dunnet.
Caithness Nurseries & Play Groups
Wick Business Park Gets Two More New Buildings In Latest Expansion Work
is going on fast at the latest extensions to Wick Business Park.
With the recent uptake in the existing buildings Highlands and Islands
Enterprise have decided to invest in a further two buildings taking the
total on site to five. The latest new units will have solar panels
and two wind turbines on each building. With this new capacity
expected to be completed depending on weather by the end of June it is yet
another boost for Wick. Wick is expanding out on this road with the new
Tesco looking to have yet another new shopping complex next to it built by
Scapa Properties as announced recently. With the latest two new units at
the Business Park adding to the flow of work it seems that Wick's
expansion is still rolling on. The potential in the latest two units
is for a further 80 jobs once suitable companies are found.
Buolfruich Wind Farm, Dunbeath Three
photos of Buolfruich Wind Farm and couple to show where the photos was
taken from on the A99. The first three photos were taken - No Zoom,
Part Zoom and Full Zoom on the camera. A couple of photos looking
towards Dunbeath Village are added to give you some idea of where the
photos were taken from on the A99 before you reach the Escape Bed.
There are 15 Turbines at Buolfruich.
Wind Index
Joint Committee On Children And Young People Meets Today
This committee of Highland council meets regularly but does not often
figure in news stories despite the fact it deals with many important
issues that affect children, young people and their families. The Joint
Committee on Children and Young People seeks to enable children and young
people to achieve their full potential, by improving services for
children, young people and families and promoting their participation in
decision making, paying particular attention to children in need and young
people who are socially excluded and to develop, implement and review the
Children�s Services Plan and to recommend the Plan and associated Local
Outcome Agreement for approval to the Council and its partners. This
committee has representatives from the Highland Council and NHS Highland.
Councillor David Flear (Caithness Central) is a member of the committee
and Councillor Bill Fernie (Wick West) as the nominated Caithness
Children's Champion attends these meetings.
A Boost To
Coaching In Caithness For
the third year running NUKEM at Dounreay, has not only supported but
increased its contribution to the coaching grant of the Caithness Sports
Council. The cheque for �2,000 was presented to Caithness Sports Council
Chairman Roger Saxon (right in picture) by NUKEM�s Director of Operations
& Commercial, Keith Collett. NUKEM�s Head of Site at Dounreay, Alan
Gerrard said, �We are delighted to support the Caithness Sports Council in
this way. It is important to have qualified coaches in clubs who can train
and develop individuals who wish to participate in sport either
recreationally or competitively. Voluntary sports clubs are constantly
faced with increasing costs in training coaches and we hope this support
goes some way to assist them.�
Isolation
Of Dounreay's Shaft Commences Dounreay
has started drilling up to 400 boreholes around the site's waste shaft in
the biggest step so far towards its eventual clean-out.
Grout will be injected through the boreholes to seal fissures in the rock
around the 65 metre deep shaft and so create a giant containment barrier
in the shape of a boot around the shaft that will isolate the radioactive
waste from groundwater. The project - the first of its kind in the world -
will prevent large volumes of groundwater flowing into the shaft during
waste retrieval and becoming contaminated. It will also reduce the risk of
leakage from the shaft in the interim.
Recent Photos From DounreayMore About The ShaftUKAEA On
Caithness.org UKAEA
In Caithness Business sectionUKAEA Dounreay Web SiteVideo Presentation On The Shaft
Dounreay
Bulletin - Issue 19 Items
in this months bulletin -
Site Reduces Expenditure to Meet NDA Shortfall - Dounreay Begins Isolation
of Waste Shaft - Planning Consent for Major New Waste Treatment Plant
Former Plutonium Facility Nearly Ready for Demolition - Pond Clean-Out
Moves into Next Phase - It's Snowing at PFR - NII Serves Improvement
Notices on UKAEA - Extension to LLW Disposal Facilities Planning
Application - Dounreay Prototype Fast Reactor Coming Apart - Report
Published on Unusual Find
Over 70 Attend Particle Exhibitions - Support for Samaritans.
P�rantan a' tadhal na Sgoile G�idhlig �ir
Tha togail Bunsgoil Gh�idhlig Inbhir Nis a' tighinn air adhart gu math air
an l�raich faisg air Acadamaidh R�oghail Inbhir Nis. Disathairne (20mh Faoilleach), thadhail p�rantan agus
Comann nam P�rant san Eadar-ama air an sgoil c�mhla ris a' Cheannard a tha
air a h-�r fhastadh. Bidh an sgoil fosgailte do sgoilearan san L�nastal
2007. Parents visit new Gaelic School
Construction of the new Gaelic School, Bunsgoil Gh�idhlig Inbhir Nis, is
well underway on its site near Inverness Royal Academy. On Saturday (20th January), parents on the Interim
Parent Council visited the school, along with the newly appointed Head
Teacher, which is due to open to pupils in August 2007.
2007 Highland Book Awards - See What Highland Children Will Be Reading
This Year
Over the next few months pupils will be able to post reviews of the books
they read from the list on the Highland Schools virtual library website.
In April a short-list will be drawn up and voting will take place to find
the overall winners in the picture book, 8+ and 12+ categories. The
results will be announced at an award ceremony held at the end of the
summer term. Books have been donated by 16 different children's
publishers. On the list are 57 books in the Picture Book category; 41
books in the 8+ category and 61 books in the 12+ category.
Successful Christmas Raffle for Playbox PlayGroup
Playbox Playgroup and Mother and Toddler group would like to thank
everyone who supported their Christmas Raffle. Thanks to the local shops
who provided prizes and also to everyone who bought tickets. The playgroup
made just under �900 from this raffle which is much appreciated as we are
a charity run playgroup.............From Erica Macleod
25 January 2007
Councillors Go for
Lower Rent Rise Option For Highland Members of the Highland Council's Housing and Social Work Committee
agreed on Wednesday 24 January 2006 to increase the Council's housing debt
to keep Council rent increases to just under 5%. From April 2007 to March
2008, Highland Council's housing tenants will see their rents rise by
4.9%. The increase also applies to service charges, garage and garage site
rentals, hostel rentals, homeless charges, rechargeable repairs and
Gypsy/Traveller pitches, except charges for energy which will follow
market rates of inflation. In recent years council house rent increases
have been set at the Retail Price Index (RPI) + 1%, and the Council has
funded a Capital Programme of around �14million annually, largely funded
through income generated through sales of council houses under the Right
to Buy. The Council is now faced with the lower incomes as a result of a
recent, significant drop in council house sales at the same time as its
investment requirements have increased, as currently it is required to
improve all of its houses to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by
2015. This forces the Council to consider taking on new borrowing to fund
investment. To make up for the drop in house sale receipts, members were
asked to decide between a higher 7.4% increase in rents with a resultant
lower borrowing figure of �1.976million to the Council or a lower 4.9%
rent increase with a higher �2.966 million borrowing figure. Members
approved the lower rent increase to tenants funded through
borrowing..................more
MSPs DELIGHT AT MINISTER'S
ANNOUNCEMENT - No Post Office Closures in 38 Postcode Districts Highlands
and Islands Labour MSP Peter Peacock has welcomed reassurance from Trade
and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling there would be no further closures
of post offices in 38 postcode districts, 37 of which are in Scotland.
This follows the publication last month of a DTI consultation on the
future of post offices. Both the National Federation of Sub-postmasters
and the cross party group of MPs who looked at the issue viewed the
present post office provision as unsustainable. Mr Peacock commented,
"This is a significant reassurance. 37 of the 38 post code district are in
Scotland, with the majority being in the Highlands, in areas such as
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Ross, Skye and Lochaber,
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and Argyll and Bute. Within these
areas post offices will be protected under new rules which set out a
minimum standard for future coverage.
Winter In Caithness & Sutherland
Loch Of Mey In The Pink Thanks
to Graham Maharg for these photos of the Loch of Mey at Sunset now added
to our winter collection. The far north has avoided the snow for the
past couple of days but these photos certainly show yet again the
incredible light that exists in the far north at certain times. How
many people would think of pink as being a Caithness colour. Grham
Maharg has web site for his book the
Loch of Mey Monster
FORTHCOMING SEMINAR AT THE ERI- 5:00pm Thursday 01 February 2007
Harmful algal blooms in Scottish waters
Dr. Keith Davidson - Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunstaffnage
Marine Laboratory
Harmful marine phytoplankton are of increasing concern worldwide. Some
species are of concern through their toxin production and the resultant
shellfish poisoning of humans and other mammals. Other organisms may be
harmful to wild or farmed fish and the benthic environment. In this
presentation the presence and monitoring of harmful phytoplankton in
Scottish waters will be reviewed and some recent developments in Scottish
harmful algal research will be discussed.
ACCOMPANIED BY WINE AND NIBBLES�.. ALL WELCOME�!!
Labour Field Candidates In all Seats In Caithness For May
2007 Elections
Scottish Labour looking to sweep the board by standing candidates in all
of the new Caithness council wards to add to their candidates for MSP and
a list candidate for the Scottish Parliament. Candidates with a wealth of experience in local government
will contest every seat in the new-look Highland Council. They will join Scottish Parliament prospective candidates
John McKendrick, who is bidding to become the next MSP for Caithness,
Sutherland and Easter Ross, and Bilbster's Simon Harrison, a candidate on
the Labour list for second votes, on the local campaign trail. In the
Council Wards the current councillor Roger Saxon will stand in Thurso,
with former councillors Jim Oag in Wick and Bill Mowat in Caithness
Landward throwing their hats back in the ring.....more Elections 2007 - We are
adding information about the elections as it comes in.
Museums Partnership
Tours Hidden Scottish Treasures - At Swanson Gallery, Thurso Now
at Swanson Gallery, Thurso until 17 February. Anatomy Acts is an
exploration of the human body, inside and out.
After its successful opening at the City Art Centre, Edinburgh, (5 stars -
Scotsman, 'richest, most challenging historic exhibition...in recent
years' - Herald) an adapted version of Anatomy Acts is touring to venues
across Scotland, coming to the Highlands in January 2007. From centuries
old anatomical drawings to contemporary art and newly commissioned poetry,
from wax models to modern imaging technologies, Anatomy Acts is a visual
feast fusing art, science, history and medicine. Anatomy Acts forms part
of the Scotland & Medicine: Collections & Connections Partnership
www.scotlandandmedicine.com Anatomy Acts is supported by an
online exhibition
www.anatomyacts.co.uk In addition, 2 workshops are being planned at Swanson Gallery:
Tue 6th Feb 7-9pm - Anatomy of the Face - appropriate to Higher students
and interested adults
Thu 13th Feb 7-8.30pm - lecture by Kathleen Jamie, poet. Kathleen's poems
are part of the exhibition, accompanying a number of the exhibits -
appropriate to Higher English students and interested adults. Click Here For Larger Versions Of The Illustrations Get
along to this unusual and interesting exhibition.
Rob Gibson MSP Warns On The
Rising Pull Of The Supermarkets Rob
Gibson MSP SNP for the Highlands and Islands has warned that High Streets
across the region are in deep trouble through the pull of the big four
supermarkets. His words come in the wake of a report from the Federation
of Small Businesses which shows that 73% of people in Dingwall shopped
less in the town centre since the opening of Tesco. Mr Gibson, who
recently gave evidence to the Competition Commission hearing in Edinburgh
on its investigation into the dominance of the big supermarkets, said that
while he recognised that people wanted and deserved choice of goods, in
the long run supermarkets may reduce real choice............. I believe
that Thurso and Wick as well as Tain will soon experience the same trend.
Given that state of affairs it would seem extremely unwise to plan for
three major supermarkets to be situated in Tain because the effects on
Ardgay, Bonar Bridge and even Dornoch could be serious. This has far
reaching consequences for rural areas in the
North."........................more
Sarclet Loch Looking Ice Cold Round The Edges Thanks
to Bob Ives for this photos of Sarclet Loch looking eerily silent and
cold. A change from the spring and summer months when the model
yacht club are out with their boats. I anyone would like to share their
photos for our
Winter in Caithness 2007 series email them to
[email protected]The Caithness Snow Photos in 2006 ended up with 326 photos and
with snow already dusting the county we may yet see another influx for
this years winter gallery.
LABOUR CANDIDATE MEETS WITH NDA CHIEF OVER BUDGET CUTS John
McKendrick, Labour candidate for the forthcoming Holyrood election met
this Monday with local NDA chief, John Farquhar. John McKendrick is
gravely concerned by the NDA�s management of their budget and the failure
to foresee the current possible cuts to the decommissioning budget. In his
meeting with Mr. Farquhar he praised him for his prompt and direct
meetings with those affected but expressed his concerns that the situation
at Dounreay was both too serious and too delicate to be damaged by the
difficulties with the NDA budgeting process. John McKendrick urged Mr.
Farquhar that he should do all he can to ensure monies within the NDA
budget are ring-fenced to protect Dounreay. Nuclear clean-up cash crisis puts 3,000 jobs in jeopardy
Independent - 7 January 07 NDA shortfall Puts 3000 Jobs At Risk - Times & Star -
12 January 07
Old Castletown Church To Be Demolished For New Flats Councillors
at a planning meeting in Assembly Rooms, Wick yesterday, 22 January 2007,
granted planning permission to Norscot Joinery to build four blocks of
flats comprising 16 houses. The former church had been used for many
years as a builders store. The church was described by Castletown
Heritage memebr Muriel Murray on her "Kirkular Tour" of the area
last October as an example of a double gabled church in the Caithness
style built in 1843. There were no objections from any of the public
agencies or the public. One of the recommendations in granting the
application was that the developer used local stone in the detailing of
the building. The Castletown Community Council has welcomed the new
development for much needed low cost housing in the town.
THURSO YOUTH CLUB PLEA
Thurso Youth Club is a voluntary organisation and registered charity
providing a wide range of activities for the benefit of young people in
Thurso and the surrounding areas. At present the club is in desperate need
of volunteers to join the management committee to keep the club
operational. It cannot run itself and needs community involvement to
ensure its maximum potential is released. The committee meets five times a
year and has overall responsibility for the management and development of
the club. If you can help to keep the club open, please come along to
Thurso Youth Clubs Annual General meeting on Monday 29th January 2007 at
7pm, in the club premises at Old Mill, Millbank Road. For more information
telephone Angela Alexander or Chris Connolly on 01847 895782
BREATH OF FRESH
AIR - Generation health gap Men and women in their 60s could be the last generation of fit
grandparents, according to a new survey. While the Government is faced
with rising childhood obesity due to poor diet and lack of exercise and
millions of men and women in their 30s and 40s becoming increasingly
sedentary, over-65s are fitter than ever. Great Britain's grandparents are
spending around 40 hours a week gardening, playing sport, walking,
cleaning and doing home improvements. Housework, home improvements and DIY
take up most of the day for over 65s.
Murkle Bowling Club Annual Open Competition 2007 This
annual competition was this year won by a family team from Wick
representing the Town and County Club, who incidentally provide both teams
to reach this years final. The runners up this year were John Gunn, Robbie
Tait, James MacKay and Andrew Manson (Skip). This year's eventual winners
after a closely contested final were Bunty Cormack, Derry Cormack, Sandra
Grant and Brian Cormack (Skip). An enjoyable day was had by all who
attended and Murkle Bowling Club once again extend their gratitude to the
Royal British Legion for offering the use of the facilities to enable this
very successful competition to continue.
Castletown Heritage Web Site Gets Major Update The
Castletown Heritage Society web site has just been updated with lots of
new material showing their plans for the future for their new centre at
Castelhill. The ambitious plans include using renewable energy in
several forms. The January newsletter is also on the web site.
The web site is definitely going to grow and has some interesting items
already in place including a downloadable version of Castletown Recalls
1939 - 1945 by Andrew Guttridge covering the RAF period during the war.
Take look to see just how a group of volunteers can make an impact on
their town.
Caithness Field Club First Walk Of 2007 At
Rumster Forest Field
Club members set out on their first walk of 2007 on beautiful morning with
the sun shining. The small amount of now was crisp underfoot and
made ideal conditions for walking along the tracks of the forest. the
forest has a large number of long houses and some are easily visible at
the old crofting village of Golsary. Many of the houses were lived
in until 1947 when it was all taken over for forestry. At Golsary a
broch sits behind on of the houses. One of the houses also has a
fine example of a drying kiln. The walkers also took quick look at
the burnt out remains of the Rumster Outdoor Centre that had been unused
for some years and was burnet down in 2006. The walk that was just
over 4 miles took about two and a half hours and members made it back to
the cars just as the first icy rain of the day made an appearance -
perfect timing.
20 January 2007
Annual Treat For Pensioner At Assembly Rooms, Wick 150
pensioners gathered in assembly rooms Wick for the annual treat of a meal
with entertainment on Wednesday evening. For many years a committee
of volunteers has organised the annual treat. The committee calls on
wide range of individuals and businesses to contribute or assist in many
ways to pull the evening together. The meal with wine or whisky
miniatures, present for everyone and many other prizes and donations of a
wide variety of food, cakes, tins of biscuits and much more is testament
to the generosity of local businesses and people in the area.
Volunteers also work in the kitchen and act as waiting staff to deliver
the meals etc. Wick Rotary Club provides transport for anyone who
needs it to and from the Assembly Rooms ans some also help at the event.
Entertainment came from a number of groups including Addie Harper and
friends, Wick Pipe Band and others. Well done to all concerned.
Homelessness - Councillors To Consider Changes To Rules Next Week -
Pdf
At the meeting of the Housing and Social Work Committee on 24th January
councillors will consider changes to increase the numbers of people in
priority need to reflect changes being introduced by the Scottish
Executive in 2012. the paper under consideration includes -
Homelessness � an update on the abolition of priority need and the 2009
targets, Communities Scotland Inspection of Homeless Service and the
consultation on the modification of local connection provision in
Homelessness Legislation.
Councillors Quiz
Proposed Changes To The Postal Services Following the Government's announcement in December that 2,500 urban
and rural post offices across the UK will close, The Highland Council
invited representatives from five organisations with interests in the mail
network, including the Department of Trade and Industry, to meet with them
before the Council's deadline for submitting a formal response to the
consultation. Currently there are 1,676 post office branches in Scotland,
205 of which are located in the Highlands. Of these, 6 are urban and 199
are rural. According to statistics from Post Office Limited, 35% of
Scottish branches have less than 100 customers a week and across the UK 4
million fewer people are using the Post Office than two years ago.
Walk
In Rumster Forest - Sunday 21st January A Caithness Field Club walk to blow away the cobwebs. Sunday 21st
Jan - A winter walk in Rumster Forest leaving Wick and Thurso 10.00am.
- meeting at the Forest car park 10.30am. Everyone welcome - no
dogs. Lifts often available from Wick and Thurso and car sharing
encouraged. Make sure you wear good footwear - boots, wellies etc.
Highland Council Considers Council House Rent Levels Members of Highland Council's Housing and Social Work Committee are to
consider the level of Council house rent increases and the housing capital
programme at their meeting on 24 January 2007. Highland Councillors are
being asked to consider increasing the Council's debt in order to avoid
swingeing rent increases for council house tenants. Following the vote by
tenants against housing transfer they were to be faced with rent rises of
7.4%. Now Highland Councillors are being asked to consider using their
prudential borrowing powers to fund part of the housing investment
programme, in order to keep rent rises to just under 5%.
19 January 2007
Kent DuChaine Fantastic Bluesman Returns To Mackays Hotel Saturday 20
January Kent
DuChaine is making his third trip to Mackays Hotel, Wick so he obviously
likes coming this far north. This bluesman is in demand all over the place
in the USA and Europe and it is huge bonus that he loves the area and is
playing in Wick on Saturday night. He is virtuoso performer on his
steel guitar and he plays it in a way few people have heard in the north.
From a tiny audience at his first Mackays gig it grew considerably at the
last one a few months ago but there was still room. If you want to
see a performance with some unusual songs from a master of the blues head
along to Mackays on Saturday night. Even if you think blues music is
not your thing you will be surprised how infectious Kent Duchaines style
is not to mention his constant flow if stories along with the songs.
You are guaranteed a good night out.
More about Kent
DuChaine
Application To Demolish The Old Brewery, Thurso To Be Heard At Planning
Meeting On Monday This
Thurso landmark may have reached the end of the road and councillors will
decide its fate on Monday 22 January at the Planning meeting in Assembly
Rooms, Wick. Application is made for Listed Building Consent to
demolish the brewery building at the corner of Mansons Lane and Riverside
Place in Thurso. The building is in a perilous state of repair and
evidence has been submitted by the applicant to demonstrate that it is
beyond repair. Evidence has also been submitted detailing efforts which
have been made over the years to try to find a use for the property but
all of these efforts have proved fruitless. The applicant O'Brien
Construction has submitted significant evidence that the building is
beyond repair and has also submitted evidence of the efforts made to find
a use for the building over the last 20 or so years. Old Brewery Photo Full SizeFull Planning Meeting Agenda for Monday 22 January 2007
A
New Service For Caithness To Help Get Around And Reduce Transport Costs Journeyshare
Caithness is a completely free car sharing scheme for members of the
public in and around Caithness. The service is free for anyone to
use and aims to help reduce CO2 emissions and help people make savings in
their travel costs by car sharing where possible and is an important new
travel option for all in and around Caithness. The more people who
sign up the more chance there is of finding someone to share lifts. You
are free to refuse any offers and the sing up process does not let anyone
know who you are until you get in touch about a specific lift share.
HITRANS
were getting a kicking in a story further down the page on Caithness
Transport issues but we think they have come up with a very good idea
here. This new web site has been created for HITRANS by the same
group that have launched
Liftshare.com
where you can sign up for lift shares in other parts of the UK and
possibly longer journeys.
FAIRY
REWARDS BRITAIN'S MOST HELPFUL HANDS
And the winner is...Frances Purves from Wick, Caithness Fairy's search to find the most Helpful Hands in Britain, in support
of Make-A-Wish has now come to an end, and Fairy is delighted to reveal
one of the finalists. Hundreds of people across Britain have been
nominating their friends, family and colleagues to thank them for their
care and in the hope that they would be crowned the most Helpful Hands in
Britain. The entries were whittled down to 12 lucky winners, who will all
receive one of 12 Fairy Wishes.....Proud winner of the glamorous �400
shopping spree with personal shopper, Frances Purves works in charity
shops and dedicates most of her time to helping others. She regularly
drives disabled people around and has started a heart disease support
group as well working in hospital radio, in order to ensure the people who
need the most love and attention feel cared for....more
ACUPUNCTURE HELPS MORE PATIENTS - NHS Highland Offers More Acupuncture
than Ever Before
An increasing number of NHS Highland patients are enjoying blissful relief
from pain thanks to an ancient Chinese medicine. Acupuncture is one of the
oldest forms of medicine. It has been used in China for over 3,000 years
and within the NHS since the 1950s. There are 30 Chartered
Physiotherapists using Acupuncture within NHS Highland, in Caithness,
Sutherland, Ross-shire, Lochaber, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey and
Inverness. They all have to maintain and update their skills regularly and
have all completed Post-Graduate training in Acupuncture.
Due To Removal of A Bus Service A
Young Person Needs Transport - Can You Help? Unfortunately the removal of recently set up bus service has left one
young person without the ability to get to Wick for part time work and
educational course already started. If any local person regularly
travels the route from Lybster to Wick at any of the times below get in
touch with Bill Fernie [email protected] or Eric Larnach
[email protected] the development officer for
South
East Caithness Development Group. The time transport is required are as follows:
Wednesday - Wick to Lybster leaving around 8.15pm
Thursday - Lybster to Wick leaving around 6.30pm
Thursday - Wick to Lybster leaving around 8.15pm
Saturday - Wick to Lybster leaving around 8.15pm It is hoped that in the new financial year the bus service might be
resumed but it will perhaps come to late for this young person trying hard
to work and gain education.
Caithness Transport Forum Disappointed With HITRANS Strategy Document As
Caithness Issues Ignored
Community leaders in Caithness have expressed their dismay that the
county�s transport problems have been virtually disregarded in the recent
draft Regional Transport Strategy.
The draft Transport Strategy for the
Highlands & Islands prepared by HITRANS was discussed by the Caithness
Transport Forum at a recent meeting and members were angry that Caithness
had been overlooked. Chairman of the Forum, Councillor John Green, said:�
Despite earlier submissions made to HITRANS highlighting the transport
issues in the far north, many that need to be dealt with urgently, it is
very disappointing to see that Caithness has been almost totally ignored
in this version of the Regional Transport Strategy. Even the A99, which
the AA lists as one of the most dangerous roads in the UK, barely gets a
mention. So far there is no obvious attempt to look to the county�s
future requirements in this document suggesting a lack of input from the
north.� The HITRANS consultation is open for comments until 31 January 2007.
18 January 2007
Images Of
Britain
Here are few great Scottish photos from this recently published book.
COMMONWEALTH
ARTS AND CRAFTS AWARDS 2007
The Commonwealth Foundation has announced that the Commonwealth Arts and
Crafts Awards 2007 are now open for application. Artists and crafts people
from all commonwealth countries are encouraged to enter the awards, and
from mid 2007 as many as ten winners will receive a grant of up to �8,000
to travel and study in another Commonwealth country. The Awards are built
around two-way sharing.
COME AND TRY BOWLS OPEN DAYS - LYBSTER OUTDOOR BOWLING HALL
Friday 19th January 2pm - 5pm - Friday 19th January 6pm - 9pm - Saturday
20th January 2pm - 6pm
A COME and TRY opportunity for both Indoor and Outdoor Bowls. Enjoy
yourself in a relaxed atmosphere, in the comfort of a warm hall, with
support provided by our local club coaches. Just drop in anytime during
the designated times. Tea/Coffee and biscuits provided. This event is FREE
and EVERYONE is WELCOME.
This event is being run as part of Healthy Highland Week 2007
The
Economics of Building a Nuclear Power Plant in Fresno - SF
Bay Area Independent Media Center
This item by by Alan Cheah and Mark Stout appeared yesterday and although
it looks the American position the parallels make interesting reading for
any looking at the nuclear versus alternative energy debate. According to
the graphs provided alternative energy costs including wind, pv,
geothermal, solar thermal and bio-mass have fallen with wind power
apparently having made the greatest leaps in reducing production costs.
Perhaps there is fresh information here for the current debates going on
in The Forum.
FREE CV Workshops In Wick And Thurso Careers Scotland offer FREE CV workshops in Wick and Thurso NEW YEAR - facing changes? Is the thought of creating a CV putting you
off applying for a job?
Don't have a clue where to start?
Come along to one of our free sessions:
Pentland Hotel, Thurso - Tuesday 23 January - 1.00pm - 2.30pm or 6.00pm -
7.30pm
Norseman Hotel, Wick - Wednesday 24 January - 1.00pm -2.30pm or
6.00pm-7.30pm Please contact Maureen Whale on 01847 805208 to reserve a place.
CAITHNESS WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER SCOOPS TOP UK AWARD Thurso
based photographer John Baikie has capped off an amazing year by lifting
the UK Photographer of the Year in the wedding portfolio category in the
annual SWPP awards, presented at the society's convention in London this
week. The Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers are widely
accepted as the biggest organisation in the UK and held a huge event in
the capital last week, which saw 4600 attendees from all over the world
descend on the Novotel Hotel in Hammersmith to attend seminars by some of
the biggest names in the world of photography.
Nearly 4000 Visitors A Day Check The What's On - Is Your Caithness or
Sutherland Event Listed?
Like other parts of the web site the What's On section continues to hit
new records for visitors with many folk now taking a look to find out what
is happening in the area. Both locals and visitors now browse the
What's On for dates of events, where to get tickets and so on.
Currently there are over 260 items listed. The section is FREE and
easy to use by completing the
Online Form with details of you event.
Within a couple of minutes your event can have weeks or months of FREE
advertising. The sooner an event is in the better. All event appear
on this page on the day of the event as final reminder to everyone.
List your event now.
Forest Walk By Forestry Commission - Braehour Forest 1.5miles South
of Westerdale
22 January - 10.00am - 12.00pm As Part of the Forestry Commissions Active Woods Campaign & Healthy
Highland Activities come and join the Local Forester For a walk and Talk
in the Forest and find out what's going on in the Forests of the Far
North. Length of Walk approx 3 miles. A good chance to walk off some of
the excesses from the festive period. Or just to get out there and get
some fresh air and exercise. Car parking just outside the Forest. Wrap up
with warm Clothing. Bring a Packed lunch.
17 January 2007
A Geological Tour of the North(by Jack Saxon)
Another article from the 2006 Bulletin of Caithness Field Club by the late
Jack Saxon - one of the founder members of the Field Club and an editor of
the Bulletin for several years.. This text was prepared by the late
Jack Saxon as a guide to the interesting places to visit in Caithness and
North Sutherland and added as an article by the current editor Ken Butler. The geology of Caithness is essentially that of cyclic sedimentary rocks
deposited in playa lakes and desert sequences. The rocks were laid down in
Devonian times, about 370 million years ago, in a great basin named the
Orcadian Lake, The basement and margins consist of crystalline and
metamorphic rocks. Frequently the sedimentary rocks contain barren
breccias and mudstones derived from these crystalline precursors. This
guide has been written to let the visitor know where typical rocks and
fossils can be found. An
obituary to Jack Saxon come also from the 2006 Bulletin The
Field Club Bulletins contain many articles by Jack Saxon.
BURNS� BREAKFAST: A NEW WAY TO START THE DAY Bowel
Cancer UK launches innovative breakfast fundraising event Bowel
Cancer UK, the leading national bowel cancer charity, has launched
Burns� Breakfast, a fundraising initiative running between 20th and 28th
January 2007, to coincide with Scotland�s Robert Burns� Day, held on
January 25th each year. Porridge is the main feature of Burns� Breakfast -
making apt use of the celebrated poet�s fondness for that most healthy of
breakfast foods, which Burns himself described as �chief o� Scotia�s
food�.................Every year over 35,000 people in the UK are
diagnosed with bowel cancer - that's someone every 15 minutes. Scotland
has the highest rate of bowel cancer per head of population in the UK and
one of the highest in Europe. It is the third most common cancer in
Scotland for both men and women: approximately 3,500 cases are diagnosed
each year............more
A Brief Look At Poolewe, Wester Ross
As you can see we get around the Highlands. These photos were taken
last September on a dull day but still very fresh and pleasant. Like
many other parts of the Highlands once you leave the village it is
amazingly empty and that day there was almost no traffic. So if you
are passing up or down the west take look at Poolewe.
HEART DISEASE SUFFERERS
TO LEARN HOW TO STAY OUT OF HOSPITAL
HUNDREDS of heart disease sufferers in the Highlands are to learn how to
stay out of hospital from a team of specialist nurses. The NHS Highland
Heart Failure Service, which starts in April, should reduce the number of
times patients discharged from hospital have to return for further
treatment. Five nurses based across the Highlands, who are specially
trained in heart failure management, will work together with the community
staff to show them how they can stay healthy. There will be one part time
nurse covering Caithness and Sutherland, two nurses covering Ross-shire
and Lochaber and 1 part time nurse and a full time nurse covering
Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey and Nairnshire.
Dounreay Prototype Fast Reactor Coming Apart Work
to pull apart Dounreay's Prototype Fast Reactor (PFR) is rapidly advancing
with more and more large items of redundant equipment being ripped out of
the former reactor complex as the plant is dismantled. Dounreay is at the
leading edge of world-wide clean-up of former nuclear facilities, and as
demolition progresses removal of massive and extremely heavy steel
structures presents a challenging task to the site. This phase of pulling
apart the plant has seen the removal of the largest amount of steelwork
from the facility since decommissioning began and has resulted in the
first visible external impact of the reactor demolition by leaving a
noticeable gap on the Dounreay skyline. This �1m project is major progress
for PFR.
Chamber Of Commerce Demands Answer To "Supremo For Dounreay Run Down"
Question The Caithness & Sutherland Chamber of Commerce is urging the lead
Agencies in the decommissioning of the Dounreay site and the economic
regeneration of Caithness & North Sutherland to make clear without further
delay their acceptance or otherwise of the proposal, put forward six
months ago at a Meeting of the Dounreay Stakeholder Group, for the
appointment of a 'supremo' to oversee and drive the process forward. If
the proposal has been rejected by the Agencies what are the objections to
it and what plans do the Agencies have to take matters forward?
2007 Sees Caithness.org
Forum/Message Boards Reach New Records
The Message Boards have grown slowly but surely over the past few years
and since the start of the New Year have surged again to an average of
over 4000 visitors a day. If you have never been in for look you
might be surprised at the range of topics being discussed or questions
being asked. In addition you can buy or sell an extremely wide range
or items in the classified ads sections. One of the features in the
Message Board section is a live chat room that can be used anytime 24
hours day and where some members run a quiz often on Sunday evening open
to anyone.
16 January 2007
The Great Caithness Meteorite? (by U Keith Gerry) Another
article from the 2006 Bulletin of Caithness Field Club
For the older generation the striking feature of Scarfskerry harbour today
is the absence of the wreck of the Linkmoor which for many years blocked
the entrance. As long as the Linkmoor was there it drew attention away
from the harbour�s most striking and most ancient feature. This is the
extreme and unusual tilt of the beds of the Middle Old Red Sandstone which
is steeply down to the left on the left of the harbour and steeply down to
the right on the right of the harbour as shown in Fig 1. In geological
terms the harbour lies along the crest of a very pronounced anticline. If
storm tides have been helpful a strip of un-eroded folded stone may be
found at the foot of the cliff to the right of the slipway. Better still a
near vertical section is to be seen in the cliff in line with this strip.
'The Jolly
Beggars and a' That' Mill
Theatre, Thurso
8.00pm on Wednesday 31st January - tickets �9.00 and �6.00 (Concession). January sees the return of the programme featuring Professional
artists to Thurso's Mill Theatre which starts of in style with a
celebration of the works of Robert Burns in song and verse. 'The Jolly
Beggars and a' That' is an informal performance of a little known but
superb musical play (Cantata) by Burns consisting of eight poems and eight
songs. Balance of the programme comprises the Burns Songs, from the light
galloping instrumental tunes based upon jigs and reels, to the more moving
love songs and serious political material. All that and a Burns
Supper - Move fast to get a ticket!!!!
The Third
Millennium - Coming Sooner Than You Think!
Hi! Our names are Adam (18), Calum (15) and Donald (12) Risbridger; we are
three brothers from Wick in the far north of Scotland who share common
interests in books and computer games, and have done since an early age.
We have recently taken up the feat of writing our own novel, based on some
of our own adventures in digital worlds. The result - The Third
Millennium: a science fantasy in which many of the characters we had
created since we were young children come together in exploring a galaxy
that exists in our imaginations. Intrigued by the story we had to tell,
Aultbea, a Publishing House in Inverness, agreed to have a look at our
manuscript and have written up the book for publication at April!
Caithness Motocross 2006 Trophy Presentations The
Caithness Motocross Clubs (CMXC) 2006 season presentation was held in the
Janet Street Club in Thurso on Saturday night. A large gathering of
riders, parents & grand parents attended the event, which included the
trophy presentation, games for the kids� as well as the mums & dads, a
prize raffle and a Lucky Ticket Draw for a Grand Prix rider�s race shirt.
Caithness Motocross Club has gone from strength to strength over the last
few years and this can be clearly seen by the ever increasing numbers of
riders attending the events that take place during the year.
Tree Counting At Badryrie By Ken Butler
A project to plant trees at Badryrie in 1984 by Caithness Field Club was
reported once again in the 2006 Caithness Field Club Bulletin. 22
years after the Field Club planted the trees they are still going strong
and the report gives some very detailed information on their progress.
Some of the members who were involved in the original planting are still
members of the Field Club including Ken Butler the author of this latest
report.
Sir Elton
John To Rock Highland Capital In 2007 Hot on
the heels of last Friday's Highland 2007 Launch and Lifescan Monster
Street Party, Highland 2007 have announced today that international rock
star Sir Elton John will play in the Highlands as part of the year of
Highland culture celebrations! The concert will take place at Tulloch
Caledonian Stadium, Inverness, on Sunday 15 July and will be the opening
event for InvernessFest, a new festival taking place in the Highland
capital between 15 and 29 July 2007. Tickets will go on public sale on
Tuesday 23 January at 9am and can be purchased by phoning the Elton John
24 hour ticket hotlines................more
Newtonhill
Woodland To Be Tested For Gas The
Highland Council is preparing to carry out an investigation of a former
landfill site in Caithness, which is currently community woodland. The
Council has written today (Monday 15 January 2006)) to residents in 25
properties near the site and to community groups which use the site, to
advise them of the works which will begin later this month. The site is at
Newtonhill approximately 2 km south west of the centre of Wick. Site works
will commence on Tuesday 23 January 2006 and will continue for an
estimated four weeks. Monitoring will continue initially for a period of 6
months. During the site works there may be restrictions on access and use
of the community woodland for Health and Safety reasons; although
disruption of the normal use of the site will be limited as far as is
possible.
Newtonhill Photos
Castletown Survey Found No Risk
A similar set of tests was carried out at a site at
Castletown last year and nothing was found.
Film Star Ewan McGregor Plans Motor Bike Ride - John O'Groats To Cape
Town Sky Showbiz
John
O'Groats sees many folk start trips - walking cycling, pulling or
pushing all sorts of contraptions and they are all usually on their way to
Lands End. This trip by Ewan McGregor is sure to create more
publicity than most with a huge media pack on the trail not to mention
many folk out to catch a glimpse of the star who has now featured in so
many films. If you cannot make it to John O'Groats don't worry it
will probably be all over the TV, radio and in the papers when it happens.
We hope he gets good day to start from Caithness.
Thurso Surf Competition Gets Mention At "Times Online" The
O'Neill Highland Open surf competition attracted some of the world's top
surfers to try to get points in the world rankings. The second
competition to be held at Thurso looks set to be even bigger as attention
from the press seems to be growing. This piece at the Times Online
also has a short film. Lost of great short films from 2006 are still
available to view on the
O'Neill Highland Open web site. Surfing is definitely
growing in Caithness as you now see surf boards for sale in one or two
shops including a surf cafe
Tempest Surf at Thurso harbour where you can get all the gear and
food in their cafe. Last April many of the surfers hung out at the
cafe -
see photos. See more Thurso surfing photos
Here
Caithness and
Sutherland Provincial Mod Is In Caithness This Year 9 June 2007 - Various Venues in Caithness
Caithness hosts the annual provincial Gaelic Mod with competitions in
Music, Recitation and Conversation with solos, choirs, instrumentalists
and lots more. Highlight of the event will be the Celebration and Dance in
the evening with highly acclaimed Celtic Band, Cliar.
Exhibition On Radio Active Particles Today In Thurso The
exhibition on Radio Active particles starts a run of four venues in
Caithness today. The exhibition is in the Royal Hotel, Thurso
between 10.30am and 8.30pm today. The exhibition then continues
as follows -
Tuesday - Village Hall, Reay - 12.30pm - 8.30pm
Wednesday - Drill Hall, Castletown - 10.30am - 8.30pm
Thursday - Mackays Hotel, Wick - Rooms 10.30am - 8.30pm
A BSL/English sign language interpreter will be available this evening
between 5.30pm and 8.30pm. Bill Fernie, chairman of the
external group looking at public participation said "A great
deal of thought has gone into how best to involve the public in the
process of consulting about an acceptable solution to the particles
problem. I would encourage as many people as possible to go along to
the exhibitions and ask questions and find out how to participate and make
your views known. As an external committee we have tried to ensure
that as much information is available in form that can be understood as
easily as possible. Everything we have asked for has been agreed and
the information now presented represents the culmination of meetings and
discussions over the past three years. This is a chance for the public to
say how they want the problem dealt with after viewing all of the
information." Online a great deal of information is already on the
Particles section of the UKAEA Dounreay web site.
14 January 2007
Caithness Amateur
Athletics Club - Results and Information Now At EBigH.com
If you want to find out about local athletics a new service on the EbigH
web site could be useful. Kerry Mackay is now updating results from
north of Scotland athletics meetings with information and photos.
Keep On Running At EbigH
Found - A Canon Canon RS60-E3 Remote Control Did you lose a
Canon remote control for your camera today or in the last few days in Caithness. Email
[email protected] and say where
you lost it and he will put you in touch with the finder so that you can
get it back.
Site For More New Shops In Wick - Fast Becoming The Shopping Town Of The
North As
the revelations of yet another new shopping complex next to Tesco, Wick
were announced we thought you might like to take look at the site. The
speculation about the opening at the Tesco roundabout is now resolved as
Scapa Properties Ltd have a planning application in for four units - one
25,000 square ft plus 10,000 for garden centre plus three other units of
10,000 sq ft. A new bus service is to start on trial from Helmsdale
to Wick stopping at all of the shopping units and the town centre.
Previously the bus service was not good for shopping in Wick due to the
timetable being unsuitable. It will now be possible to spend a few
hours in Wick and get a bus back from Helmsdale. Meanwhile Tesco
hopes to start its Tesco.com Home delivery service across Caithness in
February. Tesco are apparently also planning to add an extension to
the existing new shop to bring in
Tesco Direct
It looks like Wick's new shop boom may be far from over. In Thurso
and indeed across the county everyone is still awaiting the announcement
for the date of the public enquiry into the ASDA planning application
called in by the Scottish Executive. Will Wick's latest potential
new shops be up before ASDA in Thurso?
Four More Turbines For Forss Work
is starting to place four more wind turbines at the Forss site where two
are already in place.
Viewfirth,
Thurso - What Next? Viewfirth
in Thurso was home for many years to the Dounreay Social Club. With
its closure recently and plans to demolish the building that has
structural problems an opportunity has arisen to build something new for
the area. The building and land is now owned by the Nuclear
Decommissioning Authority. they have indicated to the newly formed
Viewfirth Redevelopment Steering Group that they might donate the land to
the group if the community can come up with a viable use and create
something to the advantage of the community. The steering group now
invites the public to a meeting on Wednesday 17th January at 7.00pm in the Pentland Hotel, Thurso to discuss any ideas that anyone might care to put
forward. This planning for real exercise will hopefully be the start of
the process to finding a good solution to building a new resource at the Viewfirth site. So get along with your ideas or go and make comments on
other ideas being put forward.
Strathnaver, Sutherland Strathnaver
in Sutherland is a fascinating place to take trip through. The
scenic and almost empty strath offers a lovely day out or longer if you
want to spend a few days exploring all of the places. It is easy to
reach from Inverness or Caithness if you happen to be on holiday.
The road is mainly single track and the slower pace is relaxing. The
photos were taken on 10 June 2006 and it was a beautiful and warm sunny
day. No attempt has been made to photograph all of the Strathnaver
Trail as we will certainly go back to dip into other parts. Sutherland
Index
Caithness
Rabbit Fanciers Association - Rabbit Show
Staxigoe Hall, By Wick - 14 April 2007 10.00am - 4.00pm - Entries On
The Day This is a table show for rabbits and guinea pigs. Entries will be
taken on the day of the show, and should be in a strong pet carrier, and
have a suitable water bottle. Both breeders and pet owners are more than
welcome. - Get this date in your diary if you would like to enter. There
will be a British Rabbit Council Judge at the show. And that entry forms
can be obtained from Meiklejohn's Tearooms, in Wick or by calling 01955
605945. Entries will also be taken on the morning of the show.
More
Funding Ideas For Charities And Voluntary Groups
A few more places to think about applying for funding for voluntary and
charitable groups. Check out our latest additions to see if anything
fits with what you are looking for.
Dunnet Forest in Bloom with the help of Thurso College Students Dunnet
Forest Trust will benefit from a splash of colour this spring thank to a
generous donation of bulbs from Homebase managers, Scott Hervo [left] and
Murray Wilson. The event was organised by Catherine Patterson of
Volunteering Highland as part of the National Make-A �Difference Day for
volunteers.
Volunteering Highland In Caithness
More Information on an Old Photo - From A Man In The Photo This
photo from 1955 was sent in a while back but one man in the photo Bob
Sutherland has been in touch with a few more details about it. So
many thanks to Bob Sutherland for taking the time to add the information
now on the photo.
Galas, Shows, Games,
Events - Get Your FREE Publicity Now For 2007
This is call to organisers of any events in Caithness for 2007 to get them
post in the What's On as soon as possible and for the larger events we
will place them in the Galas, Games and Shows page. We get lots of
enquiries about dates of events from people planning to visit Caithness
and they want to make the trip to coincide with a gala or other event.
the sooner the dates are available the easier it is for people to make
plans. To enter events in the What's On
complete the
Online Form in the section Check first to see if someone
else has already entered details. If you want the item in the Galas,
Shows, Games page email details to [email protected] These services are FREE so the sooner you get
them in the longer your event can be seen.
Dounreay
Visitor Centre Jobs 2007 Season
The jobs as guides and cafe assistants will be of interest to anyone who
would like to work from Easter to October in 2007.
Construction Commences At Forss Wind Farm Extension Civil engineering work has begun to add another four turbines to
the existing two-turbine Forss wind farm near Thurso in
Caithness, the project owner Renewable Energy Systems Group (RES)1
announced today. The 5.2MW project is expected to be fully commissioned
and delivering green power for the Caithness area by the summer of 2007
RES has developed the project with landowner and co-renewable energy
developer Abbey Properties Cambridgeshire Ltd and was responsible for the
development of the original two turbine project, which started generating
in 2003. This project has performed above expectations on the exposed
coastal location.
E-newsletter Of North Highland Forest Trust
Published on 20 December we are delighted to bring you the latest edition
that anyone with an interest in trees and forests might find something
useful or of interest.
Further Developments From Pentland
Housing Association In Thurso & Wick JANET STREET, THURSO
After the successful completion of 4 Flats and 2 Houses in Janet St,
pictured below in March of last year, Pentland Housing Association have
now received approval from Communities Scotland to build a further 4 x 2
bedroom flats for rent at the upper end of Janet Street next to our
original development. SALTOUN AND MILLER STREET, WICK Continuing
Pentland Housing Association�s commitment to the regeneration of the
historic but run down Lower Pulteneytown area where we completed 6 Flats
and 10 houses in April 2005 in Telford Street we now intend to finish this
housing development with a further conservation and conversion on the
corner site of Saltoun and Miller Street.
Reay
Photo Identified But Does Anyone Have More Information Jim
Menzies in Canada has been in touch after finding that a photo he has
was of Reay School and not from Perth as he previously thought. He
discovered the truth about his photo when looking at another photo on
Caithness.org of Reay 1900
and he noticed the stonework behind the two classes was identical.
If anyone can supply more information about this photo send details to
us and Jim
Wick High Reunion - For Former Pupils Aged 58 - 63
In 2007
Mackays Hotel - Friday 27 July 2007 If you are in the age group for this reunion get in touch with Jay
Campbell or Elsie Cardosi
This age group had reunion on 28 July 1989 in Wick Quatercentenery year.
When everyone was aged 40 - 45. So if you want to catch up with everyone
once again get in touch soon to help the organisers.
HIE
Invites Public To Consult On Potential Environmental Impacts Of Draft
Operating Plan There are still two weeks left for the public to respond to a
consultation by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) on its draft
operating plan and associated environmental report. Under the provisions
of Regulation 16 of the Environmental Assessment of Plans & Programmes
(Scotland) Regulations 2004, HIE has its first strategic environmental
assessment to gauge the potential significant effects its draft
operating plan may have on the environment.
New Salsa Classes Starting In Halkirk
A five session programme of salsa classes are starting on Monday night
in the Halkirk Youth Club at 7:45. Ladies - it's a great way to get fit
and gents - learn how to transform your two left feet and gain
confidence on the dance floor. Salsa-Caithness is being headed by Dance
teacher, Steve Hicks, who has been teaching salsa in Thurso for the past
two years at the Ormlie lodge club on Friday nights. The classes are
very relaxed, sociable events, but most importantly good fun. See the
'What's on' section for details of the Monday and Friday
classes. Steve Hicks Old Manse Scarfskerry 01847 851778 / 07840090038
BB 1st Wick
Appeal For More Helpers The
oldest youth organisation in the world.
�The
Boys� Brigade� needs adult
helpers in Wick. Could you give 1 or 2 hours a month of your spare time?
10 January 2007
Comet McNaught Heads for The Sun This comet is clearly visible to the naked eye very low in the sky near
the Sun just before sunrise (SE) or at sunset (SW). This photo of
it taken as the sky was brightening on the morning of 8th January.
Unfortunately it will soon (by the end of this week) be too close to the
Sun to see it. You'll need clear skies similar to those on recent mornings
to see it - good luck! - Gordon Mackie
The Future Of
Post Offices In The UK The Department Of Trade and Industry (DTI) is currently running
a consultation into the future of the Post Office Network.
The consultation closes for responses on 8 March 2007. the Post Office
network is losing �4million per week having risen from �2 million per
week a year ago. People have moved away from using post offices in
favour of banks for things like pensions payments and benefit payments.
The numbers of customers using post offices on weekly basis continues to
fall. The government has made a number of proposals and these are
now included in the consultation document for comments by the public and
other bodies. With 2500 post offices targeted for closure this
will be one of the biggest changes both for the post office and
possibly many rural areas. Caithness has already seen the
introduction of a mobile post office to replace five post offices.
Have you any thoughts about the possibility of further reductions in the
branch network. Send your thoughts and ideas via the
online form Peter Peacock MSP On The Post Office Crisis
Caithness Community Awards - Have You Nominated Anyone Yet? The closing date for nominations for the Caithness community Awards
is 15 January. This is chance to say thankyou to people that you
think are special and make a big contribution to Caithness life.
check out the categories and make a nomination . A citizen of the
Year and Young Citizen of the year will also be chosen from the
nominations. The Caithness Community Awards are being organised by
The
Caithness Partnership - basically a think tank to help improve
how Caithness works.
Dounreay Bulletin - Issue 18
the latest bulletin from Dounreay includes items on - Four Years
Accident-Free For Reactor Decommissioning Team - Ventilation Upgrade Set
to Save �5 Million in Clean-Up Costs - New Camera Helps Recover Trapped
Material During Clean-Up - Exhibitions on Particles Short-List - Tests
to Identify Unusual Object Found on Beach - Peedie Beach is Surveyed -
Reactor Boss Goes Back to Coal Face - Dounreay Keeps Clubs in the
Picture - New Training Equipment for Caithness United
9 January 2007
The Salmon Farm
Monitor Group Exposes Over 1 Million Escapes in 2005
FISH FARMERS NAMED AND SHAMED!
The Salmon Farm Protest Group (SFPG) can now reveal the names of the
fish farmers who allowed more than 1 million farmed salmon to escape or
die in their cages during 2005. Following the landmark decision by the
Scottish Freedom of Information Commissioner (Decision 182/2006) that
forced the Scottish Executive's Fisheries Research Services (FRS) to
disclose the name of a fish farmer involved in an escape incident in
2006, the SFPG asked the FRS for the names of fish farmers involved in
all escapes and fish deaths during 2005.
Sunset Over West Calder This
photo taken on Christmas Eve was sent in by Chris Gregory. It was
taken from West Calder and shows it always pays to keep a camera handy for
the few minutes when the sun is setting on clear nights.
Remember you can click to a larger version.
Parent Forums - Taking The Place Of School Boards -
A chance To Find Out About Them
Thurso High - 7.00pm Monday 15 January
Parent Forums : Meeting for Parents with Moira McCarrell in the Main Hall A meeting for parents to explain the role of the new Parent Forums
which are replacing School Boards.
The meeting is for parents with children in both primary and secondary
school. Scottish Executive Introduction To New Parents Councils and Forums
Also See
Parent Zone
�CROFTING� - a foundation course This
evening course is designed for new and aspiring crofters, established
crofters who want to update their knowledge, or anyone interested in the
crofting way of life. The course will be held over 10 weeks from January
to March 2007 in Caithness. Each class will last for 2 hours. The course
will start on 17 January. Anyone interested in attending should contact
David Barclay on 01955 604500 17th January 2007. The course is subsidised
and the cost is only �50 for ten weeks unless the applicant is eligible
for a concession (This might apply to someone in receipt of benefits).
Nova Scotian
opportunity for Gaelic speaker The Highland Council is currently trying to identify a Gaelic speaker
who would be prepared to live and work in Cape Breton for six months to
help with a Gaelic language learning project. The recruitment drive to
find a Gaelic speaker willing to live and work in Nova Scotia is one of a
range of joint initiatives which are part of the "Memorandum of
Understanding" (MOU) - an agreement signed between The Highland Council
and the Provincial Government of Nova Scotia in 2002. The MOU provides the
basis for a variety of cultural initiatives between the two areas.
Wildcat
Traditional Music Association - January Newsletter
This month's wildcat newsletter highlights the appearance of John Laing on
Friday 12th January, Pentland Hotel, Thurso. 8:00PM Performing a selection
of Burns, traditional and self-penned songs. Thurso Members: Free, Members
1st Guest: Free, Non members: �8,Senior Citizens: �2-50, Accompanied under
fourteens: Free.
8 January 2007
Ormlie Renewables - Shout Out Savings As
some of you will be aware Ormlie Community Association has spun out a
Renewable energy project. Ormlie Renewables is undertaking work on a
number of fronts. One of these is advice to householders on how they
can save energy and of course money. If you are in the Thurso area
you can get personal visit to assess your energy situation and gain advice
free of charge. Other parts of Caithness can get a telephone
consultation.
More Early Caithness Photos
Hamish Gunn has sent in more photos showing different aspects of life in
Caithness - A Telegraph Boy from around 1945 - A pre 1939 Flight from the
field where North School and Leith Walk now stand - and another photo of
1285 Air Cadets Caithness Squadron.
Early Photos
Index
Caithness
Labrador Rescue Seek Homes For More Dogs
Labrador Rescue Scotland have contacted Caithness Labrador Rescue with
details of 6 dogs needing homes and are desperate for some help. Are
you looking for Labrador and can offer home to one of these dogs. Get
in touch with Caithness Labrador Rescue.
FESTIVE SAFETY CAMPAIGN ENDS AND POLICE UNDERLINE PROMISE TO CATCH DRINK
DRIVERS NORTHERN Constabulary�s promise to catch as many drink drivers as
possible was underlined this week as the Force detected more offenders than
in any of the three previous weeks of the Festive Safety Campaign. A total
of 23 drink drivers were detected during week four of the campaign, up from
13 for the same week in 2005. One drug driver was also detected, making it a
total of five drug drivers since the Force�s campaign, labelled Enjoy It
Don�t Destroy It, began a month ago. During the entire four week campaign
Northern Constabulary detected a total of 75 drink drivers across the
Highlands and Islands, compared to 61 for the same period last year. Five
drug drivers were detected during the four weeks, compared to none last
year. The public�s patience appears to have run out in relation to drink and
drug drivers with many of the offenders being reported by the public
throughout the campaign.
7 January 2007
First Aid Course (8 hour) Sunday 4 March 2007
The Caithness Sports Council is organising an 8 hour Emergency
First Aid Course. The course is being run by Highland Leisure
Training from Inverness. The course is aimed at people involved
in sport. All day (9am to 5pm). Venue: Wick.
Places are limited to 12 individuals. Cost:
�20/individual (Caithness Sports Council Club Members) The
Caithness Sports Council is subsidising the cost of this course,
therefore grant aid applications from clubs will not be
considered. �40/individual (non Caithness Sports Council Club
members)
To reserve a place, please contact Ken Nicol (tel: 01847 831508)
or email [email protected] for an application
form.
Kite CAM
Photos Of Caithness - Another New Section
Something new to kick the year off. Photos of parts of the
county taken from a kite. If the weather allows we
hope to bring a few more in the next few days. Failing
that new photos will be added whenever Grant Golding and Elaine
Fernie (Bill's daughter) are back in the county. We have
added links and some information for anyone who would like to
think about taking up this particular hobby.
Happy New Year From Caithness.org We hope you all have a good year in 2007. After the
past slow week we hope to be able to begin to get back to normal
shortly.
Did you lose a
Canon remote control for your camera today or in the last few days in Caithness. Email
