Scottish
switching scheme launched in Highland
Households
across Highland have an opportunity to save hundreds of pounds on their
energy bills as part of a collective buying initiative.
Highland
residents have until Sunday 17 March to join in to secure a better deal
from energy companies by buying energy together.
Scots Together is a col�lect�ive pur�chas�ing col�lab�or�a�tion. Rather
than leaving individuals to buy their power on a house by house basis,
the project will negotiate with power companies on behalf of all the
people who register to take part.
The more people that take part, the better the deal will become and the
more potential there is for the scheme to save householders cash.
People who join up at the start will still be able to benefit from the
price achieved by the total number of people switching at the end.
There is no obligation to switch.
It is free and it is easy. Those interested are asked to visit the
website - Scotstogether.com
- with a recent energy bill to register
their details.
For those who would rather talk to an advisor the Freephone number is –
0800 408 0155.
Councillor Dave Fallows, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Finance
Housing and Resources Committee, said: “Given that over one in three
Highland households are considered to be in fuel poverty and this
number is increasing, largely due to rising fuel costs and falling
welfare payments, this scheme could provide people with a welcome
opportunity to save some cash.
Thurso Charrette final
Session
tonight Wednesday at 7.00pm - open to
all at Pentland hotel Out
Of Sight - Out Of Murder Thurso
Players
21st - 23rd March
24
February
2013
Old
Caithness Buildings - Telford Street - Harbour Quay - Burn Street The square formed by Telford Street, Harbour Quay and Burn
Street in Wick have been restoration work carried out for the past few
months with funding from Historic Scotland. Photos start on
5th
November 2012 and go up to 22nd February 2013. Further photos
wil
be added as work progresses. The works are being carried out
by G
M R Henderson.
having22
February
2013
Devices
Placed In Pentland Firth to Take Measurements Multi-cat
C-Salvor, owned by Leask Marine Ltd of Kirkwall was
this week at Gills Harbour.
The vessel was there for Mojo Maritime Ltd of Falmouth, Cornwall and
was in port to deploy three 'Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler' (ADCP)
devices on the seabed of the Pentland Firth's Inner Sound.
This was undertaken for MeyGen Ltd, the company that holds the Crown
Estate's seabed licence for that part of the Firth as a site for
development as 'the world's first commercial tidal stream electricity
power station'. It hopes to install almost 400 generating turbines,
with a capacity rated at 1 MW (megawatt) each there, by 2020.
Wick
and District Pool League Splits Into Two Divisions Wick
& District Pool League has now split into two divisions
as all fourteen teams have played each other once. The top seven will
now face each other again as they compete for the first division title,
as will the bottom seven who will compete for the second division
title. Queens and Sinclair Bay will now battle it out in division two
as they lost out to Blackstairs1 and Seaforth Club respectively. The
Commercial also lost out 8-3 to rivals Bayview1 but still managed to
hang on to seventh spot and a place in the top division. Camps2,
Bayview1 and Crown1 are all still joint top of division one, but Camps2
stretched their frame difference lead to 24 frames thanks to a 10-1 win
over Camps1. Blackstairs2 are four points behind the leading three
teams, they defeated Crown2 7-4 on Monday night. Harper's moved up to
within four points of the second division leaders after an impressive
9-2 win over Mountain Dew.....................
Caithness
Councillor Robert Coghill To Step Down
Highland
Councillor Robert Coghill, who represents Landward Caithness, has given
notice of his intention to resign, with effect from Thursday 28
February. Councillor Coghill, who helps run a farm at Halkirk, is
standing down on medical advice.
Councillor Coghill, who is a member of the Independent Group on the
Council, said: “I am disappointed that I have had to resign but I
cannot ignore medical advice. I have really enjoyed my time on the
Council and have been impressed by the dedication of our staff in
providing high quality services to our communities.”
Council Convener Jimmy Gray said: “Robert has always been committed to
Caithness and the Highlands and has served the Council with distinction
during his 6 years with us. We wish him and his family all the best for
the future.”
New
Biomass Boiler for Famous Whisky Distillery and Wick District
Heating Scheme
Ignis
Biomass Ltd has installed and is now operating a new
biomass boiler to provide heat for the district heating scheme in Wick.
The new 3.5 megawatt steam boiler is part of an initial �2.5m
investment in the Wick district heating scheme, following its purchase
by Ignis in June 2012. The new boiler is supplying steam to the
adjacent Pulteney Distillery, in addition to supplying the district
heating network.
The distillery (part of Inver House Distillers Ltd) is the producer of
the renowned “Old Pulteney” single malt whisky. Pulteney’s 21 year
single malt was voted “World Whisky of the Year” in Jim Murray’s 2012
Whisky Bible Awards. Martin Leonard, Operations Director of Inver House
Distillers said “Ignis’ new boiler provides a source of renewable
energy for the Distillery which will assist in achieving our
environmental objectives by reducing our use of fossil fuels. We are
pleased to be working with Ignis, helping them build a successful
business in Wick based upon a sustainable supply of energy”.
19
February
2013
Join
the Caithness Conversation:
‘How can funding from onshore wind farms be used to benefit
Caithness?’.
RWE npower renewables (RWE NRL) is encouraging local
people in Caithness to take part in the Caithness Conversation, a
discussion about how the community funds linked to wind farms can best
be used to support the area. RWE NRL, one of the UK’s leading renewable
energy developers, invests more than �75,000 per annum in Caithness
through community funds associated with its wind farms. The company
operates Bilbster and Causeymire wind farms, has gained consent for
other wind farms in the area, and is in the process of applying for
planning consent for Bad � Che� Wind Farm. To support local communities
to plan and deliver community investment funding, both from renewables
and other sources, RWE NRL has launched the Caithness Conversation the
aim of which is to share information and best practice on managing
community funds. www.npower-renewables.com/caithnessconversation
Complete The SURVEY
17
February
2013
Your Opportunity To Help Shape The Future Of Thurso and Wick
Work on the new Caithness and Sutherland Local Development
Plan
will begin later this month.
As part of this the communities of Wick and Thurso will each have a
unique opportunity to shape the future of their community and influence
future development decisions in the area. The Highland Council will be
holding innovative public consultation events known as Charrettes in
both Wick and Thurso. These events will enable local people to put
forward their ideas and help design the future development of their
towns. During the events people will be asked to share their views on
issues such as where difference types of development should be located,
what services and facilities are needed and which areas should be
safeguarded from development. Representatives from local organisations,
key agencies and the Highland Council will also be in attendance so
that people can discuss their ideas.
The aim of the Charrette events will be to prepare whole-town
masterplans which will feed into the first stage of the Caithness and
Sutherland Local Development Plan, known as the Main Issues Report. It
is hoped that involving local people in this process will create a
joined-up approach to planning and delivering development and
regeneration, attract new investment and jobs, and bring benefits to
these two towns and the wider Caithness and Sutherland area.
Attend for a few minutes or whole sessions on any of the days or all of
the sessions - it's up to you. Wick
ProgrammeThurso
Programme
John
O’Groats Mill to benefit from Historic Scotland Building Repair
Grant
John
O’Groats Mill in Caithness is to receive a Historic
Scotland Building Repair Grant of �221,316. It is one of six historic
sites in Scotland to benefit from this latest round of funding
totalling �587,049.
The Mill was originally built as a threshing mill in 1750 and was
rebuilt in 1901 as a corn mill. Between the 16th and 19th centuries,
Caithness was known for its corn production and exported meal to ports
across Scotland and the rest of Europe. The site is a key example of
industrial heritage in the area and is believed to be the last mill in
Caithness to retain its working machinery. John
O'Groats MILL PHOTO GALLERYOther
Old Buildings In Caithness
A
Former Thurso Mechanic Thanks
to Nicol Maclean for sending in this photo of his grandfather
Kenneth "Dinkum" Maclean. Nicol said, " I thought you’d like
an
old Photograph of my Grand father Kenneth Mclean from the Cow Gate area
of the town. He worked as a mechanic in Wilson's garage which is now
called Dunnet's garage, Thurso." If anyone can tell us about he motor cycle we will add the
information to the photo.
If
you have any old photos concerning transport in the old days in the
north of Scotland you would like to share email them to
[email protected]
We are amazed to have receive this information in great detail in less
than 24 hours.
Thanks to Edward Sutherland from Halkirk for the details about this
motorcycle - SK 196 It was first registered to Alexander William Black, 68
Princes Street, Thurso - Date of registration 13/3/1913.
The make is a Kerry Abingdon. Kerrys were first made in Belgium for the
East London Rubber Co.
From 1910 Kerrys were made at a factory at Abingdon until production
finished at the the beginning of World War 1.
Kerry Abingdons were produced with 499cc. side valve single cylinder
and 670cc.V twin side valve engines.
6 February
2013
Transport
in Caithness - Older Vehicles If
you have photos of older forms of transport in Caithness or Sutherland
and would like to share them email them to [email protected] for
inclusion in this new section.
We are happy to add vehicles to the other
sections also.
5 February
2013
LEAVE
MORE TIME FOR JOURNEYS GOING SOUTH - DELAYS LIKELY
A9 Kessock Bridge – Introduction of permanent route changes The
commissioning process of the new traffic management arrangements to
reduce delays as the result of the resurfacing of the Kessock Bridge
from 11 February is now underway. The introduction of the traffic
signals will be phased to reduce the immediate impact of the change on
road users.
From lunchtime to-day (Tuesday) the new traffic lights at the junction
of Henderson Road/Longman road, allowing right turns out of Henderson
Road, were switched on to enable essential fine adjustments to the
system.
The new traffic lights on the three main approaches to the Longman
Roundabout will be similarly commissioned from prior to evening peak on
Wednesday 6th February with the Traffic Signals on Rose Street in
operation from Thursday afternoon, 7th February, also prior to the
evening peak. More
details about the works 17 Weeks of works will make
delays likely on all trips over the Kessock Bridge
Wick
& District Pool League - Latest Results Alan
Larnach's Crown1 team produced an outstanding performance in week 11 of
the Wick & District Pool League as they knocked Bayview1 off
top
spot with a 7-4 win. Crown1 have improved dramatically this season with
every member of their team playing some exceptional pool. Neither team
could be separated in the early stages as the match stood at four
frames each. Crown1 took the lead at 5-4 and secured a vital two points
in the next frame thanks to a fabulous 5 ball pressure clearance from
former captains cup winner Colin Banks.
4 February
2013
Council
warns Highland businesses – don’t be caught out by scammers
Highland
Council’s Trading Standards are warning all Highland
businesses to be on their guard against rogue ‘charity’ publishers and
operatives that use deliberately misleading sales talk to sell
advertising space over the phone or by email or text. Publications may
include advertising space in charity leaflets, wall-planners, crime
prevention diaries and the old favourite of business directories.
Smaller businesses can be especially vulnerable by the pester tactics
of some callers. Some businesses can pay out costs for advertising from
�100 up to �1000 only to find out later that they have been scammed.
Vehicles
On The Move A new section to capture vehicles on the move. We
are still looking for some examples of early transport in Caithness for
a historical section. If you have some old photos of vehicles
or
horse transport, carts etc then email them to [email protected] for
this section.
3 February
2013
Wick
Pipe Band Burns Supper THE Wick Royal British Legion, Scotland Pipe Band paid
their tribute to
the Bard at their annual Burns supper, last night. Alistair Miller
addressed the haggis and the Immortal Memory was given by local
Highland councillor Willie Mackay.
Boat
Build Going Well At Wick Coastal Rowing Club Now
we know where all the G clamps in Wick have gone as there are many in
use at the moment as various parts are being glued together.
Already the planking is being cut from the sheets of ply that
came in the kit. The plan is to build two boats by next
summer
but at least one will be finished and with luck two will be ready to
race. This new club in Wick is one of many springing up all
over
the country and now racing to build boats in time for the summer
season. The club already have a design and order in for
trailer
to move the boat around using only a car with a towing point.
The
club now meets at Wellington Centre which has been loaned by Highland
Council as the building was not being used for the time being.
Anyone with an interest in building boats can join or get
involved with the rowing later when they hope to have teams for all
ages and both sexes. Ackergill
Tower Getting More Than Five Star Reviews On Trip Adviser Visitors
to Caithness who have recently stayed at Ackergill Tower are giving the
hotel some of the best reviews any hotel could ever expect to receive. Visitors
have enthusiastically endorsed the hotel as a top class and friendly
place to go with many facilities and extras. It just shows how hard the
management and staff have worked to get and retain their five star
rating. Read
the reviews for yourself on Trip
Adviser where you can also see photos of many of the rooms
etc.Well
done to everyone who works there for putting Caithness at the top of
the accommodation listings online.
Race For More Land Based Oil Extraction Hotting Up In Caithness Caithess improves North Sea
holdings
- offshore.no
North Sea explorer Caithness Petroleum
has boosted its UK offshore assets with the completion of a swap deal.
After finalising a licence swap deal with Trap Oil Limited,
Caithness now holds 100% interest in the Forse prospect which is due to
be drilled this year, retains a stake in the Knockinnon prospect and
will continue to receive production income from the Lybster field which
has been developed from an onshore location.
Caithness, through it subsidiary Caithness
Oil Limited,
today signalled that it has finalised a deal with Trap Oil whereby it
acquires 100% equity and becomes operator of the near-shore Forse
prospect in UK blocks 11/23 and 11/24 in the Moray Firth. Lybster
Oil Site (2008) Looking
round The Site in 2008
1
February 2013
A9 Kessock Bridge – Route changes
in advance of Major Works Work
starts on the major refurbishment of the A9 Kessock Bridge on Monday 11th February 2013 for 17
weeks.
The installation of the traffic management will start at 10pm on
Saturday 9th February to be in place for the commencement of the works.
The northbound carriageway on the bridge will be closed and a
contraflow will be in place on the southbound carriageway.
In advance of the start of the works there are important changes being
made to road layouts in the vicinity of the bridge.
Highland
Dancing Outfit Sale
Elise
Lyall School Of Dancing
Saturday 2nd February, 2-4pm,
Wick Assembly Rooms.
Everyone who is involved in Highland dancing has outfits that they are
trying to sell or are looking for second hand outfits to buy!
This is a chance for people to bring along any outfits,
pumps, jig
shoes etc you have to sell all clearly labelled with contact info and
price.
