Walking Treasure Hunt At Wick
Gala 2013 The
gala's walking treasure hunt round the Riverside proved popular with
adults as well as children and was rain-free until the final lap. Clues
posted along the way provided some headscratching as well as a load of
fun.
Wick
Tora Kai Kata & Kumite Competition 2013
A short video of some of the contestants at this years competitions.
Wick Tora-Kai Karate club celebrates 30 years next year and
they look very very fit heading into that. Some of the fittest people
in Wick are members of this club so if you want to get really fit and
learn about karate then check them out in Assembly rooms.
Significant milestone for Gaelic
Medium Education in Caithness
The first Gaelic Medium Primary School Department in Caithness is to
open at the start of the new school session on Tuesday 20 August,
providing the language with a significant boost in the county.
It will be based at Mount Pleasant Primary School, Thurso, which is
home to an active Gaelic Medium nursery, with 19 children.
Seven pupils from the nursery have enrolled in Primary 1 and they will
be the first to be taught via the medium of Gaelic, under the guidance
of Gaelic Medium teacher Mrs Gwen Bowie.
"Spirit Of Wick" - Named and
Launched Shows A New Optimism for the Fortunes Of Wick
The
new skiff built by a new club "Wick Coastal Rowing" was named by the
Gala queen on Saturday when a silver quaich filled with that other
spirit of Wick - Old Putleney whisky was poured over the prow.
On
Sunday the new skiff was launched despite the pouring rain.
"Sprit of Wick" has been constructed over the last few months
by
a team of new club memebrs working in the former Wellington Centre.
Skiff racing has been spreading around the country and the
new
boat was on show at the recent Wick Harbour Day before its painting.
The new club are keen to gain new memebrs and for folk to
form
teams to use the new skiff. soon they wil begin consturction
on two more skiffs so that Wick will able to race the boats
near
by and also compete with other visiting skiffs and go off to
competions. If you want to know more see Wick Coastal
Rowing Club.
It is hoped other towns in Caithness might follow the lead
given
by Wick and construct their own skiffs to join in the racing scene once
it begins. The local Wick team are willing to share their
knowledge of how to do it. A lot is happening in Wick now and
"Sprit of Wick" has captured the mood. More
photos on Facebook
28
July
2013
Wick Gala Night Results
WALKING ENTRANTS
Adult Group – 1st Week
Tea - 2nd Flintstones
- 3rd – Wizard
of Oz
Family Group
1st Eh Pulteney Maximum - 2nd – Wizard
of Oz - 3rd –Cops &
Robbers.
Adult Single
1st – High
St Paperboy - 2nd Gruffalo - 3rd Samari Warrior
Adult Pair 1st – Iron Man & WarMachine 2nd Busy Bees 3rd Ma
& PaBroon.
Mixed Group 1st Wrech it Ralph 2nd Monster High 3rd Pirates of Wick Bay
Junior Group 1st The
Great Wick Bakeoff 2nd Royal Baby 3rd Smokey
&The Bandit.
Junior Pair 1st Alice
& Madhatter 2nd Barbie & Ken 3rd
Only way is Caithness.
FLOATS
Most topical - 1st Horsemeat
Scandal (Backsiders) 2nd Bonniest
Garden
(Bexely Massive)
Most Original - 1st Fab
1 Million (Keiss) 2nd Wick
Players 80 years (
Wick Players)
Best Decorated - Foxy
Bingo (ArthurGunn)
Maximum Effort - Wizard of Oz (
Bosum BuddiesCastletown)
Supreme Award - Wizard of Oz ( Bosum BuddiesCastletown)
Most Memorable Character – Kathleen
Harper (Wick Players)
Best Slogan - Horsemeat
Scandal ( Backsiders).
�50 Hard luck voucher – T in the Park ( NorthKillimster Crew)
Prepare
to Meet A Boom - Christine Jardine - Scotsman
Well worth a read as it draws to gether many strands of what has
been happening and is now evolving in the Highland economy.
23
July
2013
Caithness County Show 2013 -
Stunt Motor Cyclists Were Spectacular
Trick motor cyclist Jamie Squibb and his sidekick laid on a cracker of
a display which thrilled the county show crowds.
These great photos show the amazing height of the jumps and the
acrobatics but they do not bring the noise and gasps of the crowd that
were so audible on the day.
Highwayman
steals the
show and its supreme prize ALL
the Highwayman from Olrig Mains had to do was to "stand and
deliver". ...and the quality young bull did just that, as the cattle
leader and supreme overall, at the Caithness County Show yesterday.
John Morris's magnificent Charolais - Olrig Highwayman to give him his
official handle - making his county debut, was adjudged the
champion-of-champions by Mr M Allan, Durran Mains, Castletown, pipping
his nearest rival, the Suffolk tup lamb which took the reserve supreme
spot.
Highwayman, by Sandleford Duggan out of Olrig Dubuarry, January 2012,
was champion at the Forfar calf show, last November, and, more
recently, won the junior bull rosette at this year's Royal Highland
Show. The Suffolk lamb from Scott Webster, Lower Reiss, also acquitted
himself well in his first outing at the 172nd Caithness, which
attracted a record crowd in glorious sunshine.
Second year of basking
shark tagging gets underway
The
second year of a project to track basking sharks in Scottish waters
gets underway today (Thursday 18 July 2013).
Scientists from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the University of
Exeter are heading out to the Inner Hebrides to tag another 27 of the
giant sharks with satellite tracking tags. The tags, which let the
public follow the movements of a number of the sharks online, will
collect data that will give the team an insight into their behaviour
during the summer months. The work is part of a wider programme of
marine research led by SNH and Marine Scotland, to help Government and
others plan for the sustainable management of the sea.
Trinity Sailing Voyage With Music
- Your Chance To Sail The West Coast Of Scotland “Trinity
Sailing Foundation operate three historic vessels, and one of them,
Leader built in 1892 is cruising the West Coast of Scotland this
August. She is hosting a music cruise on the 17th of August to the 23rd
of August, starting and finishing in Oban. On board there will be two
resident musicians and people are welcome to bring their own
instruments and join in as much or as little as they want.
As well as music for entertainment, there will be plenty of opportunity
to help sail this amazing ship and explore the stunning West Coast. Our
trained staff of Skipper, Mate, Bosun and Cook are there to ensure this
is a truly memorable experience with a lot of laughs.
Find Out More About Moths In
Caithness Come
for a walk in the Dunnet Forest with our local Caithness county moth
recorder Neil Money to discover all about the fascinating moths of this
area. A short presentation will be followed by moth identification and
trapping as part of the National Moth Night. Please bring
stout
footwear. Booking required.
Local moth expert Neil Money has a web site full of
information about Caithness moths.
Skills Development Scotland’s
Exam Results Helpline
Young people and parents can call for advice on options.
Young people in the Highlands will be among 150,000 students who will
get their exam results on Tuesday 6 August.
Whatever those results may be, the advice from Skills Development
Scotland (SDS) is not to panic and contact the Exam Results Helpline
free* on 0808 100 8000.
SDS’s Head of Careers Management Skills David Cameron said: “Young
people may have done better than anticipated or not as well as
expected, but the main thing is that they and their parents shouldn’t
panic. There will always be options to consider. The first step is to
call the helpline and discuss what the best options might be.”
Opportunity To Visit
Stroma It
is not always easy to get a visit to Stroma, the island off the
Caithness coast. Here is your chance if you are quick to book your
tickets.
On Thursday 8th August a trip organised by the Highland council ranger
service is offering a boat trip to spend a good part of the day on the
island with the chance to see the island bird life, possibly seals and
explore this deserted island in the Pentland Firth.
Avoid unnecessary fees
for European Health Insurance Card and UK Passports
- Beware of Scammers NHS European Health
Insurance Card (or EHIC)
is FREE - Do Not Pay Fees - Don't Waste Your Money
Highland Council Trading Standards is warning consumers to be on the
lookout for websites demanding a fee when making an application for the
NHS European Health Insurance Card (or EHIC) or UK Passport
application. Searches on the internet and consumer complaints received
by the service show that many websites are offering to “review” or
“forward” an application form for an EHIC or UK Passport. David
MacKenzie, Highland Council Trading Standards Team Leader explains:
“The websites look official but if you scroll to the bottom you will
find a tick box asking for cash. Some websites state they provide a
‘fast track’ service for an extra fee on top of a ‘small service
charge’ or ‘application processing fee’. Charges for processing
applications can range from between �19.99 to �23.50.”
Caithness Horizons Gains
New Project Funding
MUSEUM PROJECTS TO RECEIVE �300K
INVESTMENT ANNOUNCED A
new roof, Homecoming 2014 events, collection redisplays, enhanced
security and marketing training and support are some of the benefits to
come from Museums Galleries Scotland’s new Strategic Investment Fund.
Nine projects will receive a share of over �300,000 with individual
grants ranging from �17K to �40K.
Caithness Horizons receives �22,654 to develop an early medieval
sculpture exhibition that will tell the story of early medieval
Caithness, from a Pictish to a later Norse settlement. The exhibition
will be the centrepiece of the museum’s Year of Ancient Ancestors
Festival as part of the Scotland-wide Homecoming 2014 celebrations.
Child friendly interpretation will be developed by local youths.
Wick & District Pool
League - Latest Results Queens1
handed Bayview their first defeat of the Summer Pool League season on
Monday Night after a great team performance helped them to a 6-4 win.
The Lybster side took an early 3-0 lead before Andrew Coghill's fine
play pulled one back for the Queens. Strong performances in their
doubles saw the Queens side draw level at 3-3, before Angus Mackay put
Bayview back in front at 4-3. James Dow, Adam Scollay and Danny Cormack
all played well as the Queens took the next three frames to earn a well
deserved victory.
16
July
2013
Consultation on Schools
Act
- Parents and Parent Councils Should Look At This
Views sought on the process of future school closure proposals.
Education Secretary Michael Russell has launched a
consultation in
response to the Report of the Commission of the Delivery of Rural
Education.
The Commission put forward proposals to improve the delivery of
education, a number of which require changes to the Schools
(Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.
The consultation seeks views, by 2 September 2013
Latheron Show 2013 A
couple of photos from the winners at the Latheron Show dog show sent in
by Zoe Sinclair. If you have any photos from the show you
would like to share on Caithness.org email them to [email protected]
to be included in this gallery.
14
July
2013
Many More Photos From Latheron
Show 2013 Now In Report
by Noel Donaldson
Neigh prizes for for guessing whose feeling just champion at the show!
A MAGNIFICENT Shetland stallion surpassed competition from its
nearest sheep rival to trot off with the coveted supreme championship
at the Latheron Show yesterday (Saturday 13th July 2013).
It was hugs all round for the Campbell family after the standard black,
seven-year-old was adjudged best in show by James and Marion Sutherland
of Granton Mains, Bower. They awarded the reserve champion-of-champions
rosette to Douglas Webster, from Lower Reiss Farm for his sheep leader,
an impressive Texel tup lamb.
The Highland Pipes and Drums of Waldsee, Germany and Wick Pipe Band at
riverside, Wick on Friday evening.
Swanson
Drive, Wick - Builders Take Advantage Of The Nice Weather The
good weather has provided a great chance for local building firm M M
Miller to move on with building projects in the Swanson Drive area of
Wick.
House construction around the area is moving on and roads
and pavements are being tarred while the dry and suny weather is ongoing
11
July
2013
Wick Walking Group - Inaugural
Taster
-
23 July 2013 Locally
trained co-ordinators will lead you to better health through enjoyable
local walks. Step It Up Highland - Now In Wick
Our walks can offer progression from inactive to active.
What do we do?
SIUH sets a model of encouraging the uptake of health walks to enable
people in the Highlands to achieve better physical health, improve
mental wellbeing, attain a healthy weight and encourage interaction by
socialising with others while enjoying the beautiful natural
environment we have in all areas of the Highlands.
GET FITTER - ENJOY GETTING OUT - BE HEALTHIER
RE/MAX presents The
Caithness Home Show
13th of July a the Pentland Hotel Thurso
11:00 to 16:30
Come and speak to all our property experts.
Local experts for Home building, interior designer, kitchens, renewable
energy, joinery, home decoration, Home reports, plumbing, Electrical
contractors and many more.
Great afternoon In
Prospect At PPP In Wick
- Have
Lunch Then Listen To A Great Group Come
along to Pulteney Centre this Sunday 14th July and treat yourself to
lunch in Telfords followed by: THE
TANNAHILL WEAVERS IN CONCERT.
The Tannahill Weavers are one of Scotland's premier traditional bands.
Their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven
instrumentals, topical songs, and original ballads and lullabies. Their
music demonstrates to old and young alike the rich and varied musical
heritage of the Celtic people. Over the years the Tannies have been
international trailblazers for Scottish music, and their tight
harmonies and powerful, inventive arrangements have won them fans from
beyond the folk and Celtic music scenes........Telfords Cafe in PPP
will be open from 11.30am - 4.00pm - last orders for food 3.00pm. Enjoy
a home cooked meal and let the kids use the soft play area free if you
eat with us.
Make Sunday 14th a nice day out at PPP.
‘Beatrice Works’ Family
Day - 13th July 2013
Part of the ‘Beatrice Works’
Education Programme
May-August 2013 Beatrice Works Family Day
13th July
11am-3pm
Caithness Horizons, Old
Town Hall, Thurso
- Admission FREE
A host of professional experts will ensure Caithness
Horizons has something for everyone this Saturday. Their ‘Beatrice
Works’ Family Day on 13th July is open to people of all ages, offering
an unusual mix of free activities connected by the broad theme of
renewable energy. The day is part of an education programme to
complement Caithness Horizons’ main summer art exhibition, ‘Beatrice
Works’ by Sue Jane Taylor, which will run until 22nd August when it
moves on to Aberdeen, Orkney and Kirkaldy.
Christine Gunn, Caithness Horizons’ education and community officer is
keen to stress the variety of activities people can get involved in, as
well as the intention behind them.
Many More Activities For
Kids Just Added to The Whats On In July
and August
Government Is Poised To Sell Off
Your Postal System - Caithness Campaigns
By
the end of 2013 the Royal Mail as we know it could be finished.
Privatisation is once again within the governments sights. Public
outrcy previously stopped this when it was attempted. But this time the
government look set to go hard at the sell-off. Campaigns are already
on the rise across the UK and Scotland where postal services are vital
for many communities particulary in rural areas and for businesses
everywhere.............Caithness postal workers were joined by Wick
councillors Bill Fernie and Neil Macdonald and Landward councillor
Willie Mackay at Market Square in Wick on Saturday 6th July 2013 to
draw attention to the online petitions and postcard campaign to MP's
asking them to ensure privatisation does not go ahead.
Royal
Mail Discussion Thread Will you be happy to pay
more for mail deliveries or collect it yourself from a centre?
80 New Event Dates Just Added To
Our Whats On Section July
and August are busy months in Caithness with p[elnty to do and see.
Wildlife trips, gala,s music, exhibitions, ranger walks
Highland
Games, County show sports activities and much much more.......over 500
events now on - is your event listed? - FREE entries
can be
made HERE
New Homes Going Up In Old Wick
Area
The
Old Wick area of Wick should perhaps be renamed to the New
Wick
area as more new homes are still going up showing that confidence is
still around despite the gloomy headlines still coming out.
But
with new homes being added to the new offices, schools, library,
swimming pool, and children's home along with the latest announcements
about investment in Wick harbour there is definitely good
news
around for Wick.
Fit's in 'e Courier 'is Week
- a round up of a few
news items from the local paper by Noel Donaldson
LEGAL high usage among adults in Caithness has increased significantly
in the last year.....................................
EMPLOYEES at Wick's tax office are celebrating, after it was announced
all 15 jobs look set to be saved ...................
SCHOOLS in Wick and Lybster could receive greater access to dental care
after being described as.................
FAR north MP John Thurso has labelled Landward Caithness councillor
Alex MacLeod "a little prat"
....................
A PLEA for a slice of Highland Council's �77 million war chest is to be
spend on the region's roads, has been rejected
UNION representatives from Caithness are accusing Highlands and Islands
of unfairly steering multi-national companies.
FARR HIGH'S 36th annual outdoor activities week took place before the
end of term with 23 pupils enjoying ...............
Highland Police Crack Down On
Drink Drivers - Over 1000 Breath Tests Catch 39 Drivers
Police in Highlands and Islands reiterate warning of drink and drug
driving following recent summer campaign.
Police Scotland Highland and Islands Division are reminding the public
of the dangers of drink and drug driving, following the publication of
figures from the national summer road safety campaign, earlier this
week.
The month-long campaign, which focussed on reducing the number of road
users drink or drug driving, concluded last Friday, but Police in the
Highlands and Islands are assuring that focus on these offences will
continue throughout the summer months. Highlights Of What Can
Happen If Caught
Automatic Loss of licence – a 12 month driving ban
A risk of being fined up to �5,000 -
A criminal record for a minimum of 20 years
- An offence which stays on your licence for 11 years
- A risk of being imprisoned for up to 6 months - longer pprison
sentences if anyone is killed or seriously injured
- An increased risk of losing your vehicle. Not to mention -
increased insurance premiums - loss of employment if you need to drive.
- inconvenience to get around in a rural area for work or leisure -
serious affects on family. Affects on everyone from deaths
and injuries. Don't
do It any time.
Research Reveals Remote
Rural Scotland’s Minimum Income Standard New
evidence published today [Thursday 4 July 2013] shows the cost for
householders in remote rural Scotland to achieve a minimum standard of
living.
The research will help inform public policy and highlight where it can
make the biggest difference to alleviate higher costs.
A report commissioned by 10 Scottish public and community service
organisations reveals that some Scottish remote rural mainland and
island households need between 10 and 40 per cent more income to
achieve the same standard of living as people living in urban areas of
England.
Territorial Army Centre
In Wick To Close In MOD Cuts
The
TA Centre in Wick is to close as part of the MOD reorganisation to save
money. Although the TA is to be increased in numbers the range of bases
will be reduced.
The bases to be closed are in Wick, Dunoon, Keith, Kirkcaldy. In
Dunfermline, Glasgow and Edinburgh three smaller sites will also close
Increases in these towns will balance the changes for them. But there
will be little comfort for Wick when the nearest base for TA will be in
Inverness. For any members of the TA this might be up to 250 miles
round trip for a training session.
Earlier
TA Caithness Photos
Wick Harbour Takes A Big Step
Forward With New Funding
Wick
Harbour Authority’s ambitious plans to attract new jobs to the area
from the offshore wind industry have received a boost with the combined
support of �450,000 from two partners in the Caithness & North
Sutherland Regeneration Partnership (CNSRP).
The Harbour Authority is positioning the port to attract business from
the two large offshore wind developments in the Moray Firth, and is
currently working on a multi-phase programme to ensure that its
facilities meet the requirements of industry. The first project will be
the installation of heavy lift facilities at the port’s commercial quay
and the dredging of the entry channel to the quay, which has attracted
grant support of up to �250,000 from the Nuclear Decommissioning
Authority (NDA) and up to �200,000 from Highlands and Islands
Enterprise (HIE). The Harbour Authority has also been successful in
attracting private funding for this phase of work.
Pentland Energy Advice becomes a
Green Deal Approved Organisation
Pentland
Energy Advice, which is based in Thurso, has just become a Green Deal
Approved Organisation, and this following a lengthy technical
assessment and approval process in order to meet the strict criteria
the UK Government sets out for their scheme. This coveted achievement
by Pentland Energy Advice also followers the success of two of its
employees, Angela Craig and Gill Halliday, who both qualified as Green
Deal advisors at the end of last year. So what is the Green Deal? It’s
a new way for homeowners to pay for energy-saving home improvements
such as loft, cavity or solid wall insulation, double glazing, a new
boiler or even a 'micro-generation' system such as solar panels. The
way the deal differs from a standard loan is that the repayments a
homeowner makes should be covered by the savings made on their energy
bill, and this by having the energy-saving home improvements installed.
3 July
2013
Highland Council set to save �1M
a year through biomass heating
The
Highland Council is demonstrating its commitment to providing cleaner,
greener energy for its sites with the award of a 4 year, �1.2M per
annum contract for the servicing, maintenance and repair of biomass
installations including the supply of woodfuel.
By making the switch to a renewable heat source the Council has
demonstrated its commitment to providing a cleaner, greener energy
source for its sites. As many Highland communities are off the gas
network biomass offers an attractive alternative to more traditional
fossil fuels.
The contract, awarded to Fort William based biomass heat specialists
HWEnergy, will include service and maintenance, installation and heat
supply across 59 of its sites and will result in projected savings of
�900,000 a year, 40% less than the cost of heating from oil. In
addition the initiative will see a combined carbon saving of 7,500
tonnes per annum, the equivalent to 30million car miles off the road
per annum. Of the 59 sites several are in Caithness
including -
Bayview House, Thurso, Castletown Primary
School, Halkirk
Primary School, Lybster Primary School, Thurso High
School, Thurso Swimming Pool.
The Axiophytes and Habitats in
Caithness by Ken Butler
A
newly published work available as a Pdf has been produced by Caithness
plant recorder Ken Butler who has for many years compiled data and
photographs of Caithness plants and their habitats.
His latest work "The Axiophytes and Habitats in Caithness" has been
pubished in Pdf format on the web site of the Botanical Society of the
British Isles. The URL for the file is ..............
Wind farm wind falls should bring
socio-economic benefits to Caithness
Youth
employment opportunities, tourism initiatives, improved transport links
and support for businesses came out top in a recent survey to find out
what wind farm windfalls should be spent on in Caithness in the future.
Not surprisingly, the Caithness Conversation Community Profile suggests
that a high percentage of the funds should be spent on communities
nearest the wind farm but the idea of setting aside a smaller pot of
funds for county-wide initiatives was also supported. A majority of
respondents also felt that the distribution of funds should be
administered locally by communities themselves with dedicated support.
A
couple of photos from the winners at the Latheron Show dog show sent in
by Zoe Sinclair. If you have any photos from the show you
would like to share on Caithness.org email them to 
