News Archive - February 2014

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28 February 2014

Short of Time This Week - Catch Up Fast With A Quick look At e' Groat an e' Courier in Brief

Police Scotland advise the public of email , telephone and letter scam

Older Property Ads Being Removed
We are currently refreshinig our properies for sale section and removing properties if the ad has been on for over one year and had no updates or changes.  If a property is still on the market a new ad will be required.  Its FREE and can be added HERE

Police to carry out test purchasing operations in Caithness and Sutherland in coming weeks

Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update

Independent Councillors Rally To Fight Service Point Closures In Highland

Celebration of music with Highland young musicians
Around 350 young musicians from across the Highlands are making final preparations for their annual showcase – a day long Concerts Festival in Inverness next Saturday (8 March 2014) which will feature eight different groups, a guest conductor from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and over 6 hours of live music.

Wick & District Pool League's Rockwater Shield Final

25 February 2014

Two New Job Ads In The Listings At 9.55pm

Atlantis Resources secures funding from European Commission & Private Sources
AIM listed Atlantis Resources Limited has today announced that it has successfully secured €7.7 million in grant funding from the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. The EC funding will support deployment of multi tidal-turbine arrays at the business’ MeyGen tidal energy site and will be supported by DHI, Royal HaskoningDHV and the University of Edinburgh. Scheduled to run from 2014, the programme will facilitate the design, installation and operation of the company’s 1.5MW AR1500 tidal energy turbines in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth, off the north coast of Scotland.

Scottish Ward Boundaries And Councillor Numbers Under Review

Thirsty For Theatre Coming To Pultneytown People's Project
Drama classes for P4 - P7 coming in April - Get booked in soon.

New Job Ads On At 5.05pm
Check the latest vacancies posted today.

Ceremony marks start of work at new Wick primary school

A turf cutting ceremony was held today (Tuesday 25th February 2014) to mark a start to work on a new £15 million primary school which will serve communities to the north of the River Wick, replacing North and Hillhead Primary Schools. Pupils from North Primary School and Hillhead Primary School were joined by their head teachers, local Highland councillors and parent council representatives at the site of the new school within the grounds of the current North Primary. Miller Construction is undertaking the enabling works as principal contractor and has engaged MM Miller (Wick) Limited as its sub-contractor for the works. The initial stage is to provide the pupils at North Primary with a new playground when construction begins on the new school building and to carry out drainage works. This will pave the way for the start of the main contract, which is scheduled to start at the end of April and be completed for the new school opening in August 2015.   PHOTO GALLERY  Progress photos will be added regularly to this gallery to follow the build.
Visual of New School  Courtyard  Site Layout  Ground Floor Plan  Elevations
Work will also start in coming weeks on the new Wick High joint campus to include a new primary for Pultneytown and Soouth schools with community facilties new swmming pool and library.  The expected price tag for everything wil approach £56 million making it one of the biggest investments in a town by any council in Scotland. with state of the art schools and community facilties this is huge boost for Wick and Caithness with two years of work now started boosting the local economy.  Wick High School Entrance
Courtyard  Landscaping Plan  First Floor Plan  Ground Floor Plan

STAR Football Coaching In Thurso and Wick
STAR Coaching are holding a Sunday Skills Session on the 9th March in Wick and Thurso.

24 February 2014

Save around £470 by cutting your food waste
Oh crumbs! Did you know that we throw away the equivalent of 2.6 million slices of bread every day? That’s a lot of toast! In fact we waste a fifth of the food we buy in Scotland. But by making a few small changes you could save around £470 a year. And if you recycle the food you can’t use, you’ll help the environment and we’ll all be better off.



Review of Recycling Centres in Highland
The Highland Council’s recycling team is reviewing the operation of its network of 21 recycling centres to encourage the public to make a bigger effort to separate waste that can be recycled from waste that cannot. The Council wants to increase the amount of material recycled and at the same time reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill

Message for dog owners – Your Dog, Your Mess, Your £40 Fine!
Your Dog, Your Mess, Your £40 Fine is the clear and simple message on a new poster produced by The Highland Council aimed at irresponsible dog owners who allow their dogs to foul in public places. Dog wardens and enforcement officers have been identifying dog fouling ‘hotspots’ in areas across the Highlands which are to be patrolled and enforcement action taken if owners fail to pick up after their dogs. The latest initiative follows on from the national Dog Fouling Fortnight last autumn that aimed to raise awareness of the issue. During the fortnight the public were invited to take part in surveys and report problem areas. Dog owners face fix penalty fines of £40, rising to £60 if not paid within 28 days and possible conviction and a fine of up to £500 if this remains unpaid.

Farming and Feasting at the Iron Age site of Mine Howe, Orkney
The talk will take place this coming Thursday, the 27th February at 1730, at the Environmental Research Institute, Castle Street. Dr Ingrid Mainland, from Orkney College UHI will be talking to us about ‘Farming and Feasting at the Iron Age site of Mine Howe, Orkney’ Excavations at Minehowe, an enigmatic site on the Orkney Mainland, have recovered rich bioarchaeological assemblages including carbonised plant remains, land and marine molluscs and mammal, bird and fish bone, dating from the 3rd century BC to the fourth-fifth centuries AD. This talk will focus on mammalian fauna from Mine Howe and how such evidence can be used to explore farming practices and diet in Iron Age Orkney.

23 February 2014

Let's All Support Wick High Group Heading To Belarus   Blurb and Another Video

Wick High School's trip to Belarus draws ever closer and this Saturday saw a team of enthusiastic young people back in the school to get busy with our fund-raising activities. The team of 15 young people will be heading to volunteer in Belarus for two weeks over the summer holidays with the charity Stand International. In order to finance this, a range of enterprises have been set up in conjunction with Wick High School and the local social enterprise, WickEd'.
New Wick High School, Primary Schools and Community Facilities Progress

Latest Commercial Vehicle - Flower Shop Wick
 Business Vehicles In Caithness

Memories of Wick By Connie Dunnet Sutherland
A series of articles on memories of Wick are published today in the new community section.  Connie originally from Wick now resides in Edinburgh.  Part One  Part Two  Part Three  Part Four  Part Five

 If anyone else would like to send articles or photos from their early days in Caithness email them to bill@caithness.org

SSE spikes Highland wind duo  - reNEWS
SSE has pulled the plug on its 27-turbine Dalnessie and 12-turbine Fairburn 2 wind farms in the Scottish Highlands because they are “no longer financially viable”...............The utility is currently running the rule over its offshore wind portofolio with the outcome of that process to be unveiled in March.

21 February 2014

Police appeal following Vandalism to property at Thrumster
Wick Police are appealing for information regarding the damage caused to two signs at the entrance to a property near to the A99 at Thrumster, Wick between 20 February 2014 and 21 February 2014. Police are keen to speak to anyone who has any information about the incident and would encourage them to contact Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or online at http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Those Wee Waves At Thurso Are Bigger Than You Think
Thhe man who made thiis has won a competition for another video that can be found HERE   Well done to that man for such high quality films that really show what's in the Highlands.

More Job ads just in at 7.00pm today
Employers can add new jobs completely free of charge.  Keep costs down and have the ads on as long as required.  Update and amend anytime.  if you add a closing date we remove shortly after and otherwise after about 3 weeks.

Evening Classes.. Have your say
The North Highland College UHI, want you to have your say onwhat evening classes we offer. What would you like to study as an evening class? Would it be leisurely or educational? Take the short survey to help them to help you! https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HX7TCLG          Discussion in the Forum

'E Groat 'e Day       an' 'e Courier     an' more in Doanalsin's Dairy

Licensed trade in Highlands reminded of need for refresher training
Members of the licensed trade in the Highlands are being reminded of the need to undergo refresher training to ensure they retain their personal licences - and the authority to sell alcohol on their premises. Personal Licences are issued for a period of 10 years. However, in terms of Section 87 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, there is a legal requirement for personal licence holders to undertake refresher training within five years of the date of issue of their personal licence. They then need to produce evidence of this training to the Highland Licensing Board, not later than three months after the expiry of the period of five years from when the personal licence was issued.

20 February 2014

NOSCA’s New School Run Car Fleet
For families living, working or training in the Far North of Scotland, access to quality childcare can be a major barrier. NOSCA has spent many years building a strong service here in Caithness, operating a range of childcare solutions regulated by the Care Inspectorate including out-of-school care, daycare, pre-school education, breakfast clubs, toddler groups and crèches. This enables nearly 400 families to work, train or study here in Caithness, thereby contributing to the Caithness economy. With a staff team of 35, working from three NOSCA centres in the county, at The Ormlie Centre in Thurso, The Family Centre in Wick and the Primary School in Castletown, NOSCA has grown into a strong and dynamic organisation. The new school run car fleet, a first for NOSCA, will provide a reliable and efficient transport service to and from schools and nurseries around the county which will meet the growing need for childcare places in the Far North.

19 February 2014

Council approves steps to deliver 600 hours funded early learning and childcare
Highland parents and families are to benefit from the introduction of 600 hours funded early learning and childcare from August this year. The Highland Council’s Adult and Children’s Services Committee have approved a suite of measures to enable the Council’s delivery of 600 hours on early learning and childcare by August 2014.

16 February 2014

Business Vehicles In Caithness
Jack's Flooring and Pine Studio - The latest entry to our Business Vehicles and Business Index.

15 February 2014

Ackergill

Why Not Walk Along The Coast To See Views of Ackergill Tower, Noss lighthouse and Girnigoe Castle

Reiss Beach Recently - Definitely Wintry


Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update

14 February 2014

Radon Gas Found In Five Highland Schools Including Halkirk
As part of an on-going monitoring programme, recent radon testing in five Highland schools has found high levels of radon gas. The schools are Glen Urquhart High School, Drumnadrochit; Glen Urquhart Primary School, Drumnadrochit; Helmsdale Primary School; Halkirk Primary School; and Kilchuimen Primary and Academy, Fort Augustus, which is a shared campus.

Firewood Stolen in Newport area, Caithness
Police look for information following a theft of firewood

Police appeal for information following serious assault in Thurso
Police Scotland Highlands and Islands Division are appealing for witnesses following a disturbance at an address on Thorkel Road, Thurso, whereby a 34 year old man was seriously assaulted. A 44 year old man is currently in Police custody in relation to this investigation. Police Scotland are keen to speak to any person who may have any information regarding this incident, and are urged to contact Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

12 February 2014

Views From The Top Of Wick Town Hall - See What You Can Pick Out
Work is well underway on the modernisation and refurbishment of Wick Town Hall in conjunction with the new council Office buildings and complete rennovations of the listed building part and these photos let you see what can be seen from the top of the town hall.

      New Council Offices

Update at Area Committee as Peatlands project funding application submitted
At yesterday’s (Tuesday 11 February) Caithness and Sutherland Area Commiitee members were given an update on progress for the Flow to the Future project, an ambitious multi-million pound project to restore seven square miles of globally important peatlands which is being co-ordinated by RSPB on behalf of the Peatlands Partnership. The Peatlands Partnership was formed in 2007 and promotes the special nature and interests of the peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland (the Flow Country). It includes The Highland Council, Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, RSPB Scotland, Plantlife International, the Environmental Research Institute, individuals from the local community and other stakeholder organisations.

Wanted - Bank Staff Nurses - Band 5, Caithness Hospitals
Other jobs

Taxi fare review in Highland
The public is being asked for its views on proposals by The Highland Council to increase the cost of all fares, regardless of the distance travelled by 30p. It is also proposed that the charge applied to compensate for the cost of the outward journey for hires which commence 3 miles or more away from the taxi or taxi base (whichever is the nearer) and where the customer wishes to travel further away be increased from a maximum of £6.50 to a maximum of £7.50. The proposal is part of the review by The Highland Licensing Committee of the scale of maximum taxi fares in the Highlands. The public have until Tuesday 11 March to have their say. Responses will be reported to the Council’s Highland Licensing Committee on Tuesday 1 April with a proposed implementation date of midnight on Monday 26 May.

Land reform top of the agenda at Area Committee
The first item on yesterday’s Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee was Land Reform with the meeting starting with a presentation by David Cameron, Convener of Community Land Scotland. Members then took the opportunity to discuss in particular the overview of land reform issues in Sutherland. Since The Land Reform (Scotland) Act introduced rights for both Communities and Crofting Communities to proceed with land purchase under certain circumstances, six Council owned properties in Caithness and Sutherland have been handed over to local community groups.

Closer look at Census figures for Caithness and Sutherland
The demographics of Caithness and Sutherland were under the spotlight yesterday (Tuesday 11 February) when Members of the Area Committee took the opportunity to look in some detail at the results from the 2011 census. Since 2001 the population of Caithness and Sutherland has grown by 3.3% with an increase in four out of six Wards, and at a local level in 34 out of 58 data zones. The statistics also show that between 2001 and 2011 there has been significant population drift from the towns of Thurso and Wick into rural Caithness.

Funding boost for Caithness groups working to tackle poverty
Ormlie Community Association in Thurso and Pulteneytown People’s Project in Wick have both been given a funding boost from The Highland Council’s Deprived Area Fund which will help them to continue providing and developing services to tackle poverty. In November the Council re-launched its Deprived Area Fund to help create employment opportunities and tackle poverty, with £100,000 of funding available for parts of Caithness on an annual basis over the next three years. Ormlie Community Association’s Young Mum’s project has been awarded £13,000 for their Young Mum’s project which aims to build the confidence of young mothers and encourages them to get involved in their local community.  £87k has been awarded to Pulteneytown People’s Project which will be used to provide a wide range of services to local people through their activity programme which includes advice about staying on and leaving school, re-training and housing issues as well as providing a Job Club which currently has over 35 attendees every week.

11 February 2014

Several New Jobs Just In At 5.55pm Today

Events - Galas, Shows, Sports, Deals for 2014 and more - Get Them entered In The What's On Section
You may know when your event is on and might say it is around the same date every year but we can assure you many people especially visitors to the area do not know about your dates.  Every year we receive enquiries about events and people want to know dates far in advance to plan their visit to Caithness so they can see them.  So if you are running an event or have something you want known about don't leave it until days or weeks before the event.  Get it on as soon as you can and the sooner the better for maximum FREE coverage.  Currently there are about 300 events listed.  The What's On also gets your item on to Facebook and Twitter as all events flow automatically to those places each day to increase the chances for it to be seen.  The What's On section also flows across several pages of Caithness.org.  A minute on entering the event can get you months of free coverage for your event.  Events can be entered for years ahead if you are sure of your dates.

10 February 2014

Newton Hill Community Woodland Workday
Newton Hill Community Woodland Workday Sunday 16th February 11 am Tree tube resetting, road repairs and general maintenance tasks available. Everyone is most welcome to come along and lend a little help to improve and develop the woodland. Start time is from 11.00 but feel free to arrive and leave whenever suits you best.

Photo Gallery

9 February 2014

The National Theatre Presents Rantin At Thurso And Wick
The National Theatre of Scotland, in association with the Arches, presents Rantin By Kieran Hurley Assembly Rooms, Wick 13/02/2014 - 13/02/2014 Kirkwall Town Hall, Orkney 15/02/2014 - 15/02/2014 Mill Theatre, Thurso 18/02/2014 - 18/02/2014 Tongue Village Hall, Sutherland 19/02/2014 - 19/02/2014 Durness Village Hall, Sutherland 21/02/2014 - 21/02/2014 Ullapool Village Hall 22/02/2014 - 22/02/2014 Mull Theatre [AT] Druimfin


C-Odyssey at Gills Harbour As Pentland Firth Energy Comes More Into Focus
The flagship of the largest fleet of 'marine renewables support vessels' in Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters has been on a two-day operational working visit to Gills Harbour in Caithness. The versatile C-Odyssey has been specifically designed to service the fledgling industry and was delivered new to owners/operators Leask Marine Ltd, of Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, from a shipyard in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2011, at a reported cost of over £3 million.


Do You Want To Get Allotments Established In Wick?

Latest job Ads 
Highland Kleenezie Reps Wanted
Deputy Facility Safety Case Owner - Vulcan, Caithness

Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update Week Commencing 3rd February

7 February 2014

Results of Community Council interim elections
Six Highland community councils are able to continue operating following recent interim elections. Nominations were invited from 21 January to 5 February 2014 for persons seeking election to Community Councils serving Caithness West; East Nairnshire; Inverlochy; Raigmore; Sinclairs Bay; and Wick In each case, the number of candidates nominated was less than the number of councillors to be returned, so no elections will take place, and the list of candidates for each community council are now declared to be elected as councillors. Caithness West Community Council now has 6 members following the newly elected members, Jillian Bundy and Roger Warren.  Wick Community Council now has 8 Members following the newly elected members, Allan Farquhar and Niall Smith.

Business Oppotunities Event
Strathy North Windfarm - 26th February, Strathy Village Hall. In February SSE are holding an information day for local businesses to find out about the ongoing opportunities around the construction of our £109m Strathy North wind farm in Sutherland. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the project team and principal contractor, with Highland businesses of all sizes welcome. Our ‘Open4Business’ procurement team will also be present to introduce SSE’s business opportunities portal.

6 February 2014

Changing Skyline As New Wick Council Offices Progress
This photo shows the view of the new Wick Council Offices from the Wick Medical Centre on the other side of the river.

Larger Photo

See photo gallery from the start

Reform of care for Scotland's older people needs to accelerate
Scotland's programme to improve care for older people has brought together the different bodies involved in services costing £4.5 billion a year. These organisations now need to better target resources at preventing or delaying illness and at helping people to keep living at home.




Police Warning As Pick Pockets Hit Inverness
Police issue safety advice on how to keep your possessions safe after reports of pick pocketing. Police Scotland is looking to remind members of the public about how to keep personal possessions safe after reports from members of the public regarding incidents of pick pocketing in the Inverness area. Police received two reports of pick pocketing in the city centre of Inverness last weekend and are advising members of the public to be aware and to avoid becoming a victim to this type of crime.

Council extends consultation period on amendments to public entertainment licensing
The Licensing Committee of Highland council has extended until Friday 21 March the period of consultation for proposed amendments and additions to activities requiring a public entertainment licence. The original deadline was Friday 7 February but the Licensing Committee, meeting on Tuesday 4 February, agreed this should be extended following a number of representations received from outdoor activity providers and to allow time to obtain further information on the extent to which such activities are already regulated by other authorities/bodies.

5 February 2014

News Job Ads Added To Our Forum at 6.00pm Today Wednesday
DSRL Engineering Apprentices
Accounts Office/Administrator - Wick
Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist
Sales Adviser - Norscot - Bower

Wick John O’Groats Airport ‘well placed to become energy gateway’
Wick John O’Groats Airport is well placed to capture a greater share of the energy market, says Airport Station Manager William Sutherland. His remarks followed a visit by Alan Simpson, Integrated Planning and Turnaround Manager at Chevron, to mark the end of the company’s year-long presence at the airport. Over the course of 359 days, Chevron transported 20,000 personnel between the airport and its installations in the Captain Field and Erskine and Alba Fields. Making a presentation to the airport staff of a specially designed commemorative artwork, Alan said: “On behalf of all of us at Chevron and particularly our Captain Field, I would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to ensure the success of this venture.

Police in Highlands and Islands to host Facebook chat on local policing matters
Police Scotland Highland and Islands Division will be hosting a Facebook chat with Chief Superintendent Julian Innes on the local policing plan to discuss the policing priorities of local communities in the area this week. The interactive chat event will take place on Thursday 06 February 2014 between 18:00 and 20:00 hours on the Divisional Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/northern.constabulary

Kessock Bridge Resurfacing Begins on 10th February For 20 Weeks
The resurfacing of Kessock Bridge, Inverness, is being carried out by Bear Scotland on behalf of Transport Scotland (the Scottish Government agency responsible for the maintenance of the A9 and Kessock Bridge). The second phase begins on Monday 10 February 2014 and continues for 20 weeks. Preparatory works are already underway by Bear Scotland. The 2nd phase of major works to resurface the Kessock Bridge will start on 10 February 2014 and continue for 20 weeks. During this time, the bridge will be reduced from four to two-lane contraflow operation and inevitably this will result in delayed travel at the start and end of the working day. The total cost of the works is £13.2 million.

Highland Seashore festivals and creative arts competition for schools
Lochalsh artist Paddy Luc's Kelpie appears on the Highland Seashore project festivals page to inspire entrants for the Schools Seashore Competition. 2014 will see communities and coastal regions across the Highlands have the chance to celebrate the history and unique environment of their shorelines through a number of festivals featuring music and art. Local school pupils will also have the opportunity to get creative, with a special competition using artwork, short stories and poetry to express various themes of the seashore. The Highland Seashore Project was launched in February, 2013 and is a three year project aimed at encouraging understanding and appreciation of our delicate seashores, the life that depends on them and the impact the sea has had on Highland culture, heritage and the arts.

4 February 2014

Multimillion pound boost to save UK’s Magnificent Meadows
 For the first time in its history, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a unique partnership of conservation organisations and local councils - led by Plantlife – a significant sum for a national project to save the UK’s remaining fragments of meadow. There were once natural wild flower meadows in every parish – today only 2% of the meadows that existed in the 1930's remain. Nearly 7.5 million acres of wildflower meadow have been lost so far and they are still being destroyed. The Save our Magnificent Meadows Project: A £3 million project which will transform the fortunes of our vanishing meadows and grasslands.   Photo Gallery
Another announcment in June 2013 was the Coronation Meadows    Rare flowers that might be saved in the meadows

3 February 2014

Highland MSP Questions Treasury on Fuel Discount Scheme Failings
Highlands and Islands regional MSP, Rhoda Grant has written to Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury about the bungled role out of the Fuel Discount Scheme across the Highlands. Last weeks announcement by the Treasury saw an extension of the planned roll out of the scheme to include Halkirk postcode (KW12) despite the local petrol station closing down last December. Due to the extension being organised by postcodes rural communities such as Bettyhill have failed to be included in the scheme due to sharing a postcode with the larger Thurso area. The decision to roll out the Fuel Discount Scheme by postcode has also put community plans for a new station in Helmsdale at risk as the attachment to the Wick postcode means they have been overlooked again.

Peter Grimes Opera - Beamed Live To Thurso Cinema
English National Opera Live from The Coliseum, London: Peter Grimes Live screening at Thurso Cinema 23 February 7.00pm - 10.00pm The bleak, enclosed world of a fishing village provides the backdrop for the story of fisherman Peter Grimes and his uneasy relationship with the other inhabitants. Following the death of Grimes's apprentice, the community presumes Grimes to be guilty. Although he is cleared of any blame, the villagers no longer trust him, and when his new apprentice accidentally falls to his death, Grimes spirals towards a tragic breakdown.

Council asks Commercial premises to clarify how they are disposing of their waste
In an attempt to find out what businesses are doing with their waste, The Highland Council has written to 1,400 non domestic rated premises in Caithness, Sutherland and Skye and Lochalsh that currently do not use the Council’s commercial waste collection service. The letters will be going out over the coming week to a wide range of premises, including hairdressers, workshops, offices, shops, guesthouses and self-catering holiday homes, all of which will be producing waste and by law should be paying for a waste collection.

How will you rate your meal out this Valentine’s Day?
After flowers or chocolates, the next big question that’s usually on the agenda for Valentine’s Day is whether to go out to that romantic restaurant or enjoy a quiet meal in. However you rate a meal out, this Valentine’s Day, make sure you choose one of the 85% of eateries in The Highland Council area with a PASS.

Are Clearances a thing of the past?
Highland One World is to launch On the Land We Stand - a new online education resource with support from Highland Council schools. Local teacher Catriona Willis has worked for over a year on this broad general education resource which is at global citizenship level 3 using her experience of working in developing countries to add relevance to the case studies.

2 February 2014

New Children's Home At Wick - Progress Photos Today

See from the start HERE





Burns Supper At Wick Pipe Band Hall

1 February 2014

High Seas and Flooding At Wick


Flooding Wick Area - Police Warning
Police in Wick are seeking to remind members of the public about the possible dangers associated with flooding after a number of people have been reported as "sightseeing" near The Shore and Scalesburn areas of Wick and may be placing themselves at significant risk.

JOIN THE CAST OF THE GLASGOW 2014 CEREMONIES
Are you interested in applying for the chance to audition for a role as a Ceremonies Volunteer Cast Performer in the Glasgow 2014 Opening and Closing Ceremonies? Then you’ve come to the right place – your journey to the Commonwealth’s centre stage starts right here!

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2014
Your Chance To Win Great Prizes By Entering This Competition With Wildlife Photos From The North
Your chance to win a prestigious award, with cash prize of £5,000 and reach millions through national exposure. Help raise awareness about British wildlife and celebrate our natural heritage. Winners and commended entrants will have their work showcased in a touring exhibition and stunning book, and will be invited to an exclusive Awards ceremony, hosted by Naturalist and TV Presenter Chris Packham.  The overall prize fund worth up to £20,000 includes products from lead sponsors Canon and Sky.   See also School and Under 18 Awards..Many other prizes.
Previous Winning Entries Photo Gallery   For more inspiration check out the Caithness Biodiverisity Photo Collection