News Archive - June 2014

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30 June 2014

Tesco At Wick Preparing For The Click And Collect Battle
Tesco Wick opened on 26 November 2006.  Now almost eight years later a small extension is being constructed at the rear to hold a Click and Collect base.  New home delivery vans are also lined up to make sure that increase in demand for home delivery can be met.  Certainly the supermarkets are in no doubt that Wick is one of the places to be for the future.  A sign at the front of the store indicates the new Click and collect base is to open soon.


Lidl Extension Build Underway At Wick
A new extension to increase floor space in Lidl's store is undewrway at Wick.  Lidl opened on 20th March 2003 and after more than 10 years of business is increasing in size in many of their stores showing that they have confidence that Wick shows to be one of the places for growth.




Caithness Horizons Prepares For The Invasion Of The Glasgow Vikings!
To celebrate and promote the unique Pictish and Norse heritage of the Far North of Scotland Caithness Horizons Museum in Thurso has received funding from EventScotland, the Caithness and North Sutherland Fund, The Highland Council - Highland Culture Fund and Museums Galleries Scotland to run a year long programme of living history events that will bring the Far North's Pictish and Norse heritage to life. From 5th - 13th July Caithness Horizons will be going Viking mad with free film screenings, family friendly storytelling sessions with storyteller and musician Bob Pegg, Viking-themed art and craft workshops with local artist Helen Moore and ceramist Lorraine Robson and a Viking living history encampment.

Postcard SEA exhibition & fundraiser
Postcard SEA Fundraiser & Exhibition for Brough Bay Association & Castletown Heritage Society. 5th - 30th July 2014 Starts: 2:00pm Ends: 4:00pm. Venue: Castlehill Heritage Centre, Harbour Rd, Castletown Caithness. Raffle includes a grand prize thanks to NorthLink Ferries: Win one free return trip Scrabster to Stromness for 4 passengers, a car & Magnus' Lounge access. Raffle tickets are only available to purchase in the exhibition. See all the postcard size artworks that have been sent from around the world. They are now for sale by secret silent auction. All the money raised from your bids and the raffle will be given to Brough Bay Association & Castletown Heritage Society - both are run by volunteers.

29 June 2014

A Look Around Wick Harbour Today
Another load of wind turbines has arrived for unlaoding and contrasted with the more traditional crabs being landed on the other side of the quay.





Feis Gallaibh Teaching Young People To play A Variety Of Instruments
Feis Gallaibh the organisation combining music an Gaelic culture for young peole locally had another morning of music tuition on Saturday at Thurso High School.  Lessons are given on a range of instruments including keyboard, violin, drums, accordion, guitar and flute.




Caithness Sevens Photo Gallery

28 June 2014

Far North Youth Orchestra Sees More Young Musicians Enjoy Another Day Together
The Far North Youth Orchestra is a brand new symphony orchestra, conducted by Susie Dingle, for young musicians aged 8 to 13 who live in Caithness or Sutherland. On Saturday 28th June 2014 the group held a day of practice and lessons followed by a short concert to show parents and friends what they had learned that day. The young musicians were mainly from Caithness but were joined by a few from as far away as Rogart and Dornoch. There are not to many opportunities for young people in the far north to play regularly with a symphony orchestra format. The recently formed Far North Youth Orchestra is increasing the chances for many to improve in their chosen instruments.  PHOTO GALLERY

Missing boy Kieran Angus - Thurso
UPDATE - Sunday 29 June 2014
Missing teenager Kieran ANGUS who had been reported missing in Wick has been traced safe and well. Police would like to thank the public for their assistance

Invergordon Missing Man - Tom Fish - May be in Wick Area

27 June 2014

Whats On Section Exploding With Events For Summer In Caithness
There are currently over 650 events liste din our Whats On section with July looking to be as ever the busiest month of the year.  That's great but we know there ar emore events going on so check if your event is showing and if not get it listed HERE

Forestry Commission Scotland - Review of Forestry Managment Plans 
The public are being invited to comment on management plans for felling and replanting to certain forests in Caithness and Sutherland.  For details of public events see -
 - Forest blocks situated between Wick, John o'Groats, Thurso, Halkirk & Lybster
 - Rogart, Achormlarie & Dornoch forest blocks situated between Dornoch, Bonar Bridge & Rogart.

First Highland sighting of Queens Baton to be in Aviemore next week
The Highland Council’s full day will be on Friday 11 July when the Baton starts out early in the morning from John O’Groats and visits Wick, Brora, Golspie, Tain, Alness and Dingwall where it will appear on stage during a special free Highland celebration in Jubilee Park.

Fit's in 'e Groat 'e day
A glance at the local paper

Young, creative and seriously into film? Training for People Aged 16 - 19
If you are aged between 16 - 19 you may be interested in the courses offered by BFI Film Academy Scotland.

2014 Commonwealth Games Legacy plan for Highland approved
A 2014 Legacy Plan that highlights opportunities for Highland communities over the next five years, as a result of the Commonwealth Games, has been welcomed by Members of The Highland Council. Councillors have given their approval for the Highland Legacy Plan which has been produced by High Life Highland for The Highland Council which is responsible for delivering the plan. Members also agreed the establishment of a Games Legacy Fund of £100,000 to which eligible organisations will be able to bid for projects that fit with the requirements and ethos of the Council's Legacy Plan.

Budget Forum Heads For Strathy

Council Supports New Science Academy

25 June 2014

New Children's Home Opened At Wick

The new Children's Home at Wick opened today with the new name of Avonlea.  Councilors and guests joined staff and others to be shown round and wish the new home well for the future.  See build from the start HERE

Fit's in 'e Coorier 'e day
Snippets from the local paper out today.

24 June 2014

Ranger Events in July 2014

More New Job Ads Just Added At 8.55pm Tonight

New Noss Primary School From The Hi-Cam
The new primary school recently named Noss Primary will replace the present North and Hillhead Primary schools.





Where To See Wildlife in Caithness & Sutherland
An SNH guide wil help you to find places to see the great wildlife that abouonds in the north of Scotland.  Caithness and Sutherland are rich in flora and fauna.  Whilst i can be difficult sometimes to see it with some effort  and the help oif guiides like the one from SNH or local knowledge you can be lucky from time to time.
If you do not have time or live in another part of the world take look at the great Biodiversity collection for Caithness

Cairn Housing Has Homes In Wick for Renting for Over 50's


North Highland Young Engineers Speeding Up To The Top
North Highland Young Engineers is an independent group that aims to introduce young people to engineering an technology by competing in the Greenpower Challenge, a competition in which team design, build and race electric cars at circuits all over the UK. NHYE are one of the leading teams, ranked 3rd internationally for the last two years, the aim for 2014 is to improve on that! The first race of the year was at Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland. A small team from NHYE took new car, "Minion", to race against the novice Irish teams in the revamped format of two 90 minute races. Minion performed faultlessly and took the win in both races to become the inaugural Irish Champions.

Is Scottish Government Sucking In Highland and Islands Funding Good Or Bad?
David Ross in mondays Herald has highlighted the concerns relating to EU fduding no longer to come directly from Europe but to be given to Scottish government to distribute.  Is this as has been suggested another "Ruthless centralisation"?

Nine drink/drug drivers caught in final week of summer drink drive campaign
Drivers in the Highland

22 June 2014

Watch Some Nice Short Films as  Quad Copter Takes To The Skies Over Caithness

Newsletter - HomeStart Caithness
The new community section can have items added much faster than the old section.  If any groups would like their newsletters added to the section just email them to bill@caithness.org.  They will be linked to your group's page in the new section similar to the HomeStart newsletter published here today.

21 June 2014

Keiss School Sports
BRIGHT and breezy...that was the weather for Keiss primary school's annual sports and the description was also applied to the keen competition on the field for the coveted honours.

               Another Batch Of Keiss Sports Day Photos Added
 

20 June 2014

Fit's in 'e Groat
A very fast look at a few items from this weeks paper

Free business seminar - brewing on the edge  - A great chance to get a seminar without travelling
The University of the Highlands and Islands Management School will be broadcasting a free seminar from the island of Unst in Shetland on Tuesday 1 July. Key account director, Gary I Campbell, will interview Sonny Priest, the founder of Valhalla Brewery, Scotland's most northerly brewery. The discussion will welcome both a face to face audience on the island as well as participants from other locations across the university partnership or remotely through desktop computer, tablet or mobile device.

Music Studio Open House  - A chance to learn to play an instrument
Windsong Music Studio is currently accepting new students age 7 to Adult for private tuition. Piano, Drums, Guitar, Percussion, Woodwinds, Brass & Strings. Meet the teachers and try out instruments. Also home to Play Away Early Childhood Music Classes. Located near church on Bower to Gillock Road, half mile up from school.

Rush.dance kids winning their way to European and World Championships
It was only their second time out competing for our new all girl crew. FENIX RISE who not only put in an amazing performance but came away Winning their section, they are the U14 Beginner UDO Scottish champions and winning this prestige competition also qualifies them to compete at the UDO World championships later this year. Not only that but because they placed in the top 3 places they also qualify for the European UDO championships for 2015 in Paris. To have these 5 kids achieve the grade to compete against the very best street dancers from around the world and to be going to Paris next year to go against the best again in Europe just shows what an exciting time it is at Rush.dance.

Rhoda Grant MSP Helps Bliss Raise Concerns
Bliss Scotland raises concerns about crippling financial costs for parents of premature and sick babies. Rhoda Grant MSP attended the launch of a new report looking at the financial costs faced by families of babies admitted to neonatal care in Scotland. The campaign is organised by Bliss Scotland, the special care baby charity, which provides support to families of babies born premature and sick. The new Bliss Scotland report, ‘It's not a game: the very real costs of having a premature or sick baby in Scotland', is based on a survey parents and responses from 13 neonatal units in Scotland.

18 June 2014

Old Wick To Old Pulteney - Walk
Did you know Pulteneytown's mill lade is the longest in Scotland? Beginning at Old Wick Castle, follow the water in Telford's historic lade to the distillery, where Old Pulteney staff will share the secrets of transforming it into 'the water of life'. Take in fine cliff top views, nesting birds and maritime flora on the way. Places limited.



Oil and Glass - Caithness Artist In Aberdeen
Caithness artist Shelagh Swanson has seen her careers move onwards and upwards. After several years of successful shows she moved to Aberdeen and opened a shop. Shortly after she moved to a larger premises at 88 Holburn Street, Aberdeen and expanded the business whilst continuing her own art work. Currently Oil and Glass have a sale on so if you are in Aberdeen why not call round to see how the place looks now with many new works by a range of artists. 50% Off for One Week from Thursday 19th june 2014.

Blas 2014 tickets on sale now - a great line-up
Blas 2014 tickets on sale now The event in Caithness - The Red Hot Chilli Pipers Assembly rooms, Wick - Saturday 6th September 2014.
Significant milestone for Blas as it reaches first decade. One of the most successful arts events in the Highlands has reached a significant milestone with Blas 2014 marking the festival's tenth anniversary. This year's international event, spread over around 100 venues in the Highlands and Argyll between 5 and 13 September, returns to its roots with a greater emphasis on the place of communities, young people and Gaelic.

17 June 2014

High Life membership scheme praised by the Scottish Government
The low cost inclusive High Life membership scheme for leisure facilities in Highland has received a growing amount of national attention over the last two years. Notably a Scottish Government working group has recognised the scheme as a significantly different operating model, which enables access to all regardless of income levels and one that could potentially be replicated by other Local Authorities and Leisure Trusts across Scotland. In its report, The Scottish Government Working Group on Sport praised the High Life scheme's pricing strategy, specifically for supporting individuals most in need by enabling access to opportunities to be more physically active at an affordable cost.

Rhoda Grant MSP Seeks Views on Orkney Postcode
Highlands and Islands (Scottish Labour) MSP Rhoda Grant is seeking views from Orkney constituents on their current Royal Mail postal service and postcode. The North MSP launched a campaign at the beginning of this year which seeks to introduce a new postcode for Caithness and Sutherland, separating the North Highland mainland area from the shared KW, Orkney postcode.

NEW UHI Principal Meets Staff and Students At North Highland College
Professor Clive Mulholland met with staff and students last week at North Highland College UHI just 12 days after taking up his post as the second principal and vice-chancellor of the University of the Highlands and Islands. Professsor Mulholland was welcomed by Acting Principal Donald MacBeath and received a tour of the campus which included the Centre for Energy and Environment and the Land-Based Centre of Excellence in Halkirk. He then met with the executive group for lunch in the College's refectory - Cafe at Morven. As well as meeting the Chair of the Board of Management, Mr Niall Smith, and the College Management Team, Professor Mulholland was particularly keen to meet with North Highland College UHI students.

First primary teachers graduate from new Highlands and Islands course
18 students are the first to graduate from the University of the Highlands and Islands' professional graduate diploma in (primary) education. The new qualification allows students to complete their training in the Highlands and Islands. Students who are fluent in Gaelic also have the option to complete the diploma through the medium of Gaelic and work in a Gaelic-medium primary school. This first cohort has met the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s standard for provisional registration and can start their year as a probationary teacher in a Scottish primary school.

16 June 2014

Wick And Thurso Pupils Join Bridge to Employment Project
Around 175 young people from 14 Highland schools recently spent a team-building day (on 11 June) at the Black Isle Show ground taking part in exercises provided by local companies. The event for fourth year Highland secondary pupils aimed to promote skills for working with others as part of an induction to the new Bridge to Employment programme. ......The four company-school clusters taking part are: · LifeScan Scotland with Tain Royal Academy, Invergordon Academy, Alness Academy, Dingwall Academy, Inverness High School, Millburn Academy; · SSE with Lochaber High School, Glen Urquhart High School, Charleston Academy; · Capgemini with Nairn Academy, Inverness Royal Academy, Culloden Academy; and HIAL with Wick High School and Thurso High School.   Click HERE for Larger Photo

Names announced for new Wick primary schools
The names for two new primary schools being built under Highland Council's modern school buildings programme were announced today in Wick by Caithness Civic Leader, Councillor Gail Ross. Newton Park Primary School - is the new name for the new Highland Council primary school on the Wick joint campus, replacing Pulteneytown and South primary schools. Noss Primary School was also announced today as the name of the new North of the River Primary School in Wick which will replace North and Hillhead Primary Schools.   Larger Photo HERE

Caithness Ladies In Training For West Highland Way Charity Walk
EWTON HILL near Wick provided an excellent training exercise for this trio ahead of their longest ever hike. The three, Lynda Risbridger, Liz Foubister and Marge Donaldson intend to tackle the popular West Highland Way. The 97-mile route is no cakewalk. The Wick trio will have to cover between 14 and 21 miles each day and will encounter some tough terrain, changeable weather and of course, those arch tormentors of all who take on the challenge - the midgies. However, Lynda, Liz and Marge have been getting some first hand tips from some local West Highland Way-baggers, as well as putting in the practice miles.

Police in Thurso investigating a report of a serious assault on Princes Street

14 June 2014

More Photos From Wick Harbour Day 2014


Halkirk Gala 2014 - All 198 Photos now In
 
Remember if you want even larger photos then right click the image in the gallery and open in a new tab or window.

Wick Harbour Day 2014
Yachts arrived from various parts of the country to join in the annual harbour day at Wick in aid of the Wick Life boat funds.  A sunny afternoon brought thousands of people out to see the colourful harbour with all the boats flying coloured bunting.


Halkirk Gala 2014 Children's Fancy Dress

12 June 2014

What's On In Caithness Reaches Record Entries
Summer has boosted the number of entries in the Caithness.org What's On section to over 650.  Galas, Shows, coffee mornings, AGM's, Walks Festivals, Meetings, Trips, Arts and much much more.  Yet there amy still be many more events nto yet listed.  If you are group running regular weekly meeting why not ad it to the listing as there are always new people looking for things to do.  If you run a business and are planning something special then put in.  Almost any event needs a place to be found to check the time and venue so get listing and let more people know about your events. Remember it takes second to enter an event and can be on for many weeks or months or even years if you now knoW the date.  FREE  HERE  FREE     June July August

New support in Highland for Deaf People to access Council and Health services
Highland Councillors have welcomed new arrangements put in place to support the deaf people in Highland. At a meeting of the Council's Community Safety, Public Engagement and Equalities Committee, Cheryl Mechan Highland Council's new British Sign Language Interpreter demonstrated the new BSL interpretation service introduced during a presentation by Rosemary MacKinnon, Highland Council’s Equal Opportunities Officer. The presentation and interpretation was broadcast and recorded on the council’s webcast.

DOUBLE-WHAMMY WIN FOR CAITHNESS APPRENTICES
Two local apprentices who are students of the North Highland College UHI have won both 1st and 2nd Year Apprentice of the Year awards for the North of Scotland. This is the first time in the history of the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) competition that a single college has won both of these categories. 22 year old Graeme Gray, apprentice for G Anderson Electrical Ltd was the Stage 1 winner and 20 year old Murray Mackintosh, apprentice for MLG Electrical Contractor was the Stage 2 winner of the prestigious competition. This is the first competition of three heats being held all over Scotland. Both apprentices will go on to complete for the overall SECTT Apprentice of the Year for Scotland.

Highland baton bearers named for Commonwealth Games
The Glasgow 2014 team have announced the names of the 109 batonbearers who will take part when the Queens Baton Relay comes to the Highlands next month.  The baton will be in Caithness at Thurso, John O'Groats and Wick. See the full list for Highland stops.

Rita Stewart Memorial Fund In Caithness Open For Applications

Progress made on self-directed support but patchy across councils
New legislation means councils will have to transform the way they deliver social care, offering people choice and control over the support they need. A report published today makes recommendations to help councils fully implement the policy. Every year Scotland's councils spend £2.8 billion on social care services. They now (as of April 2014) have a legal duty to offer a wider range of options to help meet people's individual needs. This duty is part of the national Self-directed Support (SDS) strategy to transform social care over a period of ten years. The report says councils have started to make changes to social care. Progress has been mixed among councils and slower in some areas which have underestimated the scale of the cultural and practical changes.

Caithness Music Festival 2014 - Random Photos

The annual Caithness Music Festival has been running all week. We popped in for a few minutes and caught a few groups.  If anyone would like to add photos to this gallery from the festival of any participants (winners or not) please email them to bill@caithness.org.

Early Years and Home Care on agenda for Caithness District Partnership
The Caithness District Partnership meets in Thurso on Friday 27 June and will feature updates on Early Years Practitioners and the Caithness Family Team by the areas Children's Services Manager. The meeting will also feature updates from Bob Silverwood, NHS Area Community Care Manager - North, on the Redesign Reference Group work and Home Care.

Dangleberries To Hit Ynot in Thurso - 
21st June
Sell Out Expected So book Right Away.






Wildflower Festival Caithness                                              Wild Flower Festival Sutherland
 

11 June 2014

Highland Council Enforcement Officers Issue Bigger Fines For Littering And Fly Tipping
Last Friday was designated as the Litter Day of Action in Highland so the Council's Enforcement Officers stepped up enforcement patrols in Inverness and Dingwall with the aim of tackling the problem of littering, fly tipping and dog fouling......Other enforcement activity across the region in the last week includes £200 Fixed Penalty Notices issued to two businesses in Wick and Aviemore for flytipping waste from their businesses, a Fixed Penalty Notice for littering in Thurso and a further 3 Fixed Penalty Notices issued in Fort William for littering.......

9 June 2014

Berriedale Fun Run/Walk Raised Funds For Local Hall And Charity
Participants in a 10k-5k funrun/walk along the Welbeck Estate road at Berriedale on Sunday were rewarded with a lovely sunny day. Funds raised went to the Red Cross, Macmillan Cancer Support and the refurbishment of the local hall.

8 June 2014

Caithness and Sutherland Vintage and Classic Vehicle Rally 2014
Over 160 Vintage and Classic cars turned out today for the annual rally organised by the Caithness and Sutherland Vintage and Classic Vehicle Club.  A lovely sunny afternoon ensured a good turnout to see the cars.  See all the cars in our photo gallery.

For many photos from earlier years see the Transport section

7 June 2014

Canisbay Show 2014


25th Canisbay Show Today
Other Events Today

6 June 2014

Council budget blog asks - can some services be provided less often?
People in the Highlands are being invited - on a new blog - to have their say on how the Council should meet its savings target of £63.7m over the next 4 years. On Monday (9 June), The Highland Council will launch its 2014 budget blog on the home page of its website: www.highland.gov.uk. The first topic is: "Can we provide some services less, some less frequently or stop providing some altogether?" It will ask about how we can provide services more efficiently, which might result in a reduction in some services. One suggestion will consider if the Council should merge some schools that are close together or have old buildings. It looks for suggestions of what factors the Council should consider when deciding which schools to merge. It also asks if we could shorten the school day by 30 minutes for Primary 4-7 pupils which could save over £3m. The aim of the consultation is to understand the public's priorities as the Council aims to make savings of £63.7m over the next 4 years.

Delegates To Innovation Conference Visit Gills Harbour
A top team of Scottish-based scientists, engineers and academics sailed out to the Pentland Firth's Inner Sound from Gills Bay on a fact-finding mission to see at first hand the fast-flowing waters above the seabed site of the UK's first planned 'marine electricity' power-station. The three-mile round trip from community-owned Gills Harbour on board its director William Simpson's fishing-vessel/work-boat Boy James to the site of MeyGen Ltd's planned tidal stream electricity 'array' was a practical highlight at the end of a two-day conference held this week in Thurso, Caithness. The above event, hosted by the University of the Highlands & Islands Environmental Research Institute, was aimed at researching new electronic 'measuring devices', called 'sensors', to help speed up and add to the safety of generating 'green' electricity from the massive 'wealth of power' contained within Scotland's tidal streams and near-coast waves.

25th Canisbay Show On Saturday 7th June
What's On Saturday
What's On June

A few Items from 'e Groat

North Highland Initiative Team Walks, Runs & Cycles For Befriending Caithness
"The North Highland Initiative (NHI) team and their family and friends completed a 32 mile relay from the Castle of Mey to Wick via Thurso last Saturday the 29th of May in order to raise money for local charity Befriending Caithness. The relay took just over 5 hours and was completed through a combination of walking, cycling and running which was shared between the team. Starting at the Castle of Mey was a deliberate choice due to the long-running connections between NHI and the Castle of Mey with their product initiative; Mey Selections.

North Highland College Summer Programme ‘Engineering Employability Essentials'
North Highland College is running a summer programme that will be of interest to any young people thinking about a career in engineering with a modern apprenticeship in mind. It aims to help young people into employment by providing essential training that will give candidates the knowledge, skills and certification to progress into sustained employment within the Engineering Sector. The programme will help young people who are looking to move into employment either through a modern apprenticeship or other recognised route to be more work ready from the outset.

Growing worldwide demand for Caithness seafood company's produce
A Caithness based processor and supplier of locally sourced shellfish is to further expand its premises to help manage the growing worldwide demand for its products. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is supporting JPL Shellfish with a grant of £60,000 which will also allow the company to increase its workforce. Situated at Scrabster Harbour, and established in 1992, JPL Shellfish serve customers across the UK and beyond. The company expanded its premises in 2012 and has since increased the number of staff from six to 32.

5 June 2014

Catch Up On 'e Courier Fast

College Weld Challenge Puts Trainees to the Test
Eleven trainee welders from North Highland College UHI and Inverness College UHI went head to head in a college weld challenge last week, with the first heat based at Inverness Longman campus, and the second at North Highland's state-of-the-art engineering, technology and energy centre. The students were selected from the 72 full time and apprentice welders currently training at the two colleges. At both heats each had two hours to demonstrate manual metal arc (stick welding) and MIG (metal inert gas) welding to local representatives from the Welding Institute.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD 2014 NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES
Caithness Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that it is now accepting entries for the George Bruce Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2014. Now in its fifth year, the award aims to highlight a young, local business person who has displayed the necessary drive and determination to make their business a success.

4 June 2014

The Highlands prepare to celebrate as Queens Baton Relay draws nearer
With just a month to go until the Commonwealth Games Queens Baton Relay arrives in the Highlands, communities across the area are busy preparing to mark this once in a lifetime occasion...............The first Highland sighting of the Baton, which has travelled over 190,000kms around the globe, will be in Aviemore on Friday 4 June while it is en-route from Moray to Perth and Kinross..............The Baton's full day and night in the Highlands starts on Friday 11 July when it arrives at John O' Groats at 9.10am. The Wick Pipe Band will join the Lord Lieutenant Anne Dunnett and representatives of The Highland Council and Natiral Retreats to welcome Clyde the mascot and the full relay convoy to what will be a long, busy and action packed day. The first stop of the day will be Wick starting at 10.05am where 11 baton bearers will follow a route from the airport turn off road through the town past Rose Bank amenity area where Wick Youth Club will be arranging a series of children's activities. It will then have a 25 minute stop at Bignold Park where High Life Highland will be running football coaching sessions and groups of young children will be enjoying activities..................

Police Appeal For Information and Witnesses In Local Incidents

Bob is on the other side of the camera for charity cheque presentation
THURSO Camera Club chairman, Bob Murdoch found himself IN the picture, this time - in a very good cause. He presented a cheque for £100, recently, to the Caithness Heart Support Group. The donation was one of a number distributed to local charities by the club, from the fee it receives for providing photos for a county calendar. The cheque was accepted on behalf of the heart support group by its new treasurer, Emily Fraser.


Lybster Harbour From The Sea
It was once a big herring fishing port but that declined along time ago and lobsterboats now dominate wiht yachtsmaking calls in the summer time. It hosts the "World Championships of Knotty";  The film, The Silver Darlings, from Neil Gunn's book, was shot here. In the town the Lybster railway station was part of the Wick and Lybster Railway and is now the club house for the local 9 hole golf course. It opened on 1 July 1903 and closed on 3 April 1944.  A nice place from which to explore Caithness.

3 June 2014

Gateway to the Great Yellow
Your Help Wanted To Guage Support For The Project

GameOver Zeus: Computer users given fortnight warning over virus threat

ATTENTION Voluntary Groups - More Funding Opportunities Added To The Community Section

DON'T Miss Todays New Job Ads

Wick & District Pool League - Week 3
Retro "1" remain undefeated in the 2014 Wick & District Summer Pool League after sealing a 7-3 win against the Francis Street Club on Monday Night. Bobby Gunn was the star player, winning all three of his games to help his Retro side climb up to second place in the table. Camps Bar "1" remain on top as their 6-4 away win against the Commercial secured them their third straight victory. The Lybster side played well in the early stages of the match, and would take a 3-1 lead after the first set of singles.

Wick Town Hall Slowly Coming Back To Life
The wrapping has been removed from the upper part of Wick Town Hall revealing the new pointing and a good view can now be had of the top and the refurbished clock.  Inside work carries on and the rear still has some clearing up to do.


 

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RSPB Scotland welcomes introduction of carrier bag charge
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Business Section Today
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Sports Section Today
SHFLtv Goal of the Season Highland League 2013/14 Nominations

 2 June 2014

Equine Students At North Highland College Raise Funds For World Horse Welfare
Last week, the North Highland College UHI's HND Equine students handed over a cheque for £387.82 to the SSPCA. They raised the money from their puissance and jumping derby which was part of their managing an event unit. They also raised another £387.81 for World Horse Welfare which is a charity that supports horses at home and overseas.

 1 June 2014

170 Tonne Cable At Wick Bound For Subsea7 At Wester
A huge 170 Tonne Cable Unloaded at Wick Harbour was all set to go to Subsea7's complex at Wester, Caithness. The new cable will be joined by a huge state of the art winch later this year and will be used in the launches of new pipeline bundles from Wester. The cable and winch act to control the launch and prevent the pipelines going to fast when pulled by tugs out to sea. With demand increasing for the Subsea7 expertise in pipeline bundles this new investment makes sense to ensure that things go smoothly for every new launch. This cable is actually heavier than the towhead load that was moved slowly yesterday.