Families and businesses will benefit from more solar power as the government has approved a major new solar power project. Marks the 30th nationally significant clean energy project approved by the government since July 2024 – enough clean energy to power the equivalent of more than 19 million homes.
The UK Government has just approved the second‑largest solar farm in the country, but that announcement applies only to England, because large onshore energy planning is devolved. Scotland has its own planning system and its own renewable‑energy priorities — and that means big solar farms are far less common here.
Sizewell B nuclear power station to continue operating until 2055, powering millions of homes with clean, homegrown energy and cutting costs for consumers. Government agreed terms with EDF to support 20‑year life extension of Sizewell B.
Proposals for a new independent veterinary ombudsman to give pet owners stronger rights. Millions of pet owners will benefit from the most significant overhaul of veterinary regulation in six decades, as the government today (Thursday 9 July 2026) publishes its White Paper setting out its vision for a thriving and fairer veterinary sector.
Life Sciences sector attracts over £3 billion in new public-private investment in 12 months, reflecting international confidence in UK science and innovation. Life Sciences sector attracts more than £3 billion in new public-private investment in just 12 months, reflecting international confidence in the UK’s world-class science, innovation and health ecosystem.
Virgin Media has been fined by Ofcom for making it too difficult for customers to leave, giving misleading information about cancellation fees, and failing to handle complaints properly. For Caithness‑Business readers, the takeaway is straightforward: this ruling confirms long‑standing customer‑service problems that many households and small firms have already experienced.
The UK Government has announced that children aged 8 and 9 can now use eGates at major UK airports and at international rail terminals. Previously, only travellers aged 10 and over were allowed to use them.
Caithness is becoming a hotspot for battery‑storage proposals because developers want to sit close to wind generation and transmission lines. But the scale and clustering of these projects pose real risks to the local grid, landscape, planning system, and community confidence.
Help Shape Highland's Future with Regeneration Funding The Scottish Government has announced plans to open the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) later this year, creating an exciting opportunity for projects that can make a lasting difference to communities across Highland. The RCGF is a competitive, Scotland-wide fund that supports locally developed regeneration projects.
The ONS report measures the natural capital of enclosed farmland meaning the economic value of the land, soils, habitats, and ecosystem services produced by fields, hedgerows, and managed agricultural landscapes across the UK. Key points from the report Enclosed farmland covers around a third of the UK’s land area, making it one of the country’s most significant land uses.
Millions of calls were likely mishandled over nearly a three-year period, preventing or delaying customers from switching away to a better deal. Investigation uncovers deliberate call-dropping tactics, excessive and unnecessary call transfers and putting customers repeatedly on hold for no reason.
UK Export Finance provided over £11 billion in new financing last year, helping UK companies to export and grow. Up to 85,000 jobs and £6.4 billion to national GDP supported by UKEF financing as part of the government’s Growth Mission.
The cost of keeping a pet in the UK has risen sharply over the last few years, and the reasons are now well‑documented across veterinary, welfare, and insurance data. The increases are real, significant, and driven by several structural pressures — not just general inflation.
For many people approaching retirement or already retired the most important economic question surrounding Scottish independence is not mortgages or trade. It is pensions.
Personal Independence Payment is no longer fit for purpose and is failing to keep pace with how disability, health and work have changed over the past decade, the Timms Review has found. Millions of disabled people are being failed by a benefit that is no longer working, the first ever full review into Personal Independence Payment has found.
Rachel Springall, Finance Expert at Moneyfactscompare.co.uk, comments on the latest UK Residential Market Survey from Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). “The supply of homes coming onto the market is beginning to thin, with both new instructions and market appraisals moving deeper into negative territory.
For a few days it looked as though the worst might be over. Oil prices had fallen back, hopes of diplomacy were growing, and motorists and households across Britain were beginning to wonder whether fuel costs might finally ease after months of uncertainty.
The US military says it carried out strikes against more than 80 targets initially, followed by another wave reportedly involving around 90 targets. The stated aim was to reduce Iran’s ability to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
A military strike in the Persian Gulf can raise heating oil prices in Caithness because the Strait of Hormuz carries 20–27% of the world’s crude oil and petroleum products. When that corridor is disrupted, global supply drops, prices spike, and rural areas like Caithness already paying a delivery premium feel the impact fastest and hardest.
With more than 80% of global trade by volume being transported by sea, maritime shipping lanes are indispensable to the world economy. That fact was starkly illustrated by the war in Iran, which saw Tehran effectively close the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic and Washington respond with a blockade of Iranian ports.
50 UK Government-funded 4G masts have been switched on to boost signal in some of Scotland's hardest-to-reach communities. Dozens of 4G mast upgrades have been activated thanks to UK Government funding through the Shared Rural Network, helping put an end to poor phone signal for rural communities across Scotland.
The USA grid crisis is spilling over into the UK and EU. This is not because our grids are physically connected, but because the same pressures are hitting all Western grids at the same time: explosive data‑centre demand, electrification, ageing infrastructure, and planning systems that cannot keep up.
Heating‑oil prices in Caithness are likely to sit mostly between 95p and £1.10 per litre over the next year, with the lowest quotes appearing in July to September and the highest during January and February. UK averages are currently around 70–75p per litre, but Scotland typically runs higher at 85–90p, and Caithness adds a further rural premium of 10–20p because every tanker must travel long distances from Grangemouth or Inverness.
When governments make energy policy, they rarely have the luxury of doing so in calm and predictable times. As ministers consider whether the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea should receive fresh environmental consent, events thousands of miles away are once again reminding the world how fragile global energy supplies can be.
Barnardo's Highland Services is looking for dedicated, compassionate and motivated individuals to join our Springboard Outreach Service as As and When Outreach Workers, supporting care-experienced young people across the Highland area. This flexible role offers a unique opportunity to walk alongside young people as they transition into adulthood, providing tailored, relationship-based support within their homes, communities and local environments.
Oil prices jumped sharply this morning following the overnight U.S.–Iran military exchanges, with markets reacting immediately to the attacks on both sides and the renewed threat to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s most sensitive oil chokepoint. The headline numbers (as of early 8 July 2026) Brent crude: $76.5 per barrel, up 3–6% depending on the contract At 7.35am Brent Crude is still ticking up at $76.65 WTI crude: $72.7 per barrel, up 2.5–5% At 7.35amd WTI Up at $72.85 12.45pm today - Oil Price Rising Fast Brent Crude $78.53 WTI Crude $74.48 Prices had fallen heavily in June, but the war flare‑up has reversed the slide and pushed oil back to its highest level in two weeks.
New ONS figures reveal that 46% of retailers who have adopted AI are already using it to improve their business operations, and a further 40.8% plan to in the next three months. The home delivery expert Parcelhero asks: ‘What will the AI surge mean for retail businesses, for consumers and for jobs?’ New figures released this month by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that the AI revolution is already well underway in retail.
The mood regarding the war in Ukraine has changed in recent months. Ukrainian drones have struck Russian oil infrastructure, causing fuel shortages across Russia.
In this the fourth article in a series speculating about what might happen is Scotland ever became independent. For many people a mortgage is one of the biggest factors in their finances so changes to the currency loom large if independence were to happen.
The latest flare‑up between the United States and Iran has once again shown how a conflict thousands of miles away can hit the Highlands faster and harder than almost anywhere else in the UK. When the Strait of Hormuz the narrow waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil and a large share of global LNG passes becomes a battleground, rural Scotland feels the consequences in its fuel pumps, heating‑oil deliveries, electricity bills, and household budgets.
Are you ready to take the first step in your career and gain valuable hands-on experience with a supportive local business? Blargoans Limited is offering an exciting opportunity for a Business and Operations Apprentice to join our friendly and hardworking team. This varied role is ideal for someone who is enthusiastic, motivated, and keen to learn how our businesses operate, while gaining practical experience across both Blargoans Ltd and Northern Sands Hotel.
Position: We are seeking a Laboratory Technician to be based at our Thurso campus. Responsibilities: The post holder will provide high quality laboratory technical support for Research & Knowledge Exchange and its commercial, research and teaching activities.
Position: The Environmental Research Institute (ERI) is part of UHI North, West and Hebrides, Thurso, one of the academic partners of UHI. Our mission is to ‘provide dynamic leadership in research, innovation and education that advances understanding and informs management of our natural environment’.
Hugh Simpson (Contractors) Ltd. is the largest crane hire and heavy lifting services company based in Caithness.
Here at Riverside house care home we are seeking to employ a full time or part time dedicated and enthusiastic Kitchen assistant to join our team. The ideal candidate will play a vital role in supporting the kitchen staff by maintaining cleanliness, washing dishes and adhering to cleaning schedules.
Before the Strait of Hormuz made the evening news, most of us thought potash was a new vegan spread and phosphates were something you rinsed off your dishes. Now, half the country is debating Moroccan mineral reserves like it’s the World Cup.
Sutherland is one of Europe's great wilderness landscapes. From towering mountains and white-sand beaches to remote glens and picturesque fishing villages, it offers some of the finest scenery anywhere in Britain.
AI, energy, defence and commodities are colliding to reshape the global economy and the effects are already reaching households and businesses in the Highlands. The world economy is shifting from efficiency to constraint and from cheap abundance to strategic competition For three decades the global economy rested on a simple assumption: that supply would adjust, prices would stabilise, and globalisation would smooth out shocks.
The £100 Million Question: Why Higher Council Tax Doesn't Always Mean Better Local Services Every spring, millions of households receive a council tax bill that is a little higher than the year before. At the same time, they often hear about cuts to local services, delayed road repairs, fewer leisure facilities or postponed building projects.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 4 East Sutherland and Edderton on The Highland Council has been won by John Murray, Independent who was one of 5 candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters went to the poll (Thursday 25 June 2026) and the by-election count was held Friday morning in Dornoch Academy.
Do you love great wine and whisky? Do you enjoy talking to people and sharing your enthusiasm? Bin Ends, Caithness's favourite independent wine and whisky retailer, is looking for a Retail Brand Ambassador to join our friendly team. The Role You'll be the welcoming face of Bin Ends — helping customers find the perfect bottle, keeping the shop looking its best, and making every visit a great experience.
We are looking for a housekeeper who will look after our accommodation with the same care we give our customers. A team player who will be responsible for cleaning guest rooms, public areas and hotel properties in a timely and thorough manner to ensure guest satisfaction.
Job Title: Business Admin Modern Apprenticeship Location: Janetstown Term: Permanent Job Overview JGC are offering an exciting opportunity for a Modern Apprentice to join our Administration team. As a Modern Apprentice you will work towards a SCQF Level 5 or SCQF Level 6 depending on experience and qualifications.
We are delighted to bring to the market this beautifully presented three-bedroom semi-detached cottage, finished and fitted to a high standard throughout. This spacious home has been thoughtfully extended, offering generous accommodation that is sure to appeal to a wide range of purchasers.
This impressive ‘B Listed’ detached former Church of Scotland Manse, dating from the late 18th to early 19th century, occupies substantial grounds extending to approximately 1.52 acres, enclosed by attractive dry-stone walls, and is complemented by an extensive range of traditional outbuildings. Situated in a delightful setting just a short walk from the village of Canisbay, this attractive property enjoys far-reaching countryside and sea views, with panoramic views across the Pentland Firth towards Orkney.
Thought last years show was amazing.... the wait is over and we are delighted to finally reveal that.....
Beò! 2029, the Inverness-Highland bid for UK City of Culture 2029, has launched an ambassador programme to help champion the bid and build support across the region and beyond. Award-winning folk singer Julie Fowlis and Ivor Novello-nominated singer-songwriter Katie Gregson-MacLeod have become the programme's first ambassadors, lending their support to the only Scottish bid longlisted for UK City of Culture 2029.
This year a predicted Super El Niño affect may hit prices in the UK. There is no certainty about how it will play out but better to know what may be affected.
For years, ultra‑cheap online marketplaces like Temu, Shein, and AliExpress have reshaped the way people shop in the UK. But now the Government is preparing a major change that could shift the balance back toward the high street: the abolition of the de minimis import threshold.
A Super a Super El Niño event can significantly raise the risk of commodity price spikes and crop failures, but the impact depends on its strength, location, and how global supply chains respond. Here’s how it works in practice.
Full time Domestic assistant (30 hours per week) Here at Riverside house care home we are looking for a dedicated and reliable domestic assistant to join our team. The ideal candidate will work five shifts per week 8am-2pm ensuring areas throughout the home are maintained to the highest standard of cleanliness, this role is perfect for individuals who take pride in their work and enjoy creating a welcoming environment.
Projects supporting people most at risk of social isolation and loneliness have had their funding extended until March 2027. A total of £1.05 million will help 52 organisations provide group and community activities, warm spaces, and opportunities for people to come together for a meal or other activities, aimed at older people, carers, disabled people and young parents.
This large commercial building is situated on Bridge Street and is spread over three floors. The entire building extends to approximately 315 square meters in total.
This spacious three-bedroom first-floor flat occupies a superb coastal position, boasting impressive views across Thurso Beach, Thurso East, the Pentland Firth, Dunnet, Scrabster and Orkney. Formerly two separate one-bedroom flats, the property offers excellent potential for landlords or those exploring the Airbnb market.
The cost‑of‑living pressures coming toward 2027 — rising rents, mortgage resets, council tax increases, higher import prices, and energy costs that refuse to fall — are structural. You can’t control them, but you can control your exposure to them.
Kirsty MacPherson will join from East Renfrewshire Council. Former head teacher previously worked in Dumfries and Galloway and Shetland.
cotland enters the second half of the decade with inflation finally stabilising, but the cost of living remains stubbornly high. Prices are no longer rising at crisis levels, yet they are not falling either — and for many households, especially renters and mortgaged families, the financial pressure is still intense.
When the BBC announces another round of job cuts, it is easy to think of it as a single event. But the latest announcement is not an isolated decision.
This report is the final output of the Scottish Rural Communities Policy Review. It brings together the evidence collected during the project & provides options & practical recommendations for the roles and delivery of Community Led Local Development, Scottish Rural Network and Scottish Rural Action.
Each year, the Scottish Government distributes Community Led Local Development (CLLD) funding to Local Action Groups (LAG) to support local priorities. For 2026 to 2027, the LAG are investing in projects that strengthen communities in the Highlands and reduce inequality.
Wick Golf Club are looking for an enthusiastic and hard-working person to join their greenkeeping team for the summer months. You will need to enjoy working outside and preferably have some experience with relevant machinery.
WE ARE HIRING Receptionist/Administrator - Thurso Office (Full-Time) Are you welcoming, highly organised, and confident in a fast-paced environment? This could be your next move. As the face and voice of out Thurso office, you'll be the first point of contact for our clients - creating a professional, friendly, and lasting first impression.
Check out Wick Gala Facebook..
Click over to the Caithness show Facebook page for lots of details. You can now buy early tickets online to avoid queues etc.
See poster..
In times of uncertainty, savers may want to keep cash close, but with over 200 easy-access accounts beating inflation, leaving money in low-paying accounts is costly. Time to move your money out of low interest accounts.
Position: We are seeking a proactive and detail‑driven Quality Officer to play a central role in upholding UHI North, West and Hebrides’ commitment to excellence. This position is critical to maintaining and enhancing the high-quality learning experience we deliver across the college and will be based at our UHI North, West and Hebrides campuses in Fort William or Thurso.
Scaffolder required for approximately 6 weeks contract in Fair Isle commencing beginning of August.Send CVs to caithness.scaffolding@live.co.uk for more infomation contact 07793102455. .
Postal vote packs for the Ward 4 East Sutherland and Edderton by-election were posted posted out last Friday. The Highland Council is advising postal voters to read the instructions carefully when completing their statement and ballot paper to ensure their vote counts.
The case against children’s access to social media isn’t just about online harms, argues Goldsmith’s Dr Veli Hillman, but about the steady narrowing of what childhood is allowed to become. Modern societies routinely restrict children’s access to activities where power, incentives and risks are radically unequal.
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