High oil prices have always been painful for households and businesses, but they also trigger something powerful. There is now a surge in innovation, investment, and political will for cleaner, more secure energy systems.
Burnham’s business‑focused points from his Wake Up to Money interview boil down to one theme. He wants to cut costs for small businesses while keeping within tight fiscal limits.
Across the UK, vaccination rates have been slipping and at the same time, misinformation about vaccines is spreading faster than ever. Much of this false messaging originates in the United States, where political figures have increasingly used anti‑vaccine rhetoric as a tool for attention, grievance, or ideological signalling.
There’s No Vaccine for Stupid – But We Should Be Grateful for the Ones We Have There are some headlines that make you laugh. And then there are headlines that make you wonder whether humanity has taken a wrong turn somewhere.
Patti Bremner, the Countryside Ranger for East Caithness explains why dune systems need our protection and why recreational fires pose a real risk to these habitats. Working in an office alongside the Dunnet Bay sand dunes I have come to appreciate and respect them more and more each working day.
High streets that have been hollowed out by the unchecked spread of vape stores, betting shops, and rogue businesses that do little to serve local communities are set to face a crackdown under new powers announced by the Prime Minister yesterday [Tuesday 11 August2026]. Local people to get a real say over what opens on their high street as Prime Minister hands new powers to communities and councils.
Community groups that want to install renewable energy projects and decarbonise their buildings will be able to access additional Scottish Government support this year. Funding available from the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) will increase to £15 million this year, meaning more groups will be able to develop their own renewable energy projects such as onshore wind and solar, and cut the energy bills for their buildings by installing heat pumps and solar panels.
For years, politicians and energy companies have told us that Britain needs to become more energy efficient. It sounded like a sensible long-term environmental policy.
Britain's Ownership Problem: Should Capital Gains and Inheritance Be Taxed More Like Income? Britain has spent years arguing about income inequality. Perhaps we have been looking at the wrong measure.
When Jellyfish Attack the Nuclear Industry: How Climate Change Is Creating New Problems for Europe's Power Stations It sounds like the plot of a rather unlikely science-fiction film. A nuclear power station is operating normally when suddenly its reactors begin shutting down.
The Timms Review launched last October with the aim of making sure PIP is fair and fit for the future. Its Interim Report, published in July 2026, found that PIP is no longer fit for purpose.
Government reveals the communities in over 40 locations eligible for cheaper electricity bills. Government reveals the communities in over 40 locations eligible for cheaper electricity bills Households near new pylons could save up to £2,500 over 10 years.
This 3 bedroom detached bungalow is situated in a popular residential area in Thurso. It is a few minutes walk from the coast and a short walk into town.
The UK government has launched a regulatory crackdown to curb the proliferation of betting shops, 24-hour gaming centres, and vape stores, granting councils greater control over planning and licensing. While planning reforms and new "aim to permit" revocations apply across Great Britain, distinct strategies exist, with England utilizing planning restrictions and emergency closure powers.
Scotland's Councils Are Changing: From Running Everything to Building Partnerships The future of Scottish local government may not be about councils doing more. It may increasingly be about councils bringing together communities, businesses and other organisations to make things happen.
An amber heat-health alert is now in place across all regions in England. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has escalated the heat-health alert (HHA) for the North East from yellow to amber, effective from 9am on Tuesday 11 August until 9pm on Friday 14 August.
A key step in addressing one area of the Highland Housing Challenge was taken today (Monday 10 August 2026), as the Lochaber Area Committee agreed to recommend the area's inclusion within a proposed Highland Rural Short-Term Let Control Area (STLCA). The recommendation follows a six-week public consultation held between May and June 2026.
Island communities in Highland are celebrating this week after receiving funds to boost a series of key local projects. The Highland Council has been successful in securing backing from the Scottish Government’s Islands Programme 2026/27 for four community-led projects across the Small Isles and Skye & Raasay.
The transfer of Invergordon Town Hall to community ownership could be a sign of something much bigger happening across Scotland – as financially stretched councils increasingly look to communities to take responsibility for the buildings at the heart of their towns and villages. For generations, town halls, village halls, community centres, playing fields and other public buildings have been seen as part of the basic infrastructure of local government.
First Minister John Swinney has officially opened the second phase of Cnoc Soilleir in South Uist – a cultural venue working to showcase and promote Gaelic arts and culture including music, language and dance. Supported by £7.6 million in Scottish Government funding since 2017, Cnoc Soilleir is home to the joint venture partnership of Ceòlas Uibhist and UHI North, West and Hebrides.
Community groups, charities, public sector bodies and other eligible organisations across Highland are being encouraged to apply for funding through the 2026/27 Highland Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) Community Grants Programme, which opens for applications on Friday 14 August 2026. Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis, with grants available from £2,000 to £25,000 for capital projects that help restore nature, safeguard wildlife and address biodiversity loss.
America's jobs market has delivered a surprise that could have consequences well beyond the United States. The US economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, when economists had been expecting an increase of around 80,000.
Britain is putting almost £130 million into zero-emission vehicle technology, but the bigger question is whether the investment can help create something Britain has struggled to achieve for decades: a new generation of internationally competitive manufacturing industries. The Government announced the funding on Monday, with almost £65 million coming from public funds and the remainder from industry partners.
Scotland's economy is not booming. But neither is it showing the signs of the economic collapse that some of the gloomier headlines might suggest.
The latest UK jobs figures suggest that Britain's employment market may finally be beginning to stabilise. But for Scotland, the story is more complicated – and potentially more encouraging in some of the industries that matter most to the country's future.
Britain's jobs market may finally be showing signs of emerging from its long recruitment downturn, but the latest KPMG and REC survey reveals an important change in employer behaviour. Companies are hiring, but they are increasingly choosing flexibility over permanent commitments.
Millions of people in Britain pay for subscriptions every month without giving them much thought. Streaming services, magazines, software, gyms, food deliveries, memberships and countless other services can quietly continue taking money from bank accounts long after customers have stopped using them.
Some medicines can make you more sensitive to the sun or increase the risk of dehydration without you realising it. The MHRA is encouraging people to know the risks and stay protected this summer.
We are looking for a cook in our busy pub kitchen to cook pub grub. Hours are 4.30 to finish.
A story on BBC by Luke Mintz caught our attention. Read it and think hard if your children remain unvaccinated.
This lovely two-bedroom bungalow has two garages and is located in a quiet cul-de-sac in a sought- after residential area of the town. The accommodation comprises a lounge with multi-fuel burner, kitchen with electric oven and hob, two double bedrooms, bathroom with corner shower, bath, W.C.
We’re Hiring – Office Administrator We are looking for a friendly, well-organised person to join our team at W. & A.
Do you know someone affected by hoarding. An article by Barbara Potter, Kerry Musselbrook caught our attention.
Here at Riverside house care home we are looking to employ a full time domestic assistant to join our team, hours to be worked are 8am-2pm over five days including some weekends. Duties include dusting, hoovering, mopping and sanitizing surfaces in all areas of the home including kitchen areas, bathrooms, living spaces and bedrooms.
We're Hiring – Join Our Team at Reid’s Bakery! We’re continuing to grow our team and are looking for motivated, reliable people ready to take on a new challenge. If you’d like to be part of a hardworking, friendly environment where quality and teamwork matter, we’d love to hear from you.
They are certainly not as exciting as dolphins, or as awe inspiring as eagles or even wonderful to watch like otters, but they are members of our Highland wildlife suite that are often talked about and they are both fascinating and worrying. They are ticks - animals that are part of the class of arachnids, along with spiders, scorpions, mites, harvestmen (see my blog about these harmless long-legged ones here).
Andy Summers, Ranger describes the efforts he and local volunteers have taken recently to help save this species. Oyster plant is one of Scotland’s northern coastal specialists, a species more at home on the cold shores of the North Atlantic and Arctic than further south.
This charming two-bedroom detached cottage is offered for sale with a range of useful outbuildings and approximately 7.5 acres of adjoining land. Ideally situated just a short distance from Wick, the property benefits from uPVC double-glazed windows and doors, external insulation, and oil-fired central heating.
Community groups invited to apply for funding to support projects that reduce waste and promote a circular economy The Highland Council is encouraging community organisations across the region to apply for the latest round of its successful Reuse and Repair Fund, which supports projects that help keep valuable materials and products in use for longer. Grants of between £2,000 and £50,000 are available to support a range of community‑led initiatives that will help people repair, reuse and upcycle materials - reducing waste and supporting a stronger circular economy.
For some of you out there this article is old hat so it is really aimed at people who may never have tried some of the old ways to save money and still make nutritious food When food prices are rising, the obvious response is to look for cheaper products. But there is another way to reduce the pressure on the household budget: Make the food you already buy go further.
See poster for all dates..
President Donald Trump has announced new 50% tariffs on around US$20 billion of Canadian imports, marking a major escalation in the trade dispute between the two countries. The tariffs are due to take effect on 19 August 2026 unless there is a negotiated settlement before then.
Why Trump Keeps Using Tariffs – And Why the Whole World Pays Attention. Whenever President Donald Trump announces a new tariff, the headlines usually focus on the country involved.
When President Donald Trump announces a new tariff, the message is usually simple. "Foreign countries will pay." But that is not quite how tariffs work.
Who Owns Britain Now? A Look at Foreign Ownership of UK Businesses and Infrastructure. If you ask people whether Britain is being "sold off", the answers are likely to be passionate.
If the Profits Leave Britain, Does It Make Us Poorer? Every time another British company is bought by an overseas investor, the same question appears. "If the profits go abroad, doesn't Britain become poorer?" It sounds like a simple question.
Are Britain's Best Companies Being Sold Too Cheaply? And What Happens When the Profits Leave the UK? Hardly a week seems to pass without another well-known British company becoming the target of an overseas takeover. American investment funds.
If you’ve been online lately, you’ve probably seen those ads shouting “Drink THIS every morning to melt belly fat!”. They always feature a mysterious fruit, a glowing mug, and a doctor who looks suspiciously like a stock photo model named Kevin.
This lovely large four-bedroom family home is situated on the main street and is a dream home for an interior design enthusiast, as it is dated throughout and in need of modernisation. The home benefits from Upvc double glazed doors and windows throughout and has an oil-fired central heating system.
For more than 30 years, China seemed unstoppable. Its economy grew at astonishing speed with new cities appeared almost overnight and millions of people moved from the countryside into better-paid jobs.
Every week there seems to be another story about China. Chinese electric cars are becoming cheaper.
Did Scotland's Iron Age brochs form a prehistoric long-distance warning system? In this history documentary, Ashley Cowie joins Iain MacLean of the Caithness Broch Project to investigate an archaeological mystery: four enigmatic Iron Age stone towers hidden across the rugged landscape of northern Scotland. Trekking through the remote Berriedale Strath, they conduct a viewshed analysis to test a compelling archaeological hypothesis: were these monumental brochs deliberately positioned to maintain line-of-sight with one another? Their expedition reveals remarkable evidence that these towering displays of Iron Age architecture may have formed an intentional signaling network, offering new insights into prehistoric engineering, landscape planning, and regional communication..
Here at Riverside house care home we are seeking to employ a part time Laundry Assistant working 20 hours per week worked over four days, hours are two shifts 9am-1pm and two shifts 7am-1pm, for more information or to request an application form email; lynnsmith@riversidehousecarehime.com or call 01955602314.
Caithness Forums
What's On in Caithness
Property For Sale
Property For Rent
Sutherland Property
Planning Notices
Who Is Building?
Submit Your Details
Other Enquiries
