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..
Millions of homeowners could benefit from faster planning decisions, as 2 new AI tools are unveiled to modernise England’s planning permission system. New AI prototype that aims to halve decision times for routine planning applications is now being tested in three English counties.
CPIH: 3.0% (unchanged from April) CPI: 2.8% (unchanged from April) Monthly inflation for both measures: 0.2% What’s driving inflation now Transport was the biggest upward force — annual inflation jumped to 6.8%, the highest since 2022. Air fares surged 10.3% month‑on‑month.
Retailers join government plans to bring plug-in solar panels to UK homes, helping families save money on bills. B&Q and Currys join government plans to bring plug-in solar to UK homes.
Oil drifting under $79 might look calm, but the fundamentals underneath are anything but. Current data shows demand is weakening, supply is unstable, and geopolitical risks remain elevated — a combination that makes a sudden move in either direction entirely plausible.
A press release from Highlands and Islands set us digging - see it at the bottom of this article. Something strange is happening in Scotland’s salmon industry, and it’s not the kind of thing you’ll find in a government press release.
When the UK Government announces new spending on the NHS, schools, or transport, it often sounds like the whole UK will benefit. In reality, many of these announcements apply to England only — and any financial benefit for Scotland usually arrives later, indirectly, and can be spent on completely different priorities.
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.
Prime Minister secures major jobs and energy investment at G7 to deliver growth and security at home. £1.3 billion in new investment secured from leading companies in France and India to back clean energy and AI projects in the UK.
Vacancy levels are falling in Scotland, and the decline is even sharper in the Highlands. The latest labour market data shows a clear cooling in vacancies across the UK, and rural regions like the Highlands are feeling the slowdown more intensely.
Global monetary policy is no longer moving in sync. The Bank of England is holding, the ECB is tightening, and the Bank of Japan is normalising — not because they disagree, but because each economy is facing a different kind of inflation.
Brent crude oil has fallen back below $80 a barrel, even though the final details of the Middle East peace agreement have yet to be completed. For many people this seems strange.
As the UK continues its drive towards net zero, one of our closest neighbours is taking a rather different approach. Norway has announced plans to extend the life of one of its major North Sea oil fields, arguing that Europe will continue to need oil and gas for many years to come.
For years, Aberdeen’s Union Street has been held up as the great test of whether Scotland can revive its hollowed‑out urban cores. Every few months brings another announcement, another funding pot, another ministerial visit promising that this time — finally — the Granite Mile will turn the corner.
For nearly 15 years, the global economy lived in an extraordinary monetary environment with near‑zero interest rates, quantitative easing, and central banks acting as shock absorbers for every crisis. That era is now ending and the clearest evidence comes from two central banks that once defined low‑rate policy - the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of Japan (BoJ).
If you listen to UK politicians, you’d think the housing crisis is a natural disaster: unfortunate, inevitable, and largely beyond policy control. But look abroad and a different picture appears.
Every election, whether it is a by-election or a general election, we hear familiar promises from politicians of all parties. "We will revive our high streets." It is a message that resonates with many people.
Statistics have been released (16 June 2026) on the destinations of 2024-25 school leavers from Scotland’s publicly funded schools nine months after the end of the school year. Among 2024-25 school leavers, 93.5% were in a positive follow-up destination (including Higher Education, Further Education, Employment, Training, Personal Skills Development and Voluntary Work).
When Council Tax was introduced in April 1993, few people imagined it would still be funding local government more than thirty years later. Britain was a very different country.
When Council Tax replaced the deeply unpopular Community Charge, or Poll Tax, in April 1993, it was intended to provide a stable way of funding local government. More than thirty years later, it is still with us.
The proportion of young people going into education, training or work nine months after finishing school is the joint highest since records began. Additionally, the level of young people from deprived backgrounds going into positive destinations is the highest it has ever been.
For years, politicians, developers, and commentators have insisted that the UK’s housing crisis is simply a matter of “not building enough homes”. And while that’s partly true, it misses the deeper, more uncomfortable reality.
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.
Rolls-Royce SMR has been selected by the Swedish development company Videberg Kraft to build small modular reactors (SMRs) in Sweden, marking a major multibillion-pound export win for the UK and a breakthrough moment for British nuclear. Rolls-Royce SMR wins race for multibillion-pound deal to partner with Videberg Kraft for Sweden’s nuclear programme.
£93 million available now for pioneering UK companies to develop and scale up sustainable aviation fuel production to make flying greener. part of new £219 million low carbon fuels fund to position the UK as a global hub for low carbon fuels, supporting 15,000 jobs and adding £5 billion to the economy by 2050.
Thousands of young people across Great Britain will benefit from access to expanded employment and wrap-around support services as the locations of almost 180 new Youth Hubs are confirmed. Thousands of young people across the country are set to receive employment, education or training support as almost 180 new Youth Hub locations are confirmed.
Secretary of State for Defence, Dan Jarvis MBE MP, gave an oral statement to Parliament on the interdiction of a Russian Shadow Fleet vessel on June 14 2026. With your permission Madam Deputy Speaker, I want to update the House on UK operational activity against the Russian shadow fleet.
Pressure piled on Russia as Prime Minister steps up support to power Ukraine at G7 Summit. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to turn up the pressure dial on Russia as he announces new sanctions and doubles down on energy support for Ukraine at the G7 in France today.
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.
About Us Norscot is a leading manufacturer of high-quality windows, doors, and timber frame kits, operating from our hi-tech facility in Bower, Caithness. With a strong reputation for quality workmanship and customer service, we are committed to continuous improvement across all areas of the business, including Quality, Health, Safety, and Environmental (QHSE) standards.
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.
Serving customers for dinner and breakfast on our campsite with adjoining cafe and restaurant. Over 18 please as we are a licensed premises.
The Pentland Hotel, Thurso, is one of three hotels in The Caithness Collection, an established family hotel business, with over 35 years of hospitality experience. The hotel has 42 rooms, which caters for tour buses from April to October, we have a strong local client following allowing us to stay open all year round.
We are currently looking for bar staff. This is a part time position which will be permanent.
See poster for details..
In rural Scotland, distance is not an abstract concept. It is the price of participation in modern life.
(As spoken by the Seer of Dunnet Head, on a windy day like any other). Hear now, O folk of the far north, And gather close against the breeze, For I shall speak the ancient words Passed down through budgets, cuts, and pleas.
(As sung by the Bards of Berriedale, whose patience is older than the rocks themselves). In the age before spreadsheets, when ministers still believed in timetables and the word “2025” sounded achievable, there came a mighty proclamation from the south: “We shall dual the A9,” they cried, “from Perth to Inverness — a road fit for heroes, tourists, and lorries alike!”.
The collapse of Orbex in February 2026 and the fate of its subsidiary Sutherland Spaceport Ltd (SSL) was not caused by a single event. It was a combination of funding failure, rising costs, and strategic setbacks that slowly removed its ability to continue operating.
Our School’s Out summer activity programme is now available to preview. You can save chosen activities ahead of the bookings going live for a faster checkout.
Position: We are seeking a Lecturer – Pathways (Maternity Cover) to be based at our Thurso campus. This role spans further and higher education provision and is currently structured across the following areas, therefore there is an opportunity for candidates to job share: Pathways to College and Employment and Pathways to Health, Education and Social Care These access-level programmes are designed for learners who have experienced barriers to engagement in mainstream education.
A number of projects have been supported by funding allocations agreed at today’s Sutherland County Committee. Community regeneration projects Members approved £95,000 of Community Regeneration Funding in support of two community projects in Sutherland.
At The Highland Council’s Economy & Infrastructure committee held on 28 May 2026, members agreed the distribution of Highland Coastal Communities Funding (HCCF) allocation across the local area committees. HCCF funding is allocated to Highland Council from the Scottish Government.
This beautiful four-bedroom, terraced home, has a garage and a mature garden to the rear. Many of the original features have been retained including original doors, cornicing, dado rails and the staircase.
Polling will take place on Thursday 25 June 2026 to elect one candidate standing in the Ward 4 East Sutherland and Edderton by-election. Voters in this Ward are being reminded to make sure they are ready to cast their vote.
Escape Pain next block starting 23rd June ð Please phone to speak to our staff before booking. ESCAPE-pain is a group education and exercise programme for people with chronic joint pain or osteoarthritis which aims to increase physical function and improve quality of life whilst living with a painful condition.
The Open Fund for Individuals supports the wide range of activity initiated by artists, writers, producers and other creative practitioners in Scotland. This fund is designed to support a range of creative activity, such as a specific project, production or a period of research and development.
Sutherland is a place of extraordinary beauty and extraordinary resilience. But when the Richmond Project’s Spotlight on Financial Literacy 2026 is read through a Sutherland lens, the findings take on a sharper edge.
Caithness and Sutherland have always been counties where people make the most of what they have. Long distances to shops, higher food prices, and a climate that rewards resilience mean that regrowing vegetables from scraps isn’t just thrifty it’s tradition.
The Richmond Project’s Spotlight on Financial Literacy 2026 lands differently when read from Caithness, Sutherland, or the wider Highlands. The UK‑wide findings are stark enough with low financial literacy, deep numeracy problems, and widening inequality but in the Highlands the implications are sharper, more structural, and more personal.
REDUCED £15,000 below Valuation. This beautiful large end-terraced five-bedroom family home is laid across four floors.
This beautiful three-bedroom, semi-detached bungalow, was built only ten years ago and is located in a sought-after residential area of the town. It benefits from having solar panels to the roof and has an oil-fired central heating system, the oil tank has just been filled.
This latest development will offer flexible and affordable business premises that lend themselves to different commercial requirements. Businesses in Sutherland are being invited to register their interest in new flexible units currently being developed at Golspie Business Park.
A £20 million Scottish Government investment will give young people the chance to get involved in different sporting activities on their doorstep. Highland Council, working in partnership with sportscotland, has secured funding to provide free and low-cost opportunities for young people as part of the national agency’s 2026 Summer of Sport.
Encouraging children and young people to get active. A nationwide summer programme of free and low-cost sporting activities - including football, rugby, padel, swimming, cycling and athletics - has been launched by Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth.
Grandparents have always been part of the quiet architecture of family life — the school‑run helpers, the emergency babysitters, the keepers of stories and common sense. But new research published in early 2026 shows something bigger happening: grandparents are now structural pillars in the UK’s childcare, social care, and emotional support systems.
Grandparents have always been part of the background architecture of family life — steady, familiar, and often underestimated. But when you look closely at what they pass on, you realise they are teaching the most important lessons a child will ever learn.
NEWLY REDUCED PRICE A unique chance to acquire this B Listed former Granary, steeped in history and dating back to the 18th century. Planning permission was previously granted for conversion into a family home, highlighting the property's exciting residential potential.
Following today’s deadline for nominations the nnmbers are in. The Highland Council can confirm the details of the 5 candidates that are standing in the Ward 4 East Sutherland and Edderton By-election.
Highland Council approves new engagement strategy to put communities at the heart of decision-making A new Participation and Engagement Strategy developed to encourage community involvement in service design and priority planning is set to be implemented by Highland Council following extensive public consultation. The strategy incorporates feedback from residents and community groups, focused on the importance of improving transparency, accessibility and feedback.
At today’s meeting of Highland Council’s Communities and Place Committee, Members approved a long-term approach to weed control that will reduce reliance on chemical herbicides, while maintaining safe, accessible public spaces and protecting biodiversity. The new Integrated Weed Control Strategy and Action Plan builds on the Council’s partial ban on glyphosate-based products in playgrounds, schools and sports facilities, which was introduced in 2019.
Your free PressReader access through High Life Highland is far more powerful for magazines and newspapers than either Prime Reading or Kindle Unlimited. If your main interest is magazines, PressReader is the heavyweight — Prime Reading is tiny by comparison, and Kindle Unlimited is somewhere in the middle.
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