New home for war veteran forced to sleep in lorry cab

Inverness Courier – A GULF War veteran who was forced to sleep in his lorry cab because of intolerable council accommodation has been given a new home. George Ewan, who has spent four years on Highland Council’s housing register, has moved into a one bedroom flat in Hilton after having his plight highlighted in The [...]

Vandals plant boulders on line to derail city train

Inverness Courier – VANDALS could have caused a devastating derailment by deliberately placing several boulders on an Inverness railway line only minutes before a train passed by, it emerged yesterday. But catastrophe was averted when the driver spotted the debris on the northbound line between Smithton and Westhill and managed to stop in time. Now [...]

Dornoch on alert after double big cat sighting

Police are urging members of the public to report any sightings after a second large panther-type cat was spotted in Dornoch at the weekend.
The animal was seen by a member of the public walking between Dornoch Caravan Park and the greenkeeper’s shed at Dornoch Golf Club on Saturday at 8am.
Police are advising members of the [...]

Medals for Scottish Army medics back from Afghanistan

STV – The Countess of Wessex will present Afghanistan Campaign Medals to members of 205 Scottish Field Hospital at Cameron Barracks in the Highlands. Around 60 Medics will be presented with their awards following a four-month tour of Afghanistan early in 2010. The Countess will also meet family members of the medics who deployed on [...]

Merged college for west Highlands

BBC – A new college has been launched to cover some of the remotest communities in Scotland. West Highland College is an amalgamation of Lochber College in Fort William and Skye and Wester Ross College on Skye. It is part of the prospective University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) network. UHI chiefs hope it [...]

Injured driver dies in Raigmore Hospital

BBC – An 18-year-old man has died in hospital following a car crash on the A86 Kingussie to Newtonmore road. Police said the accident happened before 2200 BST on Monday. The road was closed for several hours to allow officers to investigate the cause. The man, who has not been named, died from his injuries [...]

Firm chosen for £80,000 Turra Coo site

Press and Journal – WORK to provide a “focal point” for a new sculpture to honour one of Aberdeenshire’s most famous animals is poised to get under way following the selection of a north-east firm for the £80,000 contract. Council officials have been working with three artists who are behind a bronze likeness of the [...]

Families join battle to save lifeline care home under threat

Press and Journal – A campaign was launched last night to persuade Aberdeenshire Council to safeguard the lifeline Willowbank Bungalows project, near Peterhead. The three cottages, which provide homes and support for 14 people with profound learning needs, are under review by the local authority. Council chiefs who met staff last month stressed no decision [...]

Woman guilty of assaulting girl, 13, in Aberdeenshire park

Press and Journal – A woman has been found guilty of assaulting a teenager in an Aberdeenshire park. Beverley Kane was accused of grabbing a 13-year-old girl by the hair and pulling her to the ground, before repeat- edly punching and kicking her. The 37-year-old had denied the attack, which happened at Kellands Park, Inverurie, [...]

Street markets charging plan

Press and Journal – Councillors will meet this week to decide whether Moray groups should be charged for holding markets in the main towns and villages. A report by the local authority’s director of environmental services recommends that a charging policy should be introduced for events at Elgin Plainstones, Cluny Square at Buckie, Leys Road [...]

Fresh plans for Nairn town centre expected

Press and Journal – New plans to redevelop the town centre at Nairn will be presented to the local community soon, in the wake of the Co-operative Group’s decision to abandon plans to expand their town-centre supermarket on the King Street site. Instead the focus will be on attracting housing and retail development and providing [...]

‘Unwelcome’ travellers finally move on

Press and Journal – A group of travellers who spent the majority of the summer in a north-east park has moved on. The road in Stonehaven’s Baird Park had between three and 10 caravans parked on it at any one time since May. The town has played reluctant host to several travelling groups this year. [...]

Spotlight on Moray Firth tourists

Press and Journal – The likes and dislikes of holidaymakers on the Moray Firth coast are due to come under the spotlight. The first in-depth look at responses from holidaymakers to a tourism group survey will take place in a few weeks. The Banffshire Coast tourism partnership launched the survey in June to capture the [...]

Moray councillor claims sexism ‘rife’

Press and Journal – A councillor claimed last night that sexism is “rife” throughout Moray Council – days after a female colleague resigned from the now all-male administration. Independent councillor for Speyside Glenlivet Fiona Murdoch claimed she was treated “like a lower life-form” when part of the Conservative-independent administration. She quit the ruling body in [...]

Talks urged over travel chaos at Cawdor

Press and Journal – THE Inverness Taxi Association wants talks with the organisers of the Westlife concert at Cawdor Castle to try to prevent a repeat of the transport chaos experienced by some fans on Saturday night. Hundreds of people were left stranded in the rain without transport for more than two hours after the [...]

Legal watchdog in warning over housing plots contracts

Herald Scotland – A legal watchdog last night issued a stark warning to anybody who bought Highland housing plots marketed by a firm exposed by The Herald. The Law Society said contracts signed by Swift Land Investments were drawn up under English law and were not legally binding in Scotland. The Herald revealed earlier this [...]

Fears up to 22,000 jobs to be axed by councils

Press and Journal – Half of Scotland’s top local authority officials fear that up to 22,000 council jobs could be lost as a result of public spending cuts. They are also worried that vital services like education, bin collections and roads and buildings maintenance will bear the brunt. Last night one council leader urged the [...]

Salmond hails success of housing expo

Press and Journal – First Minister Alex Salmond visited Scotland’s Housing Expo in Inverness yesterday and declared it a success. His second visit to the sustainable homes event, the first in Scotland, which has been running at Milton of Leys since August 1, came as organisers announced hitting their target of 30,000 visitors. The event, [...]

Caithness driver admits causing level crossing crash

STV – A driver has admitted causing a collision between his van and a train at a level crossing at Halkirk. Twenty-year-old Lee Sutherland claimed he did not see a red light at the crossing at Hoy as he peered into a low sun. Wick Sheriff Court was told on Monday that the accident, in [...]

Bikers bring some Thunder to the Highlands

STV – Hundreds of Harley Davidson fans have descended on the Highlands this weekend for an annual rally. The Thunder in the Glens event brought huge numbers of the famous bikes to Aviemore. The annual owners’ gathering offered visitors a chance to see some of the world’s best customised cruisers – and some even had [...]

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