Five to contest Tain and Easter Ross by-election

BBC – Five candidates will contest a Highland Council ward by-election on Thursday. The ballot for Tain and Easter Ross followed the death of SNP councillor Alan Torrance. Mr Torrance was one of three councillors who represented the ward, the other two being Independents Alan Rhind and Richard Durham. Polling stations will be open across [...]

Ross-shire man, 50, facing four rape charges

BBC – A 50 year old Ross-shire man has appeared in private at Tain Sheriff Court facing a series of rape charges. William Beattie, of Fearn, appeared before Sheriff David Sutherland on four charges of rape. He was also accused of a serious sexual assault. All the offences were alleged to have taken place in [...]

Brother of former MSP switches to SNP

Press and Journal – The brother of a former Highland Liberal Democrat MSP has endorsed the local SNP candidate. Rory Stone — whose brother, Jamie, is not seeking re-election — said he was backing Rob Gibson in Caithness, Sutherland and Ross. Mr Stone, who describes himself as “slightly to the right of Genghis Khan”, said [...]

Film producers seek Highland stars

Press and Journal – Film fans in the Highlands have two chances to make a screen appearance when producers roll up in Inverness. Extras aged over 16 are being sought for a Ken Loach film entitled The Angels’ Share, which is about a young Glaswegian troublemaker Robbie, who is helped to carve out a new [...]

Autism child is set for Florida after NHS ‘failure’

Ross-Shire Journal – A ROSS couple who feel let down by NHS Highland learning support given to their autistic son will fly out to America next month for a specialist course to help him learn to speak. Alfie-Ray Hayhurst, who is nearly three, has severe autism and until recently lived in his “own little world”, [...]

Tain man jailed after ’storing’ £2k of cannabis

Press and Journal – An Easter Ross man caught with cannabis resin worth up to £2,000 was yesterday jailed for nine months despite pleading that he was threatened by a drug dealer to store the drugs. Alexander Urquhart, 36, of 4 Balnagowan Coach House, Queen Street, Tain, appeared on indictment at Tain Sheriff Court on [...]

Evanton sword thief and attacker jailed

Press and Journal – A north man who admitted assault, stealing a sword and chasing two young children, was yesterday sent back to jail for eight months. On Monday,at Tain Sheriff Court, David Bremner, 23, of 14 Fyrish Crescent, Evanton, pleaded guilty to assaulting Scott Cairney, of Westford, Alness, by seizing him by the neck [...]

Man in hospital after house fire

Press and Journal – A man was taken to hospital last night following a blaze at a house in an Easter Ross village. Emergency services were called to the Highland Council sheltered housing property in Woodlands Drive, Milton, at about 4.30pm after reports of a fire, which is now being treated as suspicious. On arrival, [...]

Drunk woman wanted to fight kids

North Star – A MILTON woman caused a furore in the village because she thought youngsters were making fun of her because she was drunk, Tain Sheriff Court heard this week. Cheryl Brown (20), of Ross Crescent, broke the peace by pushing a young girl and then shouting at a group of children and challenging [...]

I’m no perv, says bare belly pest

Highland News – AN Inverness man who rubbed his bare belly in front of a schoolgirl had a court attempt to be kept off the Sex Offenders Register rejected by a sheriff this week. But Kevin Murdoch (46), of Lindsay Avenue, has now instructed his solicitor to appeal to the High Court. Murdoch was placed [...]

Woman reported missing from Tain found in the village

BBC – A woman whose disappearance prompted police to appeal to people to check garages and outbuildings has been found safe and well. Johanne MacDonald, 36, from Tain in Easter Ross, had not been seen since 21 January. Northern Constabulary said she was traced in the village on Sunday following a report from a member [...]

Museums and libraries avoid axe

Press and Journal – Museums and libraries have been saved from closure under Highland Council’s latest cost-cutting measures. But some facilities face a reduction in opening hours and having their budgets slashed. The local authority will unveil its full budget proposals at a meeting next month, but the administration said yesterday that it was not [...]

Tesco and Asda go head to head for a new store in Tain

STV – Tesco and Asda are battling it out for a new development at a far north town. A judge was told during an application for an Asda store in Tain one local authority member commented there were “too many Tescos in the Highlands” to cheers and loud applause. But Lord Malcolm rejected a call [...]

Tain youngsters get sneak preview of ex-pupil’s book

Press and Journal – PUPILS at an Easter Ross primary school yesterday got a “sneak peak” of a new book, written by a former pupil. Children’s author Lari Don visited Knockbreck Primary School at Tain after she had been invited to give a talk at neighbouring secondary school, Dornoch Academy. As a young girl, Ms [...]

It’s New Year, new home for Ross-shire tenants!

Ross-Shire Journal – NEW council house tenants in Ross-shire received a late but very high-profile first foot visit this week as a major milestone was marked. The first council houses to be built in the Highlands since 1996 have now been completed – in time for tenants to move in and start the New Year [...]

MISSING: Johann MacDonald (26), Tain

Tain police are anxious to trace local woman, Johann MacDonald (26) who was last seen on High St, Tain about 11.15am on Thursday 6th January 2011.
Johann is described as being about 5′ 5″ with shoulder length dark brown hair, tied back in a pony tail. She is of heavy build and when last seen [...]

New centre support for vulnerable

Ross-Shire Journal – A NEW charity based in Easter Ross that aims to help vulnerable people keep a roof over their head is already handling plenty of enquiries and is now set to open its own office and resource centre in Tain. The Christian Community Action Support Team (CCAST) was set up last September by [...]

Hotelier calls for cash aid due to weather

Press and Journal – A hotelier has called for cash aid from the Scottish Government after festive parties were cancelled and bedrooms left empty across the Highlands and Moray because of the recent atrocious weather. People in the industry have dubbed this month “disastrous December” after the snow and ice caused widespread problems – costing [...]

Brothers jailed over attack on man

Press and Journal – Two brothers, who admitted assaulting a man to the danger of his life, were told yesterday that they could have been facing a murder charge if urgent medical action had not been taken. Billy Sutherland, 36, of 70 Caberfeidh Drive, and Thomas Sutherland, 32, of 58 Caberfeidh Drive, both Invergordon, appeared [...]

999 snarl-up chaos as new store opens

North Star – EMERGENCY vehicles attending 999 calls are being held up in a traffic gridlocked street in Tain following the opening of the new Tesco superstore, it emerged this week. Two ambulances and a fire engine were caught up in a bottleneck in Tower Street last week as they tried to respond to emergency [...]

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