Caithness Courier review: December 7, 2011

THE paper leads on its front page with the story about a petition against proposed changes at the Dunbar Hospital, Thurso, which has been delivered to Scotland’s health secretary and deputy first minister, Nicola Sturgeon. The document, which contains almost 4000 signatures, was handed over by Wick Highland Councillor Gail Ross, on behalf of the “Save the Dunbar Hospital” campaign group. It is believed to be the first time a petition has been personally delivered to Miss Sturgeon’s private office at the Scottish Parliament. Mrs Ross, who went to Edinburgh with the petition on Friday, said she was told by the minister’s personal secretary that it would be given the highest priority.

AS the wintry weather reached Caithness over the weekend there was an avalanche of support for Thurso Fun Day. Traders in the town have reported a successful start to festive business, despite the cold weather closing in. Shoppers picked up some bargains ahead of the Christmas rush with Santa and other entertainment also livening up the town centre on Saturday. Manageress of the Thurso branch of McAllans clothes shops, Shona Wood, said they had had “a fantastic day”.

THE first significant winter weather of the season has caused disruption across the Far North. And forecasters are warning that Caithness is once again set to be battered by gale-force winds which could reach up to 80mph towards the end of the week. Heavy rain and gales on Friday gave way to colder weather. Snow and ice covered Caithness with temperatures dipping below zero for the first time this season.

AN advice service which was facing a funding cut of £6000 has seen demands for its service rise by 40 per cent this year. The Caithness Citizens Advice Bureau has welcomed the decision by the Highland Council to drop plans to significantly reduce its funding next year. At its resources committee meeting last week, the council opted against proposals to reduce the amount of funding it gives to eight advice bureaux in the Highlands, for 2012/13. Caithness branch manager Jill Smith stated that the authority had made the right move and said that if the cut had gone ahead, it would have devastated the organisation’s ability to help people during a time of economic crisis.

SMALL businesses have benefited from an initiative introduced this year to help promote their products to a wider audience. The Mey Market closed its doors for business for the last time this season at the weekend , marking a successful year’s trading for most of those involved. The final sale of the year was the Christmas special, at which customers had the chance to buy Christmas gifts made in the area. The market was originally supposed to run from May to September, as a trial but it proved so popular, it was decided to hold it every fortnight. Manager Jane Strugnell came up with the idea to organise a market where local businesses could have a platform tyo showcase their products.

CAITHNESS could get a jobs boost from a £4.5 billion project to create the world’s biggest offshore wind farm. That emerged at a public exhibition in Wick which was organised by Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd-the company which plans to install up to 300 turbines in water about 13 miles off Lybster. MORL spokesman, Craig Milroy, said the company is to submit a planning application to the Scottish Government in July next year. It if gets the go-ahead, construction could get underway in 2015 and last for five years.

And finally...so many people have raised a glass to the Old Pulteney’s 21-year-old’s success, that the company has stopped taking orders for the world-class product. The malt receive the title of world whisky of the year in Jim Murray’s 2012 Whisky Bible awards in October, when it came out on top in a class of some 1,500 whiskies from across the globe. Such have been sales in the UK and abroad that the company has now stopped taking orders via its website.