John O’Groat Journal review: July 27, 2012

THE
natural beauty of the north Caithness coastline has been lost forever as a result of the creation of a low-level waste dump next to Dounreay, householders are claiming. Deidre Henderson, who chairs the Buldoo Residents Association, said the stunning coastal landscape has been consigned to history with the construction of a geosphere next to the licensed nuclear site. As a result of the mounds of dirt and stone that surround the dump, residents are no longer able to look out to sea as their view is block by one of the biggest construction sites in Scotland.

PRINCE
Charles will be in Caithness next week when he will carry out three formal engagements. The prince known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, will, on Monday open two restored cottages which once housed Castletown flagstone quarry workers. Prince Charles, who paid a private visit to the buildings shortly after they were purchased by the Prince’s Regeneration Trust in 2009, will see how the cottages have been transformed.

A NEW
car-hire service introduced at Wick Airport for the first time, will not be affected by a move to reduce the opening hours at the Caithness aerodrome. The assurance came yesterday, from Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd bosses who were blasted last week over the decision. Highland Council’s Caithness civic head, Gail Ross, hit out at the decision to open the airport at 10.35am instead of 7am on Fridays and only open on Saturdays for chartered flights. Airport bosses stressed the move was temporary and was caused by the departure of an experienced air traffic controller. They also claimed the cut in opening hours would not impact on the new service introduced by Europcar.

TWO
-YEAR-OLD Summer Stokley is not going to walk or talk. She doesn’t have brain damage but she is missing a protein that should make her brain function properly. The condition, known as Rett Symdrome, kicked in early. She stopped developing at six months and has never stood up, walked or fed herself. If she makes it to adulthood she will require full-time care, unless a cure is found. That’s the message her grandmother, 59-year-old Sylvia Reilly from Reay, has been telling everyone that will listen, over the past few weeks. She has been passing the message on, as her two sons race from Land’s End to John O’ Groats to raise money for a cure.

TO
celebrate the half-century of the county’s only rugby club, a team made up of former Scottish internationalists, is set to play a one-off glamour match at Millbank. Caithness Rugby Football Club will tackle a team of Scottish legends next month during a weekend of celebrations to mark the milestone.

TWO
women from John O’ Groats could create a little bit of history when they undertake a marathon cycle run from Land’s End, next month. Kate Burt (32) and 27-year-old Julie-Anne Mowat are set to become the first women from Groats to cycle from one end of the country to the other. The pair embark on their 1000-mile journey on Saturday, August 25 and hope to arrive at their far north destination, a fortnight later. They are undertaking the epic trip to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care and Macmillan Cancer Support and decided to do so after a family bereavement.

MEMBERS
of the Assynt Mountain Rescue Team have been honoured by the Queen for their service in helping to save lives. Chief Inspector Matthew Reiss of Northern Constabulary, attended the group’s latest training session in Lochinver, on Sunday, to present Queen Elizabeth 11 diamond jubilee medals to those eligible. The team comprises personnel and those who have completed at least five full calendar years of service, by February 6, were in line to receive the award. In total, 10 members of the team were presented with medals.

AND
finally...as Wick Academy prepares for one of the biggest games in the club’s history, the only other people who could probably experience what the players are going through, are the butchers at Harrold’s Brothers in Wick. To make sure that the expected bumper crowd doesn’t go hungry, staff will be cooking 600 Scotch pies to go to the match, for supporters to eat with their Bovril. Harmsworth Park is expected to see one of its biggest crowds in years, for the Ramsdens Scottish Challenge Cup match against Raith Rovers and the build-up to the first round tie is having a positive knock-on effect for businesses in the town centre.