Caithness Courier headlines for March 26, 2014

FISH will be filleted in a Thurso garage instead of car repairs, despite the controversial business conversion creating a stink with residents and Highland councillors. John Rosie warned there would be ”uproar” in the town if Bell’s Seafood won approval from Highland Council’s north planning committee, to open a fish processing facility at Gerry Square.

A CONTROVERSIAL plan to set up a pharmacy in Castletown will be determined today but it could be up to 15 days before the decision is made public. That emerged yesterday after it was confirmed the meeting of NHS Highland’s pharmacy practices committee will be held at Caithness General, in Wick. Brenda Herrick who chairs Castletown and District community Council was pleased the health authority has identified, albeit belatedly, where the meeting is being held.

CASTLETOWN is shortly to lose its last remaining bank. The Royal Bank of Scotland on Main Street is to close its doors and instead offer customers a service from a mobile van. The decision - outlined in a letter to customers – will take effect on July 11.

SUSTAINABLE fish will be on the menu at an event designed to educate and expand the palate of students and local people. Thurso High School is hosting a two-day seafood festival, during which it will invited members of the public into the classroom to learn more about the variety of fish in our seas.

NHS HIGHLAND will take over a medical centre in Thurso after attempts to find new, independent, operators failed. Riverbank Medical Practice will come within the permanent control of the health authority next week after a 15-month advertising campaign to find individuals or groups to take over the GP practice, were unsuccessful.

A CAMPAIGN for Caithness and north Sutherland to get its own postcode would “make no difference” to the cost of delivery charges. According to Castletown and District Community Council, the switch from the KW code would cause problems without addressing the long-time grievance about swingeing surcharges imposed on goods ordered by far north householders and businesses.

A RECORD crowd at the Caithness International Science Festival showed there is a real thirst for knowledge in the far north as the annual event drew to a close for another year, with a big bang. The festival rounded off five days of education and entertainment with its family fun day on Saturday, which informed and amused over 700 people at Wick Assembly Rooms. Organisers rated it one of their most successful, and are already looking forward to planning for the 2015 festival.