Caithness Courier headlines for August 6, 2014

MOTORISTS were left stranded for hours when a lorry caught fire at the notorious Berriedale Braes hairpin on the A9. The driver of the Oran Environmental Solutions vehicles was forced to evacuate when he saw smoke coming from the back of the lorry, before he turned at the north corner of the Braes, yesterday morning. Fire crew were sent to the scene at 7.49 am to put out th blaze. It is believed the lorry was being used to transport rubbish to Seater landfill site.


The identity of the Dutch motor cyclist killed in a collision with a tourist campervan on the A9 in south Caithness ,has yet to be released. He died on Friday afternoon when his bike and an Italian campervan crashed at Borgue on a bendy stretch of the trunk road between Berriedale and Dunbeath. Paramedics were quickly on the scene but could do nothing for him. The driver and passenger in the campervan escaped unhurt.


CAITHNESS students are celebrating top marks in their National Higher and Advance Higher exams. Thurso High School is delighted with the performance of its pupils and three luckyw, or very clever teenagers emerged with a full set of five As in their Highers.


ONE of the few opportunities in the far north to debate the Scottish independence referendum was lost when one of the main protagonists pulled out at the last minute. Caithness Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses spent weeks tryin g to finalise a date which suited both sides and it was set to go ahead in Wick yesterday evening. However, Alistair Carmichael the Secretary of State for Scotland was forced to call off, apparently due to a double booking made by one of his staff.


POLICE have praised the courage of the two women who were raped and assaulted by Duncan Begg while he was living in Wick. The 48-year-old was jailed for eight years at the High Court in Glasgow after being convicted of carrying out rapes, sexual assaults and assaults on women between 1984 and 2010. He had denied all of the offences ,claiming all sexual contact between him and the women was consensual.


THE sudden loss of a dearly-loved young boy has been channelled by his family into something positive who are now raising thousands of pounds for charity. Dale Rosie was a healthy, fit youngster until he suddenly started getting epileptic fits at the beginning of 2007. Only two adays fter discovering he had epilepsy, he had another seizure and died on November 9. The 11-year-old loved to visit the Caithness branch of the Riding for the disabled at Halkirk every Wednesday, so the family decided they would start raising money for the charity by holding a sponsored walk and bingo night.


HUNDREDS of people turned out to enjoy Mey's Highland Games and catch a glimpse of the event's royal patron, Prince Charles. The annual celebration was held on Saturday at Queen's Park, which which was swamped with people keen to see the variety of events including the favourite tug-of-war challenges and enjoy the friendly atmostphere with witty comments throughout from the compere, Highland councillor Willie Mackay.


YOUNGSTERS had a mud-astic time when they took part in a fundraising venture in Dunnet Forest. They were slipping and sliding rolliing about in the mud to generate some money for the Castletown Community Project which wants a new play park for the village. Over £1000 was raise by the Wee Warriors Tuf Mud obstacle course -the idea of chairwoman Amy Sutherland.


POIGNANT stories of the young Caithness men who died in World War One were told in an emotional church service marking the anniversary of the conflict in which so many lives were lost. Wick St Fergus Church was packed full of those keen to be part of the centenary of the special serivce of commemorations held the day before the centenary of when Britain declared war on Germany in 1914.