Caithness Courier headlines for July 22, 2015

A NORTH crofter whose flock of sheep was viciously attacked, has described the scene as "absolute carnage". Billy MacLean was devastated to find six of his animals covered in blood following the incident at the weekend. And, believing a dog is to blame, he has blasted irresponsible owners for letting their pets off the leash around livestock.

SCRABSTER welcomed the biggest cruise ship of the season as more than 800 people were estimated to have sailed into the Caithness port to enjoy the sights and sounds of the county. Ocean Princess arrived at the Queen Elizabeth Pier on Monday after travelling from Lerwick as part of it tour through the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean.

A HIGHLANDS AND iSLANDS MSP has welcomed news that rail passengers who suffer travel delays of at least 30 minutes. can now claim refunds in cash instead of travel vouchers. Rhoda Grant thinks the change could particularly be of benefit for users of the far north line between Inverness and Caithnemss, which has in the past, faced delays many times.

TOM Watson celebrated becoming national draughts champion for the 10th time when he was crowned king of the checker board as the Scottish Open Draughts Championships drew to a close in Wick. Mackays Hotel hosted 16 of the top players from Scotland and Ireland during an action-packed five days when the 70-year-old from Glasgow marked his 50th year in competitive draughts by capturing his 10th title and his third championship in a row.

SALES of wellingtons were given a boot in the right direction as business reported a surge in customer looking to keep their clothing from getting covered in mud at the Caithness County Show. Wick retailers were among a minority glad to see the show ground resemble a ploughed field, as they reported record sales of boots at the biggest agricultural show in the far north got under way last Friday.

THE Caithness county Show which was held in Wick on Saturday was a success despite extremely muddy conditions. There had been heavy rain for several days earlier in the week but the event was never under the threat of being cancelled, according to the organisers. The crowd and taking were down compared to last year although no details were available by the time we went to press.

RICHARD BRITTAIN'S first game in charge as Brora Rangers' manager couldn't be much bigger with his first taste of the North of Scotland Cup first round, tonight. And Wick's Gary Manson thinks as a result of the former Ross County midfielder making his competitive managerial debut against Academy, all the pressure will be on the Highland League champions to continue where ex-boss Davie Kirkwood left off.