Caithness Courier headlines for May 25, 2016


THE green light for the £2.6 billion Beatrice offshore wind farm, is being hailed as the biggest business announcement in Caithness since the advent of Dounreay. The development is set to create 150 jobs in Wick, 90 of which will be permanent through a new operations and maintenance base, which will service the 84 offshore turbines going up, off the east Caithness coast.

A NEW survey shows seabirds in east Caithness are faring much better than their counterparts around many other parts of the UK coastline. Head counts of seven key species, paint a generally upbeat picture with significant increases reocrded in the number of razorbills and great-backed gulls, compared to the last count in 1999.

AN audit of paediatric and neonatal care in the far north has continued, with a visit to Caithness General Hospital by a group of experts. They were called in, following the sudden death of a baby at the Wick hospital last September.

A WICK Church of Scotland minister has urged his colleagues not to be "emotionally blackmailed" into voting against allowing gay ministers to marry. The Rev. John Nugent voiced his support for the move which was carried at the kirk's General Assembly at the weekend, in what he dubbed an historic moment for the church.

A NEW Macmillan advanced cancer nurse has been appointed to provide support for sufferers in the north Highlands. Michael Loynd, who is originally from Shetland, will be based at Caithness General Hospital in Wick.
ONE of the biggest loads to travel on the northernmost stretch of the A9, inched its way through Thurso town centre on Sunday morning on its way to Scrabster Harbour.

A CAITHNESS charity, working with young carers, has been given £23,640 in funding from the Young Start programme. The money means Caithness KLICS (Kids Living in Caring Situations) can continue to meet the fast-rising demand for its service for another year, supporting youngsters, aged between five and 18, who have a caring role at home.

THRUMSTER Primary School children have taken part in a field walking exercise as part of a bigger project aiming to pinpoint areas of ancient settlement. Volunteers from the Yarrows Heritage Trust and Caithness Broch Project, took the kids onto a ploughed field near Yarrows Loch to systemically walk it.