John O Groat headlines for April 14, 2017

A NATURE lover was horrified to see one of the far north's most important seabird nesting sites despoiled by an outbreak of fly-tipping. Anne Grain was appalled to see old carpets and assorted other household debris strewn down the cliff face at Duncansby Head.

SENT thousands of miles away from home as a child and later forced to act as a drug courier which saw him shot, stabbed and disfigured, a man has thanked a children's home and his foster family in Wick, for saving his life. Abdul Mkith said he does not know what would have happened to him, if he had not been sent to Wick after being abused and manipulated by gangs.

AN anti-wind farm campaigner yesterday said he is "very disappointed" at a controversial plan to build 24 turbines on the outskirts of Reay is to go to a local public inquiry. Derrick Milnes, a member of the Reay Area Windfarm Opposition Group hit out at the decision by the Scottish Government.

WICK'S X Factor, held in the town's Assembly Rooms, just gets bigger and better. From the moment the acts walked onto the stage singing don't Stop Believing in the inimitable fashion of the TV show, the crowd erupted with delight, setting the tone for the evening.
EUROPEAN representatives of a project aiming to support rural and remote communities, facing large-scale industrial developments, have gathered in Thurso.

THURSO has played a "critical" part in the development of surfing in Scotland which has seen athletes from Caithness competing on the world stage. That is the view of the Scottish Surfing Federation as 97 of the country's top surfers arrived at Thurso East to compete at the Scottish Surfing championships over the next three days.

A CASTLETOWN butcher plans to expand his business by taking over a disused building in the centre of the village. Derek Mackay, who has run his shop in Traill Street for the past nine years, bought the old co-op building on Main Street at the end of 2016.

GORDON CONNELLY said he will continue to give youth a chance in Wick Academy final league games of the season as they prepared to travel to Keith tomorrow in their penultimate encounter of the 2016/17 Highland League campaign. Danny McCarthy, Ross Maciver and Brandon Sinclair all started in Wednesday night's 2-0 defeat at Brora Rangers and despite the result, the Academy manager said he was impressed by how they handled themselves against one of the league's title contenders.