Publication
‘Cutting red tape can fix the rural homes shortage’
AN Inverness housebuilding boss believes Scotland’s housing emergency could be solved if firms were not bogged down in red tape. Makar crafts timber homes in the Highlands, which chief executive Neil Edgar, pictured, feels can help address shortages...
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Tax ‘will drive visitors away’ from official camping sites
A CAMPSITE boss has warned he and others in the industry face a struggle to operate due to the “unfair” visitor levy put forward by Highland Council. It has been proposed that a £2-per-night tax be applied on tourists at caravan parks. But Darren...
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Two men die in weekend of fatal incidents on A9
EMERGENCY services attended two fatal crashes on north roads over the weekend. In one, an 86-year-old man was killed in a two-vehicle collision on the A9 near Tain on Saturday evening. The road was closed for 10 hours as officials carried out...
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‘Parking danger puts lives at risk’ Fearful city residents demand council acts swiftly to ‘prevent tragedy’
FOOD & DRINK SUPPLEMENT CONCERNED Inverness residents have warned parking chaos in their neighbourhood is “a tragedy waiting to happen”. Vehicles being parked along the busy Island Bank Road are forcing motorists to drive in the oncoming lane without...
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Rapist dies in prison waiting for sentencing
A CONVICTED rapist has died in jail as he awaited sentencing for a catalogue of attacks on women. Scottish Prison Service officials confirmed that Tahj Roshawn Service died on October 2 while on remand. He was due to be sentenced for four charges of...
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Council will not object to Loch Ness hydro plan
HIGHLAND councillors won’t object to plans for a massive pumped storage hydro scheme on Loch Ness after an extremely close vote. Despite objections from local businesses and organisations and questions over a workers’ camp and upgrades to the Dochfour...
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Thug faces jail for bid to kill man with a bat
A THUG who tried to kill a sleeping homeless man outside a city supermarket is facing a lengthy spell in jail. Campbell Brett pled guilty to a charge of attempted murder after he launched the brutal baseball attack on Gordon Skillin outside the Tesco...
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SSEN chief: We are listening to locals on Fanellan plans
THE return of full maternity services in Moray has been put back until next year due to recruitment challenges. The plan was for all mumsto-be in the region to give birth at Dr Gray’s in Elgin by the end of this year, instead of having to travel to...
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Body found near river in huge 999 hunt for man, 76
A BODY has been found near a Highland river during a major emergency reponse in the search for a pensioner. Police, fire crews and the coastguard all joined the hunt for Alasdair Fergusson, 76, in Beauly after he went missing in the early hours of...
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Victorian Market aims to power up Boss hopes to overcome electricity snag to boost centre’s offerings
The Victorian Market shopping and food arcade in Inverness has plenty of interest in filling two potential new units – but can’t due to issues with electricity supply. The centre’s manager Cameron MacFarlane, pictured, revealed the frustrating issue...
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RAF base rapist guilty of attacks on four women
A SERIAL sex fiend has been found guilty of raping four women in Moray. Tahj Roshawn Service, 27, attacked his victims at RAF Lossiemouth, pictured, and in Elgin between April 2023 and July 2024. A jury also convicted him of an additional charge of...
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Controversy over Buckie councillor working in Egypt
A MORAY councillor has come under fire after it emerged he is currently living and working in Egypt. Councillor Neil McLennan, who represents Buckie, has been carrying out his duties as a local authority representative, while working at the Malvern...
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Fears raised over winter crisis threat at Dr Gray’s
A NORTH MSP said urgent action is needed to avoid a winter crisis at Dr Gray’s in Elgin after a critical incident was declared at the hospital at the weekend. Some patients were transferred to the Highlands, while others faced delays to treatment due...
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‘Matchmaker’
You only need a moment with Elgin businesswoman Anna Rogers to feel her passion for Moray’s town centres. The Angharad Bridal owner has been a matchmaker, pairing landlords and investors with businesses to fill empty units across Moray. Meanwhile,...
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Critical incident declared at A&E after ‘challenges’ Dr Gray’s Hospital experienced ‘extreme pressure’ over the weekend
NHS Grampian declared a critical incident as Dr Gray’s Hospital faced a “challenging weekend” amid capacity issues and a local holiday. The emergency department at the Elgin hospital was under strain on Saturday and Sunday with the executive director...
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Marathon will up the pace for trade Firms get set for monster weekend with 11,100 Loch Ness runners
Sharpenyourmind NORTH traders are on their marks for a bumper weekend as the Loch Ness Marathon returns tomorrow. A total of 11,100 runners will descend on Inverness and the surrounding area for the major event, with many participants jetting in from...
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Gaming gran grabs Guinness record for Fortnite streaming
AScottish grandmother has been crowned the world’s oldest female Fortnite streamer by Guinness World Records. Cath Bowie, 78 – known by her online username grumpygran1948, started playing the massive online shooter in 2017 after she was introduced to...
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Council seeking £1m for project to revive centre Future of closed shopping mall to be discussed at meeting next week
MORAY councillors will discuss the future of a shuttered Elgin shopping centre as part of the town’s regeneration bid. The St Giles Centre was closed last year by its operators as they faced huge debts and legal action from Moray Council over unpaid...
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OAP was at risk,
Asocial care worker yesterday confessed to a malpractice hearing into her alleged conduct that she put a care home resident at Castlehill, in Inverness, at risk. Oluwabunmi Hannah Salami admitted to a Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) panel she...
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Local shops put the city on road to UK acclaim
AN independent streak is helping an Inverness street achieve national acclaim as an “up and coming” destination. Church Street recently came eighth in a UK-wide survey of shopping areas so The Press and Journal paid a visit to find out more about the...
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Community call for independent wildfire inquiry
HIGHLAND Council and the wider Strathspey community impacted by this summer’s huge wildfire have demanded an independent review into the blaze that devastated around 3,300 hectares of land and burned for five weeks. More than 300 people gathered at a...
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£1m lottery win sparks ‘birthdays’ celebration North man scoops seven-figure jackpot after 33 years using numbers inspired by special dates
A NORTH man is celebrating after winning £1 million on the National Lottery – thanks to the family birthday numbers he has been playing for more than 30 years. His persistence finally paid off as he scooped the seven-figure sum in the Lotto draw on...
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‘Indefensible’
FIVE Highland councillors who voted for a rapist taxi driver to keep his operator’s licence have been told to “reflect” on their actions after colleagues overwhelmingly said they had no confidence in them. Duncan Macpherson, Sean Kennedy, Ruraidh...
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Council leaders raise centralisation fears with FM
Highland Council top brass have written to John Swinney to raise concerns over the centralisation of power in the first minister’s plans for a “radical” revamp of public services. Mr Swinney, pictured, outlined his Programme for Government earlier...
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Springfield vision after wiping out £93m debt
ELGIN-BASED housebuilder Spingfield Properties has wiped out more than £93 million of debt in just two years as it looks to capitalise on a surge in energy investment across the north. The company – which has a major landholding across the Highlands,...
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‘Local pride can be key to helping Inverness thrive’ Tourism boss: Residents must be at heart of city centre evolution
A NORTH tourism boss says locals must remain at the heart of Inverness city centre’s future as it goes through an “interesting period of change”. The Highland capital has been swarming with visitors through the summer, with new attractions – such as...
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Highland Capital ‘should be cut out of overhaul plan’
INVERNESS should be carved out of plans to boost the Highlands, an MP has said. Western Isles representative Torcuil Crichton has suggested that if plans to reform councils and the NHS in Scotland go ahead, a new body should be created to focus on...
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‘Energy jobs can recharge north’
THE far north needs to embrace the opportunities in the energy sector if the region is to thrive economically in the future, industry and community leaders have said. The Focus North conference took place in Wick this week, PAGE XX bringing together...
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‘Eastgate ready for next phase of its evolution’
THE manager of the Eastgate Shopping Centre has encouraged potential new owners to continue to invest in the “evolving” retail hub. We told this week how the Inverness shopping mecca has been put up for sale with a guide price of £18.5 million. The...
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North college has £8.7m gap in its finances
UHI North, West and Hebrides has the largest financial black hole out of the country’s 19 incorporated colleges, a report released today reveals. The Audit Scotland figures show the institution has liabilities of £8.7 million. Pay awards, pensions...
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Resident’ s high
Jackie Andrews makes no secret of how deeply she cares about Elgin and its future. When she first arrived in Elgin 37 years ago, Jackie had no idea the town would end up shaping her entire life. From her career to her friendships, family and sense of...
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Eastgate up for sale at bargain price of £18.5m
THE Eastgate Shopping Centre in Inverness is to go on the market at a cut-price £18.5 million, The Press and Journal understands. The owners of the huge retail hub in the Highland capital have confirmed the building is being put up for sale as part of...
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North patients ‘at heart of my plans to overhaul NHS’
JOHN Swinney says improving outcomes for patients in the north and north-east is central to the Scottish Government’s plans to merge 14 health boards into just two. The first minister last week announced NHS Highland would become part of a West Coast...
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‘Urgency’ needed for Rosebank bid Renewed calls for approval after rumours Jackdaw set to be greenlit
THE proposed Rosebank oilfield needs to be approved by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, energy bosses have stressed. The calls come after government and industry sources revealed Westminster is set to approve the Jackdaw oilfield by the middle of this...
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Regulation and
The skipper of “Wick’s last trawler” has been forced to put his much-loved boat up for sale due to rising fuel prices and new Holyrood regulations. Mark Thain, who owns and operates the Saltire – the last commercially active under-14m trawler...
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Support worker on ketamine put residents at risk
A NORTH support worker has been struck off after putting care home residents at risk by turning up for work under the influence of ketamine. The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) ruled Georgie Main’s fitness to practise was impaired by her use...
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Police tell of £180k isles cocaine haul seized in last year
Cocaine with a street value of £180,000 was seized in the Outer Hebrides last year. In addition, there were raids on fishing crews where some were victims of modern slavery. Western Isles police inspector Neil Taylor told the monthly meeting of...
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Speed limits at Nairn site ‘not legally enforceable’ Confusion for A96 motorists over road signs at new roundabout on outskirts of Highland town
CONFUSION has broken out over new speed limits on the A96 near a Highland town as it emerged that they are currently “unenforceable”. Signs have been erected for 30mph and 40mph zones at the new roundabout, pictured, passing the Delnies housing...
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Leadership hopefuls back drilling
The MSPs vying to become the Scottish Labour leader have said they support new drilling in the North Sea – and that the UK Government should approve Jackdaw and Rosebank “as soon as possible”. Joe Fagan and Michael Marra gave their backing to the oil...
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King visits town for anniversary
KING Charles spent the day in Dingwall yesterday as the town marked its 800 years of history. The monarch received a warm welcome on Friday as he visited the Easter Ross town, which is celebrating 800 years since it was granted royal burgh status. He...
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Wildfire-hit firms to receive a share of £3m relief fund
BUSINESSES affected by the Cairngorms wildfires are set to share a £3 million support fund, the Scottish Government announced yesterday. Economy secretary Stephen Flynn visited Glenmore three weeks after the blaze started to see for himself the impact...
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Residents’ anger at council decision in short-term let row
RESIDENTS in a central Inverness neighbourhood are outraged at Highland Council’s decision to grant a short-term let licence to a business couple. The owner of Inverness’s Aye Eat restaurant and Aye Stay guest house, Roberta Shayer, applied to convert...
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Tory leader steps down in row over taxi licence
A FIFTH member of Highland Council’s licensing committee has stood down after voting to allow a convicted rapist to keep his taxi operator’s licence. Leader of the Tory council group Ruraidh Stewart, pictured, did not attend a special full council...
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Rapist taxi driver gives up licences to operate
AN Inverness taxi driver currently in prison for raping one of his teenage passengers has given up his operator licences. Highland Council’s licensing committee came under fire in June after members voted against suspending or revoking David Brown’s...
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Shortage of NHS doctors leaving patients in limbo
A LACK of consultants could see delays in the treatment of Highlands cancer patients, the health board has revealed. NHS Highland say that their oncology service is facing consultant workforce shortages, which is posing “some risk to service...
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City police probe suitcase mystery
POLICE in Inverness yesterday joined the investigation into the death of a Scottish woman in Greece whose body was found in a suitcase. The Press and Journal understands 38-year-old Elisabeth-Jane Ross, pictured, has connections to the Highland...
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Rape fiend ex-sergeant will appeal conviction
A RAPIST former police sergeant is appealing his conviction, The Press and Journal can today reveal. Fiend Cameron Ross, 39, from Nairn, was jailed for 10 years earlier this month for carrying out twisted sex attacks on two women in the Stornoway area...
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Councillor’s £13k travel bill covers over 28,000 miles
A HIGHLAND councillor has racked up an astonishing 28,412-mile travel expenses bill – costing the taxpayer almost £13,000. The huge distance claimed for by Glasgow-based Lib Dem Patrick Logue, pictured, in the past two financial years is more than...
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Fuel depot bid ‘could take lorries off the A9’
A SPANISH company has applied to turn a shuttered road load facility into a new fuel depot that they say will reduce the need for lorries on the A9. Exolum wants to turn the long-disused site at Longman Road in Inverness into a distribution hub for...
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Oil tycoon and philanthropist Sir Ian Wood dies aged 84
Sir Ian Wood has been remembered as a “true guiding light” of Scotland’s business community following his death at 84. The Wood Group founder and philanthropist died peacefully at his north-east home with his family by his side. As well as being a...
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Military help is not needed for wildfire, says Swinney
FIRST Minister John Swinney has turned down military help to tackle the ongoing Cairngorms wildfire after the UK Government said the armed forces did not have extra aerial support to drop water on the blaze. The military were in a position to offer...
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7 THINGS TO DO
From Highland games to ceilidh high jinks, there is plenty to see and do in the north and north-east this weekend. Here is our guide to seven events you won’t want to miss. GAMES GALORE Dufftown Highland Games takes place today with a packed line-up...
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‘I feared I wouldn’t survive to see my two children again’
AN INVERNESS mum has told how she feared she would die after suffering multiple brain bleeds during a mini-stroke. Casey MacRae, 23, took seriously ill while on holiday with her family in Lossiemouth. When told by NHS 24 that an ambulance was not...
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Rising costs take huge bite out of Walker’s profits
ICONIC Moray firm Walker’s Shortbread has seen its profits more than halve after a surge in butter prices, higher labour costs and challenging export conditions squeezed its margins. The Aberlour-based company, pictured, reported pre-tax profits of...
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Swinney told air support needed to fight wildfires
FIRST Minister John Swinney was warned of the “stark implications” wildfires pose to “people, businesses and nature” as he visited the devastating scene of a blaze in the Cairngorms yesterday. Mr Swinney hailed the combined efforts of firefighters and...
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Paedophile is facing jail over abuse video hoard Beast had 12 days’ worth of sickening footage of children as young as one being sexually assaulted
A PAEDOPHILE caught at his north home with more than 12 days’ worth of sick child abuse videos is facing a prison sentence. Mark Whitton, 56, pictured, appeared in the dock at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit downloading thousands of indecent clips...
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