Local News

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Highland Heroes are crowned in Inverness

The special celebration brought together unsung heroes from across the region.

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John OGroat News

Delays expected on 1.5km stretch of A9 near Halkirk due to resurfacing

The programme is scheduled to run for 10 working days and finish on Monday, April 20.

John OGroat News

Friday the 13th nightmare for Thurso family as beloved cat crawls home over two days on mangled legs after suspected ‘hit and run’ incident

Friday the 13th of March turned out to be a nightmare date for one Thurso family after their cat was severely injured in a traffic accident.

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‘This job has been the honour of my life’

Holyrood Notebook by Ariane Burgess

John OGroat News

Surfer in distress in 40-minute ordeal off Caithness coast sparks Thurso RNLI volunteers into action

Thurso RNLI’s volunteer lifeboat crew last night sped to help a surfer in distress off the coast of Caithness.

John OGroat News

Caithness residents warned over April Fool’s Day energy price cap change

Caithness households are being urged to submit meter readings to their energy supplier ahead of the new Ofgem price cap coming into force.

John OGroat News

EXPLAINED: Why will I get two votes in the Scottish Parliament election?

May’s Holyrood election will see voters asked to cast two votes - but why?

John OGroat News

Talks continue over future of Wick’s Carnegie library after pause on marketing

Wick’s historic Carnegie library is “surplus to requirements” but no decision has been taken on when it will be put back on the market.

John OGroat News

Date set for first Golticlay blade lifter journey through Wick – depending on wind

The first of 33 turbine blades for Golticlay wind farm will be taken through Wick on April 7 – as long as the wind speed is below a certain level.

John OGroat News

Scrabster ferry drugs mule jailed over £50K cocaine stash

A drugs mule who travelled on the Hamnavoe ferry between Scrabster and Stromness with more than £50,000 worth of cocaine has been jailed.

John OGroat News

Explained: The pre-election period known as Purdah

Why does it exist and what it means for the public at large leading up to the Holyrood vote.

John OGroat News

‘I'm doing it because I love this landscape’: Flow Country peatland professor aims to complete second 100km run through blanket bog

A peatland scientist based in Thurso is preparing to take on a “crazy” long-distance run through the Flow Country to spread the word about the area.

John OGroat News

Riverside holiday pods in heart of Thurso rejected by Scottish Government

Plans for a holiday park with 13 capsules in the heart of Thurso have been thrown out by the Scottish Government despite the council approving them.

John OGroat News

UPDATE: Bull dies during Wick farm blaze

The blaze at Lower Milton Farm just outside Wick that fire crews tackled for over three hours yesterday (March 25) claimed the life of a bull.

John OGroat News

Elaine Kirby says governments ‘tax hard working people and then spend what they take as they wish’

So the Conservative Caithness, Sutherland and Ross candidate believes the economy must come first.

John OGroat News

Future towns take shape in Caithness classrooms as part of Minecraft education project

Caithness pupils have been reimagining what Wick and Thurso might look like in the future

John OGroat News

‘You get your life back - cry freedom!’ - reflections on kicking the cigarettes as the smoking ban turns 20

It’s 20 years since Scotland introduced the smoking ban and for reporter Alan Beresford it signaled the end of life as a smoker.

John OGroat News

‘Come and have a chat with us’: Befriending Caithness video seeks to attract new volunteers

The vital work carried out by Befriending Caithness in tackling loneliness in the far north has been showcased in a new promotional video.

John OGroat News

Jamie Stone in new call for Dounreay to become fusion energy hub

UK industry minister Chris McDonald told local MP Jamie Stone that he hopes the far north workforce “will play a part in Britain’s nuclear future”.

John OGroat News

‘Come and join us’: CHAT invitation to Nicola Sturgeon over maternity comments from 2001

CHAT members who have been campaigning for years on maternity issues believe they have found an unexpected ally in the former First Minister.