THE superintendant physiotherapist at Caithness General Hospital is in training for the London Marathon.

IT was business as usual yesterday at C.H. Haygarth & Sons in Dunnet for Britain's oldest working gunmaker.

A CAITHNESS woman is to complete a charity trek in the Himalayan foothills in tribute to her son who died suddenly last year.

A THURSO woman moved by the plight of the poor in Malawi gave up her holidays to help.

A CASTLETOWN soldier has been honing his military skills in the freezing environment of the snow-capped French Alps.

A LOCAL woman has embarked on a fundraising campaign to help raise money for a trip of a lifetime - a charity Arctic dog-sledding challenge.

A CAITHNESS bus driver has retired after just over 47 years' service.

THREE former Thurso High School classmates have just returned from a memorable two-week sortie to Tanzania with a Glasgow-based amateur football side.

A CAITHNESS man has had a place named after him in Antarctica in recognition of his work as a builder with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

HIGHLAND councillors put their weight behind moves to demolish one of the last surviving buildings from Thurso's herring fishing past.

A BUSINESS that specialises in creating presents for girls to give to boys has won a Halkirk woman a top award.

CALENDARS featuring local men willing to get their kit off for charity are selling like hot cakes after hitting the market this week.

A YOUNG Caithness cyclist has made it into the final 10 of the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year 2009 awards.

PUPILS at Wick North Primary School had a visit from a far-travelled Pudsey bear this week.

A PUPIL at Wick North Primary School has finished runner-up in national road safety competition.

A SUPPORT group to raise money for a leading children's cancer charity is being set up in Caithness by a mum whose daughter suffers from a rare form of the disease.

STAFF from Scottish Natural Heritage were on hand recently to help a group of 20 intrepid explorers go back almost 400 million years to the time of the fishes.

AN apprentice electrician from Thurso has been awarded a silver medal and certificate from the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust.

A THURSO bakery is enjoying the sweet taste of success again after scooping another prestigious award for its cakes and biscuits.

A SONG written by a Caithness musician over 30 years ago is featured on a DVD and CD which have been produced by an award-winning American film-maker.

A WICK bed-and-breakfast provider is one of just eight in the Highlands to receive a prestigious Gold Star under VisitScotland's Quality Assurance scheme, which this month was expanded to include B&Bs and guesthouses.

A CAITHNESS couple who give round-the-clock care to sick and injured seals are to receive a special award at the House of Lords.

A YOUNG autistic Wick boy will be travelling to America early next year to take part in a special programme which could help his condition.

EIGHT-year-old Wick girl Sophie Campbell has just finished her best-ever season on the local and Scottish equestrian circuit.

A PENSIONER is set to pass through the Far North next weekend as part of a sponsored walk in aid of the RNLI.

IT'S full steam ahead on the fund-raising front for the dedicated operators of a heritage railway service in the Highlands.

A THURSO-born film photographer has picked up a major industry accolade.

A FORMER Wick inspector has become Northern Constabulary's first female chief inspector and area commander.

A PAIR of intrepid American sailors made a stop in Wick at the weekend in-between setting world records and raising money for wounded servicemen.

A THURSO pupil has proved he really is a bright spark – by scoring an amazing 100 per cent in his Higher Physics exam.

A FORMER Dounreay apprentice has handed over to the site a memento of his time there – a toolkit he made over 50 years ago.

AN injured US Navy pilot has set a new world record as the fastest ever to race from Land's End to John O'Groats in a wheelchair.

LANGWELL head gardener Francis Higgins is to lay down his trowel after 27 years in the job.

A MAN who has undergone 29 brain operations in 30 years started a marathon jog from Land's End to John O'Groats this week.

A CAITHNESS woman has set out to become a model citizen after appearing on the cover of the latest issue of The North Magazine.

WICK gala got off to a flying start at the weekend when 91 people took to the skies to take part in a charity zip slide across the town's river.

A WELL-known Far North bus driver has marked his retirement by making donations to three hospitals that helped his grandson survive a serious illness.

TWO teenagers from England are planning to walk from John O'Groats to Land's End to raise money for charity.

A CAITHNESSIAN who emigrated to Australia over 40 years ago this week has made a nostalgic return to his former workplace at Dounreay.

A WICK couple hope to raise around £7000 to take their young autistic son to America to participate in a special programme which could help his condition.

THRUSO High pupil Beth O'Connell has won a place at the 2009 Scottish Space School in Glasgow.

PUPILS at Wick and Thurso high schools recently received MV Volunteering Awards for the excellent work they provided in the school and through fundraising.

A THURSO pub is up for a top award in recognition of its community spirit.

TWO pupils from a Wick primary school have become the Scottish champions of a nationwide engineering competition.

PUPILS from Thurso High School are gearing up for the finals of an electric car-building competition this weekend.

A THURSO primary school teacher is this summer giving up her holidays to volunteer in rural Africa.

A YOUNGSTER from Reay will be tackling one of the UK's biggest walking challenges this summer when he follows the path along Hadrian's Wall.

A LOCAL historic landmark has been made accessible to the public once again due to the work of volunteers.

CYCLIST Julian Smith completed a stamina-sapping overnight charity round-Caithness marathon at the weekend.

A HALKIRK art student has had some of her written work published in a book – Blank Page – which was launched recently following a university project.

THE Scottish Parliament has been asked to give its congratulations to a Caithness eating establishment crowned the best UK Seafood Restaurant of the Year.

A WORLD record was yesterday completed at John O'Groats by a pensioner who was once told he might never walk again.

WET and windy weather failed to take the smiles of the faces of two Highland vintage tractor owners as they chugged into John O'Groats last Saturday at the end of an end-to-end charity marathon.

A CAITHNESS man is about to embark on an ambitious cycling tour of Scottish clay shooting grounds to raise money for charity.

THE owner of Caithness firm Berry Good is thrilled to have won a coveted Scottish food and drink award.

A CANCER-survivor from Dunnet has launched a recruitment drive for volunteers to take part in the first ever zip slide across Wick River.

A CAITHNESS woman who was one of thousands of people to take part in last month's Flora London Marathon has revealed how the big day went.

TWO women are limbering up to climb Europe's highest active volcano, Mount Etna, this month in a bid to raise funds for the Caithness branch of the MS Society.

A CAITHNESS teenager has been recruited to take part in a ground-breaking study on alcohol misuse in Scotland.

A CAITHNESS cyclist has been fast-tracked as a future British Olympian after being hand-picked to join the Lloyds TSB Local Heroes initiative.

MONEY raised by the Caithness Scouts and Guides through a collection at the groups' Thinking Day Service in February will benefit a children's charity in Bangladesh.

THREE young Thurso women will be reaching new heights this weekend as they take part in a 10,000-foot freefall parachute jump.

A LOCAL postie left his normal stamping ground on Monday to begin an offbeat charity challenge.

A CAITHNESS-born chef has narrowly missed out on winning one of the world's most prestigious cooking contests, but has vowed to "give it another go" next year.

WICK teenager Robin Falconer is among nine members of Highland Youth Voice, the Highland's youth parliament, who will pass on top technology tips and provide practical demonstrations during this year's Highland Senior Citizens' Network Conference.

A FATHER whose daughter died from oxygen deprivation at birth will tomorrow (Thursday) begin a marathon journey from John O'Groats to Land's End in a bid to raise cash for a leading children's charity.

A THURSO man will be taking part in this year's Flora London Marathon to raise money for a leukaemia charity.

The annual Mina Mackay Festival of Highland Dancing held in Thurso High School attracted 150 dancers from all over the North. The morning session's trophy winners are pictured here (from left): Sarah Meiklejohn, Thurso; Abbie Anderson, Wick; Megan Mackay, Halkirk; Ashleigh Macdonald, Wick; Megan Mackay, Killimster; and Katie Gunn, Wick.

ONE hundred thousand tonnes of carrier bags is thrown away every year – the equivalent weight of 70,000 cars.

A CARE home in Wick is keen to promote its services for dementia sufferers after a firm of health and social care analysts criticised dementia care in the UK.

LONG-standing supporter of Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) Gaye Gunn has received an award to mark her achievements.

A LOCAL instrument technician was yesterday in the running to win a national honour at the nuclear skills awards ceremony in Manchester.

The Dunnet Forestry Trust has received a cash boost, thanks to the generosity of Co-op staff and customers.

STAFF at the BT call centre in Thurso will be doing their bit for Red Nose Day next week when they help man the official donation line for Comic Relief.

TWENTY young people have been honoured for their work with the ENABLElink project in Caithness.

CASTLETOWN hotelier Andrew Mackay knew exactly who to get to open the village's newly refurbished bar. He asked Coisty to do the honours.

THE Caithness Scouts and Guides held a special parade and service in Wick Old Parish Church on Sunday to mark the centenary of Scouting and Guiding in Caithness.

PUPILS from Wick and Thurso high schools have made it through to the next stage of a technological competition with the help of a tablet-based computer, a roll-out computer touch screen and an energy hub.

A RETIRED Dunbeath nurse who has raised a staggering £61,000 for a leading children's charity is to be recognised for her achievements.

STALWART volunteer Tommy Bean was this week named Citizen of the Year at the Caithness Community Awards.

A CASTLETOWN woman has raised over £2900 for a local cancer charity.

FORMER Thurso High pupil Philip Todd has been short-listed for a national film award.

THE Telford Lade in Wick got a thorough clean-out last Saturday, thanks to the Caithness countryside volunteers who turned out in force to clear out everything but the kitchen sink from a section of the waterway.

Nuvia has given donations to two local charities following its team's participation in the first Monster Challenge back in September.

Castletown primary sevens had great fun on Thursday, January 14, when they transformed their classroom into a French café, Le Café Rouge, for the day. They practised their French-speaking skills while serving all 144 children in the school, together with some very important guests, a continental breakfast.

A RETIRED Dounreay scientist has made a nostalgic trip back to the shell of a laboratory where he spearheaded top-secret plutonium experiments half a century ago.

A SPRINGER spaniel called Breigha took the overall title at the latest annual fur and feather show staged by Thurso Ornithological Society.

TWO Caithness woman are in training for a five-day climb of Mount Etna – Europe's largest active volcano – in aid of the local branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland.

AN exhibition of more than 1000 digital images featuring pupils of Hillhead Primary School, their families and home life will begin a month-long run at the St Fergus Gallery, Wick, today (Friday).

A STUDENT from Caithness has been awarded a prestigious engineering scholarship by the oil and gas company Petro-Canada.

RETIRED Wick surgeon Pradip Datta has been made an MBE for his work in advancing the careers of doctors throughout the world.

A WICK mother-of-two is on a high after her priceless early Christmas present has given a stranger a fighting chance to beat a life-threatening disease.

THE future of local food production in the Highlands and Islands is in safe hands with the graduation on Wednesday of 10 new horticultural apprentices, including one from Caithness.

A WOODEN cow really milked the occasion for all it was worth when she made an appearance at the Castlehill Heritage Centre.

A BIG-hearted Caithness man has managed to raise more than £1000 for charity in just a few months, with the help of the country's most famous signpost.

THE Rev Kenneth Warner is retiring as minister at Halkirk and Westerdale after 27 years in the post.

BILBSTER Hall celebrates its 80th anniversary today (Friday) and to mark the occasion the committee has received a £400 cheque from Achairn wind farm.

FORGET the X-Factor, 20-year-old Mathew MacKay proved that he has the talent factor when he was named Scotland's number one apprentice at the Modern Apprentice Awards final.

THURSO'S town hall is expected to reopen next week following a multi-million-pound revamp.

A NEW project is being launched by the Wick Family Centre to help provide information and support for young carers.

CAITHNESS mini-rugby coaches had a difficult selection decision to make last summer when the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) gave Caithness a mascot place at last weekend's match, when Scotland took on the world champions, South Africa.

THE chance purchase of medals won by a teenage casualty of the First World War has led to the unearthing of a triple tragedy which befell a Caithness family.

DOUNREAY'S training and development team has become the first of its potential spin-out businesses to move off the site.

IT wasn't so much the last gunfight at the OK Corral, more last fry up in Lairg! Only, given communication is not one of our strong points, the venue – the Croft restaurant – was lost on Triton Thrasher as, indeed, was the route.

CASH raised in the Far North will help poverty-stricken East African children with the creation of a new village, according to local charity volunteer Gaye Gunn.

A FAR North food distribution company is set to officially open a new base in Wick tomorrow (Saturday) following a £35,000 cash injection from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

A CAITHNESS boy has become one of the youngest people in the UK to gain an amateur radio licence. Danny Morrison, who is eight-and-a-half, has just passed the Amateur Radio (Foundation) Licence which will entitle him to transmit to other enthusiasts anywhere in the world.

WHEN Pulteneytown People's Project began life five years ago, its aims were to raise aspirations and create new opportunities in an area of Wick that had long been associated with decline and deprivation.

INDIANA-BORN Sharon Gunason came to Caithness in 2003 to the Clan Gunn gathering, met Morris Pottinger at the Halkirk Games and bought a copy of his book. After a year of letters, emails and phone conversations, she was back to visit for a fortnight.

A YOUNG Caithness farmworker has become the latest from the county to represent Scotland at his chosen pastime.

A NEW community-based minibus has just gone into service in Lybster after a five-year fundraising campaign.

The disabled-friendly 15-seater is mainly geared to catering for the elderly and infirm who attend the village's daycare centre.

A WICK man who is presently working in Mozambique with Save the Children, has had a book about his life in Nubia and other places published.

A CAITHNESS soldier has returned from Afghanistan after a tough six-month tour of duty which involved daily gun battles against Taliban insurgents.

THE county's first youth conference has been hailed a success. The event was held in the Weigh Inn Hotel in Thurso to coincide with the Caithness Regeneration Conference being staged in the town's All Star Factory on Monday.

THE owners of a celebrated local seafood restaurant are savouring their latest success – landing their second major accolade within weeks.

A CAITHNESS company which has supplied stone to several prestigious building projects around the world has just completed a major investment in new buildings and specialist machinery at its Spittal base.

The fight for Wick High School will go on, pledges former pupil Professor Iain Baikie, chairman of the parent council. Here he outlines the campaign to replace the dilapidated buildings.

A CAITHNESS charity cyclist has this week returned to the county after completing an 11-month solo round trip of Australia.

EVERYONE has heard of Munros; not so many of the Seven Summits.

FIREFIGHTERS from throughout Caithness and North-west Sutherland gathered at Bettyhill on Saturday afternoon for a course on mounting and demounting safely from helicopters.

IT is just an exercise but some young firefighters might be involved in the "reel" thing in years to come.

Ami Dundas, of Argyle Square, Wick, is more than two-thirds through a 10-week volunteering placement at a children's learning centre high in the Himalayas. Before returning to Scotland on September 24 she will be undertaking a 10-day trek in the Annapurna range with other volunteers. Here's the story of her experiences so far...

THE 1000th young person to be taken on as an apprentice at Dounreay was among 15 newly-qualified workers who received their certificates at their site's annual prize-giving.

STRATHNAVER Museum has received a replica of an old map of North Sutherland showing the area as it was in 1835, with some updating in the 1850s.

A LONG time coming but well worth the wait! That was the verdict on the new £800,000 CT scanner officially opened at Caithness General Hospital on Monday night.

A CLEAN-UP team has safely destroyed the first of the major hazards from the experimental fast reactor programme at Dounreay.

DARRIN Sutherland has completed an engineering apprenticeship at Dounreay at the grand old age of 40. The 1000-plus graduates of the scheme over the past 53 years have almost exclusively joined it straight from school.

THE Castle of Mey has swept the board for a second year running after being awarded five stars, confirming its status as a superb tourist attraction in the North of Scotland.

A LOCAL woman has lost her locks to charity in memory of her father, Forss man David Sutherland.

THE Duke of Rothesay was in Wick on Sunday to pay tribute to the generations of volunteers who have served in the Territorial Army.

A DARING Dunbeath pensioner is to return to Tanzania next month in a bid to establish a new home for orphans which could be named in memory of her late husband.

MYRTLE Gillies lost a number of personal items when thieves broke into her holiday home abroad. These included a box of jewellery which included a very special pendant.

TEENAGE cyclist Steve Hazell, accompanied by his dad John, today (Friday) begins a 906-mile cycle ride from John O'Groats to Land's End in aid of the Hypermobility Syndrome Association (HMSA).

A CAITHNESS teacher and her husband are currently spending their summer holidays helping to develop village schools in Malawi.

THE Isabella Fortuna, the restored herring fishing fifie of yesteryear, struck out for its home port of Wick following a guest appearance at the recent Portsoy festival.

A NEW book which tells the story of Dounreay over half a century is published later this month.

A THURSO father has spoken of his joy after taking home his newborn twins who arrived almost 14 weeks early.

A PROUD moment for Wick sheriff clerk Jan McEwan as she takes a photo call after receiving an MBE from the Queen at the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh, last week.

FOR the past two weeks 14 senior pupils at Wick High School have been participating in "The Apprentice", based on the TV programme of the same name.

A HIGH-tech Wick firm was presented with a prestigious national innovation award on Friday.

THE annual presentations for Caithness Gymnastics Club were held last Friday in the Pentland Hotel, Thurso.

TOURISTS who joined the NorthCoast Explorer for a trip round the uninhabited island of Stroma got an unexpected and spectacular bonus in the shape of a pod of orcas.

THURSO teenager Lyle Watt has missed out on this year's Guitar Idol crown, but the 15-year-old has been commended for his "exceptional" and "stylish" performance.

WHEN Kenneth Maclean and his son Billy got jobs on a military airfield at Dounreay during World War Two, neither could have imagined the remarkable family association with the site they started.

AS the newly appointed head of Highlands and Islands Enterprise's team in the Far North, Roy Kirk has an almost evangelical conviction in the ability of the area to thrive after Dounreay becomes history.

FATBOY Slim's rousing remix of the '70s disco track "Love is in the Air" came as a fitting close to the opening day of this year's RockNess music festival which featured a genuine wedding – a first for the event.

A LONG-serving Wick minister is preparing to deliver his last service on Sunday before retiring from an eventful career in the Church of Scotland.

CAITHNESS fitness fanatic David Sutherland has made the trip across the Atlantic to take part in this year's world triathlon championships.

THE three-year vacancy in the Church of Scotland parish of Altnaharra and Farr, centred on Bettyhill, has been temporarily filled by a minister from the other side of the world.

DUNNET Head has become RSPB Scotland's newest nature reserve. The organisation announced yesterday that a 27-hectare site at what is the most northerly point on the British mainland is to come under its management.

A RETIRED Caithness consultant has been given a prestigious award for his contribution to teaching surgery.

THE Freedom of Caithness is to be granted to HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, by the Highland Council later this year. A date for the ceremony has yet to be announced.

THE Duke of Kent will make a poignant pilgrimage today (Friday) to the memorial erected to his father, who died along with all but one of the crew of a Sunderland flying boat when it crashed on a remote Caithness hillside during World War Two.

CAITHNESS photographer John Baikie has again been invited to speak at a prestigious international convention in London.

'COME on, then, who do you support? Rangers or Celtic?" That's the question that any Scottish football fan is likely to be asked, as I was in a pub in North London on the evening of the Arsenal v Liverpool Champions League tie.

FORMER children's TV presenter Bunty Gunn is among the kenspeckle individuals in a Caithness village to have had their image captured in stained glass.

A WIDOWER will this weekend set off on a three-month journey from John O'Groats to Land's End as a tribute to his late wife.

BETTYHILL is not a place you would normally associate with racehorse breeding, but all that could change if Graham and Dawn Staves, of Achnabourin, have anything to do with it.

YOUNGSTERS in Caithness have been helping to improve the quality of life for a seven-year-old girl in an orphanage in India over the past year.

HALKIRK'S grand old man Roy MacKenzie joined the elite band of centenarians yesterday.

LOCAL tourism chiefs received a positive response from national journalists at a recent event in London.

A TOP wheelchair athlete preparing for a Land's End to John O'Groats fundraising challenge has had a lucky escape after an accident while training.

A THURSO writer who has sold over 1000 copies of his self-published novels has been named a winner in a BBC short-story writing competition.

FOR most endurance athletes, travelling the length of mainland Britain at one stretch is towards, if not at the top of, their list of must-dos.

HALKIRK'S newly-chosen gala queen has narrowly missed out on the chance of appearing in the national finals of this year's Miss Scotland competition.

DRAMATIC cliffs, picturesque ruins and an abundance of wildlife... it's hardly surprising that my sea trip around the east coast of Caithness generated a wealth of striking photos.

LEADING archaeologist and acclaimed Viking expert Chris Morris has joined UHI to develop research and assist with the development of a potential new undergraduate course.

SOME of Thurso's landmark buildings and natural attractions are showcased in a new booklet produced this week.

A LOCAL dance instructor has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award for her contribution to Highland dancing.

A CANADIAN couple with family in Caithness have embarked on an epic journey to the Middle East to connect with their ancestral roots.

FORMER Dounreay site director John Baxter has been elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) – thereby following in the footsteps of such luminaries as Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein.

THE Vikings called it Katanes, after the ancient Pictish tribe known as the Cats. In time, Katanes evolved into Caithness.

A STUDENT from Wick scored a hat-trick of wins at a recent awards ceremony, taking home a total cash prize of £750 and three titles, including Equine Learner of the Year.

WICK Scouts held their Founder's Day service in Wick Old Parish Church on Sunday.

A TEAM from Bower took the honours in the Caithness Young Farmers' junior quiz.

A WICKER wearing a Wick Academy football shirt completed the Tokyo Marathon at the weekend.

A CHEQUE for £2320 has been presented to Pennyland primary in Thurso as part of a fundraising campaign by a local mum who wants to get a lift installed at the school to help disabled children.

A COOKERY student from Caithness has scooped a top award at a national potato-inspired cook-off in London.

A RETIRED doctor and his wife, who set off from John O'Groats recently on an end-to-end run in aid of Cancer Research UK, have taken time out to thank motorists in Caithness for their consideration.

A CAITHNESS Church of Scotland deacon has just returned from an aid mission which has given new hope to a group of disaster-stricken fishermen in India.

A FORMER pupil of Wick High School is gearing up for a trip to South Asia next month to take part in a medical programme helping to support some of Nepal's poorest communities.

THE principal of North Highland College UHI was last night set to attend the official launch of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN) in London.

HE may not think so today, but future generations could regard James Gunn as the most important person ever to work at Dounreay. For the former chemist and project manager has taken up a part-time role as the site's first heritage officer.

NATASHA Gunn is getting to grips with her own all-terrain tricycle presented to her after a fundraising appeal was launched in the John O'Groat Journal last year.

VETERAN Wick reporter Noel Donaldson has taken a top honour in the Highlands and Islands Media Awards.

A LOCAL head teacher who gave up her summer holidays to help develop village schools in Malawi has been honoured for her efforts.

CAITHNESS residents are being asked to join half a million other people across the UK in spending an hour spying on their bird neighbours to help make the 2008 Big Garden Birdwatch another record-breaking event.

A CAITHNESS-born Antarctic explorer is to give a talk on her recent discoveries next week.

TWO Caithness adventurers have returned from a trek in South America, raising thousands of pounds for charity along the way.

GARY Mackay-Steven knows exactly what he wants.

A PICTURE drawn by a local primary school pupil is to be used on the Castle of Mey website to promote the popular animal centre which opened earlier this year.

THE Junior Greens faced their most hair-raising challenge yet... but it was not on the rugby field.

THE skills of local master craftsman George Gunn were called on recently when trainee dry-stone waller Shona Mcleod visited the county.

ANYONE wishing to write a history of the coastguard presence in Wick could do worse than dig out a family tree for the Macleods.

LOCAL youngsters took to the forest on Saturday to help plant trees and learn more about their environment.

A HALKIRK woman has been honoured for her long years of stalwart service to the Riding for the Disabled Association in Caithness.

BUDDING author Joan Campbell has had her first book published – The Land Beyond the Green Fields.

A WICK woman has won a top national award for her outstanding success in improving the lives of people with a learning disability.

A YOUNG Caithness man has come joint fifth in the UK in an accountancy exam.

TWENTY-ONE years after pounding round Meadowbank's tartan track, Moira McBeath remains the only Caithness track or field athlete to have competed at a Commonwealth Games.

WATTEN woman Jean MacDonald has received Age Concern Scotland's Volunteer of the Year Award in recognition of her 53 years of volunteering.

A YOUNG Caithness cerebral palsy sufferer will be let loose on her own specially-adapted trike next month thanks to the efforts of her family and friends.

A NEW procurement officer has been added to the North Highland Products team with the appointment of Alison Murray.

WICK company KP Technology has gained a prestigious accolade in the 22nd Highlands and Islands Business Awards.

A CAITHNESS nurse has handed over the proceeds from her latest overseas charity adventure.

TWO women with strong Caithness connections are preparing for a charity trek across a world-famous South American footpath next week.

LOCAL Church of Scotland deacon John Craw has completed a sponsored walk from Latheronwheel to Inverness - raising £5000 to help impoverished fishermen in India.

A CAITHNESS mum has launched a campaign to raise funds for a specially-adapted trike which will enable her disabled daughter to have greater independence and improved mobility.

ACCLAIMED Scottish actor and keen motorcyclist Ewan McGregor's latest epic adventure might have ended in South Africa but it kicked off much closer to home.

A YOUNG Caithness mental health nurse has won a notable service award at the start of her career in a hospital at the opposite end of the British mainland.

A SIXTH-year student at Wick High School has launched a fundraising campaign ahead of a sponsored walk in aid of Children in Need.

A COUPLE who have survived a marathon round trip of Britain on foot are expected to arrive at John O'Groats tomorrow (Saturday) – 11 months after they set off from the Far North landmark.

THE Church of Scotland parish of Altnaharra and Farr, still in vacancy following the retirement of the Rev John Wilson in the autumn of 2004, has a new locum minister for the month of October.

THURSO-based photographer John Baikie has been invited to take part in a prestigious training course in Spain early in 2008.

A KEEN Caithness cyclist is expected to start a year-long solo round trip of Australia tomorrow (Saturday) in support of charity.

A THURSO Air Cadet has been named as the Lord-Lieutenant’s Cadet for the second year running.

UHI Student of the Wear Diane Atkinson, the Bower mother who triumphed in her degree studies while caring for her sick daughter, was described as an inspiration and a role model when she was presented with her award at a showpiece event.

YOU know when someone asks you for a favour? It's probably best to find out what they want before jumping in with a "yes".

A STUDENT at North Highland College has won a top carpentry competition – making it the third year in a row that the trophy has come to the Far North.

EXPERIENCED instructors from Caithness Kayak Club were on hand at Wick Swimming Pool on Friday night to help out a young Sutherland man who is heading for New Zealand next year to take part in a gruelling coast-to-coast challenge.

THE wind snatched my headscarf and carried it away. Aghast, I raced after it, grabbed it and tied it back on with my bumbling hands as quickly as I could. I looked around anxiously. No-one in the smoggy streets seemed to have noticed. Heaving a sigh of relief, I dodged my way through the unrelenting traffic to meet my friend Reza.

A WATTEN woman who has been at the hub of harbour administration at Wick for half a century has been honoured by her employers.

ON OUR first visit to the Hebrides, Beth and Ewen were still at the "not another walk!" stage of their lives. Luckily we had one eager collie always game for climbing a big hill or two and happy to keep us company. Now the bairns have fled the nest and, with two new dogs in tow, it was time for a return visit.

A FRENCH graffiti artist has added a splash of colour to a Wick community regeneration initiative.

UNVEILED... the latest link in church reorganisation in Caithness.

SCRABSTER'S lifeboat station will open its doors to the public next month as part of this year's Doors Open Days.

I PASSED through Kyrgyzstan’s western border with dozens of sun-baked men and women shuffling along beside me. The men wore dark colours and thick boots, while the women were best viewed from behind sunglasses, lest the garish colours and sequins render one blind.

ONE hundred and twenty-nine probationer teachers who are working at schools across the Highlands finalised their preparations for the new session by attending an induction day in Inverness.

CHILDHOOD journeys to Caithness are recalled by the writer and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch in her new book which is being launched at Lyth Arts Centre next Saturday (August 25).

A GRADUATE from Caithness who did much of her studying in hospital while her daughter was being treated for severe asthma and other illnesses has become the UHI student of the year.

WICK Baptist Church, which celebrated its bicentenary last year, marked another major milestone in its history with the retirement of its pastor, the Rev Oliver Vellacott, last Sunday.

A CHARITY cyclist was given a warm welcome when he paid a visit to Harmsworth Park on Saturday morning.

A SMALL piece of history will be created when work starts again at the historic Castle Sinclair Girnigoe on the outskirts of Wick.

THURSO Air Cadets and their families played host to 10 international guests last week as part of the International Air Cadet Exchange programme.

A LOCAL nurse is limbering up for her latest charity foray which will take her to the other side of the Atlantic.

A LOCAL woman is to climb the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales in just 24 hours to raise money for the British Red Cross.

ONE of the county’s most successful tutors has decided to hang up her dancing shoes after 13 years of teaching.

TWO cancer charities have benefited from the marathon-running efforts of Kate Mowat from John O’Groats.

TWO confectionery workers are hoping that their hitch-hiking marathon will run as sweet as a nut.

A LONE musician began an offbeat fundraising stunt at the weekend when he embarked on a marathon walk from John O’Groats to Land’s End with only his drum for company.

CASTLETOWN'S St Clair Arms Hotel has changed hands. The new owners are brothers Andrew and Sandy Mackay, who have strong local connections.

A "THIS is Your Life" presentation was the centrepiece of a surprise retirement party for Playden manager Maureen Allan in Thurso.

LYBSTER pensioner Johnny Mackay was signing copies of his book, Changes in a Lifetime, at its launch in the village's daycare centre yesterday evening.

MEMBERS of the 2nd Thurso Scout Group have been celebrating their golden jubilee.

WICK dental nurse Nicola Moodie has come out top in this year's training qualifications for the North region.

THE efforts of a Far North mountain rescue team leader have been recognised by the Queen.

A REMARKABLE wild brown trout caught on Loch Heilen last Friday (June 8) is thought to be the largest wild brown trout ever taken on the fly from a Caithness water.

ON February 15, 2003, while the UN Security Council was debating the fate of Iraq, nuclear chemist Paul Doherty from Thurso led a team that abseiled into a bombed reactor near Baghdad.

ROYAL British Legion Scotland stalwart George MacDonald, of Wick, has been honoured with one of the organisation's top jobs.

RETIRED Wick fishing skipper Norrie Bremner has received a prestigious new award for his outstanding contribution to the fishing industry.

A RETIRED nurse from Dunbeath who spent three weeks volunteering at an East African orphanage earlier this year is hoping to repeat the experience.

LIFE was returning to normal for Caithness army reservists this week following the homecoming celebrations held to mark their return from Iraq.

PUPILS of Wick High School look set to smarten up their appearance after the summer holidays with the introduction of a school dress code.

FORSS House Hotel has been awarded the prestigious four-star rating from the AA Hotel Guide – the first hotel in Caithness to achieve this quality standard.

A NEW book to be published by local writer Helen Campbell delves into the world of fantasy and adventure, telling the story of the novel's eponymous character Brodie McHaggis and his fight for survival.

YOUNGSTERS from Malawi and Scotland have produced a CD while working on an international exchange programme in Caithness.

A TALENTED Thurso-born composer has broken new ground with his latest work which is performed by an elite group of traditional musicians from throughout Europe.

A LOCAL head teacher is to go back to Malawi to help develop village schools.

A HIGH-profile anti-fur demonstration vilifying a leading fashion chain in London last year resulted in the arrest of local animal rights activist and environmentalist Joanne Sim.

ROLLS-Royce employees at the Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment are being encouraged to choose the healthy option at work.

A WELL-known Halkirk man was given a surprise last week as he celebrated his 99th birthday.

THE Duke of Rothesay played a key role in pulling together the funding for the new visitor centre at the Castle of Mey, it was revealed this week.

Eighteen-year-old Avril Bremner, of South Road, Wick, has achieved a 'highly commended' in her BATD associate teacher's diploma for Highland dancing

HIGH-quality Caithness art and craft work is to be sold in a new retail outlet opening in Wick next month.

WICK Old Parish Church reverberated with the magnificent sound of the newly-refurbished organ on Saturday afternoon, when Dr John Kitchen, a senior lecturer and organist in the University of Edinburgh, gave a recital.

HIGH-quality Caithness art and craft work is to be sold in a new retail outlet opening in Wick next month.

A CAITHNESS youngster has gained a place in the National Youth Choir of Scotland.

A DUNBEATH crofter has launched a new business – the first of its kind in the county – by producing cheese from goats' milk.

A VISITOR centre costing more than £500,000 has been unveiled at the Castle of Mey, giving the popular tourist attraction an early-season boost.

CHILDREN in the Lybster area are working with glass artists Kate Williams and John Lloyd on a community project to produce an installation of glass barrels at the Waterlines Visitor Centre at Lybster harbour, based on the theme "Silver Darlings".

TWELVE months on from the smoking ban and Caithness pub landlords have reported mixed feelings on the impact it has had on trade.

A GROUP of young African community volunteers have been quick to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty after making their temporary home in Caithness.

PUPILS in Caithness have this week been getting a first-hand account of what it takes to become an astronaut.

BEING a vehicle mechanic in temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius is all in a day's work for Caithness soldier Kingsman David Mackenzie, who is playing a vital role in the army's biggest annual repair programme in Canada.

A COMMUNITY timber venture has opened for business in the heart of the Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland.

A LOCAL teacher will give a talk tonight about her experience of visiting one of the poorest nations in the world.

RETIRED businessman and community stalwart Harry Gray, from Wick, has been honoured with the title of Caithness Citizen of the Year 2006.

WHEN Thurso-born Gordon Reid retires from Dounreay at the end of March, he will have completed a memorable and perhaps a unique record of service.

STUNNING seafood was the focus of this year's Food of Love showcase held at Ackergill Tower.

THE rickshaw zigzagged deftly through the swarming, pulsating throng that passed for traffic in Delhi.

A CAITHNESS teenager is about to embark on a life-changing trip to South America to volunteer at a Peruvian school.

A FORMER Wick High School pupil serving as a pilot in the Royal Navy is featured in this week's edition of popular lads' magazine Zoo.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise is to host a meeting in Wick aimed at establishing a better understanding of the issues which affect Eastern European migrants to the area.

EX-STUDENT Gary Imlach returned to college in Thurso for a couple of days last week to display some of his culinary talents.

DOUNREAY director Norman Harrison is to steer the UK Atomic Energy Authority into a new era in which it faces competition for the running of its sites.

IMPROVING the well-being and safety of the community has become the main focus for Northern Constabulary's new community safety officer for Caithness and Sutherland.

A COMMERCIAL beef herd in Caithness has claimed the top place in the annual Bank of Scotland Aberdeen-Angus Suckler Herd of the Year awards.

WHEN Doreen Mackay was growing up in a village on the north coast of Sutherland in the 1960s she thought a bus trip to Thurso was a huge adventure.

WATTEN-BASED angler Peter Cardosi has taken the first fish of the season from the River Thurso.

THE Caithness economy could get a boost if the village of Durness in north-west Sutherland becomes a major tourist destination for fans of former Beatle John Lennon, who spent many of his childhood holidays in the area.

SNAPSHOTS of life as seen by a group of elderly people in Caithness are featured in a major exhibition which opened in Wick's St Fergus Gallery at the weekend.

A YOUNG Caithness chef has won a prestigious cookery competition in Spain.

CAITHNESS photographer John Baikie has scooped a major UK award at a trade convention in London.

A RETIRED nurse from Dunbeath is planning to undertake her first trip to Tanzania in Africa to volunteer at one of the country's orphanages.

A FORMER Thurso GP has died at the age of 83. Dr Doris Ramsay, who practised in the town for 36 years, had been in poor health for the past four years.

THE new Wick sheriff, Andrew Berry, was formally installed in his post at a packed courtroom on Friday.

AN MBE has gone to Wick woman Jessie Doull to mark a lifetime's involvement in the voluntary sector.

CAITHNESS film-maker David Graham Scott begins the new year with the completion of his new documentary The Dirty Digger.

A LYBSTER servicewoman is among the 7000 British troops spending this Christmas in Iraq.

AN educational DVD has been produced chronicling the story of the wild salmon netting industry that once thrived along the Scottish coast and in most of the nation's rivers.

MEET the model version of Wick's herring-era pride and joy, the Isabella Fortuna.

MALCOLM Cameron retires today (Friday) after spending 31 of the last 41 years driving buses on the coast from Berriedale to Wick.

AS with snooker in a past generation, a passion for computer games is now often cited as a sign of a wasted childhood.

A REQUEST by a Caithness minister to leave his post on the grounds of ill-health was accepted by the Caithness presbytery this week.

THURSO'S countdown to Christmas began on Friday evening when crowds converged at the town's Sir John's Square for the annual switching on of the festive lights.

A LONG-standing fixture in the Far North agricultural scene will disappear on Monday with the closure of the auction mart in Thurso.

THURSO High School S4 pupil Rachel Tolworthy was awarded an SQA Bronze Award when she became the only pupil in the country to achieve nine grade-one passes at Standard Grade.

ONE hundred years ago a remarkable Wick woman, who was responsible for one of the most extraordinary yet little-known episodes of the Crimean War, died at the age of 83.

CAITHNESS is to get a new sheriff from the beginning of next year. Changes in the Far North will see the present sheriff, David Sutherland, assume responsibility for the Tain court in addition to his present duties at Dornoch and Stornoway.

RECENT archaeological excavations across the county have given a fascinating insight into the lives of people who lived here thousands of years ago.

COUNCILLOR Roger Saxon, chairman of the Caithness area education, culture and sport committee, assisted by Gordon Beveridge (centre, right), principal PE teacher, and janitor Ron MacKay (centre left), cut the ribbon to officially open the new £584,000 floodlit synthetic sports pitch at Wick High School.

NINE local heroes of a famous Second World War naval battle are to be honoured in Wick. The merchant seamen were among the 187 crew members of the converted passenger liner Jervis Bay who died in the bloody, one-sided encounter with a German pocket battleship in the Atlantic Ocean on November 5, 1940.

BUSINESS is thriving for a local wood-fuel supplier offering a source of carbon-neutral heat and power to the community.

THE Ulbster Arms Hotel in Halkirk has been sold to Angus Estates Limited for an undisclosed sum which is believed to be in excess of the asking price.

A NEW viewing platform at Wick River, allowing people to enjoy the area's natural attractions, was officially opened on Monday after receiving more than £10,000 in funding from Scottish Natural Heritage.

AN exhibition by a Wick artist which illustrates the human story behind the North Sea oil industry has opened at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.

A TEENAGER from Caithness has won a top UK science and engineering competition by conducting a series of enterprising experiments.

A WELL-known Caithness policeman has retired from Northern Constabulary after 31 years with the force.

SCRABSTER harbour master Brian Williams has retired after 30 years employed at the port.

YOUNG archaeology buffs got a taste of life in the Mesolithic period at the weekend when they spent a day acting as hunter-gatherers.

THE substantial remains of an old shepherd’s cottage, hidden from view for well over half a century deep in the middle of a Sutherland wood, have now been uncovered as a result of a large-scale tree-felling operation.

MEMBERS of Caithness Diving Club took advantage of the recent settled weather and enjoyed a dive at the Haven, Portskerra.

IT is said to be one of the least densely populated areas in Europe, with only two inhabitants per square kilometre. It’s not only the largest district in Britain, it’s very probably the most beautiful too.

ULTRA-distance runner Sharon Gayter celebrated in Caithness at the weekend after claiming a new record for the Land’s End to John O’Groats route.

A SHOP which has served the people of Dunnet for the past 50 years will close its doors for the final time tomorrow, bringing an era to an end for 85-year-old Nan Robertson.

A COMMEMORATIVE plaque has been unveiled as a memorial to champion Caithness cyclist Magnus “Mack” Mowat.

A LEADING Far North railway campaigner has backed Network Rail in rebuffing fears of station closures following the publication of a consultation document which flagged up a number of stations which are little used.

THREE mountaineers from the Far North have returned home after a successful ascent of Russia’s Mount Elbrus – the highest peak on the European continental plate and the fifth highest of the “Seven Summits”. It was the culmination of seven months of careful planning and preparation by a climbing team in which Bob Kerr (28), from Melvich, Graham McFadyen (47), of Kinlochbervie, and John Cuthbert (58), from Castletown, were the Scottish contingent.

A TRAINEE electrician from Wick is one of 15 apprentices to have their talents recognised in an awards ceremony held by their employer, Tulloch Ltd.

NEXT month’s massed bands parade in Wick has been supported by a donation of £300 from UKAEA Dounreay, on behalf of the NDA. The parade, which takes place on Saturday, September 16, will feature the Sutherland Caledonian, Thurso, Caithness Junior, Tain and Wick RBLS pipe bands.

LOCAL long-distance runner Franky Farquhar is proving there is life beyond cancer as she sets her sights on her next challenge – the Great Scottish Run.

JUST when you think there can’t be anything left to dig up when it comes to secret codes and Rosslyn Chapel, another layer is unearthed – this time by a Caithness man following up his local history.

ALLARDYCE Mallon has come a long way since he was a young schoolboy at Wick High School in the late 1970s. Since then the talented pianist and conductor has travelled the world.

ONE of Thurso’s most noted if least fêted adopted sons is to occupy a prominent place in the new visitor centre being created in the town.

THE newly-installed Seven Gates at Wick harbour represent a “real community achievement” and will be a source of pride for the town, a local Highland councillor said at the weekend.

SHIVER me timbers... that could be the reaction of an old sea dog passing the small settlement of Milton, a mile-and-a-half inland of Wick.

AN underwater television camera which was pioneered in Caithness has passed into history after serving the offshore industry and military and scientific users for almost 30 years.

AN exhibition which celebrates the life of Wick artist Seonaidh Pittams could benefit creative youngsters in the town and provide a living memorial to the artist who tragically lost her life last summer.

A NEW publication called The East Caithness Bletherer, which describes itself as the “voice of Caithness”, could provide fierce competition for the Caithness Courier and the John O’Groat Journal.

Hamish T Gunn reflects on half a century with Pulteneytown Parish Church - a period that has seen many changes in the Argyle Square kirk.

THE challenge set by Caithness Arts to support growth within the local arts community has received a boost this summer with a newly-appointed Caithness Arts Festival co-ordinator.

LYBSTER gala committee members received an unexpected helping hand at the weekend when Big Brother winner Cameron Stout rolled up his sleeves and got down to some hard work during the gala dance.

A SERIES of projects taking place in Caithness this summer will enhance the county's growing reputation as a major focal point for archaeological investigation.

CLAN Sinclair - once the predominant landowning family in Caithness - has reclaimed a tiny part of its ancient family lands, clan chief the Earl of Caithness has confirmed.

Wick's Rosebank playing fields were reckoned to be among the best of their kind in Scotland when they were officially opened 75 years ago this week. Local interest in tennis has declined since then - but that could all be set to change with the major upgrading of the Rosebank courts this summer. Sam Hendry reports.

John McLeod took part in a nocturnal trek up Dunbeath Strath earlier this month, to learn about local history and folklore - and discover that Caithness bats differ somewhat from their Transylvanian horror-movie counterparts.

A CAITHNESS man has raised around £3000 for the Highland Hospice by taking part in a dog-sledding expedition above the Arctic Circle.