Environment

There is still time for community groups to apply to the Nature Restoration Fund after Highland Council extended the deadline to this Friday.

Beavers in Thurso got to savour some home-grown treats when they visited the Thurso Grows community garden in the Ormlie area of the town.

The bid to secure UNESCO World Heritage Site status for the Flow Country has been boosted by endorsement from SNP minister John Nicolson.

Hill farmers and crofters are being reminded that the Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme (SUSSS), worth more than £7 million annually, is now open.

People living in the area around a proposed wind farm in north Sutherland are being asked to contribute to a consultation on a community benefit fund.

Waste from Dounreay is being incinerated as part of the decommissioning of the former nuclear power plant.

Derelict buildings at a historic Caithness mill could be transformed into holiday accommodation if a planning application gets the go-ahead.

Three new staff members have landed key roles helping to positively impact the on-the-ground culture of how land is owned and used in Scotland.

A solo female swimmer is on target to reach John O'Groats at the end of September after swimming the length of the British mainland.

Exploring a new stretch of coastline around the Seaboard villages of Easter Ross, visiting the Tarbet Ness lighthouse on an overnight kayak expedition

Highlands and Islands MSP Ariane Burgess has highlighted the benefits restoring natural environments can bring to rural areas of the far north.

Peatlands that were planted with conifers after tax breaks in the 1970s and 80s will be soaked up into a wider conservation area.

The Swartigill archaeological dig on the Thrumster Estate has reported the 'star find' of a colourful 2000-year-old bead with a yellow spiral pattern.

High Life Highland Countryside Rangers have two free nature events at Wick riverside this weekend.

At the Caithness Committee meeting yesterday members approved a winter maintenance plan for the area which includes priority gritting routes.

STRIKE action is set to hit bin collections and street cleaning across the Highlands, residents have been warned.

Families are being invited to take part in some pond dipping at the John O'Groats Mill on Saturday, August 27.

A new report finds that many butterfly species are flourishing in Caithness and the rest of Scotland.

Aspiring writers who are inspired by the mountains are being invited to enter an annual competition to find new outdoor authors.

Weather Watch by Keith Banks