4+ hour, 39+ min ago (735+ words) HIGHLAND Council's former education boss received a "62,885 pay out after her departure from the "105,487 a year job last year. The local authority's audited accounts show that Nicky Grant received the sum after being on "approved leave" for about two months from February to April 2024. Of that sum, "52,742 is compensation for loss of employment and she received "10,143 in salary, fees and allowances. A further breakdown of the payment reveals "6500 was paid in lieu of holiday and "26,371 in lieu of notice. However, the remaining "19,871 remains unaccounted for in the books. Across the council as a whole a total of 12 exit packages worth "486,844 were agreed in the last two years including one compulsory redundancy in 2024/25 and three in 2023/24. In 2023/24, seven exit packages saw benefits to the employee hit "122,896 and the next year it was "248,028 " the remainder was from Strain on the Pension Fund....

22+ hour, 40+ min ago (130+ words) No action was required overnight on Badenoch and Strathspey roads, says Highland Council. Today's roads report issued at 7.30am confirmed: "Positive temperatures and wet roads throughout the area. "No winter action needed and no known overnight issues." The ice and snow which formed before the weekend is now virtually melted away at street level across the strath. All local schools remain open today. Motorists can keep up to date with the council's social media channels -X @HighlandCouncil, Facebook and Bluesky. For information on Trunk Roads follow @trafficscotland; Bear (North West); and Amey NE. A Yellow Weather Warning for ice is currently in place for much of the Highland region. Information on weather warnings is available on the Met Office website. For information on power cuts, visit SSEN website....

20+ hour, 51+ min ago (793+ words) A "mini festival" celebrating Palestinian culture through film, stories, food, arts and crafts is being held in Kingussie this weekend. It is being organised by new community group The Olive and the Pine which was established in the summer to raise concerns about the ongoing emergency in Palestine. Their latest fundraiser is being held at the Iona Gallery in Kingussie this Friday (November 28) and Saturday. Friday night is film night, showcasing award-winning Palestinian film culture, with fresh mint tea on arrival. On Saturday there will be lots of family friendly crafts in the morning including kite making and Lego printing, storytelling, Palestinian food for lunch, followed by an afternoon talks session. There will also be plenty of Palestinian produce on sale - dates, olive oil, soap, cards and much more just in time to fill some of those Christmas stockings. Arts…...

38+ min ago (238+ words) Highland Heroes celebrates the outstanding schools in our communities with the school of the year award. The winner will be a school where the teacher and teams within, raise the standards of education and make a positive impact on the personal and academic success beyond inspection reports, whether it is achieving academic excellence or working hard to contribute to the community. NOMINATE your Heroes by midnight on Sunday, December 14. The award for school of the year is sponsored by Ross-shire Engineering. Highland Heroes 2026 is a fantastic way to give your thanks and to celebrate the unsung heroes in your community. There are 15 categories open for nomination: Each week, there will be a special focus on each category and you will also hear from our generous sponsors why they are backing Highland Heroes. But you don't have to wait! You can…...

3+ hour, 24+ min ago (309+ words) The Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) has announced the appointment of Graham Moss as its new co-ordinator. Mr Moss takes over from Mark Diggins, of Aviemore, who is stepping down from the role after 16 years of leading the team. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service, funded and operated by sportscotland, provides free daily avalanche hazard forecasts throughout the winter season for six key mountain areas. It is relied on by climbers, skiers, and mountaineers across Scotland for essential avalanche and mountain condition reports, to help inform decision making. The appointment of Mr Moss recognises his wealth of experience. He has served as a senior forecaster with SAIS for the past 35 winters, predominantly in the Lochaber area including Ben Neivs, Scotland's highest and busiest mountain. Mr Moss becomes the third person to hold this position, following in the footsteps of Mr Diggins…...

11+ min ago (226+ words) EV car giant BYD is set to open its first Highland dealership soon. The Chinese marque, which has enjoyed soaring sales in the UK over the past year, is set to move into the vacant car showroom immediately next to the Millburn Road Roundabout. Branding and signage have been erected at the unit which was previously the home of Hawco's Skoda showroom. However, it appears that Hawco will continue to operate the site as notices in the window list the new showroom as "Hawco Group, part of the John Clark Motor Group". The window signs also include a QR code encouraging people to scan it and register their interest in the marque "and we'll be in touch soon'. Those same signs are promising that the new dealership is "coming soon". The marque's move into the Highlands market comes against a…...

21+ hour, 22+ min ago (379+ words) The first specific, national park-wide survey of peregrine falcons in 20 years has revealed a continuing downward trend in numbers. In Badenoch and Strathspey, peregrine pairs have dropped by two-thirds since the early 1980s and a similar picture has been observed in other areas of the park. The last UK-wide survey of peregrines took place in 2014 and covered Scotland as a whole, showing a 9% decline in numbers across the country. The Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme also found some evidence of a decline from 2009-18; however, no survey was undertaken to assess peregrine populations specifically within the park during that time. In 2024 the Cairngorms National Park Authority collaborated with three of the regional branches of the Scottish Raptor Study Group: Highland, North East of Scotland and Tayside and Fife, to carry out a survey to establish how many peregrine sites within the National Park…...