The Highland Council has approved plans for a new Highland Wealth Fund, aimed at securing long-term benefits from renewable energy development.
Modelled on Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, it will support strategic projects across the region, including housing, transport, digital access, jobs, skills, community facilities and environmental protection.
The fund is intended to ensure the energy transition leaves a lasting legacy for communities now and in the future.
Glen Errach Energy has already pledged 20 per cent of its Community Wealth Fund, worth £20 million a year, to support Highland-wide projects.
Gairloch Museum will feature two new Summer exhibitions celebrating the landscapes, people and atmosphere of the North-West Highlands.
In the Upper Gallery, Fiona Mackenzie’s Unbroken – The Hill of the Sparrow Hawk features wood engravings, etchings, drawings and paintings inspired by place names, mountains, sea and wildlife.
In the Lower Gallery, Rosanne Wiseman’s Out and About presents colourful mixed-media works reflecting Wester Ross through changing light and weather and familiar local views.
The exhibitions run from Saturday 4th July until Saturday 29th August, with a ‘meet the artists’ preview on Friday 3rd July between 5pm and 7pm.
Young people across the Highlands have made more than six-and-a-half million free bus journeys since Scotland’s under-22 travel scheme was introduced in January 2022.
New figures show that over six million of those trips took place within the Highland Council area.
Supporters of the initiative say it has helped young people get to school, college, work and social events, while also reducing costs for families.
In many rural communities, where travelling longer distances and limited transport services can be a challenge, the scheme is being credited with making bus travel more accessible for younger passengers.
