A recent ruling by the Court of Appeal will lead to volunteer coastguards no longer being paid for emergency call outs, attending other incidents and training exercises. Currently volunteers claim an hourly rate including a minimum payment for three hours even if an incident is resolved within that period but the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said it will need to change the way it operates following the court decision that volunteers should be classed as workers when they are on duty.
The MCA has said that there needs to be a new model to protect choice, flexibility and the ability for people to volunteer alongside their primary employment and that volunteers will still be able to claim some compensation for certain activities.
Lead vocalist of Highland folk rock band Torridon, Kenny Smith, has had his US electronic system for travel authorisation (Esta) revoked just a few days before he was planning to travel the US to watch Scotland play in the football World Cup.
No explanation has been given to Kenny who has previously travelled to the US on the same Esta and the revocation means that potentially he will miss his trip on which he claims to have spent not far short of £20,000. Kenny has tickets for all three of Scotland’s games but is one of dozens, possibly hundreds, of potential travellers to the US for the tournament who may be denied entry to the country.
Highland Council's education committee members have praised apprenticeship programmes offering more young people the chance to learn skills and equip them for the world of work. Foundation Apprenticeships and Modern Apprenticeships in Highland are growing strongly, with participation now well above national averages.
The take-up of these apprenticeships is considered an area of success within The Highland Council’s own dedicated skills programme ‘My Highland Future’. The number of young people in Highland taking Foundation Apprenticeships has grown from 288 in 2020/21 to 661 in 2025/26. Around 10 per cent of all senior‑phase pupils in Highland now take a Foundation Apprenticeship, significantly higher than the Scottish average.
Training is delivered through a range of private and public sector partners, including UHI with schools increasingly delivering Foundation Apprenticeships in‑house, especially in construction skills. These apprenticeships give S5 and S6 pupils real workplace experience and industry‑recognised qualifications, improving their move into employment, apprenticeships or college.
