The Highland Council has confirmed some refuse and recycling dates will change over the festive period. If your normal collection dates would be Wednesday 25th December and Wednesday 1st January, collections will be brought forward to Saturday 21st December and Saturday 28th December. Boxing Day collections will operate as normal while any collection due on Thursday 2nd January will be uplifted on Saturday 4th January.
If your bin is not collected on the rescheduled dates, the Council says you should leave it out and it will be collected as soon as possible. Recycling centres will be closed on 25th and 26th December and on 1st and 2ndJanuary.
The University of Edinburgh plans to partner Kinloch Woodlands, a local charity based in Shieldaig Loch Torridon, and intends to plant two million trees to restore native woodlands, to increase wildlife population and combat climate change. The Kinloch Woodlands border an ancient Celtic rainforest and are already partnered with the Northwoods Rewilding Network operated by the rewilding charity, Scotland: The Big Picture.
In the 1990s around 500,000 trees were planted in the Kinloch Woodlands, to accelerate the process of woodland restoration, and the mix of Scots pine, downy birch and rowan is projected to develop into an open lattice woodland which will fit naturally into the wider landscape. The partnership involving the University of Edinburgh is thought to be the first of its kind in Scotland, where an educational institute is delivering natural capital benefits to a community landowner.
Notwithstanding income having risen by almost £200,000 to £6.8 million pounds, Eden Court Theatre in Inverness recorded losses of almost £670,000 in the last year, albeit down by over £200,000 from the previous year.
Chief executive, Rebecca Holt, said that the losses relate mainly to a 2007 capital project the cost of which is recognised over a number of years while in 2024 Eden Court saw a 5% increase in ticket sales. This increase combined with a robust and positive response to the challenging economic environment, she says, achieves financial stability, with a modest operating surplus of £123,000, amounting to 1.8 per cent of turnover.
The year is summed up as a successful year of creativity, growth and community impact including an award as Venue of the Year at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards.
