West of Orkney Windfarm Public Consultation Events

Dates and venues are as follows:

Thurso, The Pentland Hotel
Tue 16th May, 3.30pm – 7.30pm

Strathy, Strathy Village Hall
Wed 17th May, 3.30pm – 7.30pm

Halkirk, Ross Institute
Thu 18th May, 3.30pm – 7.30pm

Kirkwall, Orkney Harbour Authority, Kiln Corner
Tue 23rd May, 10am – 2pm

Sandwick, Sandwick Community Hall
Tue 23rd May, 4pm – 8pm

Kirkwall, LPVG Room, Pickaquoy Centre
Wed 24th May, 3.30pm – 7.30pm

Stromness, Robert Rendall Building, ICIT
Thu 25th May, 3.30pm – 7.30pm

Further information can be accessed online here www.westoforkney.com/communities

Strathnaver Museum in Bettyhill has reopened its doors following an investment of £2m to secure the historic building and improve Strathnaver Museum’s visitor experience. The museum team kicked off their 2023 season when the local community were invited to have a ‘sneak peek’ of the newly installed interpretation and exhibitions.

Visitors were delighted by the improvements to the existing building and new exhibitions which was felt complimented the original building. While the annex building showcasing the agricultural, fishing and trades history was a welcome addition to the museum campus.

The museum tells the story of 8,000 years of human occupation in north west Sutherland in the context of the Highland Clearances. Its eclectic collection includes a bronze age beaker, bagpipes made from a wagon that crossed the Oregon Trail, and a dog skin buoy. Strathnaver Museum will be open until 31^st October, Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm www.strathnavermuseum.org.uk

The refurbishment was made possible thanks to National Lottery players, Cultural and Natural Heritage Fund, Museums and Galleries Scotland, SSE, Dounreay, HIE, The Wolfson Foundation, Caithness and North Sutherland Fund, Garfield Weston and Wildland and the many private donors who supported the work.

Photos by SDM Photography

Wednesday 24th May 2023, 11:00 – 14:00 BST
Puldagon Farm Shop & Restaurant Upper Puldagon Wick KW1 5SD

Agritourism presents a significant opportunity for crofters and farmers and the rural economy.

This event is being run jointly with Scottish Agritourism and Venture North with support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The event is open to farmers, crofters, other business owners and anyone else who has an interest in agritourism and the opportunity that it presents for Caithness and Sutherland.

The meeting will be held at Puldagon Farm Shop and Restaurant and lunch will be provided.

Caroline Millar, Sector Lead for Scottish Agritourism will provide an overview of current agritourism in Caithness and Sutherland and talk about key trends in consumer demand and opportunities for different types of agritourism ventures.

Greig Hooker will provide an overview of his business journey with Puldagon Farm Shop and the event will also focus on agritourism opportunities in Caithness and Sutherland as well as agritourism trends and activity for Scotland as a whole.

There will be an opportunity for Q & A and further discussion.

BOOK NOW.

A cyber security specialist who retrained after retiring from a 37-year career in the civil service has been nominated for a prestigious award.

Marion Chapman had planned to quit work and renovate a cottage before being persuaded to join Cyber Security Scotland.

Now just three years after embarking her new career, Marion is on the shortlist for Security Woman of the Year in the UK IT industry’s Oscars and praised as an inspiration for others.

She said: “It was hard to imagine a new career having spent so long in the civil service, and I didn’t really consider that I had many transferable skills.

“When I took early retirement, working again wasn’t really on the agenda and I was content with the plan to renovate a property.

“To now be nominated for an award just three years after starting out on a new career is a nice surprise.”

Marion is Director of Audit and Assurance at Thurso-based Cyber Security Scotland, a non-profit organisation established to provide independent information security advice.

Led by Dr Keith Nicholson, a former senior Scottish Government advisor, they support public sector organisations such as health boards, and businesses with cyber security advice.

Aberdeenshire based Marion said: “I knew Keith from projects we’d worked on in the past and he asked me if I’d like to collaborate again. One thing led to another and I’m now enjoying working full time again.

“What I did discover was that I wasn’t as ready for early retirement as I thought.

“There is often an assumption cyber security is all about technical aspects, but there is a lot more to it.

“My job involves assessing compliance with regulatory frameworks, checking disaster recovery plans, and making sure organisations are protected the best they can.

“It’s my first nomination for an award so I have my fingers crossed.”

Marion has been nominated in Computing’s ‘Security Excellence Awards’ that celebrate the achievements of the industry over the past year.

They recognise and reward the companies, people, products and projects that provide cyber security to us all at a glittering ceremony in London.

Dr Nicholson said: “Marion deserves to be nominated for this award in recognition of all the benefits and innovations she has brought both to the business and our clients.

“But more than that, she is a role model for others and her success demonstrates the opportunities in cyber security for everyone.

“Marion’s career path shows it is possible to enter cyber security from a different background other than with a computing degree or IT experience, and I hope that inspires others.”

The awards take place on Thursday 27 April in London.

The West of Orkney Windfarm is running a series of public consultation events throughout May and is encouraging members of the public to come along.

The events begin in Thurso on May 16 and continue through to Stromness on May 25.

Speaking about the events, West of Orkney Windfarm Development Director Jack Farnham says:

“We are keen to communicate openly with communities across the north of Scotland and offer opportunities to meet and hear your views.

“We’ve already attended a number of local events including the Durness Gathering, the Halkirk Games, the Dounby Show and the Orkney County Show. In November, we organised a project specific consultation event in seven venues across Caithness, Sutherland and Orkney which were well attended.

“We have now analysed the feedback we have received and would like to share an overview of that analysis. We will also provide a project update and more detailed insights into a number of the environmental assessments we have been undertaking.

“We’d like to encourage as many people as possible to attend, where you will get a chance to meet the development team, ask questions and offer feedback.”

Dates and venues are as follows:

• Thurso, The Pentland Hotel – Tue 16th May, 3.30pm – 7.30p
• Strathy, Strathy Village Hall – Wed 17th May, 3.30pm – 7.30pm
• Halkirk, Ross Institute – Thu 18th May, 3.30pm – 7.30pm
• Kirkwall, Orkney Harbour Authority, Kiln Corner – Tue 23rd May, 10am – 2pm
• Sandwick, Sandwick Community Hall – Tue 23rd May, 4pm – 8pm
• Kirkwall, LPVG Room, Pickaquoy Centre – Wed 24th May, 3.30pm – 7.30pm
• Stromness, Robert Rendall Building, ICIT – Thu 25th May, 3.30pm – 7.30pm

Full details are available here:

www.westoforkney.com/communities

Orbex has announced that construction for Sutherland Spaceport is due to start imminently.

Jacobs, the contractor appointed by Orbex to manage construction for the site has appointed Lybster-based John Gunn and Sons Ltd as its local construction partner. The Gunn team will begin their mobilisation next week on Monday 24th and Tuesday, 25th April. Their initial focus will be to improve and extend the entry to the spaceport site.

In advance of the works starting, safety signage and traffic lights will be set up on the A838 (heading both east and west) close to the spaceport entrance. Work will start formally on 26th April and is expected to be completed by middle or end of May.

Future phases of work will include improvements to various passing places, required as part of the planning requirement from the Highland Council. This work will take place after the spaceport entrance work has been concluded in order to minimise disruption to traffic on the road. Further details about this second phase of work will be released in due course.

Orbex is also currently recruiting for an Environmental Clerk of Works position, making this the second job directly associated with the spaceport. The role will monitor the contractor’s compliance with the ecological, ornithological and hydrological commitments provided in the Environmental Impact Study, approved as part of the 2020 planning permission for the site granted by the Highland Council. Details for vacancy are on the Work with us section of the Orbex website.

The NDA are proud sponsors of VIBES Scottish Environment Business Awards which are showcasing what Scottish businesses are doing to reach the Scottish Government’s ambitious target to become ‘Net Zero’ by 2045.

The prestigious multi-partner awards are calling on businesses to share their inspiring stories, encouraging others to reduce their impact on the environment while providing a just transition.

The 2023 awards feature three new categories: the Just Transition Scotland Award, the Vision in Business Scotland Award and the STV Green Fund Award, with a £30K campaign partnership with STV up for grabs. There are 12 award categories.

Entries are free and applications are open from 1st March 2023 until 14th April 2023, 5pm. All applicants will receive tailored feedback and guidance and will be signposted to free help from Government agencies in relation to further environmental improvement where appropriate. Winners receive an attractive trophy with case studies shared online and associated networking opportunities.

More information can be found at www.vibes.org.uk and or by contacting vibes@sepa.org.uk

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This month, we’re thrilled to welcome to our membership PA Consulting Services we look forward to working with them.

To discuss membership, please reach out to our Business Development manager, Fiona Levack. You can contact Fiona by email: fiona@caithnesschamber.com. You can read about membership on the website using this link.

If you’re already a member but would like a reminder of how to get the most from your membership, Fiona will gladly go over that with you too.