This month, we’re thrilled to welcome Myconsultant.biz, ROSE Sustainability Ltd, Park Lodge International Ltd, Caithness Agricultural Society and Liddicoat PR Consultancy to the Chamber membership group.
We also delighted to welcome Highland Coast Hotels Collection which includes Newton Lodge, Kylesku Hotel, Royal Marine Hotel, Tongue Hotel, Royal Golf Hotel and the Plockton Inn.
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.
Dunnet Bay Distillers has been granted Planning Permission to refurbish the 200-year-old Mill and surrounding land at Castletown, near the distillery’s headquarters.
The Caithness-based company which owns the multi-award-winning Rock Rose Gin and Holy Grass Vodka brands, acquired the historic Mill in 2021. The restoration and fit-out of the refurbished building could cost up to £4million.
The plans involve a full refurbishment of the dilapidated, listed Mill building, with a view to creating further resources for the rapidly expanding business including a visitor centre and a whisky distillery.
Dunnet Bay Distillers products sell globally, enjoying strong sales throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK as well as being distributed in 24 countries across the world.
The eco-friendly spirits company was established in 2014 by husband-and-wife team, Claire Murray and Martin Murray.
Claire Murray, co-founder and co-director of Dunnet Bay Distillers, said: “We are delighted that we now have planning permission to convert the old Mill and thank Highland Council for its decision. We have been working hard with our plans and are looking forward to sharing them in the coming months. The warehouse building has already commenced work and we hope to open a temporary café and small visitor area soon.”
Earlier this year, the company was granted permission to develop a temporary visitor centre, café, and shop near the site of the Old Mill.
Martin Murray, co-founder and co-director of Dunnet Bay Distillers, added: “We’re excited at the prospect of regenerating this fine old building which has lain empty for many years. The Mill will become a Caithness landmark once again and its development will transform our already successful business.”
The company earlier this year asked anyone with connections to the Mill to get in touch to tell their personal stories about the building. The company intends to embed the story of its history into the fabric of the building as they create a new destination on the north coast of Scotland. “We aim to make it into a local destination distillery and so the history is something we wish to remember,” said Martin Murray.
Andrea Wise, Director of Organic Architects, said: “This is a rare opportunity for a thriving local business to regenerate this landmark building which has been unable to find a user for decades. The distillery will be powered by green electricity, making it one of the most sustainable distilleries in the UK industry.” The designs will be contemporary whilst respecting the fabric and style of the old building.
The company has not yet announced when work will commence.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
Image link: https://we.tl/t-PA9iKV7EPI (expires in 7 days’ time)
Jo Jacobius
Dunnet Bay Distillers Press Office
c/o Axiom Communications
+44 (0)7850338998
+44 (0)208 347 8206
Leading independent accountancy and business advisory firm, Johnston Carmichael, has bolstered its private client advisory team with three new senior appointments.
Katy Burke has been appointed as director and Michael Jamieson and Roger Campbell have both been appointed as senior tax managers in the team, all working with Johnston Carmichael clients across the UK.
Known as one of the largest private client tax teams in Scotland, the team’s head count has increased by 17% over the past 12 months alone given the continued increased demand for the team’s specialist tax services.
Key growth areas include succession planning, pre-sale planning and reshaping existing family businesses in a tax efficient way, as families and businesses alike navigate a challenging economic climate and require increasingly specialist advice.
Partner and Head of Private Client Tax, Alexandra Docherty, said: “During and since the pandemic we saw increased demand for our private client tax services, as clients recognised the importance of having in place a clear tax strategy and a strong relationship with trusted advisers. Katy, Michael and Roger are highly experienced advisers who each bring specialist skills in personal tax, both advisory and compliance, and will complement our existing skilled team to drive the business forward.
“In the past year we’ve recruited 10 new advisory experts to the team, and we continue to invest in our people at all stages. As a result of our recent recruitment drive, we’re in a very strong position to capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead for Johnston Carmichael.
The private client tax team comprises 68 staff, including three partners, across the business.
The senior appointments in recent months further augment the firm’s existing deep private client experience. They come at a time of predicted growth with increased demand for national and international advisory services.
Specialist services provided by the private client team include income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax planning, succession strategies, partnership taxation, global mobility, domicile and residence planning, and personal and trust taxation including trust accounting.
Johnston Carmichael has 13 offices across the UK. For further information about Johnston Carmichael visit https://johnstoncarmichael.com.
In July 2021 as you know we started a new project across the North of Scotland called Tech4tots & Teens which ran to the end of April 2022.
This was part of the Device Refurbishment Fund, funded by SCVO.
Due to the high demand of requests from families out with our boundaries, at the end of January we changed our company constitution and extended our project and all our services/activities to Scotland Wide.
Our project made quite an impact as you can see below, this includes jobs, education, numeracy, literacy, social inclusion, poverty and some children’s mental health, this has all come from the feedback we have received.
This project has now finished, and we managed to donate 475 devices across Scotland with 82 families receiving several devices, coming from the Highlands area and 2 families from Orkney.
We are now looking for different funding streams to allow us to continue with this recycling project as a rolling project, with costs rising so rapidly many more families will be turning to us for devices.
Passing on unused tech and refurbishing them contributes to net zero and climate change.
Our organisation is quite unique as there are other businesses recycling devices however not like us.
Caithness Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce that RES, the world’s largest independent renewable energy company, has joined the Chamber as a Silver Premier Partner.
Premier Partnerships are vital to the work of the Chamber and the work that it does to support businesses across the North Highlands. They offer access to a wide range of benefits from the Chamber, and demonstrate a commitment and contribution from the Premier Partner to creating a vibrant region that is economically successful, sustainable, and diverse.
Euan Hogg, Development Project Manager for RES, said:
“RES is delighted to join the Caithness Chamber of Commerce as a Premier Partner and demonstrate its commitment to the local supply chain. We have had a presence in Caithness for almost two decades, having developed and built Forss Wind Farm which we now operate and more recently in relation to our 5-turbine wind farm proposal at Cairnmore Hill to the west of Thurso.
“Since joining the Chamber we have been impressed with the dedicated support from Trudy and her team together with the breadth and depth of their local knowledge. Caithness is unique in that it has a wealth of local businesses with extensive experience and expertise in onshore wind development. As such, RES is keen to maximise the inward investment and supply chain opportunities for local businesses and contractors, as well as other local benefits from our projects and activities in the area, and we look forward to working with the Chamber in order to achieve this.”
Trudy Morris, Chief Executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce, said:
“We are delighted to welcome RES to the Chamber as a Premier Partner and look forward to working closely with them over the coming year. Renewable energy in all its forms will play a key role in the economic diversification and growth of the North Highlands over the coming years, and significant planned developments in all areas of the sector over the next decade present real opportunities for our local supply chain.
“It is fantastic to see a large company like RES demonstrating a real commitment to understanding the unique challenges and opportunities that face the business community in our area, and to working with us to maximise local opportunities and benefits.
“We look forward to working with RES to demonstrate the skills, capabilities and expertise that our supply chain can bring to their projects, and to ensure that our members are aware of the opportunities that are available locally as these projects progress.”
RES is the world’s largest independent renewable energy company with operations across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.
At the forefront of the industry for 40 years, RES has delivered more than 22 GW of renewable energy projects across the globe, helping offset more than 23 million tonnes of carbon every year, and supports an operational asset portfolio exceeding 9 GW worldwide, including 21 wind farms in Scotland with a total generation capacity of 597 MW.
Caithness Chamber of Commerce is the foremost business networking organisation in the North Highlands. It aims to support every type of business, from sole traders and small businesses to large corporate companies, and has a mission to create a vibrant economy within the North Highlands that is successful, sustainable and diverse.
Scrabster Harbour’s latest facilities for cruise liners welcomed their first vessel, with MS Hamburg berthing at the redeveloped St. Ola Pier on 3rd May.
The vessel, operated by Plantours Kreuzfahrten, arrived from Oban with around 300 German passengers on board and tied up on the new 250 metre east berth, part of the £19 million multi-purpose redevelopment works at the Caithness port completed in late 2021.
The passengers enjoyed a number of excursions around Caithness before departing for Rosyth.
Jason Hamilton, Harbour Master at Scrabster Harbour Trust, said “It is great to have our first call on the redeveloped pier. The additional berthing and quayside facilities are part of our plan to attract and service the cruise industry. We are working hard with local partners to promote Scrabster and our local attractions to the cruise industry”
A Highland social enterprise and charity is expanding its warranties on refurbished appliances to encourage customers to think about the environment when purchasing for their homes.
ILM Highland has doubled its warranty from three to six months on appliances refurbished in its workshop in Alness. The new policy applies on all refurbished white goods sold in its Alness store, as well as online.
The firm hopes that by expanding its warranties, it will encourage more people to consider the environmental impact of purchasing and disposing of large appliances – and in turn, help to fund its charitable services for vulnerable people in the Highland community.
Kenny Horsfield, operations manager at ILM Highland, said: “We are big supporters of the circular economy, and believe that many products which are condemned to landfill can actually be preserved and reused for many more years, often with very simple repairs.
“By extending our warranties on refurbished appliances, we hope to encourage shoppers to think about the environmental impact of their purchases, and consider whether they really need to buy new.
“Every year, 23.9kg of waste electronics and equipment are generated by every person in the UK, and it is our mission to educate people about this. We encourage shoppers to think about their buying habits, and consider carefully where they make their next purchase.”
Operations manager Kenny Horsfield believes ILM Highland’s new extended warranty will help customers make more environmentally friendly purchases.
ILM Highland collects waste electronics and appliances from all Highland Council recycling centres, as well as offering electronic recycling services to businesses across the region. The firm also offers uplift of old appliances when it makes deliveries in the Highlands.
Appliances and laptops which are in good condition are fully repaired and refurbished, to be sold at hugely discounted prices. Those which cannot be repaired are recycled responsibly, to reduce the amount of waste ending up in landfill.
As well as selling refurbished items, the organisation also stocks a selection of affordable new white goods including fridges, freezers, washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers and cookers. Purchases of new goods can be paid off in instalments through Klarna, ensuring everyone has access to the appliances they need.
Mr Horsfield continued: “Alongside our refurbished stock, we also carry a large range of new appliances. Where customers are looking for a specific model, we are often able to source this at a much more affordable price than other retailers.
“In the last few months, we have also introduced Klarna payments for new appliances, giving customers more flexibility in how they pay. We know that coming out of the pandemic, many household budgets are stretched, so we see this as a way of helping families and individuals retain the quality of life they are used to.”
Proceeds from all sales of new and refurbished items at ILM Highland go towards supporting the organisation’s charitable services, which support vulnerable people to be at home. Its Handyperson service offers elderly and disabled residents, as well as military veterans, help around the house for simple DIY and household chores – with over 3,000 jobs being undertaken every year.
Similarly, the Care & Repair service helps equip vulnerable people with the knowledge and suppliers they need to carry out more complex home improvements and adjustments, from installing accessible bathrooms to fixing structural damage.
ILM Highland is a social enterprise, supporting vulnerable people in the Scottish Highlands to live at home – giving them greater independence and freedom. It achieves this through its Handyperson and Care & Repair services, providing assistance with small and large home repairs and improvements.
ILM Highland’s charitable services are supported by income generated from its professional and fully certified service for businesses to dispose of their waste electronic and electrical equipment; a domestic small and large electrical recycling service; a Spares & Repairs services to assist in repairing household appliances; and its shop in Alness and online, which sells a wide selection of new and refurbished electrical appliances and refurbished Chromebooks.
To find out more about ILM Highland, visit www.ilmhighland.co.uk or follow ILM Highland on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Caithness Chamber of Commerce was delighted on Tuesday 29th March to host a business breakfast allowing businesses of all sectors across the North Highlands to learn more about upcoming opportunities in the space industry.
Hosted in partnership with Space Hub Sutherland and Highlands & Islands Enterprise, the event gave attendees the opportunity to hear from Roy Kirk, Project Director at Space Hub Sutherland and Mark Thornell, Procurement Manager at Orbex about the exciting developments moving forward in the region and the opportunities for the local supply chain to get involved.
Attendees heard about the significant potential for growth in the sector, with hopes that it will be worth up to £4bn to the Scottish economy by 2030, and the significant opportunities available in the North Highlands thanks to the development of the vertical launch spaceport at A’ Mhòine in Sutherland.
Roy Kirk gave an overview of the background to the Space Hub Sutherland project, noting the many benefits of the decision to site the spaceport in the region, from good access to orbits to a supportive local environment. Mark Thornell gave attendees an overview of the types of supply chain opportunities that Orbex has already been able to offer to Scottish companies as well as potential opportunities that may arise in the future.
Trudy Morris, Chief Executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce, said:
“It is clear from last year’s report on the potential for a North Highland & Moray Space Cluster that the North Highlands has huge potential both to contribute to and to gain from developments in Scotland’s thriving space sector. We were very pleased today to be able to give local businesses a greater insight into the economic opportunities that are upcoming in the area as a result of these developments.
“The North Highlands is home to a highly skilled local supply chain with expertise in a range of complex and highly regulated sectors and the Chamber is in the final stages of producing a supply chain directory to showcase the skills available in the region. We look forward to continuing to work closely with local partners to promote and support the development of the space sector within the North Highlands”.
Roy Kirk, Project Director, Space Hub Sutherland, said:
“The development of Space Hub Sutherland has already benefited from community and business support. We have had several large Aerospace companies and Space companies who have visited the area and have positively remarked on the high standard of support that they have received here.”
Chris Larmour, CEO of Orbex said:
“Orbex is at the forefront of the Scottish space industry and is focused on building the world’s most environmentally friendly space rocket to launch small satellites into low-earth Orbit from our home spaceport in Sutherland. These satellites will provide a range of new services – everything from providing rural connectivity to monitoring the impact of climate change. We have rapidly expanded our operations in the north of Scotland in recent years, putting local people from the area at the heart of this exciting new industry, and we are committed to engaging with local communities and businesses to keep them and informed about opportunities to work with Orbex, and help build a truly local supply chain wherever we can.”
MacLean International Fit 4 Offshore Renewables
A year-long intensive programme has reaped dividends for MacLean International Group Limited as it joins a select group of companies reaching Granted status on the Ore Catapult Fit 4 Offshore Renewables (F40R) Programme. The industry led, fully funded unique service, supported by One North East (ONE) and Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP), was set up to help UK companies prepare to bid for work in the offshore renewable energy sector.
With an impressive track record in Oil and Gas over the last 45 years, supporting clients globally with hazardous area electrical, MRO, tooling, valve, PPE and safety solutions, MacLean International, part of the DNOW Group, operating in 180+ locations, was shortlisted from over 80 applications, based on its robust systems and the drive and commitment from Senior Management.
MacLean International fully immersed itself in the 2 parts to the dynamic initiative: a Business Excellence programme and detailed Sector Awareness training, implementing an array of business enhancements. Granted status now confirms that Ore Catapult is fully satisfied that MacLean International Group possess the knowledge, capability and competence to meet the required standard to do business in the sector and have the systems, processes, and knowledge deeply embedded within the organisation to succeed well into the future.
Mark Bruce – DNOW Vice President International Operations shares this conviction “The F4OR programme has been a catalyst to the company’s strategy for continued growth in the renewables sector. We are now in a much stronger position to access new opportunities to engage with major industry stakeholders and potential future customers and are fully committed to further invest in people, products and systems to enhance our offerings both domestically and internationally in this sector”.
For further information contact: Gina Mooney, Business Development, MacLean International Group Limited – gina.mooney@dnow.com (T: +44 (0)1224 854112)