Latest news with #EasterRoss
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Japanese investor completes takeover of Port of Nigg
A Japanese investor has completed its takeover of a port in the Energy has sold the Port of Nigg and its fabrication arm to minority investor Mitsui for an undisclosed site, in Easter Ross on the Cromarty Firth, is seen as vital to the expansion of offshore wind and is a leading part of one of Scotland's two green port has received about £120m of investment, including some public funding, in the past 14 years to upgrade its facilities. Mitsui took a 25.5% stake in Global Energy, owned by businessman Roy MacGregor, in Tokyo-based firm brings specialism in engineering, energy, shipping and port company said it hoped to further expand manufacturing capacity and infrastructure for both the on and offshore markets after completing the deal. Highlands and Islands Enterprise announced a £10m investment in the port in March to create a new heavy-duty the time, the deputy first minister, Kate Forbes, described it as a "catalyst for further investment".Nigg received its green freeport status in January 2023, alongside Forth freeports are able to offer tax incentives and lower tariffs within the zones they they have commitments to meeting net zero targets and supporting fair work February, HMRC gave it permission to have some of its own customs arrangements, meaning taxes and certain duties on goods arriving do not have to be paid.
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Plan to remove 34 turbines from Easter Ross wind farm
Plans have been submitted to remove 34 turbines from a hillside in Easter Ross and replace them with 10 new ones - more than twice the 1, near Evanton, has been operational since Nadara has proposed decommissioning the existing turbines, which have a maximum blade tip height of 60m (197ft), and installing new ones measuring up to 180m (590ft).The company has submitted its proposals to Highland Council, but the Scottish government would have the final say on the project. Nadara has sent Highland Council a proposal of application notice (PAN) outlining its plans.A control building, substation and underground cabling have also been company said the new turbines would have installed capacity of about 60MW.
Condé Nast Traveler
14-06-2025
- Condé Nast Traveler
Why Now Is the Time to Make a Scottish Whiskey Pilgrimage
Another highlight is following Speyside's Malt Whisky Trail, a microcosm of working distilleries, a historic still house, and the UK's only cooperage, which produces and repairs nearly 150,000 oak casks every year. At each stop, the idea is to connect with Scotland's wild, earthy and extraordinary landscape. Maybe the essential draw of a whiskey trip—by rail, road, or ferry—is that everyone feels implicit in the experience, lost to it and in love with Scotland's landscapes anew, and this helps bring you into closer touch with its communities, but also with a deeper part of yourself. Everyone agrees, teetotaller or not. Whiskey emboldens the traveler. Ben Shakespeare Six of the best distilleries to visit in Scotland Glenmorangie, Tain This part of the Easter Ross coast, crumpled and folded with low, brooding hills and patched with barley fields, lies invisible to many visitors—that is, with the exception of this world-renowned distillery. Drams of floral, citrus-spiced whiskey have been produced on the farm there since 1843, yet the distillery has continued to evolve. As well as a glass tower housing two swan-necked stills—the tallest in the country—and a half-mad laboratory for new creations, there are tours galore and innovative dram tastings. To stay overnight, whiskey-flavor-inspired rooms and cottages are the reward at deliciously handsome Glenmorangie House nearby. The Glenturret, Crieff Founded in 1763, making it Scotland's oldest working distillery, The Glenturret has something no other can brag about: a Michelin-star restaurant. Right now, The Glenturret Lalique has two stars thanks to chef Mark Donald's commitment to doing wonderful things with tattie scones, langoustine and juniper-smoked sika deer, and yet his multi-course menu is only one of the draws. There are whisky maker experiences and bespoke private tours, a Lalique boutique and a 12-bed private hideaway, Aberturret Estate House. The drink itself? The 12 Year Old is rich, with dried fruits, gentle spices and smooth, oaky sweetness. Approachable, then, like the distillery itself. The Macallan, Aberlour Central Speyside is Valhalla for spirit lovers, with shoulder-to-shoulder distilleries like Aberlour, Cardhu, Craigellachie and Knockando paying painstaking tributes to maltmen, past and present. In the eye of the River Spey, The Macallan Estate looks as though it might have always been there, the building half emerging from the soil like a mythical Scots beastie rearing its back. The architecture is arresting and a reflection of the forests around it — a visual display of woven steel, wood and vaulted interiors beneath a wildflower-turfed roof. Undeniably romantic, it is also a place for insightful tours and next-level fine dining, thanks to the arrival of TimeSpirit, a fantasy restaurant collaboration with three-Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca. The Port of Leith Distillery, Edinburgh On down the coast to the capital and to this vertical distillery, the first of its kind in the country. Every other building in Leith seems to be obsessed with heritage, but not this hyper-modern, nine-storey black waterfront tower—the idea was originally for a conventional distillery, but ambition drove co-owners Ian Stirling and Paddy Fletcher towards the clouds. As well as various tours and tastings, the top-floor mezzanine bar rewards with whisky cocktails and memorable skyline views. 'We envisage interrogating every part of the whisky production process to create a perfectly balanced waxy spirit,' says head of whisky Vaibhav Sood. 'People are falling in love with tradition, and in a world full of digital, we're producing something organic and steeped in heritage.' Glen Scotia, Campbeltown In the 1800s, this end-of-the-road Kintyre town was the world's whisky capital, with 35-odd distilleries crowded and clustering the streets. These days, only three remain. The Victorian-era warehouse of Glen Scotia, with its story beginning in 1832, still feels raw and warped, yet it is the ideal setting for behind-the-scenes tours to learn about mashing and fermentation, distillation and maturation. Distillery manager Iain McAlister is a whiskey polymath, and his dedication to single cask expressions has seen the distillery win numerous best-in-class awards, so don't pass on a flight tasting masterclass. A long way from most other big-ticket distilleries, it's the sort of place where you feel part of a secret club. Nowhere is the character of whisky so influenced by sea and land as on the Southern Hebridean island of Islay — you can feel it in the air, with your senses slammed. The phenol-heavy, oily drams produced by the 10 obsessive distilleries here are influenced by the mashing Atlantic, wind-whipped sea spray, and pungent, crackling peat, particularly those produced on the south coast. This is where you'll find Ardbeg, a coastal home for dram-in-detail warehouse tours, plus fine food at The Old Kiln Cafe and Ardstream Trailer. Upping the showiness, Ardbeg House in nearby Port Ellen is opening this autumn, with slavering attention to detail, a dozen themed rooms, a restaurant and a bar to muddle over the peaty paradox of soot and fruit. 'A whisky lover will taste an Ardbeg somewhere like Shanghai, then look at where it's made,' says distillery manager Colin Gordon. 'On a rock in the Atlantic Ocean — and that's so captivating.' A version of this story originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller UK.
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
MoD consulted on plans for new Tain homes near weapons range
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been consulted on plans for 250 new homes in Easter Ross due to a nearby weapons Cairngorm Properties has proposed building the homes in Tain in six phases over about 11 Council officials have recommended that councillors grant the project planning permission in MoD's main concern is around the creation of new habits that could attract flocks of birds - a potential collision hazard to low-flying aircraft, according to a council report. The MoD has raised no objection to the planning application after carrying out a birdstrike could be consulted in the future over proposed landscaping at the housing development. Cairngorm Properties' site is on land at Knockbreck Road, near Tain's Asda development would include a mix of properties, including two-storey houses and three-storey have been asked to approve the project at a meeting next MoD was among organisations consulted due to its Tain Air Weapons Range (AWR).The large range, next to the town on the Dornoch Firth, is used for training UK and Nato aircraft crews and also ground troops.A birdstrike is when birds and aircraft accidently collide, killing or injuring the birds and potentially damaging the aircraft.
Scottish Sun
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Huge fire at Scots vets forces staff to flee with customers and animals
The vets posted on social media to reveal everyone - patients and humans - were safe BLAZE DRAMA Huge fire at Scots vets forces staff to flee with customers and animals Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SICK animals had to be evacuated with staff and owners after a huge fire ripped through a vet's practice. Six fire engine crews raced to the scene of the blaze in Rogart, Easter Ross battling a blaze in Rogart this afternoon after a fire in a local building close to the A839. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Police say there were no suspicious circumstances and confirmed nobody was harmed. There were unconfirmed reports locally that the blaze started when an electric car caught fire, with a shed beside the vets' building also ablaze. A social media post by Rogart Vets earlier today read: 'Due to a fire, the practice is closed. "All patients and staff are safe, and emergency services are on scene. 'Thank you for your kind words and understanding during this difficult time. For emergencies only, please phone the practice number to be transferred to Easter Ross Vets.' A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: 'We were alerted at 11.28am on Friday, May 16, to reports of a fire on the A839 in Rogart, Sutherland. 'Operations Control mobilised seven fire appliances and three specialist resources to the scene, where firefighters are working to extinguish a fire affecting a shed which has now spread to a nearby single-storey commercial building and a car. 'Crews remain in attendance.' Confirming the incident, a Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Emergency services are in attendance following a fire at a premises just off the A839 in Rogart.' Members of the public are being urged to avoid the area, and nearby residents are advised to keep windows and doors closed.
