Local News – 11th of February 2026

PORTREE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Portree Primary School’s new headteacher, Jennifer Tyronney has been speaking to Radio Skye.

She took over in November 2025 after joining the school the year before as an Additional Support Needs Teacher. Mrs Tyronney has previously taught in Inverness at Kinmylies Primary.

Speaking to the Breakfast Show with Suzy Lee, she said:

“I know on our school improvement plan this year there’s a lot to do with our outdoor learning so that’s a huge focus for us. In particular using all of our rich connection to the environment. We’ve got a lovely lady from Love Outdoors doing a whole school survey to give us a plan on how to incorporate outdoor learning and use our environment around us.”

PORTREE LINK ROAD

Radio Skye understands the Portree Link Road could be completed as early as the end of July 2026. Contractors Strath Civil Engineering announced on Monday that work has started at the site.

£1.9 million in funding has been allocated by the Scottish Government and the Highland Council for the project. The hope is it will ease traffic in the area, avoiding the need to travel through Portree town centre and reducing congestion at the junction to Portree Harbour.

Dog walkers are being asked to use the nearby path as much as possible. Some temporary traffic measures will be in place during the final weeks of construction.

GREEN ENERGY INVESTMENT

The UK Government has announced £1bn of investment in community owned green energy schemes across the country.

Ministers hope the initiative will cut bills and generate revenue.

Henrik Micski, Chair of the Isle of Skye Renewables Co-operative said:

“Providing more financial incentives for communities to install renewable energy is absolutely fantastic.

“It’s the key to unlocking those types of installations. At the Co-operative we’ve been supporting communities in Skye and Raasay since 2009.

“We set up a specific fund for that and over the last several years we’ve provided around £250,000 in direct funding to local community projects.”

Critics of the scheme see this as an example of the industrialisation of the countryside.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“Britain’s drive for clean energy is about answering the call for a different kind of economy that works for the many, not just the wealthy and powerful in our society. Local and community energy is at the heart of our government’s vision.

“With the biggest ever investment in community energy in Britain’s history, this government is saying to every local community: we want you to be able to own and control clean energy so the profits flow into your community not simply out to the big energy companies.

“By giving local people the chance to take control of their energy, this government is making a fundamental choice to transfer wealth and power back to communities across Britain.”