17 SEPTEMBER 2026

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Five Highland councillors have lost a vote of no confidence over their involvement in a decision to allow convicted rapist David Brown to retain two taxi operator licences.

Councillors Sean Kennedy, Duncan Macpherson, John Grafton, Chris Birt and Ruraidh Stewart were the subject of the motion at a meeting of Highland Council in Inverness.

The motion was passed by 56 votes to six, with five abstentions.

The June licensing decision prompted widespread public anger after the committee voted to take no action against Brown’s operator licences, despite objections from Police Scotland.

Brown, who was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison for raping an 18-year-old passenger, later surrendered the licences.

Councillors defend their actions

The five councillors were given the opportunity to speak during the debate.

John Grafton, who was expelled from the Scottish Liberal Democrats following the licensing decision, said he had found it difficult to defend himself against the allegations made about him.

He said:

“The decision I took in June was not about the taxi driver being a fit and proper person. That may be wrong, yes, OK, I admit that. But I believe the decision made was about protecting the public and protecting individuals.”

He also criticised media coverage of the issue, saying there had been “a deluge” from members of the press.

Mr Grafton said he believed there had been too much bias for the motion to be a “realistic vote”.

Chris Birt said he had been advised there were two options available to the licensing committee: to revoke the licences or take no action.

He said Brown’s wife had attended the meeting and had asked councillors to take no action because she was using the licences to support herself.

Mr Birt was interrupted by Council Convener Bill Lobban, who warned that he was:

“Verging into discussions about confidential information that could have a profound result.”

Mr Birt continued, saying:

“At no time did I say that Brown was ‘fit and proper’.”

He said he believed councillors were trying to act in the best interests of the Highland population.

He also suggested that someone had leaked a version of the private meeting to the press.

Mr Birt finished by saying he had received correspondence from women “thanking” him for supporting Brown’s wife.

Duncan Macpherson, the leader of the Highland Alliance, said serving on the licensing committee had been a “privilege”.

He said some of the press coverage had been “selective” and that “much of the public discussion has not reflected the complexity of the issues considered.”

Mr Macpherson said he was unable to fully defend himself because the licensing meeting had been quasi-judicial and held in private.

He said:

“The motion was tabled, then an amendment offered. The legal clerk read out the options – revoke or take no action. Therefore the vote was competent and legal.”

He also claimed that those proposing the no confidence motion, including senior council leaders, had their “own motives”.

Ruraidh Stewart said he had not publicly commented on the issue and would not be “drawn into” doing so, but he did say it was to the “shame” of the council that some members had disclosed parts of the private meeting.

Sean Kennedy was also named in the motion but did not speak during the debate.

Criticism from other councillors

The motion was supported by a number of councillors who said the decision had damaged confidence in the licensing process.

Council Convener Bill Lobban opened the debate by accusing the five councillors of a “catastrophic failure of judgement”.

He said they had brought “shame upon this council” and that the message sent to women in the Highlands was that “your safety is of secondary consideration”.

Council leader Raymond Bremner said there was a responsibility on councillors to make the right decisions.

He said it was “difficult to understand how some members of the licensing committee came to the conclusion” that Brown was a fit and proper person to hold the licences.

Mr Bremner said all members had since received licensing training.

The Scottish Liberal Democrat group leader Alasdair Christie said: “An apology doesn’t cut it.”

He said the motion was about rebuilding trust and was not a “witch hunt”.

Mr Christie said the June decision had one outcome:

“To make a young woman suffer even more than she had done.”

Background

The debate also looked beyond the June decision.

Scottish Green councillor Chris Ballance pointed to an earlier Licensing Committee decision in January 2024, when SNP councillor Drew Millar was a member of the committee.

Mr Ballance said Millar’s decision to put forward an amendment allowing Brown to keep his taxi driver’s licence was “just as wrong” and “just as derogatory towards women”.

Millar was no longer on the committee by the time of the June 2026 decision, after Brown’s conviction.

In an exclusive interview with Radio Skye on 3 August, he spoke publicly about his involvement.

Listen to Jamie McDonald’s full interview with Drew Millar here.

In an interview with Radio Skye on 27 August, Councillor Chris Birt defended his actions and said he would make the same decision again.

He said the committee had been protecting Brown’s wife, who was operating the business, rather than Brown himself.

Listen to Jamie McDonald’s full interview with Chris Birt here.

Emotional contributions

Several councillors made emotional contributions during the debate.

Morven Reid of the Highland Independents said she was:

“Astonished by the justifications presented to us this morning.”

She referred to the actions of staff at Tesco in Dingwall, who helped the victim after she had been left outside in freezing conditions.

Ms Reid said:

“Had it not been for the actions of the staff in Tesco in Dingwall, she [the victim] could have perished.”

She said the best case scenario was that the five councillors “failed to understand their remit” and the worst case was that they “had fully understood and chose to disregard the request from Police Scotland to revoke the license.”

Ms Reid said she intended to show the recording of the meeting to her teenage daughters, who she said would be “utterly horrified” by some of the comments.

Glynis Campbell Sinclair, a former chair of Inverness Women’s Aid, said the central issue was that “a young girl has been a victim.”

She said:

“Our first, absolute, and unyielding duty in this chamber should have been to protect her.”

Ms Campbell Sinclair criticised members of the Highland Alliance for defending Duncan Macpherson.

She said she had “never, ever felt as strongly about an issue as this.”

Emma Knox, one of the four women who voted against allowing Brown to retain his licences, said the vote was about more than the original decision.

She said the fallout had caused “continuing damage to public confidence.”

Ms Knox criticised members who had discussed the case publicly, saying “we knew confidential evidence had been discussed in private” and “we understood the importance of that confidentiality.”

She said every new interview and news report had put the case back in front of the victim.

Ms Knox said the motion was not about punishment but “restoring public confidence”.

Lyndsey Johnston, who was also on the licensing committee, said there had been a “fundamental misunderstanding” by the male members of how to judge whether someone was fit and proper.

She said:

“Six men reached one conclusion, the four women on that committee reached another,” and said the issue was about more than one bad decision.

Margaret Paterson of the Highland Independents described the June decision as a “black day” for Highland Council.

She said:

“People trust councillors, but not now. They have no respect for us as they blame us all.”

Chrissie Gillies, Highland Independent councillor for Skye and Raasay, said she was “utterly disgusted” by some of the comments made during the debate.

She said councillors needed to “stand up for the people”.

Disagreement over the motion

Not all councillors supported the motion.

Sinclair Coghill of the Highland Alliance said he had not attended the June meeting and had not heard the arguments put forward at the time.

He said he “cannot come to a view on the rights and wrongs of the decision on that day.”

He described the motion as having a “flavour of an old score being settled” and said he believed it was a “witch hunt”.

Richard Cross, also of the Highland Alliance, said the June decision was wrong but that this was with the benefit of hindsight.

He said “mistakes can happen” and suggested the leak of information from the private meeting had raised questions about whether councillors could trust each other.

The debate ended with 56 councillors voting in favour of the motion, six against and five abstentions.

Of the six against, they include all five councillors referred to in the motion, as well as Scottish Conservative Councillor Liz Saggers.

17 September 2026

12.58pm

The six who disagree with the motion include the five members it refers to and Councillor Liz Saggers (Scottish Conservatives).

There is now a short break before the Council considers other items on the agenda. Thank you for following this thread.

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12.51pm

The debate finishes with a vote. 56 agree that they have no confidence in councillors Sean Kennedy, Duncan Macpherson, John Grafton, Chris Birt and Ruraidh Stewart. 6 disagree and 5 abstain.

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12.47pm

Thomas MacLennan (Highland Independent) says “sometimes bad decisions are made by good people” but that “this wasn’t a bad decision, this was a catastrophic decision.”

Matthew Reiss of Highland Alliance appears to suggest he is willing to vote against his group leader, Duncan Macpherson, saying he has distilled it down to a simple question: “Was Brown a fit and proper person to hold this licence? The answer is no.”

Lib Dem, Trish Robertson urges members to “get back to basics” and remember the matter at hand.

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12.45pm

Skye Councillor Ruraidh Stewart (Scottish Conservative) says he has not publicly commented on the matter and will not be “drawn into” doing so.

He says it is to the “shame” of the council that some members have disclosed parts of the meeting.

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12.42pm

Another of the five, Duncan Macpherson (Highland Alliance), says serving on the licensing committee has been a “privilege”. He goes on to say some of what the press reported was “selective” and that “much of the public discussion has not reflected the complexity of the issues considered.”

He says he is prevented from defending himself properly as he is unable to share details of the meeting given that it was quasi-judicial.

He says what he can say is that the “motion was tabled, then an amendment offered. The legal clerk read out the options – revoke or take no action. Therefore the vote was competent and legal.”

He finishes by saying those proposing the motion, including the senior council leadership, have their “own motives”.

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12.27pm

Councillor Duncan McDonald of the Highland Alliance questions why none of the notes from the clerks from the June meeting have been disclosed. He says everything has been done “properly” and in accordance with council policy. He then turns to the matter of the leak from the meeting, which he says “ignored proper procedures”. At this point he is heckled by another member. His statement is cut short by Convener Bill Lobban, who says he has had more than five minutes.

Skye Councillor John Finlayson (Highland Independent) says he is “concerned by the attempt made to protect certain members because of loyalty” and that in life, there is “a right, and a wrong”.

Scottish Labour’s Michael Gregson says his daughter and other young women using taxis in Inverness and elsewhere have to hear a “strong message” from the council on women’s safety.

Raasay-based Skye councillor Chrissie Gillies (Highland Independent) says she is “utterly disgusted” by some of the comments made by members and that it is up to councillors to “stand up for the people”.

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12.06pm

Scottish Liberal Democrat Councillor Janet McEwan says she commends the whistleblower who leaked the decision to the press and that to use that as an excuse is “absolutely atrocious”. She says she supports Cllr Willie Mackay, who was one of the six who voted in favour in June. He resigned from the committee and stood down as a councillor altogether.

Michael Green of the Highland Independent group says he wasn’t going to speak but says the contributions from those defending themselves have been “excruciating” and that it is “quite simply, beyond the pale.”

Lib Dem councillor Andrew Baxter, who is also MP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, says he is “beyond anger” and is “saddened”. He says it is “beyond belief” that colleagues have suggested some are voting to settle old scores and that those who made the decision in June have “lost my respect” because of their “continued self-justification.”

He says he received a WhatsApp from a colleague last night suggesting councillors were voting in favour of the motion on party political grounds. He says that is “disingenuous”.

Cllr Baxter finishes by saying his greatest fear is that those involved will continue to “sit amongst us” and think they’ve done nothing wrong.

“Shame on you,” he says.

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11.51am

Highland Independent Morven Reid is emotional as she begins her contribution. She says she is “astonished by the justifications presented to us this morning.”

She says “had it not been for the actions of the staff in Tesco in Dingwall, she [the victim] could have perished.”

She says the best case scenario is that the five councillors “failed to understand their remit” and the worst case is that they “fully understood and chose to disregard the request from Police Scotland to revoke the licence.”

She says she intends to show the recording of today’s meeting to her teenage daughters, who she says were “already disgusted by the decision taken in June” and that they will be “utterly horrified” by what has been said today.

Her Highland Independent colleague, Laura Dundas, says the June decision has had a “significant impact” on the wider taxi industry across the Highlands. She says confidence in the licensing process has been “undermined”.

Scottish Labour councillor Andrew MacKintosh says the conduct of the committee “reflects on all of us” and that the six councillors “overstepped the remit of the committee.”

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11.38am

Cllr Laurie Fraser (Highland Independent) says the conduct of those on the committee is “beyond the pale”. Speaking directly to the five, he says: “You have been here long enough to do any further good. You should be gone from this chamber and not darken its doors again.”

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11.32am

We’re now hearing from the SNP’s Glynis Campbell Sinclair, who is a former chair of Inverness Women’s Aid.

She says at the core of this matter is that “a young girl has been a victim.”

She says “our first, absolute, and unyielding duty in this chamber should have been to protect her.”

She criticises members of the Highland Alliance for defending their group leader, Duncan Macpherson, who is one of the five facing the no confidence vote.

She finishes by saying she has “never, ever felt as strongly about an issue as this.”

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11.30am

Cllr Christie’s Lib Dem colleague David Gregg says he has “never had more contact about an issue in this chamber than this one.”

He goes on to say “every single woman I know asked me about this decision and asked, ‘how did that possibly get made?'”

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11.27am

Councillor Alasdair Christie (Lib Dem) says “an apology doesn’t cut it.”

He criticises councillors Coghill and Cross, saying their remarks were “disgraceful”, going on to ask, “what planet can you be on to make a statement like that?”

Cllr Christie says this decision is what this council term will be remembered for.

He finishes by saying the no confidence motion is about rebuilding trust, and is not a “witch hunt”, as Cllr Coghill said earlier.

He says the decision in June had one outcome: “to make a young woman suffer even more than she had done.”

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11.20am

Another one of the five, Cllr Chris Birt, is speaking now. He says the legal advice he received on 23 June was that he had two options: to revoke the licence or to take no action.

He says it’s not unusual for the holder of a licence not to be an active taxi driver and that with Brown in prison, this was the case.

Birt goes on to say Brown’s wife was present at the meeting and she “implored” the committee to take no action as “she was using it to support herself.”

At this stage, Council Convener Bill Lobban interrupts Cllr Birt to say he is “verging into discussions about confidential information that could have a profound result.”

Cllr Birt continues, saying it is “all in the public arena.”

He says there was no risk to the public and at no time did he say that Brown was “fit and proper”.

He goes on: “It is my belief that all members of this council, despite our political differences, seek to take decisions in what we deem to be the best interests of the Highland population.”

He says some other members voted differently to him and he respects that. But he then says he suspects someone at the meeting “leaked a version” later that day.

He finishes by saying he has received correspondence from women “thanking” him for supporting Brown’s wife.

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11.05am

We’re now hearing from the first of the five who are facing today’s no confidence motion. Cllr John Grafton was a Scottish Liberal Democrat until he was expelled by the party in the wake of the June decision.

He says the nature of the allegations people have made against him has made it “very difficult to be direct or to actually defend oneself”.

He says the decision he took in June was “not about the taxi driver being a fit and proper person. That may be wrong, yes, OK, I admit that. But I believe the decision made was about protecting the public and protecting individuals.”

He goes on to say there has been a “deluge” from the press in the last three months” and that there is too much bias to make this a “realistic vote.”

He finishes by saying he “could say a lot more” but he won’t and that he’s happy to talk to members outside of the meeting.

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10.51am

Scottish Greens Councillor Chris Balance says this is part of a wider process.

He says the decision of Skye Councillor Drew Millar (SNP) in January 2024 to put forward an amendment to allow Brown to keep his licence was “just as wrong” and “just as derogatory towards women”.

Millar was part of the Licensing Committee at the time but had stepped down by the time of the decision in June 2026.

Cllr Balance mentions the amendment in 2024 was supported by Councillor John Bruce and that he feels it is “really important to stand up and put their names on the record because I believe they are equally morally and legally wrong in that decision.”

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10.44am

Cllr Richard Cross of Highland Alliance says the decision was wrong but this is with the benefit of hindsight.

He says “mistakes can happen” and that the committee is no exception.

He goes on to suggest an “anonymous individual or group” leaked details to the press and asks if members can trust each other as a result.

He also says there has been “clear collusion between senior elected members” and that the full council meeting on 4 August was “designed to influence the proposed vote” and should be reported to the Standards Commission.

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10.37am

Councillor Sinclair Coghill of the Highland Alliance is the first to indicate he won’t support the motion.

He says he wasn’t at the meeting in June and did not hear the arguments that day and therefore he “cannot come to a view on the rights and wrongs of the decision on that day.”

He says there is a “flavour of an old score being settled which I find unpalatable.”

He goes on to say he feels this is a “witch hunt” and that members might feel unsafe voting against the motion because of party loyalty, bullying and social media abuse.

He says the message to anyone thinking of becoming a councillor is “do something we don’t like and we will publicly humiliate you.”

He closes by saying he will not support the motion.

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10.28am

Highland Independent Councillor Margaret Paterson says the decision in June was a “black day” for Highland Council and describes it as “huge, bad and unbelievable.”

“What were they thinking?” she asks.

“People trust councillors, but not now. They have no respect for us as they blame us all.”

Cllr Paterson says she is “so sad as a mother of five daughters and twelve granddaughters.”

She finishes by saying, “My heart goes out to the young teenage passenger and I admire the staff of Tesco in Dingwall who helped her when she was disorientated and distressed after being dumped on a cold and bitter night.”

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10.23am

Highland Independent Councillor David Fraser says “accountability matters” and that “public confidence relies on elected members being prepared to recognise when mistakes are made and to take appropriate action.”

Cllr Fraser urges members not to forget the victim at the heart of the story.

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10.21am

SNP Councillor Lyndsey Johnston is also on the licensing committee.

She says there was a “fundamental misunderstanding” by the male members of how to judge someone fit and proper.

She says the argument from some members that they took the decision in order to prevent Brown’s wife from being unable to work doesn’t come into it.

“Six men reached one conclusion, the four women on that committee reached another,” she says.

Cllr Johnston says there has been “anger across the Highlands and far beyond it” in response to the decision.

Echoing previous speakers, she says this is about “more than one bad decision” and that it is about judgement.

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10.12am

SNP Councillor Emma Knox, who was one of the four women who voted against Brown keeping his licences, is speaking now.

She says the vote today is about much more than the decision in June.

She says the fallout has caused “continuing damage to public confidence.”

She is critical of members who discussed the case publicly, saying “we knew confidential evidence had been discussed in private” and that “we understood the importance of that confidentiality.”

She acknowledges that Councillors Stewart and Mackay did not speak publicly but says the rest gave “repeated media interventions, public statements and made ongoing attempts to justify their decision.”

Cllr Knox thanks Convener Lobban for “repeatedly reminding us that at the centre of this case is a young woman who was raped.”

She goes on to say: “Every fresh interview, every renewed news cycle, put this case back in front of her. Another headline, another front page image of the man who raped her.”

She says it is “absolutely astonishing” that Councillor Chris Birt has not stood down from the committee.

She finishes by saying the motion is not about punishment, it is about “restoring public confidence”.

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09.59am

Council leader Raymond Bremner (SNP) says there is “little more to be added” to Convener Lobban’s statement.

He says members of the community have been “terribly affected” by the decision in June.

He urges members to accept that there is a “responsibility” on councillors to make the right decisions.

Cllr Bremner says “going forward, we cannot ever again even consider that the processes within the quasi-judicial system of this council can fail members of our community in such a way”.

He points out that all members have now received licensing training. On that point he says it is “difficult to understand how some members of the licensing committee came to the conclusion” and says that those who considered David Brown to be a “fit and proper person” were wrong.

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09.52am

Council Convener Bill Lobban (Highland Independent) starts the meeting by saying the five councillors are responsible for a “catastrophic failure of judgement”.

He says they’ve brought “shame upon this council”.

Cllr Lobban says members of the licensing committee have “time and time again made decisions that are questionable to say the least”.

He says the message sent to women in the Highlands is that “your safety is of secondary consideration”.

The Convener says there have been “pathetic excuses” from the five councillors in recent weeks and that he has “lost faith” in them to go about their duties.

Concluding, Cllr Lobban urges the local authority to “rebuild the trust that has been shattered” and calls for members to back the motion of no confidence in Councillors Kennedy, Macpherson, Grafton, Birt and Stewart.

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09.40am

The full council meeting is underway. Members are registering their attendance after a problem with the IT system.

Of the five, Councillors Kennedy and Stewart have joined the meeting online. Macpherson, Grafton and Birt are all in the chamber.

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08.35am

Councillors Sean Kennedy, Duncan Macpherson, John Grafton, Chris Birt and Ruraidh Stewart are facing a vote of no confidence at Thursday’s full council meeting.

In June, six members of the Licensing Committee voted to allow convicted rapist David Brown to keep his taxi operator’s licence.

The move prompted public anger. A meeting was held on 4 August to review the decision, but Brown surrendered his licence the night before. Instead, the meeting saw Convener Bill Lobban announce that those councillors who voted for Brown to keep the licence would face a confidence vote.

The meeting is due to start at 9.35am.

Follow for updates.

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Skye councillor says £1m teacher recruitment fund is not enough

A Highland councillor says a new Scottish Government fund aimed at tackling teacher shortages in rural and island communities does not go far enough.

The £1 million Teacher Recruitment Assistance Fund (TRAF) will help teachers taking up posts with relocation and housing costs.

The Scottish Government says the fund is a pilot, with its impact to be monitored before decisions are made on future funding. It is part of wider measures to address teacher recruitment and reduce class contact time.

Skye councillor John Finlayson says the funding will not meet the scale of the challenge facing rural authorities.

He said:

“While I am delighted that finally consideration is being given by the Scottish Government to the unique and widespread challenges that rural authorities face, with the recruitment and retention of teachers for some subjects, £1 million pounds shared amongst the many councils who will be eligible to receive funding is not going to make the difference required.”

Teachers are also due to receive a further 90 minute reduction in weekly class contact time from August 2027 for primary teachers and from August 2029 for secondary teachers.

Councillor Finlayson says that could increase pressure on rural councils because more teachers will be needed to cover the same amount of classroom teaching.

He said:

“The added pressures that are also associated with a further reduction in class contact time for all teachers which will see a further 90minute reduction to 21 hours maximum class contact time, means more teachers will be needed across the whole country which I believe, will mean it will be even harder for rural authorities to recruit staff.”

He says the situation could eventually force councils to consider changes to how schools operate, including a shorter school week.

The Scottish Government says the recruitment fund is part of a wider programme of measures, including a minimum three year job guarantee for newly qualified teachers and plans to help established primary teachers gain additional registration.

Education Secretary Màiri McAllan said the Government must “continue our work to cut the costs of the school day for families” and that she would work with “young people, their families, the workforce, trade unions and local government to ensure every child receives the highest standard of education.”

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Knockbreck Primary School faces permanent closure

Highland Council is launching a consultation on proposals to permanently close Knockbreck Primary School.

The school shut temporarily in April 2024 because pupil numbers had fallen. The remaining children were transferred to other schools.

Since then, the Knockbreck has remained empty while council education officers carried out an initial review of the prospects for reopening.

The council says there are currently just six primary-aged children living within the Knockbreck catchment area.

It is now proposing to formally close the school and transfer the catchment area to Dunvegan Primary School, where a new school is planned.

Skye Councillor John Finlayson, chair of Highland Council’s education committee, said:

“Many people will have fond memories of Knockbreck, but while closure can bring a degree of sadness to a community, we also need to reflect on the best way to meet the educational needs of local children in the present day.

“Community engagement undertaken this year found no evidence of significant demand for the re-opening of the school and indicated that former pupils had settled successfully within other schools.

“The council sees the catchment change as a positive move which will bring social and educational benefits for current and future pupils, with local children very soon to have access to modern accommodation through the planned replacement Dunvegan Primary.”

Pupils and staff at Knockbreck, 1948. Credit – Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre

A long-running debate

The move follows a long running debate over the future of rural schools.

In 2015, Highland Council proposed closing four primary schools in the North West – Knockbreck, Dunvegan, Edinbane and Struan – and replacing them with a new central school at Dunvegan.

The proposals sparked significant opposition, with concerns raised about the impact of long journeys on young children and the future of small communities.

The dispute eventually became a landmark case in Scottish education law. Scottish Ministers called in the council’s decision and referred it to the newly established independent School Closure Review Panel, which rejected the proposals in its first ruling.

Highland Council subsequently challenged that decision at the Sheriff Court in Portree, but the appeal was unsuccessful.

More than a decade on, the council says changing demographics mean the situation is now very different.

Pupil numbers have fallen across a number of schools on Skye. Elgol Primary is one of many to be mothballed in recent years.

Meanwhile, Dunvegan Primary is due to be replaced with a new school, although the timetable remains subject to the progress of the wider school building programme. The project was previously expected to be completed around 2027.

Consultation opens in September

The statutory consultation on the proposed permanent closure of Knockbreck Primary School will run from 2 September until 30 October 2026.

A public meeting is also expected to be held during the week commencing 7 September.

The consultation will give local residents, parents and other interested parties the opportunity to respond to the proposal before any final decision is made.

For communities around the Waternish peninsula, the proposal could mark the end of more than 150 years of education at Knockbreck.

Knockbreck staff and pupils, 1930. Credit – Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre

A school with deep roots

Knockbreck’s history stretches back to the late 1800s.

One of the last church schools in the area was at Geary. It continued until the Knockbreck school building was completed in the late 1870s, when its pupils moved to the new school.

The new Knockbreck Public School was built following the 1872 education reforms. Its design is attributed to Alexander Ross, the prominent Inverness architect whose work included a number of schools across the Highlands.

By 1877, Knockbreck had around 60 pupils attending regularly, a striking contrast with the six primary-aged children currently living in the catchment area.

The school’s records also provide a glimpse of the bilingual character of education in the area.

During the 1932-33 school year, His Majesty’s Inspector recorded that the younger pupils were equally fluent in English and Gaelic.

The school also had links with smaller facilities in the area. During the 1920s, a side school operated from a thatched house at Trumpan, but the building was judged unsuitable for teaching by 1924 and closed the following year. The roof collapsed not long afterwards.

Knockbreck in 1947

Pupils and staff at Knockbreck, 1947. Credit – Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre

A photograph from 1947 shows a group of Knockbreck pupils and staff.

Back row, left to right: James Bain, Peter Nicolson, Neil MacKinnon, Ian MacSwan and Angus MacSwan.

Front row, left to right: Donald Nicolson, Wilma Bain, Margaret MacDiarmid, Wilann MacDiarmid, Greta MacKinnon, Margaret Bain, Mairi MacAskill, Fiona Robertson, Angie MacKinnon and John MacSwan.

Photographs and historical information supplied by Skye and Lochalsh Archive Centre.

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Highland councillors back 12-week consultation on visitor levy

Highland councillors have voted to move forward with a public consultation on plans for a visitor levy which could see tourists charged £5 per room, per night.

The decision was made at a special meeting of the full Highland Council today (Tuesday 25 August).

Councillors voted 36 to five in favour of the main motion, with 24 councillors supporting an amendment put forward by Liberal Democrat councillor Alasdair Christie.

The proposal will now go out to a 12 week public consultation.

Under the draft scheme, hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, rooms in houses, short-term lets and similar accommodation would face a £5 charge per room, per night.

A £2 charge would apply to hostels and campsites.

The proposals state that the levy would operate for nine months of the year, excluding December, January and February, with accommodation providers retaining five per cent of the money collected to cover administration costs.

However, there was debate during today’s meeting over how the scheme should operate.

Councillor Christie argued that Highland residents should not have to pay the levy and called for it to operate for 12 months rather than nine.

Mr Christie also suggested that revenue could be used to provide social and mid-market rented housing in Highland communities.

‘Not the introduction of a Visitor Levy’

Several councillors stressed that today’s decision was not a decision to introduce the charge.

Skye and Raasay councillor John Finlayson, of the Highland Independents, said the council was instead deciding whether to move forward with the consultation.

He said any scheme would be “subject to change” following feedback.

Cllr Finlayson said people in Skye and Raasay had contacted him both in support of and opposition to a visitor levy.

He said a common theme was the need for investment in tourism infrastructure, and argued that areas generating significant income from the levy, such as Skye, should see that money coming back to the area.

He also raised concerns about Highland residents who need overnight accommodation for hospital appointments, as well as the impact of the scheme on tourism businesses.

Concerns over campervans

Campervans and motorhomes were another major issue raised during the meeting.

The proposed levy would apply to people staying at campsites, but vehicles which stay outside recognised accommodation would not be charged.

Skye councillor Drew Millar, of the SNP, said there were “many questions” still to be answered.

Cllr Millar said:

“On Skye we’re being swamped by thousands of such vehicles, stopping in quarries and laybys and any piece of ground they can find.”

He questioned why visitors would choose to pay to stay at a campsite if they could avoid the levy by staying elsewhere.

He also asked whether legislation could be introduced to prevent vehicles being used for sleeping from visiting Skye unless they had booked a recognised site.

Different views over Highland residents paying

The question of whether Highland residents should be exempt from the levy also featured heavily in the debate.

Cllr Finlayson said the lack of an exemption was a key concern, particularly for people staying overnight because of hospital appointments.

But Highland Independent councillor Sarah Atkin said she was comfortable with Highland residents paying the levy in some circumstances.

She gave the example of someone living elsewhere in Highland staying in Gairloch, arguing that the charge could then contribute towards investment in that community.

Evidence and consultation

Skye councillor Ruraidh Stewart, of the Scottish Conservatives, called for more evidence to be gathered before the consultation and eventual decision.

The council says the consultation will seek views on the proposed rates, exemptions, governance arrangements and how any money raised should be reinvested.

Figures cited by the council show 9.4 million visitors came to Highland in 2024, generating £2.129 billion in direct visitor spend.

What happens next?

The consultation will run for 12 weeks.

Once it is complete, the feedback will be considered by councillors before a further report is brought back to the council later this year.

Councillors will then have to decide whether to introduce a visitor levy and what the final scheme should look like.

If a levy is eventually approved, there would be an implementation period of at least 18 months.

The council says any income raised could be reinvested to support Highland communities.

Get in touch if you’ve got a story you’d like us to look into. Send a WhatsApp or send an email.

Highland children’s services still facing staff shortages

Highland Council is continuing to struggle to fill key posts in children’s services, with officials warning that staffing gaps are putting pressure on both employees and the support available to families.

A report considered by councillors says recruitment remains particularly difficult for qualified social workers and other specialist health and social care roles.

The issue has been raised repeatedly in recent years.

In 2023, a council officer warned that vacancies in social work represented a “critical to catastrophic” risk to the local authority’s ability to safeguard vulnerable children.

A further report in 2025 highlighted the wider impact of staffing problems across health and social care.

The latest assessment says the problem remains, with high levels of vacancies recorded.

The report warns that if staff members in rural areas are absent through illness or for another reason, there can be an “immediate risk” to the service being provided locally.

Pressure on existing staff

The council also says recruitment problems may be contributing to higher levels of sickness absence among the staff who remain in post.

The average number of days lost through absence in health and social care rose from about 15 per employee in 2024/25 to 19 days in 2025/26.

That compares with an average of 14 days across the council as a whole.

Officials say there could be several reasons for the increase, but identify the vacancy rate as a possible factor because unfilled posts can leave existing employees carrying additional workloads.

Attempts to boost recruitment

The council has introduced several measures intended to ease the pressure.

One approach has been to recruit assistant social workers, allowing some work to be delegated to appropriately trained staff.

This is intended to give qualified social workers more time to deal with complex cases and their statutory responsibilities.

The report says feedback so far indicates the scheme is helping.

The council has also used training programmes and placements as a way of encouraging people to enter the profession.

However, officials say the lack of a social work qualification delivered locally remains an obstacle to building a more secure workforce in the Highlands.

Although the council has succeeded in bringing some newly qualified social workers into the service, this has also changed the balance of experience within teams.

The report says there is now a greater proportion of staff at the start of their careers, meaning additional support is needed alongside efforts to recruit and retain experienced workers.

Get in touch if you’ve got a story you’d like us to look into. Send a WhatsApp or send an email.

Plans to protect dark skies across the Highlands

Highland Council is considering new guidance designed to reduce light pollution and protect views of the night sky.

The council says the Highlands has some of the darkest skies in Europe, making the area popular with stargazers.

The proposed guidance would also bring other benefits of using less outdoor lighting, including lower energy bills, reduced carbon emissions and less disruption to wildlife.

Major developments in or close to dark sky sites could be asked to provide a lighting assessment, explaining why outdoor lighting is needed and how its impact could be reduced.

Councillors are due to consider the draft guidance this week.

If approved, it would then go out to public consultation before a final version is prepared.

The guidance could eventually be included in the Highland Local Development Plan, which is expected to be published next year.

That plan will identify areas where new housing and other development could take place.

The council says outdoor lighting should be limited to what is needed for safety and security.

The Isle of Rum became Scotland’s first International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2024.

The status was awarded by DarkSky International.

Ruraidh Stewart resigns from Licensing Committee

Skye Councillor Ruraidh Stewart has resigned from Highland Council’s Licensing Committee, Radio Skye understands.

Mr Stewart is one of six councillors who voted in June for rapist David Brown to keep his taxi operator’s license.

A full meeting of the local authority on Tuesday decided that five members of the committee will face a motion of no confidence vote next month. The sixth member, Willie MacKay, has already stood down as a councillor. Mr Stewart was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.

Radio Skye has repeatedly tried to contact Mr Stewart for comment. He has not responded.

Cllr Ruraidh Stewart hasn’t replied to Radio Skye’s requests for comment.

Speaking to Radio Skye, Council Convener, Bill Lobban said:

“Cllr Stewart has informed me of his resignation during a phone call. However it appears that Council officials may not have received written confirmation of his resignation. I am prepared to accept if Cllr Stewart has told me he has resigned, then that is indeed the case.”

Tuesday’s special meeting had originally been called after the Council’s Chief Officer for Legal and Corporate Governance referred the Licensing Committee’s decision back to the full Council for further consideration on the grounds of possible “contravention of law” or “maladministration leading to injustice”.

However, the meeting’s purpose changed after David Brown surrendered his two taxi operator licences on Monday 3 August.

The meeting continued in public, with councillors instead asked to consider an urgent motion from Cllr Lobban.

The motion stated:

“This Council supports the decision of the Chief Officer Legal and Governance to bring the decision taken by Licensing Committee on 23 June 2026 to a special meeting of the Highland Council for further consideration.

“The surrender of these licences today (3 August 2026) means that they immediately ceased to have effect and consequently there is no decision for the special Council to reach today. We nevertheless wish it to be made known that this unprecedented action was justified.”

David Brown, from Croy, was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison in May after being convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman in December 2023.

He was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh in April and sentenced at the High Court in Stirling a month later.

The court heard Brown picked up the woman in Inverness after a night out and drove past her intended destination before taking her to a remote location between Strathpeffer and Dingwall.

The victim said Brown had agreed to take her home despite her not having enough money for the fare.

He pulled into a lay-by near a farm, where he attacked her.

Police were later able to establish the route Brown had taken using the tracker system fitted to his taxi.

Exclusive interview: Drew Millar

Skye SNP councillor Drew Millar has spoken publicly for the first time about his role in the taxi licensing scandal.

He spoke exclusively to Radio Skye. It comes after five Highland councillors were told they will face motions of no confidence for voting to take no action against rapist David Brown’s taxi operator licences. The move was announced at a special meeting of Highland Council on Tuesday.

Councillor Millar was a member of the Licensing Committee when it considered Brown’s licence in January 2024, a month after he committed his crime. Mr Millar voted against suspending Brown’s operator’s licence at that time, but was no longer on the committee for the vote in June this year.

David Brown, from Croy, was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison in May after being convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman in December 2023.

He was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh in April and sentenced at the High Court in Stirling a month later.

The court heard Brown picked up the woman in Inverness after a night out and drove past her intended destination before taking her to a remote location between Strathpeffer and Dingwall.

The victim said Brown had agreed to take her home despite her not having enough money for the fare.

He pulled into a lay-by near a farm, where he attacked her.

Police were later able to establish the route Brown had taken using the tracker system fitted to his taxi.

You can listen to the full interview with Drew Millar below.

Five Highland councillors face no confidence motion over decision to allow convicted rapist taxi driver David Brown to keep licences

Five Highland councillors who voted in favour of taking no action against convicted rapist taxi driver David Brown’s operator licences are set to face a motion of no confidence.

The move was announced by Highland Council Convener Cllr Bill Lobban during a special meeting of The Highland Council on Tuesday 4 August.

Cllr Lobban said the motion will be brought against councillors Sean Kennedy, Chris Birt, Duncan Macpherson, John Grafton and Ruraidh Stewart. The vote will take place at the next full council meeting in September.

The five councillors were among six members of the Licensing Committee who voted on 23 June to take no action against Brown’s two taxi operator licences.

The sixth councillor who voted in favour, Willie Mackay, has already stood down as a councillor.

The special meeting had originally been called after the Council’s Chief Officer for Legal and Corporate Governance referred the Licensing Committee’s decision back to the full Council for further consideration on the grounds of possible “contravention of law” or “maladministration leading to injustice”.

However, the meeting’s purpose changed after David Brown surrendered his two taxi operator licences on Monday 3 August.

Members were told there was no longer a legal basis to reconsider the original decision, as the licences had immediately ceased to have effect.

The meeting continued in public, with councillors asked to consider an urgent motion from Cllr Lobban.

The motion stated:

“This Council supports the decision of the Chief Officer Legal and Governance to bring the decision taken by Licensing Committee on 23 June 2026 to a special meeting of the Highland Council for further consideration.

“The surrender of these licences today (3 August 2026) means that they immediately ceased to have effect and consequently there is no decision for the special Council to reach today. We nevertheless wish it to be made known that this unprecedented action was justified.”

The motion was agreed at 11.06am.

Speaking after the vote, Cllr Lobban described the situation as the culmination of a “disturbing episode” for the Council, calling it “shameful” and “incomprehensible”.

He said he had every confidence that, had the full Council been given the opportunity to consider the Licensing Committee’s original decision, members would have overturned it.

Cllr Lobban said:

“Clearly, we as a Council must reconsider how we deal with licensing within the boundaries of the law and those discussions will be ongoing as a matter of urgency.”

He also said attention must remain on the victim at the centre of the case.

“It is important that we remember that at the heart of this matter, there is a victim. I fear at times there may have been a lack of attention or focus on them in recent weeks. Our sympathies lie with the victim in this case and the significant stress that the consequences of the original decision will ultimately have on them.”

The case against David Brown

David Brown, from Croy, was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison in May after being convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman in December 2023.

He was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh in April and sentenced at the High Court in Stirling a month later.

The court heard Brown picked up the woman in Inverness after a night out and drove past her intended destination before taking her to a remote location between Strathpeffer and Dingwall.

The victim said Brown had agreed to take her home despite her not having enough money for the fare.

He pulled into a lay-by near a farm, where he attacked her.

Police were later able to establish the route Brown had taken using the tracker system fitted to his taxi.

Licensing Committee decision

The Licensing Committee considered Brown’s operator licences on 23 June.

Members voted six to four in favour of taking no action, meaning Brown was allowed to retain his licences.

The councillors who voted in favour were:

• Sean Kennedy
• Willie Mackay
• Chris Birt
• Duncan Macpherson
• John Grafton
• Ruraidh Stewart

Those who voted against were:

• Jackie Hendry
• Lyndsey Johnston
• Emma Knox
• Kate MacLean

Following the decision, several councillors stepped away from the Licensing Committee.

The SNP group on Highland Council suspended councillor Chris Birt after it emerged he was one of the six members who voted in favour of taking no action.

Mr Birt, who represents Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, remains a member of hte Licensing Committee.

Conservative group leader Ruraidh Stewart, who represents Eilean a’ Cheò, was also among those who voted in favour and remains on the Licensing Committee.

Radio Skye has contacted both Mr Birt and Mr Stewart for comment.

Skye SNP councillor Drew Millar had previously voted against suspending Brown’s operator’s licence in January 2024, before Brown’s conviction. However, he was no longer a member of the Licensing Committee by the time of the June vote.