Praise for Highland students after exams results

The chair of the Highland Council’s Education Committee has praised the efforts of students across the region on exam results day.

The Skye and Raasay Councillor comments came as more than 1.600 pupils across the Highlands achieved five or more National 5 qualifications – which marked a two per cent increase on 2022.

Statistics provided by the Highland Council show that 67.4 per cent of S4 pupils achieved a National 5 English award and 47.5% achieved a National 5 Maths award.

Nineteen percent of S5 pupils achieved 5 or more Higher awards (A-D pass), an increase of 1.7% from last year, while 4.8 per cent of S5 pupils achieved five ‘A’ grade Higher awards.

Speaking to Radio Skye, Councillor Finlayson commended the hard work shown by pupils in achieving their results.

Visitor levy bill under scrutiny in new local survey

Skye Connect has launched survey to gauge local business owner and operators view on the Scottish Govenment’s visitor levy bill.

If passed by the Scottish Parliament, the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill will give councils the power to apply a levy on stays in overnight accommodation based on a percentage of the accommodation cost.

The bill will come into effect in 2026 if it is passed by parliament.

Speaking to Radio Skye, Skye Connect communications director Simon Cousins said the group had concerns over the bill and urged local operators to give feedback through the survey.

Skye Connect will submit the survey results to local councillors by the 17th of August and to the Housing and Local Government Committee by early September.

Sell out Flannan Isles play sailing to Skye

A hit play centring on the Flannan Isles mystery is coming to Skye next month as part of a coastal communities’ tour.

Izzy Gray’s Keeper of the Light – will be performed at the Skye Gathering Hall in Portree on Thursday 14th September.

The work is inspired by the enigmatic disappearance of three keepers from their post on the Flannan Isle Lighthouse in December 1900.

Fresh from its sell-out run in 2022, Keepers of the Light is an old mystery told through a modern lens, the play combines traditional storytelling with contemporary staging, movement direction by Ana Norrie-Toch and an original score by Ewan Watson.

Evening entertainment in Somerled Square

The Isle Skye Pipe Band will lead much a pre-games Ceilidh this evening in Portree ahead of the main competitions of the Isle of Skye Highland Games tomorrow.

The pipe band, who perform weekly during the summer season which put on a special show for the much-anticipated event.

They will be joined by the Isle of Skye Youth Pipe Band, Dannsairean an Eilein Sgitheanach and the band’s own drummer and singer Ali MacFarlane, who stole the show at this year’s Skye Live Festival.

The special show starts at 8pm tonight at Somerled Square in Portree, and all proceeds will be gifted to local charities Skye community nurses and the Skye branch of Cancer Research UK.

You can listen to the latest local news for Skye and Lochalsh live at the times below by clicking on the banner. 

Skye Connect fear for impacts of wind farms on island economy

The communications director of Skye Connect has told Radio Skye that the tourism body fears proposal for new wind farms on Skye could have profound impact on the island’s economy.

Skye Connect is urging the planning authorities to have a contingency plan in place to protect the island economy and livelihoods of its residents amid the potential impacts of wind farms development.

Quoting figures from the 2019 Moffatt Report, Skye Connect said that a reduction in visitors numbers could have a significant effect on the island’s economy.

Skye Connect’s Simon Cousins said a 20 per cent reduction in visitors would result in £52 million hit to the local economy and a loss of nearly 600 full-time equivalent jobs

It has called for a contingency plan to be put in place as a safeguard

Outlining its stance in a windfarms position, the tourism body also express concerns over the visual and structural impact the development could have on Skye unique environment, including peat moors.

The group said that a full and independent environmental impact assessment must be carried out and made public before any development is given planning consent.

Skye Connect has lodged an objection against the repowering of the Ben Aketil.

The Renantis Group behind the Ben Aketil wind farm outside Dunvegan are proposing to remove the existing 12 turbines and replace them with five new turbines with a maximum tip height of 200 metres, while an additional four turbine also with a maximum tip height of 200 metres will be built to the south of the existing turbine.

The Renantis Group says that the repowering will provide additional funding to the local community benefit fund

As the installed capacity of the windfarm will be above 50MW the proposal will be determined by Scottish Ministers.

 Skye skate park fundraiser pass £1,000-mark 

A fundraiser to safeguard a popular skate park in the Portree from closing has has surpassed the £1,000 mark

Local resident, Tiffany Maberley, who is leading the campaign through the Portree and Braes Trust said that the goal now stands at £2,400 to keep the skate ramps in place at the popular red pitch in the Skye capital.

Earlier this week, Radio Skye reported that Trust would have no option but to remove the ramps at the end of July due to the cost of renewing the insurance.

Kingussie to appeal after Skye game points deduction

Kingussie Shinty Club are set to launch an appeal after the Camanachd Association announced the club are to be deducted two league points for failing to fulfil our match against Skye Camanachd on Saturday 15th June.

On Wednesday evening the Camanachd Association informed the reigning premiership champions of their decision.

However, in a statement released last night following the decision, Kings contended that the club did not fail to fulfil the fixture and argued that the only reason the the game did not take place was because the referee was not prepared to come

Kyle and Lochalsh Trust seeks launch active travel survey

The Kyle and Lochalsh Community Trust are running a survey to gather information on how people in the area travel on a day-today basis.

The Trust was to examine how people use active travel such as walking and cycling, what barriers if any there are to more active travel, and what changes need to be made to increase active travel choices.

All responses will be treated confidentially, and the survey can be accessed through the Kyle and Lochalsh Community Trust’s social media pages.

Broadford Aerodrome to host flying open day

Flying Skye and Skye Flying Club are holding an open day at Broadford Aerodrome this Saturday, between 10am and 3pm.

Weather permitting, the clubs will be offering short 20-minute taster flight on a first come-first serve basis.

All eligible attendees will also be entered in a raffle for a free 30-minute flight at the end of the day.

You can listen to the latest local news for Skye and Lochalsh live at the times below by clicking on the banner.