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.

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