News
Young people are being targeted: Caithness nurse warns of vaping epidemic
2+ day, 1+ hour ago (1614+ words) Lesley Anne Bremner is on a mission to raise awareness of the dangers of vaping " and she is keen to speak to as many school pupils as possible to get the message across at an early age. "I'm very passionate…...
Energy price rises, celebrating volunteers, children playing outside and hopes for Wick toilets reopening
1+ week, 4+ day ago (687+ words) Letters to the editor of the John O'Groat Journal and Caithness Courier Rural communities may be worse off after energy rise The announcement by Ofgem of a "221 rise [in energy bills] will be extremely worrying for dying people. A terminal…...
What we know so far about the Scottish Government's national maternity services review
1+ week, 5+ day ago (667+ words) A decade on from the decision to downgrade Caithness General Hospital from a consultant-led maternity unit, the Scottish Government has finally taken some action. In November 2025, the then health secretary Neil Gray announced a national review of maternity care to…...
Charity worker set to walk 100 miles in support of "vital" mental health service
1+ week, 4+ day ago (487+ words) An Inverness-basted charity worker is set to take on a mammoth walking challenge to support a vital mental health service in the Highlands. Jamie Bird (35) is taking on the challenge of walking around 105 miles from Wick to Inverness to raise…...
Support sought in Caithness for dyslexia charity tartan fundraising appeal
2+ week, 3+ hour ago (282+ words) Support is being sought in Caithness for an official new tartan for national charity Dyslexia Scotland. It is part of a campaign to promote the rights of people with dyslexia and to create a more inclusive society. Ten per cent…...
Wick hotel to light up in blue for neurofibromatosis
3+ week, 4+ day ago (215+ words) A Wick hotel will join hundreds of landmarks across the UK and Ireland tomorrow in shining a light on a little-known genetic condition affecting thousands of families. Mackays Hotel will light up blue on Sunday, May 17, as part of the…...
Letting Caitlin return home without hope is a death sentence" " Thurso family's race to save sister from anorexia after hospital collapse
3+ week, 6+ day ago (611+ words) The family of a Thurso woman are fighting a desperate battle to save her life, claiming that hospital plans to discharge the 26-year-old after a decade-long struggle with anorexia nervosa amount to a "death sentence. Caitlin Mackay, 26, remains in a…...
Wick community staff nurse raises more than "6700 after marathon run
4+ week, 1+ day ago (490+ words) A community staff nurse from Wick has handed over more than "6700 to good causes after battling against injury to complete the London Marathon. Jill Mackay said she had been "overwhelmed" by the support from the community as she presented a…...
Tick bite warning as weather warms up
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (265+ words) People in the Highlands are being warned to be aware of ticks and check for any bites after taking part in outdoor activities. Ticks are small, spider'like creatures found in areas such as long grass, shrubbery, and woodland, particularly where…...
Invasion of the beetles " Eco crisis as "billions" of heather munching bugs descend upon the Caithness moors and beyond
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (813+ words) The iconic purple moorlands of Caithness face a crisis this spring, as a massive population explosion of heather beetles (Lochmaea suturalis) sweeps across the county. The scale of the infestation has been described as "astonishing," with millions " if not billions…...