Latest news with #Highland
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Highland councillors oppose hydro project on Loch Ness
Councillors have objected to plans for a new hydro scheme that would draw water from Loch Ness to generate Energy's pumped storage hydro project would involve constructing a power station and tunnels at Loch Kemp near Whitebridge, about 10 miles (16km) north of Fort Scottish government, which has a say on whether it eventually goes ahead or not, has consulted Highland Council on the local authority's south planning applications voted 8-2 in favour of a motion opposing the project due to a number of concerns, including impacts on wildlife and tourism. Highland Council officials had recommended councillors raised no Energy has been approached for comment. Aird and Loch Ness councillor Chris Ballance, who put forward the motion, said ancient woodlands along the loch's shores could be adversely affected by changes in water said wildlife, such as otters, and the "special qualities" of Loch Ness could be put at Ballance also argued that a tourism impact assessment had not been carried out, and his motion also raised concerns about construction traffic on local and Strathspey councillor Bill Lobban tabled an amendment supporting the officials' recommendation. The amendment was defeated in the District Salmon Fishery Board, which opposes new pumped storage hydro on Loch Ness, welcomed the committee's Brian Shaw said: "This was absolutely the right decision. "The councillors rejected out of hand the planning officer's conclusion that this was the 'right development in the right place'." What is pumped storage hydro? Pumped storage hydro involves two bodies of water at different water flows from one to the other through tunnels, passing through a power station to generate there is low demand for electricity from consumers and/or when surplus power is available from wind farms, electricity is used to pump water from the lower level to fill a reservoir further up the water can then be released from the upper reservoir, flowing down the tunnels to drive turbines which generate hydro-electricity. This happens at times of high demand, or when there is not enough wind to power wind Kemp Storage Ltd, which is owned by Statera Energy, has proposed damming Loch Kemp, the upper reservoir of its scheme, to raise water also plans to construct an underground waterway systems and tunnels, and powerhouse on the shores of Loch Ness. The south planning applications committee granted consent for a separate electricity-related approved plans SSEN Transmission's plans to replace three 1960s-built substations at Deanie and Culligran in Glen Strathfarrar, and at Kilmorack.
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Glasgow gives go-ahead for 'tourist tax' on visitors
Visitors to Glasgow will be charged an average of £4.83 per night extra for accommodation after councillors approved a new "tourist tax" for the visitor levy, which is due to come into force in January 2027, will charge 5% on overnight stays. It comes after Edinburgh councillors approved a similar charge in January and will cover hotels, hostels, guest houses, B&Bs and self-catering local authority hopes to raise around £16m per year via the tax, which it says will go towards infrastructure improvements and events in the city. Where is a tourist tax charged? Several other regions in Scotland are looking at similar plans, with proposals from Highland and Argyll and Bute week Comhairle nan Eilean Siar paused plans to introduce a similar visitor levy, following strong public opposition and Ayrshire Council also abandoned plans for a tourist tax in the region, as only 15% of respondents in a public consultation supported the proposal compared to 79% accommodation providers would be liable for the levy and required to submit quarterly reports - with potential penalties for non-compliant organisations. Businesses would retain 1.5% of the funds collected to cover their own by Sarah Hilley at the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
Sauna plan for Loch Ness pub owned by Scotland's richest man
A sauna, shop and beach café have been proposed for a pub and restaurant taken over by a company owned by Scotland's richest billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen's WildLand purchased the Dores Inn on Loch Ness last property in the village of Dores, about 10 miles (16km) south of Inverness, is currently plans outlined to Highland Council, WildLand has also proposed renovating and expanding the inn, revamping its car park and public toilets. Mr Holch Povlsen made his fortune in retail and is worth almost £8bn, according to the latest The Sunday Times Rich List. WildLand, a conservation and hospitality business, already owns the nearby 300-year-old Aldourie Castle and 500 acres of grounds and Category A-listed castle was among 11 buildings named as winners of the annual Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) awards last said in October the Dores Inn would be closed for about 24 months for restoration work and should reopen in company is holding public exhibitions on its plans at the inn on 27 and 28 executive Tim Kirkwood said: "The Dores Inn sits at the heart of a much-loved community setting. "As we explore options for its restoration and long-term operation, we're committed to involving the community from the outset." A full planning application is expected to be submitted with Highland Council before the end of the Turner, head of region at WildLand Loch Ness, said: "The Dores Inn has always been more than a pub - it's a gathering place, a gateway to the loch, and an important part of local life. "We want to restore that role and build on it, creating something that works year-round for the area."The Dores Inn pub and restaurant is a landmark on the southern shore of Loch was visited by Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Phillip in the years, owners of the Dores Inn have included local community stalwart Ella Macrae.
National Geographic
a day ago
- National Geographic
7 unmissable UK beaches to visit this summer
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Don't believe anyone who says the United Kingdom is a poor comparison to the likes of Australia, or South Africa when it comes to beaches. What the country lacks in palm trees or exotic wildlife, it makes up for in the sheer variety of its coastline. Somewhere in its four nations, your perfect beach awaits: places with birdlife or wild beauty and destinations where fish and chips with your feet in the sand is an essential part of the beach-going experience. You may need a windbreak but what could be more British than shrugging off a bit of weather? 1. Porthcurno, Cornwall All of Cornwall's magic is concentrated in these couple of acres. The sand is a deep wedge, which expands at low tide, the sea is of a blue that would make a peacock blush and pillar-like granite cliffs ripple along the coast like fortifications. There's culture, too, at the open-air Minack Theatre, where the backcloth is the horizon of the Atlantic. The price of such beauty is crowds in the summer months — traffic jams on the approach lane are legendary. Arrive early- or mid-afternoon or try the quieter sister-beach, Pedn Vounder. It's accessible on foot around a headland at low tide. Porthcurno beach is located at the very tip of Cornwall, in southern England. Photograph by Getty Images, John Harper 2. Weymouth, Dorset For 12 years, George III holidayed at Weymouth, transforming a fishing village into a resort for flaneurs — then, in the late-1800s, for the public arriving on the London train. Come for a classic English seaside experience — deckchairs on the promenade, donkey rides on the pampered beasts of West Hill Donkeys, pedalos, Punch and Judy shows twice a day and sand perfect for castles. Factor in toddler-friendly shallows and you have a favourite with young families. And for fish and chips? There are over a dozen options in town but there's a reason why family-owned Marlboro has been around since 1974. (Welcome to Weymouth, the British seaside resort with a twist.) 3. Sanna Bay, Ardnamurchan The Highlands are an idea of isolated beauty as much as a real destination. Enter Sanna Bay, the most westerly point in Britain. To get there, you take a pretty drive snaking along the shores of Loch Sunart. Beyond Kilchoan village, you're on a single-track lane — over moors and past white smallholdings, sheep and Highland cattle — to reach a remote carpark at the end of the road. Even so, you won't be prepared for the impact of walking through dunes to these icing-sugar sand arcs before turquoise shallows. Smaller beaches notch beyond headlands and sunsets are otherworldly. Better still, there's usually a breeze, which means none of Scotland's infamous midges. The isolated beauty of the Scottish highlands is what makes the beach at Sanna bay so appealing. Photograph by Getty Images, Simon Hodgkiss 4. Bamburgh, Northumberland There's a debate to be had about the appeal of cosy coves versus epic beaches. If you lean towards the latter, this is your spot. Bamburgh beach is vast: four magnificent miles from Seahouses harbour to a monster castle at Bamburgh, all backed by silver-green dunes and dotted with rockpools to poke at with a shrimp net. Walk the lot and you can stop for king prawn chilli burgers at Creel & Reel food truck at the carpark in Waterford. You will also deserve a pint of Bamburgh Blonde at the Bamburgh Castle Inn back at Seahouses. 5. White Park Bay, Antrim A public campaign raised £15,000 to safeguard this beauty for the National Trust. Now, otters gambol at dusk (a sure sign of eco-health), 17 species of butterflies and countless rabbits flit in the grasslands behind. Not forgetting the most-photographed cows in Northern Ireland, known for grazing on the beach, swaying along sands whenever a local farmer moves his herd. The squeaky 'singing sands' (the sand is known to produce a humming or buzzing sound) hold fossils — bullet-like squid and the shells of extinct mollusks, commonly known as devil's toenails. The absence of people will put you in mind of Australia rather than Antrim. Just be wary of swimming: the current can be vicious. 6. Holkham, Norfolk On summer weekends, when up to 1,000 cars fill the parking area, it can seem like half of Norfolk has arrived. Through a fuzz of pine trees and a small sea of dunes, you will wonder where they all went. Holkham is big — two-miles long and 1,640-foot wide at low tide. Co-ordinate a visit for that time because it's the scale that wows at Holkham. This is a beach for cricket and kite-flying, to throw balls for madly excited dogs or to lie behind a windbreak and watch vast cloudscapes roll past like galleons under full sail. The beach at Holkham is one of the longest stretches of sand in the country. Photograph by Getty Images, Jackie Bale (How to spend a weekend in North Norfolk, UK.) 7. Whitesands Bay, Pembrokeshire Wales has bigger beaches like the Gower's Rhossili and pretty coves like Mwnt or Porth Iago. This stretch of coastline near St Davids wins because it has all you need from a beach. The pale sand gets emptier the further you go from the carpark. There's surfboard rental to ride friendly summer waves, plus seasonal lifeguards. Footpaths track to St Davids Head, the Land's End of Wales, marked by a neolithic tomb or to the rocky ridge of Carn Llidi hill, which rises above the beach. Save an ascent till dusk to see islands scattered in a sheet of golden sea. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
'Cloud factory' timber plant near Inverness to get own rail yard
Plans for a new rail yard next to an industrial site on the outskirts of Inverness have been approved by Highland aim of the development is to reduce the number of HGVs travelling on the roads to deliver timber to the Norbord plant, known locally as the "cloud factory" because of steam that rises from a large West Fraser Europe Ltd plan to build new rail sidings, about 560m (1,837ft) in length, that would be connected to the Inverness to Aberdeen first trains are expected to arrive at the site by next year but the full expansion would not be completed until 2028. West Fraser Europe Ltd said the plan would help give the wood panel manufacturing plant a sustainable future. It is anticipated about 20,000 HGV movements would be removed from the road network in favour of transportation by emission reductions are predicted to be in the region of 9,000 by local democracy reporter Will Angus.
