The achievements of young people from the Western Isles, who have completed their training through the Skillseekers programme, are to be officially recognised at a 'graduation ceremony' this Friday (1st December).

Updated information on the range of support services available to businesses, community groups and individuals from Shetland Enterprise is now available on the Enterprise Company's revised website.

Demand for places on a visual arts conference being held in Inverness on Monday (27 November) has been so strong that a series of follow-up events is already being planned.

Farmers on the islands of Islay and Jura are meeting the crisis in agriculture head on by using technology to bring them closer to lucrative mainland markets.

At a first glance running a successful Formula 1 motor racing team and improving the effectiveness of businesses and organisations in the Highlands and Islands may seem to be worlds apart but the underlying principles are in fact remarkably similar.

Spreading prosperity to some of Scotland's most remote and fragile communities is the central aim of a package of reforms being proposed for Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) by the agency's new chief executive.
23 November 2000

Young people are the key to a healthy economy for Skye and Lochalsh, according to the local Enterprise Company.

The new deputy chief executive of Shetland Enterprise is Ann Black (32), who hails from Sumburgh in the south mainland. She has taken up the appointment following five years with Highlands and Islands Airports Limited at Sumburgh Airport.

Management and staff at Westminster Health Care are celebrating the official opening of their new business premises at the Beechwood Business Park in Inverness this afternoon by Alasdair Morrison MSP (Tuesday 21st November).

The latest Ross-shire business to be recognised as an Investor in People (IiP) has been presented with the coveted business award at a special event held today (Tuesday, 21 November, 2000).

New, specialist computer equipment is helping a Lochalsh-based landscape architect expand his business and remain at the forefront of forest design.

Creative industries such as television, film and music production along with new media activities such as software, multimedia and publishing sustain the equivalent of 192 full-time equivalent jobs in the Highlands and Islands and are worth £8 million (pounds) annually to the local economy according to a new study.

The future of food and drink in Skye and Lochalsh was top of the agenda at the last groundbreaking Food Futures event held this week (Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th November) at the Aros Centre in Portree, with delegates eager to build on the project's successes to date.

Scotland's stormy coastal waters, frequent high winds and heavy rainfall may not traditionally have been regarded as national assets - but viewed as rich sources of renewable energy, they could have the potential to generate a new wave of economic activity.

The quality of tourism in Argyll and the Islands has received national acclaim with three local companies scooping top wards at the Scottish Tourist Board's annual ceremony, and two more reaching the finals.

The board and senior management of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) are being updated on the regeneration of the village of Kinlochleven as they carry out a two-day working visit to Lochaber this week (Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th November).

Researching the marine environment of a Lewis sea-loch, marketing a local golf course and developing a model to help local companies develop their business practices are among the targets being set for the latest island graduates to participate in Western Isles Enterprise (WIE)'s graduate placement programme.

An Invergarry couple have converted a former country hotel into high quality, self-catering cottages retaining and restoring many of the original features with the help of local craftsmen.

A Plockton bed and breakfast, a clothing manufacturer and retailer and a group of young musicians are among five businesses to come out on top in today's (Friday 10th November) Talisker awards for quality and customer care.

Young entrepreneurs in the Inverness and Nairn area are being urged to get down to business with the launch of an innovative new training programme. The Bizz Ness project has been designed for those who are eligible for the Skillseekers programme but who would ultimately like to start their own business or become self-employed.

It has been a record year for job creation and retention for Argyll and the Islands Enterprise (AIE) with over 590 jobs secured through the company's Finance for Business initiative, one of the strongest results in AIE's history. It has also been a successful year for new businesses with the number of small business starts representing 38 per cent of all starts in the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) area.

An Orkney hotel which has undergone a substantial transformation in recent years has secured a top business award which recognises its commitment to staff development.