Visits to key business and community projects in the Western Isles are on the agenda for board members and senior management of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) as they carry out a working visit to the area today and tomorrow (Monday 17th / Tuesday 18th July).

Today (Monday 17th) the board members will visit the WISCO (The Western Isles Seafood Company) processing plant in Stornoway. The company currently employs almost 200 people in salmon farming and fish processing throughout Lewis and Harris. While in Stornoway they will also visit iomart group plc., the internet service provider who operate the most remote internet support centre in the UK. Since its establishment last year the Stornoway operation has expanded rapidly and now employs about 90 people, with future growth predicted.

The board visit to the area has coincided with the announcement, by Western Isles Enterprise (WIE), part of the HIE Network, of significant investment in new industrial sites throughout the islands. A £1.2 million advance office unit is to be built on the Gleann Seileach industrial estate in Stornoway. The 10,000 square foot building will have the capacity to house a workforce of some 100. £745,000 is also being invested in advance office buildings at Liniclate in Benbecula - which could help create up to 60 new jobs. This project is part of WIE's efforts to stimulate economic development in the Uists following the closure of RAF Benbecula.

At Crowlista, inside the Uig Iomairt aig an Oir (Initiative at the Edge) area, £380,000 is being spent building four 700 square foot workshops.

Other development sites have also been earmarked for future development at Ness and Shawbost in Lewis. When complete this programme will represent an investment of well over £2 million.

WIE chief executive Donnie Macaulay said: "Providing premises and locations like these is essential to allow us to bring jobs and income to communities throughout the islands. These days meeting the needs of prospective developers means being able to move quickly to provide them with a business location."

Following their visits in Stornoway the HIE board will travel to Harris where they will visit the site of the new fish processing plant in Scalpay, being built by the HIE Network for Stolt Sea Farm Ltd., a project on course to provide over 100 new jobs. Discussions will also be held with local business and community leaders including the Iomairt aig an Oir steering group for the Bays area of Harris.

In Uist the party will visit key projects including the Taigh Chearsabhagh arts centre in Lochmaddy and Urachadh Uibhist - a community organisation based in a former schoolhouse at Claddach Kirkibost in North Uist. On Tuesday morning a visit has also been arranged to the new Benbecula college at Liniclete.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise chief executive Iain Robertson said: "Visits to the Local Enterprise Company areas give board members a wider insight into the work of the LECs and an opportunity to see at first hand the impact of the development effort - for instance the Stolt Sea Farm factory in Scalpay is WIE's biggest ever project and will bring huge employment benefits to the area."