Investment in Caithness and Sutherland helps HIE achieve targets

The figures compiled by the agency are subject to review by Audit Scotland before publication of HIE’s annual report in November.

Support in Caithness and Sutherland helped to create or retain a total of more than 30 jobs with average salaries of over £29,000. HIE support also helped secured more than £2.6m in external investment into the area. The area team supported 31 organisations with innovation-related activities, which led to the launch of 16 new products, services or processes. 

Projects that received HIE support included the redevelopment of John O’Groats Mill by the John O’Groats Mill Trust. This completed a physical link between the cluster of attractions that have been established since the launch of the John O’Groats Masterplan in 2010. And Upnorth! Community Development Trust were supported to employ a delivery manager to implement projects developed around the Tongue, Melness and Skerray area.

HIE also completed phase one of development at Wick Business Park, where two of the four new units are now occupied and construction on further units was begun. Tenders were also issued for work on small business units at Golspie business park, which will see work start later this year.

Dunnet Bay Distillery received support towards the cost of plant and equipment to fit out its new whisky distillery as part of its renovation of Castletown Mill. The company also received support for a system to capture heat from the production process and recycle it to heat other areas of the building.

Envision Engineering and Design Limited was supported to invest in new technology that will help increase business turnover and productivity while cutting carbon emissions. And Gow’s Lybster Limited received a grant to enable the company to install a new high-tech Migatronic CoWelder, or ‘cobot’, to improve productivity, grow business turnover and create jobs.

As the financial year ended Clyne Heritage Society were awarded support for their ambitious visitor centre and community hub in Brora. 

HIE’s out turns were achieved through a combination of financial investment and non-financial interventions such as advice, information and signposting to other sources of assistance.

Eann Sinclair HIE area manager for Caithness and Sutherland said:

“We’re very pleased with the progress made during last financial year. Businesses, social enterprises and community groups continued to show great resilience, ambition and initiative and we were able to support many excellent projects. We continue to work with our partners to build on this progress, with many more projects underway this year.

“While there are still many significant challenges facing our area, notably around housing and transport, the recent research we commissioned into pipeline projects that offer regional transformational opportunities gives us good cause for optimism. In addition to this, we have strong growth potential in tourism and food and drink, which are important sectors in our area.

“As the financial year ended our area team welcomed new members to help enhance our reach across the north. I’m excited to work with an even wider geographic spread of opportunities in the coming year. We’ll be working hard to make sure businesses and communities across Caithness and Sutherland benefit from all of these opportunities.”