A RESERVIST soldier who has just returned from serving in Afghanistan is at the forefront of an event to raise cash for Help for Heroes, a charity for those wounded in Britain's current conflicts.

PUPILS from Tain Royal Academy got the red carpet treatment last week after winning a national Gaelic screen talent award.

SUCCESS has come on a plate for a Ross-shire lass who is through to the final of a nationwide cooking competition.

AN Easter Ross teenager with disabilities who is taught by his mum at home has just notched up a remarkable academic achievement.

AN Invergordon woman marked her 100th birthday on Friday, sharing the big day with her great-grandson who celebrated becoming 22 on the same day.

A ROSS-shire woman is to be the new face of the BBC's main weather programme.

A ROSS woman who has championed animals for over 30 years is to tie the knot in the living room of her Black Isle home - and the guest of honour will be her faithful Alsatian dog.

A DINGWALL man is helping to put the town on the worldwide map after winning an international photography competition.

WHEN Shirley Campbell from Alness conquered her fears to abseil down Dunrobin Castle in April, she vowed to CLIC Sargent's fundraiser that she would run the London Marathon for them.

A GROUP of girls from Alness Academy have launched an ambitious fundraising drive to raise £8,000 so they can go on a trip of a lifetime to aid needy Zulu children in Africa.

WHAT would the Bard have made of it - a book of his poetry jetting off into space?

TEMPTING shoppers with her spicy treats at the first North Kessock Community Market is Marie Faulke, a Black Isle-based Indian cookery instructor.

A FORMER Alness Academy pupil has just been appointed Pipe Sergeant of one of Scotland's most prestigious bands.

THREE Ross-shire businesses are enjoying a taste of success after a contest to celebrate high standards in the food and drink industry.

A DINGWALL woman who witnessed poverty and misery in South America while taking part in a TV game show has decided to do a run in aid of a charity which helps some of the world's poorest people.

A MILITARY man's determination to help former colleagues spurred him on through the pain barrier in order to complete a gruelling Land's End to John O'Groats cycle challenge.

A GROUP of friends will take part in a charity run this weekend in memory of a Ross-shire mother who took her own life.

A YOUNG Ross-shire schoolboy has broken into the world of print at the tender age of just 11 years.

A TEAM of intrepid adventurers from Fortrose Academy is gearing up for a trip of a lifetime next month when they set off for the frozen north.

A YOUNG Beauly singer-songwriter is rejoicing after becoming a music chart-topper.

THE champagne will be kept on ice for Ross-shire twins Avril Jack and Gavin MacLennan when they celebrate their milestone 50th birthday next Saturday.

A BUZZING Easter Ross allotment society is growing for the future, with all 24 plots filled and a waiting list of 42.

A DINGWALL athlete has been flying the flag for the Highlands at the Special Olympics and has returned home with a medal.

THELMA Henderson has taken over as managing director of Scottish Provincial Press, the Inverness-based publishing group whose titles include the Highland News Group.

A BLACK Isle couple have decided to take a back seat after doing the local school run for almost 30 years.

A ROSS-shire woman who was made an MBE in the New Year honours list for her voluntary work has urged more people to help the Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB).

AN Inverness couple will be flying high next month when they tie the knot at the aircrew memorial bandstand in the city's Bellfield Park.

A ROSS-shire man is preparing to get on his bike and cycle more than 680km across Central America as a payback to a cancer charity which provided invaluable support to him and his family.

READ all about it... it's all in the Hilton Meteor, a magazine which has been produced by budding young journalists in Easter Ross.

AN Ullapool woman has followed in the footsteps of her mountaineering uncle and retraced the tragic journey which led to his death.

BATTLE re-enactments, clay gargoyle making, playing the clarsach and feasting on game stew – it's all in a day's work for pupils at Craighill Primary School in Tain.

"BRIDES" turned out in force to help raise over £3,000 for a charity event a Ross woman held in her late sister-in-law's memory.

A ROSS man hit by two major health blows underlined his recovery at the weekend by taking part in a marathon with the friend who saved his life.

A ROSS-shire chef has returned from a top awards ceremony with two medals for her cuisine.

TALENTED young "Apprentices" from Ross-shire have impressed some of the best business brains in the country and made it through to the last stage of an entrepreneurial challenge.

A ROSS-shire man is combining his dream of doing a parachute jump with raising money for a charity which helps HIV afflicted youngsters.

A ROSS-shire primary school's bid to achieve a top environment award was given a helping hand by the village's community council last week.

INTREPID Fortrose Academy pupils who are set to get a taste of life in the Arctic have embarked on a major fundraising effort.

A YOUNG entrepreneur has been inspired to dream up an award-winning product – thanks to his baby daughter.

BLACK Isle badminton enthusiast Owen Jones will be flying the flag for the Highlands at this year's Special Olympics.

WHEN pupils at Ullapool High heard their school minibus was in a poor state and due to be condemned, they took action and launched a £30,000 fundraising campaign to buy a new one.

A HANDFUL of prominent Dingwall figures took the plunge at the town's leisure centre this week as they got a taster of what a popular sports club had to offer.

TWO vintage tractors, each with a top speed of 18mph, will take to the road for charity in a Land's End to John O'Groats challenge.

A ROSS-shire father is to run the London Marathon in aid of a cause which is close to his heart.

AN ex-pat from Dingwall is celebrating the publication of his novel in the sunshine state of Florida.

A DINGWALL nurse manager is limbering up for the London Marathon to raise money for Alzheimer Scotland services in Highland.

A STALWART of the Air Training Corps in Ross-shire has been honoured for his dedicated service.

A FORMER Highland League footballer will be pedalling 250 miles through the Canadian Rockies later this year to support a cancer charity.

STRONG tea and sausages cooked in a good dollop of fat – that's the recipe that has helped keep a remarkable Ross-shire lady hale and hearty into her 100th year.

A DEAF Dingwall Academy pupil who is making big tracks in the cycling world could be competing in a world championship later this year.

A ROSS college student has scooped a Young Quality Scot Award for his contribution to the community.

A FORMER Ross-shire distillery boss has been honoured for his lifetime achievement in the industry.

IT'S a tale that could warm the coldest of hearts and perhaps best illustrates the joy "man's best friend" can bring.

A ROSS-shire Territorial Army man has completed a tough two weeks of training with Polish and Ukrainian soldiers.

THE family of a heroic former Ross-shire police officer have honoured a serving constable.

ELLE MacPherson may be 'the body', but with a hooter insured for £1.5 million, master blender Richard Paterson has certainly earned the title of 'the nose'.

BOXING legend Barry McGuigan's colourful physiotherapist has provided the inspiration for an Easter Ross author's new novel.

A LITTLE bit of hydro history has been rediscovered at a Ross-shire power station.

A SMALL Ross-shire football team is officially up there with the big boys after featuring in the world's top selling computer game.

A SON of the manse whose forebears constructed landmark buildings in Tain has been named as Apprentice of the Year.

IT doesn't get much better for young skateboarders from Ross-shire – a trip to three of the biggest skate parks in Scotland.

MUNLOCHY Animal Aid, which has cared for thousands of homeless creatures over the years, celebrates its 30th anniversary this month.

THE scenic sights from Ferry Point in Dingwall can now be enjoyed in comfort following seats and tables being installed at the beauty spot this week.

THE crew of a historic west coast ferry are looking ship-shape – courtesy of a whisky distiller.

EVERY child knows what to do when they sting themselves on a nettle – rub a dock leaf on it.

TODDLER Kate Hawthorne might just be a contender for the youngest ever participant to complete a 5km run.

A YOUNG Easter Ross woman is trying to raise awareness of "the forgotten disease" – sarcoidosis – which she has been battling for over a year.

ONE of Dingwall's best known personalities is to receive the Freedom of Ross and Cromarty – a prestigious honour only bestowed three times in the last 30 years.

THE seaside village of Balintore is feeling "hat, hat, hat" as the village's lunch club knits up a storm.

A YOUNG Easter Ross couple have grand designs on building a new dream home for themselves from a 110-year-old former church.

ULLAPOOL residents could be forgiven for doing a double take when confronted by Christopher Dawson's unique mode of transport.

A FIVE-day cycling challenge in the Baltics by a local surveyor will boost the funds of the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity.

DOGGY paddle will be the order of the day for one Dingwall woman who has set her sights on a charity challenge.

A ROSS-SHIRE mum whose daughter was missing for more than two years has voiced her support for the family of Madeleine McCann.

A GAME group of Easter Ross women have turned back the clock to happy wedding days to raise money for a cancer charity.

IT'S the famous comedian Ricky Gervais – but not as we know him.

THE Batman returned to the former Dingwall Academy this week to reclaim his old territory.

THREE sea salts from the Black Isle are back on dry land this week after an epic 4,600-mile transatlantic adventure.

DINGWALL beaver and cub leader Emma Breneman stood down from her role last week – only to step into the new post of group scout leader.

A ROSS-shire butcher has scooped the Scottish Sliced Sausage Champion title with a recipe handed down from his father.

THERE was so much fun on offer there was little time for sleep when Invergordon lads took part in a Guinness Book of World Records "Giant Sleepover" event last Saturday night.

NOT only did Dingwall's group scout leader Ron Graham celebrate his 65th birthday last week, but the milestone also marked a 55-year association with the movement.

EAGLE-eyed Cadets from the 379 (County of Ross) Squadron of the Air Training Corps based in Alness proved they are the top "planespotters" in the Highlands.

A GLAMOROUS Ross County fan scored this week as a top finalist in a competition to find Scotland's leading female footie supporters.

IN challenging social and economic times, the prospect of bringing up even your own children can be a daunting prospect.

PUPILS from a Ross-shire primary school have proved that they are switched on to switching off.

A ROSS-SHIRE children’s author, who has battled dyslexia all her life, is celebrating the publication of her fourth book.

THE rush is on to claim mementoes from Dingwall Academy before its demolition – and for one high profile former pupil her unusual keepsake comes in the form of a radiator!

SHE is the the driving force behind Alness in Bloom, a farmer and she runs a florists shop – but Carolyn Wilson says that these two beauties are the best thing her family has ever grown.

JUST 10 months ago Alness mum-of-three Hazel Clark had a terror of water. Her fear was so bad that she would sit sweltering in the heat of foreign holidays rather than put her feet in the water.

REPTILE enthusiasts in Easter Ross who have turned their home into a rescue centre are about to embark on an ambitious project which will spare some of the creatures an arduous trip across Europe.

TACKLING the most difficult high altitude walking route in Europe is a feat which many adults would think twice about undertaking – but two intrepid 17-year-olds from Ross-shire are to do just that.

AFTER more than four decades of walking hospital corridors, an Alness grandmother is finally preparing for some quality time with her family – and the bingo.

FROM dressing her dolls as a toddler to establishing her herself as Dingwall's best known seamstress, 65-year-old Elzbieta Kammer is finally giving up the day job to travel Scotland on her bus pass – and decide what she wants to do when she grows up.

A ROSS-SHIRE salmon company director hooked a major prize at last week's Scottish Director of the Year Awards 2007.

A 10-YEAR-OLD Ross-shire girl is to join the esteemed judging panel of a national writing competition.

A MAJOR campaign was launched this week to help save one of Ross-shire's biggest tourist attractions, its famous bottlenose dolphin population.

A GHOST hunter is to brave an overnight stay in Ross-shire's most haunted hotel in a bid to capture spooky goings-on on camera.

FOUR sea salts from Cromarty Boat Club on the Black Isle are to embark on an epic voyage across the Atlantic.

STRATHPEFFER Spa Pavilion has long had a tradition of romance.

AN Invergordon man who lost his battle with cancer has become the inspiration for a tree sculpture trail in the town.

COMMUNITY-minded pupils at Invergordon Academy turned up the heat in the kitchen last week to raise funds for the local fire station.

DINGWALL folk are embracing the "go green" message, with business booming at the town's recycling centre.

WHEN a Ross-shire volunteer bound for Tanzania packed a set of knitting needles in her luggage, little did she know the impact it would have on villagers.

ANOTHER Plockton palm tree – icons in the west coast tourist village – has withered and died.

A TOP Ross cop will be packing his bags this Christmas as he prepares to leave the county for a post which will take him back to a beat where he kicked off his police career.

A LONG-standing Independent Ross-shire councillor who defected to the SNP in a shock move is "cheating the electorate", according to colleagues.

A ROSS-SHIRE widow is trying to find the work of her late artist husband in order that the family can mount an exhibition in remembrance.

THE latest group of entrepreneurs to rise from Dingwall Academy are not only set to make an impression on the business world, but have ensured poignant memories of their school will live on well after it's razed to the ground.

THE Highland Museum of Childhood in Strathpeffer said farewell to one of its most loyal volunteers at a lunch in the spa village.

A ROSS-SHIRE river where the salmon population was once all but wiped out has enjoyed a record-breaking fishing season thanks to an innovative project.

AN EASTER Ross beauty proved she's got all the right assets this week – when she scooped first prize in an underwear modelling competition.

THE Black Isle Leisure Centre is celebrating after it marked a milestone number of members using the facilities.

A FORMER police inspector from South Africa has become the new United Free Church minister in the Seaboard village of Balintore.

A ROSS-SHIRE woman, who gave up a career on the stage to devote her life to caring for animals, was honoured for her work at the House of Lords.

A DINGWALL landmark which has been a no-go area for over two years is now open to the public again – and some credit for that must go to a local schoolboy.

AN acknowledged expert on golden eagles has died of cancer at his home in the Black Isle.

A BLOOM volunteer from Alness got the shock of her life at the Britain in Bloom awards ceremony in Coventry last week when she was singled out as the person who had made the most outstanding contribution to the competition in the whole of the country.

IT took years before Jay Muirhead felt she could share the horror of the domestic violence which is at the heart of her first book, To Hell And Back.

A GOLF-MAD youngster who won a trophy at Muir of Ord this year has two mementoes that take pride of place amongst his souvenirs – two golf balls.

A FORMER conservation warden in the South Atlantic is Highland Council's new Wester Ross ranger based in Ullapool.

THERE was a warm welcome for the Princess Royal in Easter Ross on Tuesday when she visited Alness and Invergordon to view two local projects which have helped transform the towns.

THE finishing touches have just been put to a project at Alness Academy which celebrates the growing number of different nationalities to attend the school.

WESTER Ross woman Kay Matheson has welcomed the making of a new film about the legendary attempt to bring the Stone of Destiny back to Scotland - a role in which she played a major part.

A ROSS-SHIRE lass has had a wish come true by winning first prize in a national story writing competition.

HAVING sailed the seven seas since he was a teenager, marine consultant Reg Holder was the obvious choice to take over the helm as chairman of Ross-shire Writers.

THE historic Strathpeffer Spa Pavilion has a new manager. Andrea Muir from Marybank was previously development director at Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s creative writing centre.

AN INVERGORDON-based author believes her move to the town has proved lucky for her and helped launch her career as a writer.

MEET Ross-shire’s very own J K Rowling, nine-year-old Josie Tolliday from Ardross, who has written herself into the finals of a national bedtime story writing competition which attracted thousands of entries.

WHEN Arthur Fulton joined the scouting movement in 1941, he put his heart and soul into the activities of the organisation founded by Lord Baden Powell a century ago.

WHEN Marie Cruickshank won the Highland Busnesswoman of the Year title, she received a lovely rose bowl and a cheque – which she immediately spent on setting up her latest online business venture.

AN Inverness policeman who was one of the last living investigating officers in the Renee MacRae murder mystery has died in Highland Hospice, aged 73.

BEING a good listener is something we all like to believe we are.

A TEENAGER who was left in a coma from a horrific smash has told how the Highland News Group is helping her come to terms with the accident.

LIGHTS, camera, action... budding film-makers from Inverness are being given a chance to prove their credentials on the silver screen.

MEDIUM Jo Brocas believes Renee MacRae was the victim of hired killers – because Renee says so.

HIGHLAND News Group readers have chosen the 2007 Face of Eastgate – 29-year old Carrie-Ann Ironside from Inverness.

TV reality fashion series Project Catwalk catapulted Fort William design student Gemma Carver (24) into the spotlight before she had even finished her degree.

STANDING on the A9 three hours after a man and a woman have been killed in a road crash and several others have been injured is an eerie place to be.

THE task of piecing together what happened in the fatal crash began almost immediately emergency services arrived on the scene, writes Claire Doughty.

THE hell that the dark nights inflicted on Carly MacDonald left her in despair – until she found the therapist she now jokingly calls "my angel".

WHEN Karen Sellers’ husband put his key in the front door and didn’t hear his new baby screaming the house down, he feared the worst.

NANCY spends her spring and summer days working in her big garden, she dances, goes to exercise class, enjoys Nordic walking and campaigning.

THE team behind the search for the Face of Eastgate were spoiled for choice this week when a bevy of beauties with style and good looks attended the casting at the Inverness shopping centre.

WHEN driving instructor Donnie Ross took to the roads of Inverness with his first pupils, horses and carts were a routine obstacle to be negotiated and there was only one roundabout in the entire town.

INVERNESS B&B owner Ian Barron got a shock when he visited Aya Napa, the Cyprus town infamous for being the playground of outrageous, anything-goes, booze-fuelled British holidaymakers.

NOT a single person in the Highlands has been convicted under the Litter Act in the past five years.

GROUPS of smokers standing outside office buildings and public houses are now a common sight on the streets of towns and cities across the country.

WHEN an old schoolfriend, now a Church of Scotland minister, first mentioned Rwanda, and the plight of its people, I just knew I had to go.

IT WILL be a case of gamekeeper turning poacher for a high profile Ross-shire prosecutor.

SITTING on steps thinking about ending his life by jumping into the Caledonian Canal was ironically what turned life around for Colin MacLeod.

FOUR leading Ross-shire distilleries have united to launch the first Highland Whisky Festival in celebration of the national drink.

A NORTH man has returned from Timbuktu after crossing the treacherous terrain of the Sahara Desert on a motorbike to get there.

A THOROUGHBRED horse which raced all over the world is being nursed slowly back to health at a Kirkhill farm after suffering a horrible freak accident.

A FATHER and daughter from Alness are teaming up to compete in a tough test of driving and navigational ability, the Arnold Clark Snowman Rally.

A GIANT relic which is one of the last visible signs of the Inner Moray Firth’s role in the North Sea oil industry will disappear within the next few weeks.

WHEN professional psychic medium Joanne did a reading for Jock Brocas, the first thing she told him his work would change, he’d go to America and that he’s meet and marry his soul mate.

AMAZING inventions to improve the lives of patients are being created by a group of unsung Highland heroes with a host of bright ideas.

EVEN after a long conversation with Leonard Bowden, you still have no idea what his voice sounds like.

A BRAVE woman who has twice battled cancer celebrated the start of a happy new year this week when she wed the man of her dreams.

A HIGHLAND charity plans to go hi-tech to reach out to more people than ever as it marks its 20th anniversary.

INVERNESS-based building giants Tulloch Ltd has nominated the Highland Hospice as its charity of the year for 2007 when the organisation will celebrate two decades of service.

A POPULAR Inverness councillor has died after a long illness.

A HIGHLAND student was caught up in an earthquake drama that rocked northern Switzerland at the weekend.

IF there is one planet science buff Thomas Riley would like to visit, it’s Mars.

THE lives of Highlanders are being blighted unnecessarily – because of their high-sugar and junk-food diets.

A BIKER is looking for help to find a helmet – for his pet dog who loves nothing more than the feel of the wind in her whiskers.

A QUIRKY new trend which caused a stir in Edinburgh has made it back to its roots – thanks to a little help from the Highland News.

THE Scottish Executive’s decision to create 22 multi-member wards in Highland Council after next May’s electionswas condemned this week as ‘disastrous’.

NESSIE will have clearer water to swim in after millions of pounds was invested in cleaning up her ‘home’.

ONE of the Highlands’ most spectacular birds of prey is being ruthlessly persecuted, it was revealed this week.

A SECRET potion from the Far East could soon be boosting the sex drive of horny Highlanders.

TOMMY Sheridan MSP, star of the defamation court, loves football analogies. Well, his visit to Inverness on Monday for the launch of the Highland branch of the new Solidarity Scotland party was very much a home game.

AN estimated 15,000 elderly people in the Highlands are living alone. Sadly, many of them have little contact with others.

AGROUP of Czech teenagers are paying a visit to an Inverness school in the hope that they can forge an exchange programme.

IT is not easy to "feel good" when you are terminally ill with cancer, but that is the aim for day patients at Highland Hospice.

A NEW era has been signalled for Alness Railway Station with its "adoption" by the local community.

THEY say a happy life is the best revenge. The twist for Ann Jones - whose husband suddenly left after 30 years - is that her happiness multiplies thanks to her website to help others like her.

ONE of the last things PC Gary Fudge expected to experience when he visited Pakistan where 70,000 people were killed in an earthquake last October was a good time.

IT is good to talk, said the hugely successful telephone advert. Well, according to one group based in Inverness, it is so good it can save lives.

VOLUNTEERS are worth more than £1 million a year to a leading Highland charity. That is what it would cost if they were paid for their hard work.

THOUSANDS of young people in the Highlands received their Higher exam results this week - but not all have a clear idea of what they are doing next.

HELPING people cope with anything from the aftermath of murder, rape, house break-ins, serious assault and robbery can all be in a day's work for staff at the Inverness Victim Support office.

A FORMER top Ross-shire policeman who has also seen active service in World War II is convinced one thing has kept him safe from harm over the years - his lucky threepenny piece.

A SPOOKY festival which could put Inverness on the spirit world map and boost tourism during the winter has been proposed by the city's ghost expert.

FRIENDS Ronnie Ross and Carole MacFarlane look like any ordinary pals together.

A ROSS-SHIRE woman this week spoke of her joy at reaching a fundraising target which will allow her to travel abroad for revolutionary treatment which could let her walk again.

It's no longer hard to swallow the idea that women are moving into the industry that makes the nation's favourite tipple. Margaret Chrystall takes a wee dram.

THE family of an Inverness teenager given only weeks to live when he was born are to launch a website about him to inspire others.

TRUE to martial arts tradition, Gordon Faulkner goes about his daily business quietly and draws little attention to himself.

AN Inverness teenager is to make her TV debut soon after getting her first big break in the acting world.

Polish workers are coming to the Highlands in their droves in order to feed their families, reports Graham Crawford.. But they need help to integrate into the community.

THEY might not be as quick on their feet as they used to be but they are well and truly on the move - and there is no stopping them.

SIR John Lister-Kaye, one of Scotland's best known conservationists, has won a literary accolade from the University of St Andrews.

AS a young man, Ron Sinclair had great success in attracting girls, writes Graham Crawford.

THERE IS just no stopping helicopter pilot Peter Clunas when he is in full flight - on his bike.

SWAPPING the bustle of Mayfair for a croft in the Highland hills has not ended pioneer Tuppy Owens’ campaign to help us get real about sex, writes Margaret Chrystall