An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 2 > No. 83, 28 May 1970

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M-LINGUAL NEWSPAPER OF CURRENT EVENTS IN THE HIGHLANDS AND THE ISLANDS AND IN SCOTLAND
DI-ARDAOIN, 28mh LATHA DE’N CHEITEAN 1970 THURSDAY, 28th MAY 1970 No. 83 Sixpence
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Ahertarff House . Inverness
Loch Benevean in Glen Affric — a favourite1. Spot for summer tourists
A DORNOCH FIRTH BRIDGE
SOON?
JHE idea of bridging the
Dornoch Firth at Meikle
Ferry so that Caithness and
East Sutherland would get
quicker contact with the
industrial development at
Invergordon was in the Gov¬
ernment’s mind.
Mr Robert Maclennan,
Labour M.P. for Caithness
and Sutherland wants the
Government to promote a
feasibility survey.
Dr Mabon, Joint Minister
of State had told Mr Maclen¬
nan that when he decided on
the most suitable line for the
new trunk road north of In¬
verness he would “take due
account of the benefits to
Caithness and Sutherland and
of the possible additional con¬
tribution which in due course
be made by a Dornoch Firth
crossing.”
/The primary need was to
improve the heavily-trafficked
road between Inverness and
Invergordon. Caithness and
Sutherland as well as the
Moray Firth area itself would
benefit.
Dr Mabon assured Mr Mac-
lennan that he should not
fear that a valuable oppor¬
tunity would be lost if the
present planning brief for the
Jack Holmes group was not
extended now to cover rhe
Dornoch Firth crossing
Alternative route
This assessment would be
a far less complicated matter
than the assessment of the
alternative route between In¬
verness and Dingwall where
the development potential of
the general Moray Firth area
must be taken into account.
Nine routes have been pro¬
posed for the new road.
Sutherland County Council’s
case is that if the Dornoch
Firth is not bridged there will
be a danger of depopulation
with workers from Suther¬
land being attracted to Inver¬
gordon.
If the firth were bridged, it
would mean that workers
could get back and forward
daily and still keep their
home in Sutherland. Such
proximity with Invergordon
could also mean the possi¬
bility of small ancillary in¬
dustries being established in
East Sutherland.
Kyle railway line
'J'HE Scottish Railway De¬
velopment Association has
written to the Minister of
Transport urging that a com¬
prehensive study of transport,
tourist and amenity needs in
the whole area from the
Moray Firth to Skye and
Lewis be made of all the
issues raised by the proposal
to close the Kyle of Lochalsh-
Dingwall railway line in Jan¬
uary 1972. This follows a
meeting of the association in
Inverness on April 11 th when
renewed concern was expres¬
sed at the Minister’s proposal
to close the line in January
1972 unless new evidence of
its need appeared.
New Wick Cheese Factory
’J’HE Caithness Cheese Com-
pany’s new 6,000 square ft.
factory at Wick Airport In¬
dustrial Estate was officially
opened last Friday.
The company, now employ¬
ing 17, have moved from their
smaller premises in Lybster,
where production started
three years ago, to cope with
dramatically increasing de¬
mands for their cheeses at
home and abroad.
Company chairman, the
former Liberal M.P. Mr
George Y. Mackie, said “we
expect the employment factor
to increase to 25 soon, thus
showing the potential via¬
bility of small industries in
Caithness.”
“We have come a long way
since the business started in
a converted railway ticket
office in Lybster. Turnover
has soared from an initial
£7,000 to nearly £40,000 a
year and we expect it to in¬
crease to around £70,000 this
year. Their demand is such
that it should double again
within the next two years.
Similarly, we expect the
present milk intake of over
1,000 gallons a day from local
dairy farmers to rise to 2,000
gallons a day in the near
future.”
About half the production
is exported, with the U.S.A.
and Canada being a particu¬
larly attractive market.
Caithness Cheese are the
third smallest firm to open up
on the Wick Airport Indus¬
trial Estate which was bought
by Caithness County Council
last year for Industrial De¬
velopment. The financial as¬
sistance for building conver¬
sion was provided by the
Highlands and Islands De¬
velopment Board.
At present, the company’s
range of cheeses includes
Caithness, a round full-fat,
semi-soft creamy cheese in a
waxed coat, and Morven, a
square cheese, softer and
creamier than Caithness, and
again in a waxed coat.
The cheese making process
is supervised by Mr Hans
Petersen, who was manager of
a Danish butter and cheese
factory before he came to
Caithness five years ago.