News
16 March 2025Feddon Hill Play Park - thank you to Dicksons of Inverness
FRCC has thanked Dicksons of Inverness for an extremely generous donation of £300 towards restoring and improving Feddon Hill play park.
The park had become derelict, overgrown with weeds, and the play equipment was in poor repair. It was no longer being maintained by the builder and had not been adopted by the Highland Council.
Following a request for help, the Community Council co-ordinated the formation of an action group, composed of local residents of various ages, who have committed an impressive amount of time and energy to the project. Local growing group ROGS (Regenerate Our Green Space) has provided essential expertise and organised a very successful Saturday morning "spring tidy up" - pictures below. The work is ongoing, but vegetation has been cut back, debris cleared and play equipment is in the process of being repaired and restored.
The money so kindly donated by Dicksons will be used to buy membrane and bark to make pathways, and to purchase bulbs, flowers and other items to ensure the play area becomes an attractive amenity for use by local families.
12 March 2025Fortrose-Avoch Railway line path tidy 22/3/25
Local group Regenerate Our Green Space (ROGS) has organised a tidy up along the old railway line path between Fortrose and Avoch, with help from The Highland Council and the two community councils (FRCC and Avoch and Killen) between 10am and 3pm on SATURDAY 22nd MARCH.
Volunteers will be welcomed with open arms! The work will involve clearing drainage ditches and the surface of the path. It would help if you can briing a spade and/or rake with you. Please dress for the weather and expect a muddy path. Please also bring gloves and refreshments.
If you have the stamina for five hours' work, great, but if you can only spare an hour, we'd still love to see you.
The meeting point at 10am will be the path's midpoint and the work parties will work their way back to the starting points at each end, so it should be easy to find a group regardless of which end you are coming from and what time you arrive.
Hope to see you there!
15 February 2025Feddonhill tidy up Saturday 22 February
A message from community group Regenerate Our Green Space:
Following a very rewarding morning tidying up the pavement at Cathedral Square in Fortrose, we are having a
SPRING TIDY UP DAY on Saturday 22nd February 10am-12 noon.
Meet at Feddonhill Playpark which needs some TLC.
If you have any secateurs or a lopper or a strimmer, or a stiff brush, hoe, shovel, whellbarrow, bucket, weeding tools or perhaps a rake or fork bring it along - some tools will be provided but some extras would be helpful. Wear gloves and dress appropriately!
Take the first right as you enter the estate and the playpark is on your left. And to inspire you, here are some "before and after" pictures of Cathedral Square!
15 February 2025Thank you from ShopMobility Highland
16 January 2025Council consultations
20 MPH ZONES
The Highland Council is planning to make permanent temporary 20mph speed limits which it introduced in 100 settlements, including in Fortrose and Rosemarkie. It has opened a five-week public consultation. FRCC is responding with a suggestion of a more graduated reduction from the national 60 mph speed limt to the 20 mph on the western approach to Fortrose, and asking for consistency and rationalisation elsewhere. We would encourage residents with opinions to submit their own responses too. The consultation closes on 10 Feburary. Details on The Highland Council website.
VISITOR LEVY
Last year the Scottish government granted local authorities discretionary powers to impose a visitor levy on those staying in overnight accommodation. The Highland Council is carrying out a public consultation on plans and wants to hear from residents and local businesses. The consultation closes on 31 March. Details on The Highland Council website.
16 January 2025IDEAS WANTED
As you will know, one of the objectives of Scottish community councils is to promote the well-being of the community and to foster community spirit.
FRCC holds a small number of fund-raising events each year. Recently, money raised has gone towards improving the villages' Christmas lights, as well as donations to Avoch Primary School and Highland Shopmobility.
We have very limited funds but we are always keen to hear ideas for new LOCAL projects or causes that might appreciate an FRCC donation. If you have an idea, or would like to get involved in fund-raising, please let us know.
You can contact us via text on 07498 431476 or email us at fortroseandrosemarkie@gmail. com.
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04 January 2025CHRISTMAS EVE UPDATE
THANK YOU to all the volunteers who worked so hard to make this year's Christmas Eve event a success, and to all who came along to join in. The Cathedral looked spectacular and the weather held!
Particular thanks to William Mather who masterminded the event, to Lorna and Brian Skinner and Isabel Patterson for the beautiful music, to the "Ad Hoc" choir who led the singing and to the Tonkin family for all their contributions, and of course, to our Father Christmas and all his helpers!
The collection raised more than £700, with a donation earmarked for Shopmobility Highland (a charity providing electric scooters, wheelchairs and other hellp for those who find accessing the shops difficult). We are also hoping to use some of the koney to buy a few more Christmas lamp-post lights ready for next year, especially for Fortrose High Street.
Thank you again to MARY GALLOWAY for kindly donating the magnificent tree for Cathedral Square, and to David Guthrie, Bob Latimer, David Grigor and Nick Lake for putting the tree and the lights up - and crucially, for taking them down before Twelfth Night! (The random handful which stay up all year belong to the Council, in case you were wondering, and we spotted a couple more this year for which we are grateful!).
