First Minister visits for Convention of the Highlands and Islands

Orkney Islands Council is host the Convention of the Highlands and Islands today, Monday.

The twice-yearly Scottish Government meeting will bring leaders from across the Highlands and Islands together with Scottish Government Ministers, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.

On the agenda will be issues such as the Our Islands, Our Future initiative, digital connectivity, energy, transport and land reform.

The meeting rotates around all Highlands and Islands local authority areas and was last held in Orkney in the autumn of 2010.

Council Convener, Steven Heddle, will represent the OIC at the meeting and make the opening remarks.

He said: “It is a great honour for us to host this meeting, particularly given that six Government Ministers have elected to attend – including the First Minister – the most that have ever attended.

COHI is a very worthwhile opportunity for leaders from the Highlands and Islands across the whole public sector to get together with the Scottish Government to tackle the issues and opportunities that we face as an area.”