RETAIL giant Somerfield will officially unveil a £600,000 refurbishment of one of its stores at Turriff next week.

When it comes to food at most of Scotland’s big music festivals, revellers normally have to make do with burgers and chips.

A WEEKEND of movies at a landmark museum at Fraserburgh is expected to reignite a local campaign for permanent, regular cinema nights.

Scotland’s first commercial-scale biodiesel plant capable of turning oilseed rape into fuel for cars could be built in the north-east.

An early start to the summer schedule helped to boost passenger numbers at Aberdeen Airport last month, its operator said yesterday.

There were fears of a tourism downturn in the Highlands and islands last night as hoteliers, tour guides, and retailers and other businesses which cater for the sector reported a worrying slowdown in trade.

THE postal regulator called last night for a “radical transformation” of the Royal Mail and warned its letters business would decline speedily unless action was taken.

FEARS that the Post Office may lose a contract to operate a card account system used to pay pensions and benefits were raised last night.

Highland Council bosses say “substantial” progress is being made on Fort William’s £80million waterfront development despite legal agreements taking longer than hoped for.

Plans to convert an Inverness hotel into a private home and build three houses in its grounds have been rejected by the Scottish Government.

IT BEARS a striking resemblance to Doctor Who’s time-travelling tardis, but this machine at an Inverness leisure centre has a far more down-to-earth function.

THE Heathrow Airport chief who presided over the Terminal 5 opening debacle is to leave his job, airport operator BAA said yesterday.

A Forres bed-and-breakfast owner has hit out at the increasing financial burden of implementing new safety regulations.

Property tycoon Donald Trump appears to have bowed to pressure from environmentalists over his north-east golf resort.

A decision on the creation of Aberdeenshire’s biggest purpose-built nightclub, on the fringes of Peterhead town centre, has been delayed.

A shock rise in the cost of living during April hit hopes for interest-rate cuts yesterday as inflation soared at its highest pace for nearly six years.

Shoppers at Westhill could have double the choice of quality food and drink after it emerged plans are being discussed to extend a popular store.

A major new office development could be built in Inverness as part of a £35million scheme to regenerate a city-centre eyesore, the Press and Journal can reveal.

Almost 5,000 people could be living on site at any one time at Donald Trump’s proposed £1billion golf development, it was revealed yesterday.

THE threat of the first national rail strike for 14 years was raised yesterday when the industry’s biggest union announced that it was balloting 17,000 workers for industrial action.

MILLIONS of households are facing ever-increasing energy bills after British Gas owner Centrica signalled it may have to put up prices again.

The government will be challenged tomorrow to spell out how it plans to act to preserve the one-price-goes anywhere postal service operated by Royal Mail.

A consortium of north-east businesses set up to tap into the lucrative multibillion-pound offshore decommissioning industry is close to securing its first contracts.

Private ferry operators are being squeezed out by rivals who receive state subsidies, MSPs heard yesterday.