‘Notes of hope’ will be placed across Caithness as part of Suicide Prevention Week, which starts on Monday.
The aim of the project is to let people who are feeling depressed that there are alternatives to taking their own lives.
The notes will be placed at Trinkie, Wick and Holborn Head, Scrabster, alongside small wooden flowers which are part of a national recovery project.
Each flower represents a life lost to substance abuse or suicide and form part of a national remembrance event. They will later be replanted in local areas.
Emma Pettigrew, a nurse with the Caithness Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service, said that she wanted to mark the week and liked the idea of the ‘notes of hope’.
She added: “I have seen this being used in other parts of the country and it has shown to make a difference to people.
“I hope the messages will be seen as helpful and uplifting and those reading them can take some comfort.
“This is something that I feel very passionate about. In my career I have met people who have had suicidal thoughts and it is my hope that doing this will have a positive impact on anyone who is in that situation.”
There will also be an outreach event at Tesco in Wick with Ms Pettigrew present offering supportive materials to those in need.
She said: “I have also arranged to have a table at Tesco, Wick on Monday 10 September, which is World Suicide Prevention Day.
“It will include supportive materials from our services as well as the Samaritans who will also be supporting me on the day.
“We will also be handing out tea lights to those who want to take part in the national ‘Light a Candle’ event.”
“The idea behind this is that people light a candle near their window on 10 September to show their support for suicide prevention but also to remember those they may have lost.”
She added: “I really hope people engage with the event and for those who these messages are really intended for that it helps them pause, encourages them to talk to someone and lets them know that they are not alone.”
