Highlands and Islands Enterprise investments help create 1,300-plus jobs

More than 1,300 full-time equivalent jobs have been created across the Highlands and Islands in the past year, according to the region’s enterprise agency.

Investments by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) supported businesses and social enterprises to create 1,327 full-time equivalent jobs and retain a further 160. Of the total jobs supported, 138 were in “fragile” areas and 82 were green jobs.

An example is Bakkafrost Scotland - formerly the Scottish Salmon Company - which has embarked on a research and development project at Kishorn in Wester Ross that is expected to create 30 rural jobs over four years.

Harland & Wolff, meanwhile, has established 70 jobs in renewable energy manufacturing at Arnish in the Outer Hebrides.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) chairman Alistair Dodds. Picture: Gillian Frampton

The figures, which are subject to review by Audit Scotland ahead of HIE’s annual report in December, show that turnover among HIE-supported firms is forecast to increase by more than £620 million and grow international sales by upwards of £280m.

HIE chairman Alistair Dodds said: “Businesses, social enterprises, communities and other organisations across the Highlands and Islands showed tremendous resilience and ambition in the face of a unique and severe set of challenges last year.

“These strengths played a huge role in the strong outcomes we were able to achieve and will be vital in facing the current challenges and driving recovery and growth in the years ahead.

“Our role in providing pandemic related support over the past couple of years gave us the opportunity to build new relationships across the region and extend our reach in a way that is already proving valuable.”