SILVER JUBILEE

HOL was incorporated in February 1986 and it will celebrate its 25 year Silver Jubilee in 2011. To help commemorate this, we are going to collect and publish an archive of historical pictures and news items on this page.

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The HOL Aircraft

Do you remember Dan-Air Services which used to fly between Inverness and London, using BAC 1-11 jet aircraft?  Dan-Air took over the route from British Airways in 1983. Dan-Air was an early sponsor of HOL and it named one of its aircraft "Highland Opportunity" in 1989. Unfortunately the airline encountered financial turbulence in the early 90s and it was acquired by British Airways in 1992 for the sum of £1.

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Early Highland Focus Newsletter

You can read an early edition of Highland Focus dated 1987, published a year after HOL was founded. It is stored as a pdf file which will require Adobe Reader or similar open source software on your computer to read it . Click on this link - Highland Focus

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HOL's Wick Office in Miller Street, Then and Now

From the Great Depression of the 1930s to the Global Recession of 2009, Miller Street in Wick's Pultneytown has stood the test of time. From John Munro the tailor through to the North of Scotland Water offices and now the Wick Enterprise Centre, HOL's office has stood firm, each brick unmoved as you can see below, although the surroundings have changed substantially and the gas lantern has gone!

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HRH Prince Charles addresses the AGM of Scottish Business in the Community in 1988

HOL has been a long term supporter of the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust which aims to help young people into self employment, particularly those who are disadvantaged.

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The Board and Staff of Highland Opportunity Limited pose for the Annual Report in 1988

They clearly have great plans for the next two decades! All of which come true. 

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21 years later, the new Business Gateway service in Highland and Moray was launched

This is a group photo of the HOL Chair, Helen Carmichael and the Business Gateway team together with Councillors Michael Foxley and Ian Ross at the Business Gateway opening day event of 1 April 2009. 

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John Farquhar Munro, MSP, opens the Alness Enterprise Centre in August 2001

Afterwards, everyone had tea and snacks at the Alness community centre across the road. Very nice too!