Sir — As an ex-pat Highlander, who remembers the oil boom of the 1960s, I have been watching the news reports on the Grangemouth dispute.

Sir — May I offer you and all at the Ross-shire Journal my very sincere thanks for selecting Conor as Mascot for the Day and for the most wonderful time that you arranged for him and the family at the Ross County/Cowdenbeath game.

Sir — Can I through your paper remind folk from Invergordon and the surrounding area, and anyone else collecting Kit for Kids tokens in the Daily Record who would like to kindly donate them to Invergordon Junior Football Club, that the tokens finish on May 2, and that I would need to send them to Glasgow by May 9.

Sir — I would like to use your columns to congratulate Ross County on becoming champions not once but twice last Saturday.

Sir — I ran the Flora London Marathon today (Sunday) and I wonder if you will permit me to offer my thanks to the good people of Tain and of the Black Isle.

Sir — I refer to letters on petrol prices published on March 7, which I have just read on my return from a month in New Zealand.

Sir — Viewing the Cromarty Bridge with some quick arithmetic (the principles apply universally) for overtaking might now be relevant, plus another simplistic aphorism 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'.

Sir — I write in response to the recent letters regarding the overtaking on the Cromarty Bridge. As far as I understand the accident blackspot is the mile or so stretch of the A9 heading uphill south of the bridge — surely this is where the overtaking restrictions or a crawler lane should be put in place?

Sir — I appreciated the humour expressed in last week's Ross-shire Journal letter about not driving if one was apparently a wimp!

Sir — May we, through your pages, extend a grateful thank-you to the tea committee and attendees to Arthur Brocklebank's Tuesday afternoons of music, who have gifted Dingwall in Bloom Group a welcome monetary donation.

Sir – I write in reply to Mr Joe Derby's letter in the Ross-shire Journal, regarding overtaking on the Cromarty bridge.

Sir — I write to thank the Ross-shire Journal for giving the exposure of the recent articles concerning the Ross-shire musical scene of the late fifties and sixties. I was amazed by the feedback it created of the halcyon days of the dances in the local halls every weekend in and around the Black Isle.

Sir — "Bring on the wind farms, I say" writes Miss Sasha Ross of Avoch.

Sir — It is ironic that in a week the Cromarty Firth Port Authority (CFPA) boast of winning the Best Port Welcome Award by the cruise industry they could not extend the same hospitality to their oil industry clients, who bring in millions of pounds to the Highland economy.

Sir — May I through your letters page, say a big "thank you" to Mr David Lockett for his vigilance and assistance at the Boggan Burn culvert on the night of February 29.

Sir — As parents of a 36- year-old man with severe learning difficulties, who attends the Isobel Rhind Centre in Invergordon, we were astonished and appalled to read that the role of the Beachview Respite Care Centre in Brora is to change to that of a long-stay residential unit.

Sir — One look at the photograph of 'Johnnie and the Diamonds' (RSJ March 14) and I was eighteen again, doing my summer stint as a waitress in the then Marine Hotel, a Saturday dance in Fortrose or Rosemarkie our highlight of the week.

Sir — The decision by Cromarty Firth Port Authority not to give SNP Councillor Maxine Smith free parking is the correct one. If she wants to use their car park and it costs her £50 a year for a pass, then take it or leave it.

Sir — On February 29, the Journal reported that double white lining would be carried out on the Cromarty Bridge starting last week. New side safety barriers would also be installed.

Sir — I read the interesting article last week by Erica Munro. There is a problem with plurals in this area. The words 'these' and 'those' do not seem to exist. In conversations I so often hear about 'this ones' and 'that ones' instead of 'these ones' and 'those ones'.

Sir — I write with reference to Stagecoach Bus services' response to my letter of January 25, in which I wrote to complain about a lack of bus service times on No 27 buses.

Sir —Regarding the proposal to place a wind farm on the Hill of Nigg I am very concerned that there is a large number of people within our community who do not normally make their voices heard and leave it to others to look after their interests.

Sir — I went into Morrisons in Alness to get petrol. Usually I can be in there twice a week filling up, since I have to travel from Tain to Inverness and back every day just to get to and from my work.

Sir — May I, through your columns, congratulate Professor Rev Dr Andrew McGowan, principal of the Highland Theological College (HTC), on his appointment as Professor of Theology by the UHI Millennium Institute (UHI). This appointment was announced recently.

Sir — It is with anger and dismay that I read that ScotlandTranServ are proposing to paint double white lines to stop overtaking and new barriers on the Cromarty Firth bridge to stop vehicles plunging into the firth.

Sir – May I through your paper congratulate Seann Sutherland on his letter – "Don't knock back progress for Tain".

Sir — Our MPs and MSPs are still huffing and puffing about closures of local post offices. What they do not tell us about the closures is that this comes from a European Union directive regarding the payment of subsidies to post offices which has to end this year and of course we all know the main political parties support the EU.

Sir — As you may be aware the nominations for the new Dingwall Community Council have been advertised this week and the closing date for nominations is 4pm on Tuesday, March 11.

Sir — As a Parent Council we would like to express our disappointment that the posts held by John McNaught and Bob Pegg have been cut from Highland Council's budget.

Sir — Road fuel tax has been in the news over the past few days due to the fact that another four per cent rise comes into effect in a few weeks time, hard on the heels of a recent four per cent rise applied four months ago.

Sir — Fraser McKenzie, project manager for Atmos Consulting, previously known as West Coast Energy, insists that Nigg is an industrial area.

Sir — Through your pages I would like to express my views on the EU, and to give any pro EU politicians the opportunity to sell the EU to me and your readers.

Sir — I am writing into say that many people wishing to use Stagecoach buses between Contin and Inverness, via Dingwall, and the return journey are at present getting a very poor service.

Sir — I was pleased to see that drivers have been alerted by the erection of 'Pedestrian Crossing' warning signs at the Conon Bridge/Alcaig road junction on the A835.

Sir — I strongly object to the proposed wind farm on Rarichie, the Nigg Hill. Its impact on the landscape is totally unacceptable – it will be visible over a large area – and can only be described as vandalism on a gross scale.

Sir — It is with dismay that I read in your paper last week that the planning application for five 2-megawatt (mw) Wind Turbines on the Hill of Nigg has been lodged by Falck Renewables Limited, and that we have only 28 days (deadline Friday, March 7) to register our comments.

Sir — I have recently spent time in Raigmore Hospital after being knocked down by a car.

Sir — Craig Ventner, one of the world's leading scientists, begins his autobiography A Life Decoded with the words "Of all my early memories, the most vivid is my total and absolute freedom."

Sir — With reference to the apparent public furore surrounding current proposals for a new health centre (and hundreds of houses, let's not forget) in a beautiful green pasture on the edge of Tain, I'd like to take this opportunity to shout my mouth off.

Sir — I read Mr Gray's letter last week, regarding port progress, with great interest.

Sir – Perhaps your readers would like to know that the supposed consultation around the PO closure is more like a useless conversation.

Sir — February always brings back to me the unpleasant war years of WWII, especially the day our village was bombed, the cat ate the canary and the granny next door died.

Sir — In his letter, in last week's Ross-shire journal, Ken Gray, the Port Manager claims, "The CFPA is heavily committed to Invergordon".

Sir — On the letter from CFPA's Ken Gray, his reference to Cllr Smith's "tenuous link" sounds like a threat to anyone who dares to question CFPA.

Sir — I was most interested to hear about the community council discussion about Dingwall Academy lunchtime litter.

Sir — There was a splendid attendance on Friday, January 18 at Tulloch Castle to listen to the piping recital given by the well known musician Duncan McGillivray from Calrossie, near Tain.

Sir — As reported in the Ross-shire Journal the Cromlet Club, Invergordon has now unfortunately closed.

Sir — At last someone has had the courage to pen an article in the Ross-shire Journal, (January 15), about the "lunchtime litter louts" in Dingwall.

Sir — In response to last week's Ross-shire Journal article concerning Tesco's move on Asda, this is not anything new for Tesco.

Sir — Doreen Douglas is an area presenter with Samaritans Purse International Relief and has been since 2002.

Sir — As a person who does all her shopping in Dingwall I feel you should be praising the young busker — I enjoyed the tunes I heard her play.

Sir — As a resident of the Kildary area for the past 17 years I am a frequent user of my local post office, I find it very insulting that the proposed closures are constantly referred to as mere buildings. I can only speak about Kildary post office and the people that run it, the Cameron family.

Sir — In response to the proposed Post Office closures this is nothing short of economic vandalism perpetrated by the Westminster Government on our vulnerable rural communities and is especially harsh on the elderly folk of the Highlands who rely on this vital community service.

Sir — The Scottish Government has said no to Nuclear Energy in Scotland, which, incidentally is in line with the wishes of the population, only 15 per cent backing nuclear energy (BBC/ICM poll 2006).

Sir — I recently watched a news item on TV about people coming together to sing.

Sir — Peter Peacock MSP must surely have been wearing his Sunday best rose-tinted spectacles when he penned last week's article in which he lambasts the SNP for freezing the Council Tax.

Sir — As Peter Peacock in a former life (before he joined the Labour Party as a career move) was convener of Highland Council and also a vice-president of COSLA, I am very surprised that he is opposed to the additional discretion local authorities now have in determining their budgets.

Sir — Privatisation is the reason for all the current rail disruption.

Sir — With regards to my letter regarding lost certificates from the Marybank School 140 year anniversary, I am pleased to say that they have been returned.

Sir — On behalf of the Munlochy Senior Citizens who were entertained to dinner on December 12 at Munlochy Hotel, I write to publicly thank the proprietors, Gail and Geoff, for the excellent meal they provided.

Sir — For many of us, Christmas can be a time of over-indulgence, with food, drink and shopping more on our minds than at any other time of year.

Sir — I am writing to tell you about a special new book that I hope will be of use to some of your readers, especially at this time of year.

Sir — While more people shopped on the internet than attended church this Christmas, there can be no doubt that Britain still has a strong Christian heritage. Even atheist Richard Dawkins confesses to singing Christmas carols, and believes children should grow up with a knowledge of the Bible.

Sir — On behalf of the Munlochy Senior Citizens who were entertained to dinner on December 12 at Munlochy Hotel, I write to publicly thank the proprietors, Gail and Geoff, for the excellent meal they provided.

Sir — I write to congratulate all the children and staff of Milton Primary School on their Christmas panto production of “Dick Whittington” which I attended last Monday night.

Sir — On the first night, the Avoch Pensioners received a warm welcome from Alan Carmichael of the Masonic Lodge, Avoch, in whose hall the Christmas Party was held.

Sir — Peter Grant wrote a very sensible letter about the proposed wind farm on Nigg Hill and he makes a number of valid points.

Sir — Just a letter to say I was one of those people who visited the display on what is on offer for the £250,000 upgrade of Dingwall High Street.

Sir — Can anyone help me please? I loaned four school certificates I received from Marybank School for the above event in June and they appear to have gone missing.

Sir — I would like to add my voice to others expressing concern at the proposed Nigg Hill wind farm.

Sir — The Government has decided that 2,500 local Post Offices are to be closed across the whole of the UK and sadly no amount of flag waving or petition signing will reduce the overall total by a single unit. Around 250 of these closures are expected to be in Scotland.

Sir — In his letter of last week carrying the heading 'New School Boost' Mr Allan Thomson suggests it's time that I, along with the majority of townsfolk expressing continued concerns over Dingwall Academy, should "close this subject."

Sir — Mr Morris Grant states in his letter last week that it would be "useful" for a debate to go ahead on the subject of the new Dingwall Academy. Why?

Sir — I was delighted with the news that the Save our Staggies Committee had reached the contribution milestone of £50,000 donation to the club.

Sir — I write in relation to yet another damming and critical report released by the newly-appointed Police Complaints Commissioner Jim Martin regarding Northern Constabulary's "institutional arrogance" in relation to their gross dereliction of duties regarding both the botched murder inquiry into my nephew Kevin Mcleod's horrific death and our subsequent complaints.

Sir — Regarding plans for a wind farm at Hill of Nigg – would it affect house sales?

Sir — Everyone in this district who has benefited from the attractive new look achieved in recent years by the Seaboard Villages must want to congratulate them for the energy and imagination they and their project co-ordinator have displayed.

Sir — Increasingly frequently, of late there is an early morning tailback of traffic approaching Dingwall from the south that reaches the Maryburgh roundabout and beyond.

Sir — Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the management of roads engineering and traffic in the Dingwall area is out of control? I can only make my point by using a few illustrations drawn from my observations over the last 2-3 years:

Sir — In a letter published last week Mr Allan Thomson makes disparaging remarks about my views on Highland Council's destruction of the playing fields of Dingwall Academy.

Sir — The saga of Highland Council facing a crisis over the state of its road bridges is nothing new.

Sir - I was intrigued by Erica Munro's article (It's not all fun and games at the birthday party).

Sir — I refer to the proposed construction of five wind turbines of over 400 feet high on the 600 foot Hill of Nigg and would seek to correct some misleading rumours circulating in the area.

Sir — Can I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments expressed by Morris Grant re 2014 Commonwealth Games, they will indeed bring many benefits to the country.

Sir — It saddens me, as a committed County fan that I no longer want to go and stand in the Jail End.

Sir — It's incredibly good news that Glasgow is to play host to the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The city is to be warmly congratulated on its well managed campaign.

Sir — How can we increase the money we receive from tourism by 50 per cent before 2015?

Sir — Next month Falck Renewables are expected to lodge before Highland Council planning a proposal for a 10MW, five-turbine wind farm on top of the Hill of Nigg.

Sir — I wonder how seriously the recent survey undertaken by Barbaraville Consultation Group into Mohammed Al Fayed's housing proposed development will be taken.

Sir — Farce is the word! Richard Cross hit the nail on the head in his excellent letter (Beyond Belief, November 2). The Nigg Hill wind farm project grows daily more bizarre.

Sir — Labour MSP, Peter Peacock in his Political Notebook column in the Ross-shire of October 26 makes the same type of negative comments about the SNP which lost Labour the election.

Sir — Rumours abound but there are no facts.

Sir — I was absolutely horrified to read in the Ross-shire Journal of thoughts of laying tarmac on the High Street.

Sir — I was disappointed to read in last week's (October 26) Ross-shire Journal that consideration was being given to abandoning the pedestrian part of the High Street.

Sir — I note from your article "Wind farm trust fund offer ridiculous" in last week's Journal that you were kind enough to quote me on the issue of wind turbines proposed for the Hill of Nigg.

Sir — Following the betrayal of Scottish farmers and crofters by the Labour Government in London (in withdrawing the £8.1 million of promised aid for the English foot and mouth outbreak), on October 25, John Swinney announced to the Scottish Parliament that £25 million would be made available as an interim aid package.

Sir — I have read in the local newspapers, and it's no surprise to me, that Conon and Maryburgh Community Council has now disbanded.

Sir — I would like to thank the Ross-shire Journal, and staff, for highlighting my case against TalkTalk.

Sir — We at Help the Aged would like to offer some advice to your readers who may be worried at this time of year about unsolicited callers.

Sir — Many people are aware of meningitis, a terrible disease that strikes in an instant but leaves behind devastating side-effects which can last a lifetime.

Sir — Whilst I greatly appreciate Jenna MacCulloch's coverage of my situation regarding the TalkTalk organisation in last week's Ross-shire Journal, some added points:

Sir — Peter Kellett in his letter to the Ross-shire of September 21 states that drivers, under the present alcohol limit, are not a problem on our roads.