The avenue to do so is there through a simple donation to the most worthwhile cause she has put heart and soul into supporting.

As a child, Jane Ridley needed regular outpatient treatment between operations for the congenital disease from which she suffers. The mother of two hasn't let the difficulties she faces get her down but instead took on the challenge of cycling nearly 1,000 miles — completely alone — to try and make things better for others.

What a pity that in that making a journey literally from one end of the country to the other, the only such behaviour should be encountered on our patch, better known for its Highland hospitality. The irony of course is that Invergordon is doing a fantastic job in trying to make itself as welcoming to visitors as possible — including the thousands of cruise line passengers disembarking there in coming weeks.

Local councillor Maxine Smith is right to take a no-nonsense stance on the matter and also — crucially — to make the point that these idiots are in the minority. The local secondary received a fantastic report from inspectors within the past fortnight and the town has been energised by a series of community initiatives made possible through good old-fashioned elbow grease and grassroots co-operation. Let's not allow a few fools to jeopardise what can be achieved.

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THREE young lives could have been lost over the past week or so in Ross-shire because of a lack of common sense around water.

Familiarity can sometimes breed contempt when it comes to safety messages routinely pumped out regarding the seasonal dangers of cooling down in hot weather in rivers, streams or lochs that look inviting and benign.

Factor in unexpectedly strong currents or hidden depths and you are dicing with death. The recent incidents reported this week ended "happily" with no casualties. It could so easily have been different.

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