SOME of the cast of the TV soap, Emmerdale, joined visitors and locals at Kames Hotel for a fun packed weekend.

Tickets for the 2014 Cowal Highland Gathering went on sale at noon today (Monday February 17) via the event website at www.cowalgathering.com.

The world's biggest and most spectacular Highland games has teamed up this year with the Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS), and people buying tickets will have the opportunity to support this worthy cause while booking their place at Cowal's August spectacular.

With barely a ripple of debate, far less dissent, Argyll and Bute Council Leader Dick Walsh's budget was approved in a council chamber on Thursday February 13.

Headlines from the budget include a continued freeze on council tax, no increases in school meal charges and a significant boost for tourism in the region.

IT HAS been another busy week in South Cowal Community Development Company's plan to buy the Castle Toward estate (above).

The estate owner has agreed to place the estate on the market, allowing a community purchase bid to succeed. SCCDC has now selected a firm of architects with strong local connections to undertake surveys and planning work to understand the costs of bringing Castle Toward back into economic use.

Argyll and Bute Council has paid out more than £16,000 over the past five years in compensation to vehicle owners for damage by potholed roads.

The figure was uncovered - along with similar statistics for each of Scotland's local authorities - by the Scottish Conservatives through Freedom of Information.

The gates to Strachur playpark were locked in May last year.

The Standard can now exclusively reveal that it appears that they will open again in time for the summer holidays.

A CONSULTATION is under way on a proposal to change the hours at Dunoon Grammar School.