BBC boosts Highlands and Islands service and increases staff numbers in Inverness

BBC Scotland has made two key appointments to further improve the corporation's coverage and service to the Highlands and Islands.

Black Isle broadcast journalist Isla Todd has joined the BBC Scotland news gathering operation in Inverness while Laura Darling, of Fortrose, becomes Children in Need's first Highlands and Islands-based national officer with a remit to boost the number of grant applications in the area.

Ms Todd has joined the BBC from Moray Firth Radio where she was a news and sports reporter.

She will have a particular remit to cover in-depth original stories on the new BBC Scotland channel's evening news programme The Nine, but will also contribute to the BBC’s overall news gathering operation from the Highlands.

Ms Darling, who previously worked at Citizens Advice Scotland, Poppyscotland and a number of housing and charitable organisations, will liaise with organisations that support vulnerable children in the Highlands and Islands with an aim of increasing the number of grant recipients from the annual Children in Need fundraiser which last year distributed £2.5 million regionally among 40 groups.

The new appointments take the Inverness-based BBC staff to 50.

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