THE big snowfalls and freezing temperatures may have been a boon for skiers and children starting their holidays, but for many it has been seriously inconvenient, and for the most vulnerable in our society even worse than that.

IT WAS a great pleasure in Aviemore last week to hear how the exciting plans for a sports centre in the village are progressing.

THE huge turnout of local people at the public meeting on Monday night to launch the Strathspey railway's 'Rails to Grantown' project was a very encouraging start to what is one of the most important projects for the strath.

THE party conference season – now drawing to its close – has brought into focus the choice which we all face, most likely eight months from now on Thursday May 6, 2010.

THE next 12 months or so are going to be crucial for the economy, locally and nationally.

AFTER the madness of Westminster, it has been a real pleasure in the last month to be back at home in the strath.

OVER the last 18 months Britain has been hit by two enormous crises.

An air of unreality has been descending over Westminster for half an hour every Wednesday at Prime Ministers questions. The new Speaker has his work cut out to keep many MPs in order.

THE SCANDAL about the way that some MPs have used their allowances has rightly shocked the country.

LAST week's budget was a sobering event for anyone who doubted the severity of the economic crisis.

OVER THE last few weeks, I have spent a lot of my time meeting local businesses in the strath and employers' organisations to discuss the impact that the economic problems across the country are having locally.

IT'S official – what we have all known for some time was confirmed by official statistics on Friday, Britain is in recession. After six months of the economy getting smaller, the independent forecasters seem now to believe that the recession will continue for the rest of 2009.

THIS year has been dominated by the worsening economic crisis facing the whole country.

SINCE Parliament returned three weeks ago, the financial and economic crisis has dominated events.

LAST time I wrote in the "Strathy", I anticipated that news on the future of the A9 should be a matter of days away.

HOUSEHOLDS across the Highlands will be paying a lot more for electricity this week after Scottish and Southern Electricity – which owns Hydro Electric – became the latest energy company to introduce swingeing rises for its customers.

THE spate of horrific accidents in the last few weeks has highlighted once again the dangers of driving on the A9.

I AND my Highland Liberal Democrat MP colleague John Thurso and Charles Kennedy recently put to the House of Commons our idea that there should be a lower level of fuel duty in remote rural areas.

PEOPLE across Badenoch and Strathspey are feeling the pain caused by the huge rise in fuel prices over the past six months.

LAST week's strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery, and the knock-on effects on the supply of fuel locally, graphically illustrated our dependence on this source of energy.

LAST Sunday was the start of the new tax year. Any changes to the personal tax system made in the budget start from that date, and this year has been more controversial than most.

REGULAR travellers on the A9 through the strath have been experiencing for the past few weeks roadworks over a long stretch around Kincraig.

LAST week, Matthew Taylor, the Liberal Democrat MP who is doing a review of affordable housing and the rural economy for the Prime Minister, spent the day in Boat of Garten learning about the extent of the housing crisis in the Highlands, and the innovative solutions that are being pursued here.

I WAS very surprised to learn last week that John Swinney, the SNP Finance Secretary in Edinburgh, has refused to approve the list of priorities which were submitted by our regional transport partnership, HITRANS, in March.

THE NEW House of Commons session starts next week with the Queen's speech. Having spent most of the last few month talking to local people, business and organisations, there are a number of key issues that I will pursuing with my Highland colleagues John Thurso and Charles Kennedy in Westminster now.

THE new political 'season' entered full swing last week, with the Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton.

THE foot and mouth outbreak may have taken place in Surrey, but it is having dire consequences here in the Highlands.

MUCH has been said in recent weeks about the importance of upgrading the Highlands' transport infrastructure as an urgent priority.

The Government's consultation on its plans to close post offices demonstrates very effectively why people are so sceptical about official 'consultation exercises'.

MANY 'Strathy’ readers will have received a 'Highland Health Survey’ from my local Liberal Democrat colleague, Craig Harrow.

IN LESS than three months time, readers of this column will be asked to vote for members of the Scottish Parliament and the Highland Council.

THE news that Richard Branson has decided to put $3 billion over the next 10 years into research into climate change highlights once again the need for urgent action to tackle global warming.

RISING oil prices have again pushed the issue of the disproportionate impact of high petrol prices to the top of the political agenda.

THE appalling events in the Middle East seem to get worse with every day that passes.