Painful info... the winter gritters officially roll out on Wednesday, which is either reassuring or mildly ominous depending on your mood. Elsewhere this week: the Scottish Ensemble team up with Brìghde Chaimbeul for what should be a proper evening at Eden Court, Grease opens on Thursday, and the X99 bus row shows no signs of calming down. Here's your week.

Worth Knowing

The handful of things that'll actually shape your week.

• Winter gritting season starts Wednesday: Highland Council's winter service officially kicks in on Wednesday 14 October, covering 6,787km of road. That's the point in the year where "did they grit it?" becomes a daily question. Worth knowing before the first proper frost catches anyone out.
• X99 Raigmore row rumbles on: The spat over the lost X99 bus (the one that linked Inverness and Raigmore Hospital to Caithness) has got messier, with Stagecoach now accusing council leader Raymond Bremner of sharing confidential details. Blame is flying both ways. For anyone relying on that route, there's still no fix in sight.
• Bellfield parking boiling over: Residents around Bellfield Park say cars are being abandoned for days or weeks on end, and tempers are fraying. People are reportedly getting into stand-offs over spaces. If you're down that end of town, you'll already know.
• Dingwall schools plans go on display: Proposals for the new Dingwall Primary and St Clement's Special School campus go on public display later this month, with drop-in sessions planned. If you've a stake in either school, worth watching for the dates.
• Visitor Levy webinars: Highland Council is running public consultation webinars on the proposed Visitor Levy. One for anyone in tourism, hospitality, or just curious about what it means for the area.

Midweek

Four picks for a decent evening between now and Thursday.

• Gregory's Girl: Eden Court, Tue 13 Oct, 19:30. Possibly the greatest Scottish film ever made (their words, not mine, but also sort of mine). Bill Forsyth's lovely 1981 comedy about Gregory falling for the new girl on the school football team. On the big screen where it belongs.
• Scottish Ensemble & Brìghde Chaimbeul: Eden Court, Thu 15 Oct, 19:00. Scottish Ensemble joining forces with the Celtic piper Brìghde Chaimbeul for a one-off collaboration. The kind of thing that doesn't come round often. Likely the pick of the week.
• April and the Extraordinary World: Eden Court, Wed 14 Oct, 19:30. A French animated film from 2015, well-regarded on the festival circuit. If you fancy something a bit different for a Wednesday night.
• Grease: Eden Court, Thu 15 Oct, 19:30. Ness Entertainment's local production opens on Thursday, following their Annie and Joseph runs. Opening night energy is a thing. (If Thursday doesn't work, there's a full weekend of showings too, see below.)

Book Ahead

A few from the back half of this month that are worth getting on now.

• Grease: Eden Court, Fri 16 to Sun 18 Oct, five showings across the weekend. If musicals are your thing, this'll shift.
• Digger: Eden Court, from Fri 16 Oct, ten showings across the week. A new film about the most powerful man in the world on a frantic mission to prove he's humanity's saviour from a disaster he caused. Make of that what you will.
• Mark Cox: British Legion Inverness, Fri 23 Oct, 18:30, from £25. A night of comedy at the Legion. These rooms are small, which is the whole point.
• Inverness Goes Large!: Inverness Leisure Centre, Sat 24 Oct, 15:00, from £22.50. Judge Jules, Tall Paul, Agnelli & Nelson, and Lost Witness all on the one bill. If 90s and 00s trance was your era, this is a proper lineup. Flagged as a likely sell-out.

That's your Monday. Stay upright on the first frosty morning and I'll see you Friday.

Cheers, Colin