Summer 2026 Round-Up: Celebrating Success, Supporting Communities and Looking Ahead
As summer draws to a close, it seems like a good opportunity to reflect on what has been a busy and rewarding few months for the team at Northern Light Consulting.
From industry recognition and project milestones to supporting grassroots sport in our local community, the summer has reflected the breadth of our work across partnerships, technical delivery and community support.
Aquaculture UK 2026 Supplier of the Year
The highlight of the summer was undoubtedly being named Aquaculture UK 2026 Supplier of the Year. This recognition means a huge amount to our team and reflects the trust our clients place in us to help deliver complex projects across the aquaculture and blue economy sectors.
As a Lochaber-based consultancy, we are proud to work alongside clients throughout Scotland and beyond, providing project management, engineering support, strategic advice, funding assistance and capital project delivery services. Winning this award was a fantastic moment for the business and one we are incredibly grateful for.
A Strong Summer for Projects
Alongside the celebrations, it has been business as usual across a diverse portfolio of projects.
Throughout the summer, our team continued to support clients across aquaculture, marine infrastructure, research and innovation, community development and capital project delivery. From progressing feasibility studies and funding applications to supporting procurement exercises and construction projects, it has been another busy period for the team.
Several significant projects have also reached key milestones. Works continue at the Mowi Blar Mhor, progress at the Cooke Cairndow RAS project remains positive, and we were delighted to see the successful completion of the Arkaig Community Forest business plan project. These projects reflect the breadth of support Northern Light Consulting provides, from early-stage planning and funding through to delivery and project completion.
Image courtesy of DA MacDonald Contractors LTD
Innovation and Industry Leadership
Innovation continues to be a key theme across the business. Throughout the summer, our Managing Director, Sarah Riddle, has remained heavily involved in driving forward the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Cluster, helping to bring together businesses, researchers and stakeholders to support innovation, collaboration and growth across the blue economy and wider rural sectors.
These collaborative initiatives are increasingly important in helping businesses navigate changing markets, embrace new technologies and unlock future opportunities for sustainable growth.
Connecting with the Industry
This summer also provided the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, clients and industry partners at Aquaculture UK 2026.
The event remains one of the highlights of the aquaculture calendar and provides an excellent platform to discuss innovation, sustainability and the future direction of the sector. It was great to catch up with familiar faces, meet new contacts and hear about the exciting developments taking place across the industry.
Investing in Skills and Professional Development
At Northern Light Consulting, we recognise that delivering successful projects requires continual investment in our people as well as our clients and projects.
Over the summer, Neil, Greg and Mairi successfully completed NEC4 training, further strengthening the team's capability in the delivery and administration of complex construction and professional service contracts.
NEC4 contracts continue to play an increasingly important role across infrastructure, aquaculture, marine, energy and public sector projects. Developing our in-house expertise ensures we can provide informed advice, support effective contract management and help clients navigate project risks and opportunities throughout the project lifecycle.
The training forms part of Northern Light Consulting's ongoing commitment to professional development and reinforces our ability to support clients from project inception and procurement through to construction, delivery and completion.
Supporting Women’s Football
Away from the day job, we have continued to support women's and girls' football in Lochaber.
Northern Light Consulting has proudly supported the local women's football programme over a number of years. Our Managing Director, Sarah Riddle, has played a key role in supporting the development of the girls' game locally through coaching and engagement with Scottish football initiatives.
We were especially delighted to see the Fort William Women's Team secure another fantastic victory recently while proudly wearing the NLC-sponsored strip. The determination, teamwork and commitment shown by the players perfectly reflects the values that we are proud to support, both within our business and in the wider community.
Fort William Womens Football Team Sunday 13th September
This summer we've also been proud to support Angus as he continues to push himself on trails and at events across the Highlands. His determination, commitment and competitive spirit are exactly the qualities we love to champion.
Image Credit; digital_downhill, jwdt, lorne maclfarlane 📸
Looking Ahead
As we move into autumn, we have several exciting projects continuing to develop across the aquaculture, marine and community sectors. We remain focused on helping our clients deliver successful projects that create lasting economic, environmental and community benefits.
A huge thank you to our clients, partners, suppliers and communities for their continued support throughout 2026 so far. It has been a summer to remember, and we look forward to sharing more updates as the year progresses.