Two new stations will be built and seven will close following the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service review.
Nethy Bridge and Braemar are among the places to have seen snowfall on Wednesday.
Conservationists counted 30 lekking males on the RSPB's Abernethy nature reserve last year.
RSPB Scotland has added about 80 acres to its Loch Garten side near Nethy Bridge.
Albyn Housing Society says the first of the homes are to be built in Ullapool, Tain and Nethy Bridge.
The 16-bedroom property, in the Cairngorm National Park, has gone on the market for offers over £3m.
Parts of the Highlands continue to experience wintry conditions.
The fortification in the Cairngorms has seen almost 30 years of restoration work.
The site in the Cairngorms has struggled to attract breeding ospreys since the death of a female called EJ.
