Highland Council unveils 'bold' strategy for Inverness

Highland Council said investment could make Inverness a lower carbon city

Highland Council has set out what it describes as a "bold and ambitious" plan for the future of Inverness.

The local authority said the Highland capital was at a "pivotal moment" as it emerged from the Covid pandemic.

It said major investment was being put in to make the city a "more resilient, more vibrant and lower carbon" place.

Investment has already gone towards redeveloping Inverness Castle as a tourist attraction and a revamp of the Victorian Market shopping arcade.

The council said there were new employment opportunities being created through a new NHS Highland elective care centre and a Life Science Innovation Centre, which is a collaboration between Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the University of the Highlands and Islands.

A new malting barley processing plant and silos are also under construction at the city's Longman Industrial Estate.

The council said it wanted the city to be more resilient and vibrant

In its Inverness Strategy, Highland Council said the city centre's "over-reliance" on retail had left it vulnerable to internet shopping.

While retail would remain important, the local authority said shops would increasingly be more independent rather than franchises of national and international brands.

Its strategy also suggests making more homes available in the city centre.

Councillors will be asked to approve the plan at a meeting next week.