The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
First family settle in at Tornagrain new town
Development: Delighted Earl of Moray welcomes residents
A young family have become the first residents of a new town near Inverness which will eventually house more than 10,000 people.
Jonathan and Madeleine Hewitt picked up the keys for their new home at Tornagrain – and began to settle in with their two-yearold daughter Millie over the weekend.
Mr Hewitt has actually been working to help build some of the houses currently under construction.
More people are expected to move in over the next few weeks.
The new town will eventually include 5,000 homes and more than 10,000 residents – making it roughly equivalent in size to Nairn or Forres.
It is being developed by landowners Moray Estates – with John Stuart, the Earl of Moray present yesterday to welcome the Hewitts.
He revealed yesterday that the pace of development is going to accelerate – because there has been twice as much as interest in the houses as anticipated.
First residents the Hewitts had been renting a property at Geddes, near Nairn, but were keen to move their young family into a place of their own.
They stumbled on Tornagrain after an extensive search of other new-build properties in the area.
Mrs Hewitt, who works as a make-up artist in Inverness, said: “We went into Inverness, we went all around but no new-builds really caught our eye.
“I think it was my dad who said ‘have you heard about Tornagrain?’
“We didn’t really know about it so we came up and really we were just like, wow, this is so nice.
“A lot of new-builds I’ve been into, they just don’t have that feel. So when we came here it was look, I don’t know, but it looks so nice, should we go for it?”
Mr Hewitt works primarily as a dive support technician in the oil and gas industry – but with limited opportunities in the present climate he has taken up work on his new doorstep helping build the next set of houses.
Mrs Hewitt said: “He went up to the guys and asked if there’s any jobs going. And at the time they didn’t know we were getting a house so they were really good and they gave him a job. It wasn’t until after he told them.”
The first phase of construction is being handled by contractors ZeroC and will include 200 homes, with 42 already reserved.
The new town will eventually include a school, shops and a community green.
Interest has been shown in three of the commercial properties, while work to mark out new allotments began last week.
Lord Moray said: “I have to pinch myself every time I am here and that’s a couple of times a week. I see things developing so quickly.
“Now it really feels like a community is starting to appear and it’s very, very exciting for us.”
He added: “In fact, they’ve been selling twice as fast as we expected and so the build-out will be faster than we initially expected. That is good, butwe need to make sure we don’t lose the design quality ifwe do that.”
Business leaders believe the extra housing in the A96 corridor to the east of Inverness will be a major boost to the area in future.
“Now it really feels like a community is starting to appear”
The arrival of the first family to take charge of their home in a new town near Inverness was a hugely symbolic moment not only for them, but also those who have believed in the Tornagrain project.
The development has battled its way through the doubters and recession to make the dream become reality.
Similar in size to Nairn or Forres, it will grow to 5,000 homes and more than 10,000 people, with its own schools and shops.
A new town on this scale is a huge historical and economic event for the Highlands, but much care has been taken to preserve the quality design concept of the housing. On a wider note, it could also speed dualling of the A96.