The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
The future’s bright – the future’s Inverness
With a new university, a £3million lottery pledge to breathe new life into the city’s Academy Street, the ongoing dualling of the A9 and work on the new southern distributor road under way it seems that in Inverness the future is bright.
Last month, local MP Drew Hendry said that it was a time of fantastic opportunity for the area citing everything from the new campus to the area having an engaged and motivated population, skilled and intelligent workforce, and experienced an unprecedented period of infrastructure.
There’s no doubt it’s a good time to be living in Inverness and there’s plenty of evidence to suggest people enjoy the familyfriendly lifestyle.
Last week, thousands turned out to enjoy the annual spectacular bonfire and fireworks display at the city’s Bught Park, while the weekend prior to that sawa record number of people – that’s more than 26,000, turn out to enjoy the Highland Council’s Halloween show which transformed the Victorian splendour of the Ness Islands into a spooky haunt based on Washington Irving’s short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Up and coming events include a Christmas parade at this year’s Christmas lights switch-on event in the city on Sunday, November 22, while it’s been revealed that Capercaillie will headline this year’s free Hogmanay street party. The band, which has been recording Gaelic music since the 1980s, will perform at the Red Hot Highland Fling event at the city’s Northern Meeting Park. where they’ll be joined by show host, Craig Hill and bands, Breabach and Skerryvore. This celebration is now the country’s biggest FREE Hogmanay concert.
The feel-good factor being experienced in the city is reflected across the Highland property market which has continued to see healthy growth according to leading Scottish property consultants, CKD Galbraith. The Inverness office has reported an increase in property sales and a rise in the number of viewings during the third quarter ( Q3 July to September 2015) compared to the previous three months.
The firm’s research showed a promising picture for the Highland property market and for the Scottish market as a whole which experienced many changes during the first six months of 2015, including a new stamp duty system and the General Election. However, the third quarter’s figures for the Highlands reflect the growth and stability that the property market is now benefiting from.
CKD Galbraith’s Inverness office statistics from the third quarter show that the number of properties sold during this period in Inverness and the surrounding area was up three fold compared to the second quarter while property viewings increased by an impressive 38% compared to the same period, while the average time to sell a property in the area was just 45 days.
Phiddy Robertson, from CKD Galbraith’s Inverness office, said: “Demand for attractive, affordable housing within commuting distance of Inverness remains strong. The high percentage of national buyers over the previous quarter also reflects the popularity and interest in the area from buyers from the south. If you are a home owner considering selling now is a great time to arrange a free market appraisal as it is an opportunity to put everything in place ready to go to the market at the most opportune moment.”