Interesting article in the Sunday Times yesterday (www.timesonline.co.uk/news) informing us that Inverness is on a shortlist of the UK's worst eyesores ! The annual Carbuncle awards single it out for 'mushrooming urban sprawl' and 'monstrous city centre design'. Not surprisingly, we disagree and so probably does everyone who knows Inverness - Inverness is a small compact city in the Highlands with the River Ness running through the heart of it. So why is it on the list? Well, attracted by low levels of crime, clean air and ready access to the great outdoors, Inverness has increased in population rapidily over the past few years. This has put huge pressure on the infrastructure of the city and its ability to meet the demand for houses. All of which has meant I think, that perhaps the city fathers have not had time to really think through what sort of city visitors and local people expect Inverness to be. Inverness is one of the most northerly cities in Europe, it is in the Highlands, and therefore we expect it to have a distinctive identity of its own. We don't expect or want Inverness to look the same as any small city in 'middle England'. So, I don't think the organisers of the Carbuncle awards think for one minute that Inverness is as bad as they make out, rather they are laying down a warning to the planners and architects, 'Get your act together before it is too late, stop creating 'Anywhere town' and focus instead delivering an Inverness that befits being at the heart of the Highlands'!

And there endeth my thoughts on the matter!