UK City of Culture bid sent off by Inverness and Highlands

The City of Culture bid for Inverness and the Highlands has officially been submitted to the UK government.

Director of the bid, Bryan Beattie, was at Inverness Castle where he said he was “relieved” to have made it to this point.

Explaining how there was “quite a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it” he was keeping the precise content of the bid close to his chest as Inverness-Highland still faces a battle to persuade the Department of Culture, Media and Sport that it has what it takes above and beyond eight other competing parts of the country to assume the 2029 title.

A little bit more detail was provided by the council as it said the submitted bid has outlined how a win for Inverness-Highland would help to address the “challenges” faced by the region such as depopulation.

The region needs to display its ability to accommodate thousands of additional visitors as well to put on thousands of events throughout the year – but Mr Beattie is confident the bid will show exactly what Inverness and the rest of the Highlands can offer that nowhere else can.

“We’re able to draw on the extraordinary environment that we have throughout the area and to combine some of the very rich artists that we have – we have ones we can bring in from internationally and from the rest of the UK.” Mr Beattie said.

As UK city of culture, he added, Inverness-Highland would reach out to the Gaelic “diaspora” around the world as well as regional partnerships allowing them to be “imaginative” about where events could be held.

Some of the projects the team have planned will be “absolutely massive”, he promised, and the first of their kind for the area, which he said he was “very excited” about.

“I genuinely do not think they’ll have seen a bid like this before,” he said as the region now faces a wait to see if it has made the shortlist.

There was also special thanks to everyone in the cultural sector who do “so much” through the year as it is but have been “really generous” with their time and thoughts.

“Long may it continue,” Mr Beattie said.

Convener of Highland Council Bill Lobban said the council is “proud” to stand behind the bid.

He explained how a win would help “break down” the barriers of geography, income and isolation and ensure the benefits of the investment would be felt by everyone.