Housing threat to Culloden battlefield blocked
A bid to demolish farm buildings to make space for 16 new houses near the Culloden Battlefield instead, has been thwarted by Highland councillors.
Inverness Properties wanted to raze a collection of old agricultural sheds at Viewhill, near Balloch, to create space for the plots.
Planning officials had recommended the application for approval but councillors voted 13 to 4 against.
Inverness South councillor Jim Crawford was vehemently opposed to the move and said the landscape was arguably the most valuable heritage site in Scotland.
He said the construction of houses would ruin the site, like the location of another famous Scottish battle.
"If we don’t preserve this, it will end up like another Bannockburn where you have to go through a housing estate to get to it," he said.
He said Inverness Properties was a property speculator and intended to build on a working and scenic farm, which complemented the historic site far better.
The National Trust for Scotland, which runs the Culloden Battlefield Centre, said the houses would affect the character of the conservation area and claimed there had not been enough consideration given to the potential impact.
Inverness Central councillor Richard Laird said it was an inappropriate and too dense development, while Councillor Ken Gowans (Inverness South) said constructing the new houses would more than double the existing settlement of 11 homes.
A successful amendment was lodged by Councillor Crawford at the south planning committee meeting which stated that the development would offer no environmental benefit.
