Call for Dingwall to become new focus of the North Coast 500 route
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A call has been made for Dingwall to become the new start and end point of the popular NC500 route.
It is one bold suggestion in a survey spearheading the drive to help the town get its “sparkle” back.
People also called for the creation of a high street “café culture” and moves for the town to have its own regular open air markets in the style of those already proving hugely popular in Tain.
And there were further calls for more general action to clean up the streets – including dealing with dog mess – as well as the alley accesses to the main shopping area along with more activities for children and families to combat what one respondent said was a sense of “general decay” in the area.
As reported previously in the Ross-shire Journal the survey was organised by local man Liam Christie as a starting point for rejuvenating the town in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.
Altogether, 246 people responded to the call for comments, with 61 per cent of respondents living in Dingwall itself and 93 per cent within at least 10 miles of the town.
Mr Christie said the suggestion by several respondents to reposition Dingwall as the start and finish point of the NC500 was a “great idea”.
He said: “Dingwall needs a sustainable plan to help get the town centre back on its feet.
“People want to develop and promote Dingwall as a good shopping destination, as an alternative to Inverness, and make it as easy as possible for people to shop in the town – with free parking, and ‘shopmobility’.
“They also want to get people back together again after Covid – they’d like to see a plan with community events and projects.”
One respondent said: “It would be great to see Dingwall become more lively and vibrant again with exciting events to look forward to, so there was a sense of going to Dingwall to have a day out.”
A few mentioned a lack of community spirit and a pervading sense of pessimism, while others blamed “feral youths” and “reprobates” for ruining the town.
Another respondent with a practical suggestion said: “There should be a bus depot for all buses to pick up and drop off in the huge car park area beside where the lorries park.
“People can then simply walk a short distance down one of the several access lanes (to the High Street) if they were tidied up, painted and made to feel safe.”
Local councillor Margaret Paterson welcomed the survey and the ideas put forward through it.
“What a great idea to have the NC500 come through the town,” she said. “It would certainly be an added benefit to the area and is something at the moment we may be missing out on.”
She added: “Dingwall is a wonderful town and a wonderful place to live but people are right, it is needing to get its sparkle back.
“We have wonderful shops and businesses and lots of places of interest to visit.
“I back the ideas.
“We need to focus on getting the bus station to have a site in the centre of the town – and we need to get people who love their dogs to love them enough to pick up after them!
“Lots of great ideas, and lots of things to get on and do. If people want to volunteer then I am sure there are lots of places for them to help – including helping with the town flowerbeds. At the moment it is one incredible woman that does them all.”
Plans are now being made to hold an open webinar to discuss how to take forward the ideas put forward in the survey.
Related article: New tourism and business association proposed to build better future for Dingwall
