How Inverurie, Scotland's new Town of the Year, can spark a fightback against urban decline
Inverurie’s thriving town centre shows what can be done when people power is harnessed effectively
Following Oban and Paisley, Inverurie is now Scotland’s new Town of the Year. The reason why provides hope to countless communities blighted by boarded-up shops and businesses.
The Aberdeenshire market town has one of the highest retail occupancy rates in Scotland with a mix of family businesses, independent stores and national chains. Local people are credited with actively supporting the town’s traders and events – such as the Garioch Pipe Band Championships, a Christmas lights switch-on, and a monthly farmers’ market that has doubled in size since 2024 – which attract large numbers of visitors to the town.
Kimberley Guthrie, chief officer of Scotland’s Towns Partnerships, which runs the awards, said the judges had recognised “a genuinely collaborative and collective effort which has really shone in recent years”, adding that the town should be “an inspiration to others”.
Urban decline can seem inevitable when it starts to set in. And when hope seems lost, it’s hard to find the motivation to swim against the tide.
However, together we are stronger and community spirit can be a powerful force. Every struggling place in the country now has a rallying cry: Remember Inverurie!
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