Lerwick’s Commercial Street is one of eight towns shortlisted for the title of Scotland’s most beautiful high street in 2019.
The public will have the chance to vote for the nation’s most beautiful high street, in an online poll until Sunday 10th November. The winner will be announced on Monday 18th November at the beginning of Scotland’s Towns Week. Entries were judged on factors including horticultural achievement, environmental responsibility, and community participation. Votes can be cast at https://www.scotlandstowns.org/scotlands_most_beautiful_high_street.
The national competition for Scotland’s Most Beautiful High Street is run by two of Scotland’s most well-known organisations for place and the environment - Scotland’s Towns Partnership, the national body for towns in Scotland, and Keep Scotland Beautiful, the environmental charity which campaigns to keep Scotland green, clean and sustainable.
The towns shortlisted by the judging panel are:
- Ayr
- Innerleithen
- Kirkwall
- Lerwick
- Linlithgow
- Lanark
- Milngavie
- Rothesay
The 2018 winner was the Aberdeenshire town of Turriff. Turriff’s entry, submitted by the Turriff Business Association, highlighted the town’s numerous heritage sites, horticultural beauty, and community initiatives, including the emblematic ‘Turra Coo’ sculpture.
Living Lerwick nominated Commercial Street and Project Manager, Emma Miller is delighted that the area has been shortlisted. She said “We all know that Commercial Street is a beautiful area, and now we have a chance to confirm that it is the most beautiful in the country! The amazing character of the lanes coupled with the waterfront location and diversity of architecture makes it a very special place. It’s easy to forget how lucky we are to have a local high street with such a wide variety of goods and services available – and it’s an added bonus that it’s pretty stunning to look at.”
Phil Prentice, Chief Officer of Scotland’s Towns Partnership, said: “This competition is about celebrating the incredible work of people up and down the country, who give up their time to improve their local places. We’ve been blown away by the strength of the entries this year which goes to show that town centre revival is on the up, and it’s driven by local people.
“Our high streets and town centres are the beating hearts of communities and local economies, and each has its own unique identity and experience to offer for both residents and visitors. I would urge people to get online and vote for their favourite entry and help us celebrate the success of our thriving town centres.”
Living Lerwick will be running a photography competition from 18th to 24th November with a town centre theme. Submit an image of your favourite object or building in the town centre for a chance to win a £50 voucher. See the event listing for details of how to enter.