Alness

Alness (/ˈɔːlnəs/, AWL-nis; Scottish Gaelic: Alanais) is a town and civil parish in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. It lies near the mouth of the River Averon, near the Cromarty Firth, with the town of Invergordon three miles (five kilometres) to the east, and the village of Evanton four miles (six kilometres) to the southwest. The parish has a population of 5,310, although the census locality, which includes part of the parish of Rosskeen, has a population of 5,186.

According to the Highland Council, the population of Alness has increased by around 20% since the last census in 2011. The population as of 2016 was 6,101.

For most of the 1990s and early 2000s, Alness regularly entered and won flower competitions such as Scotland in Bloom, Britain in Bloom and others, winning many awards. This helped regenerate many areas of the town, with housing estates winning separate awards.

They have not entered in recent years due to the financial costs. The town is still adorned by flowers maintained by volunteers.

In 2018, the town was crowned the Scottish Champion at the 2018 Great British High Street Awards. The judges visited the shortlisted high streets across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, meeting local businesses, shoppers and community organisations, with Alness impressing with its reinvention over the years to become a place to find everything from florists and bridal wear to delis and bakeries.