The public hall has its Christmas tree up and bundles of greenery are waiting to be transformed into beautiful festive decorations at a festive wreath-making class.
This weekend, the hall in the new town of Tornagrain, on the eastern outskirts of Inverness, will be buzzing once more, as a fundraising coffee morning takes place from 10am-noon to which all are welcome to attend.
From the hall, which local residents can use to host everything from meetings to private parties, it’s just a short walk to the latest ZeroC showhome, a large detached house that’s worth viewing as it gives a good example of the type and style of properties available in the Highlands’ newest town.
The four-bedroom detached house has been tastefully decorated and dressed in the style of a modern, country house.
Think stylish and luxurious but comfortable at the same time, resulting in an atmosphere that makes it easy for you to imagine yourself enjoying living here.
Interior design is by ID Design who chose a mix of modern, traditional and quirky pieces to give the home a sense of character, while all the fabrics used are colourful and fun.
Take the utility room/cloakroom downstairs, for example.
It features a wonderful, durable silk-based wallpaper from Cole & Co depicting a colourful hunting scene.
A real talking point for any guest using the facility.
Modern, floral wallpaper, coupled with a teal green velvet headboard and king-size bed give the master bedroom a grand, luxurious feeling.
The room is surprisingly large, easily accommodating two generous chests on either side of the bed.
There’s also built-in wardrobes and a stylish en suite shower room.
The lounge, which is a nice bright room as it has windows on two sides and glass doors leading to a sun room on the third, is a very airy, comfortable space, with a large wood-burning stove as a focal point.
The main wall features a stunning humming bird wallpaper, which gives it a vibrant feel.
Another bright room is the kitchen/dining room/family room which has been designed to be as user friendly as possible.
The triple-aspect room has flexible space allowing plenty of room for a sofa and large dining table, the practical side has Ashley Ann units in pale grey and a Belfast sink, while all the essentials, including a Bosch double oven, integrated larder and fridge-freezer are housed within floor-to-ceiling units in a dark grey. “Having two-tone units is very popular at the moment,” said sales adviser Kieran Mackenzie.
“The reaction of those viewing the showhome is always the same – they love it, particularly because it’s different to anything available in Inverness before.
“What Tornagrain does is take the best of traditional styling but uses it to create stylish, new very low-maintenance homes with all mod cons, so you have the best of both worlds.”
Full accommodation in the showhome includes a large entrance porch with coat cupboard, broad and welcoming entrance hall with further storage and gently curved staircase leading to the upper floor.
To the left there’s the kitchen/dining room and from it there’s access to a rear hall and utility room/cloakroom.
To the right, there’s the large lounge and access to the sun room.
The upper hall is bright, thanks to a sun tunnel, and from here there’s access to four double bedrooms and a well-appointed family bathroom.
Visitors will enjoy touring the showroom but should not set their heart on buying it, as it has already been snapped up.
However, there are other similar-sized four-bedroom detached homes for sale, priced between £345,000 and £380,000 depending on location, size of garden and garage.
Those living here enjoy a great sense of community, as every home is within a few minutes’ walk from a “neighbour” area which could house anything from a shop to a newsagent, and each home will be less than 10 minutes’ walk to the High Street and leisure amenities.
Nicole Petrie, Tornagrain development manager, said: “Tornagrain has already taken on a real sense of community and people refer to it as ‘the village’.
“There are lots of exciting things happening that residents have become involved with, such as our garden allotments. We have 35, and 28 have been taken.
“The pilates studio is open and often fully booked, while the children’s nursery has been such a success it’s already looking to expand.”
A cafe and shop are due to open shortly and it’s hoped a pharmacy will get the green light before too long.
“There’s buses connecting Tornagrain to Inverness and Nairn every hour, while it won’t be long before there’s a rail link opened,” said Nicole.
The ZeroC showhome at Tornagrain is open Thursday to Monday from 11am-5pm.
Contact: 01463 830490 or visit www.tornagrain.com