A major milestone in the project to create a new town near Inverness has been reached.
Up to 5,000 homes are planned for Tornagrain, between Inverness and Nairn, with about 10,000 people expected to finally settle in the town.
Basic groundwork began last year, and today the Press and Journal can reveal detailed planning permission has been submitted for the first phase of the project.
And if approved, work is likely to start on the first houses within a few months.
Moray Estates has agreed contracts with two builders, A & J Stephen and Zero C who are keen to move ahead quickly and start building.
Andrew Howard, of Moray Estates, said: “This is another major milestone in our plans to create the new town.
“We’re delighted to be working with experienced house builders who have been involved in similar projects, such as Chapelton in Aberdeenshire and Poundbury in Dorset.
“They share our vision for a well-planned town of the highest standard with a strong sense of community. We all want to make this a very special place to live.”
A total of 190 homes – including flats, terraced, semi-detached and detached properties – will be built in the first phase, with 35-45 will be completed each year.
The pace of construction will increase over time as the development grows in scale, growing into a town similar in size to nearby Nairn or Forres over the next 50 years.
A founding ceremony last August marked the start of work on the infrastructure.
Neighbours, elected representatives and others involved in the development of the project gathered at the site for the unveiling of standing stones to mark the founding of the new town.
Tornagrain will include almost 200 acres of parks and open spaces, three primary schools and a secondary school. Shops, libraries, churches, healthcare facilities and community halls also form part of the blueprint.
Outline planning permission for the development was granted in 2012 after several years of community consultation.
It is one of two new towns to be built in the Highlands, with An Camas Mor being planned in the Cairngorm National Park near Aviemore.
The start of construction at the Inverness-shire site last August was marked with the unveiling of three standing stones by Lord Moray, Inverness provost Councillor Helen Carmichael and local MSP Fergus Ewing, who described it as “a new chapter in the history of the Highlands”.