Tradespeople in Nairn, Highland

Nairn is a coastal town on the southern shore of the Moray Firth, about 16 miles east of Inverness, with a population of around 10,000.

It developed as a Victorian holiday resort and its long sandy beaches, mild climate and two championship golf courses still draw visitors today. The old Fishertown quarter near the harbour retains its distinct layout and character.

The town has a good range of everyday amenities including primary and secondary schools, a community hospital, supermarkets and independent shops along the High Street. Nairn also hosts one of the Highlands' largest annual events, the Nairn Book and Arts Festival.

Nairn is well connected by the A96 trunk road and the Inverness to Aberdeen railway line, making it a practical base for commuters working in Inverness while offering a quieter, self-contained coastal lifestyle.

(opens in new tab)

Highland is the largest council area in Scotland by land mass, covering more than 25,000 square kilometres from the Cairngorms in the east to the Atlantic coast in the west and from the Moray Firth northward to the tip of mainland Britain at Dunnet Head.

The region takes in an extraordinary range of landscapes - the Great Glen, Ben Nevis, Loch Ness, the Cairngorm plateau, the Flow Country peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland and hundreds of miles of rugged coastline dotted with fishing villages and sea lochs.

Inverness is the regional capital and the largest settlement, serving as the administrative, commercial and transport hub for the entire north of Scotland. Beyond Inverness, the population is spread across market towns and remote communities - Fort William beneath Ben Nevis, Aviemore in the Cairngorms, Thurso and Wick on the north coast, Nairn on the Moray Firth, Dingwall in Easter Ross and dozens of smaller settlements connected by single-track roads and ferry services.

Despite its remoteness, Highland has a diverse economy built on tourism, whisky distilling, renewable energy, forestry, aquaculture and a growing digital sector enabled by improving broadband connectivity. The region's cultural identity is deeply rooted in Gaelic language and tradition, clan history and a strong sense of place that draws visitors and new residents alike.

Transport links converge on Inverness, with the A9 running south to Perth, the A96 east to Aberdeen, rail services to Edinburgh, Glasgow and London and an airport at Dalcross. The more remote communities depend on trunk roads, the scenic rail lines to Kyle of Lochalsh, Wick and Thurso and the ferry services that connect the west coast to the islands.