WELL, two days until the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart hits us and we are ready and waiting for a big economic boost to the city.
The glasses are being polished, the roads are being cleaned, beds have been booked, even the city centre has a floral golfer to welcome the estimated 50,000 fans.
There is definitely a buzz around the place and boy is it looking smart — even the roundabouts have been spruced up for the event.
Oh and the transport plans are in place — by that we mean the bus shuttles, the car parking and taxi ranks.
But, we ask, what about the bigger transport picture?
As we discover today, the Scottish Government’s early design work for a major upgrade of the important trunk link route has been delayed.
Last August the then transport minister, Stewart Stevenson, announced the more detailed survey to identify solutions for dualling the A96 between Inverness and Nairn, a new link connecting the A96 to the A9 south of Inverness and an A96 Nairn bypass.
These should have been ready by spring this year and would further underline the government’s commitment to improving the road.
It forms part of the Strategic Transport Projects Review and its priorities over the next 20 years — an important step to seeing the route finally upgraded, improving journey times around the east of Inverness and providing benefits to communities and businesses by better connecting them to economic centres.
The upgrade would also improve access for passengers to Inverness Airport and other future growth areas on the A96 corridor which includes proposals for developments at Whiteness, Tornagrain, Stratton and Delnies.
And let us not forget the development of the airport business park.
How sad then, the project has slipped — and it is not only motorists who are concerned, cyclists want a better and safer route too.
The stretch of the A96 to Nairn has always been a pressure point and it just gets worse with every new development which gets the go-ahead.
Whatever happens this week, Inverness will cope.
Tempers may get frayed if there are tailbacks to the Open and maybe some will be late for work.
It will not be the end of the world.
However, the bigger picture needs to be addressed.
We need good infrastructure to improve and attract new business.
That should be a priority for any new government.
Patient indeed
All we can say is - it was a long time coming, that is, the first female moderator for Inverness Church of Scotland Presbytery.
Four hundred years is some wait to have a woman at the helm.
Not so much a glass ceiling as an almost impregnable brick wall!
So it will be interesting to see what grandmother and Kirk elder Vivian Rodenwill do in her year in office.
