Inverness Chamber of Commerce hosts annual Highland Business Dinner
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Inverness Chamber of Commerce held its annual Highland Business Dinner at the Macdonald Drumossie Hotel last night.
The evening was hosted by Liam Christie and it was an opportunity for the Chamber's outgoing chief executive, Stewart Nicol, to give a final address to the guests in attendance as he retires after nearly 15 years in the post.
Mr Nicol stated that it has been an "honour and immense privilege" to have served in the position since 2008.
He discussed the progress that has been made in the city over the past 15 years including daily flights to Heathrow and Amsterdam from Inverness Airport; and a UHI Inverness Campus.
However, he did not hold back when addressing the issue of transport infrastructure in the city and the wider region. Mr Nicol said: "Successive Scottish Governments and their agencies have not just ignored the transport needs of Inverness and the Highlands, they have completely failed us.
"In my opinion, such inaction would neither be countenanced nor condoned anywhere else in Scotland."
After his speech the Chamber's board president Eunice McAdam provided a heartfelt thanks to Mr Nicol for all the hard work he has done over the years. She also welcomed in the new chief executive, Colin Marr.
After dinner, guests were treated to a talk from Scottish film-maker and storyteller Gordon Buchanan. Having produced some of the most popular wildlife programmes on the BBC, he shared his passion for the animal kingdom and gave an insight into his work over the last 34 years working both behind and in front of the camera.
Inverness Chamber of Commerce also took the opportunity to raise funds for the Oxygen Works at last night's event. £3670 was raised for the Inverness charity which provides transformative support to individuals with long-term and complex health conditions, empowering them to live their best lives.
