….Once upon a time there was a little boy who stood up and bravely pointed out that the Emperor had no clothes….

Last month Nairn was scandalised when a local resident going under the pseudonym of “nairnbairn” nominated the town for consideration in the Urban Realm architectural magazine’s “Carbuncle Awards”.  Those who agreed with the criticisms seemed to be outnumbered by the vigilantes who called for “nairnbairn” to be named, shamed and run out of town.  Some argued that any publicity was good publicity, while others feared this nomination would be bad for the image of Nairn.

But surprisingly few people have spotted that the nomination provides an opportunity to focus the spotlight on local planning, design and architecture, and to encourage those responsible to deliver new buildings of which the town can be proud.

Councillor and Convener Sandy Park claimed, “…the residents of Nairn are too proud to care about it [the carbuncle nomination]”.

It is indeed all about pride.  It is precisely because Nairn residents are proud of their town that they DO care what it looks like.

How can Nairn take advantage of the carbuncle nomination to get better development and design? Add your comments below!