Alness

Alness
Dalmore Distillery reception house in Alness
Alness is located in Ross and Cromarty
Alness
Alness
Location within the Ross and Cromarty area
Population5,950 (2022)[1]
OS grid referenceNH6569
• Edinburgh127 mi (204 km)
• London458 mi (737 km)
Civil parish
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townALNESS
Postcode districtIV17
Dialling code01349
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
57°41′42″N 4°15′29″W / 57.695°N 4.258°W / 57.695; -4.258

Alness (/ˈɔːlnəs/, AWL-nis; Scottish Gaelic: Alanais) is a town and civil parish in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. It lies near the mouth of the River Averon, near the Cromarty Firth, with the town of Invergordon 3 miles (5 km) to the east, and the village of Evanton 4 miles (6 km) to the south-west. The parish has a population of 5,310,[2] although the census locality, which includes part of the parish of Rosskeen, has a population of 5,186.[3]

According to the Highland Council, the population of Alness has increased by around 20% since the last census in 2011. The population as of 2016 was 6,101.[4]

For most of the 1990s and early 2000s, Alness regularly entered and won flower competitions such as Scotland in Bloom, Britain in Bloom and others, winning many awards. This helped regenerate many areas of the town, with housing estates winning separate awards.

They have not entered in recent years due to the financial costs. The town is still adorned by flowers maintained by volunteers.

In 2018, the town was crowned the Scottish Champion at the 2018 Great British High Street Awards.[5] The judges visited the shortlisted high streets across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, meeting local businesses, shoppers and community organisations, with Alness impressing with its reinvention over the years to become a place to find everything from florists and bridal wear to delis and bakeries.[6]

  1. ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Usual Resident Population: Civil Parishes: Alness". Scotland's Census Results Online. General Register Office for Scotland. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Usual Resident Population: Locality: Alness". Scotland's Census Results Online. General Register Office for Scotland. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Population - Highland Profile Alness".
  5. ^ "The Winners | The Great British High Street". thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  6. ^ Campbell, Rita. "Alness is Scottish high street champion". Press and Journal. Retrieved 11 January 2021.