Scottish Cities Alliance

They’re only 22 miles apart, and Dundee and Perth are both certainly on the right track when it comes to attracting new business ventures.

And it’s not difficult to see why the cities are in demand.

Both have excellent road and rail links to other Scottish locations and the rest of the UK.

And now they’re in the running to be named the headquarters of the new Great British Railways (GBR).

That’s a prize worth winning. As part of the British Government’s commitment to level up the UK, the new GBR HQ is to be based outside London. The winning location will benefit from a number of high-skilled jobs and the central headquarters will be the heart of the British rail network.

Both Dundee and Perth already have some exciting opportunities for investors. In Dundee, the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc is attracting lots of interest, and rightly so.

Located in the east of the city, the 32-acre site has space for businesses of all sizes. And its tenants will have access to an innovation campus, a Skills Academy, business, innovation and skills support, and competitive, green energy delivered from sustainable sources.

Meanwhile in Perth, the Perth West project is providing opportunities for sustainable business development. It features the Perth Innovation Highway, connecting smart city mobility and full fibre strategies with renewable energy sources; the Perth Eco Innovation Park with facilities over 25 hectares for advanced logistics, smart energy systems, and a Living Lab centre to host academic research; and the Lamberkin Village, which is a series of three integrated neighbourhoods designed to make it easy for residents to lead active lives.

Each local centre is designed as a focal point for village life, with shops and public transport within several hundred metres from every person’s home.

Of course, Perth is on the railway line to Inverness, and exciting things are happening in the Highlands, with the construction of the new £14m Inverness Airport railway station under way.

The facility, which will feature a car park with spaces for 64 cars, 10 electric charging facilities, four disabled spaces, and cycle parking, is due to be completed in December 2022.

And there are investment possibilities at Inverness Airport Business Park, which is only nine miles from the city centre, and features scope for office, industrial and hotel developments.

The direction of travel clearly is a positive one for Dundee, Perth and Inverness.