THE Highlands and Islands have been awarded a £6.5 million share of a funding package for councils, to be spent on infrastructure projects in the region.
The funding, to be delivered this year and next, was announced by Finance Secretary John Swinney.
The cash will be spent on around a dozen projects, such as construction on Barmuckity Business Park in Elgin, and developing properties in Argyll and the Islands, the west of Scotland, and Inner Moray Firth.
The money is part of the £46 million of extra support for councils announced by Mr Swinney at Holyrood last week.
Mr Swinney said: "We have taken every opportunity to invest in infrastructure projects to support recovery, build the foundations for long-term growth and create and sustain the jobs that Scotland needs now.
"These projects will provide an immediate and much-needed stimulus for the construction sector across the Highlands and Islands and provide the wider business community with the facilities it needs to be truly competitive as the economy emerges from its so-far frail recovery."
Alex Paterson, the chief executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which will distribute the funding, said: "This additional funding from the Scottish Government will help HIE accelerate a series of shovel-ready infrastructure projects which will benefit businesses and communities in several key locations across the Highlands over the next two years."
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