Inverness marks 30 years of town twinning with La Baule, France
Please note that this event was postponed because of the volcanic ash cloud which caused disruption to air travel.
Inverness will celebrate being twinned with the French holiday resort of La Baule for 30 years this weekend as a 33-strong French delegation arrives in the Highland capital to attend a series of special events to mark the occasion.
On Friday (27th May) Provost Jimmy Gray, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Inverness City Committee, and Mayor Yves Métaireau will plant a tree at Cauldeen Primary School, Crown Primary School and Bellfield Park in the morning to mark each of the three decades of successful visits organised by the Inverness Town Twinning Committee and their French counterparts. Mayor Métaireau will also be presented with paintings produced by pupils at both schools especially for the occasion. This will be followed by a visit to the Glen Ord Distillery, Muir of Ord, and a civic reception to mark the 30th Anniversary in the Town House, Inverness, on Friday evening.
On Saturday (28th May) the visitors will visit Fort George and Nairn before returning to Inverness for a ceilidh organised by the Town Twinning Committee.
On Sunday (29th May) the visitors will take part a procession from Inverness Town House at 10am which will feature musicians and dancers in traditional Breton costume to the Old High Church for a Service of Friendship. The service will be led the Reverend Peter Nimmo starting at 10.30am and is open to all.
Provost Gray said “The links between Inverness and La Baule have strengthened with every passing year thanks to the dedication of the Inverness Town Twinning Committee and the many host families over the years on both sides of the channel who have made this twinning arrangement such a success in so many ways.”
La Baule is situated on the Cote d'Amour in the south of Brittany in France and has large stretches of beautiful beaches. Extensive areas of natural salt flats have given rise to an important salt gathering industry producing mineral rich natural sea salt.
Originally a farming area, it is predominately dependent on tourism. The population rises from some 18,000 people in winter to 180,000 in summer. Many holiday houses are owned by Parisians for weekend and holiday accommodation.
The twinning of Inverness with La Baule evolved from contacts between councillors from the two towns. In 1981 the twinning charter was signed.