Usually when it comes to town planning the planners go to the drawing board but this time Highland Council is inviting YOU to come play their board game!

But it isn’t just a game. Using a model of Merkinch and cards representing different kinds of development you could be Planning for Real!

The Council hope their game-like format will allow more people to come forward and show them where they would like new buildings or amenities to go, what they’d like to see demolished, or make entirely new suggestions.

Your chance to be a town planner at the Planning for Real workshop is on Thursday 4th March at 7.30pm in the Merkinch Community Centre. The Council promises your opinions will count and the experience of sharing your thoughts will be fun.

"This is a real chance to influence the new Local Plan which the Highland Council is about to start. This will set a framework for our community into the Millennium and a basis for getting things done in the future," said a council spokesman.

So if you fancy passing a shiny new housing development in the future and saying ‘that was my idea’ go along. It’s all to play for.