Inverness Chamber of Commerce
Manifesto for the Scottish Parliament Election 2026
A Blueprint for Prosperity for Inverness and the Central Highlands
This manifesto sets out the priorities of businesses across Inverness and the Central Highlands ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election and outlines the actions needed to unlock the region’s economic potential.
A Manifesto for the Businesses of Inverness & the Central Highlands
Invest properly in our region to ensure that the opportunities of the clean power revolution are not lost to Scotland and the UK.
“The 2026 Scottish Parliament Elections are crucial to redressing the long-term lack of investment in Inverness and the Highlands. On behalf of our business community, I am calling on all candidates to make sure the opportunities that the clean power revolution brings to our region are not lost.
Inverness and the Highlands are critical to Scotland’s future economic growth – from clean energy to tourism, and from digital to manufacturing.
The clean power revolution, and the opportunities it presents for Scotland and the UK – energy security, job creation and prosperity – will not be possible without our region and its unique geography.
However, our businesses feel that successive Scottish Governments have overlooked the region in favour of investment in the Central Belt. Without bold action from the next Scottish Government, our businesses will be constrained by skills shortages, housing pressures, infrastructure gaps and an outdated regulatory environment. As a result, Scotland risks missing its opportunity to become a major player in future global energy markets.
Over the next decade, a thriving Highlands will drive opportunity across Scotland. This manifesto sets out the issues that must be addressed to ensure that happens.
I look forward to hearing how our candidates intend to use their role in the Scottish Parliament to make sure that Scotland meets these challenges”
Colin Marr, Chief Executive, Inverness Chamber of Commerce
Why This Matters
Inverness and the Central Highlands stand on the brink of transformational economic growth. The establishment of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport is catalysing major investment in port facilities, offshore energy manufacturing, grid infrastructure, electricity storage and supply chain expansion.
Our region is emerging as the strategic engine of Scotland and the UK’s clean energy transition. This will make our country wealthier, more secure, and help deliver high-quality jobs while energising the national economy.
Our businesses will be at the heart of that transformation, and they are ready to play their part.
However, local businesses – the engines of jobs and prosperity – consistently tell us that, unless key barriers are addressed, this potential will be constrained. These barriers include persistent workforce shortages, housing supply far below demand, electricity grid limitations, transport connectivity challenges and rising business costs, including taxation.
Ahead of the Scottish Parliament election in May 2026, we are asking all prospective MSPs to commit to clear action to address these barriers and unlock the full potential of the Highlands.
Businesses deliver jobs and prosperity – their views are important
Inverness Chamber of Commerce represents over 340 businesses. These span multiple sectors and range from sole traders to multinational organisations. Only Chambers of Commerce represent the full breadth of businesses within a region.
We maintain an ongoing dialogue with our members. We speak with them regularly – and, importantly, they speak to us, and we listen. This takes place through one-to-one engagement and at more than 50 events each year.
For this manifesto, we conducted a wide-ranging survey between September and November 2025. This document reflects the views of our members.
The priorities of our business community are remarkably consistent – both across sectors and over time.
For several years now their top priorities have been:
- A shortage of staff and a shortage of skills
- A lack of housing for their staff
- Poor transport links
More recently, two additional concerns have emerged:
- Rising business taxation – including NICS, non-domestic rates and the proposed visitor levy
- A welcoming approach to the renewables developments that are coming to our region – but a concern that local companies are not being given enough information and could miss out on the opportunities.
This manifesto covers these areas of concern.
Our Manifesto Priorities
Click each box to read more:
Skills & Workforce
Unlock workforce growth and address skills shortages to support the estimated 15,000 additional jobs required across the Central Highlands.
Housing & Planning
Increase housing supply and reform planning to support population growth and economic expansion.
Transport Connectivity
Deliver the infrastructure needed to connect the Highlands with Scotland’s major economic centres.
Business Costs & Taxation
Provide certainty for businesses by reforming non-domestic rates and ensuring a competitive tax environment.
Development of Renewables
Ensure the region benefits fully from the clean energy transition and that local businesses can access supply chain opportunities.
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What We Are Asking the Next Scottish Government to Deliver
Inverness and the Central Highlands will play a decisive role in Scotland’s economic future. The growth of renewable energy, the opportunities created by the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, and the strength of our local business community place the region at the heart of the UK’s clean power transition.
But opportunity alone is not enough. Without clear and sustained action from the next Scottish Government, the Highlands will not be able to deliver the scale of growth that is now within reach. Businesses across our region are united in calling for a coordinated approach that recognises both the scale of the opportunity and the barriers that must be addressed.
We are asking the next Scottish Government to deliver:
- Strategic investment in infrastructure, including transport and energy connectivity, to ensure the Highlands are fully connected to national and international markets.
- Housing and workforce planning that matches economic opportunity, ensuring the region has the homes, skills and public services needed to support an expanding workforce.
- A stable and competitive environment for business, with policies that provide certainty over costs, support investment and enable companies of all sizes to grow.
- A fair share of the benefits from the energy transition, ensuring Highland communities and businesses are fully able to participate in and benefit from the clean power revolution.
By taking decisive action in these areas, the next Scottish Government can unlock the full economic potential of the Highlands – supporting thousands of new jobs, strengthening Scotland’s energy security and ensuring that the benefits of the clean energy transition are felt across the country.
Access a summary of our Scottish Parliament Election Manifesto
for Inverness and the Central Highlands
This summary document focuses on the key actions we are calling on the next Scottish Government to deliver. It brings together the core priorities identified by businesses across the region – highlighting the immediate steps needed on infrastructure, housing, workforce, business costs and the energy transition.
Designed for quick reading and easy sharing, this version provides a clear overview of what matters most to Highland businesses and the action required to unlock the region’s full economic potential.
Click Here To Download Summary PDF
Share this summary with colleagues, prospective MSPs and partners to help ensure the priorities of Highland businesses are clearly understood ahead of the 2026 election.