Ten landmarks are to battle it out to be named 'Scotland's Best Place'.

The accolade is being run by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RPTI) Scotland and is in partnership with Barton Willmore and the Scottish Government.

The search will look for places which have been "built, enhanced or protected by planners and the planning system within Scotland since 1914."

Many of the shortlisted places are located in run-down city areas which have been transformed thanks to regeneration "masterplans". Other entries include entire communities or towns, or protected rural environments.


Out of an initial 55 entries, just 10 landmarks remain.

They are:

• Crown Street, The Gorbals (Glasgow)

• Dundee Waterfront (Dundee)

• East Kilbride (South Lanarkshire)

• Forth and Clyde Canal (West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, Falkirk areas)

• Lerwick Waterfront (Shetland)

• Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park (West Dunbartonshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute, Loch Lomond and Trossach National Park)

• Merchant City (Glasgow)

• Raploch (Stirling)

• Royal Mile and Holyrood North (City of Edinburgh)

• West Highland Way (East Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Bute, Stirling, Highland, Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park).

Voting is now open online. The closing date for entries is 7 May 2014, with the winner announced at a reception in June.

(JP)