Supporting Oban's bid for City Status

That this House supports the town of Oban in its bid to achieve city status and become Scotland’s eighth city; notes Oban's strategically important position on Scotland’s beautiful west coast, connected to the rest of Scotland by a network of rail, air, road and ferry links; acknowledges the vitally important role the busy ferry port of Oban plays in being the Gateway to the Isles, providing a transit point for tens of thousands of islanders and tourists every year; recognises that as a university town, home to the world renowned Scottish Association for Marine Science and a campus for the University of the Highlands and Islands, Oban is at the forefront of pioneering aquaculture innovation and is a seat of learning for more than 1000 students; notes that with stunning scenery, some outstanding seafood outlets and a beautiful old whisky distillery in the very heart of the town, Oban is increasingly becoming a popular visitor destination; recognises that proportionally, Scotland has markedly fewer cities than the other three nations of the United Kingdom, and with a declining population in the western highlands, believes that being awarded city status will bring greater investment in to Oban and the Highlands and Islands and will help reverse the trend of declining population; and wishes the people of Oban the best of luck in their attempts to become Scotland's eighth city.