Inverness councillors have marked the 70th anniversary of the city’s town twinning arrangements while welcoming new sporting exchange opportunities linked to long standing partnerships in Germany and France.
The recognition came at a meeting of the City of Inverness Area Committee, where members acknowledged decades of work by the Inverness Town Twinning Committee and supported fresh initiatives aimed at creating opportunities for sports people in the city.
Inverness is twinned with Augsburg in Germany and St Valery and La Baule in France, partnerships which councillors said have delivered cultural and economic value to the city over many years.
Leader of Inverness and Area Cllr Ian Brown said:
“The twinning partnerships with Augsburg in Germany, and St Valery and La Baule in France have brought immense cultural and economic value to Inverness over the years.
“We thank the Inverness Town Twinning Committee for their hard work in support of the twinning arrangements, which are fully funded by the Inverness Common Good Fund and I am very pleased that Members have endorsed the continued varied and dedicated work of the Committee.
“I’m also delighted to see new opportunities being created through our twinning arrangements for sports representatives in Inverness.”
Councillors were told that 2026 marks a significant milestone in the relationship with Augsburg, with the two cities celebrating 70 years of twinning.
Provost of Inverness and Area Cllr Glynis Campbell Sinclair added:
“Supported by the Inverness Common Good Fund, this year we mark a major milestone in our Twinning Partnership with Augsburg as 2026 is the 70th Anniversary of Twinning.
“We will progress ongoing discussions with Augsburg to promote economic links in the Green Hydrogen and Renewable Energy sectors along with UHI Inverness, the University of Augsburg and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
“Reciprocal visits will take place in May in Augsburg and September in Inverness to mark the 70th anniversary and strengthen the economic and cultural links between the two cities.”
Members also noted the objectives of a Hydrogen Working Group established through the twinning arrangements, focused on building partnerships between academia and industry in Scotland and Bavaria to advance hydrogen technologies.
The group will explore areas including hydrogen production, storage, transportation and end use applications, strengthening links between Inverness and Augsburg through shared innovation and research.
Sporting exchange visits are also planned as part of the anniversary year, initiated by the Federation of Sport Clubs in Augsburg.
Ten employees from Bavarian Youth Sport in Augsburg will travel to Inverness in May or early June, with a group of sports people from Inverness returning to Augsburg in late June.
The exchanges will be facilitated by the Town Twinning Committee with support from High Life Highland, funded by the Inverness Common Good Fund.
Darren Reid, Head of Sport and Physical Activity at High Life Highland said:
“This is a wonderful opportunity for young people from Inverness who are involved in sport to gain a broader understanding of international clubs and sporting systems.
“Being part of this sporting exchange to Augsburg is a brilliant chance for young people to be part of something exciting and unique whilst gaining knowledge that will support their personal development and could help enhance the local sporting landscape.
“We would encourage anyone who is interested to apply.”
The exchanges aim to share best practice in youth sports development and governance, explore differences and similarities in sports infrastructure and funding, and provide young people with international leadership and cultural experience.
