Clowns, singing cats and trolley-dancing grannies in Inverness street festival

DANCING grannies, clowns, cats, storytellers and meerkats will be a feature in the city centre from Thursday as they perform as part of the annual street festival.

The event which will run until Saturday is jointly funded by the Inverness Business Improvement District (BID), Eastgate Centre and the Inverness Common Good Fund.

Staged to promote the wider city centre retail area it will takes place in the Victorian Market, High Street and Eastgate Centre each day from 12.30-4pm.

One of the returning acts are "Granny Turismo", the world’s first and only shopping trolley dance team.

Joining them will be a "Cats Choir". With their oversized rubbish bins, the mischievous cats will reflect on their lives, food and the death of Fat Bob.

Also taking part will be "The Urban Meerkats", a highly strung and totally paranoid group who will constantly be checking with the public and searching for the predators out to get them.

Jackie Cuddy, Eastgate Centre manager, said: "Eastgate retailers are very excited about the return of the ‘Grannies' as well as the acts new to Inverness. We are delighted with the continued growth of the festival this year and the quality of the acts performing at it."

The Highland Council is supporting the festival through the Inverness Common Good Fund.

Mike Smith, BID manager, added: "The Inverness Street Festival offers three days of madness, mayhem and fun encouraging people to come to the city centre and be entertained in the wider retail area. We are particularly delighted that this year’s event is supported by the Inverness Common Good Fund."