Dumfries has lost out on its bid to become Scotland’s newest city.
The town was in the running for the accolade through a competition as part of the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations.
The award went to Dunfermline in Fife, but campaigners who spearheaded the bid have pledged to “keep going” with an ambitious programme of improvements for the Queen of the South.
The chairwoman of the city bid’s organising group, Councillor Tracey Little, said: “While we are disappointed not to have been awarded city status, we do congratulate Dunfermline.
“But this is not the end for Dumfries – far from it.
“The improvements that we have planned for the town featured strongly in the campaign, and they will still be going ahead.
“Doonhamers, the wider region and visitors deserve to see our ambition for our town sustained.
“We have had fantastic exposure as part of our campaign, and I firmly believe this has really put Dumfries on the map. People across the whole of Dumfries and Galloway have really supported the bid and we should be very proud of our achievements.
“The body of work detailed in the bid is really valuable and we’ll use that to keep the momentum going for a sustainable and bright future. Previous towns in Scotland which have successfully achieved city status have greatly benefited from more investment, more new jobs and improved infrastructure.
“We still believe city status would bring huge benefits to Dumfries and the wider region.”
South Scotland SNP MSP Emma Harper said she was “disappointed” following the announcement on Friday, “particularly given the hard work of the community and representatives in the local authority who submitted an excellent bid”.
She added that she hopes MSPs “will get behind any future bid”.
“Let’s all work to support Dumfries and the whole wider region to continue to grow and prosper,” she said.
“As I highlighted in the debate that I led in the Scottish Parliament on the potential for Dumfries city status, the fact we applied in the first place has helped to shine a light on Dumfries and the wider region as Scotland’s adventure playground – as well as our fantastic outdoor pursuits, our social, cultural and historical heritage.
