Residents of a Black Isle village got a glimpse of plans for 50 new houses planned for their community yesterday.
Paterson Estates plans to build the homes on a greenfield site on the edge of Rosemarkie.
Yesterday afternoon ThreeSixty Architecture held a modest exhibition of the plans in the village, before hosting a public presentation last night.
They claim they have taken inspiration from existing features of Rosemarkie to ensure the housing at Greenside Farm fits in.
The builder is in talks with the council ahead of a planning application being submitted in August.
The houses will range from one-bedroom flats to four bedroom-villas, though most will be three-bedroomed terraced houses.
Parking will be provided to the rear of the homes and the main road through the development will be “shared space” between cars and pedestrians to encourage walking and cycling.
There will also be a large amenity space in the centre of the development, which will be built in two phases.
The site is zoned for 50 houses in the Inner Moray Firth Loch Plan, however the development seeks to use land outside this in order to reduce the density.
Rory Kellett, of ThreeSixty Architecture, said: “Development is going to happen here, but we would rather it was done in a sensitive way.”
He added that there had already been four inquiries about purchasing a property in the development, showing that there was a demand for houses in Rosemarkie.
But residents expressed concerns about the access to the site on Courthill Road, particularly because it is a single track road.
In the past it has been used as a rat run for motorists trying to avoid the narrow High Street.
Libby Brown, chairwoman of Fortrose and Rosemarkie Community Council, said she had also concerns about the site itself.
She added that she felt the village does not need any more houses.
She said: “We have to have jobs for the people living there. If not, then it just becomes another commuter village for Inverness.
“But the A832 is not a commuter road.”
At present anyone with comments about the development should submit them to the firm by July 10 via inverness@360architecture.com