The Highland Council has said it is going against the trend of declining house building in Scotland, following a delivery of new homes throughout the region.

Council Leader Councillor Drew Hendry made the comments after reports suggested the construction of new homes in Scotland had fallen to a 65-year low as a result of the economic downturn.

In 2012/13, a total of 833 new homes were built in the Highlands as a mix of private and affordable housing and the growth is said to be continuing as the Council has plans to complete 100 new council houses in this financial year, with a further 25 to be constructed by housing associations over the same period.

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One example is Tulloch Homes, who has built more homes in the first third of this year than in any four-month period since 2008, selling a house per day.

Councillor Hendry said: "In no way are we complacent, but we are bucking a trend of decreasing house building. This is really good news for the Highlands, where confidence in our economy is high.

"The Council is fully committed to stimulating the house building industry in the Highlands through delivery of its council house build, with an agreed programme of 688 new council houses and its wider enabling role.

"In addition we have committed to build 200 temporary accommodation units to meet the needs of single homeless people.

"The council house programme has already delivered high quality housing from Portree to Kingussie with new houses delivered recently in Kessock Court North in Inverness and Curling Court, Muir of Ord with new starts on site this week in Nairn, Ardersier and Tain."

He added that the Council was also working to bring forward stagnant development sites and bring them back into use.

(JP/CD)