Top 'treasured places' revealed

This image of Cumbernauld is expected to be in the top 10

Cumbernauld town centre and the kit room at East Stirlingshire Football Club are expected to be named among Scotland's most treasured places.

One hundred images of landmarks and monuments were put to a public vote in September and the top 10 will be unveiled this weekend.

The organisers said there were some surprising choices among the favourites.

The overall winner will be announced in December.

The collection was published online to mark the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland's (RCAHMS) centenary year.

The image archive includes aerial photographs, intricate survey drawings, original architects' drawings and plans, plus rare historical photographs.

When the new town centre was built you had shops, penthouses, cafes, and bars all in the one place, and people had never seen a design quite like it before Councillor Gerry McElroy The man from Carbuncle

Ancient monuments and landmarks such as Balmoral Castle, the Forth Rail Bridge and Skara Brae and the Standing Stones of Stenness in Orkney are among those vying to be crowned Scotland's most treasured place.

However, the list also includes images that represent the everyday history of Scotland, such as hospitals, swimming baths, shopping centres, tenement flats and football clubs.

A drawing of Cumbernauld town centre is one of the images which looks certain to be in the top 10.

Siobhan McConnachie, project manager for Treasured Places, said: "People have been voting like mad and it's been fantastic to see how it works.

"You can tell when a campaign has been set up by people in one of these places because the votes suddenly whoosh up.

"It's been really great to see that and exciting for us."

Surprising choices

Design and architecture in Cumbernauld has been criticised in the past and the Lanarkshire town has twice won the Carbuncle award for Scotland's most dismal town centre.

However, local councillor Gerry McElroy said he was not surprised that the image of the town was among the favourites.

He said: "Given the recent adverse publicity it's good to hear that people in Cumbernauld are proud of the town.

"When the new town centre was built you had shops, penthouses, cafes, pubs and bars all in the one place, and people had never seen a design quite like it before.

"I'm not surprised that people would look back with a bit of nostalgia."

Images of Kings College in Aberdeen, St Meddan's Church in Troon and the kit room of East Stirlingshire FC have also been receiving a high number of votes.

The top 10 images will be displayed in an exhibition at Edinburgh's City Art Centre and an exhibition which will tour 10 venues across Scotland.