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Delay for castle set to open as £39m attraction

Eilidh Davies and Steven McKenzie
BBC Scotland News
Getty Images A view of Inverness Castle looking up to it from Castle Street. The castle is a sandstone building with ramparts and turrets. Long windows, curved at the top line the walls and a Saltire flies from a flag pole in a round turret. Below the castle is a large area of grass with floral displays, including a clock. It is a bright sunny day.Getty Images
Inverness Castle was supposed to open to visitors this summer

The opening of Inverness Castle as a new £39m tourist attraction has been delayed until later this year.

Work to redevelop the former sheriff court and prison started in 2022 and was expected to be completed this summer.

The Inverness Castle Experience, which involves Highland Council and Highlife Highland, said it was a complex and specilised project.

It said the main construction phase was ongoing but nearing completion.

Councillor Ian Brown, who is co-chairman of the Inverness Castle delivery group, said it was a landmark project for the Highlands.

He said: "This is a complex project - it involves a unique blend of historic architecture, modern building techniques and innovative exhibits.

"The teamwork between contractors, designers and fit-out specialists has been commendable, especially considering the challenges with workforce availability."

Mr Brown added: "With construction drawing to a close, we are moving into the final phase with energy and clear focus."

The cost of the work is being covered by £34.5m in funding, including £30m from the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal, and £5.5m in borrowing.

The borrowing is to be repaid from the castle's revenue.

What does the castle look like just now?

Exterior of Inverness Castle. The building is built of sandstone and there are several windows in the walls.
Either side of the window are intertwined tree branches. The windows have brown blinds and the fabric is decorated with illustrations of trees without leaves.
Inverness Castle's transformation has included sprucing up the building's stonework and changing the colour of its window frames from white to black.
Decorative work has been done inside the castle, including this window which is themed around old trees.

Once open, visitors will be able to take an interactive journey through the castle and learn about the history and legends of the Highlands.

Younger people will be offered the chance to follow a virtual guide - a dog called Cuillin.

The castle will also have a bar and bistro.

Earlier this year, an information day was held on jobs being created at the castle.

Inverness Castle Experience The dog, called Cuillin, is a cartoon character that looks like a Border collie. The dog's coat is white with patches of dark grey, including a dark grey patch over one eye. Cuillin is wearing a tartan neckerchief and has his pink tongue lolling out of his mouth.Inverness Castle Experience
Younger visitors will be offered the chance to follow a virtual guide called Cuillin

The Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service moved out of the castle in 2020.

In February, public agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) put an extra £863,000 towards the cost of the building's transformation.

The additional funding brought HIE's total investment in the project to £2.86m.

Getty Images A black and white sketch of Inverness Castle and Inverness' Riverside. The illustration shows the castle on its hill and houses and bridge with four arches below. In the foreground is an empty rowing boat among reeds. There is a second rowing boat with two men in it. One of the men is standing and using a pole to manoeuvre the boat on the river.Getty Images
Inverness Castle in a sketch made in the mid-19th Century

The sandstone Inverness Castle was built in 1830s and 40s to plans drawn by architect William Burn.

It was constructed on Castle Hill, which overlooks the city and the River Ness.

The property's North Block served as a prison.

Getty Images The sepia image shows an Inverness Riverside scene. On the left are cottages with thatched roofs. A group of women in long dresses are gathered near one of the cottages. They are standing on a rough, dusty road. A number of other people are on the road, including a boy who is pulling a wooden wheelbarrow and is talking to a man with a bushy beard and is wearing a flat cap. The River Ness flows on the right of the image and in the distance is a bridge and Inverness Castle.Getty Images
Inverness Castle and the city's riverside in a photograph taken in September 1865

But a castle had occupied the site from possibly as far back as the 11th Century.

Over the centuries, the fortification fell under the control of the forces of Edward I, Robert the Bruce and James I, II and IV.

In 1562, it was attacked and damaged by soldiers loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots, before it was almost destroyed by Royalist troops in the 1600s.

Bonnie Prince Charlie's forces blew the castle up in 1746 to prevent it from falling into the hands of government troops.

It was said that a French sergeant, who had brought his poodle with him to Scotland, set off the explosives.

The soldier was caught in the blast, and his body was blown across to the opposite side of the River Ness. His dog survived.

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