Inverness Castle £39 million transformation into major gateway Highland visitor attraction applauded for ‘excellence’ but facing slight delay and a seven-figure overspend

Work on a £39 million transformation of Inverness Castle to create a ‘world class’ visitor attraction is facing a slight delay and likely overspend of at least £1 million.

But leading figures guiding the ambitious redevelopment towards completion today played down the significance of exceeding the budget by “a couple of percent” given the sheer scale of the project and considerable challenges facing the construction industry.

Inverness Castle Experience officials, who gave a special tour for media representatives, gave a ‘good things come to those who wait’ message and said they were prioritising “excellence ahead of opening”.

Originally, as construction work on the former courthouse and prison began in April 2022, the Inverness Castle Experience project team set a target finish date of late summer/early autumn 2025.

With funding drawn from the £315 million Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal, a joint initiative supported by the UK and Scottish governments and a variety of public bodies, a £35 million budget was set.

This increased to £39 million as an energy centre adjacent to the site was added.

HIE also had to commit an extra £863,000 in February.

WATCH: The latest update film by the Inverness Castle Experience team

The aim is to tell the story of the Highlands while creating an enchanting and awe-inspiring gateway to Highland tourism, also attractive to locals.

That will be achieved through stunning interactive and immersive audio-visual exhibits, retail and food and drink offerings with a distinctive Highland flavour.

Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the University of the Highlands and Islands are among those supporting the project as a means to help stimulate sustainable regional economic growth.

Members of the media were given an intriguing tour of just a few of the attractions within the site today (Wednesday) as work continued apace.

But Jason Kelman, the principal project manager of the Inverness Castle Experience, gave an honest insight into the cost implications of unavoidable delays in the opening date, which is still to be finalised.

The project is entering its final fit-out stage, but will also require deep-cleaning work, exterior landscaping and then training of 80-90 staff taking up full-time equivalent positions.

During construction, the project has been generating employment for an average of between 70-100 workers every day.

Among the cited causes of delay and extra costs, which will be absorbed by Highland Council, were labour shortages in the local construction industry and difficulty in obtaining the right quality of natural stone to finish the building work.

Mr Kelman said: “We hope to have the buildings completed by mid-August and the landscaping of the exterior completed by mid-September.

“Two issues have held us back - labour shortages on the contract, partly through our focus on favouring local sub-contractors at a time when construction projects in the Highlands are booming and local sub-contractors spreading themselves thin.

“Secondly, there have been issues with materials, with the stonework all natural stone. At times, what’s been quarried has hit seams where the quality is not quite what we expect and therefore a lot of stone has had to be rejected.

“But for projects of this nature and scale, on a grade A-listed structure, it is always going to be complicated and challenging and there are many examples where budgets and timescales have been far over-run.

“I’ve got 35 years of experience in the construction industry and I think we’ve done pretty well on this project.

“To be where we are, hopefully just a matter of weeks late, I’m really pleased with the progress and the great quality of work that we have seen put in place.”

Allan Maguire, head of economic development and region at Highland Council, said the the authority was expecting “manageable” costs above budget, taking the total just past the £40 million mark.

But he said some of that extra expenditure would hopefully be clawed back by exceeding predicted visitor numbers which stand at a projected 220,000 per year for the tour and far in excess of that for the free entry parts of the attraction.

Work within the North Tower of the former Sheriff and civil court buildings has been completed, awaiting final deep-cleaning.

It will feature, on the first floor, retail premises, exhibition space and the ‘ceilidh rooms’ exhibition, as well as the North Tower bar and function area.

It will also feature the Runrig Story brought together in collaboration with the legendary Highland rock/folk band who have gifted their archive to exhibit.

The second floor will house the Spirit of the Highlands tapestry formed of over 650 pictures of Highland life, as well as exhibition space.

A link building between the south and north towers will host a 120-seat bistro, with terraced areas outside, drawing on natural light, attractive design and incorporating an ancient well long-preserved at the castle site.

It will offer early breakfasts, lunches and evening light bites through to 10pm and be open to both those paying for tours and members of the public who do not. There will also be a display of the area’s finest distillers nearby.

Mr Kelman described the link building as “pretty well on the way” to completion, but admitted there was still a good amount of work to complete within the South Tower which will hold the exciting and engaging immersive displays.

The stunning Inverness Rose Window has been given new life 50 years after being mothballed from the old Academy Street Methodist Church.

Works to remove temporary ceilings unearthed a visually attractive original vaulted ceiling which has been lovingly restored.

The flow of displays, forming a 45-minute tour as part of the overall two-hour experience, casts light on all aspects of Highland geography, geology, history and folklore.

It will conclude with a showpiece attraction in the old sheriff court room, a seven-minute climax to the experience project leaders say will be breathtaking for visitors and, potentially, deeply emotional for Highlanders marvelling at their own heritage.

In an operational update, Garry Marsden, head of the Inverness Castle Experience, confirmed that preparations were well-advanced across all areas, including staffing, retail, food and beverage, and visitor services.

He said: “Merchandise is being ordered for the new retail shop, the café menu is being developed with local suppliers and the ticketing system is fully in place.

“We also have what we believe will be an attractive offer for those with High Life Highland passes, who can buy a ticket once and then re-enter as many times as they like between October and March.

Cllr Ian Brown, leader of Inverness and area and co-chairman of the Inverness Castle Delivery Group, said: “Today’s visit offers a real sense of just how far the project has come – and how close we now are to welcoming visitors into The Inverness Castle Experience.

“This will be a landmark experience not only for the city but for the wider Highlands, bringing our stories and landscapes to life in powerful and contemporary ways.

"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.

“Up until now, three main contractors have been working simultaneously on the site. However, we have now reached a stage where the specialised fit-out demands a carefully planned, step-by-step process.

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

Michael Boylan, chairman of High Life Highland Trading Board, said: “The Inverness Castle Experience will be a vibrant and distinctive celebration of Highland life, rooted in our communities, culture and creativity.

“We’re excited to bring this to the public later this year and look forward to sharing something truly special with visitors from near and far.

“Ensuring it is fully operational and fit for purpose is crucial, and we remain focused on delivering a high-quality experience worthy of its iconic setting."

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