On Monday (8 December), the Inverness Castle Working Group met to consider the future development of the castle.
At the meeting it was decided a feasibility study should be commissioned to identity and analyse a viable and economically sustainable alternative use for the site, after it was vacated by the Scottish Court Service. The study will be jointly funded by Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the Scottish Government. Its findings are to be reported in May 2015.
It was also said that the alternative option should provide access for locals and visitors, as well as maximise the impact on the cultural, economic and social life of the area.
The Working Group was established to consider the future use of Inverness Castle as a tourist attraction and maximise its status.
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It is understood a planning application will now be submitted for the castle's North Tower. This will be carried out before Christmas and aims to create a viewing platform and tourist shop for visitors. If this is approved, it is hoped the tower will be open to visitors from late 2015/early 2016.
Councillor Drew Hendry, Highland Council Leader, said: "Work towards achieving our goal of opening up the castle as a major tourist attraction is moving on apace, with good progress on initial plans for opening up the North Tower as a start.
"The feasibility study is an important piece of work which will give us some options to consult with the public on. I would like to thank Ministers and partners for lending their support to this important development, which will be a huge benefit to the city."
Fergus Ewing, Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, added: "There's great progress being made by the working group to identify potential high-quality, sustainable future uses for Inverness' most iconic building.
"The Council's development of the viewpoint in the North Tower is hugely welcome as it highlights the tourism opportunities the castle presents – not to mention giving the public access to what has been pronounced as the grandest view in Britain.
"Subject to the Scottish Courts Service finding suitable alternative accommodation, the Scottish Government continues to support this project. The feasibility study is an important step in this work, as it will provide input identifying what would work best for the benefit of tourists and locals alike."
(JP/IT)
