Inverness Castle transformation – landscaping proposals
Landscaping proposals for the Inverness Castle development have now been lodged with The Highland Council as part of the statutory applications for the planned transformation for Inverness Castle to become a tourism gateway for the Highlands.
The landscaping proposals show how the Castle grounds will become an integral part of the experience for people visiting the attraction in years to come. The designs, which remodel the castle esplanade and external courtyards, are intended to create a new and accessible city-centre destination. They include new hard and soft landscaping, seating areas, viewpoints and feature plantings that reflect the native species of the Highlands. The proposals have been designed to integrate with the castle itself to allow the renovated interiors to connect with the new external areas.
The proposals can be seen on The Highland Council planning portal, within the application for listed building consent and building warrant approval submitted last month by project architects LDN Architects. These applications are in preparation for the main building works contract. This contract will be subject to a tender process beginning in spring of 2021. Enabling works are already underway involving demolition work, asbestos surveys, timber preservation surveys and structural checks.
Note, all timings for the Castle transformation are subject to change, depending on the findings of the ongoing enabling works contract (due for completion in spring 2021) and the impact of the ongoing pandemic.
The transformation of Inverness Castle is supported by £15 million Scottish Government and £3 million UK Government investment through the city region deal. It will create a gateway for Highland tourism, contributing to reinvigoration of tourism across the area and providing much needed investment for the industry to aid the recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The project will support economic growth throughout the Highland area, creating a sustainable, viable and “must-see” attraction that will celebrate the spirit of the Highlands.
The Inverness and Highland City Region deal is a joint initiative supported by up to £315m investment from the UK and Scottish governments, The Highland Council, HIE and University of the Highlands and Islands, aimed at stimulating sustainable regional economic growth.
The planning application can be viewed on the Council’s eplanning site https://wam.highland.gov.uk/wam/ using the following reference 21/00100/FUL and 21/00103/LBC.
A higher resolution version of the illustration showing landscaping proposals for the Inverness Castle development is available to download here.