Inverness Castle transformation – exhibition and content design partner tender

Issued by High Life Highland

High Life Highland, the managing agent of the project to transform Inverness Castle into a visitor attraction for the Highlands, has today issued a tender for an exhibition and content design partner for the project on behalf of The Highland Council.

Celebrating and interpreting the ‘Spirit of the Highlands’ in 100 Stories will be the core theme of the visitor experience. The tender invites the successful company to develop and explore this theme in imaginative and unexpected ways, encouraging people to visit other locations around the Highlands. Key elements of the tender invite companies to consider:

• A strong emphasis on the areas of music, language and the environment, while using methods such as projection mapping, holography, virtual reality and augmented reality to enhance the visitor experience.
• Interpretation throughout the footprint of the Castle and its grounds, including in the retail and catering spaces, gardens, corridors and toilet areas.
• A showstopping feature in the main courtroom in the South Tower of the Castle.
• The potential for a digital or in person seannachie (storyteller) - to guide visitors through the Castle.
• How to ensure that the Inverness Castle visitor experience provides a fully inclusive and flexible experience for all visitors.
• The potential for provision of a wide variety of multi-sensory experiences, including interactive, immersive and audio-visual content, audio and digital interpretation and programmed events and activities.
• The potential for the North Tower to be let to a third party (visitor attraction) tenant, recognising that COVID-19 has impacted on the potential for tenants to invest significantly at this time.
• The potential to incorporate a ‘Great Tapestry of the Highlands’, a project being developed with the team behind the hugely successful Great Tapestry of Scotland.

The full notice for the tender is available on the Public Contracts Scotland website at https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/ .

The transformation of Inverness Castle is supported by £15 million Scottish Government and £3 million UK Government investment through the Inverness and Highland 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, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and University of the Highlands and Islands, aimed at stimulating sustainable regional economic growth.