Inverness Castle – immersive film and audio-visual tenders advertised

On behalf of The Highland Council, High Life Highland has this week advertised two tenders seeking suppliers of an immersive film unit complete with content, as well as audio visual content for the Inverness Castle – Spirit of the Highlands project.

The tenders will see the transformation of stories gathered as part of the project into unique and engaging content.

• The first tender is for the creation of two immersive experiences which will showcase the natural and cultural heritage of the Highlands and Islands, drawing inspiration from stories submitted by the area’s communities. The contractor will be expected to develop, design and deliver the technology and accompanying immersive content to make this a truly engaging and innovative experience. The two immersive environments being tendered for will then form part of a travelling exhibition across the area, interacting with local communities across the region to develop an authentic experience through storytelling.
• The second tender is for developing creative interactive content inspired by stories of the Highlands and Islands, to increase engagement with visitors and encourage sustainable and responsible travel throughout the region. The contractor will be expected to develop unique content which will encourage visitors to interact with and explore the Highland landscape in new ways. The content – which may include elements of augmented reality and audio recording – will be used to enhance an interactive story map for the area being created through Spirit: Journeys.

The tenders will contribute to Spirit:Journeys, a natural and cultural heritage initiative that will deliver many benefits for local communities, helping to unlock economic potential and improve visitor experiences across the region. It is supported by a grant from the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund (NCHF) led by NatureScot and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Reflecting the Spirit of the Highlands theme, Spirit:Journeys will encourage people to visit sustainably all parts of the Highlands throughout the area.

The full notices are 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.