Ness Bridge Illumination

Rock Ness revellers will be treated to an additional visual spectacle this weekend with the switching on of the feature lighting on the Ness Bridge, Inverness.

The lighting is computer controlled across a wide spectrum of colour and has been successfully used to provide visually dynamic light affects around the world, including Dublin Airport, a former silver mine in Mexico and the London Eye.

Provost Bob Wynd, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Inverness City Committee, said: “I am delighted that we are able switch on these lights this weekend, one of the busiest in tourism terms this summer.  The views along the River Ness, with the Castle in the background, are quite stunning day and night and the Bridge illumination will further enhance the night time scene and underline the importance of the River to the evening economy.  I hope it will give visitors an added thrill and leave them with an even better impression of their trip to Inverness.”

For the time being, the lighting sequence will be a simple colour change through each of the colours - white, blue, cyan, magenta, red, yellow and green – but more interesting light combinations will be developed over time.

Marie Mackintosh, City Partnership Officer, said “The lighting system allows for endless possibilities in mixing the colours.  Over the coming months we hope to design some interesting schemes and we are particularly keen to include the community in this, perhaps through workshops or competitions.”

The Highland Council intends to work in partnership with Inverness BID and community groups to have a more formal event celebrating the Bridge lighting as part of plans for a riverside event at the end of August.

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Background

The £167,000 project, part of the City Lighting Strategy, illuminatinginverness, is being fully funded through the Inverness City Vision Cities Growth Fund monies for 2006-2008 and complements the lighting work already in place around Inverness Castle and the environmental improvements of the Streetscape programme.

Images

Ewan Weatherspoon took images of the testing sequence recently.  These can be viewed on the following link http://www.ewclients.co.uk/bridgelights/ and copies are available from Marie Mackintosh.

For more information contact: Marie Mackintosh, City Partnership Officer at marie.mackintosh@highland.gov.uk or  01463 724380 / 07751 051371