ON a wet and windy afternoon earlier this month, I was lucky enough to get a tour behind the hoardings of Inverness Castle.

Like many other local people and visitors, I have often wondered what’s going on inside the hoardings. The building has been a court serving the Highlands since its creation in the 19th century, and will now be transformed into a tourist attraction.

The work, named Spirit of the Highlands, will see the former courthouse turned into a multi-purpose facility including gardens, café, retail space, several exhibitions and galleries, and live entertainment venues hosting ceilidhs, music and performances.

The project is a collaboration between High Life Highland, Inverness City-Region Deal, Highland Council, Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Inverness Business Improvement District, NatureScot, VisitScotland, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Federation of Small Businesses, Scottish Development International and the University of the Highlands and Islands.

The Castlehill tour guide, Doug Redwood, was not phased by the bad weather, and charmingly took the group around the inside of the hoardings to explain these transformations in further detail.

I first learned of Highland mythology surrounding River Ness and the nearby cathedral. From there, we looked at features both old and new, with 3D renders of the proposed plans were scattered around providing an interesting contrast against the castle.

The development will restore the castle’s original layout, creating larger, ornate spaces. These will house ever-changing exhibitions from local artists, writers, photographers and more.

Mr Redwood said the castle experience will be “different for every visit, different for every visitor”. And how right he is.

Accessibility and inclusivity is at the heart of this project, allowing access to all in a previously difficult to navigate building.

Learning about the castle’s history while admiring its impressive exterior, really encouraged my imagination to combine the past and the future.

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Inverness Castle will be a vibrant new hub which welcomes artistic creativity and events that show the true meaning of the Highlands.

I finished the 45-minute tour full of excitement about the future of this marvellous building and what it will do for years to come. Tours run daily at 11am and 1pm and will continue until work starts in early 2022. It’s worth a visit.

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