Inverness legends and history comes to life through new plaques and digital app
The artwork on the plaques acts as a trigger for an app which uses augmented reality to bring a story to life using technology.
The eighth and final plaque was installed on the Falcon Square statue. The artwork shows a magical garden with a unicorn and falcon.
The Mercat Cross which was unveiled in 2003 in Falcon Square is a sandstone pillar, 37ft high adorned with a rearing unicorn and a falcon shown spiralling down the column in the four successive stages of its attacking manoeuvre.
A link in the app takes you to more information about the unicorn and the stories of the other legends in Inverness.
The augmented reality trail includes plaques at the Victorian Market, Inverness Castle, Ness Walk and Eden Court.
The HighlandAR Legends app is part of a Highland Council project under the City-Region Deal.
The council’s communication and resilience manager Ruth Cleland said: “The app will be good for the area. It is something that is unique to Inverness and it will give tourists something different to do when they visit the city.“Not only is it educational but it will hopefully benefit local businesses as well.”
The Inverness Common Good Fund provided funding for the artworks which were designed by local artists and the council’s graphic designer Kirsty Foster. Darroch McNaught of Deuxality created the HighlandAR app and augmented reality experiences.
“Creating the app has been amazing and everyone seems so excited about it,” he said.
“Inverness is the first city in the UK to use augmented reality like this and I think it will have a huge impact on tourism.”
The full launch of the HighlandAR-Legends trail is set to take place this autumn.
HighlandAR-Legends is now free to download from Google Play and the Apple App Store.
