Call to retain historic roof at Inverness Castle
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The proposed removal of a section of historic roof at Inverness Castle as part of its transformation into a tourist attraction would have an adverse impact, according to a public watchdog.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has asked for a rethink over plans to remove the original hipped roof above the entrance front of the south tower to create a viewing terrace.
It has also asked designers to work with the more rugged and informal character of the castle hill rather than the “refined” architecture of the historic buildings
But despite its reservations, it is not objecting to the application which forms part of the plans to create a multimillion-pound world-class tourist destination.
The application, submitted last month, seeks listed building consent and building warrant approval for alterations and landscaping at the former sheriff court.
In a response, HES states: "We very much welcome these proposals for the re-use of Inverness Castle which will secure the future of this important landmark and result in the public having much greater access to it as a visitor attraction and learning facility.
"We have been involved in the detailed discussions about the proposals for several years.
"We have welcomed the opportunity to help shape the scheme and we support the overall approach.
"We are generally content with the design interventions in the proposals which are based on a thorough understanding of the significance of the complex and its central role in the development of Inverness."
The agency notes the removal of the original roof above the south tower entrance to create a viewing terrace was a late addition to the scheme.
It believes it would have an adverse impact on the special interest of the listed building as the roof is visible in some southerly views.
It states: “Given the impact on the overall character of the building, our clear preference is that this aspect of the development scheme is reconsidered to retain the historic roof and its profile.
"We do, however, recognise that this would be the only rooftop viewing area accessible to people with limited mobility and on that basis we can accept the intervention in the context of an overall positive scheme.
"We recommend that immediate attention is given to the design of any additional safety provisions that may be required for the parapets in the accessible parts of the roof.
"The crenelated profile of the parapets is a key characteristic of the south tower and therefore any additional visual impacts arising from the need to meet safety standards should inform an appraisal of the rooftop viewing areas at this stage."
It also states it would be happy to be involved in discussions about forthcoming proposals for the works.
HES adds: "Our view is that the proposals do not raise historic environment issues of national significance and therefore we do not object.
"However, our decision not to object should not be taken as our support for the proposals."
Enabling work has already started in preparation for the creation of a must-see attraction that will celebrate the spirit of the Highlands.
The project is supported by £15 million Scottish Government and £3 million UK government investment through the Inverness and Highland City Region deal.
The castle development is expected to help reinvigorate tourism across the area and provide much-needed investment for the industry to aid recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The planning application can be viewed on the council’s eplanning site wam.highland.gov.uk using the reference 21/00100/FUL and 21/00103/LBC.
Related story: Transformation of Inverness Castle takes another step forward
