Plan to add café to old building in Inverness
THE National Trust for Scotland has applied for planning permission to change the use of the ground floor at Abertarff House from exhibition space to retail and café use.
The trust is hoping to bring new life to the building which dates back to 1593.
The planning application is under consideration by Highland Council and the trust stated: “Abertarff House sits in the heart of Church Street; a beautiful building, it has been under-utilised over the past 10 years. There is a strong opportunity to build a boutique visitor experience that explores the diverse and vibrant history of Inverness, delivers a small-scale events programme and provides opportunities for commercial engagement.
“This would include personal and quirky histories such as the Inverness Battle of the Cheeses which took place in the mid-17th century on a rolling exhibition schedule; there would be opportunities to display exhibitions of photography and community art projects.
“Sitting alongside this, a small retail and catering offering could be delivered on the ground floor.
“The catering offer would be predominantly takeaway-focused, however there would be up to six seats available for those who wished to enjoy the ambiance of the site.
“Additionally, the first floor would house a small meeting room that could also be used for community events.”
Over the past 50 years the site has served a series of functions, at one point being the head office for the trust in the region.
“It is proposed that an interpretation panel discussing the building and the conservation story associated with it is installed at street level,” the trust added.
