UPDATE: Inverness Castle climber reported to police
A person seen scaling scaffolding at Inverness Castle has been reported to the police.
Pictures appeared on social media showing someone climbing on the side of the structure then standing on one of the levels.
The photos were shared by the popular What's Happening Inverness Facebook page.
The castle site has been closed off since April last year as it undergoes a multimillion-pound transformation into a tourist attraction.
It is understood work will be delayed while safety checks are carried out to see if anything has been tampered with.
Bancon Construction is around halfway through its two-and-a-half-year contract at the site.
It will be followed by a fit-out phase meaning the site is unlikely to open to the public before 2025.
Highland Council is partly paying for the project.
“We are aware that a member of the public gained unauthorised access to the construction site at Inverness Castle," said a spokesperson for the local authority.
"No member of the public should enter live construction sites for a number of reasons. Not only are they not safe for members of the public due to the inherent dangers which exist, but there are potential risks for site operatives if scaffolding or equipment, for instance, is tampered with or damaged without their knowledge.
"The castle has been secured and fenced off since construction began to prevent unauthorised access.
“Public access rights do not apply to construction sites. Where a member of the public accesses land which is not covered by public access rights, they are trespassing. A court can therefore make an order to prevent trespassers from entering the land. Breach of such a court order could become a criminal offence.
"This matter has been reported to Police Scotland. We would urge anyone who knows the person who accessed the site to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
The Inverness Castle project will benefit from £30 million investment from the Scottish and UK governments, the council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and a range of other partners to support its re-development. It is part of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal.
Last week the project reached a new milestone as the first elements of superstructure for the new link building, which will provide café and restaurant facilities connecting the former courthouse and prison for the first time, were due to be delivered and installed.
