The Castle is now in the hands of Highland Council, following the move of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to the new Inverness Justice Centre earlier this year.

“Inverness Castle was specifically built as a sheriff courthouse and county hall, and has served justice and the people of Inverness well for over 180 years,” said Sheriff Principal Pyle. 

“I would like to pay tribute to everyone who has worked in this building, supporting its work and its history over the years. As that chapter closes, I am pleased that the Castle will continue to serve Inverness and its community in this new role.” 

Inverness Sheriff Clerk, Ruth Thomson, added: “The Castle is an iconic building, centrally located within the town, and popular with visitors from all over the world. A number of our staff worked at the Castle for many years and there was a lot of emotional attachment to the building and fond memories of working there. 

“Although the move to the Inverness Justice Centre occurred slightly earlier than planned, in response to the Government’s lockdown measures in March, the decision to move then was absolutely the right one. 

“The new building is bright, clean and spacious enough to allow for social distancing and all the courtrooms are equipped with the technology we require to operate as a hub court. We simply would not have been able to function so successfully throughout the crisis if we were still in the Castle.”

Inverness Castle is now destined to become a ‘must see’ Inverness attraction, swapping custodies for voluntary visitors eager to take in the views from the castle and, eventually, a new museum, gallery, shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. For now, the building will become a building site as enabling works begin this transformation.