First look inside how £39m transformation of Inverness Castle will 'tell the story of the Highlands'
The £39 million project is on track to open in autumn according to principal project manager Jason Kelman.
From being home to a prison and criminal courts, it will soon feature immersive rooms aiming to celebrate the 'past, present and imagined' of the Highlands.
Mr Kelman said the north tower construction work is completed and will now undergo a deep cleaning process before opening.
He said: 'I think we've done pretty well on this contract.
'I've done a lot of listed building contracts over my time, I've got 35 years of experience in the construction industry.
'To be where we are on a project of this size and scale and complexity, in the time it's taken, it's very good.'
Despite challenges holding up work, he is still feeling positive about opening later this year.
The project is part of the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal, a joint initiative supported by up to £315m investment from the UK and Scottish governments, Highland Council and other public sector agencies.
Mr Kelman said the focus on making sure local contractors have been utilised is causing a slight hiccup due to a Highland construction 'boom'.
Mr Kelman added: 'Overall on the programme, we have had a couple of issues which have held us back slightly.
'One of the biggest issues we've been hit by is labour shortages. When we set the contracts we wrote into the tender we wanted local businesses to be used.
'That has probably come back to bite us slightly because the construction industry within the highlands is booming at the moment.
'We have also had issues with materials, as it is natural stone which we're using and sometimes what had been quarried out wasn't to the quality of our needs.
'At the beginning, a lot of material prices were going up, so we did an exercise to order as much as we could.
'The final pieces which we're waiting on include glass and glazing windows which are coming from Austria.
'But it isn't something to worry about. I've worked on other projects where we have delays, where we're talking months and months.
'We're not there with this project. We're really looking at, at most, weeks.'
Head of The Inverness Castle Experience Garry Marsden has said the new attraction is 'fairy-tale-like' by combining the magic with the castle setting.
Joining from his role at Sandringham Estate, he is looking forward to seeing a huge number of customers enjoy the experience, of which 220,000 are expected annually.
Mr Marsden said: 'The Inverness Castle Experience is completely different to what people will perceive it to be.
'If you got 100 people in this room and ask them for expectations, they would never guess what is behind those walls and in each room.
'It's something completely different and I think that's important. This is telling the stories of the Highlands, the faces, the sounds and so much more.
'Inverness is the gateway to the Highlands – and people who come here can hopefully take some of that information away.'
Mr Marsden will head up a staff team of around 90 once the castle experience is open.
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