November 11 2022

Painstaking restoration has seen the 18th-century Merchant House on Castle Street, Inverness, rebuilt to provide eight new homes above a new commercial unit.

Highland Housing Alliance with CRGP Architects and Compass Building & Construction Services carefully dismantled the B-listed building stone-by-stone, enabling the historic facade to be rebuilt.

Gail Matheson, Chief Executive at HHA, said: “Alongside project partners, we have carefully rejuvenated the building’s original characteristics to create a new destination for people to live, aligning with The Highland Council’s Inverness City Vision roadmap to strengthen the city centre whilst preserving its culture, pride and identity."

Grant funded by the Scottish Government and City Region Deal the work includes a rebuilt communal courtyard to the rear, retaining stones and steps, remnants of a staircase that once led to Ardconnal Terrace.

3 Comments

#1 Posted by Save The Ironworks on 11 Nov 2022 at 08:45 AM

This looks like a nice job..

CRGP will need all the good will it can muster before it proceeds with tearing down the only live gig venue in Inverness.

#2 Posted by Save The Ironworks on 11 Nov 2022 at 09:05 AM

.. actually, I hadn't seen the rear courtyard photograph. That doesn't bode well for a muckle hotel on the edge of the conservation area!

#3 Posted by Nairn's Bairn on 14 Nov 2022 at 10:14 AM

Great work, so nice to see a bit of character preserved.

I know it was a rebuild rather than rehabilitation so perhaps less sustainable construction-wise, but presumably will be better insulated and offer more suitable internal spaces and therefore better in the long-term.

On comment #2: the rear (unseen) elevations of tenements are often random and rendered, so this doesn't offend too much - it is a shame they used smooth render though, that will not weather well.

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