The Inverness Castle Experience is preparing to open its doors to the public for the first time this winter, offering a preview season ahead of a full grand opening planned for early next year and inviting people across the Highlands to step inside a space designed to celebrate their own stories and sense of place.
The new website at invernesscastle.scot has now gone live, giving visitors an early look at the experience that awaits them and allowing tickets to be purchased ahead of the first public opening on 10 December when the Saltire Bistro and shop will also open their doors to everyone, including those not taking part in a paid experience.
The Castle Experience, operated by High Life Highland, has been developed as a landmark cultural centre for the region, combining history, storytelling, interactive exhibits and Highland identity in a building that looks out across the River Ness and the heart of the city.
Highland residents who hold a highlife card will be able to unlock exclusive benefits through the new Highlander Pass, a scheme created to encourage local people to visit throughout the year and to make the Castle Experience part of everyday Highland life.
According to the pass information provided by High Life Highland, the Highlander Pass is valid for one year from the date of purchase and allows unlimited bookable visits from October to March with no additional cost per visit, alongside a 10% discount in the Saltire Bistro and shop for the entire year when a photo is uploaded to the pass.
The pass is available only to residents of the Highland Council area and requires a highlife card to activate it, with full instructions laid out on the official guide, including pricing for adults, seniors, children and a range of family combinations, beginning at £20 for an adult pass and scaling through several family options also listed in the published pricing table.
The guidance also explains how to obtain a highlife card at no cost for access to library and pay as you go leisure services, and outlines the three simple steps required to activate the Highlander Pass, purchase it online and then book visits to the Castle Experience using the pass number received in a confirmation email.
Visitors will be able to book individual time slots each time they wish to explore the Castle Experience, and pass holders can repeat the process as often as they like during the October to March window, ensuring the attraction remains accessible to local people as well as to visitors from further afield.
The winter preview marks a significant moment in a long running transformation project that has turned the former courthouse into a centrepiece for Inverness, and High Life Highland hopes the Castle Experience will become a cultural touchstone that celebrates the stories, landscapes and heritage that define the Highlands.
This is a place built for the people who live here as much as for those who travel from beyond the region, and its opening represents a new chapter in how the Highlands tell their own story.
