A new book is casting a stylish spotlight on Scotland’s Art Deco heritage, with Inverness playing a starring role.
Art Deco Scotland: Design and Architecture in the Jazz Age launches this week, charting the glamorous wave of design that swept the nation between the wars.
Written by Bruce Peter, a professor at the Glasgow School of Art, the book is published by Historic Environment Scotland.
It arrives just in time to mark the 100-year anniversary of the Paris exhibition that gave Art Deco its name and international flair.
Inverness is celebrated in the book for its unique contributions, with striking examples like Castle Stuart Golf Club, Drumossie Hotel and Inverness High School capturing the spirit of the age.
The book includes over 150 striking photographs and illustrations from the archives of Historic Environment Scotland.
Art Deco, which burst out of 1920s Paris and New York, was all about glamour, sleek lines, and a forward-thinking elegance.
Its influence reached deep into Scottish design, appearing everywhere from luxury liners to cinemas and suburban villas.
Bruce Peter highlights that Scotland still boasts a rich tapestry of Art Deco architecture, from Peterhead to Stranraer.
He also notes that the Clyde shipyards produced some of the most dazzling ocean liners of the era, filled with Art Deco detail.
These buildings and designs aren’t just beautiful—they speak of aspiration, modernity, and cultural confidence.
Neil Gregory of Historic Environment Scotland says working with Bruce Peter on the book has been a journey through Scotland’s 20th century imagination.
The book shows how Scottish designers took the international Art Deco aesthetic and made it their own.
It also reveals the role Inverness played in this stylish story, often overlooked in broader design histories.
Castle Stuart Golf Club, completed in 2011 by G1 Architects with clear Art Deco echoes, shows how the style still inspires modern work in the Highlands.
The Drumossie Hotel stands as a classic example of Deco elegance in a Highland setting, with smooth curves and symmetrical lines.
Inverness High School is another gem, showing how the design revolution touched public institutions as well as private ones.
These buildings, both old and new, are reminders of a time when design met optimism and communities dared to dream in glass and steel.
Art Deco Scotland costs £30 and is available through Stor.scot and major booksellers.
It’s a must-have for anyone fascinated by architecture, history, or Scotland’s creative legacy.
